Herald Article 2

[stumpy]

After Callum, it's Cugs's turn this week.

Is it just me, or is it "all about me"? That's the way it reads anyway.

He wants to go up so that he can finish his managerial career at the highest level the club has ever been at. However unless "they" give him a competitive budget then he doesn't want to do it, because the moment the club starts going backwards he doesn't want to manage it any longer.

I'm intrigued by this "they". Who are "they"? We know Paul puts money in, but does anyone else? The only way we could have a competitive budget at the next level up is if new directors prepared to invest significant funds join the board.

I've said it before, I worry about the lack of any clear plan for the future of the club. This article doesn't reassure me in the slightest.

[Deleted]

Surely Cugley leaving is the best thing that could ever happen to the club? 🙃

As I’ve said, people should enjoy things while they’re good and be careful what they wish for.

[stumpy]

Joking aside, it has to happen some time. Things are good right now, and you'd have to be a really miserable so-and-so not to enjoy it (there are some...), but I worry about it coming to a sudden stop.

In two weeks we've had two newspaper interviews, one with the skipper saying that a lot of the players might leave if we go up and that he's not sure whether the manager is staying or going, and another from the manager saying that he'll walk away the moment the club "goes backwards" and will leave if he doesn't get a budget that lets us be competitive in the league above. PR disaster or what? Can't imagine the chairman is impressed with either of these interviews to be honest.

Sooner or later Cugs will go. I would be amazed if he is still managing the club in three years time. Since we recovered from the CVA the club has gone from strength to strength - a few ups and downs as there always are, but a lot more ups than downs. Cugs could leave a fantastic legacy. If he walks away at short notice leaving the club without a team or a manager, then he'll leave a legacy that none of the fans will thank him for.

What I wish for more than anything is to be able to watch us playing at a decent level in five years time and ten years time, not one blaze of glory followed by total collapse.

That's why there needs to be a plan - and the first part of that should be strengthening the board and looking for people to invest in the club. And, yes, Cugs might have to go for that to happen.

[dusty]

Maybe you can ask those questions at the AGM next Wednesday John,and maybe we'll find out the direction and ambition the club want to go in.

[stumpy]

Dusty, I would definitely ask them if I was there, but I won't be - prior commitment unfortunately. Perhaps someone could be brave...

[thebishop]

If we don’t get over the line this season when will we ? We certainly need a few new faces on the board to share the financial burden to keep the future alive rather than slip back,especially when other clubs around us seem to have £££s to spend.Maybe if we get there it would be a fitting tribute for Cugs to step aside.Hes done well to get a decent side out on a limited budget,kept the club going when the CVA came about but nothing lasts for ever and nothing wrong going out on a high.New blood on the board and a new man in in charge of the team will have to happen at some stage.
Seems odd these two fairly important articles appeared in the Herald when their coverage of our games in the paper has been somewhat sparse whereas the reports in the F&H Express have been far more in depth.

[Deleted]

Club is punching well above it’s weights for a number of reasons and obviously Cugley can’t go forever. Clearly some think he’s holding the club back and we’d be much better off without him but I’d love to know who these manager are who will do a better job. Picking up players from lower leagues, operating with a small squad that, as we’ve seen this week, can be stretched with just a few absentees, and with a much smaller budget and catchment area then a lot of the clubs we’re competing against. I’ve watched my own club fall to bits after a long serving successful manager left the job. There’s a club in north London that thought they’d be much better off when they got rid of theirs.

[thebishop]

Some valid points there Anthony,but what will happen if “they” are not able to provide a competitive budget.

[Joel]

Feb 14, 2020 20:30:55 GMT thebishop said:

Some valid points there Anthony,but what will happen if “they” are not able to provide a competitive budget.

It would always going to be Neil’s decision when he steps away unfortunately if he does leave which will happen then we would need a serious rebuild and we would need a competitive budget anyway.

[Deleted]

Feb 14, 2020 20:30:55 GMT thebishop said:

Some valid points there Anthony,but what will happen if “they” are not able to provide a competitive budget.

no idea. Maybe “they” can’t. Maybe not going up wouldn’t exactly be the end of the world as the club continues to establish itself, with growing crowds of people that will hopefully continue to come long term. Maybe if we went up and found ourselves fighting to survive those crowds would drop with people not being as excited by the football as they are at the moment. Who knows. My point as always is that what’s going on right now is good, enjoy it.

[biffo]

Isn’t this debate getting a bit of ahead of itself and without wishing to puncture a bubble of euphoria our prospects in terms of promotion this season point clearly down the line of a successful play-off campaign.
Experience shows that the next step up the ladder would require a substantial injection of further capital not only to add further quality to the playing squad but also to change the technical approach which
despite the Tonbridge result simply would not stand scrutiny at NationalLeague level. Without trying to denigrate the abilities of our current squad how many are capable of playing at a level above which would produce an end of season survival position? My guess is 5 or 6. With all due respect to our current manager, he has many attribute, but I cannot see that he has sufficient tactical appreciation to manage at a higher level and often raise the eyebrows at bit at his approach at our current level. We would need to replace before a move to higher league which could be expensive. OK the only player with a consistent appreciation of tactics seems to be Micheal Everrit and if he saw the opportunity to move into management as part of his career plans it would fit well,
Where does the money come from to finance promotion ? We have a current Chairman who has kept the club afloat and engaged with us all who turn up every week. He is a gem and we all owe him a great vote of thanks for his support and for being a nice bloke. To move forward will require a significant injection of capital and would could come with strings attached at board level. Would Paul be happy to work in conjunction with another significant financial backer? Indeed on what terms might an additional investor wish to come in? Terrace rumours suggest that offers of future investment may have been rejected as they were conditional upon managent change. Probably no substance to terrace rumours but they do highlight that a future investment might not be free of commitments which at not sit easy with the current board.
All sounds a bit problematical but looking at the bright side we have a superb playing surface and facilities which hopefully would not require significant investment to keep the stuffed shirts happy. Our current gate teeters between 450-500 and would need to improve particularly if we are required to produce a return for future investment. We are a bit stuck with our backs to the sea but I believe that there is a market for additional gate income if we can deliver a higher league successful product.

[stumpy]

Feb 14, 2020 20:56:31 GMT @obertan said:

Feb 14, 2020 20:30:55 GMT thebishop said:

Some valid points there Anthony,but what will happen if “they” are not able to provide a competitive budget.

no idea. Maybe “they” can’t. Maybe not going up wouldn’t exactly be the end of the world as the club continues to establish itself, with growing crowds of people that will hopefully continue to come long term. Maybe if we went up and found ourselves fighting to survive those crowds would drop with people not being as excited by the football as they are at the moment. Who knows. My point as always is that what’s going on right now is good, enjoy it.

Pretty much agree with everything you've said there. It's a Catch 22 situation in a way. The fact that we've been flirting with promotion for three seasons in a row now, never more so than this season, has got loads to do with the increased crowds, especially the newer, younger fans which are so important for the future - the fact that we win the huge majority of our home games playing attractive, attacking football (most of the time) helps as well. And you're right, if we go up when we're not ready for it, a season of struggle could undo so much of what we've built up, and so it probably is right to say that if we aren't going to be competitive if we go up then we're better off staying in the Isthmian premier until we are.

But if we do that, eventually the enthusiasm will start to wane.

This club certainly has the potential to play at the next level (just look at the size of our crowds compared to the league average), but it doesn't have the money. That's why we need a plan.