Greg Bettles

[Hempstead Gaz]

I am presently in correspondence with Greg. Without wishing to break any confidences, I have been invited to the club to discuss ways, as suggested on the forum,to improve gates.

My immediate reply was that although this a good idea - it would be better by way of an open fans forum - say a Fleet Leisure between us, Greg and the board to get things on the move.

This of course happen a couple of years ago with Brian - which I thought was a great success and a worthwhile evening. (and the beer was cheap!!)

[Richard C]

As long as somebody gets our points accross I am all for it!!

[Andy Y. (G&NFC)]

Don't agree C.G as an Open Forum evening tends to bring out the same faces and the same tired ideas.

 

Going one to one will mean you are likely to get a straight answer rather than one measured to keep the audience happy.

 

By all means keep us posted but sometimes its better to keep things close to your chest until the idea takes shape.

 

What I do know though is that we should be looking at Charlton and Dartford's methods of attracting crowds (and I dont mean "Build a new Stadium tomorrow!")

[Hempstead Gaz]

What we need, if only a quorum of people go to a meeting, is a consensus of workable ideas.

I am happy to go to such a meeting - but would prefer at least 3 or 4 additional supporters to "bounce" ideas around.

If we agree firstly to that, it might be worth posting an ideas post on here, to which a mod can make sticky.

 

[Harry J Allstars]

Gary if you had £10,000 to spend and some free time working to up attendances, how would you go about it?

 

Also imagine if the club took your idea and got a stall at Bluewater, would you volunteer to man it?

[Stu M]

Originally Posted By: Harry J Allstars

would you volunteer to man it?

I hear Jade Goody and Danielle Lloyd are quite cheap for that sort of thing these days.

[mikefleet]

a fans forum is needed big style and in the next 2 weeks tops i would think.

 

have it down Fleet leisure or in the social club at the ground. put a bit of a buffet on as well

[Stu M]

Originally Posted By: mikefleet

put a bit of a buffet on as well

You paying mike? I prefer salmon sandwiches by the way if you could make a note...

[Hempstead Gaz]

Originally Posted By: Harry J Allstars

Gary if you had £10,000 to spend and some free time working to up attendances, how would you go about it?

Also imagine if the club took your idea and got a stall at Bluewater, would you volunteer to man it?

I already work 55 -60 hours a week, thank you. However, if such a stall were ever to come to fruition, it needn't be run voluntarily, pay the going rate to a couple of unemployed/ off work Fleet fans - it could happen.
Nobody is suggesting thr stall itself would make a profit - but the publicity alone would be worthwhile.
It is ideas such as this that need debating and investigating, not poo-pooing.
Not sure where the £10,000 comes from - I don't suppose the club has that much cash floating around at present, especially with the club probably running below break even with the gates.

[Harry J Allstars]

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

I already work 55 -60 hours a week, thank you.

That’s why I said "if", however your medal is in the post.

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

However, if such a stall were ever to come to fruition, it needn't be run voluntarily, pay the going rate to a couple of unemployed/ off work Fleet fans - it could happen.

How much do you think something like that will cost to do for a worthwhile amount of time? About £10,000?

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

Nobody is suggesting the stall itself would make a profit - but the publicity alone would be worthwhile.
It is ideas such as this that need debating and investigating, not poo-pooing.

That’s what I was doing Gary, trying to debate. You seem to be incapable of debating it though Gary, every time someone opposes your idea you staunchly defend it making yourself out to be some sort of victim. In a debate that's what happens, someone says something then someone opposes it and that's how good ideas are made. People have already told you it's not going to work and yet you bang on about it.

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

Not sure where the £10,000 comes from - I don't suppose the club has that much cash floating around at present, especially with the club probably running below break even with the gates.

