Whitehawks Big Day out at Borehamwood?

[Neil]

More sour grapes

Sour grapes over what?? a ground made of scaffolding and temporary stands,, no parking , a sloping pitch and no infastructure. No thanks

 

[Return of the Rev]

Sour grapes over what?? a ground made of scaffolding and temporary stands,, no parking , a sloping pitch and no infastructure. No thanks

Money.

Imagine that you’re a huge football fan. Chances are, if you’re reading this, then you probably are.

Imagine that you’ve worked hard all of your life to build up your own company - maybe you have - and now you’re able to live comfortably off of the back of this. Or instead, if it helps, imagine that you have won a good, good sum on the National Lottery.

Imagine that instead of using this money to buy a box at the nearest Premier League team in order to impress clients, friends and the like, you decide to do what most of us would love to do - invest it in your home-town/local non-league team and see just how far you can take them.

You would do it, wouldn’t you?

I know I would.

So why is it that fans of the clubs that are fortunate enough to have an investor get grief for supporting the club, week in week out?

I appreciate that an attitude towards the chairperson of a football club along the lines of ‘these guys are alright’ isn’t a point that is commonly written about, but hear me out.

The Whitehawk FC owners are a group of local residents that have done well for themselves, of that there is no doubt, and it does mean that they are able to financially support the team in a way that many other teams cannot. Does it seem unfair to the other teams in the league? Maybe. Does it make them bad people for wanting to invest in local sport, improve the facilities that surround us, and help further develop a community? No, not in my book.

Our directors always make an effort to stand with us behind the goal and get stuck in with chatting, singing, living and breathing with our fans. We are thanked by every member of the board for attending the games we can. Season tickets are kept cheap in order for our fans to be able to afford them - much, much cheaper than other Conference level clubs, cheaper even than many Ryman teams. Entry was kept at £5 for our time in the Ryman South as a thank you for our attendance. We were able to request additional ales to be sold in the bar which the club were pleased to assist with (John/Ned, if you’re reading this we NEED to get some Brighton Bier Co beer in; they’re based in Whitehawk!)



We are not seen as ‘customers’, unlike the fans of a large club based not too far from the Enclosed Ground.



I consider myself ‘against modern football’ but I can also still consider the developments at Whitehawk as something I can be proud of. The idea of fan ownership is something that calls out to me but, let’s be honest, we don’t have that many fans (thanks Raider) and each of our current owners are as big a fan as we can ever be.

As fans, we’re lucky, I understand that. These are just my two cents; whether you agree or disagree is up to you, everyone is going to have a different approach to how football should be. But remember; we still have to pay for our entry, our travel, our shirts, our drinks, our food - the same as every other fan.

Maybe, in a time where fans are ending football matches early in order to protest about those in charge of their clubs, we should be doing more to thank those who are keeping our clubs going.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Money.

Imagine that you’re a huge football fan. Chances are, if you’re reading this, then you probably are.

Imagine that you’ve worked hard all of your life to build up your own company - maybe you have - and now you’re able to live comfortably off of the back of this. Or instead, if it helps, imagine that you have won a good, good sum on the National Lottery.

Imagine that instead of using this money to buy a box at the nearest Premier League team in order to impress clients, friends and the like, you decide to do what most of us would love to do - invest it in your home-town/local non-league team and see just how far you can take them.

You would do it, wouldn’t you?

I know I would.

So why is it that fans of the clubs that are fortunate enough to have an investor get grief for supporting the club, week in week out?

I appreciate that an attitude towards the chairperson of a football club along the lines of ‘these guys are alright’ isn’t a point that is commonly written about, but hear me out.

The Whitehawk FC owners are a group of local residents that have done well for themselves, of that there is no doubt, and it does mean that they are able to financially support the team in a way that many other teams cannot. Does it seem unfair to the other teams in the league? Maybe. Does it make them bad people for wanting to invest in local sport, improve the facilities that surround us, and help further develop a community? No, not in my book.

Our directors always make an effort to stand with us behind the goal and get stuck in with chatting, singing, living and breathing with our fans. We are thanked by every member of the board for attending the games we can. Season tickets are kept cheap in order for our fans to be able to afford them - much, much cheaper than other Conference level clubs, cheaper even than many Ryman teams. Entry was kept at £5 for our time in the Ryman South as a thank you for our attendance. We were able to request additional ales to be sold in the bar which the club were pleased to assist with (John/Ned, if you’re reading this we NEED to get some Brighton Bier Co beer in; they’re based in Whitehawk!)



