I have partly listened to the latest Podcast and Coleman is saying we have one of the lowest spending budgets in the Championship. Then mentioned Featherstone spending double what we are spending? What are we doing wrong if getting more through the turnstiles for Featherstone to double our spending? The other clubs are obviously doing things better than us like having more investment from businesses. Coleman was hoping to develop players, which personally i feel we need players now to be a top team, because we can not afford the time to develop if we want bums on seats. A winning culture improves attendances and finances. It just seemed a waste of money Buckley, Jones and Brett Bailey possibly.
@begg I think in the podcast he admits he would have done things differently in hindsight, from what I gathered from the interview we can only afford a squad of 19 or so players so opted to go for some young cheap players to try and develop them but we aren’t in a position to be developing squad players into first team players. The work with youth in The community is important but can not take from the players budget in our current situation or possibly be sponsored by a company who be willing to sponsor the “Widnes Schools RL Cup”!!!!
the winners play before a first team game at the stadium. All participants and families are welcome to come to the game
A good podcast with Coleman.
Surely the next one needs to be with someone at the top of the club on why the budget is so small?
A good podcast with Coleman.
Surely the next one needs to be with someone at the top of the club on why the budget is so small?
Yeah I want to know why our budget is so small, especially compared to some of the the clubs in the league? One of the top 3 supported clubs in the league, but we have one of the lowest spends? If an issue what is there plans to attract new investors like Featherstone, Oldham, London, York and Bradford have and we don't ? If you can't compete for the best players in this league it is not great. Coleman would like 28 to 30 players of his own, but can't afford it. I also here Agents tapping up our better players half way through the season such as Oldham for example, so what are our plans to stop it. It can not be easy for Alan Coleman, so we need to know plans, so he can have the tools to be one of the biggest spenders in the league? The way Coleman was talking we are spending like a Batley or a Swinton which is ridiculous
I know that some, including me, still support it. Maybe expanding that into a lottery could help get numbers back up? Any increase to the present 221 or so members would be welcome.
Certainly in the early 2000's we had something like Harold Lynskey's Millenium Lottery with regular subscriptions and monthly prizes. (I know 'cos I won £1000!!) It gave better odds for a win than the National Lottery. Certainly Council workers had their subscription collected by the Council at source! Maybe we need a Director with expertise in raising this sort of interest?
The loss of the well supported VIQI hasn't been adequately replaced by WVIPS.
We tend to forget that for many years Halton has had a very low socio-economic rating, not helped by larger companies leaving the borough etc. Over the years Council's generally have had budgets reduced but statutory duties increased. This is a blatant governmental switching of taxation from the govt to the local authority, with no Council option.
Whilst that has happened on a nationwide basis it is the poorest Councils and areas that are worst affected.
Regarding the poaching of players, the May onwards 'open house' for agents and clubs tapping up players. We are doing the same but it does sow the seeds of unrest, particularly with clubs like ours with tight budgets.
For some reason the RFL seem to like it!
i don’t think we can just base it on crowds.
hospital bills (if there are any) are our premiums or costs higher?
I don’t know the numbers and how big of an affect it may have but do those other 6 clubs spending ‘up to double’ of us own their own ground or have a lower maintenance stadium?
from previous suggestion the council run us dry constantly on costs for using the stadium etc
and then the obvious a director or 2 with more than a hat to spend. Our board really need to seek more investment if they have aspirations I appreciate if they are working within their means but there won’t be progression above 6th if we can’t find that investment to kick the squad on
The Council have given considerable support over the years but in a low budget area has a lot to take care of.
Aside from that, if we approximate the borough's population as 120,000 why should 118,000 of them support the hobby of scarcely 2,000 to any great tune?
If the RL fans want a team £5 a month is not a lot, even £20 a month isn't enough to buy yourself a pint a day!!!!
Well Sandgroper if we could get 200 WVIPS members to 400 that would make a massive difference to our player recruitment to compete with the top teams. An extra 200 at £10 per month is 2k every month or 24k extra. Even if 200 did a fiver that is an extra 12k which could make a difference. I know you say 2k regular but people who have moved to Australia and America who are Widnes fans can join the scheme. I know some probably donate more like £20 to £50 a month, but every little helps. I do not go many games living in Andover in the South, but i have joined WVIPs. Morgan Mcwhirter and Jake Maizen signings have been helped to get across the line because of WVIPs.
Is there a link to WVIPS for those interested in joining the scheme
A good podcast with Coleman.
Surely the next one needs to be with someone at the top of the club on why the budget is so small?
Yeah I want to know why our budget is so small, especially compared to some of the the clubs in the league? One of the top 3 supported clubs in the league, but we have one of the lowest spends? If an issue what is there plans to attract new investors like Featherstone, Oldham, London, York and Bradford have and we don't ? If you can't compete for the best players in this league it is not great. Coleman would like 28 to 30 players of his own, but can't afford it. I also here Agents tapping up our better players half way through the season such as Oldham for example, so what are our plans to stop it. It can not be easy for Alan Coleman, so we need to know plans, so he can have the tools to be one of the biggest spenders in the league? The way Coleman was talking we are spending like a Batley or a Swinton which is ridiculous
The only thing I can think of Pascal is the Board may be wary of putting their whole house into the recruitment pot, as I'm sure they want to ensure the Club will be their next season. I may be totally wrong, but if we look back to last October's Fan's Forum, Chris Hamilton had bolloxed up the IMG criteria, and the wrong figure, for one or two of the 'pillars' were incorrect. Because of this, funding was withheld, and the Club's appeal, although successful, wouldn't come into play until next season. IIRC £11k was the figure (@JamesGordon / @MikeParsons will confirm from their minutes). I agree that you can never have enough investors, but money is tight. Let's see what Andrew Horabin brings to the 'party'.
Paulie xx
Fair one Pauline and I am sure Andrew Horabin will want Widnes to be a success. 👍
I have partly listened to the latest Podcast and Coleman is saying we have one of the lowest spending budgets in the Championship. Then mentioned Featherstone spending double what we are spending? What are we doing wrong if getting more through the turnstiles for Featherstone to double our spending? The other clubs are obviously doing things better than us like having more investment from businesses.
There was a fans' forum last night at Fev where they detailed expenditure and income for this year. Am not going to go into details but income from gates/tickets accounted for less than 10% of our overall budget and broadcast money less than 5%. So numbers through the turnstiles are only a small part of the equation.
I have just listened to the last podcast with the Coleman interview. I think it was excellent with a few things being clarified. Coleman admits he has made the wrong decision in hindsight in signing 4 young players to develop when the squad needs ready made ones. Interesting he said next year he hopes to get a couple of season long loans rather than dual registration loans as SL clubs looking for 7 day loans going forward.
The VIPs may have helped to sign the 2 Australians but I suspect most of it funded by releasing the 3 youngsters & the remaing part of Lannon's contract.
People like to slam the Council but realistically the cost of maintaining a 13,000 to 14,000 seater stadium is not cheap. The Council has also been hit badly by Government cuts.
In my opinion by far the biggest financial issue recently is the switch from VIQI to the VIPs fund raising scheme to assist in signing & retaining players.
Even taking the lowest monthly donation of £5 under the old scheme it was roughly 1,000 × 5 × 12 = £60,000 per year.
Now with 218 membets currently
218 × 5 × 12 = £13,080 per year.
I know a lot of people give more but just as an illustration the club is receiving less than a quarter than it was under the old scheme. So there alone the income to the club for players has dropped.
Times are hard & it may be impossible to get the former numbers back but undoubtedly the loss of income here alone has been significant.