Do We Keep Pennock?

Right let's have a little poll. Quite simple. Do we keep Pennock in charge for next season, yes or no?

Answer the poll and then give your reasons on here and let's debate!

 

Well this a 'difficult' question to answer. I would say "Yes" -- but only because the underlying problems were inherited by Pennock. By that I mean the current squad - which AP has been unable to realistically change due to a lack of money.
I could be a little cruel towards AP by saying that he has lacked the skills to transform the players into 'world beaters' - and thereby demonstrating his man management qualities - but ( I think it was grumpygit who said ), you can't polish a turd !
I hope that we can avoid relegation this season. I hope Mr. Scally doesn't spend all next season's player budget at the High Court.
I think that AP needs to be given a fair opportunity - with his squad. I do not expect miracles - but I do expect players who give fair effort. It's been clear that effort and ability has been in short supply this year.

 

I really don't know is my honest answer. We are in a mess once again but keep changing managers never resolves anything. I think the players need some discipline so my choice would be bring back MadDog or keep Pennock, but let's not chuck no more money down the pan.

As a supporter I will accept League Two even National League rather than see our club go under by wasting yet more sterling on chasing unrealistic dreams.

JE had the budget and it was spent on that opportunity of hope, now we have to pay the price what ever that maybe.

 

I voted Pennock out. Although for all of his faults, I backed Edinburgh until his sacking and I stand by the point I made at the time in that I don't believe we would have got relegated under Justin. Since Ady has come in he's managed to lose our best CB we've had all season and not replace him with someone as competent, given the captaincy to a player who has been hopeless for months and can't lead to save his life, released our then top scorer of the time and also signed two injured players, one of which has only been fit enough to play in the last 2 games.

Now I'm not sure how many games you've seen under Ady @brb but the football has actually gotten worse from what I've seen. 3 wins in 16 games with one of those being a fluke thanks to the bizarre scenario of 3 penalties and 15 points accrued isn't good enough. He also released our only fit Left Back leaving us with no option but to play Oshilaja out of position or worse Lee Martin or Ollie Muldoon as wing backs.

For me he was brought in to try and steer us towards a play off push, but instead he's lead us directly into a relegation battle, one of which not many people are confident we can survive. Even Peter Taylor's football wasn't this bad for god sake.

 

Ade signed injured players as that's all he could afford, he has had to contend with a lack of defenders and on one occasion only had one recognised defender available, this was not a problem of his making. We are desperate for a leader on the pitch and we just haven't got anybody who fits that position, again not a problem of his making.
too many of our players don't have the ability to assess the play/flight of the ball, unfortunately this isn't something you learn, it's a gift, the difference between someone who is good at sport and someone who works hard but never succeeds. Our players need time on the ball to see a pass, good players instinctively know where his team mates are, another gift that you either have or not.
I don't believe the players aren't putting in the effort, I don't believe the players don't care, I do think some are young and still learning their trade, I do think some are as much use as a chocolate teapot. Leyton Orient have had, no I've lost count but it's a lot, and it hasn't saved them, I think Ade needs the chance to build his own team and given until the end of October before we decide.

 

Must admit I am guilty of nicking this off GC but it did make me laugh...

please log in to view this image

 

Only problem with giving Pennock a contract and then sacking him means it's more money to pay out on sacking him and then getting rid of the coaching staff and getting a new team in, and if the reports are true in that we're truly skint, we probably can't even afford to run that risk. I would say spend time recruiting a new coaching team to take this team forward once their contracts run out at the end of June.

 

I acknowledge what your saying, but, (sorry there's always a but) bring in a new management team in June/July and they have to look at the players we already have, decide where we need strengthening, look for targets, trouble is a lot of the best ones are already gone.

 

I should add that contracts can contain any clauses you want, 25 points by the end of October or you're gone, monthly rolling contract, the options are endless.

 

Get rid. Not made any progress since JED gone. Only got contract till end of season so nothing to pay him. Bring in experience manager at this level. Jackett first choice.