You seem to be very suspicious of me Gary, I simply wanted to know your opinions. Well done for contacting Greg and seeing if we could have a consultation between the club and fans but you seem to be living in some sort of dream world where if we bang the drum loud enough then people will turn up just for the sake of it. Over the last few days we've discussed, Sky not showing us at home, the BBC South East not mentioning our results and the pathetic attendances we've been getting, all three things seem to be falsely grouped under the banner they don't like us, they don't know we're here. Both of these are wrong and are the easy option, they know where we are and they don't hate us. As much as it pisses me off they don't see us as an attractive option to waste their time on, doesn't that tell you something?

[fleeting glance]

This went out on the Charlton mailing list to all of the subscribers today... something to tap into via advertising and a leaflet drop.

 

"Where are they now? Just down the road!"

"Regular readers of this missive will well know the links between Gravesend & Northfleet and the Addicks - but those who turned up for Fleet's Nationwide Conference clash with Weymouth last night saw a feast of former Valley men in action.

The home side, whose assistant boss Alan Kimble played for Charlton in the 1984/85 season, fielded no fewer than five ex-Addicks for the clash.Mark Ricketts, Mark DeBolla, Stacy Long and Charlie MacDonald were joined late on by striker Onome Sodje while a sixth player, Alex Varney, was an unused substitute.

For the Terras, Adam Cottrell and Danny Phillips both played for a side managed by yet another former Charlton youngster, Jason Tindall.The prolific MacDonald set up the opener at Stonebridge Road but it would be Tindall who celebrated his first win since taking charge thanks to a 3-1 win, Ricketts conceding a late penalty"

[fleeting glance]

Replying to my own post but this bulletin has 16k subscribers.

With the season Fleet are having I reckon this is an ideal time to hit for some extra support.

 

Approach the bulletin or the various CAFC blogs and offer say, 500 tickets with BOGOF (making 1000) or similar with the extra burgers programmes etc and the CAFC content it may give the Fleet a nice little boost in attendances.

[Hirsty]

Free Strongbow gets my vote......but who pays ?....Hmmmmm !

[Hempstead Gaz]

Originally Posted By: Harry J Allstars

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

I already work 55 -60 hours a week, thank you.

That’s why I said "if", however your medal is in the post.

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

However, if such a stall were ever to come to fruition, it needn't be run voluntarily, pay the going rate to a couple of unemployed/ off work Fleet fans - it could happen.

How much do you think something like that will cost to do for a worthwhile amount of time? About £10,000?

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

Nobody is suggesting the stall itself would make a profit - but the publicity alone would be worthwhile.
It is ideas such as this that need debating and investigating, not poo-pooing.

That’s what I was doing Gary, trying to debate. You seem to be incapable of debating it though Gary, every time someone opposes your idea you staunchly defend it making yourself out to be some sort of victim. In a debate that's what happens, someone says something then someone opposes it and that's how good ideas are made. People have already told you it's not going to work and yet you bang on about it.

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

Not sure where the £10,000 comes from - I don't suppose the club has that much cash floating around at present, especially with the club probably running below break even with the gates.

You seem to be very suspicious of me Gary, I simply wanted to know your opinions. Well done for contacting Greg and seeing if we could have a consultation between the club and fans but you seem to be living in some sort of dream world where if we bang the drum loud enough then people will turn up just for the sake of it. Over the last few days we've discussed, Sky not showing us at home, the BBC South East not mentioning our results and the pathetic attendances we've been getting, all three things seem to be falsely grouped under the banner they don't like us, they don't know we're here. Both of these are wrong and are the easy option, they know where we are and they don't hate us. As much as it pisses me off they don't see us as an attractive option to waste their time on, doesn't that tell you something?

I'm not going to get involved in a slanging match, Harry, nor will get involved in a drawn out debate - as I going to listen to Man Utd on the radio, then have an early night before 6 12 hour shifts. That's a 72 hour week.
I will finally answer your points briefly , though.
The £10,000 was your figure - I simply question where this figure came from. If you have researched it, I accept it. If not it is only a guess.
I'm very happy for these things to come out in a debate, I certainly don't feel like a victim.
If people oppose an idea, fine - don't just diss it for arguements sake - put up bona fide reasons.
Perhaps you would be better addressing the problems at the club rather than question my motives.

