Upfront store deal

[Jantje]

http://www.bradfordcityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10266~924309,00.html

Julian signs new deal for store

[Ed]

Not a bad deal, We stop making a loss on the shop and will now make money from it no matter what - smart move Julian :)

[Jantje]

Looks promising, like JR says, a 'win,win' situation & it all helps with the finances in the short & long term

[king billy]

Just a word of warning before the resident Rhodes backslapping brigade soil their trousers.....

Outsourcing revenue streams may create stable, continuous, small profits, but nowhere near the amount you could make if you marketed it yourself properly!!...
Surridge aren't doing this for the fun of it, IMO moves like this (and the catering deal) will put off potential investors - great short term fixes, but long term it is not the way to run a business which wants to be successfull.....

[baldbantam]

Reading the article, I think it's a positive move. We obviously haven't been very good at running it historically, and we are tied in to a percentage if the profits increase.

[Jantje]

Agreed but investors aren't exactly falling over themselves to get involved to my knowledge anyway so if this covers any debts short term , like i said it helps. Your right its not ideal but the club don't seem to be in a position to be beggars or choosers & Surridge have seen an opportunity to get a foothold in Bradford.

[king billy]

Yep - covers short term debts and is a quick fix, but what about long term?....
Notice the other two footy teams that Surridge is involved with running aren't exactly Man Utd and Real Madrid....ie, MK Dons and Accrington Stanley....:rolleyes:

[Jantje]

I don't see Adidas or Puma rushing to offer deals & Diadora were a bunch of w**kers. Dave Whelan of JJB is Bradford born ffs, whats he ever done for City.

[baldbantam]

Yep - covers short term debts and is a quick fix, but what about long term?....
Notice the other two footy teams that Surridge is involved with running aren't exactly Man Utd and Real Madrid....ie, MK Dons and Accrington Stanley....:rolleyes:

It's only a 5 year deal - that's long enough to make it viable, but it's hardly a life time commitment.

[king billy]

Fooks me off when you see the amount of non league teams and lower league teams - York City and Hartlepool to name a couple that have kit manufacturers like Nike - we'd sell twice as many kits if they were made by a decent brand......

[Jantje]

Thats the legacy of 2 administrations, big companies don't want their fingers burned, we have to start again to try & build trust with businesses & this will take time so short term deals are maybe the only way to rebuild a reputation as a trustworthy club

[king billy]

Thats the legacy of 2 administrations, big companies don't want their fingers burned, we have to start again to try & build trust with businesses & this will take time so short term deals are maybe the only way to rebuild a reputation as a trustworthy club

Haven't Hartlepool and York been in administration too......

[Jantje]

Not twice with the size of debt that we had

[king billy]

My point is that at those two small clubs, much smaller than us, who have (as far as i'm aware) been in admin too, with no pedigree history or anything - basically much less marketable than us have somehow secured Nike as a kit manufacturer......that tells me that they have a commercial team who can be arsed and are willing to get off their backsides to attract someone like Nike - we do not....:(
Huddersfield have Admiral, i was chuffed when we signed a deal with Diadora because they are a decent brand - comparable to T'udders and Admiral- but Surridge FFS, apart from the S.S. range of cricket bats they're virtually unheard of outside of their field....

[Johnny Yen]

Reading the article, I think it's a positive move. We obviously haven't been very good at running it historically, and we are tied in to a percentage if the profits increase.


Agreed a positive move, Surridge will have a greater level of expertise at running the shop more effectively, plus I suspect more time to put into it.

The article states City expect to get back four and half times the profits made last season. Is this level expected per seaosn or over the five year deal, if so I feel the agreed payment levels of the 'lease' is quite low. Although it's offset by an agreed profit level that will trigger greater payments to City if exceded.

BTW KB , I think the manufacturers of City's merchandise is pretty much irrelevant. The name of Adidas, Nike etc..is carried on sports fashion, a club will always sell its gear successfully, if the club is doing fairly well regardless of maker. Plus I doubt Nike will bother with City, when they can get Ronaldinho and Ronaldo to perform tricks for them in dressing rooms and airports

It's interesting you also refer to folk that welcome this announcement as resident Rhodes back slappers that soil themselves !
Are you Chuckle in disguise, try to be more positive, because before you know it, you'll find you'll be in such an hole you'll never find anything constructive to say about the club.

[Rick]

Surridge Sports have decided to release a new line which will be availible for Saturday.

Now they have full control a brand of white Todd Out T-Shirts will be on sale at £5 each before the crewe game, looks like they will do quite well.

[king billy]

BTW KB , I think the manufacturers of City's merchandise is pretty much irrelevant. The name of Adidas, Nike etc..is carried on sports fashion, a club will always sell its gear successfully, if the club is doing fairly well regardless of maker. Plus I doubt Nike will bother with City, when they can get Ronaldinho and Ronaldo to perform tricks for them in dressing rooms and airports

It's interesting you also refer to folk that welcome this announcement as resident Rhodes back slappers that soil themselves !
Are you Chuckle in disguise, try to be more positive, because before you know it, you'll find you'll be in such an hole you'll never find anything constructive to say about the club.

