December 2020 - From the Boardroom with Simon Cook
Ed: How are things at the football club right now health wise? Are all the players, management, staff and volunteers all keeping well and staying safe?
SC: All well down here at Nyewood Lane- thank goodness!
Ed: On Friday the 4th December we finally had the official statement regarding the re-start of football at steps 3& 4 and unfortunately it’s not the answer everyone wanted. However, can you give us a little insight into why the decision was made not to re-start and what happens now?
SC: I think the fact that so many clubs are affected by the Tier 3 restrictions meant that clubs at our level could not depend on playing on a level playing field (no pun intended!) or of course in many cases, not playing at all. Clubs simply can not play with no income as players will still be expecting to be paid. The closure of bars and tea huts further compounds the financial situation for so many clubs. At this stage it makes sense to see what the government decide at their next review on December 16th. I just hope that we will be able to restart around the beginning of January if not before. If the current restrictions continue much further into the new year, not only will the season potentially be extended until June, but perhaps some sort of revised, emergency competition might be considered. At the moment it is too unclear to be able to decide.
Ed: As the majority of Sussex is in tier 2, you can understand the frustrations of fans with this decision can’t you?
SC: Absolutely. We are all extremely frustrated and concerned but hopefully we will be returning to normal by next season - if not before.
Ed: On a personal level I feel it was the right call by the League Committee to postpone all matches until a review of the tiering system due of many factors that I won’t list here, however there was some clubs especially in the Isthmian Leagues that voted to play on and were quite happy to start again on the 19th of December. I know this is difficult to answer, but is there now a very really danger this could send some of those clubs to the wall?
SC: I don't know what the financial situation is at other clubs so cannot really answer this question. One thing that we should be grateful for is the generosity that we have all benefitted from so far in the form of grants which have been invaluable in helping clubs survive. We all received £10,000 from the Premier League for example and the Business Interruption Scheme and other government and local authority grants have really helped us keep going.
Ed: The majority of Isthmian Premier League clubs are actually in tier 2, but this still creates a massive logistical and financial challenge to get games played doesn’t it especially with the clubhouse being all but out of bounds. Can you highlight why secondary income is so crucial to non league clubs at our level?
SC: Every pound of lost revenue is hurting small businesses such as our clubs. Some clubs in the Isthmian League take four times as much in their clubhouses as they do at the gate so that is a no-brainer. We calculate that we will have lost not far off £200,000 in revenue from Seasons by the time we get back to normal. It's not just match days which are affected, as we would host many functions such as weddings, Christmas parties etc. which have all stopped.
Ed: What does this decision mean for Bognor? Can players and paid staff go back to being furloughed?
SC: Our only paid staff are our players and they have been on Furlough over the two lockdowns. However there are still various employment costs that the club has to bear.
Ed: I know this tiering system is being reviewed every two weeks by the government, but as I know from living in a tier 3 county, albeit an town with low cases compared to the rest of that county, cases are rising every week in many places so it seems highly unlikely tier 3 will be removed from many areas anytime soon. This does create a serious problem for all leagues and their actual chance of completion doesn’t it?
SC: Yes - as mentioned above, we will have to see if there is any change in the coming month or two to the Tier system. It is difficult to see how the season can be completed if some clubs just cannot play.
Ed: The club remain in the FA Trophy and on the 8th December make the very long trip to Thame United. The club are stuck between a rock and hard place in regards to playing in an FA Competitions aren’t they?
SC: Not really! Thank goodness we have the FA Trophy as it does provide competitive football for us as well as the chance of winning valuable prize money. The prizes for the winners in the next two rounds are £3,000 and £3,750. Of course if we were to be knocked out on Tuesday, we will have to review our plans for the next few weeks accordingly.
Ed: Also in the FA Trophy I see that Margate have pulled out of their home tie which does highlight the issues facIng current tier 3 clubs forced to play BCD doesn’t it?
