Dropped points

[Mallard]

Just going to ask the question.  Do people really want to see us promoted to the NL ?

With all the uncertainty surrounding the situation with Bal and Jo if they aren’t involved has SC got  the money to support a Club at that level.  The squad we have at present would be way short of the NL standard, in the main.  A massive squad restructuring would be needed to compete at that level.

What do others think ?

[Quinn Upstone]

Just going to ask the question.  Do people really want to see us promoted to the NL ?

With all the uncertainty surrounding the situation with Bal and Jo if they aren’t involved has SC got  the money to support a Club at that level.  The squad we have at present would be way short of the NL standard, in the main.  A massive squad restructuring would be needed to compete at that level.

What do others think ?

I'm of a similar position to you, Mallard 😕

I find myself torn between the desire to get promoted and the fear of instant crash and burn at the end of that season 😏

There are very few players, if any, who are capable of being effective at NL level. And I'm not trying to dent anyone's ego, but just say it as I see it 😏

It would be difficult, as ever, to get players in at that level given our geography, (although it's an age-old excuse which may or may not be entirely accurate these days).

I suspect it would encourage mainly players who kiss the badge but follow the money around the league, or promising youngsters who are sold on if they're any good ☹️

It's madness to believe that this model is in any way sustainable 😕

Personally, based on what I think and what I know, I can't see us lasting much longer as this incarnation of the club 🐦‍🔥

I think our only hope, much as it worries me, is to get promoted and trust the investors to stick with us 🫣

The alternative doesn't bear thinking about ⚽⚽⚽🕳️😭

[Blue_and_Gold]

IF, we get promoted, we have to remember that AL is untested at step 1.

Previously, we have had two experienced Managers that couldn't keep us out of the bottom 4.

Without a very competitive budget, maybe even twice what we currently have, would we be expecting too much of AL?

People mention our geographical location. This is not just relevant to the Players. AL is Northern based and the NL has Southern and Midland teams, so surely his location has to come into it as well.

 

[TonyM]

QI, please excuse the editing

...I find myself torn between the desire to get promoted and the fear of instant crash and burn at the end of that season 😏

...Personally, based on what I think and what I know, I can't see us lasting much longer as this incarnation of the club 🐦‍🔥

I think our only hope, much as it worries me, is to get promoted and trust the investors to stick with us

I appreciate we are all compromised in our support but think the above will ring true with many Lynn fans.  Ultimately SC has got many, many things wrong during his tenure but he has somehow got the club to a point where fans are thinking about getting out of NLN by being promoted and not leaving at the other end of the table, given where the old club was when it folded and where he inherited it from Chapman that is a pretty big leap.  I think many have said it is all built on sand and that may well come to be proven true but Quinn, it surely can't be right that you think the club's only hope of survival (albeit short term) is to go up and keep the investor on board, appreciate beggars can't be choosers but does reinforce my views on the benefactor model.

As for Mallard's original question?  For me, promotion shouldn't be a consideration given what happened last time and there is every indication we were actually in a better state at that point (both on and off the field) than we are now.

[Blue_and_Gold]

If investors money is relied upon for success/survival (i.e. other people paying/subsidising a Saturday afternoons entertainment), sooner or later there is only one outcome!

[Mallard]

Inherited it from Chapman ?   I thought there was a figure of around 250k doing the rounds at the time,Tony. 

[Mallard]

IF, we get promoted, we have to remember that AL is untested at step 1.

Previously, we have had two experienced Managers that couldn't keep us out of the bottom 4.

Without a very competitive budget, maybe even twice what we currently have, would we be expecting too much of AL?

People mention our geographical location. This is not just relevant to the Players. AL is Northern based and the NL has Southern and Midland teams, so surely his location has to come into it as well.

 

What would be considered a competitive budget at step one ?  I guess with around 30 full time on the Football side by the time you factor in NI contributions ( about to rise), accommodation for players etc, travel to games, over night stops, I wonder how much change there would be out of say £1.5m.  How big an uplift would it take to keep us in the National League ?

[Dazzarugby65]

IF, we get promoted, we have to remember that AL is untested at step 1.

Previously, we have had two experienced Managers that couldn't keep us out of the bottom 4.

Without a very competitive budget, maybe even twice what we currently have, would we be expecting too much of AL?

People mention our geographical location. This is not just relevant to the Players. AL is Northern based and the NL has Southern and Midland teams, so surely his location has to come into it as well.

National league is what it says, NATIONAL, not northern or southern, it covers the whole country, therefore, if we were full time and players were accommodated around the area, they would come for money. You only need to look across the Wash, Boston can attract players of the calibre needed, they are in a similar situation regarding location as we are. We don’t and never have had the infrastructure, funding or indeed support to compete with the teams in the league above us.