We are not seen as ‘customers’, unlike the fans of a large club based not too far from the Enclosed Ground.



I consider myself ‘against modern football’ but I can also still consider the developments at Whitehawk as something I can be proud of. The idea of fan ownership is something that calls out to me but, let’s be honest, we don’t have that many fans (thanks Raider) and each of our current owners are as big a fan as we can ever be.

As fans, we’re lucky, I understand that. These are just my two cents; whether you agree or disagree is up to you, everyone is going to have a different approach to how football should be. But remember; we still have to pay for our entry, our travel, our shirts, our drinks, our food - the same as every other fan.

Maybe, in a time where fans are ending football matches early in order to protest about those in charge of their clubs, we should be doing more to thank those who are keeping our clubs going.

Fans should also be very wary when well meaning investors or bank rolling companies taking out large contracts on the playing staff that could leave a club horribly exposed should the finances prove unsustainable - even if they have every good intention. If they were to leave, even if they really didn't want to but economics forced them to - what would be left of Whitehawk FC potentially with crippling debt?

If you are against 'modern football', then you have to be against spending beyond your means. Football should be sustainable. The financial model should mean that clubs aren't left to face oblivion because an owner had to pull out.

Perhaps you just enjoy the ride while it lasts? But don't delude yourselves into thinking you are not part of modern football. The administrators offices are littered with examples such as Whitehawk. Lets hope somehow they prove to be an exception.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Fans should also be very wary when well meaning investors or bank rolling companies taking out large contracts on the playing staff that could leave a club horribly exposed should the finances prove unsustainable - even if they have every good intention. If they were to leave, even if they really didn't want to but economics forced them to - what would be left of Whitehawk FC potentially with crippling debt?

If you are against 'modern football', then you have to be against spending beyond your means. Football should be sustainable. The financial model should mean that clubs aren't left to face oblivion because an owner had to pull out.

Perhaps you just enjoy the ride while it lasts? But don't delude yourselves into thinking you are not part of modern football. The administrators offices are littered with examples such as Whitehawk. Lets hope somehow they prove to be an exception.

Not my words above but i'm sure the losses at the amex are a little larger than the inclosed If it goes tits up at whitehawk at least they have had a journey and going back to the county league is not the end of the world,cant see the problem all teams find the correct level

 

[Bold Seagull]

Not my words above but i'm sure the losses at the amex are a little larger than the inclosed If it goes tits up at whitehawk at least they have had a journey and going back to the county league is not the end of the world,cant see the problem all teams find the correct level

Yeah, sorry I realised you were quoting someone but it does look like I've personally responded to you.

As for the journey up and down and not seeing a problem - what about all the people that are owed money when a club goes into administration and have to settle for 10p in the £1 or worse? There are always unseen victims when things go south.

You can find the correct level quite easily by looking at all those around you and comparing yourself to your surroundings. Whitehawk have gone up to the highest level in their history, looked around and seen they have the lowest average attendance in this league, the worse facilities, but all they've done is massively invest in a playing side to get them out of this league as quickly as possible. Doesn't really make any sense, why the rush, why not build a quality but affordable team as well as invest on a few improvements?

The Conference South is a great league, it is affordable to play in as the travelling is South of Gloucester generally with most clubs around the South East region, and attracts plenty of interest. Really don't know why Whitehawk don't try to build their presence at this level, attract more fans and grow on a sound sustainable base?

Is this just far too sensible thinking for a football club!?

 

[Return of the Rev]

Yeah, sorry I realised you were quoting someone but it does look like I've personally responded to you.

As for the journey up and down and not seeing a problem - what about all the people that are owed money when a club goes into administration and have to settle for 10p in the £1 or worse? There are always unseen victims when things go south.

You can find the correct level quite easily by looking at all those around you and comparing yourself to your surroundings. Whitehawk have gone up to the highest level in their history, looked around and seen they have the lowest average attendance in this league, the worse facilities, but all they've done is massively invest in a playing side to get them out of this league as quickly as possible. Doesn't really make any sense, why the rush, why not build a quality but affordable team as well as invest on a few improvements?

The Conference South is a great league, it is affordable to play in as the travelling is South of Gloucester generally with most clubs around the South East region, and attracts plenty of interest. Really don't know why Whitehawk don't try to build their presence at this level, attract more fans and grow on a sound sustainable base?

Is this just far too sensible thinking for a football club!?

