an update on things

[Hadrian]

Firstly, thanks to John for the update. As fans' liaison director (rather than representative?) he has already done much to improve communication output from the company we own. I can understand his frustration at his integrity being called into account.

The repetition of the shirts issue is disappointing but he who pays the piper calls the tune and a commercial organisation will want things to be exact. Good effort to offer the Coniston experiences - shows original thinking.

Much of the club's situation arises from a lack of income of course, leading in turn to little/no off-field infrastructure and people working hard to cover so many bases on a daily basis. Even initiating a structured volunteer programme takes time as does ongoing coordination yet this must surely be the sensible way forward.

Predictably the Internet Outrage from the usual suspects has followed with little thought and more measured thoughts are now emerging as above.

[Lancaster Branch]

Even initiating a structured volunteer programme takes time as does ongoing coordination yet this must surely be the sensible way forward.

How many years should it take, do you think? I am struggling to remember when we've ever properly organised things like work parties etc. Maybe when Dave Ayres organised the painting of the Holker End walls? Instead the club seems to shut down for the summer and then springs back to life when the season is upon us. Year in, year out so it's not a criticism of John or whoever.

We just don't seem to help ourselves and that is what is frustrating - we need to punch above our weight not enter the ring with one hand tied behind our backs (if you excuse the boxing metaphor).

[Jim]

David is right, it is a recurring theme. It needs sorting and perhaps the AGM would be the opportunity for a good discussion followed by some agreement and action plan.

[Andy]

With the shirt fiasco, why not have the kit for 2 years and coming to the end of the first year (like now) negotiate for the next shirt. It can then take time , be done professionally and be ready for the last game of the season to wear and buy. I know people will say what about sponsors etc, but if two year deals were put in place this wouldn't be a problem. People might say what about the loss of income because its not a new shirt year on year, but how much does a cock up like this cost us. Maybe we could extend of leisure wear to make up for the short fall. Just an idea.

[barrowaberdeen]

I agree with this.

If John's appointment is mean to be in response to recent UEFA rules on professional clubs having a 'Supporters Liason Officer' he could do a lot worse than read the examples in this UEFA document. It makes a lot of sense, believe it or not.

http://clients.squareeye.net/uploads/sd ... ok_eng.pdf

[Riseley]

We really are starting to look abit tin pot! Its starting to become and us and them situation in my opinion.

The shirts thing is every single year, ok fair enough about the delays in printing... but its every year!!! ... would it not be beneficial to have the children / adults of Barrow walking around the town in there Barrow shirts, promoting the club!! - That's too easy we have to wait until September / October when its too cold to get the shirts out!

The friendly prices are also pathetic, should be no more than £5 to watch these teams, i mean you can probably watch Burnley youth team for free on a park during the season!
Maybe they should have done a deal on all the friendlies. Like x amount for x games.

And as for Coniston??? WTF

Why dont we promote season tickets either? Like special early bird offers in the evening mail??? are we the only club who dont advertise anything! Unless your a die hard Barrow fan you probably would not know we exist!

Anyway i dont have any solutions to help promote the club.... but really should we the fans be trying to do all the work? Should the club not act in a proffesional manner and get there finger out of there arses and promote the club to the people of Barrow!

[SKIPPER]

Difficult to pass judgement from a distance when all facts aren't known. However here we are on the brink of a record successive season on top-flight NL and all we are getting is embroiled in nit-picking over off-the-field activities. The trouble at HS today is no different towhat it has been in the last 50 years. Not only does the right hand not know what the left hand is doing it doesn't even know what the right wrist is doing ! There is no co-ordination/liaison call it what you will. Coniston is a prime example. Don't forget the players were already at Coniston. The idea to involve the fans was probably cobbled together in a pub on the back of a fag packet and thats where the problem lies. There is no spark of radical thinking with regard to prices/season tickets/marketing/ground improvements etc. Everyone probably thinks somebody else is doing it and thats where it all falls down. When you look at other clubs in this League with plush offices an army of full time staff and town centre Club Shops it brings into stark reality the reason why most consider us a tuppeny bit tinpot club in the middle of nowhere. But thats how it will remain until someone takes it all by the scruff of the neck and shakes it up. That someone doesn't appear to be at the club right now unless they are keeping a low profile.Until then lets stop playing the blame game. Remeber the BOD are unpaid volunteers with jobs/families. If people think they can do better then come on . Lets be having you.In the meantime lets stop bickering about off-the-field problems and get behind the team. Remember a succesful team is probably the best advert for the club.

[Steeley]

Was nice to see the club shop closed today.

[Lancaster Branch]

You could try the online shop

[boyliegladbach]

You could try the online shop

There's some nice Christmas cards for sale in the online shop.

[Wintergreen]

Fair bit of in-fighting, frustration and aggravation on this thread guys. It would be great if the club were slicker and on top of everything, but as someone has pointed out we just haven’t got the resources to cover all the bases properly. We exist hand to mouth and the BoD are rightly giving a lot of their limited available time to the main prize which might yet lift us out of this bare-bones existence.

[DaveP]

But we have got the resources in terms of members fans and volunteers!!!!

As long as the BOD pay lip service to the many offers of help then we'll continue to stumble along like this from one crisis to another.

We are a members club not a shareholders club and as such the members should be invited to help on a regular basis not "considered" only when the members themselves put forward a skills list. Involving fans not only gives the club many more resources it also involves fans/members much more than at present and hopefully if we were to tap in to the younger fans/members skills we can provide a further generation of people to run the club.

Its not just fans through the gate we need its also involvement in the club for the future.



This summer we've needed people to sort the pitch out and clean up the terracing and on occassions manage the shop. Why couldn't the BOD ask for a tewam of volunteers to do these jobs? Forget all the H & S stuff yes that has to be sorted but there wasn't even a thought or request. We have numbers, skills, labour we can help our club if only they will let us.

[Wintergreen]

You're right DaveP.

The Volunteer Group option is the only feasible way forward for the club now before it grinds to a virtual halt. A Volunteer Group Co-ordinator needs to be appointed as a priority to move things forward. Okay it will affect the BoD's control and powerbase but they have to go for it now for the benefit of the club.

[tictactoe]

They have had offers of help many times for lots of different areas. Unfortunately they want to keep it "in house" but this is to the detriment of the club. They'll be happy when it all falls down around them.

[Matty Bassdriver]

You're not wrong Lisa - that's defintely the way I'm increasingly seeing it.

Will be interesting to see if any of us ever get contacted by the club following the compilation of the 'volunteer database' earlier this year. I know John held his 'fans meeting' as few weeks ago but unfortunately fans were only given 4/5 days notice of the date & time, so by then I (and probably a number of other potential attendees) already had plans which couldn't be changed and I had to miss it. If Brian Keen's 'vision' of us becoming the 'Wimbeldon of the north' is to be realised then the widespread use of willing volunteers has got to be the way forward...