Travel Club 2019/20

[The Beerhunter]

Hi everyone,
If anyone is interested in travelling to away games next season with Grayshells who are looking to take over the Travel Club in 2019/20, then could you fill in the attached form and hand it to any Travel Club committee member.
Cheers!

[Jude71]

The first meeting gone well re new travel club for coming season

[The Beerhunter]

Has it?

Incidentally, its the Travel Club AGM tonight (22nd May) at Keys Park, 7.30pm.

[Jude71]

I understand that but as I can see and understand the travel club has been passed on without consultation ,as a football club we have to look at all streams of revenue ,and this happens to be one.....it would like me coming to your property and having a party in your garden charging guests and not discussing it with you ...at the moment it’s just talks

[PitmanKeith]

I understand that but as I can see and understand the travel club has been passed on without consultation ,as a football club we have to look at all streams of revenue ,and this happens to be one.....it would like me coming to your property and having a party in your garden charging guests and not discussing it with you ...at the moment it’s just talks

Why did you have to be consulted the travel club was and always has been independent of the football club.
I don't quite understand the point you are trying to make.

[Jude71]

The point I’m trying to make is hednesford Town is a football club that needs to stand on its own feet and by doing that it needs to have various financial streams to make that possible,the travel club is potentially one of those streams more to the point it’s hednesford town travel but club if people want to travel by other means then that is there choice ,but I find that rather strange because as supporters I would like to think you would want the best financially for the club.
What I’m saying is the club needs to bring money in and if this stream brings revenue in then as someone being brought in to commercially make a difference I just would not be doing my job if I never looked at taking on this financial stream ....in my experience to make a success of something it’s better everyone works together,it makes thing a lot easier.

[Real Ale Fan On Tour]

The point I’m trying to make is hednesford Town is a football club that needs to stand on its own feet and by doing that it needs to have various financial streams to make that possible,the travel club is potentially one of those streams more to the point it’s hednesford town travel but club if people want to travel by other means then that is there choice ,but I find that rather strange because as supporters I would like to think you would want the best financially for the club.
What I’m saying is the club needs to bring money in and if this stream brings revenue in then as someone being brought in to commercially make a difference I just would not be doing my job if I never looked at taking on this financial stream ....in my experience to make a success of something it’s better everyone works together,it makes thing a lot easier.

The Travel Club has been independently run by supporters since 1996 prior to this and my time it was run by the club but unfortunately there was a falling out that resulted in it becoming independent, others will know more as to why. Since my involvement we have facilitated positive engagement with the football club and we now have a very close working relationship with the club. That includes on matchdays volunteers from the Travel Club assist with turnstiles, programme selling and previously stewarding in addition to helping with pitch maintenance, fixing of floodlights and other tasks around the ground over last 20 plus years.
So in that respect whilst we haven't directly generated income for the club we have saved the club monies through our volunteering and we are more than willing to continue to volunteer and maintain as individuals our close working relationship with the club.
The Travel Club has always been run on a non for profit basis with fans travel costs set at a level to so that the amount of monies made each season was sufficient to ensure there was enough capital at the end of each season to cover any costs for the following season plus estimated income from fares. This financial structure has worked well to the extent that the cost of fares has not been increased for over five years. In our negotiations with the coach company whilst we both understand they are a business and need to generate a profit, a balance has to be struck between this and fares being affordable for fans to attract sufficient numbers to make it financially viable for all concerned.
So whilst there may have been some scope for the club to generate income from yourselves running a Travel Club, as someone who has managed the Travel Clubs finances for 12 plus years I can say that the scope to do so would be somewhat limited. In addition as someone who has also been responsible for the booking and arranging of coaches, setting of fares departure times and managing of Gold Membership scheme, social media etc not withstanding the additional significant task of taking day passenger bookings, I am sure Ken can advise further on its many and varied complications. Coupled with the numerous tasks of running the actual coach on the day which are many and varied requiring a designated person to undertake.These are all additional tasks that the club would have to undertake if it were to take on responsibility of running a Travel Club that which may necessitate additional paid staff to complete as myself Phil and Ken can testify to can be time consuming and not just restricted to normal office hours.
I hope this helps to clarify matters and we look forward to yourselves and us as fans continuing to work together and build upon further our existing positive relationship with the club so that we can all move the club forward.

