Hmmmmmmm

[DaveP]

now the season is over and looking forward to the next phase of the five year plan, whilst I'm sure P C is genuinely committed to what he talked about, there does seem to be some slippage. Inevitable I suppose since there are complex issues involved BUT a bit concerned we are slipping back to the old ways of all being done behind closed doors.

Little being said to the supporters about progress and "goalposts seem to be moving" sorry no pun intended.

New floodlights/ temp repair/maybe replace as part of the overall rebuild

New pitch/laser levelling/maybe just flatten the raised bits around the goalmouth

Ground development/ new side each year for 4 years/set up group to review plans/no info coming out yet

New infrastructure/long way to go with full time staff needed at the club.

I know it will all take time and lets not forget planning permission might take ages but it just feels we are slipping back into the dark days of need to know and the supporters aren't included.

Maybe I'm just too anxious and expecting too much but we are now approaching a new season in a bigger league still with crap facilities for eating and toileting and still relatively little cover in the ground when we are expecting bigger crowds.

So what progress has been made? what is actually going to take place in the close season ie ground and pitch? what's the present position re ground development?

On a personal note I emailed P C a couple of weeks ago to tell him that quite by chance I have got to know the project manager for the FC United new ground build and if PC felt a chat could be useful to let me know. I'm sure he has his own advisors and yes he's been pretty busy celebrating but not even an acknowledgement. Maybe his spam filter sent it off somewhere in the cloud? I'm not bothered from a personal point of view but just wonder if it's symptomatic of the general lack of communication which seems to be happening at the moment.

Perhaps a news statement very 2/3 weeks from the Board to update on projects and progress or lack thereof would prevent a feeling of alienation. Don't shut down for the summer like we used to keep us all informed and involved. Please!

[orpheus]

Think PC and the Board will all be aware of this. However it does seem that at times the supporters are being made "second".
All I ask is give it time. We are only just been promoted...no players are really available as yet. Well not the ones I reckon could come to us and do a job and not come for some easy pocket money as has happened in the past.
End of this month will do fine for all matters AFC meethinks. Specially the early bird Seniors season ticket

[DaveP]

Happy with player matters to take their time since some players will be on contracts until the end of June.

Equally progress has been made and details announced early re ticket prices and season tickets.

Its the major matters re the pitch and ground development I want to hear some updates about.

[boyliegladbach]

Please hurry up August

[Middleton Nick]

Happy with player matters to take their time since some players will be on contracts until the end of June.

Equally progress has been made and details announced early re ticket prices and season tickets.

Its the major matters re the pitch and ground development I want to hear some updates about.

Only a junior fan of four years so can't comment on past years.However,I would certainly like to hear some news by the end of July.I'm sure PC won't let us down and probably the wheels are in motion for a lot of things.Perhaps they are dotting the i's and crossing the T's before making a club announcement.Here's hoping

[Kieran]

Got to be honest, although I don't agree with all of the opening post it does concern me that there is no real sign of us building anything long-term as yet. I'm not talking about new grounds and the like, I'm talking about building a proper football club rather than a first eleven that rolls into town every other Saturday and once they're done they're done.

We were promised that something would be built that would allow the club to sustain itself long-term with or without PC and although its still early days I haven't yet seen any real sign of that. Commercially for example we've still been as lacklustre as ever, and theres been no real sign of anything further happening with the youth set up. Like I say still early days so this isn't a criticism as such but some sign of sustainable progress off the pitch would be good.

[barrowaberdeen]

Some signs Kie though I take your point. Here's a half full way of looking at it.

Both managers full time and Meeks should be feeding into the youth structure. Targets identified early.

Training moving to Lancaster Uni, a realistic mid term option certainly for now and we are going full time properly.

Rumours (I know, gossip, but it's summer) of purchasing of club properties in the town.

Options for ground are there ready to go, more grants now possible. Pitch should see a long term improvement with real work being done on it, not just asking the lad to perform a minor miracle in keeping it reasonable this season (which he did).

