v Torquay

[G Brown]

9 hours ago, Scott Davies said:

Just on the comment about the way we play, and it not being entertaining…

Firstly, not 1% of me is annoyed reading that, and secondly you’ve been a big supporter of mine with what I’ve read on this forum so I appreciate it.

Having been brought up in academy football since the age of 8, playing professionally under some top managers which I’ve been extremely luckily to do, I’ve always wanted to get the ball down and play.

Once I got the job I soon figured that we would have to find a way to be competitive with a style that would be more effective than possibly pretty.

I look at Worthing and Dorking who are probably the best possession based teams who I’m sure you would buy a season ticket to watch! However, they have the luxury of being able to get the best players to fit their style.

If we tried to emulate that then I genuinely think we would fall a long way short. I have huge admiration for Chippenham, but the way in which they play might be more pleasant on the eye than us but you only have to look at what’s happened this season.

Ive said it time and time before to many people that if we tried to copy a Dorking then it would be like a fiat 500 racing a Ferrari, and ultimately we would lose!

Id like to think that being the second top scorers in the league over the past 3 seasons for the teams that have been in it for that length of time, the football hasn’t been too bad, if not, surely exciting?!

But yeah, no offence taken at all, but hopefully that clears things up!

 

Bloody hell mate, some of the games over the last 3 years have been nail biters, great entertainment, goals, grit, drama, the style of play is what it is!

Every club would like to play like 1970 Brazil, but needs must!!

[Rebellier]

I seem to recall a big leap in entertainment value after Scott had taken over from Bakes and Unders.

[G Brown]

53 minutes ago, Rebellier said:

I seem to recall a big leap in entertainment value after Scott had taken over from Bakes and Unders.

I think you have to bear in mind that Bakes and Unders were hamstrung more than Scotty has been, that’s my understanding anyway. Horses for courses, managers have to do what they believe will get results based on resources, and no one can argue that B&U and now Scotty haven’t given us results 

[Reading Rebel]

3 hours ago, G Brown said:

Reading all the comments on here, 1 thing is clear, we are all united in wanting the best for our club, and Scott. Give him the tools and I firmly believe we push on. Does anyone on here have enough clout to send an email to the Board and request an update on where we currently stand with the “5 year plan” eg when can we expect to see a budget more in line with the mid range of the division? And… big question, if we are years away from that, are there plans to sell the club or find a sugar daddy?

 

In Brighton Rebels article in the Maidenhead programme he did a small interview with Ash.

He asked Ash about our financial model and future plans: 'Sustainable but continued growth due to building multiple revenue streams other than match day revenue'

'Within 2-3 years to remain competitive at this level and achieve promotion to the NL'

So make of that what you will but the bit about remaining competitive and promotion within 2/3 years does seem optimistic if we continue with a low to baseline budget and continue to sell our better players.

Edited April 13 by Reading Rebel

[Irishadrian]

14 minutes ago, Reading Rebel said:

In Brighton Rebels article in the Maidenhead programme he did a small interview with Ash.

He asked Ash about our financial model and future plans: 'Sustainable but continued growth due to building multiple revenue streams other than match day revenue'

'Within 2-3 years to remain competitive at this level and achieve promotion to the NL'

So make of that what you will but the bit about remaining competitive and promotion within 2/3 years does seem optimistic if we continue with a low to baseline budget and continue to sell our better players.

Good point Its hard to reconcile a playing budget deliberately set lower than it could be whilst large amounts have been spent tarting up Arbour Park imo.

[Mark44]

I do wonder and have said this before how much the pitch relay has hampered the budget this season and last

Let's say it cost £200k all in..... We take over the lease and need to save that in 2 years as part of the deal (cup money helps of course)

Once relaid we know we will have 10 years so all of a sudden we have an extra £80k to play with per season??

Obviously wont be that cut and dry but using it like that to show the point

[GlenSTFC]

5 minutes ago, Irishadrian said:

Good point Its hard to reconcile a playing budget deliberately set lower than it could be whilst large amounts have been spent tarting up Arbour Park imo.

But how much are the club committing to the cost of this new training facility? Maybe this is why our budget has been restricted? 

26 minutes ago, Reading Rebel said:

In Brighton Rebels article in the Maidenhead programme he did a small interview with Ash.

He asked Ash about our financial model and future plans: 'Sustainable but continued growth due to building multiple revenue streams other than match day revenue'

'Within 2-3 years to remain competitive at this level and achieve promotion to the NL'

So make of that what you will but the bit about remaining competitive and promotion within 2/3 years does seem optimistic if we continue with a low to baseline budget and continue to sell our better players.

Yeah saw that 2-3 year quote and can’t help thinking of the 5 year plan!

[Curtis]

This is the link to the article in the Maidenhead United match programme mentioned above:-

http://sloughtownsoapbox.blogspot.com/2026/04/financial-meltdown.html

[Irishadrian]

15 minutes ago, Mark44 said:

I do wonder and have said this before how much the pitch relay has hampered the budget this season and last

Let's say it cost £200k all in..... We take over the lease and need to save that in 2 years as part of the deal (cup money helps of course)

Once relaid we know we will have 10 years so all of a sudden we have an extra £80k to play with per season??

Obviously wont be that cut and dry but using it like that to show the point

We were very clear last closed period that this closed period was when the relay would be done  all out cup run money was a very pleasant windfall but couldnt have been part of the planning.

[Mark44]

4 minutes ago, Irishadrian said:

We were very clear last closed period that this closed period was when the relay would be done  all out cup run money was a very pleasant windfall but couldnt have been part of the planning.

