O'Connor

[Zippy]

in my opinion, we have to consider all plans. Have a plan A to save the club but be thinking of plans B, C and D etc . with some groundwork being done just so we know if the options are realistic. Lets face it, we are only a week away and have raised somewhere in the region of about 20% of what is needed by this time next week.

Its a big big ask and i'm totally behind saving this club but to just focus on one thing will not give us a club to watch next season. Too much would need sorting out in too short a space of time. This club or any future club needs future planning to avoid us being in reactive situations like we are now and have been before.

Please don't get me wrong, i'd love for us to save this club, without a money man coming in and saving the club at the 11th hour I really can't see us raising the sum needed. I wish we'd have known the true extent sooner, especially whilst the playing season was still in full swing. We could have made a real drive to get people through the gates and arranged collections on the day with various other matchday initiatives but to achieve that sum in the close season is a massive ask.

I'll continue doing all I can but if people want to look at the possibility of the phoenix club then count me in and i'm happy to be involved in that process. Even just getting some plans on paper would give us a starting point should the worse happen.

For the record, I coached a team at Hayden road last season as a visiting coach. I'd be surprised if it was passed for an amatuer team to compete in the league pyramid. I'm surprised they let Kids play there tbh, the stand looks like it could fall down at any time and as mentioned above, the team already playing there should be given the respect that thats now THEIR home. If we saved Rushden but KC had a better offer from K*ttering to play their that made him more money, however likely that would be aside, how would we feel? I'm not sure if that is possible but without getting into it in detail, the general idea of it is not very nice and whats being suggested would be no different, just in a smaller scale.

I think other options would need to be considered, hence why I think this should be looked at now as opposed to waiting for the worst.

The other side to this is, if the club did go to the wall and we missed the boat in terms of getting a club for next season, the fans that would follow us in a lower league would spend a year into football, possibly watch a different local team with every intention of following the phoenix club when set up, but who's to say that will happen? They might get caught up int eh promotion hype of another club and stick with them rather than coming back? They might follow a different sport instead? Its all ifs buts and maybes but this club has a passionate following, we need to capatalise on that.

If the worst happened, there would be a real determination to get a phoenix club going and to bring success of which are passionate supporters would want to be part of, there would be a determination to achieve that to prove the haters wrong etc, i'm not sure you would get the same effect if we allowed a year to pass becuase we miss the boat.

I hope people can see what i'm saying and this is not percieved in the wrong way but there's never any harm in a back up plan whether it be in football, work or general life.

One other point, if we opt for CVA and are relegated next season...KC said the facilities at this level cripple the club because whilst they are top notch, the cost of that is what makes it difficult for the club finanacially. If we were playing in bsn/s then those costs would be the same but with lower income so we would have to move away from Nene Park anyway to survive surely? I believe at this level, with the facilities marketed in the right way etc then they are sustainable with some big clubs coming here as well but at the level below, I really don't see how it could be afforded.

[Three of Diamonds]

One other point, if we opt for CVA and are relegated next season...KC said the facilities at this level cripple the club because whilst they are top notch, the cost of that is what makes it difficult for the club finanacially. If we were playing in bsn/s then those costs would be the same but with lower income so we would have to move away from Nene Park anyway to survive surely? I believe at this level, with the facilities marketed in the right way etc then they are sustainable with some big clubs coming here as well but at the level below, I really don't see how it could be afforded.

Would it cripple the club staying at NP though? KC owns it all doesn't he? And if he's the landlord and has a viable football club willing to negotiate it's lease responsibilities, such as only paying for what it uses, and not the whole kit and kaboodle, the rest could be used by other businesses but that would be his responsibility to secure as landlord. Perhaps meters could be fitted to measure usage and calculate the club's share of the bill? KC knew the budget for the football club because he set it so he knew what amount he was willing to spend, I'd be amazed if he's had the wool pulled over his eyes.

[Formic]

One other point, if we opt for CVA and are relegated next season...KC said the facilities at this level cripple the club because whilst they are top notch, the cost of that is what makes it difficult for the club finanacially. If we were playing in bsn/s then those costs would be the same but with lower income so we would have to move away from Nene Park anyway to survive surely? I believe at this level, with the facilities marketed in the right way etc then they are sustainable with some big clubs coming here as well but at the level below, I really don't see how it could be afforded.

Would it cripple the club staying at NP though? KC owns it all doesn't he? And if he's the landlord and has a viable football club willing to negotiate it's lease responsibilities, such as only paying for what it uses, and not the whole kit and kaboodle, the rest could be used by other businesses but that would be his responsibility to secure as landlord. Perhaps meters could be fitted to measure usage and calculate the club's share of the bill? KC knew the budget for the football club because he set it so he knew what amount he was willing to spend, I'd be amazed if he's had the wool pulled over his eyes.

In the early days of this mess I wondered something similar - but KC tried for several years to "sweat the assets" without much success.

Perhaps the biggest issue remains the need to find a set of directors who have the financial clout to meet the guarantee that the Diamonds can complete a full season at Nene Park in 2011-12. There's no way a fans group could do that, so even if certain short term targets are met there needs to be that longer term money available too.

There is also the question of money needed to get through the summer well over and above the initial 250k target - to maintain the pitch, pay utility bills, get a safety certificate etc - not mentioning wages / signing on fees for a new team from July onwards.

We need to hope the excellent efforts of the past fortnight have been spotted by someone with a desire to own a football club.

[Formic]

Apparently coming up in the et tomorrow porter admits his future probably is away from rushden :(
Am finding it difficult not to get frustrated at our current situation, there's no updates from anyone although I don't think there is anyone to step up!

http://www.northantset.co.uk/sport/foot ... _1_2693789

[Mat.H]

Porter would only stay if JE was still in charge, I hope whoever takes over realises the importance of keeping the gaffer.

[bozzer]

too right Tony, thats what it needs someone with some money, we can do so much and we have done brilliantly but it needs someone to come and run the club with some money.

i am amazed that with all the publicity, plus it is well known in football circles that no one else has come forward, even the others that were looking at buying before the beasants.

also as an aside, i suppose if we fold and KC leases the ground to K*ttering we could groundshare from them!!!