SC: Yes - I can see why they would do this. No gate or bar revenue, but having to find the costs of players, hosting the match and sharing all operating expenses with Burgess Hill who were their planned visitors.
Finally,
Ed: I appreciate that this is difficult to answer at this stage, but I have to ask it. If we get to mid January and the League programme hasn’t started up again. Do you know what the league has planned as a contingency?
SC: As I said above, the situation remains very fluid and unclear. If the situation continues there will need to be some sort of revised competition and the isthmian League board are communicating regularly on what the possibilities might be.
November Lockdown - Club Update with Simon Cook
Ed: As always I must ask how is everyone involved in the club doing? Are the players, management team and volunteers keeping well and staying healthy as we enter this dreadful second Covid 19 wave?
SC: Everyone seems well Dan, although I think that the players are disappointed to have to stop just as we were building up a good head of steam on the pitch. Our team of volunteers are continuing to carry out various improvement jobs around the ground and so far everyone seems well fortunately.
Ed: I think most people involved in Non League football knew that sooner or later the brakes would be put on the 2020/21 season, for us personally this has come at a time when we were just starting to get a bit of momentum in the season. How frustrating is it for Jack, Robbie and the players that we now have a whole month of no training, no matches and crucially no match day income for the club?
SC: It is frustrating - for Robbie and Jack as their training with the players is disrupted, and for the club as a whole as we face another period without any income. I think that we could all see that this was likely to happen but it doesn't make it any easier to bear.
Ed: Talking of income and club finances, I know a lot of clubs at steps 3/4/5 and 6 in the Non League Pyramid have been doing very well attendance wise since the restart of Non League football due to these being the only leagues you can go and watch. Obviously at Bognor our average attendance is around the 600 mark so we’re actually getting very similar attendances to our traditional level anyway. Do you think we have benefited from the 600 max attendance cap or lost out a little?
SC: I don't see how we could benefit from the cap as we would very soon have reached the point where spectators would have had to be turned away. However there is no doubt that fans have really enjoyed being able to get back to watching live football and like many clubs we seem to have benefited from this. I think that we have been seeing a real "feelgood" factor at the club with the new stands, a lot of very skilful young players knitting together well as a team and a real sense of optimism. Lets just hope that the stop-start element of this season doesn't spoil this.
Ed: As we not classed as Elite like steps 1&2 of Non League, we now have to shut down for a month due to the National Lockdown whilst the elite football will carry on. I know this is a hypothetical question as many clubs have said below step 2 that they simply can’t play without fans, but had the DCMS said steps 3 and below could continue but without fans, could clubs at our level have done this?
SC: I do not believe there is any appetite at all at our level for football behind closed doors and to be honest I don't see why we should expect the government to pay us to play without fans watching. I for one would not bother if we had to play without supporters. It just doesn't seem the same without the passion and commitment of paying fans. I was able to watch the recent match at Nyewood Lane between Havant and Horsham which was played behind closed doors and it was just like watching a training match.
Ed: Again this question is very much linked to the one above. A month without football is going to create a serious fixture pile up, I think we had eight or so games originally scheduled for November as it was, so if this lockdown goes beyond the 2nd December surely the balance? I have to ask have the Isthmian, Northern and Southern Leagues discussed this possibility and what might happen if football doesn’t restart before the normal busy Christmas period?
SC: Assuming we are able to start again in December I understand that the Saturday fixtures from November will be added to the end of the season which will mean finishing perhaps in June. The midweek fixtures will be slotted in to available midweeks during the season. Of course we still have to work out where the FA Trophy and Sussex Senior Cup matches will be accommodated. If we have any more suspensions we may well end up with either another Null & Void season or perhaps the league table will be decided on Points per Game if enough fixtures are completed.
Ed: Just coming away from lockdowns and fixture headaches for now, We have had a up and down start of the season with the high point being the 2-1 win over a strong Carshalton team at the Lane but the low point being the shambles at Hayes in the FA Cup where we lost 5-0. What’s your own assessment of the season so far?