Clearly the SE BBC don't dislike us - or at least the staff don't, as I am told that Geoff Clark is a regular fan , making the trip from Tunbridge Wells at 7 pm to stand on the terrace.

I have some reason to be suspicious H. A lot of ideas I put forward, you question. I have only the best intentions for the club.Unlike you I have seen us plummett into virtual oblivion and bankruptcy, it's not nice and must never happen again.
That is why ALL ideas to increase attendances must be explored by the club.
Most will be non starters, I accept that, but if 200 fans put forward 5 promotional ideas to the club, it only needs a couple to succeed.
How about a couple of ideas of your own?
You are well known and do a lot of good work for the club, what are YOUR suggestions to put 500 extra fans thrpoough the turnstiles?

[chris blanc]

Well said

[DA11]

Got to be honest. I'm not sure why CG got pelters for his comments above. For the sake of the club and all the good ideas put forward on this forum, I think we should put personal issues to one side and try and work together (god, I'm gonna get slated for that)

 

Up the Fleet

[Hempstead Gaz]

To be honest, so long as the club get to hear of supporters ideas, both workable or otherwise, and seriously consider those that are feasable, nobody on here will give a fig about Harry's dreary negative comments.

[Harry J Allstars]

No slanging match intended Gary, I just like to point out little things that I observe through life. You can't go 24 hours these days without offending someone though.

 

72 Hours? Where did that come from? Blimey it's just gone up by 12 hours.

 

See....

 

 

If we are to plan on how to get some extra fans then we're going to have to spend some money doing it. £10,000 was just a plucked out of the air ball park figure. Lets take your Bluewater idea. Now if we were to do that and do it well we'd have to hire the stall for a couple of months and staff it, you also want these staff to be paid? That would be suicide. If you start offering money then any potential leaflet droppers will then ask to be paid and before you know it people that put posters up will then ask for payment.

 

So I think the premise is a good idea however won't work financially. What you want to try and do is put stock with the fleet logo on it in shops at Bluewater like Clintons, WH Smiths, Marks and Spencer, John Lewis and House of Fraser. This way we're marketing ourselves to a bigger audience with no cost (I would think) and you may even get some money out of it. Plus we could pop one of those little fixture lists in with every item.

 

This idea won't solve our attendance worries but it would advertise ourselves a little. I don't think people dislike us nor do I think that they're unaware we're here, they’re sort of in the middle and when a free Saturday comes up how many think of coming to see us? Yet if they've just been browsing in M&S and seen one of our trendy Fleet jackets it might put us in their mind and then perhaps they'll consider it. This isn't enough to warrant a stall but could point the way to some stock up in some of the shops at Bluewater.

 

Another way is to get ourselves on TV through the back door. By this I mean maybe in some sort of fly on the wall documentary, perhaps someone can ring round a few of the nearby universities and advertise ourselves as a potential place where a film crew can make some observations on the local football fan. Don't say no straight away, it worked for Weymouth.

 

What about this for an idea? We've got trouble with our attendances and are in need of a serious marketing team. Who watches the apprentice? Go on don't be shy raise your hand. Well how about ring the BBC and saying that the two teams working on increasing our attendances could be the challenge for a particular week. Who knows one of the teams may come up with an idea that works and we'd get some exclusive time on the telly with an average viewing rate of about 7 million. Imagine that if the game was moved forwards because of a power cut, Gunton will be busy.

 

These three ideas, on the face of it, are good ideas but if explored could well flounder.

 

And I know you've seen the Fleet sink to bankruptcy but while they were doing that I was stood in the Shed end watching Ken Bates turn a club from near bankruptcy into title contenders. With this in mind doesn't it stand me in slightly better stead?

[DA11]

My only concern is that ideas have been bounded around this forum for some time now and in most cases if you scroll back most of our ideas have been said time and time again. What makes now so different. I think Rowly Edwards is key to this as being a director and long term fan he should be able to see things from our perspective.

