|
Post by Steve Watts on Oct 17, 2023 13:29:07 GMT
There are many great reasons why players choose to play for Lewes FC but i dont think the idea that our teams will keep "advancing and progressing" is a major one,with the Women in the Championship and the men in Ryman Premier where do you think we will advance to, the Conference for the men ( that didnt work out too well last time ) and the WSL for the women ? Individually many players have advanced on to great things but our teams are probably at the highest level we can probably sustain with or without the overseas investment Co money , maybe the Conference South for the men but WSL for the women is so far beyond our means is just pie in the sky ( maybe Mercury not a pie ! )
|
|
dicksmith
Sussex County Division One
COYR
Posts: 298
|
Post by dicksmith on Oct 17, 2023 14:42:36 GMT
Individually many players have advanced on to great things but our teams are probably at the highest level we can probably sustain with or without the overseas investment Co money , maybe the Conference South for the men but WSL for the women is so far beyond our means is just pie in the sky ( maybe Mercury not a pie ! ) Steve, I have to agree with you that the WCL is probably the highest level that the women can advance to. Maintaining that position is going to be tough in the coming years as the landscape for women's football keeps accelerating. The WSL today requires playing budgets in excess of 1M Pounds/year. That's over 4X our current spending plus they offer significantly more infrastructure in training facilities. However, being in the WCL can bring in a lot more exposure than the levels below and therefore more sponsorship and support. So far, what we have been able to generate through or values and league position, has really benefited the club overfall. If women drop down, the financial hit to the club will be massive and that will hurt in many ways across all aspects of club operations.
|
|
|
Post by Steve Watts on Oct 17, 2023 15:03:49 GMT
Individually many players have advanced on to great things but our teams are probably at the highest level we can probably sustain with or without the overseas investment Co money , maybe the Conference South for the men but WSL for the women is so far beyond our means is just pie in the sky ( maybe Mercury not a pie ! ) Steve, I have to agree with you that the WCL is probably the highest level that the women can advance to. Maintaining that position is going to be tough in the coming years as the landscape for women's football keeps accelerating. The WSL today requires playing budgets in excess of 1M Pounds/year. That's over 4X our current spending plus they offer significantly more infrastructure in training facilities. However, being in the WCL can bring in a lot more exposure than the levels below and therefore more sponsorship and support. So far, what we have been able to generate through or values and league position, has really benefited the club overfall. If women drop down, the financial hit to the club will be massive and that will hurt in many ways across all aspects of club operations.
|
|
|
Post by Steve Watts on Oct 17, 2023 15:12:05 GMT
Oh i totally see the benefits of having a team in the WCL , and as Andy said perhaps with one or two forwards brought in in the January transfer window we will have just that. I just dont think the risk of losing those benefits merits the knee jerk sale of the womens team to a fledgling overseas investment company, the cost being losing control of it financially and democratically. But not just that the loss of 100% ownership of Lewes FC and that coupled with goodbye Equality fc is too much to stomache for me.
|
|
dicksmith
Sussex County Division One
COYR
Posts: 298
|
Post by dicksmith on Oct 17, 2023 15:49:13 GMT
I understand your position. I just don't think we can maintain our position with 230,000 pound player budgets.
It only takes one poor season to loose it all
|
|
|
Post by stuartnoel on Oct 17, 2023 15:50:45 GMT
There are many great reasons why players choose to play for Lewes FC but i dont think the idea that our teams will keep "advancing and progressing" is a major one,with the Women in the Championship and the men in Ryman Premier where do you think we will advance to, the Conference for the men ( that didnt work out too well last time ) and the WSL for the women ? Individually many players have advanced on to great things but our teams are probably at the highest level we can probably sustain with or without the overseas investment Co money , maybe the Conference South for the men but WSL for the women is so far beyond our means is just pie in the sky ( maybe Mercury not a pie ! ) We will have to agree to disagree on this. Whilst there are plenty in the Men’s game with more experience than I have, I know why many of the players choose to come to play for Lewes - I have been one of the voices in the room when we’ve signed them. Many agree to come, often for less than they’ve been on before because they want to the opportunity to get their career back on track - Ollie Tanner, Michael Klass, Razz Coleman De Graft, Jayden Mundle-Smith, Taylor Maloney all took a step back to progress forward - that’s advancement! Do we have a shot of promotion from the Isthmian Premier (Ryman are long gone) into the National League, absolutely. Would we hold our own? Absolutely- I’m sure you saw the way we took Hampton & Richmond apart just 2 weeks ago to see that. Would we need additional budget to do so? Not necessarily for Step 3 to 2 as clubs like Aveley, Tonbridge Angels and Dover Athletic continue to show. Likewise, we compete this season with the likes of Hornchurch, Billericay Town, Dulwich Hamlet, Horsham and even Whitehawk who put our playing budget to shame. We lost enough potential signings to these guys in the summer to know their financial muscle, but we also signed players such as Jake Elliott, Ronnie Vint, Arthur Penney and Nathan Harvey where it wasn’t about the money but an opportunity to progress. There’s a massive gap from the National League South to the National League - nobody is suggesting we are ready for that jump, but likewise, nobody comes to Lewes FC to tread water - long gone are those days and part of the reason why we don’t go for the same local players on the same local treadmill. I wasn’t around when the club played its one season at Step 1 - some may want to return back there but the club would lose a lot of what makes watching a game at the Pan special. For anyone who went to watch our Women’s team against Watford on Sunday as I did at Wealdstone FC will see that their ground (ditto Bromley or Borehamwood) has segregation, no alcohol served in view of the pitch and heavy stewarding. Promotion for our Women’s team in the current structure of a 12 team WSL would be incredibly tough but as more clubs professionalise, that structure will change and that’s where the opportunity lies, hence why investment is key to be in the right place at the right time.