SC: In recent weeks it has been very encouraging and a real pleasure watching us play at Nyewood Lane. I was looking forward to seeing if we could keep the improvement going this coming weekend at our first away match for a while, as we have not managed to produce the goods away from home yet, apart from a determined and gritty performance at Horsham. I believe we have the makings of a very, very good side and we would have had new signing Kayne Diedrick-Roberts available on Saturday. Kayne is a forward who was playing in Sweden with Jordy and has just returned after having a good season in the Swedish second tier. He began his career in the youth system at Fulham before being snapped up by Manchester United so can't be a bad player!
Ed: The Club have been making great strides and progress off the field with the new main stand making its debut for the night game against Carshalton and the Seasons end on the verge of having another roof again. How important have many of the clubs volunteers and fans been in helping the club grow off the pitch?
SC: As we have said so many times before, the fans mean everything to the club. The support we have had, whether it was in the Crowdfunder campaign, the number of volunteers who turn up to carry out all sorts of tasks at the ground or the increasing number of fans who come to watch us at home and away, is absolutely magnificent. It is so good to be able to reward them with improved facilities at the ground. The replacement cover behind the Seasons end is now complete as of today and looks wonderful. We were able to increase the size of this project thanks totally to the generosity of the Crowdfunder effort.
Ed: It’s also been a difficult year off the pitch with the club recently paying tribute to those who are no longer with us the likes of Maurice Warner, Dallas Whyte and Bernie Grumbell to name just a few. How important was it for the club to remember these people and pay tribute to them during the recent home game against Margate as they meant a lot of the club didn’t they?
SC: Every one of them meant so much to the club, and it was a fitting tribute when we said farewell at our recent match against Margate to all the good friends that we have lost over the past few months. A lot of family members were able to attend and I think they were really touched to realise how much their losses meant to all at the club.
Ed: What has been your favourite moment of the season so far and what moment or match would you rather forget?
SC: I would certainly rather forget the second half against Hayes & Yeading! Difficult to pick a highlight so far, but I did enjoy the win at Horsham. The occasional Tommy Leigh long range effort, such as at Bishops Stortford are always something special as well. For his overall play though, I would say that the performances of Joe Cook each match has been the highlight of the season so far. I have a feeling we will at some stage in the future be proud to say that he developed at Bognor.
And finally
Ed: As we enter a difficult winter ahead and another period of lockdown and uncertainty, how well set up are the club to get through this period and come out fighting and crucially surviving at the end of it all?
SC: It is a huge challenge to us financially. I estimate that we will have lost some £150,000 this year because of the closure of Seasons which would normally be very busy in the run up to Christmas. However, we only spend what we are able to raise and thanks to various initiatives such as the government's furlough scheme, we will be able to keep paying the players despite no revenue coming in.
Summer 2020 Q&A with Simon Cook
Ed: First of all as I always must ask. How is everyone at the football club doing? Are all the committee, management, coaches and players doing well and staying safe?
SC: Fortunately everyone connected with the club seems to be well and healthy which is really good news. We are perhaps lucky that this part of the UK seems to have been less affected by the Covid-19 crisis than many other areas.
Ed: These last few weeks have seen the club launch the Back the Rocks Crowdfunding campaign which has been a staggering success so far. How proud are you of the fanbase for their efforts to raise the funds they have, and who deserves the credit for this idea in the first place?
SC: The response has been absolutely staggering as you say. As of today the appeal have raised over £42,000 which is unbelievable in such difficult and uncertain times. We did not want to just put out an appeal asking for money, but wanted to try to give our supporters something back in return, and this seems to have caught many peoples' imagination. The idea of the personalised plaque on our "Wall of Thanks" has really caught on with 133 sold so far - with purchases coming from places as far afield as Toronto, Holland and Arkansas in the USA. The Dutch one is from someone who has never seen us play nor been to Bognor but was so impressed by our Crowdfunder site that we was driven to contribute!