[Hempstead Gaz]

Seriously top posting, Harry. Nice one!

And Greg Bettles cc'ed our correspondence to Roly Edwards, so he is fully aware of these ideas.

[Slartibartfast]

I think you will find that all of the directors are fans first DA11 otherwise why do it?

 

To be fair to the club they have tried quite a few things to promote the club from ladies days to kids for a quid and from entertaining local schools to free tickets and Friday night games, they have even tried fielding a team of full-time professionals capable of challenging for a play-off place but sadly if people can't be arsed to go you can't force them.

 

[DA11]

Harry you are right about Bluewater. I think that is a bad idea. As a comparison how long did the West Ham shop stay open for? However, their shop in Lakeside does a roaring trade. The right catchment area. I suggested a long time ago about having a concession inside maybe JJB sports. A few shirts, scarves and hats to start with. You wouldn't have to pay staff they just put a supplement of maybe £4 per shirt ( a small amount if it is being purchased for a present and the person buying doesn't go to the Fleet) plus they get an affiliation with their local club. They can even put a poster by the escalators. The worst that can happen is that it increases our profile. Most of the sales ideas are promoted within the program so effectively preaching to the converted and there is only so much money the loyal fleet fan can spend. We could run discount vouchers or competitions in the KM. Both would benefit. The KM from increased sales and the Fleet from raised profile and sales. A&Z sports in Perry Street used to be a great outlet for Fleet stuff. But what has happen there?? Although passing trade isn't ideal in Perry street is was an outlet. This isn't rocket science.

[DA11]

Very true Slarti.. I didn't mean to say that the other directors weren't fans. But having read again what I put it sounds that way. Appologies

[Harry J Allstars]

Originally Posted By: DA11

My only concern is that ideas have been bounded around this forum for some time now and in most cases if you scroll back most of our ideas have been said time and time again. What makes now so different. I think Rowly Edwards is key to this as being a director and long term fan he should be able to see things from our perspective.

Quite agree. The trouble is, as I pointed out in my earlier posting, is that we seem unable to point out what our problems are. Until we see these for what they are we won't get far.

Gary, I know I've already said it, but I don't think the stand idea is going to work. If the board did take the idea on and it worked I'd be the first to look back through previous posts and quote when you originally said it and congratulate you.

Now this is going to touch a nerve.

So like I've said above the main reason we don't get decent crowds is because we don't seem an attractive option to most people.

Now as most of you will know I travel around the country to watch the team, as I know many of you have done. Now it becomes clear to me that that many people don't like to, or can't, travel. Now I can already feel the tension as I write but I'm just stating a fact, we had 50 at Kiddy on Saturday.

Now for whatever reason most of our fans don't travel away, be it can't or won't. Yet when we went to Villa in the FA Cup we took 6,000 up there. What if we hadn't got that far in the Cup? and just fulfilled or normal fixtures for the day? I for one wouldn't have gone I can tell you that as I didn't consider them an attractive option.

Now next season on FA Cup round three day we could go to Manchester United if we do we'll take 12,000 there just like everybody else, yet if we fulfill our normal league fixture we'll take 50 provided it's somewhere north of Birmingham.

So for whatever the the reason for most of our fans not making the trip to Morecambe it is probably the same reason for most of the people of the township of Gravesend not to turn up for the home game v Morecambe.

I feel that I have to reiterate that what I have posted are facts, I'm not criticising anyone for not going to away games. As I simply don't know the reason but even if they're can't be bothered than it's still their decision.

[Andrewc]

Your idea of getting JJB on board is a good one but fear it would get in the way of their national promotions. Millions more to be made out of Umbro etc etc..

 

Originally Posted By: DA11

We could run discount vouchers or competitions in the KM. Both would benefit. The KM from increased sales and the Fleet from raised profile and sales.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the KM tie up earlier this season supposed to have brought forward advertising and promotional initiatives? I must admit to not buying the Gravesend Extra and I haven't seen too much evidence of GNFC promotional stuff in the Gravesend Extra or perhaps I missed it.