Almost everything has been handled poorly in the last 10 years Tone that this latest stuff is no surprise to me.
This season on and off the pitch has once again demonstrated how low we have sunk. Finally some fans are actually realising what is going on. I'm afraid it might take non-league football for it to sink in for many others.
We have a chairman who did not want to invest in ground / staff improvements for 10 years because of this so called development. We could not improve the match day experience if it cost anything, (ie. move the ticket sales cabins, signage, etc etc) but suddenly we have great big County signs all over Sixfields. To me that clearly demonstrates exactly where DC is regarding NTFC the football club.
Please tell me something that has improved at Sixfields in the last 5 years?
DC feels that his £7 million has kept the club afloat and should give him authority to do just what he wants to get his money back. In any other business it would be true but not with professional football clubs. It is our club and he is absolutely destroying it, if this development goes ahead as is it will put us back 20 years or more.
You only have to look at Oxford, their former chairman built the ground, well started, got his hotel built and then left. It looks like history is repeating itself.
Roger, the Trust soon have to make a stand, either they are with the club / fans or with the chairman.
DC has little interest in the fans, or the team / club in the medium or long term.
With the development nothing has been mentioned regarding the supporters bar, the club shop, the ticket sales, the food and catering etc, nothing regarding the Trust have an office or meeting centre. Nothing.
Anyone trying to grow a club knows how important looking after the players and facilities are. Did you see the before and after East Stand photos, well they clearly show why we are bottom, WTF !
Has anything been said about training facilities or youth setup etc ?
Marvo. £10 million on stadium and training facilities every time. Look at WBA, years ago they got into the Prem and struggled. The fans were calling for £5 m signings to stay up. The board refused and invested in the ground, staff and state of art training facilities. 10 years on or whatever, they are a reasonable prem club because their facilities allow them to attract the players and keep the better ones.
DC has already spent £7 million your way, on players and managers, look where it has got us, then look around the ground, look at those east stand photos.
Look also at Rotherham, fantastic new ground, look at their league position. But also look at their ball boys, all in matching track suits, even matching gloves and a nice seat to sit on, look at our ball boys, spot the difference.
Running a football club is bloody hard work, those with the passion do so much better than those without.
Anyone will struggle to dispute any of that and I appreciate that you have been closer than most to have some first hand insight.
The investment in successive managers, players etc cannot be disputed. Poor choices in some instances and an awful amount of bad luck in others, with a net result of currently staring at the trap door.
The prime examples of where we should (but haven't IMO) come on leaps and bounds are the ticketing, club shop, match ticket marketing etc. You can add catering but most clubs serve up over priced crap and I've heard good feedback about the match day VIP packages and have enjoyed one myself. Like you said, it is hard work and who knows if anyone here would do a better job. However, from the outside and comparing to other customer experiences with similar sized outfits, the overall picture is disappointing. We'd all like us to be (and have been) a growing entity, on and off the pitch.
The no.1 focus from day one for the current owners would have been to develop the area, with only the most blinkered thinking otherwise.
I've no doubt that DC has long since fallen in love with the footballing side of matters, it's natural if you own the club! I just think that he either hasn't surrounded himself with the best people, or is that bloody minded that it's going to be his way or the highway and that his way hasn't always been in line with the best interests of OUR club as paying customers and in many cases with a lifetime of emotional investment!
I hate to say it but I look on in envy anytime I am in the vacinity of the MK Donkeys or see their promo stand in shopping centre.
I know Marvo said that the fans will 'drive him out' or words to that effect. I don't think so. He is at the most critical stage of his Cobblers adventure so far and I'm sure he is more than thick skinned enough to read some heart felt messages, granted some is bordering on bile. If it is an opportunity to feel the pulse of the fanbase, then it is a positive forum for him and others to read how a cross section of the support is feeling. Assuming they read the board of course.