 

no he should go, i still think he is not a mature manager the club needs, Mr scally needs to pay the right money to get the right man to do the job if he wants to sell the club

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39566143

I don't think we are one of the 3 league 1 clubs mentioned, but talk of "spending the money" could soon see as in that position.
2 year season tickets should give people the clue that we just haven't got the money for top flight managers and players, I would love to see us spend on improving the team, but without care there won't be a team.
Realism is hard, but we just can't afford to pay for dreams.

 

I don't care anymore. So there!

 

Right for once let's talk money. Football as a whole particularly lower league football is pricing people out of the game. We are not Arsenal, Man U, Chelsea or the City's of this world and nor would I want us to be. Basically that is the middle class financial side of our stolen game.

We constantly play in a half filled stadium, you can travel up the road, watch the likes of Keds and Drury and pay an adult price of £12 without concessions. Now ask yourself what we are paying, yeah ok there are family and child discounts, however, no discounts for adult members as a direct concession, so you keep playing in a half filled ground. You then fail to market your club to regular custom, you fail to sell all the add ons. Let's be realistic, look where the ground is situated, how many of those local properties do you think can spend around £23 per game for an adult ticket, stop comparing it with other entertainments, I've done the figures in the past, football pricing has increased at least two fold, yeah i know players wages etc, as a customer not my problem, you don't ask Sky how much it cost them to get a satellite up into space, but you still get customer services chasing you when you threaten to cancel, but from our club not a frigging word. If i was a future investor i would be asking why don't you know?

Let's get real here, Charlton was a good example of half filled stadiums despite us filling part of it with 2.5k - let's stop living in cloud cuckoo land and wake up and smell the coffee. Stop playing around with 2 year season tickets, do something concise and proper to get people back in the ground. I've already given up my season ticket, there was no query or question from the club to why that was, poor customer relations to allow that to happen without probing questions to why. Stop taking football fans for granted, because that is what you are doing, if the club does not even probe why a season ticket was discontinued, your running a customer business for god's sake, do something real and do it now!

You probably pay people a fair wad of money to work these figures out for you in regards to pricing, how about listening to the fans, yes i know you do sometimes, but any wise business head would know it is not good marketing when future investors turn up to a half empty stadium. You can spin all the bull in the world to them, but you would never kid someone like me, and i very much doubt you will kid a good business brain either, you need to get fans back in the ground but without gimmicks, I've already said what needs to be done, the rest is up to you.

 

brb
Your argue about the cost of going to see a live game of 'lower league' football. I don't doubt that the cost is a substantial amount of money - You say it is too expensive. As far as it concerns Gills, that is an understatement. The cost of tickets for Premier League games is far greater - and yet those clubs have little difficulty in filling their grounds - Why ? - the 'product.'
Football has very much become a business ( whether or not the fact is to your liking ). As in any other business, it's all about supply and demand -- and these factors will dictate the price. The 'product' / entertainment / venue etc ' in the PL is [generally] far better than in the lower leagues. There is screening of every PL game - yet people still choose to pay the huge ticket prices - because they want to 'feel' the product. Demand is outstripping the supply - that's why so many PL teams are in / moving to bigger stadiums.
Lower league clubs will continue to play in half full stadiums - unless you virtually 'give away' tickets for free. Chairpersons of these clubs will argue that their only real income come from ticket sales - they can't afford to give away tickets. You will tell me that the PL clubs have money from SKY & BT - and shouldn't be charging their high ticket prices, and the money should be shared down the leagues - So why shouldn't supermarkets be made to share profits with owners of corner shops ? --- Yet it is the corner shop owner whose prices are ridiculous.
People go into a fancy restaurant and pay £ 5+ for a bowl of soup - when a similar tin of soup is 50p in a 'tatty' shop. And yet all we hear is people complaining of prices in our supermarkets - never about the cost of champagne in the 'fancy' restaurant. If we take this comparison to a more 'personal' level - I can make a burger & chip meal at home for a fraction of the price I have to pay in a fast food outlet - but - McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Express et al are making a tidy profit even if their venues are half full, and despite the food not being of Michellin standard ..................................and that is what is happening at GFC. Mr. Scally is taking a 'tidy sum' out of the Club in his 'consultancy' fees. A quarter of a million pounds is certainly a tidy sum - and what does he have to do for that money - well not much -- NOTHING in terms of being able to attract real investment --- but WHY should he bother ? £250,000 would give most people a great lifestyle. If GFC were to 'fail', he'd still be laughing - in fact he'd probably be richer -- just how many homes do you think can be built on the current land being used for shambolic football ? - Mr. S wouldn't know what to do with all that money.
brb - I do understand your sentiments. You claim that we should show some peculiar sort of loyalty when it comes to supporting our local team - despite the quality of the product on offer. We have to pay the price for that loyalty. You don't have to buy the product.