David Robinson, Ian Guppy, Carl Eldridge and I have worked on this project and we spent some time researching ideas from other clubs as well as developing ideas of our own. I must mention Ken Wood who has worked tirelessly contacting so many different people who have then contributed. This includes many of our players and ex-players. Crowdfunder themselves have been brilliant. They have set up the whole thing at zero cost to the club, and even swallow the credit card charges. They also gave us invaluable advice on what works and what might not work. We would recommend them to anyone!
Ed: This week we have seen the club secure the signings of Bradley Lethbridge and the two Leigh Brothers. This is a real coupe for the club, however we have also lost last year’s top scorer Dan Smith since the lockdown began. Can you give us any current updates on the squad beyond the players I’ve mentioned here.
SC: Not a great deal of news to be honest. It is great that Brad has committed to the season and we are delighted to have Tommy and Ashton back again. Of course Amadou Tangara is also already under contract for next year. It's great to have someone as good as he is committed to the club.
Jack and Robbie are talking to most of the squad from last year and we hope to be able to provide a lot more information soon. However, there are always changes to the squad every summer and a number of new players have been invited to join us for pre-season. These range from young players with a lot of potential to more experienced players who might be looking for a change of club. We plan to start pre-season training on 3rd August although I know that Robbie is already working with some players on their fitness at the moment.
Ed: Our Head Coach recently gave a fascinating and eye opening account of his football and personal life on the very popular ex players Podcast “Under the Cosh”. Have you managed to have a listen, (if not I fully recommend it by the way) and how great is it that Robbie is still fully committed to the work he started at Nyewood Lane a few season ago despite his rising star being suggested for roles in the EFL.
SC: Robbie is clearly a very experienced and well-respected coach and we are fortunate to have someone with his experience and knowledge of the game at the club. He also talks a lot of sense and it is always good to listen to what he has to say. He is a great person to have at the club and he is genuinely passionate about what he is doing.
Ed: Also in regards to Podcasts. Liam Goodley has been doing a sterling job with the Rocks Fan Pod and has had some fascinating chats with current staff and players and fans as well as ex players and ex staff. Have you enjoyed these and what have you learned from listening to these?
SC: Liam should have a career in the media! His podcasts a really interesting and it is fascinating listening to players from the past as well as the current squad and staff. I am already looking forward to his next one!
I think the one thing that I have learned from listening to former players or staff is the connection and affection they still feel for the club. I know that Jack has his critics at times -normally people who dont really know him - but I think that what he has created at this club over the past 50 years is quite incredible and that many players who have played under him still regard him as their mentor.
Ed: We have also recently seen the old main stand start to be demolished and cleared ready for its shining new replacement. How is the work schedule coming along given the lockdown restrictions? Will the stand be ready for September/October?
SC: Our incredible team of volunteers have already done the initial soft demolition work and the main demolition starts on Monday. Everything is on plan to have our new stand complete by mid-September. As I think everyone is aware the new stand will be significantly more comfortable than our old stand. It will be raised and have no pillars so the viewing experience will be much better for spectators. It will also provide much better facilities for disabled spectators. We have also placed the order for a replacement cover at the Seasons end of the ground. This will be a solid structure so less likely to be affected by severe weather. This will be in place around the end of September.
In a strange way the lockdown has helped us as we would have had challenges accommodating matches in August if the season was to start on time.
Ed: Talking of September. This seems to have been muted as a possible re-start or non league football. How much communication have the club had from the FA and the Isthmian League in this regard and do you think this time frame is realistic given that this virus seems a long way from being removed from our daily lives and testing costs would be difficult if not impossible for cash strapped Non League clubs?
SC: We discussed this yesterday at our monthly Isthmian League board meeting. We still await government permission to reopen, but it is looking increasingly likely that Isthmian League football may commence on Saturday 3rd October - although any spikes or increase in the rates of infection could easily put this in jeopardy. We do still need advice from the FA and government on what safety measure we will need to adopt. We cannot estimate what these may cost us at this stage but it is likely that it will be a struggle financially for all clubs at this level.
