Friendly fishing (brought over from the new yellows site)

[nerps]

Trying to get a larger/wider response, thoughts gratefully received --

Before anyone gets really upset about this, please accept that I am only asking for opinions on an idea that I have had following a posting by John G.
There are many opinions on whether or not the funds raised by 12th man have been put to good use or generally wasted.
As far as I am conscerned there are very good arguements for both sides, however this has been a new and learning experience and like most things will change until it reaches a point where it pleases more fans than it upsets.
However, I am now going to dangle a bait to see what the various fishes think.
My idea is that we should now be raising funds but thinking long and not short term. I believe we could again raise £30000 || but instead of handing bits and pieces to fund almost insignificant expences which the club could itself fund without pain, we should/could put our minds to making 12th man a permanent fixture, inside the stadium (once purchased) and exist as a club similar to the old supporters club at the Manor. Think what we could achieve as a conversion of a room, perhaps under one of the stands, with £30000 || as a starting point.
Initially this might be unwelcome by KT and others, but giving the idea serious thought it would be realized that the club would eventually benefit by having somewhere for the fans to actually belong and not just on match days and would encourage more to attend.
If successfull the club/bar would then be run with the idea of all profits going to the likes of the youth team or as now to the general welfare of the football club.
I think with this target in mind the interest in 12th man would be maintained, however I am now asking for opinions. Please no abuse as I have already stated - it's only an idea (at the moment !!!!!)

[nerps]

This is exactly the sort of positive and lateral thinking I was hoping for when I posted on the other thread.
There will be problems to overcome and we must ensure it does not hurt Tim in the Priory but this idea is definitely worth pursuing.


Thanks for the replies to date. A good point ref Tim in the Priory to which I would say 'what better a candidate to run the place'. I am fully aware that this is merely a thought process at the moment but I seem to remember that Tim has mentioned that his contract at the Priory is not endless - what a coup if the end of one merged with the beginning of another.
Again just throwing ideas without a great deal of knowledge, however if Tim or anyone that knows him is reading this I would like to know if there is any point in pursuing his /your involvement or is it a non-starter. Of course with his involvement the actual 12th man club could be based at the Priory prior to the supposed stadium purchase, it's almost doing that at the moment but not as an actual club organization.
Anyway, more replies please, particularly from anyone who can offer reasons why this might not work.

[A-Ro]

A few observations.

The problem with having a full time steward (and staff) is that the establishment will need to be open all of the time which isn't going to be possible with the conversion of a room within the stadium and the Quadrangle isn't an option as it is used for conferences.

I was a long standing member of the old supporters club (anyone remember the 100 club?) and I would love to see something like that again, I've always imagined that it could reappear as part of the fourth stand.

You say that Tim's contract won't last forever but that doesn't mean that the Priory and ? is going to shut does it? I would assume that the new incumbent would have the same concerns as the current.

[Mally]

A few observations.

The problem with having a full time steward (and staff) is that the establishment will need to be open all of the time which isn't going to be possible with the conversion of a room within the stadium and the Quadrangle isn't an option as it is used for conferences.

I was a long standing member of the old supporters club (anyone remember the 100 club?) and I would love to see something like that again, I've always imagined that it could reappear as part of the fourth stand.

You say that Tim's contract won't last forever but that doesn't mean that the Priory and ? is going to shut does it? I would assume that the new incumbent would have the same concerns as the current.

The new incumbent is more than likely going to be the manager of the Firoka hotel that will be built there.

[boris]

My hope (based on nothing concrete whatsoever) is that the Priory can be thrown into the mix with the ground purchase, becoming an asset of OUFC Stadco. Then Tim (or whoever) could become an OUFC employee and the place can be turned into a permanent supporters club. Once the new hotel has been built I can't see that Firoka would have much interest in maintaining the licence there, and it certainly wouldn't be viable as a Free House, and no brewery would want to take it on. Maybe OUFC could arrange some sort of sponsorship deal with Hook Norton brewery, allowing the place to get some decent beer in for a change?

Anyway, until the stadium becomes part of the OUFC portfolio, any talk of a supporters club, at the Priory, in the prophesied but still mythical 4th stand, or elsewhere, remains a pipedream. For now, I think the 12th Man funds are much better utilised as originally intended. Maybe it could begin from scratch each season, with any unspent funds at the end of each season put into a holding account, either waiting for the tomorrow that never seems to come with regard to stad purchase, or maybe to fund that £250,000 striker that will also never arrive.

[OUFC4eva]

The new incumbent is more than likely going to be the manager of the Firoka hotel that will be built there.

Mally, I thought that application had been withdrawn last month ?

[Mally]

The new incumbent is more than likely going to be the manager of the Firoka hotel that will be built there.

Mally, I thought that application had been withdrawn last month ?

I didn't realise the original application had expired but now see that it has and the extension application was withdrawn.

Strange - do we know why?

[GodalmingYellow]

The new incumbent is more than likely going to be the manager of the Firoka hotel that will be built there.

Mally, I thought that application had been withdrawn last month ?

I didn't realise the original application had expired but now see that it has and the extension application was withdrawn.

Strange - do we know why?

Just guessing - economic conditions. If the existing hotel doesn't get full, why waste money on a planning application for a hotel that isn't needed.

[Mally]

Mally, I thought that application had been withdrawn last month ?

I didn't realise the original application had expired but now see that it has and the extension application was withdrawn.

Strange - do we know why?

Just guessing - economic conditions. If the existing hotel doesn't get full, why waste money on a planning application for a hotel that isn't needed.

I would have thought that an extension of an existing planning application costs almost nothing. Isn't it more likely that Firoka now have a new scheme for the land?

[GodalmingYellow]

Viz a viz Nerps postings, I pretty much agree with Boris.

It wouldn't be possible to have a 12th Man bar in one of the stands at present as it would immediately preclude a large section of supporters from entering, given that there is no separate access point. So someone with a ticket in the South Stand would not be able to access a bar in the East Stand.

Think about what the 12th Man fund actually is. It is in reality supporters who are prepared to pay a little more than the club asks for, largely in return for special memorabilia, to help the club progress. Those buying the badges and flags ask for no additional commitment from the 12th Man fund.

The more that can be diverted into the club the less the club will have to fund itself, which is surely a good thing.

[GodalmingYellow]

I didn't realise the original application had expired but now see that it has and the extension application was withdrawn.

Strange - do we know why?

Just guessing - economic conditions. If the existing hotel doesn't get full, why waste money on a planning application for a hotel that isn't needed.

I would have thought that an extension of an existing planning application costs almost nothing. Isn't it more likely that Firoka now have a new scheme for the land?

Yes, that's also entirely plausible.

[Snake]

Mally, I thought that application had been withdrawn last month ?

I didn't realise the original application had expired but now see that it has and the extension application was withdrawn.

Strange - do we know why?

Just guessing - economic conditions. If the existing hotel doesn't get full, why waste money on a planning application for a hotel that isn't needed.

The new Hotel in Heythrop will be finished in the next few weeks, so I guess (and it's an educated one) everything was put on hold while all that is going on.