Unless it was originally a loan that is now no longer needed.... truth of the matter is we won't know but in my mind it has to be a big burden lifted on us financially

[Reading Rebel]

The relaying of the pitch has been coming down the line which has had to be planned for so there's no doubt it has hampered our playing budget for the past few seasons.

Depending on what needs doing as regards drainage etc the cost must be somewhere between 100/200k.

Our cup money has enabled us to forget about raising the money, whether that was to be by a loan or sponsorship, which are the only two way's I can think of to raise that sort of money.

In theory that should give us a boost to next seasons budget but then again there are other outlays the club will need to make one of which is the extra training facility planned at the rugby club at Upton Court Park, if that move is still on?

The club, as far as I know, is now being used 7 days a week which must bring in a tidy sum over and above match days.

Sponsorship seems to be doing well with what seems to be a continuous flow of new ones coming on board.

For Ash to state that the club wants to achieve promotion in the next 2/3 years our playing budget will have to greatly enhanced for us to even attempt to give that a shot

AlI I can say is those 'outside revenue streams' talked about must be a lot bigger than we can imagine. 

Edited April 13 by Reading Rebel

[G Brown]

1 hour ago, Reading Rebel said:

In Brighton Rebels article in the Maidenhead programme he did a small interview with Ash.

He asked Ash about our financial model and future plans: 'Sustainable but continued growth due to building multiple revenue streams other than match day revenue'

'Within 2-3 years to remain competitive at this level and achieve promotion to the NL'

So make of that what you will but the bit about remaining competitive and promotion within 2/3 years does seem optimistic if we continue with a low to baseline budget and continue to sell our better players.

I didn’t know about this, thank you. So is that 3 more years building/flirting with danger or try and go up within 3 years?

I’d love to believe it but it just seems miles off at the moment unless there is something going on that the supporters are not aware of.

[GlenSTFC]

7 minutes ago, G Brown said:

I didn’t know about this, thank you. So is that 3 more years building/flirting with danger or try and go up within 3 years?

I’d love to believe it but it just seems miles off at the moment unless there is something going on that the supporters are not aware of.

Hopefully the latter otherwise it’ll be a little foolish to say this in public?

[G Brown]

35 minutes ago, GlenSTFC said:

Hopefully the latter otherwise it’ll be a little foolish to say this in public?

I just cannot see it, the money needed for the playing budget would probably need to increase by 300%

[GlenSTFC]

2 minutes ago, G Brown said:

I just cannot see it, the money needed for the playing budget would probably need to increase by 300%

Can only think it’s to do with that secret soon to be unveiled Mars Arena sponsorship worth £1.5m?

[Twyford Rebel]

2 hours ago, Curtis said:

This is the link to the article in the Maidenhead United match programme mentioned above:-

http://sloughtownsoapbox.blogspot.com/2026/04/financial-meltdown.html

I've just re-read that quote and think it has been taken out of context by those interpreting it as promotion to the NL within 2 to 3 years. The 2 to 3 years was Ash's reply to whether there will be a need for Slough to go full time. He says he thinks it will be necessary to go full time within 2 to 3 years to remain competitive at this level. He does then mention "and to gain promotion to the NL" but I see that as a general statement that a full time model will be required for any promotion, not that it is within Slough's plans to achieve promotion within 2 to 3 years.

[G Brown]

35 minutes ago, GlenSTFC said:

Can only think it’s to do with that secret soon to be unveiled Mars Arena sponsorship worth £1.5m?

Is it still 1st April?

12 minutes ago, Twyford Rebel said:

I've just re-read that quote and think it has been taken out of context by those interpreting it as promotion to the NL within 2 to 3 years. The 2 to 3 years was Ash's reply to whether there will be a need for Slough to go full time. He says he thinks it will be necessary to go full time within 2 to 3 years to remain competitive at this level. He does then mention "and to gain promotion to the NL" but I see that as a general statement that a full time model will be required for any promotion, not that it is within Slough's plans to achieve promotion within 2 to 3 years.

Much more believable 👍🏻

[Reading Rebel]

1 hour ago, Twyford Rebel said:

I've just re-read that quote and think it has been taken out of context by those interpreting it as promotion to the NL within 2 to 3 years. The 2 to 3 years was Ash's reply to whether there will be a need for Slough to go full time. He says he thinks it will be necessary to go full time within 2 to 3 years to remain competitive at this level. He does then mention "and to gain promotion to the NL" but I see that as a general statement that a full time model will be required for any promotion, not that it is within Slough's plans to achieve promotion within 2 to 3 years.

Yes, it probably should read that way just a bit of poor punctuation i.e. a full stop after the word years.

It still doesn't answer the question where the club will find the money to go full time and pay full time wages within 2/3 years.

It just doesn't seem feasible without a huge sustainable cash injection from somewhere.

 

Edited April 13 by Reading Rebel

[G Brown]

The worry is if the money isn’t found, our budget is a good Step 4 budget now, that’s the problem, there are teams at Step 3 with silly money.

We could end up back where we started our climb.

Edited April 13 by G Brown

[Nathan]

No money for anything, yet we're told that the club is raking in money from renting out the pitch, the sponsorship deals and the bar (plus our FA Cup takings which seem to have vanished into the ether).

All I see at the moment is a club which is perfectly happy to accept mediocrity (whatever the reason behind that) on the pitch, fans moaning and sniping behind the goal, in the stands and on here (we can argue whether or not it's justified until the cows come home, but I say that it is) and a club unable or unwilling to fix the blocked urinal in the downstairs toilet (it's been 2 months now, I'm no plumbing expert but that ought to be plenty of time).

We should be thinking about what a potential fan seeing us for the first time on Saturday would have seen, and whether they'd be likely to come back again.