Ed: I know this will be difficult for you to answer but I must ask it. Me personally I sort of see the whole pyramid as very fractured right now with the Premiership & the Championship carrying on behind closed doors, Leagues 1 & 2 and the Nationals Leagues not completing there campaigns but using PPG and playing their playoffs, but yet our league & below are all null and void. It just seems to me we have been completely been forgotten about. How does the pyramid recover and flourish going forward seeing as resentment seems high especially at fan level?
My view is that there are so many significant differencesbetween the different levels of the game and that we cannot expect the same policies across all levels. I also believe that the joint decision reached at an early stage by the Isthmian, Southern and Northern Premier Leagues to abandon the season was absolutely the right thing to do for football at this level. I am not sure why there should be resentment at fan level - you simply cannot comapre a club like Bognor with a Premier League club. I do admit that I have been confused by the uncertainty at National League North and South levels however. It seems to me that this could have been resolved in a far more timely manner.
Ed: Also, In this same regard. Whilst I appreciate that the pro game is very different to its Non League counterpart. Do you think something needs to be written into leagues rule books to come up with a one size mist fit all solution should anything not allow seasons to be finished in the future?
SC: Absolutely. This situation must be the biggest challenge football has faced since 1939 and the outbreak of war. Some changes to rules have already been agreed so that we will be able to act more quickly and effecively in the event of another pandemic or any other major crisis. Not sure about one size fits all however, as some circumstances might impact different levels of the game in different ways - as we are seeing at the moment.
Ed: Finally, How has lockdown been for yourself and what have you learned, enjoyed and missed.
SC: Well my hair is back to where it was in the 1970s! I think the key thing that I have learned is that no matter what happens, we have to adapt and get on with life. I am not a great fan of queuing for shops or wearing masks for example, but if that is what we have to do for the forseeable future we must just get used to it. I have certainly missed the normal social life that we probably take for granted. Strangely I have not missed football as much as I thought I would although I think it would have been different if we had experienced the pandemic in the middle of winter.
From the Boardroom with Simon Cook - March 2020
Ed – First of all. Once again I must ask. How is everyone connected to club. Are they all safe and well as far as you know?
SC : Everyone connected with the club seems to be keeping well which is very good news.
Ed – This week the Isthmian League and all the other leagues below step 3 in Non League football decided to Null and Void the 2019/20 season. There has been a lot of criticism towards the FA for this decision but it’s my personal understanding, and I could be wrong here, that this was a decision by the member clubs themselves?
SC : The Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues together with the leagues at steps 5 and 6, below us, all agreed that the season should be declared null and void. There are representatives of clubs on all of the leagues’ boards after a huge amount of discussion this decision was reached. There is obviously no perfect solution to the situation we find ourselves in but by and large the decision to declare the season null and void was in my view the best way forward. I don’t believe anyone feels that the season at our level is realistically likely to start again. To recap, the decision was taken by the leagues following consultation with many of their members, the FA and the National League.
Ed – In regards to this decision. I take it that had this decision not been made then many clubs would have possibly had a fight on their hands to still be existence as and when football starts again?
SC: I am not sure if bringing the season to an early end makes a huge difference to clubs’ abilities to survive, but it does make it easier for clubs to plan for the future. We mustn’t forget that clubs at our level and below depend on a small number of volunteers to keep them running. However I imagine that many clubs will be struggling financially, with no income at all and still a lot of expenditure to meet. I just hope that when the crisis eases we are all able to return quickly to being able to raise money through bars, events, sponsorship etc. This will not be easy though.
Ed – Can you explain how null and voiding a season deals with player contracts and other off the field issues?
SC : Players contracts and registrations expire in late April/early May. We have already passed the cut-off date for new signings. Although the FA could perhaps consider changing these rules I think we would have faced the situation where clubs would have to continue paying players for several months potentially until they could start playing again which would be financial suicide for many. Then there would be the impact on next season, with possibly little or no break from this season.
