AGM notes including Q&A’s

[hallamblue]

Roger Finbow opened the meeting, most of his speech can be found here - https://www.itfc.co.uk/siteass - also thanking Liz Edwards for her work as SLO (Liz was absent as at an awards ceremony this evening as she has been nominated as SLO of the Year.

Lee O’Neill spoke, talked about moving on from last season and relegation. Support on and off the pitch last season was fantastic and went into this season. Nice to hear positive feedback from the community, plenty of work still to do. Cut overheads in the summer, redundancies.

Sales of players such as Waghorn and Garner, cash doesn’t just come in in one tranche, are spread out.

Pleased to have been able to drop the season ticket price. Appreciate the away support, financial commitment of fans isn’t overlooked.

Community Trust, just started, something which he has big plans for.

Over 800 players in engagement and recruitment strategy. We’ve attacked that head on to make sure young fans locally are Town supporters.

Women’s team, club has been successful over the last couple of years at bringing to the forefront.

Working with 18 schools, will take that further going forward.

A partner is Active Suffolk, stepping stone to get them involved with football club.

Restructured recruitment of players from first-team down. We now have four full-time staff looking at UK and Europe, looking for the next group of talented players we can bring to Suffolk.

Key passion is academy, players have made debuts, Liam Gibbs has signed contract, made debut. Cameron Stewart, NI call-up, Alex Henderson, Healy, RoI call-up, Simpson debut, Dobra with Albania U19s, Idris, Folami league and cup and Australia U23s, Lankester, Brett McGavin, Tommy Hughes, Adam Przybek all been in first team, on the back of older players, Dozzell, Downes, Nydam etc ahead of them. Focus on young players, not common, credit to the structure.

Bryan Klug and staff work on the ultimate aim of getting players into the first team.

Q and A
How are we going to compete with other clubs in youth development if we stay in League One?
L’ON: It’s not our plan to stand still, have to strive to move forward. Cat One has been talked about a lot. Am keen, games programme and recruitment. Looking into that. Would require investment, something we’re pushing towards and want to achieve.

Biggest thing we’ve got, big club, instant attraction for young players, in League One even bigger club. Drive recruitment strategy have to do work from grassroots. But not all about young players, need experienced players around them. They sometimes make mistakes, they are human.

PL: Young player needs a player to throw them in and believe in them. Not all with make it. Need time to develop, how to handle game, crowd, expectancy. Can’t 100 per cent rely on them, need older ones.

As I said to Lee when I came in, we’re on a gold mine. There are some right good youngsters, given time might not need to sign players. Sitting on something special.

RF: Doesn’t think being in League One would put people off given size of the club.

Q Really good start, but then blip, extended blip.

PL: I knew the league wasn’t going to be easy, knew the start would create problem expectancy would be high.Knew we’d have a blip or a sticky patch - but we’ve lost three in the league, that’s nothing. Not even halfway, don’t win title now - might win in May. A long way to go.

Negativity incredible. Lose two games, so what? It happens. We’re a right good side. Saturday had chances to win.

Teams play at a high level when they come here, can’t sustain it. We have to sustain it. If easy, Sunderland would have gone up, other clubs taken time. We’ll be there come May. Top two or top six? Number one is where I’m aiming.

Q Supporters Club chairMark Ramsay, Paul forget talk of negativity, we’re 100 per cent behind you, thanks for what you’re doing. Had emails re flares, mentioned by PL in presser, illegal aren’t they?

PL: Never seen one accident with home end over there (Germany). If playing £30 and just criticise, would want to come to game and enjoy himself. Generations missing. Needed that invigoration, young ones creating party.

Don’t take wrong way, but Suffolk’s a bit slow! Not used to the slowness! Needed waking up!

Q Difficult keeping players happy with big squad.

To keep people happy is difficult alone, just try and pick team to win game, Be honest with them, don’t tell lies, tell them how it’s going to be. Always done that, not many have answered back over years.

Q Playford Road, no teamsheets.

LON: We don’t want to make it easy for scouts and agents to take our players away. Appreciate people want to know who players are, happy to share it with our own. But conscious of not giving too much info to other clubs.

