In most organisations that would be a given

I cannot see how Leigh could not be in the second tier, irrespective of current circumstances.
1 - We have the right to apply for SL now
2 - We have the best facilities IMHO outside of SL
3 - We have the infrastructure. Just need the investment.

As a fan, I would glady get involved to help and assist the club. The management of it though is the main sticking point. Maybe an 'executive ST' might be an option to help and assist ? potential investors could purchase on of these and indirectly be as involved as they want to be ? I dunno, but financial clout is needed, QUICK !!

I may be wrong here but isn't it better the club gets share income rather than ST sales for tax reasons ie vat, and gifts are better than sales also.

I'm with Starbug.

It all seems like a good idea on paper. Who appoints the coach? Who sacks the coach? What if hundreds of shareholders don't agree with a decision or a run of decisions and pull out in mass?

Obviously it's just an idea at the moment but personally I don't see it working.

Having said that, I don't have an answer to the current problems.

This is my fear also - as I said upthread there was a big dropoff in LISA membership after initial enthusiasm.

Also, whatever successes Lewes FC have had off the pitch, they are not doing great on it - 3rd from bottom with 9 wins from 40 games. I can just imagine the reaction of some of our "shareholders" if we were in that position.

Still, I would love it to succeed and I will support all efforts to get it going.

I never told anyone any lies, so who did?

Without having fully read the whole thread, which I will do when I get chance.

I guess like a lot I currently pay….

Lottery £2/wk = £102/yr
LISA £60/yr
Matchday ticket say 10 x £16 = £160/yr
So £322/yr (£6.20/wk)

Increasing this by £3.80 to £10/wk, this wouldn’t be a great deal of extra strain on the pocket, and puts me in the £10 -20 bracket, with 500 others and the additional support of local businesses. We get ownership of the club.

Whilst I can see the fears of mob rule what alternative do we have?

You get my support.SRW1996.

If this gets momentum I hope the fear of the boogeyman syndrome can be laid to rest because this may be the last role of the dice

It was in the post

A ' guru ' is exactly what is needed, normal rules dont apply when you are dealing with a low profile club in a low profile competition in a low profile sport that has little if any money to spend and is surrounded by other sports clubs with massive comparable profiles

Marketing Leigh Centurions is an extremely complicated issue, requiring thought processes outside what many would consider normal within regular business practice

The club has very little to actually work with

But who on earth would have the bottle to take on the poisoned chalice of heading it all up?

They would either have to be an idiot or a fool.

Its only my opinion but when it comes to alternatives they will be limited not that desperation or lack of other options should influence things.

I understand the negatives and peoples fears and reservations however i do feel that this thread has been an intresting constructive discussion to assess initial intrest levels and feelings towards a potential new era and an exciting fan driven direction for the greater good of all in the future.

Lets see what develops.

Thanks,

Andy

Well there doesn`t apear to be a shortage of either of them about in Rugby League , not even in Red Hall.

Wouldn't the Weekly subscription be in addition to your match tickets rather than including them?

Doesnt need one person it needs a group of likeminded and professional people to make this happen for the fans.

The time is always right to do what is right.

Lets see what happens.

Or a passionate, honest and capable bloke who tips in and beleighves in the objectives

Would that be you by any chance?

Not yet, I would have thought more yourself...... but then again I did say capable

I wasn't including them, my £3.80/wk was above what I currently pay.

Seriously though can you just imagine the arguments?





Traditionally our BOD's have always been given a rough ride even without the fans having 'ownership' of the club and I can picture it now when all the shareholders realise they won't actually have a right in the say of the day-to-day running of the business, nor have a say about which players, coaches etc we get. In fact they won't get much at all and might end up with no club at all (and considerably lighter pockets) if the wrong 'professionals' were chosen to run the place - being a successful business man means nowt in this game and it won't only be their own money they will be losing.

Also having a vote means nowt if the vote goes against you every time - you'll still end up not getting what you want and will be paying good money for the privilege.

The more I think about it the more I think it will be the death of our club.

Well mish we've got to try summat because the current situation is a slow death anyway.

You're right Pat, something must be done but I don't think this is the solution (just my opinion).

Ownership isnt the problem, its the failure to market the club to the population of the town

The club will not get a single large investor like Arthur, without a clear simple path to SL the club just isnt attractive enough

The town no longer has the size of businesses owned by locals to support anything other than a mid table Championship Club

Only by getting the local population to take interest in the club will it survive, let alone prosper and grow, this will take years to achieve and needs a clear plan to work, telling Bob and kids for a quid just wont cut it , neither will strap lines like I beleighve, which given our recent position is quite the most ridiculous idea I have ever seen the club do

The often quoted ' Community Club ' is the only answer to the clubs future, but if you ask 100 people what a ' Community Club ' should be you will get at least 99 different answers

So a fan owned club is a very difficult thing to make work

i think its pretty obvious that the vast majority of decisions would be made by an elected board.

I think its also pretty obvious if there are any serious 'club changing' decisions that need making,then all share holders would have to be asked to vote it through or stop it happening.

Thats how fan owned clubs work isn't it?

Your earlier posts were constructive but I'm struggling to see past the negativity in this one, no offence.

Your assertion about the wrong professionals i do agree with though thats why it's essential that the person/ people who initially get involved in the infantcy of any project to take it to a point were fans can get on board need to be IMO new blood with new energy and ideas and no links to past ideally. Hard working Honest people with the right intentions who will gain the trust and respect of the future investors and shareholders THE FANS.

The BODs of the past IMO from what ive seen from the outside looking in have been critised due to a lack of transparency, the current board while it's gone down a relative open book type route with fans forums etc and has tried hard with good intentions clearly finds itself with a failing buisness plan for whatever reason poor planing/ budgeting?? Lack of resource to implement and develop a managment structure??? I dont know but its lead to a undercapitalised buisness living hand to mouth when all is said and done.

I don't know if the club is even solvent as we speak but if you need to draw from LISAs reserves only a few months into a new season something is fundamentally wrong. This is for the board and CEO to address none of my buisness I suppose. The death of our club as you put it will come by not acting on new ideas and slowly dieing on a rusty old sword all in my option of course.