Minutes from latest meeting between LISC and LIRC
By BrianC
June 13 2003
London Irish Supporters Club have recently held another meeting with Conor, Pat Coyne and David Law. Herewith the minutes from that meeting.
REPORT ON MEETING BETWEEN LISR/LISC
HELD
ON WEDNESDAY 4TH JUNE 2003
At
London Irish, Sunbury
Present
at the meeting were:
LISR
:
Conor O’Shea, Pat Coyne and David Law
LISC
:
Patrick Tahany, Ken Emerson, Ken Armstrong, Sarah Newton, Alan Murphy and
Annette Delaney
Apologies:
Chris
Weldon, Paddy Green, Claire Gosney.
Absent:
Chris Tampsett and Trevor Dolan
The
meeting started at approximately 7.40pm.
Welcome
& Introductions
Due to
Patrick Tahany being unavoidably delayed by traffic congestion on the M25 Ken
Armstrong opened the meeting. Conor
O’Shea formally introduced Pat Coyne and David Law to the committee.
Season
Tickets- Instalment plan
The
issue of Season Tickets via an instalment plan, raised by the Committee at the
last meeting, was once again discussed. Reading
Football Club is looking at introducing this facility, although they have not
yet confirmed that they can or will. Conor reported that he was keeping a close eye on
developments, but questioned whether the £20 admin fee being suggested would
make it viable for our lower priced season tickets. There is not much prospect
that it will be available for the coming season.
Moreover, the club once again re-iterated that for them having payment up
front at this time is important and this is why the prices are heavily
discounted for early buyers. It would not be right to offer early purchaser
discounts with an instalment plan. The Committee recognised Conor’s points and
agreed to gauge the level of support for an instalment plan before the 2004/5
season, if the football club put the necessary processes in place.
As
Patrick Tahany arrived at this stage he took over as meeting chairman
apologising for his late arrival.
Pre Season BBQ
Conor
welcomed the Committee’s suggestion of a pre-season barbeque and suggested
that as the players are back in training on 7th July the BBQ should
happen sometime between then and the pre-season friendlies. Two possible dates were suggested – 2nd or 9th August.
As the Henley 7’s take place on the 10th the second of the
two dates might not be ideal. It was agreed that the committee would further discuss dates
and advise Conor accordingly.
Although
the pre-season BBQ is a social event the possibility that the club might be
prepared to talk about future planning and LISC’s role was briefly suggested.
Joint Marketing Initiative
The
committee again asked Conor about sending out the Supporters Club
Applications/Renewals with the Season Ticket information.
In the coming weeks the Club will be doing a follow up and reminder on
Season Tickets and would also be mailing the whole database. As such Pat Coyne re-iterated his view of the value of the
Supporters’ Club and said he would be happy therefore to include the LISC
application/renewal form in this mailing.
The
committee enquired as to whether or not the Club would be sponsoring a race at
the forthcoming Irish Race Night at Kempton Park and whether or not there would
be a London Irish presence. Conor
advised there were no plans in place at present but this was something he would
think about it.
Club
Website
The
Club is making a large investment in the new website and it is hoped it will be
relaunched in 6 to 8 weeks time and is intended to be much more effective in
marketing the club. Pat Coyne recognised that many members of the Supporters
Club were frequent posters on the “unofficial” sites and he hoped to use
some of this experience to help refine the Club’s site.
Samples
of the new team shirts, manufactured by Canterbury, were shown to the Committee.
The committee were very impressed with the quality and design of the product. So
far Canterbury has secured excellent advance sales in Ireland, and those who had
seen the product (including the committee) were not at all surprised. Pat
explained that there will also be a fashionable range for female supporters.
The committee asked whether they could do anything to help market the new
range and asked whether they could publish photographs of the product on their
websites. Pat Coyne responded by saying that a serious public product launch is
being prepared for early August and after that date all marketing help would be
welcome. The sample product did not yet have a shirt sponsor, but the Club is
working on this.
