meeting last night - report
Malcolm speaks
By Mr Bow Jangles
March 27 2003
over 200 people turned up for the meeting last night, Mr Bow Jangles has provided his recollections of the meeting for those that could not attend
Bristol
Shoguns 5000 Scheme Fans Forum
Title:
5000 Scheme Q&A Forum
Date:
Wednesday 26th March 2003
Time:
20.00 – 22.00
Venue:
Bristol Room: Memorial Ground
Attendees:
200+ supporters, Malcolm Pearce (MP), David Higgs (DH), Ian Bell (IB),
Mike Rafter (MR), Mike Turner (MT)
Also
in attendance: Peter Thorburn (PT), James Grant (JG), Phil Adams(PA)
Note:
Please take the following passage of text as my interpretations of what was said
last night. It may not be wholly accurate and should therefore be treated as
opinion rather than fact.
Overview:
The
evening was in the main constructive and positive. Most questions were answered
in a satisfactory manner. Some were avoided, but the key ones (bar the Oxford
ones) were answered. Most people seemed to be far more positive about the scheme
when they left than they had been when they entered the room.
Evening
Post Questions and Answers
Q
Not
every Bristol fan can afford to purchase a season ticket in one go will
people be able to pay by direct debit or
standing order?
Q What
is the difference between membership and just buying a season ticket? Does
membership confer some kind of ownership or say in the running of the club?
IB: The 5000 scheme asks
for Season Ticket holders. This will entitle the holder to many benefits
throughout the season…starting with a cash-prize draw at the first game of
next season, which will be followed on by many more benefits.
Q Few clubs have as many
as 5,000 season ticket holders, and those that do have a record of recent
playing success. How were the target and timescale arrived at for the 5,000
club?
IB: Very simple. Malcolm
decided that he needed £1m to give the club a fighting chance of surviving next
season. Divide £1m by £200 and you have your 5000
MP:
Bristol are currently 11th
out of 12 ZP clubs in a league table of Season Ticket Holders. B*th have 4800
STH, are we really suggesting that we are the poorer relation?
Q What publicity and promotion strategies and the necessary resources that have been put in place to make this campaign successful in the time allotted?
IB: Had a whole list in his hand of Marketing ideas that were going to be put into practice. Some generated by the Supporters Marketing Forum on Monday and some by the club.
Said the club did not want to consider expensive marketing ideas such as bill-board advertising, as the idea of the scheme was to make money not spend money.
Q How will the club involve supporters in making the campaign a success?
IB:
There are already a number of
supporters helping out with the Campaign and he would encourage others to get in
touch with
Justin should they wish to help
Q We are in, effect, being asked to secure the future of the club without a vision for the future of the club being articulated. What vision is Malcolm Pearce asking us to contribute to?
IB:
Essentially keeping top class rugby in Bristol. Malcolm was asked to comment
on the vision for the future and it was said that a robust business
model was to be put in place for next season.
Q Where will we be playing?
MP:
Next season we will be playing at the Memorial Ground as we have one year
left on the lease. We are able to advertise this to the General Public After
that, there are a few options inc. Ashton Gate/a development of Mem Ground. MP
realises that the Mem is our spiritual home, but stresses that it needs to be
modernised. A lot of people want to sit down at matches. If 10,000 people
signed up and requested seats, then he would consider playing at Ashton Gate
next season.
Q Supporters
are concerned about the contracts issue. What efforts are being made to ensure
that Bristol will have a squad capable of remaining in the Premiership this
season, and being competitive in the next campaign?
Not asked although MP did say that the part of the reason for the tight
deadlines on the scheme were that he needed guarantees on money from supporters
to then go ahead and negotiate new contracts with players. These negotiations
needed to happen ASAP
Q Speculation
continues regarding potential investors and takeovers.
Can the club provide any clarity to the
question of potential investors?
The rumoured consortium:
MP:
Has met only one of the consortium. They have not indicated how much they
have to invest. They have said they want to move to another stadium but have not
indicated where. They have asked MP to stay on as President and pay £60k per
year for the privilege. MP felt that in the clubs best interests, he should not
pursue this solution. MP cannot say much though as he is under a Non Disclosure
Agreement.
There was no clarification given on
Oxford. It was not ruled out but not confirmed. MR said that we MUST make the
5000 scheme work to ensure we stay in Bristol…simple as that!
Q What were the reasons why the
consortium bidding to take over the club was rejected? Would it not be better to
grab any opportunity to keep the club in Bristol than to see it moved from the
city or wound up?
(see above)
Other comments made:
MP:
The following people will all receive an additional free ticket to the B*th
game:
5000 Scheme members
Season Ticket Holders
B*th fans
This is
to help with the attempt to break the record ZP crowd. It is also to showcase
Bristol Rugby and it will provide the club with an excellent chance to Market
itself. (MT didn’t look happy when this was announced!!!)
MP:
If we get to the 30th April deadline and we are not too far
away from the 5000 total (not quantified!), then the scheme would be extended
only if everyone was in agreement that the 5000 figure would be met given more
time
IB: Next season it looks as if the U21’s and the United sides up and down the country will be merged and will be playing in a shadow ZP league on Monday nights.
JP:
The running total at the moment is about 300-400
For
anything I missed, please see the message board.