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Where should Saints spend the millions?


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Thanks for that, but erm why then would anyone spend money on attaining Elite status; seems mighty odd
I guess they feel that it is a worthwhile investment. Some clubs will use it as a selling point "look we have the Elite status bring your son here for coaching we are accredited by the SFA no less".

Saints will point to the likes of Kenny McLean, Lewis Morgan, John McGinn as products of our non elite development scheme as our selling point.
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If Jack swoops in for John McGinn and Kyle McGennis that's potentially another couple of million in the war chest on top of the chunks of cash already banked for winning the Championship and selling Morgan, Mallan and McAllister. Saints are loaded! Where should the Club invest? Exclusively in a big name manager and a  decent budget to build a first team to survive in the top flight or in the Academy including getting back our elite status to keep the conveyor belt of talent coming through?

should use to fill in the corners on the North stand. then it wil make money for us In the SPL.

 

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19 hours ago, santaponsasaint said:

should use to fill in the corners on the North stand. then it wil make money for us In the SPL.

 

for a total of maybe 500 seats (very optimistic) at a cost of £1000 per seat (from the costings for the current stadium design), how long will it take to get the money back?  Don't forget the cost of moving floodlights and ensuring emergency vehicle access

Edited by beyond our ken
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On 5/28/2018 at 5:44 PM, magnus said:

If Jack swoops in for John McGinn IF and Kyle McGennis IF that's potentially another couple of million in the war chest on top of the chunks of cash already banked for winning the Championship and selling Morgan, Mallan and McAllister  ALL ALREADY SPENT. Saints are loaded!  (REALLY?) Where should the Club invest? Exclusively in a big name manager and a  decent budget to build a first team to survive in the top flight or in the Academy including getting back our elite status to keep the conveyor belt of talent coming through?

I'd put what's left in premium bonds.

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20 hours ago, santaponsasaint said:

should use to fill in the corners on the North stand. then it wil make money for us In the SPL.

 

I remember the Livi stadium started off like ours and then developed into what it is now.

One day when the money is there and there is a requirement would be nice to think we could fill the corners like they done.

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7 minutes ago, spankin_panda said:

I remember the Livi stadium started off like ours and then developed into what it is now.

One day when the money is there and there is a requirement would be nice to think we could fill the corners like they done.

First and foremost there must be a team too compete in the premiership that can stay there. No need for filled in corners for the championship . Its important we get the right manager and players in. 

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1 hour ago, Isle Of Bute Saint said:

First and foremost there must be a team too compete in the premiership that can stay there. No need for filled in corners for the championship . Its important we get the right manager and players in. 

Correct, as stated, once there is a requirement for it then it would be great.

 

Just now its a nice to have and as you say having a competitive team that brings the fans is priority

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On 5/29/2018 at 12:44 AM, magnus said:

If Jack swoops in for John McGinn and Kyle McGennis that's potentially another couple of million in the war chest on top of the chunks of cash already banked for winning the Championship and selling Morgan, Mallan and McAllister. Saints are loaded! Where should the Club invest? Exclusively in a big name manager and a  decent budget to build a first team to survive in the top flight or in the Academy including getting back our elite status to keep the conveyor belt of talent coming through?

So when this all happens, besides Celtic, will we be the only team in the SPL with a positive bank balance?

Edited by smitchu2
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10 minutes ago, Sweeper07 said:

Aye but for how long if we don't get a decent manager and some better players in?

True. That's the focus. 

Investment in additional seating will only happen when our fans fill 3 of the 4 existing stands and at least 90 percent of those are season ticket holders or thereabouts. 

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22 minutes ago, St.Ricky said:

True. That's the focus. 

Investment in additional seating will only happen when our fans fill 3 of the 4 existing stands and at least 90 percent of those are season ticket holders or thereabouts. 

We got a taste last season of a near full stadium in Paisley... We got that by being the best team in the Championship... we have a long way to go in the top league to get anywhere near the best... but we need to build a team that can compete enough to survive and then continuously improve - The likes of Aberdeen have no divine right to be better than us - they just have done things better for decades...

As we saw last season a team that can score wins, will get a crowd behind them...

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1 hour ago, St.Ricky said:

True. That's the focus. 

Investment in additional seating will only happen when our fans fill 3 of the 4 existing stands and at least 90 percent of those are season ticket holders or thereabouts. 

Eh ! If fans are regularly filling 3 of the 4 stands why do they need to be ST holders. A full stand is a full stand and if they are being filled by predominantly PATG punters then it means more revenue that had they been ST holders and it also means the team must be doing well beyond wildest expectations. Your obsession with ST's is starting to cloud your thinking Ricky !

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1 hour ago, Ayrshire Saints said:

Eh ! If fans are regularly filling 3 of the 4 stands why do they need to be ST holders. A full stand is a full stand and if they are being filled by predominantly PATG punters then it means more revenue that had they been ST holders and it also means the team must be doing well beyond wildest expectations. Your obsession with ST's is starting to cloud your thinking Ricky !