 

alwaysright - I don't disagree with your very valid points. However, let me paint a slightly different picture...I can go to Wetherspoons, (I know there is another argument in there but stick with me) - I can pay £2 for a pint of beer, so theoretically I could buy 5 pints of beer for a tenner, in London the price is far greater (Prem Clubs).

Now the next scenario, I could choose to have 3 pints of beer = £6 and have £4 left over for an all day brunch. My total bill for my visit a tenner. Wetherspoons pack the place on price, the same caliber of people that attend lower league games, but they cannot fill those games why?...because they charge more than a tenner!

Even good ole Wetherspoons worked it out, that's the reality of price. Now you could argue rightly about cheap labour, sadly it was not me that decided to pay players huge sums of money, and someone has to make a stand and reign that back in.

Maybe Scally can't run the game on £12 a throw, but strange other clubs manage to, and they have the very same players we once had and are getting more glory, albeit a lower league as a team, but that's no different than Man United v Gillingham. Or I could just choose to buy 11.5 pints of beer at Scally's prices and come away a very happy man.

I know my logic is slightly flawed but I'm sure you get my points.

 

brb
You had the classic opportunity for a play on words and you failed ! Your last word should have been 'pints.' -- You're just not funny

Now ..............You moan about Scally's prices. I agree they affect attendance figures . Yet expect blind loyalty to the team - when they [continually] provide rubbish. I've told you before, YOU wouldn't show that loyalty to anyone else. Football. Chairmen & players do NOT show blind loyalty to the fans - we should not be expected to do so just because of a freak of geography - and by buying your beer in Wetherspoon's you'd be proving yourself to be a hypocrite by not going to The Factory !

ps - I remind you of the Muppet image I posted of you and me

 

No team in league 1 sells adult tickets for £12 and if Ebesfleet go up to conference they will charge £15 then league 2 would go up again. Gillingham were selling the cheapest seats in league 1 in Briain moore stand at £10 and still were lucky to get 100 people.

 

No one?....with respect....

If you had bought a Season Ticket for Bradford City between 1st March and the 2nd of April this year for 2017/18, and regardless of what league they are in next season, including Championship the Adult ST is £149 = £6.50 per game!

The club heavily promoted it and say it is the way forward, affordable football. They said they can get 18,000 our ground holds around 10.5+ so why can't we do it, instead of playing to a half filled stadium, with little pricing gimmicks, and why does it have to be the BMS, the GRS has an echo most match days

£6.50 Bradford, £12 Ebbsfleet, £23 Gillingham. The club wants the money up front, what a better way to achieve it. Give me the Bradford offer at The Gills and i will snatch your right arm off, but it will not happen so we will play to a half filled ground once again, not only missing match day prices but all the add-on's which is vital to any club, ask a certain catering company.

It's quiet simple Mr Chairman, give me that offer in stands other than the BMS and i will come give you £150 notes cash....no?...ok no cash up front then...simple see.

As the motto goes, your club needs you!

 

ok bradford is an exception £199 per adult for the season is a bargain. Gills would still not sell out if they charged the same. Bet they may sell 1000 to 2000 extra seats which would not make enough
if we have 3000 season ticket holders at £370 per head is £1.1million £16.81 per match
if we get extra 2000 season ticket holders at £200 per head is £1 million.
Bradford should be a championship club with there fan base averaging 13 000
we cannot ever get those fans.
They can only do this type of deal because they have over 10000 every week as they are a big club. We are not.
I like you dont believe in a new stadium as we dont have a big fan base.
Scally does offer deals to non season ticket holders which does annoy me but it will attract some extra
£350 a season is a fair amount for league 1
Lets hope we are still in league 1