|
|
|
Post by Steve Watts on Oct 17, 2023 16:10:22 GMT
Somethings wrong ! from my reading Stuart we agreed on most of what i said ! yes the players come as you said to advance their carears, not only to get Lewes up the league pyramid. Apologies calling it the Ryman been a long day ! and we both agree the Conference and the WSL maybe beyond us. And i agree "investment" is key just not this sale of control economically and democraticly of our Womens team.
|
|
|
Post by stuartnoel on Oct 18, 2023 7:29:16 GMT
Somethings wrong ! from my reading Stuart we agreed on most of what i said ! yes the players come as you said to advance their carears, not only to get Lewes up the league pyramid. Apologies calling it the Ryman been a long day ! and we both agree the Conference and the WSL maybe beyond us. And i agree "investment" is key just not this sale of control economically and democraticly of our Womens team. I’m sure the club will be interested to hear alternative investment ideas that would facilitate some of the ambitions to progress on and off the pitch.
|
|
|
Post by downthepan on Oct 20, 2023 8:09:20 GMT
Is it impertinent to ask how our benefactor will be voting? Who is our benefactor? The person who donated £600,000.
|
|
|
Post by twoleftfeet67 on Oct 22, 2023 7:42:20 GMT
As a recent member to the owners club I was a little late to the party but I’ll be brutally honest, I have zero interest in the women’s side and if this group buying 51% means a bigger budget for the men’s side then I’m all in favour of selling.
It’s all well and good wanting to keep us as we are but eventually we are going to see budgets reduced and both sides will struggle to compete in their respective divisions, I for one don’t want to see a return to the Sussex County league or whatever it’s called these days.
This deal seems good for the ladies side so why not just say yes?
|
|
tressell
Sussex County Division Two
Posts: 156
|
Post by tressell on Oct 23, 2023 15:28:00 GMT
I have just realised the relevance of the statues of the female pirates now at the pan. I always wondered what sort of role models were being suggested.
|
|
dicksmith
Sussex County Division One
COYR
Posts: 298
|
Post by dicksmith on Oct 23, 2023 19:46:11 GMT
I have just realised the relevance of the statues of the female pirates now at the pan. I always wondered what sort of role models were being suggested. Good one. I must admit I got a kick out of it.
|
|
|
Post by hamilton on Oct 24, 2023 10:23:44 GMT
I do appreciate that this is my first post, so please feel free to disregard or treat it with the caution it deserves. After all, who am I?
I first became an owner back in 2018 and freely admit to being inspired by Equality FC. In the first few years I didn't attend - it was just a vanity ownership - but I started attending immediately after COVID and became a season ticket holder for the men's and women's teams two years ago.
I am also an Albion season ticket holder, and in the late nineties campaigned for the removal of Bill Archer and the return of the Albion to Brighton. In Sussex, we all know what bad ownership looks like. Other clubs like Crawley can also attest to that.
Looking at the offer on the table, I can't see the negatives in accepting the partnership. Looking at Mercury 13, their reasons for the partnership and their ethos matches ours (and I am learning to say that word with joy.)
This investment is not going to change the existing fan ownership approach and the fans will still own the umbrella of Lewes Community Football Club.
I look around the women's game and it is full of teams that have built a women's team because they have been either forced to by the FA, or they are casually interested in seeing if it might make money at some point. They are mainly owned by men and I sincerely doubt whether any of them are dyed in the wool campaigners for equality. The women's game has lost many of the early pioneers because they were not tied to an Arsenal or a Chelsea. If anything, the game needs a Lewes competing at the highest level possible and reminding people that, to use the tagline of the FA, football is for all.
But, I end this post in respecting all of you who have stood at the Pan long long before me. I just offer this view up because I think this is a brilliant opportunity for Lewes Fc as a whole and for the women's game.
|
|
|
Post by bertie on Oct 24, 2023 10:59:55 GMT
I'm one of the I suspect silent majority who have been observing the debate and quietly working out where I stand.
Firstly, I truly commend Stuartnoel for your unbelievable patience and dignity throughout. I have really valued your ability to engage constructively with people, especially those who are emotive and attacking, and the clarity of your responses.
I've mainly thought I would vote in support, though always had a high level of discomfort, seeing the benefits both ways. Ultimately, and with a heavy heart, I just voted against. For me the principles of being 100% community owned were just too important. I'm nervous of who ultimately is behind the private equity fund and, more importantly, who might be a future investor if/when they chose to sell.
But ultimately I think this is a win-win scenario. A win if the majority vote reject, and for the principle of not being lured by the temptation of increasing investment even if this means being relegated. But also a win if the majority vote accept and the possibility that some of the concerns may not be realised, and that both teams are able to benefit.
|
|
|
Post by exasperatedrook on Oct 24, 2023 11:18:55 GMT
I urge everyone to do the right thing and vote YES. Don't let the club wither and die a slow painful death in village football. Support the club. Consolidate it's position and help its future with the investment. Grasp the opportunity presented
|
|