Not quite how I meant it Ayrshire but from a business view guaranteed 90 per cent occupancy gives good reason to invest in expanding. Similar,  although not exactly replicable with hotels.  I guess we can also look at Hibs, Rangers,  Celtic etc and see how important the pre-selling of seats is in terms of business planning. Should we have a good run in the Premiership then I do think that some of those who would like to watch Saints might not be able to get a match ticket if they don't have a season ticket... Much like the situation for the fans of the clubs mentioned earlier. If we don't....... Then we won't.  But of course the club then suffer a loss in income which compounds the situation.  No need for a big drop in revenue if season ticket sales boom.... Hence my reasoning. 

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For all the good days and bad days we have had as we approach 10 years at Greenhill Rd, have we ever had more than 6000 home fans ?  If the answer is no, then filling in the corners with seats would certainly make the ground look better but would also be a waste of money since they would never pay for themselves. Only thing  can think of in a corners would be a bookie but I don't know if the demand would be there, but I have seen plenty of buds having a bet at other grounds.

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7 hours ago, St.Ricky said:

Not quite how I meant it Ayrshire but from a business view guaranteed 90 per cent occupancy gives good reason to invest in expanding. Similar,  although not exactly replicable with hotels.  I guess we can also look at Hibs, Rangers,  Celtic etc and see how important the pre-selling of seats is in terms of business planning. Should we have a good run in the Premiership then I do think that some of those who would like to watch Saints might not be able to get a match ticket if they don't have a season ticket... Much like the situation for the fans of the clubs mentioned earlier. If we don't....... Then we won't.  But of course the club then suffer a loss in income which compounds the situation.  No need for a big drop in revenue if season ticket sales boom.... Hence my reasoning. 

I still struggle to see how we grow ST sales beyond a few hundred. Those that can afford it do it those who can't or where it makes no economic benefit don't. You seem to think we have a couple of thousand regular fans who can afford a ST but don't buy one. I simply don't see it. It's simply not possible for many fans financially.

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5 hours ago, renfrew said:

For all the good days and bad days we have had as we approach 10 years at Greenhill Rd, have we ever had more than 6000 home fans ?  If the answer is no, then filling in the corners with seats would certainly make the ground look better but would also be a waste of money since they would never pay for themselves. Only thing  can think of in a corners would be a bookie but I don't know if the demand would be there, but I have seen plenty of buds having a bet at other grounds.

Christ ! A bookies at the ground- that's the last thing I need. 

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14 minutes ago, Ayrshire Saints said:

I still struggle to see how we grow ST sales beyond a few hundred. Those that can afford it do it those who can't or where it makes no economic benefit don't. You seem to think we have a couple of thousand regular fans who can afford a ST but don't buy one. I simply don't see it. It's simply not possible for many fans financially.

Ayrshire.  We have already sold over 1000. Please don't think that I am unsympathetic to those who might want to buy a season ticket but find it difficult,  particularly at this time of year to foot the bill. The club has put in place a credit scheme for fans to spread the cost. Maybe more can be done but from the club's point of view season ticket sales provide a solid Base on which to plan. From an individual's angle we get to choose our seat and guarantee a place in the stadium.  As you have seen in the press our Glasgow and Edinburgh neighbours are increasing the number of season tickets they can sell to provide up front and guaranteed funding. 

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14 hours ago, Sweeper07 said:

We got a taste last season of a near full stadium in Paisley... We got that by being the best team in the Championship... we have a long way to go in the top league to get anywhere near the best... but we need to build a team that can compete enough to survive and then continuously improve - The likes of Aberdeen have no divine right to be better than us - they just have done things better for decades...

As we saw last season a team that can score wins, will get a crowd behind them...

The closest clubs geographically to Aberdeen are 66 miles away (Dundee), 91 miles away (St Johnstone), and 103 miles away (Inverness) - Clubs under 70 miles away from Greenhill Road include Rangers, Celtic, Partick Thistle, Kilmarnock, St Johnstone, Livingston, Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell, Hamilton Accies...

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5 minutes ago, Dibbles old paperboy said:

The closest clubs geographically to Aberdeen are 66 miles away (Dundee), 91 miles away (St Johnstone), and 103 miles away (Inverness) - Clubs under 70 miles away from Greenhill Road include Rangers, Celtic, Partick Thistle, Kilmarnock, St Johnstone, Livingston, Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell, Hamilton Accies...

We need a plan. mmmmmmmmm, perhaps if any buddy out there has input with Scottish Roads; we may be able to sort it,  Yes Yes, it would seem to me all we need to do is realign the roads so that is more than 66 miles to drive to get to any of the above ....... Simples:P

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5 hours ago, Dibbles old paperboy said:

The closest clubs geographically to Aberdeen are 66 miles away (Dundee), 91 miles away (St Johnstone), and 103 miles away (Inverness) - Clubs under 70 miles away from Greenhill Road include Rangers, Celtic, Partick Thistle, Kilmarnock, St Johnstone, Livingston, Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell, Hamilton Accies...