It is very very relevant which kit manufacturer we have, i'm not going to buy a surridge kit mate when i can have a nice fashionable Umbro Rangers or England kit......sure, the hardcore "shirt buyers" will buy the kit no matter which brand manufactured it - thats a small amount tho - imagine a shirt designed like Arsenal's last season - predominantly claret and made by Nike - think how many of them we'd shift, it would become fasionable to wear it with jeans, something the claret and amber striped surridge kit we have now would never be......How come Nike bother with York City and Hartlepool then? Does Ronaldo play for those too?...

I'm no way Chuckle in disguise mate - but i'm saddened by the defeatest attitude shown by the club yet again - just because something has to be worked on we take the easy way out, making less money than we could if we had someone who was able/willing to market this club properly....

[Parrot]

Another case of "I can't be arsed to run this & make it a success myself, i'll pass it on to someone who can be(arsed)" attitude by JR & Co.?

I wonder if all those fans thinking its a great idea will be saying the same when Surridge put up the prices in the Upfront store just like the catering firm have done with the food & beer?....guess who pays for it again?....yes thats right, us the mugs errmm i mean the fanstdwn:

[Jantje]

but i'm saddened by the defeatest attitude shown by the club yet again - just because something has to be worked on we take the easy way out, making less money than we could if we had someone who was able/willing to market this club properly....

It can't be defeatist KB to go into a partnership with a willing partner no matter how big or small. As i've said earlier , because of our recent history i don't see any massive companies or individuals beating down our door wanting to invest. How do you know that the marketing hasn't approached Nike & been told to p*ss off because of financial instability. Surridge have shown a level of faith in the club that plenty of others haven't or won't so why not keep faith with them by being loyal back. It makes a change after a lot of broken business promises. As Chuckle likes to say , were swimming in the shitpool, it might have to be like that for a few years until reputations are rebuilt and trust is restored

[Rambo]

It is very very relevant which kit manufacturer we have, i'm not going to buy a surridge kit mate when i can have a nice fashionable Umbro Rangers or England kit......sure, the hardcore "shirt buyers" will buy the kit no matter which brand manufactured it - thats a small amount tho - imagine a shirt designed like Arsenal's last season - predominantly claret and made by Nike - think how many of them we'd shift, it would become fasionable to wear it with jeans, something the claret and amber striped surridge kit we have now would never be......How come Nike bother with York City and Hartlepool then? Does Ronaldo play for those too?...

I'm no way Chuckle in disguise mate - but i'm saddened by the defeatest attitude shown by the club yet again - just because something has to be worked on we take the easy way out, making less money than we could if we had someone who was able/willing to market this club properly....



I totally agree!!!

Everything the backroom do concerning finances and simple money makers ends in a result of failure.

We are not asking for the marketing interllect of Richard Branson, just common sense ideas. If the joe public can take a step back on a message board such as this and see where things could be improved, why cant the marketing staff on City's payroll do the same?

Going off the topic a tad, but its all about the simple things that could improve our income.

Things such as, adequate number of bar staff in the ground's bars to cope for the demand at busy times such as before, after the match and half time. Also the most simplest of things like preparing the cellar so the taps dont run out at these most profitable times.

I could go on about the marketing side of the club all day, but to conclude I will suggest that when Todd gets the boot, the Marketing staff follow him out of the door.

They cannot market a bellend on Canal Street

[Jantje]

I wonder if all those fans thinking its a great idea will be saying the same when Surridge put up the prices in the Upfront store just like the catering firm have done with the food & beer?....guess who pays for it again?....yes thats right, us the mugs errmm i mean the fanstdwn:

I went in the pub on Sunday & the beer had gone up 24p but i still bought a drink cos i wanted one. We all know the shirts only cost about £5 to manufacture but the mugs....ermm Fans still pay £40 for them . If they go up to £50 , if you want a shirt you will pay it......at least a lot of mugs....ermm Fans will

[Garlic Breath]

But Janteman after a while of being fleeced the number of fans(mugs) prepared to pay over the odds for shite will decrease.
Everyone has their own individual tolerance limit but there cannot be that many who are prepared to just glibly go on and on and on.
I put **** all into the coffers these days as I reached my own limit some time weeks ago.
But if I was treated like a valued customer instead of a mug then I would put at least 50 quid in every other week.
But this is spam again :rolleyes: so I'll just shut the **** up.

[Johnny Yen]

How come Nike bother with York City and Hartlepool then? Does Ronaldo play for those too?...

Point taken KB.
However, I still don't think for one moment we can play the market and have the Nike's of this world tendering for the lease.

I also agree that it is disappointing we as a club can't run our own shop, however in the present climate perhaps it's best Surridge get it on its feet for the next five years ( it'll soon pass).

Since the loss of Harvey and BFG, I don't believe we have the marketing skills and expertise required certainly at this moment in time, maybe if Etherington could have kept his prick in his pants things might have been differant.

It's a long slow process, hopefully we progress a little quicker on the pitch, because its on there, where this club will untimately stand or fall.

