Crowd Funder: Grimsby Town - The New Start

Hi all town fans,

Once the takeover has been completed i am thinking of starting a crowd funder for the club to help the new owners rebuild from the bottom up.

I know Pettit and Stockwood will be putting a certain amount of money in but if the clubs in the disarray that it has been publicised, then that can only stretch so far. I think town fans would like to think that we need to be given every chance possible to return to the football league at the first opportunity and this would also ensure a closer relationship with fans and the club.

If our money could only help towards improving the training ground, increased transfer budget, paying up some of the unwanted players, funding the youth setup or even paying the travel costs this season or a pre season camp then this surely has to benefit the club in one shape or another.

This club is the centre of our community and with new ownership will hopefully look to a brighter future than the mess left behind by the previous and out of touch dinosaurs. We are too big for non- league and we have, i believe, the best fans. Think its time we collectively showed the club how much this means to us.


A little background about myself:
I am 45 and been a season ticket holder since 5 years old stood in the osmond end when it was open to town fans. Once i left uni i worked at the ground as a town steward for 20 years and now attend every game in the pontoon. I will be donating £200 towards the fund wgich doesnt sound alot but thats all i would be able to afford.  I just wanted to gauge everyones thoughts and see if this would be widely welcomed before opening the account.

Please respond with your thoughts and i look forward to all responses.

As always, UTM

Count me in.

Can we PLEASE stop asking fans to dip into their pockets again and again on top of what we normally buy?

It’s almost never ending. Don’t take it personally, it just seems like a perpetual charity cause when this isn’t the relationship we should have.

I like the idea, but be prepared for Fenty to take the credit for it.

Quoted from ska face

Can we PLEASE stop asking fans to dip into their pockets again and again on top of what we normally buy?

It’s almost never ending.

100% this. Operation Promotion in 2015 was a brilliant initiative because it was a spontaneous reaction to what felt like a massive injustice in that play-off final against Bristol Rovers, and yet another huge frustration in our attempts to climb out of that infernal National League.

We're about to end a season in which fans have shelled out in the form of donated refunds, unusable season tickets and many other ways, only to find ourselves relegated back into the division fans already donated a huge sum of money to help us get out of in the first place.

I wouldn't necessarily say 'never again', but right now is not the right time for another crowd funder initiative. Let's see what tricks the new owners have up their sleeves before we think about this again.

Not knocking your sentiment by the way, Stew. Now is just not the time.

Quoted from ska face

Can we PLEASE stop asking fans to dip into their pockets again and again on top of what we normally buy?

It’s almost never ending. Don’t take it personally, it just seems like a perpetual charity cause when this isn’t the relationship we should have.

I tend to agree, nice thought, but should we really be just throwing money in to a "general" pot?  I've given to all previous ones, but getting a bit of "fatigue" about such ideas (unless for a very specific goal perhaps?)

As an exile I only get to a few games a season, but this year I have spent circa £500 on iFollow, of which the club will have had over £400, so I think that's pretty good support (I appreciate that is for the old regime though)

I applaud your sentiment, your passion and wanting to be involved but...

We've had 20 years of mismanagement and I need to see the new owners delivering on what they are talking about (and I believe they will) before I start putting my hand in my pocket.

One of Fenty's legacies will be that many fans feel bruised and let down by the club and we need to see the walk being walked.

Think the idea is good but noting that we have donated funds in a number of ways (a couple of season tickets this season), bought shares, forsaken refunds of partly used season tickets etc. it may be a step too much for a direct donation fundraiser.

However, there are more ways to get money into the club. Merchandise for instance, a concerted marketing campaign would encourage us to spend more in buying club shirts etc., hold meet the players nights which would mean purchasing food/drinks and opening the club shop as well, arranging coaches away and putting a small addition to the cost which would go to the club, restructuring the food and bars to get more revenue (not necessarily increasing prices but more variety), opening the restaurant for business meetings during the day or for meals on non-match days etc.

I am sure that the consortium will also be looking at how they could bring in additional investment etc. as well. So would a crowdfunding option be useful at this point ?

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

I applaud your sentiment, your passion and wanting to be involved but...

We've had 20 years of mismanagement and I need to see the new owners delivering on what they are talking about (and I believe they will) before I start putting my hand in my pocket.

One of Fenty's legacies will be that many fans feel bruised and let down by the club and we need to see the walk being walked.