So Aberdeen are the biggest club in a wide geographical area - so what - Gers & Tic are only a few miles apart & near many others like Partick, Clyde etc.

The point is more successful teams get bigger crowds - we showed that during this last season in the Championship.

If we progress sufficiently, the crowds would rally in Paisley... OK I am sure we will get folk talking about real fans who support through thick and thin etc.. But many people are pretty fickle and want to support successful teams... hence the percentage of Man U fans who have never been to any of their games and the reason the Old Firm have a bigger fan base too.

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9 hours ago, St.Ricky said:

Ayrshire.  We have already sold over 1000. Please don't think that I am unsympathetic to those who might want to buy a season ticket but find it difficult,  particularly at this time of year to foot the bill. The club has put in place a credit scheme for fans to spread the cost. Maybe more can be done but from the club's point of view season ticket sales provide a solid Base on which to plan. From an individual's angle we get to choose our seat and guarantee a place in the stadium.  As you have seen in the press our Glasgow and Edinburgh neighbours are increasing the number of season tickets they can sell to provide up front and guaranteed funding. 

I know the benefits, it's achieving them that I think will prove nigh on impossible in our economic climate. The credit scheme is all well and good although I'm not sure if going into debt to buy a ST is a great idea. I'd love to see it, I really would but you have to take into account the demographic of the fan base. I really hope it happens but I think even getting to 4000 ST holders is pie in the sky. Getting to that sort of figure off the back of a great season will be difficult, maintaining that level will need a Herculean effort on and off the park.

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13 minutes ago, Ayrshire Saints said:

I know the benefits, it's achieving them that I think will prove nigh on impossible in our economic climate. The credit scheme is all well and good although I'm not sure if going into debt to buy a ST is a great idea. I'd love to see it, I really would but you have to take into account the demographic of the fan base. I really hope it happens but I think even getting to 4000 ST holders is pie in the sky. Getting to that sort of figure off the back of a great season will be difficult, maintaining that level will need a Herculean effort on and off the park.

YOU are correct. It is a huge task. But when we were heading into league one, with only a few points on the board, not many of us would have predicted the enormous turn around in 18 months. When the right things re in place great progress was and is enjoyed.

Yes we are at the moment way smaller than Leicester were in relative terms in the English Premiership - but we all know what they miraculously achieved. 

That may well have been a very rare thing, but improving gradually or over a number of seasons is not beyond us surely and is the goal?

I think what Morton do to their fans is dreadful - they have found their level and are happy to sit their - our level is already higher than that, but needs to go higher still...

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2 hours ago, Sweeper07 said:

YOU are correct. It is a huge task. But when we were heading into league one, with only a few points on the board, not many of us would have predicted the enormous turn around in 18 months. When the right things re in place great progress was and is enjoyed.

Yes we are at the moment way smaller than Leicester were in relative terms in the English Premiership - but we all know what they miraculously achieved. 

That may well have been a very rare thing, but improving gradually or over a number of seasons is not beyond us surely and is the goal?

I think what Morton do to their fans is dreadful - they have found their level and are happy to sit their - our level is already higher than that, but needs to go higher still...

I agree with all of that 100% it's achieving it that nags at me.  We MUST sustain the improvement on the pitch to have any chance so it's partly a chicken and egg scenario. We buy STs (son and I), me for donkeys years and him recently but I know plenty non ST holders who go with varying frequency and I know for a fact none of them are even contemplating buying one despite the last 18 months. Many (myself a little bit included) really cannot be arsed with premier division football. It hasn't been attractive from a Saints perspective for decades. That has to change to have any hope of growing and maintaining the ST holders amongst our support.

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3 hours ago, Sweeper07 said:

So Aberdeen are the biggest club in a wide geographical area - so what - Gers & Tic are only a few miles apart & near many others like Partick, Clyde etc.

The point is more successful teams get bigger crowds - we showed that during this last season in the Championship.

If we progress sufficiently, the crowds would rally in Paisley... OK I am sure we will get folk talking about real fans who support through thick and thin etc.. But many people are pretty fickle and want to support successful teams... hence the percentage of Man U fans who have never been to any of their games and the reason the Old Firm have a bigger fan base too.

I thought we won last season's Championship (10 teams) while being the 4th best supported team in the division? We finished 13 points ahead of Dundee United, 15 ahead of Dunfermline and 37 ahead of Falkirk who all averaged higher home attendances than us last season. Livingston got promoted via the play offs... an average 400 more fans turned out to watch 2nd placed Livingston compared with 10th placed Brechin.

An extra 58 fans turned up to watch St Mirren's first home game on 31st March, after winning the League Cup in 2013, compared with the same fixture, against Celtic earlier in the season. 800 less fans turned up at the following match against Dundee compared with the corresponding fixture at the end of November, and almost 200 less fans turned out to watch the final home game of the season against Aberdeen compared with the home fixture in November.

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