 

[Quinn Upstone]

I think our only hope, much as it worries me, is to get promoted and trust the investors to stick with us

"I think many have said it is all built on sand and that may well come to be proven true but Quinn, it surely can't be right that you think the club's only hope of survival (albeit short term) is to go up and keep the investor on board, appreciate beggars can't be choosers but does reinforce my views on the benefactor model."

Tony, I appreciate what you say, and I know my post sounds somewhat cynical, but I really can't see this all ending well.

If there are other "solutions" to saving the club then where are they ? There's certainly the usual dearth of information coming out of the club.

No one would be happier than me if the club could become a trust/supporter-owned model, but sadly I just don't see it happening here in Lynn any time soon. If ever.

In my opinion, the only realistic (rather than cynical) outcomes are 1/ Get promoted and crash out of NL with benefactors running away and abandoning us. Or 2/ Don't get promoted...and the benefactors running away and abandoning us.

What is option 3/  ?...

[Linnet465]

   Who is going to form and organise a community based club. I would think that unless there are some strong well organised and moneyed persons this is a dead duck realistically.  Also won’t these persons need to buy out SC or whoever.
I and I think a good few supporters are happy paying our match fee’s hopefully seeing a reasonable team putting in a organised competitive entertaining performance.
I agree we are kept like mushrooms in the dark about the machinations of running a FC, as such maybe the new app may go some ways to appeasing some critics.
Let’s not forget we are lucky to have a town FC and if you have watched some of the lower league football on you tube we should be grateful for SC’s efforts to achieve this.
I certainly would not watch a match if we folded and started at a low level again with local”amateur “ players, guess I have been spoilt.

[Paul47]

  Who is going to form and organise a community based club. I would think that unless there are some strong well organised and moneyed persons this is a dead duck realistically.  Also won’t these persons need to buy out SC or whoever.
I and I think a good few supporters are happy paying our match fee’s hopefully seeing a reasonable team putting in a organised competitive entertaining performance.
I agree we are kept like mushrooms in the dark about the machinations of running a FC, as such maybe the new app may go some ways to appeasing some critics.
Let’s not forget we are lucky to have a town FC and if you have watched some of the lower league football on you tube we should be grateful for SC’s efforts to achieve this.
I certainly would not watch a match if we folded and started at a low level again with local”amateur “ players, guess I have been spoilt.

Great post....have to say I agree with majority of what you're saying. I'll take this level over the United Counties League any day.

[Mallard]

I agree the Trust wouldn’t have infrastructure to run a club at step2. Certainly not be able to fund it to the current level.  Having said that without Jo  it would seem neither can SC.  So where does that leave us ?

What would be the ideal structure in your expert eyes Paul ?  Fully agree with you about Step 5 Football.  Downham look to be with a good shout of winning the Thurlow Nunn at step 5. ( good luck to them).
 So hopefully we won’t ever get ourselves in such a mess as to find ourselves at that level again.

[Paul47]

I agree the Trust wouldn’t have infrastructure to run a club at step2. Certainly not be able to fund it to the current level.  Having said that without Jo  it would seem neither can SC.  So where does that leave us ?

What would be the ideal structure in your expert eyes Paul ?  Fully agree with you about Step 5 Football.  Downham look to be with a good shout of winning the Thurlow Nunn at step 5. ( good luck to them).
 So hopefully we won’t ever get ourselves in such a mess as to find ourselves at that level again.

I'm hardly an expert (certainly not like some on here think they are), but seeing as you asked I wouldn't want our trust anywhere near having a say in the running of the club.

No issue with fan involvement just wouldn't want anyone from our trust involved. SC has obviously taken us as far as he can, where we go from here who knows. Maybe (!!) we'll find out at some point (not holding my breath on that one).

[Mallard]

Paul sorry if I have given you more Credit than you deserved. Just with your balanced postings in here and your previous involvement with FOTL I assumed you had a greater insight into the internal workings of the Club than most.

I guess the People steering the Trust must all be of a certain age so might be an idea if the likes of you Paul got involved then could have a greater say in policy and fundraising etc. 

As for the future of the Club and SC maybe put a call into Lamas and ask the question.  Where did you get the idea of Cleeve has taken us as far as he can? Did he tell you that or is it just something you made up?

Let’s hope ithe final 3 games are a big money spinner. 

[Paul47]

I guess the People steering the Trust must all be of a certain age so might be an idea if the likes of you Paul got involved then could have a greater say in policy and fundraising etc. 
 

Good joke that Mallard...I'm assuming that it wasn't an actual serious point!