Exactly what I would’ve written. Full of admiration for the sentiment The new owners are the catalyst for this and we need to see what they have got to say. A lot of us have become ultra sceptical and optimistically hope to hear great things as opposed to Bignotisms and Hollowwords. It will not take much to light the fires here and we all look forward to the new regime
Utm

Quoted from ska face

Can we PLEASE stop asking fans to dip into their pockets again and again on top of what we normally buy?

It’s almost never ending. Don’t take it personally, it just seems like a perpetual charity cause when this isn’t the relationship we should have.

Spoilsport! I was going to say that.



Crowd funding should be kept for a specific purpose so we can see what happens to our cash. That was the beauty of OP, we could see the result of our efforts every time Bogle scored.

[quote=120984]Think the idea is good but noting that we have donated funds in a number of ways (a couple of season tickets this season), bought shares, forsaken refunds of partly used season tickets etc. it may be a step too much for a direct donation fundraiser.

However, there are more ways to get money into the club. Merchandise for instance, a concerted marketing campaign would encourage us to spend more in buying club shirts etc.,



Yes, totally agree on the merchandising front especially if we manage to broaden the range of items available

Here’s my idea ......

We all know people who’ve stopped going thanks to the shambles the clubs become over the last 16 years....we should become ambassadors for Gtfc and try to persuade 1( or more !) of these lost fans to get themselves back on the train .
That could easily add a couple of thousand back generating increased revenue and support the club desperately needs.

To the other reasons for saying no at this time I’d add the point that GTFC is still a private business. The fans’ representative organisation, the Trust, is a minority shareholder. I’d like to see some formalised strengthening of the position of the fans’ voice first, before people put their hands in their pockets to subsidise a private business any more.

1878 seem like switched on decent people, but they won’t be around forever. I’m casting no aspersions on them. So many things can go wrong. We could end up years down the line back in the hands of someone worse than the current person. The fans have been shat on too many times in the past. Let’s make sure we get fan involvement baked in to the structure of the club.

I'm fairly certain I've seen Jason Stockwood on Twitter asking people not to do a crowdfunder.

As someone who was heavily involved in the original after Bristol Rovers, and as someone who was told to my face it was 'the worst thing that happened to the club' I would say it's something that's been done and shouldn't be repeated.

Buy a season ticket, a shirt, some merchandise etc

Let the new owners run the club their way and if they need help they'll ask for it.

EDIT - to add, I haven't purchased a shirt for 3 years as I didn't want to give JF any more money. I'll certainly be buying one after 5 May.

Good idea, but I think you should wait a while, see if there is a specific thing to raise the cash for rather than just a general 'for the club'  Getting a specific player/vast improvement for disabled viewing space etc.

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

Here’s my idea ......

We all know people who’ve stopped going thanks to the shambles the clubs become over the last 16 years....we should become ambassadors for Gtfc and try to persuade 1( or more !) of these lost fans to get themselves back on the train .
That could easily add a couple of thousand back generating increased revenue and support the club desperately needs.

I think this is a much better idea.

Internally (as in within our current fanbase), there's a degree of feel-good solely because of the change of guard.  From the outside looking in, it's maybe bit drab because we've been relegated.  Results will drag people back in over time, until then we could do a lot worse than help fill that void.

I know it's not high on the list of importance, but for an area with the reputation for top fish and chips, why has there never been a fish & chip establishment/ van at the ground with the profits to the club? the Mariners on the corner near the ground gets trade it doesn't deserve because IMO it's awful, the County further up Grimsby rd good but I would rather spend my money for the benefit of the club.
Don't know  if there's some legal reason the club can't do it, but if the hoped for fanzone takes off, this would add to it IMO.

Just a general comment:  Governments would have to put far more money into health and social care if charities, unpaid carers and volunteers did not contribute so much.

Asking our fans to financially contribute again falls into the above category.  The new owners/Board need to provide new funding.  Not the fans this time.

Quoted from Stew0_0

Hi all town fans,

Once the takeover has been completed i am thinking of starting a crowd funder for the club to help the new owners rebuild from the bottom up.

I know Pettit and Stockwood will be putting a certain amount of money in but if the clubs in the disarray that it has been publicised, then that can only stretch so far. I think town fans would like to think that we need to be given every chance possible to return to the football league at the first opportunity and this would also ensure a closer relationship with fans and the club.

If our money could only help towards improving the training ground, increased transfer budget, paying up some of the unwanted players, funding the youth setup or even paying the travel costs this season or a pre season camp then this surely has to benefit the club in one shape or another.