Ed – As a football club we have decided not to null and void the player stats for a season that officially now never actually happened. Can you explain the reasoning behind this?
SC: Each club will no doubt decide what they want to do with players stats for this season, but we feel we should still treat them as having taken place. They were competitive fixtures, but it is purely a historical matter for individual clubs to decide on.
Finally
Ed – How do the club plan to survive between now and when football starts again and I accept this could be a long way off. You said the club officials we having a meeting on the way forward. What was the outcome of that?
SC: How are we surviving? We have reviewed all of our expenditure and reduced it wherever possible to minimise losses. We have paid our players and staff in full until this week, but would not be able to continue doing so any longer, so anticipate now being able to take advantage of the government’s Job Retention Scheme. We had a very productive meeting yesterday and you will see an announcement in the next day or so. This will cover both some exciting news on ground development plans as well as how supporters can help if they wish. This last point is in response to a considerable number of fans who have asked if they can help financially, which is a wonderful gesture in these difficult times.
General Manager Q&A March 2020
Ed – First and foremost how are all the squad/management team and BRTFC employees/volunteers doing? As far as you know are they all in good health?
SC: We are not aware of any health problems with anyone connected with the club which is good news. Obviously the players are keeping to themselves to minimise contact so no training is taking place. Various volunteers are still helping out around the club which is very much appreciated and all are well.
Ed – The Isthmian League made the tough decision to suspend fixtures for a period of time last Friday, how much of a say did the member clubs have in this decision?
SC: The board of directors has eight clubs represented on the board, including me, and we spent several hours considering everything on Saturday and again today on conference calls. There is a further announcement coming out from the League this morning (Tues 17th) as the suspension has now been carried forward to April 3rd, in line with all other leagues and the FA, who have now suspended all football at all levels. Generally other clubs have been very supportive of difficult decisions which have been taken but we will never be able to please everyone.
Ed – Just before the suspension of the league and fixtures we had three home games in a row postponed. What sort of financial impact did this have on the club?
SC: Loss of home Saturday fixtures generally costs us around £4-5,000 per match and we will not now have even midweek matches to replace them, although midweek matches only bring in half what a Saturday match would.
Ed – I’m sure many of us appreciate that there is lot unknowns and uncertainties at this point, however I have to ask how much impact is this having on the club on a day to day basis whilst the season remains in limbo?
SC: We are meeting early tomorrow morning to consider how the club will function going forward. Revenue has virtually dried up as most events booked in Seasons are cancelling. I think eight have cancelled since the government announced their measures this afternoon. In a nutshell, this is the most serious situation for us that can possibly be imagined, although we are in the same position as every other club.
Ed – In your opinion would it better if the 2019/20 season was concluded at some stage when it can or is it better to allow it to be null and voided and we all start again in August?
SC: Personally I would just cancel it now. I really cannot see us being able to start again in, say May, and be able to finish the season sensibly. If we were to restart, and a player was to go down with the virus, what happens then? I would just foresee chaos. There are so many other issues to consider such as necessary summer maintenance work on the pitch, players registrations and contracts etc. However, in difficult times, we may need to come up with innovative solutions and many people will be considering these over the next few weeks. However, whatever the Isthmian League decides, it must be in tandem with all other leagues. It would not ok if we all did different things.
Ed – This is a very worrying times for all clubs in the Non League pyramid. Do you think the government should step in to help if an club’s very existence is under threat if the season doesn’t conclude?
SC: Personally I don’t see it as the governments responsibility to support football clubs financially. Where would it stop? What about every other sport? There are many areas that are more important for the government to look at supporting financially rather than sports clubs.
Ed – Finally, is there anything fans can do to help the club during these very uncertain and worrying times?
SC: We have been working today on several ideas which we will announce shortly which could be win-win situations to help the financial stability of the club. Such things as discounted season tickets for next season if you buy now for example. We don’t really want to just beg for help, but would rather create a situation where the club benefits as well as helping others.