Dave Edmundson Interview
By The Longside
April 22 2004
We bring you a recent interview that The Longside website held with Burnley Chief Executive Dave Edmundson. The Chief Executive gave us his honest thoughts and we've hopefully managed to answer questions that you wanted asking!
With the season coming to an end, The Longside website decided to contact Burnley supremo Dave Edmundson, here we give you a run down of what he had to say.
First of all:- Have you enjoyed your first 6 months at the club, has the club improved in this time and what have you made of the fans when the club asked for help?
Yes, very much so. It's been an honour and a privilege to be working for such a great Club that enjoys a wonderful reputation in football, and to try and build on that to develop a Club for it's people and be a focal point in the Community.
Regarding finances is it possible to tell us the total debt of the club at the current moment?
£5m
Would you accept at all, the argument put forward by some football fans, that the clubs themselves have to take some responsibility for their financial predicament in signing the ITV Digital contract that had legal weaknesses within it and that Burnley FC in particular was irresponsible in spending and allocating so much cash it had not yet recieved from the proposed contract?
No the only irresponsibility lies at the Football League who signed a contract that was not watertight.
We then asked Dave what the board themselves were doing, if anything, to bring new monies in to the club to help ease the debt? (excluding increasing sales)
Everything they possibly can.
With such a financial base explained, will their be any opportunity for the manager to strengthen the squad in the summer and not only keep the assets he has, but increase the painfully small squad?
A budget has been allocated and it is the manager's responsibility as to how this is spent. Yes there will be opportunities to strengthen the squad. (Barry Kilby has since said that budget is £3 million)
In addition to this, what is the current position of Stan, will he or has he been offered a new contract?
The position is that Stan Ternent is our manager. Anything further to that is not for the public domain.
{We asked Dave about season ticket details but they've obviously now been released so we'll show the general reply given. Fans should also take note that the club need a minimum 8,500 season ticket holders so please renew if you can. There is a far more attractive package, more concessions- eg 20% off a short sleeved replica shirt, invite a guest for a £5, golden tickets to enter into a special draw.}
What is your target for season ticket sales for the coming season?
8,500 minimum.
In addition what are the club planning to do differently, to increase the average 'walk on' support next season?
Similar initiatives to this year. No limits. It's about spreading a positive message about the Clarets to a wide ranging audience. One campaign will be to target children coming up to 7yrs old in the Borough.
Are you in support of a singing area within the ground and/or an area of unreserved seating to allow fans to sit with friends and improve the atmosphere?
No not against, but I'd rather concentrate on improving the atmosphere generally rather than what could be construed as a cosmetic exercise.
Finally, most fans accept the cost of developing the Jimmy McIllroy executive boxes is prohibitive. But have any investigations been made in to turning the area in to a franchised restaurant, bar and disabled seating area? In this way the costs of development are taken on my an outside party, who pays rent to the club?
Yes, very much so.
We then decided to press Dave on Club/Fan Relations: Many fans did get annoyed and put off by the constant phone calls asking for more money from the club in the past and the way the club talked to the fans. With this in mind, how are the club hoping to improve relations between the fans and the club itself and in particular develop its marketing procedures, for example at Christmas some fans get raffle tickets but others do not?
I don't wholly accept this. Many fans? How many? I think that we have enhanced and improved relation with the fans.
In tandem, how do the club plan to work with the Supporters Trust?
In support and with dialogue and consultation
Finally, do you intend on having online discussions, with fans on the clubs official message board or in a chatroom regarding matters which affect the club? Bringing the Chief Executive to the internet!!
Yes.
Future Goals: A general question here: what are the club's or your own short, medium and long term aims?
To Exceed organisational best, to attend to the last detail and produce game breaking ideas. To be a premier club off the field that will eventually play its football in the Premiership and to be customer focused and market led. For Burnley to be the Club for its People.
Finally, If you would like to write a brief explanation as to why fans should get behind the club and get season tickets etc please do:
Because we need the unconditional support to secure the future of YOUR club. Please buy your season tickets as early as possible to bring in cash at the most difficult time in our financial year.
We would like to thank Dave Edmundson for taking the time to answer our questions. Equally we hope our readers have found Dave's replies interesting.