This club is the centre of our community and with new ownership will hopefully look to a brighter future than the mess left behind by the previous and out of touch dinosaurs. We are too big for non- league and we have, i believe, the best fans. Think its time we collectively showed the club how much this means to us.


A little background about myself:
I am 45 and been a season ticket holder since 5 years old stood in the osmond end when it was open to town fans. Once i left uni i worked at the ground as a town steward for 20 years and now attend every game in the pontoon. I will be donating £200 towards the fund wgich doesnt sound alot but thats all i would be able to afford.  I just wanted to gauge everyones thoughts and see if this would be widely welcomed before opening the account.

Please respond with your thoughts and i look forward to all responses.

As always, UTM

Nope, the fans have done their bit, time for the club to do theirs.

A fantastic sentiment. But to be honest I can’t see it working.
Wait till May 6th (to make sure JF doesn’t get a penny). Then spend it in the club shop on something you may not normally buy. A coat etc. Town get income, you get something. And if it is clothing, you are helping to advertise GTFC.

Winner winner

UTM

Fenty gives up his Trust shares then we have £250k, simple

Quoted from Stew0_0

Hi all town fans,

Once the takeover has been completed i am thinking of starting a crowd funder for the club to help the new owners rebuild from the bottom up.

I know Pettit and Stockwood will be putting a certain amount of money in but if the clubs in the disarray that it has been publicised, then that can only stretch so far. I think town fans would like to think that we need to be given every chance possible to return to the football league at the first opportunity and this would also ensure a closer relationship with fans and the club.

If our money could only help towards improving the training ground, increased transfer budget, paying up some of the unwanted players, funding the youth setup or even paying the travel costs this season or a pre season camp then this surely has to benefit the club in one shape or another.

This club is the centre of our community and with new ownership will hopefully look to a brighter future than the mess left behind by the previous and out of touch dinosaurs. We are too big for non- league and we have, i believe, the best fans. Think its time we collectively showed the club how much this means to us.


A little background about myself:
I am 45 and been a season ticket holder since 5 years old stood in the osmond end when it was open to town fans. Once i left uni i worked at the ground as a town steward for 20 years and now attend every game in the pontoon. I will be donating £200 towards the fund wgich doesnt sound alot but thats all i would be able to afford.  I just wanted to gauge everyones thoughts and see if this would be widely welcomed before opening the account.

Please respond with your thoughts and i look forward to all responses.

As always, UTM

I asked Jason Stockwood about potential supporter investment by (potentially) buying blocks of shares from 100 to 1000. He replied that at this stage, it wouldn't be required.

I think we should allow the new owners to get their feet under the table and sort out what state the finances are in before wading in. I'm sure we, as supporters, can place on record, our willingness to contribute, but perhaps this should be done via the Trust rather than individually.

Quoted from TownSNAFU5

Just a general comment:  Governments would have to put far more money into health and social care if charities, unpaid carers and volunteers did not contribute so much.

Asking our fans to financially contribute again falls into the above category.  The new owners/Board need to provide new funding.  Not the fans this time.

Total agreement with your first paragraph and it's this attitude that became engrained in the Fenty era.  The fans were always too happy to find the money to help out, something Fenty played on in my opinion and exploited.

But I don't want any owners of the club to be bankrolling us.  I want to see this club self-sustaining.  I want to see Stockwood and his mates come in and get us to a position where we generate enough income that we can then re-invest in stuff that we'll eventually get a return on.  

That's what I want anyway.

I think we should dip into our pockets for Livvo's long awaited testimonial once fans can get back in the ground.

Believe me, doing a fundraiser is a great way to support someone or something when it is needed, but is your suggestion something that is needed right now? The new boys are spending £2.5m on a run down club, but I very much doubt they are spending every last penny they have. Im sure both of them will have potential investors lined up who can provide any needed funds.

My suggestion is that if you have any money floating around that you are prepared to give to a worthy cause, can I suggest something like the Disabled Supporters Club?

Do you think there is any chance of getting our 110,000K  we gave the club when we did operation promotion.

After all Fenty has got his 2 million and as a gesture of goodwill he could return it to the trust.



What am I saying Fenty  and goodwill do not go together.!!!!!!!

The club will get my match day income but nothing more. If the club were in financial straits and in danger of going under, then yeah, I would chuck some money in a pot, but I don't think we need to at the moment.

It's time for the club to give us the football that will generate the income.

