Firstly looking forward to the next 2 home games. But here is 3 simple low costs ideas from me.
1. Get the clubs LinkedIn page up and running and post about club events and especially the foundation to get companies interested.
2.Send out club news, promotions, info about the next game etc via an email database such as Mailchimp to our fan base. (Season ticket holders and people that buy match day tickets online or have in the past)
3. Sort out the online shop.
Great ideas - maybe if we started to win some games this may help ?
We see a lot of negative comments on social media and I get it, people get frustrated about things when they see the club they love not being run in a successful manner. Posts like this are a great example of positive suggestions for the club to look at and maybe act on
@mckviking I still get emails from the likes of Leeds and Featherstone because I bought tickets for an away game at some point.
Also a lot of companies are not on Facebook etc but are on LinkedIn, so if they sponsor a game they can share Widnes post to their business contacts on LinkedIn.
@dan1 another good suggestion for the club.
Tbh I have been guilty in the past of being negative towards how the club seems to be run as a part time club. Unfortunately that’s where we are atm. I listened to the podcast with SM and he said we only have 3 staff members! Moneys too tight to mention for us but this business club idea is a great step in the right direction. 50 members bringing in £5000 a month and hopefully it keeps growing
I'm amazed how badly run this club is. We looked at a box for the Bradford game. Can't book it online, nobody answers the phone and emails not responded too. So that's well over a grand gone. Enquired about the business club and still no response. That on top of the hall of fame night. Wonderful evening for the players and I suppose that's the main thing, but the food offering was shocking £30 for a plate of cheese sauce and half a scoop of smash or the other option was lasagne and beans🤣 Then a small platter of biscuits from Tesco lovingly stored en route to the men's toilets. We filled 2 tables and they sat us at either end of the room You couldn't make it up. Depressing really.
I have made countless suggestions on the podcast - problem seems to be nobody has the wherewithal to actually implement any of them. This sort of stuff should be the basics of running a sports club.
I'm amazed how badly run this club is. We looked at a box for the Bradford game. Can't book it online, nobody answers the phone and emails not responded too. So that's well over a grand gone. Enquired about the business club and still no response. That on top of the hall of fame night. Wonderful evening for the players and I suppose that's the main thing, but the food offering was shocking £30 for a plate of cheese sauce and half a scoop of smash or the other option was lasagne and beans🤣 Then a small platter of biscuits from Tesco lovingly stored en route to the men's toilets. We filled 2 tables and they sat us at either end of the room You couldn't make it up. Depressing really.
Certainly something worth bringing up at the Viking Voice meeting on 28th, next Monday.
Paulie xx
I'm amazed how badly run this club is. We looked at a box for the Bradford game. Can't book it online, nobody answers the phone and emails not responded too. So that's well over a grand gone. Enquired about the business club and still no response. That on top of the hall of fame night. Wonderful evening for the players and I suppose that's the main thing, but the food offering was shocking £30 for a plate of cheese sauce and half a scoop of smash or the other option was lasagne and beans🤣 Then a small platter of biscuits from Tesco lovingly stored en route to the men's toilets. We filled 2 tables and they sat us at either end of the room You couldn't make it up. Depressing really.
Definitely needs mentioning on the Widnes Vips night on the (28th July 2025) and a contact with Andrew Horabin who is a top lad a part from his mad shirts. Possibly James Gordon or Mike Parsons can mention on the Podcast because any money should be an opportunity to improve our great club.
I live out of town now and only attend a few events/games a year usually in a box just to put some extra cash the clubs way. So I've emailed the club as I don't attend the other events you mentioned.
I do it out of blind loyalty, the rugby is generally poor but anyone in their late 40 s were spoilt in that regard growing up with the teams we had.The foods always been on the poor side in the boxes, I normally laugh it off as I usually have a great night out despite the above but the other week was scandalous and not just for us but the legends that were there celebrating their amazing careers eating that rubbish. The actual evening was run well(despite us sat at either end of the room) so there are positives to take.
To be fair the chairman has replied to my email today so I'll hopefully put over some constructive advice from my point of view on making the food offering better and making it easier for people to keep parting with their cash for example booking boxes online. Saves the club having to take phone calls etc.
I genuinely think a few tweeks and you've got a decent product. It's Naughton park not the savoy, a nice slice of cowards pie gravy and peas would do me. That sort of thing.
Anyway up the Vikings
I live out of town now and only attend a few events/games a year usually in a box just to put some extra cash the clubs way. So I've emailed the club as I don't attend the other events you mentioned.
I do it out of blind loyalty, the rugby is generally poor but anyone in their late 40 s were spoilt in that regard growing up with the teams we had.The foods always been on the poor side in the boxes, I normally laugh it off as I usually have a great night out despite the above but the other week was scandalous and not just for us but the legends that were there celebrating their amazing careers eating that rubbish. The actual evening was run well(despite us sat at either end of the room) so there are positives to take.
To be fair the chairman has replied to my email today so I'll hopefully put over some constructive advice from my point of view on making the food offering better and making it easier for people to keep parting with their cash for example booking boxes online. Saves the club having to take phone calls etc.
I genuinely think a few tweeks and you've got a decent product. It's Naughton park not the savoy, a nice slice of cowards pie gravy and peas would do me. That sort of thing.
Anyway up the Vikings
Nothing wrong with some constructive criticism mate. At the end of the day we all want the best for the club we support. I am hoping one day we can be one of the top teams in the Championship rather than a middle table team.
don't we have a commercial manager still ? I mean we have only just got this years merchandise in !!Firstly looking forward to the next 2 home games. But here is 3 simple low costs ideas from me.
1. Get the clubs LinkedIn page up and running and post about club events and especially the foundation to get companies interested.
2.Send out club news, promotions, info about the next game etc via an email database such as Mailchimp to our fan base. (Season ticket holders and people that buy match day tickets online or have in the past)
3. Sort out the online shop.
twinny has joined the board and earned the club £62 k with his business club which is a great effort if our commercial manager or board members could match the effort and finance we might not be in this position
@vikingfox71 firstly, Commercial and Retail are two totally different things.
Secondly, with regard to ‘Retail’ we haven’t ’only just got this years merchandise in’ - I’ve seen a few people say this - not sure if you all missed the training range brought out ready for the start of the season - but it was very popular and purchased by many, so not everyone missed it obviously.
Every year (as far as I’m aware and I’ve worked at the club on and off since 2011) we bring out training range before the season starts, usually the same range as the players have, then around half way through we bring out a different range - often other stuff in between.
What would be the point in bringing everything out at once? 🤷🏼♀️
Do any clothing retailers bring out all their years lines once a year, all in one go?… nope, I think not 🙄
Also, whilst on the subject, with regard to the online shop - there are a number of logistical reasons why not everything is put on there, it’s something that has/is being looked into and worked on. But it’s not just simply because we ‘forgot’ and have been waiting for people to suggest it and think ‘oh, that’s a good idea’ 🙄
I understand that commercial and retail are separate but in a staff of only 3 members I think someone says why did it take the new board member to bring in 62k in a six week period when these are all local firms that have been around for a long time if twinny who has worked hard to bring that money in then why was these things not looked into emails sent to companies because they're obviously receptive to the idea as they have joined up from a fans viewpoint you can't keep asking the same 2000 fans for money and even in these hard times twinny has shown it can be done