Q Very hopeful will be back in Championship. Can share with us the view of the owner, who would have a three or five-year strategy for his business and what he’s said about funds available in Championship to look forwards and upwards.

LON: From 12 months ago about ME’s increased involvement. LON and MA have regular meetings and there is that strategy in place.

Won’t be an open chequebook but look at last window where we hadn’t got a right-back, ME was willing to invest and we looked at the strategy going forward.

Recruitment, wouldn’t invest in that area if we weren’t looking. Have to be the right players at the right price, if so ME will look at them. But key part of strategy is young players coming through the club.

Q Does club intend to recruit commercial manager? Something the club is lacking.

Mark Andrews: Not aware of that. Rosie Richardson (director of sales) is in that role, successful, over last couple of years Magical Vegas, concerts, other plans can’t divulge at present.

Q Bit smalltime, need to get bigger?

MA: Where we are, we’ll use our contacts to do what we can.

Q Rightdown of shares - PLC revalued to nil.

MA: Everyone is still shareholders, looked at value of shares, should have done a few years ago. At time of takeover, said then shares not worth much. Where we are now, that debt has increased from £32m to £95m. What saying is the debt is bigger than the worth of the club as thing stand presently.

But if the club were to reach the Premier League, for example, then we would look to reverse that.

RF: Auditors and board feel shares currently not worth anything, but after promotion and promotion, then board would right back some or all of the value.

Q Cat One, is Town prepared to match money required.

LON: Conversation we’ve had with owner and manager. Aware of the investment required. Talked to other clubs in Cat One, looked at all those areas. Have that strategy in place.

Investment in training ground, something required. Education is another area, debate on that issue, taking players out of education for training.

Q Would need to be promoted?

LON: Not necessarily. League One clubs at Cat One.

Q Saturday games, international weekends, at drop of hat call games off. Of older generation, like games at 3pm Saturday afternoon. Late call-offs for away games. Can try to play as many games on Saturdays as possible. Trains from evening games to London difficult. Any reason why can’t kick-off at 7.30pm? Support manager, confident will get promotion.

SH: International breaks, all finished, final one is when we were due to play Bury, won’t be more.

We could look more foolish if we played games with some of our best players away on international duty. If lost those games, question would be asked about playing without best players.

Exeter game on Saturday will benefit all people.

7.30? Possible. But have to consider how much brought in commercially. Man U etc try to start at 8pm to give more time for people to have meals at ground etc.

Supporters Club chair suggested, commercial point of view, earlier kick-off people might go straight to ground.

Q Is ME going to back PL and fans to bring in experienced players to

PL: Last conversation with ME asked me not to protect him, did that once and didn’t really work.

Do I agree with him all the time. Don’t always agree. But as owner very good compared to other clubs. One investor, put in £90m, unbelievable.

We have running battles, as Lee will tell you. best man wins them. Spending millions won’t happen, have to battle to get players in. Come January, no doubt me and Marcus will have a little nibble at each other.

LON: Big squad, players coming back, Bish, Sears. If we are looking at bringing players in, have to be better than we’ve got and not block youngsters. Conversations ongoing, have to look at it all the time.

RF: ME has put in £60m, by any judgement a lot of money. Not Man City money but not to be sneezed at. Get concerned sometimes that ME is some sort of a cheapskate, not concerned if club achieves. Best sort of owner, puts money in, then let’s PL, LON etc to run it. Hard pressed to find a better owner.

Q Speed of ballpersons. How much coaching do they get

PL: Good point, I noticed that, think some of them were sleeping. And in corner couldn’t see anyone there.

Works both ways, if you’re losing want them to be quick, winning want them to be quick. But good question, sitting on their backsides. Noticed it myself.

SH: WE have 25 games each season, 25 clubs, U14s, get the experience of doing it. Changes every game and used it as an outreach into the community.

Most of the time goes into the crowd. I’ve worked at other clubs, when chasing game, people always moan they want ball back quicker.

I prefer to look at it as great community thing, standing in front of 25,000 crowd. But will speak to the people in charge to speak to the boys and girls.

That was that. Next was legal part of the meeting.

Financial statements adopted, Richard Moore re-elected as a PLC director, Roger Finbow re-elected as director, Lee O’Neill elected, Ensors re-elected as auditors.


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