Commercially I tend to agree but at least kits will clearly be ready. ST' prices realistic and out early.

More communication, especially from Pete but also from others on the board old and new, fair play to them.

There's been more stuff into schools than recent years as far as I can see, lots more on matchdays. Talk of various useful tie ups with colleges, allowing our young people to gain valuable experience at the club- long overdue that one IMO.

When things have gone wrong (U18's release, Poor Christmas form club have acted decisively.

We were League Champions.

So although I think it's right to caution against short termism, it's nae bad really..

[Kieran]

I take your points Steve, maybe I'm being a bit harsh.

All of the above is great, but what I don't really see at the moment is us putting anything in place that will make the club more able to stand on its own two feet if and when PC goes. Thats what we really need to start seeing more of, of course the ground development will be part of that but I'm not just talking physical signs such as that. I think everything above has only been achieved because we/PC now have the money to pay kit suppliers on time, maintain the pitch etc. and not because things are actually that much better organised than they were.

[ziggy]

We are just supporters after all

Unless you put your own bucks into it, what will be will be

Personally I feel Paul Casson has been more open than any football boss I have ever known

[Ste Story]

I take your points Steve, maybe I'm being a bit harsh.

All of the above is great, but what I don't really see at the moment is us putting anything in place that will make the club more able to stand on its own two feet if and when PC goes. Thats what we really need to start seeing more of, of course the ground development will be part of that but I'm not just talking physical signs such as that. I think everything above has only been achieved because we/PC now have the money to pay kit suppliers on time, maintain the pitch etc. and not because things are actually that much better organised than they were.

Agreed mate, and agree with a few of the points from the initial post. All good times but the initial excitement regarding the ground, pitch and floodlights have definitely dissipated... Hopefully PC is here for the long term to build a legacy, but you would do that just by spunking money to fly up the leagues only to tumble down again when he gets bored.

Fleetwood, for all their faults, seem to have done this very well, good ground developments, leaps and bounds off the pitch and a good team that gets the fans in aswell.

[Andy]

Steve - what is happening re schools and the club. We have had nothing this year. Have we just missed out, have I missed something or are they targeting certain schools?

[Kieran]

Personally I feel Paul Casson has been more open than any football boss I have ever known

Absolutely, I'm not questioning he or the board's openness as things have been excellent in that regard. I'd just like to see some more signs of real progress off as well as on the pitch.

[barrowaberdeen]

Steve - what is happening re schools and the club. We have had nothing this year. Have we just missed out, have I missed something or are they targeting certain schools?

I'm really sorry to hear that- I'd be getting on to the club if it was me. No real knowledge this year other than being at home games as I'm working elsewhere as you know.

Just felt I'd seen more groups of kids at ground on matchdays, more half time stuff. Was talking to someone from a local infants school at Lowestoft was very positive, know they' (Jason etc) been in my last two schools pretty regularly..

I think all that's a great wee job for Meeks for not much more financial outlay if we get more F.A apprentices in to do coaching on behalf of the club, or tie up with the local college, maybe with him doing some of the assessing/observing. Bit like when the F.A out of school money about 12 years back, Tony Callister trained and put loads of young coaches into schools. The standard was a bit variable (you'll get that) but a lot of kids got the chance to play and train. Some of the young coaches are still involved in schools or coaching at a better level too still today. Would love us to be as involved as that, don't see why that couldn't be possible. Also, there's loads of scope for work with various social groups. Bit utopian maybe, but if we are really serious about making a difference to the Barrow community and building the fanbase that's what needs to happen IMO.

I agree about the long term thing really though Kie- it would cap off a great season even if we just had a bit more meat on the bones of what's happening next at Holker Street. Finding out who's on that ground committee would be a small start.

[McMark]

It Will All Happen, it just takes time! #Believe

[tictactoe]

Andy, only things we have had at our school are the after school club run but bafc community initiative and Jason coming in with Marc mcaloone (?) to do girls footy