In this week`s Goat the Guru weighs in on the “Norwich City Kitty” debate
The main debate in Canary circles this week has been around City fan and former Waveney Districtcouncillor Iain Walpole`s “revolutionary” idea for supporters to set-up a “Norwich City Kitty”, with the money going into a separate transfer pot.
For those of you who haven`t come across it the details were published in Wednesday`s Eastern Daily Press (and is also available online at edp24.co.uk), but the idea is you set up a direct debit and pay in a monthly amount.
To quote the EDP:
“On the basic premise that even a £5 a month contribution from just 25pc of City’s average home gate would, with interest, create a healthy six-figure lump sum exclusively for the use of the manager in buying players – and (Walpole) believes there is scope for getting past the £1m barrier”.
This isn`t an original idea by any stretch of the imagination. Most of us have at one time or another sat round in the pub and wondered just what we might be able to do if everyone at a game donated £100 for example. The difference this time it would seem is that somebody actually wants to follow that through and take it to the next level.
I suppose for that reason alone Mr Walpole should probably be applauded. After all he is actively trying to generate income for the club. However as always there`s a “but”. A big one.
Believe it or not I don`t like to be cynical, and any plan which could potentially bring more money into the club should be investigated, but I don`t think this one will ever get off the ground.
I`ve read people refer to it as nothing more than a modern-day equivalent of shaking a bucket. I`d be inclined to agree with that but that`s not necessarily the problem as far as I`m concerned.
Apparently a lot of people ignore a direct debit of £20 or less leaving their account each month so in theory people should be able to afford it. Some people took particular exception to that statement, including me until Mrs Guru asked me yesterday morning why I had just received a statement for a mobile phone I`ve not used for over a year. On that basis I can personally vouch that I seemingly don`t miss £15.77 going to 02 every month for no apparent reason so I can have no complaints there.
My problem starts with these statements:
“This will over a period of time relieve the club/directors of the burden of trying to compete with the mega rich clubs, both the club and the supporters benefit by getting what they want: a good team and prudent management of the club”.
Well you certainly can`t knock the optimism here, but I think it naïve in the extreme to think a scheme such as this could ever allow the club to compete with the “mega rich clubs” such as Chelsea, Manchester United et al. I want to be wrong I really do, but I just can`t see it somehow.
“The club would receive funds for transfers when the manager had identified a target and wished to put in a bid. We would not want to know who, what or why, just how much was needed for the manager to capture his target’s signature.”
Really? You don`t think people would demand their money back if the player was a flop? What if that player turned out to be the next Andy Hughes (and by that I mean not the most popular with the Canary faithful. I for one didn`t think he was a bad as all the fuss).
This couldn`t happen for that and a myriad of other reasons. I could list all of them but I`ll wait until I`ve seen the answers to the dozens of other questions I`ve seen and read of the scheme so far to do with tax implications, administration fees etc before doing so if you don`t mind.
And finally:
“In the past many clubs have raised funds to save their club, buy a player, or build a stand, but this has always been done by collections at matches, auctions and events. All of these money raising methods are all well and good, apart from one major flaw: people get bored with them and become apathetic to the whole fundraising scheme. It then became very clear that what was needed was sustained and committed ongoing funding”.
The first part of that is probably fair enough, but in my opinion a fundraising scheme that in no small part relies on people “forgetting” they are taking part is fundamentally flawed.
And what are 19,000 some-odd season ticket holders doing if not providing “sustained and committed ongoing funding”?
As I`ve said before I am not a season ticket holder. I get to probably 10/12 games a season, so there are people who fork out an awful lot more than I do following our team, but by my reckoning I still spend upwards of £1000 per season.
If you are one of the people who have a season ticket you could be looking at double that amount. Add an away season ticket to the mix and what, double again? That is a hell of a commitment you`re already making.
Norwich City Football Club is not a charity. It is a company with a multi-million pound turnover. We are always being told what a well run business it is, what fantastic community schemes it runs (which countless awards and nominations would backup) and what incredible loyal support it has. I think the fans do enough as it is.
Do you think it`s a good idea? Would you be willing to contribute yourself? Am I being too quick to criticise? Let me know your thoughts.