Surely a club losing between 10-15 million a year is also an issue and playing and paying above the correct level Who are Hawks owing money to at the moment certainly not stadium builders,ground staff or catering contractors Its the football administrators that force clubs to spend unnecessary amounts or face punishment. Mile oak had to spend a huge amount for seating at county 2 level for seats which people do not want to sit in.(most people like standing)

 

[London Irish]

Fans should also be very wary when well meaning investors or bank rolling companies taking out large contracts on the playing staff that could leave a club horribly exposed should the finances prove unsustainable - even if they have every good intention. If they were to leave, even if they really didn't want to but economics forced them to - what would be left of Whitehawk FC potentially with crippling debt?

And would happen to us if Tony Bloom suddenly became indisposed in some way? Glasshouses and stones

 

[Bold Seagull]

And would happen to us if Tony Bloom suddenly became indisposed in some way? Glasshouses and stones

No, you are dead right, but I don't think anyone could argue he's been neglecting the facilities and infrastructure could they?

 

[Neil]

Eastbourne Borough have steadily improved facilities and infrastructure to what they are now a team that could and will eventually be back in Conference Prem but will not break the bank to do it and this should be the way to do it and not the way that Whitehawk are going about it. Eastbourne even had a big Arab consortium who wanted to buy into the club but the club turned them down because they wanted a controlling share of the club and then they went to Ebbsfleet FC.
Any team could buy players from higher leagues and get promoted but if your owners at Whitehawk are really serious in pushing the club forward why haven't they done any new facilities at the club as if you go up the expenditure in the Conference Prem is very high and that's not including wages. I remembered that Eastbourne's travelling to away grounds was the 6th highest in all the leagues with well over 6500 miles to games with Barrow, Gateshead, Grimsby , Altrincham, Halifax and Southport to name a few.
Lets hope your owners have deep pockets if promoted, as if they want to attract new supporters you have to have the facilities

 

[Return of the Rev]

Eastbourne Borough have steadily improved facilities and infrastructure to what they are now a team that could and will eventually be back in Conference Prem but will not break the bank to do it and this should be the way to do it and not the way that Whitehawk are going about it. Eastbourne even had a big Arab consortium who wanted to buy into the club but the club turned them down because they wanted a controlling share of the club and then they went to Ebbsfleet FC.
Any team could buy players from higher leagues and get promoted but if your owners at Whitehawk are really serious in pushing the club forward why haven't they done any new facilities at the club as if you go up the expenditure in the Conference Prem is very high and that's not including wages. I remembered that Eastbourne's travelling to away grounds was the 6th highest in all the leagues with well over 6500 miles to games with Barrow, Gateshead, Grimsby , Altrincham, Halifax and Southport to name a few.
Lets hope your owners have deep pockets if promoted, as if they want to attract new supporters you have to have the facilities

sour grapes

 

[Captain Haddock]

I will be going along tomorrow. Two bus routes from Enfield. Sorted.

Hope to see some familiar faces up there.

Up The Hawks!

 

[seagurn]

Well im going getting there for 1215 find a boozer and watch delias lot play the tractor boys then go and cheer the hawks on ...could get fiesty up there apparently

 

[BN9 BHA]

Looking forward to this now.

 

[Hampster Gull]

Well im going getting there for 1215 find a boozer and watch delias lot play the tractor boys then go and cheer the hawks on ...could get fiesty up there apparently ��

I really hope not. Taking my 15 yearold son as his football coach is in the borehamwood squad. As albion season ticket holders it would be sad for us anyway to see it kicking off. Anyway, whatever,got our tickets today and cant wait. It seemed to be buzzing around their ground today.

 

[seagurn]

I really hope not. Taking my 15 yearold son as his football coach is8 in


the borehamwood squad. As albion season ticket holders it would be sad for us anyway to see it kicking off. Anyway, whatever,got our tickets today and cant wait. It seemed to be buzzing around their ground today.

I meant on the pitch i can see it getting nasty but hope its played in the right spirit.
As for me im just extending the football season with a few mates.

 

[surrey jim]

Enjoy the game to anyone heading up today,

 

[Dan Aitch]

Anyone know any decent pubs for the TV footy, near Borehamwood's ground?

 

[Weatherman]

Anyone know any decent pubs for the TV footy, near Borehamwood's ground?

I've been there a few times and the only pub i remember seeing is the Spoons which is a bit crap ( aren't they all). The best pubs would be further down the line in Kentish Town but not sure they would be showing the football.

 

[Craven Wine]

I wonder if the air raid siren will make an appearance! Should be an entertaining outing for the Craven winers!

 

[Hampster Gull]

I meant on the pitch i can see it getting nasty but hope its played in the right spirit.
As for me im just extending the football season with a few mates.

Doh. Have a good one, hope you come home defeated though