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Post by holysmokes66 on Sept 2, 2022 13:14:01 GMT
Yesterdays Guardian Football Weekly podcast briefly covered the impact the cost of living crisis could have on Non-League football, and I thought it was interesting to consider what effect it may have on us. These are the things that came to mind (obviously only speculative): - Lower attendances: with less disposable income and people committing more money to bills and food, our attendance will inevitably drop
- Less away fans: as above, people will have less disposable income to travel around the country following their team
- No use of the pitch outside of game times: it may become too costly to host the Under 23s, training sessions, women's games, pitch hire, etc at the Gallagher
- Less disposable cash for the club: more money being committed to powering the stadium means less money for wages meaning we may not be able to sign new players
Some of the things they covered as being suggested by certain clubs / leagues, which would more likely effect teams lower down than us, were kick off times being earlier in the day so the floodlights didn't need to be switched on and inside bars closing to limit the amount of power / heating being used. Interesting points - it will affect clubs, not just people.
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Post by jdl on Sept 2, 2022 14:02:18 GMT
Yesterdays Guardian Football Weekly podcast briefly covered the impact the cost of living crisis could have on Non-League football, and I thought it was interesting to consider what effect it may have on us. These are the things that came to mind (obviously only speculative): - Lower attendances: with less disposable income and people committing more money to bills and food, our attendance will inevitably drop
- Less away fans: as above, people will have less disposable income to travel around the country following their team
- No use of the pitch outside of game times: it may become too costly to host the Under 23s, training sessions, women's games, pitch hire, etc at the Gallagher
- Less disposable cash for the club: more money being committed to powering the stadium means less money for wages meaning we may not be able to sign new players
Some of the things they covered as being suggested by certain clubs / leagues, which would more likely effect teams lower down than us, were kick off times being earlier in the day so the floodlights didn't need to be switched on and inside bars closing to limit the amount of power / heating being used. Interesting points - it will affect clubs, not just people.
I've often wondered why clubs, especially lower league ones, don't kick off a lot earlier,and avoid using lights at all. It must be the single biggest cost to small clubs. And it's not as if everyone still works Saturday mornings! I'm not sure what effect the cost of living increase will have on us. This is a relatively affluent area, so we might get away with it. Although I can see away travel suffering. But in some places, disposable income could effectively disappear for many, so smaller clubs in those areas could struggle or even go under.
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Post by sword65 on Sept 2, 2022 14:08:14 GMT
Isthmian clubs have been given the option to change kick off times providing both teams agree. Rather hoping Chatham kick off at 12 and us at 3,could get both games in.
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Post by Bernie on Sept 2, 2022 15:47:37 GMT
It will have an effect. Some will stop smoking, some drink less. We will forego a holiday next year or theatre trips. Some will skip football matches.
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Post by steveh21 on Sept 2, 2022 16:15:08 GMT
Stones could benefit as people finally realise they are being taken for a ride by the Premier League clubs. I think non-league will be ok..all about budgeting, which we do well as a club.
Some smaller local clubs like Tonbridge or Dartford or Sheppey could kick off at 11am on a Saturday and get more neutrals.
Obviously if The Gills run out of money then so be it 🤣
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Post by soulstone on Sept 2, 2022 16:44:23 GMT
Isthmian clubs have been given the option to change kick off times providing both teams agree. Rather hoping Chatham kick off at 12 and us at 3,could get both games in. Amazingly the SCEFL which is obviously lower than the Isthmian League have not allowed their clubs to do it. Some of the clubs in SCEFL only get gates of around 30.
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Post by jdl on Sept 2, 2022 17:00:27 GMT
Isthmian clubs have been given the option to change kick off times providing both teams agree. Rather hoping Chatham kick off at 12 and us at 3,could get both games in. Amazingly the SCEFL which is obviously lower than the Isthmian League have not allowed their clubs to do it. Some of the clubs in SCEFL only get gates of around 30. Give small-minded people power and they behave like small-minded people with power.