If you build it, they will come.

Really hoping that the new owners will also attract new investment in the club. Over here Lincoln’s vice chair has just injected £500k into the club via a share purchase and they have a new American investor about to plough some money in as well.

Heaven forbid they get promoted as life’s difficult enough with our relegation with the wind up merchants are having a field day. Thank god the pubs are not allowed to let us inside as I’m not one for al fresco drinking when it’s these temperatures so my ears are getting some respite!!

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

Really hoping that the new owners will also attract new investment in the club. Over here Lincoln’s vice chair has just injected £500k into the club via a share purchase and they have a new American investor about to plough some money in as well.

Heaven forbid they get promoted as life’s difficult enough with our relegation with the wind up merchants are having a field day. Thank god the pubs are not allowed to let us inside as I’m not one for al fresco drinking when it’s these temperatures so my ears are getting some respite!!

Probably been talking to the Glaziers and John Henry and wants to make a few quid. Buy em cheap, hype them up and mention them as possible super league candidates. Somebody should tell the yank that there are more sheep and acres of land within a 20 mile radius of Lincoln than people to support them.

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

Really hoping that the new owners will also attract new investment in the club. Over here Lincoln’s vice chair has just injected £500k into the club via a share purchase and they have a new American investor about to plough some money in as well.

Heaven forbid they get promoted as life’s difficult enough with our relegation with the wind up merchants are having a field day. Thank god the pubs are not allowed to let us inside as I’m not one for al fresco drinking when it’s these temperatures so my ears are getting some respite!!

There are some benefits of living down here then. Most Chelsea fans don’t know they ever played us in the League. 😆

I’ll be getting a new season ticket, can’t afford a crowd funder also........

I would make a contribution when the time is right.

Agree with most here that a crowd funder isn't needed. Although I do think we should all rally together and once the handover is complete everyone go online and spend money in the club shop / online the next day.
I'm due a little spending spree and will do it as soon as the takeover is completed 👍

I wouldn't contribute this time, but as soon as Fenty has gone, I'll be in the club shop spending some hard earned.

Maybe in a couple of months, but I'm just too fed up with it all to want to put money in just now.

A nice idea and the sentiment should be applauded but the club can get to intercourse.

We had a successful crowdfunder, the club shat on it. We had one this year, barely a murmur from the club...they don’t need another one.

If folk want to contribute their cash, buy a season ticket, sling it in a pot for the youth system. We’ve got fresh owners coming in, they’ll have ideas and a vision, something that’s been lacking. Let that roll out first. Christ, they might even create an easy to use club shop website which entices people to spend...

Quoted from aldi_01

A nice idea and the sentiment should be applauded but the club can get to intercourse.

We had a successful crowdfunder, the club shat on it. We had one this year, barely a murmur from the club...they don’t need another one.

If folk want to contribute their cash, buy a season ticket, sling it in a pot for the youth system. We’ve got fresh owners coming in, they’ll have ideas and a vision, something that’s been lacking. Let that roll out first. Christ, they might even create an easy to use club shop website which entices people to spend...

Whilst I agree that the club as it stands don’t deserve us sticking out hands in our pockets again due to their previous attitude towards us any current crowdfunder won’t be going to the current board or ‘principal funder’ so I think we need to draw a line under the club vs fans attitude (on both sides)

That said, Stockwood has himself in a tweet said that fans putting money in isn’t required so I don’t see the need to crowdfund anything. Let the new owners set budget and support them by buying tickets/season tickets/merchandise.

Not for me this time.

The Crowd funding should be done by the club on the pitch, exciting football, a motivated squad of players, get the results, create the atmosphere and a feel good factor and people will pay to watch, the new owners should look very carefully at the model Lincoln City have created and the buzz around the city for the club which is very evident on match days.

Quoted from Azimuth

The Crowd funding should be done by the club on the pitch,

Just like the PR you mean 😉

Buy tickets, kit, merchandise and bring a mate. Spend the money that you kept back from Fenty.

The club shop is going to very busy next week with all of us who have been waiting for Fenty to go before we spend our dosh .

Quoted from ska face

Can we PLEASE stop asking fans to dip into their pockets again and again on top of what we normally buy?

It’s almost never ending. Don’t take it personally, it just seems like a perpetual charity cause when this isn’t the relationship we should have.

Exactly this,it's ridiculous.
Thinking back last year when people were shut down if they opposed the previous one.
All for the temerity of asking what it would be used for.