[The Beerhunter]

The point I’m trying to make is hednesford Town is a football club that needs to stand on its own feet and by doing that it needs to have various financial streams to make that possible,the travel club is potentially one of those streams more to the point it’s hednesford town travel but club if people want to travel by other means then that is there choice ,but I find that rather strange because as supporters I would like to think you would want the best financially for the club.
What I’m saying is the club needs to bring money in and if this stream brings revenue in then as someone being brought in to commercially make a difference I just would not be doing my job if I never looked at taking on this financial stream ....in my experience to make a success of something it’s better everyone works together,it makes thing a lot easier.

The Travel Club has been independently run by supporters since 1996 prior to this and my time it was run by the club but unfortunately there was a falling out that resulted in it becoming independent, others will know more as to why. Since my involvement we have facilitated positive engagement with the football club and we now have a very close working relationship with the club. That includes on matchdays volunteers from the Travel Club assist with turnstiles, programme selling and previously stewarding in addition to helping with pitch maintenance, fixing of floodlights and other tasks around the ground over last 20 plus years.
So in that respect whilst we haven't directly generated income for the club we have saved the club monies through our volunteering and we are more than willing to continue to volunteer and maintain as individuals our close working relationship with the club.
The Travel Club has always been run on a non for profit basis with fans travel costs set at a level to so that the amount of monies made each season was sufficient to ensure there was enough capital at the end of each season to cover any costs for the following season plus estimated income from fares. This financial structure has worked well to the extent that the cost of fares has not been increased for over five years. In our negotiations with the coach company whilst we both understand they are a business and need to generate a profit, a balance has to be struck between this and fares being affordable for fans to attract sufficient numbers to make it financially viable for all concerned.
So whilst there may have been some scope for the club to generate income from yourselves running a Travel Club, as someone who has managed the Travel Clubs finances for 12 plus years I can say that the scope to do so would be somewhat limited. In addition as someone who has also been responsible for the booking and arranging of coaches, setting of fares departure times and managing of Gold Membership scheme, social media etc not withstanding the additional significant task of taking day passenger bookings, I am sure Ken can advise further on its many and varied complications. Coupled with the numerous tasks of running the actual coach on the day which are many and varied requiring a designated person to undertake.These are all additional tasks that the club would have to undertake if it were to take on responsibility of running a Travel Club that which may necessitate additional paid staff to complete as myself Phil and Ken can testify to can be time consuming and not just restricted to normal office hours.
I hope this helps to clarify matters and we look forward to yourselves and us as fans continuing to work together and build upon further our existing positive relationship with the club so that we can all move the club forward.

[steve-k]

I would have hoped that our newly engaged marketing team would have set their sights far higher than making a few bob out of existing supporters and their loyalty.

Well done to all those who have been involved in the travel club - your countless hours of volunteer effort make a huge difference.

Sorry for being a bit controversial, just my opinion.

[Real Ale Fan On Tour]

I would have hoped that our newly engaged marketing team would have set their sights far higher than making a few bob out of existing supporters and their loyalty.

Well done to all those who have been involved in the travel club - your countless hours of volunteer effort make a huge difference.

Sorry for being a bit controversial, just my opinion.

Thanks for your kind words. I understand the consortium has to look at all avenues to generate income as without additional finances the club cant move forward and is at risk of stagnating or going backwards, so I wish the consortium well in achieving that end and they have my full support.
But, as stated in my post above I dont think away travel is a viable way to generate additional income and, whilst I understand the club generates income from fans attending matches call my old fashioned or nieve, I dont think they should be looking at away support as a source of potential income.
These are a loyal group of fans who have travelled to away matches often having to make personal and financial sacrifices to do so throughout the the various ups and downs of the club, who have been roundly praised by every manager the club has for their commitment and support to the team.

[Del]

But, as stated in my post above I dont think away travel is a viable way to generate additional income and, whilst I understand the club generates income from fans attending matches call my old fashioned or nieve, I dont think they should be looking at away support as a source of potential income.

Sponsorship deals!
The Club has plenty of function rooms .. up the anti on the catering side and then there is something to actually offer match/player/ball sponsors at each home game, not just a name in the programme.
The sponsorship market is huge and revenue needs to be generated from new channels, not just the same ones that have been helping out for years!
At TU - if we had no match sponsor by Wednesday it was open to all £10 per head for a pastie and a pint at half-time, seat in the sponsors box and name in the programme (for example: Bill and his Mates). So many options.

(sorry, not TC related really!)