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Post by jdh80 on Sept 3, 2022 3:18:50 GMT
Amazingly the SCEFL which is obviously lower than the Isthmian League have not allowed their clubs to do it. Some of the clubs in SCEFL only get gates of around 30. Give small-minded people power and they behave like small-minded people with power. Perfect description of the bunch of ****wombles in charge of the National League
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Post by sword65 on Sept 3, 2022 3:54:42 GMT
Isthmian clubs have been given the option to change kick off times providing both teams agree. Rather hoping Chatham kick off at 12 and us at 3,could get both games in. Amazingly the SCEFL which is obviously lower than the Isthmian League have not allowed their clubs to do it. Some of the clubs in SCEFL only get gates of around 30. Football and Madness together forever
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Post by 61666 on Sept 3, 2022 7:46:37 GMT
Maybe the first things to suffer will be purchasing the hospitality stuff. Hence the pie shop and bar takings - though these seem to be such an integral part of the experience for many. One thing which might help is that bus fares are going to be capped at £2 from January in a three month trial. For me, that would make getting the bus worthwhile and avoid paying for parking, so good idea, Grant Shapps. Unfortunately, the bus service through my village to Maidstone was withdrawn at the start of the summer...
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Post by sword65 on Sept 3, 2022 8:00:37 GMT
Maybe the first things to suffer will be purchasing the hospitality stuff. Hence the pie shop and bar takings - though these seem to be such an integral part of the experience for many. One thing which might help is that bus fares are going to be capped at £2 from January in a three month trial. For me, that would make getting the bus worthwhile and avoid paying for parking, so good idea, Grant Shapps. Unfortunately, the bus service through my village to Maidstone was withdrawn at the start of the summer... And KCC want to axe 58 more routes to save money. There are 2 companies that run buses on my estate in Tonbridge to the town centre. Arriva who turn up every now and again running to a timetable written by Hans Christian Anderson and Go Travel who are bang on time all day every day, no prizes for guessing which one is going to be axed🤬
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Post by Bernie on Sept 3, 2022 9:16:34 GMT
Only in Britain could a bus route connecting large and growing villages between two urban centres of 300,000 and 125,000 people be deemed uneconomic.
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Post by sword65 on Sept 3, 2022 10:00:45 GMT
Only in Britain could a bus route connecting large and growing villages between two urban centres of 300,000 and 125,000 people be deemed uneconomic. Only in Britain can a bus company (arriva)offer £1 single fares after 19.00 on a Saturday when the last 218 to my flat is 18.30🤬
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Post by jdl on Sept 3, 2022 11:29:11 GMT
I got a real shock re the state of the busses just yesterday - I had to get to Kings Hill from Maidstone without a car.
Spoiler - don't even bother.
Five or so years ago, I used to take my daughter there for ballet. An easy journey - train to WM, choice of two busses from there to KH: the regular 123 service, direct and timed to meet the trains, and the Maidstone to KH 72 service, which took longer, but went round KH, the long way, so could be more useful.
Yesterday, the train was fine, but there were NO busses. The 123 now runs just ONCE a day, and the 72 no longer calls at the station. You can of course walk into WM (10+ mins), but the (hourly) bus leaves WM at the same time the train arrives at the station!!
There ARE still buses - the 151 runs every new moon on months starting with a B, and there is an express service from Maidstone to KH - that only runs a few times in the rush hour M-F.
Otherwise it's a taxi - £10 each way! For a five minute journey...
One of Kent's major housing and office developments, and you can't get to the local station by public transport for most of the day.
It cost me £25 to take my son to a birthday party. And - worse, much worse - I was stuck in KH for FOUR hours!!
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Post by Bernie on Sept 3, 2022 12:59:16 GMT
The East Malling beer festival organises a better bus service than KCC and Arriva combined.
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