[Jantje]

But Janteman after a while of being fleeced the number of fans(mugs) prepared to pay over the odds for shite will decrease.
Everyone has their own individual tolerance limit but there cannot be that many who are prepared to just glibly go on and on and on.
I put **** all into the coffers these days as I reached my own limit some time weeks ago.
But if I was treated like a valued customer instead of a mug then I would put at least 50 quid in every other week.
But this is spam again :rolleyes: so I'll just shut the **** up.

Your right Prawny but will always be a market there, it won't shrivel away to no-one at all buying nothing at the football club. All i was saying is at this moment for all the reasons we all know about investors aren't queing up to invest in City & for sure some never will again. That includes fans & if that includes you, fair enough thats your choice but even if the club are trying to bring any sort of finance into the place it must be welcomed but everybody has a choice whether to use the facilities provided. I know people who would still drink if it was £10 a pint, i would exercise my choice to say no thanks in that case but you would still have people willing to be customers.

[Parrot]

I went in the pub on Sunday & the beer had gone up 24p but i still bought a drink cos i wanted one. We all know the shirts only cost about £5 to manufacture but the mugs....ermm Fans still pay £40 for them . If they go up to £50 , if you want a shirt you will pay it......at least a lot of mugs....ermm Fans will

Doesn't make It right though does it?....so forgive me for not doing cartwheels over this news;) ....after all im the mug ermm fan who will be hit in the pocket.........AGAIN:mad:

[Garlic Breath]

They do say faith is blind. I always thought getting value for money was a typical Yorkshire trait,but this rule seems to go out of the window where football clubs are concerned.
What other time or place would we be happy to be treated so shabbilly at times?
I'm as City through and through as anyone else on here or anywhere else for that matter....I'd match my years against almost anyone but it still ****ing hurts when **** like this happens and makes me feel like this.
Tosspots like Brown,Etherington ect ect ect ect to me dont help when they just turn up for a quick buck and folk like myself and others have to foot the bill...it just ****ing rankles with me thats all.:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: ...yeh it makes me that mad!!!

[Parrot]

I'm as City through and through as anyone else on here or anywhere else for that matter....

You still wearing that L**ds top Prawny???:rolleyes: roflmao:tup:

[Garlic Breath]

I have it on as we speak. I did wear it to the Gym one day last week and this rather large skinheaded guy was giving me funny looks all morning. He seemed to stop when I dropped me guts on the rowing machine next to him.tup:
I have many football shirts and thats all they are to me...just cloths to wear to Greens Country Club.

[Tarty]

Reading the programme notes from Saturday, the club are on about opening a restaraunt. We tried it with the cafe but that ever worked. I can't see a restaraunt working at VP unless it is a match day.

[Devil's Advocate]

I am undecided onm this one. I tend to sway more towards KB's idea. I have real concerns that the Club is being franchised off from within. What exactly does the Club own or more to the point, what exactly does the Chairman and owner of the Club own? The rights to the Club name and crest, the league registration, anything else? The ground is Gibbs, the Catering business is EMC's, the shop is Surridge's, what else is left?

I just worry that we resort to outsourcing rather than examining the core business structure at the Club and putting that right. I assume that in the 5 years that the deal is worth the Club will look to put a solid infrastructure in place to allow it to take back the shop when the deal ends, same with catering?

Oh and just a side-point, Jantje me reckons York were in just about as much **** as we were and as close to the wall. What they are doing now is building the Club up with the right attitude and if they can attract higher profile kit sponsors it is testament to their efforts in sound governance of their football club.

[Macca Ha Ha Ha]

I have to say that I agree that it seems a short term fix - Surrdige may look on City as a stepping stone to being a bigger player in footie merchandise.
I have bought new City shirts from ebay this season at well below the club shop prices - B & B staff were flogging them after seemingly being given them as freebies.
I'll stump up to pay the BB tickets and a few beers but it will take more to get me back to shopping in the club store.
The club have no real marketing expertise - just look at the staff structure.
Surridge have a deal where they only pay more to City if we progress on the field - seems JR needs to be thinking seriously about that.
I have voiced concern direct to the club on several occasions about their attitude towards the majority of fans when organising hideusly expensive xmas dinner dances - when there could be a great opportunity to get the masses involved at a lower cost level.
The same applies with this ticket and meal carvery offer - £45 a ticket ffs !
still I've given up as it's easier to get an audence with the Pope than a reply from VP
we are becoming a franchise club as sfb points out - we dont own the ground and are like a tenant living on the edge of the abyss
GGibb for me would have had much more marketing expertise and i would not be at all disappointed if he were to tire of the Rhodes and buy them out - don't discount it i would say
Until something like that happens then we seem destined to drift along like we did in the early 1990's struggling to keep the wolves from the door and mediocrity on the field of play.

[Banned]

When a kit Kit sponsors like Nike, Addidas etc sponsor a small club, they screw the hell out of 'em buy demanding a larger percentage of the profits from the shirt sales.

I'm guessing, but if City were sponsored by by Nike they'd take £30+ for every £35 shirt sold......I bet with Surridge it's about £25 or less for every shirt sold.