Post by QPR Report on Nov 4, 2009 8:54:51 GMT
Some Nine Hundred Days since the last QPR Fan Forum (and six months+ since joint fan groups meeting with some at the top)
Notts County Official Site
Supporters' Club Q & A (Part one)
Posted on: Tue 03 Nov 2009
A packed 1862 Suite saw the Executive Chairman and Director of Football answer every single question put to them in a 90 minute Q & A session.
These ranged from the Kop, matchday experience, Jimmy Sirrel statue, new signings and Juventus. Here is Part One of last night's revelations.
The night, hosted by Colin Slater, started on a sombre note as the audience gave a round of applause in respect of Notts County stalwart Keith Worthington. He had a long association with the club. During this time he ran the Club Shop and later became the Chairman of the Supporters Club.
The Kop
The first question of the night was an invitation for Trembling and Eriksson to experience the matchday atmosphere in the Kop, which both of them duly accepted.
The Chairman said: "I would love to sit in the Kop - the atmosphere looks fantastic there. We've been behind the scenes and it doesn't look fantastic and I can imagine on a matchday it is ten times as worse.
"The facilities around the stadium are something we have to address. We recognise that this stadium needs more than a lick of paint to sort it out.
"Not only is it our obligation to provide entertainment but to make sure that you get good seat to sit on, get good food, and be able able to get that food quickly and efficiently."
Youth Team
The next subject on the agenda was the youth team. Eriksson said: "This club lost a lot of football players when we didn't have the youth setup, so I think that there are some ages who are working very hard.
"I see the young boys working every day. We should be better at that level. Hopefully one or two can take the step up to the senior boys. Some of the players I like very much - I normally go to see them on Sunday morning and there are a lot of good quality players."
Jimmy Sirrel Statue
The statue for Jimmy Sirrel and Jack Wheeler will go ahead as planned. Trembling said: "There is a guy I knew at Everton who did the statue of Dixie Dean and it's absolutely fantastic. It's been a question of timing and practicality before he could come down here and sort out what we needed.
"Without doubt the statue for Jimmy and Jack at the front of the ground would look fantastic. We're working on it, and we don't want to do it easy and cheap. We want to get a real good quality statue, so bear with us and one game you will turn up and see Jimmy and Jack in all their glory."
Five-year plan
The five-year plan was also covered. The Chairman said: "When I arrived it was a five year plan and then Sven arrived and it became a three year plan! It goes beyond that: originally it was to get into the Championship - then Sven arrived and said we needed to get into the Premiership.
"The plan is that once we're in the Premiership it's sustainable and we will be a competitive Premier League side. I've met our owners and Sven's met our owners and their ambition is like nothing I've ever seen in football."
The Director of Football added: "They (the owners) told me as well, this is for a long, long time, after the five years - absolutely."
Signings
As always fans wanted to know about any transfers in the pipeline. On-loan defender Brendan Moloney and winger Matt Ritchie were both asked about to the top table.
Eriksson said: "He cannot play on Friday [as Nottingham Forest don't want him to be cup-tied], but he will be ready for the next league game against Bury. I know we are trying to sign both of them.
Trembling added: "We've had problems since we arrived. The price has gone up for every player we enquire about. Forest want to get the best possible price for Moloney. We've had an awful lot of agents contact us."
The Swede added that he had drawn up a 'Christmas list' of four players and had passed it onto the Chairman.
Commercial News
Trembling also covered the commercial side of operations. He said: "After five years, this football club needs to have its own profit and loss scenarios in place so we're actually operating as a proper business. We may achieve that in 5-10 years, but as long as we have the right sort of business model in place. We're getting around 7,500-8,000 a week and that won't sustain us.
"Of course it will increase when we get more successful. We look at other commercial avenues, we look at the stadium, and we want to make it an entertainment venue 365 days a year. So, we need get a proper restaurant in place and we need to make sure our hospitality is in place.
"We are the oldest football league club in the world and that is where we have an advantage over any other club. We need to take the name of Notts County internationally. We will be able to increase sponsors around the world.
"For example, the likes of Bacardi, based in New York, were founded in 1862. And there are a lot of organisations like that and that is something we are going to capitalise on. There is a romance to Notts County. The owners want to see Premier League football and beyond at Meadow Lane."
Juventus
Trembling explained that the club will be celebrating 100 years at Meadow Lane next year. He said: "There are plans already. Sven and I are going out to Turin on December 6 to see our friends in the black and white stripes, and to talk about us playing Juventus next year."