Current
Marketing Initiatives
Since
Conor took over and Pat Coyne came on board life at the club has evolved
considerably. Conor said that they
welcomed close liaisons with LISC and its members and saw it as an integral part
of the future. Conor recognised
that many LISC members were working in the Thames Valley and may therefore be
able to effect introductions to help develop relationships with companies in the
area. The committee recognised the opportunity and agreed to encourage the
membership to become involved in the initiative.
Ken
Armstrong suggested that maybe the club could look at joint initiatives with the
London GAA. In the past when
supporters have been to GAA matches they have been asked where they got their
shirts from and how they could get them! So
if there is anyone out there who could pave the way with the GAA, that would be
great.
Conor
and Pat said that basically, the Club is looking for introductions to anyone who
can help them with attendance, hospitality, merchandising and sponsorship, be it
local companies in the Thames Valley area or South West London, the GAA, or
Irish Centres.
Conor
said that the Club recognises that there is a unique group of people who are
London Irish supporters’ and who have the best interests of the club at heart.
Pre-season
training Camp
The
team will get back together again on the 7th July, and the proposed
pre-season fixtures are as follows:-
16th
August – Middx 7’s
22nd
August – Canterbury Challenge Cup, Narbonne
23rd
August – 2nd XV/Academy v Bracknell at Sunbury
26th
August – 1st XV v Connacht Select, Galway
29th
August – 1st XV v Ulster, Ravenhill, Belfast
Conor
recommended caution in respect of the Canterbury Challenge Cup. Arrangements
were with the Club’s travel agents, but until it is finally confirmed
supporters should not make arrangements to attend. He also recognised that it
was a challenging schedule for the supporters (and the teams!) but would be
pleased to see as many as possible at any or all of the fixtures.
He also asked that the supporters recognised that these pre-season
fixtures were part of a serious build up for the premiership games and therefore
the players could not necessarily be available to socialise with the supporters.
The Committee recognised the need to get the squad properly prepared and was
happy to accept the club’s position.
Fixtures
There
was some discussion regarding Saturday Rugby which is an issue that the
Supporters’ Club continually raises. The
Club recognised the Supporters’ Club’s position and reported that it is
awaiting details of the coming season’s soccer fixtures as the rugby fixture
list cannot be finalised until this is released. It would then consider whether
it might be possible and practical to have one or two high profile games on a
Saturday, although at this stage it was too early to say whether it would be
able to. The club agreed to
consult with the LISC before any decision was made – recognising that
exceptional marketing and publicity would be required were a game to be switched
from the usual Sunday slot and the LISC’s help would be essential.
Madstad
catering for the new season
A new
catering company has been awarded the under-stand catering contract for the
coming season. They are called
Compass. Conor and Pat will be
meeting with them and with representatives of Reading FC in the near future and
asked the LISC to summarise the supporter’s views of the shortcomings in an
email to Pat so that these can be included in the discussions.
The Club already has its own wish list as there are many lessons to be
learned from the last few years.
The
date has been set for the 11th September.
Patrick Tahany has invited Conor and Pat to come and speak.
Patrick also asked Conor if he would extend an invitation to the
Chairman, Brendan Mullen, to attend the meeting.
Conor said he would do so but much would depend upon his other
commitments and whether he was planning to be in the country or not.
AOB
Club
Contacts
If any
supporters have any issues they wish to discuss with the Club, these can be
raised through LISC in the first instance.
Thereafter the first point of contact within the club going forward will
be David Law or Andrea Bray.
NRSA
Touch Rugby
Patrick
explained that this event is being held on the 12th July at De
Montford University campus, Luton, Bedfordshire.
All supporters’ clubs have been asked to try and secure from their
respective rugby clubs prizes for the raffle the proceeds of which will go to
SPIRE (the rugby charity for those who sustain life threatening or serious
spinal injury while playing rugby). Patrick
has asked the Club if they could see their way to making a donation of some
kind. Conor/Pat said that they would look at what they might contribute.
Similarly, Patrick said that if ‘Fred’ or anyone from the team
fancied a run out they would be very welcome.
There
being no other matters for discussion the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.50pm.