Part Two of the Supporters' Club night will follow tomorrow.
www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10426~1845867,00.html
Notts County Official Site
Supporters' Club Q & A (Part one)
Posted on: Tue 03 Nov 2009
A packed 1862 Suite saw the Executive Chairman and Director of Football answer every single question put to them in a 90 minute Q & A session.
These ranged from the Kop, matchday experience, Jimmy Sirrel statue, new signings and Juventus. Here is Part One of last night's revelations.
The night, hosted by Colin Slater, started on a sombre note as the audience gave a round of applause in respect of Notts County stalwart Keith Worthington. He had a long association with the club. During this time he ran the Club Shop and later became the Chairman of the Supporters Club.
The Kop
The first question of the night was an invitation for Trembling and Eriksson to experience the matchday atmosphere in the Kop, which both of them duly accepted.
The Chairman said: "I would love to sit in the Kop - the atmosphere looks fantastic there. We've been behind the scenes and it doesn't look fantastic and I can imagine on a matchday it is ten times as worse.
"The facilities around the stadium are something we have to address. We recognise that this stadium needs more than a lick of paint to sort it out.
"Not only is it our obligation to provide entertainment but to make sure that you get good seat to sit on, get good food, and be able able to get that food quickly and efficiently."
Youth Team
The next subject on the agenda was the youth team. Eriksson said: "This club lost a lot of football players when we didn't have the youth setup, so I think that there are some ages who are working very hard.
"I see the young boys working every day. We should be better at that level. Hopefully one or two can take the step up to the senior boys. Some of the players I like very much - I normally go to see them on Sunday morning and there are a lot of good quality players."
Jimmy Sirrel Statue
The statue for Jimmy Sirrel and Jack Wheeler will go ahead as planned. Trembling said: "There is a guy I knew at Everton who did the statue of Dixie Dean and it's absolutely fantastic. It's been a question of timing and practicality before he could come down here and sort out what we needed.
"Without doubt the statue for Jimmy and Jack at the front of the ground would look fantastic. We're working on it, and we don't want to do it easy and cheap. We want to get a real good quality statue, so bear with us and one game you will turn up and see Jimmy and Jack in all their glory."
Five-year plan
The five-year plan was also covered. The Chairman said: "When I arrived it was a five year plan and then Sven arrived and it became a three year plan! It goes beyond that: originally it was to get into the Championship - then Sven arrived and said we needed to get into the Premiership.
"The plan is that once we're in the Premiership it's sustainable and we will be a competitive Premier League side. I've met our owners and Sven's met our owners and their ambition is like nothing I've ever seen in football."
The Director of Football added: "They (the owners) told me as well, this is for a long, long time, after the five years - absolutely."
Signings
As always fans wanted to know about any transfers in the pipeline. On-loan defender Brendan Moloney and winger Matt Ritchie were both asked about to the top table.
Eriksson said: "He cannot play on Friday [as Nottingham Forest don't want him to be cup-tied], but he will be ready for the next league game against Bury. I know we are trying to sign both of them.
Trembling added: "We've had problems since we arrived. The price has gone up for every player we enquire about. Forest want to get the best possible price for Moloney. We've had an awful lot of agents contact us."
The Swede added that he had drawn up a 'Christmas list' of four players and had passed it onto the Chairman.
Commercial News
Trembling also covered the commercial side of operations. He said: "After five years, this football club needs to have its own profit and loss scenarios in place so we're actually operating as a proper business. We may achieve that in 5-10 years, but as long as we have the right sort of business model in place. We're getting around 7,500-8,000 a week and that won't sustain us.
"Of course it will increase when we get more successful. We look at other commercial avenues, we look at the stadium, and we want to make it an entertainment venue 365 days a year. So, we need get a proper restaurant in place and we need to make sure our hospitality is in place.
"We are the oldest football league club in the world and that is where we have an advantage over any other club. We need to take the name of Notts County internationally. We will be able to increase sponsors around the world.
"For example, the likes of Bacardi, based in New York, were founded in 1862. And there are a lot of organisations like that and that is something we are going to capitalise on. There is a romance to Notts County. The owners want to see Premier League football and beyond at Meadow Lane."
Juventus
Trembling explained that the club will be celebrating 100 years at Meadow Lane next year. He said: "There are plans already. Sven and I are going out to Turin on December 6 to see our friends in the black and white stripes, and to talk about us playing Juventus next year."
Part Two of the Supporters' Club night will follow tomorrow.
www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10426~1845867,00.html
