Budget

[MickW]

Yup the elephant in the room that no-one wants to talk about.
So Kent Online interview with Ade reveals our budget was in the lowest 8 of the league.
We seem to have sunk an almighty way down.
How can we contemplate a competitive NLS campaign with that kind of money?
Can we even keep much of current squad, let alone improve it?
COYD

[Sleightly Deceptive]

Oooh. This is gonna be a belter for the summer! Where’s the popcorn?!

[Dicky Dart]

The worry for me is that crowds held up well, to the point that they wouldn’t increase that much if we went back up, so the Board must think what’s the point of going up? We’d have higher costs without the extra income, and that potentially leads us down the path towards bankruptcy. The ethos at Dartford FC is unlike any other. We’d love to be averaging 2,000+ in the NLS, or, better, 3,000+ in the NLP. Unfortunately, that’s unlikely, and we certainly can’t guarantee it. Therefore, I fear the only way that promotion would be financially desirable is if we had less income in the Isthmian. Which means lower crowds, sadly.

[Dart of Herts]

The worry for me is that crowds held up well, to the point that they wouldn’t increase that much if we went back up, so the Board must think what’s the point of going up? We’d have higher costs without the extra income, and that potentially leads us down the path towards bankruptcy. The ethos at Dartford FC is unlike any other. We’d love to be averaging 2,000+ in the NLS, or, better, 3,000+ in the NLP. Unfortunately, that’s unlikely, and we certainly can’t guarantee it. Therefore, I fear the only way that promotion would be financially desirable is if we had less income in the Isthmian. Which means lower crowds, sadly.

Our attendance didn’t just hold up. According to football web pages, our average was 1,289. Thats higher than both conference relegation seasons and all but one season in National South (21-22: first post-Covid)

So what’s to say that it won’t go up? Obviously being in a title race helped attendances but I think the board deserve a lot of credit for taking on feedback and implementing changes this season. Is it not to our credit that we finished 3rd when our budget was 17th? That means at least 15 other teams spent more than us and also didn’t go up.

Like many others, I wanted us to bounce back at the first attempt and am disappointed. But there are so many positives to take and build on. These conspiracy theories about the board are laughable

[MickW]

So if the budget was set at the start of the season would the board not have anticipated lower attendances.
If they did they have had a nice surprise with the higher numbers and maybe salted a few bob away for next season?
I didn't see any sign of them splashing the extra cash through the season or did I miss something?

[JCJ]

It worries me reading the interview
Reading between the lines I feel there might be a change of manager and then another rebuild of a team,
I think the youngsters that came in numbers this season had a connection with the players and if they move on will the kids still come to the games,
If there is to be a change or even if there is not let’s get it sorted quickly

Maybe the club should be open to allowing a investor in

[Dicky Dart]

The worry for me is that crowds held up well, to the point that they wouldn’t increase that much if we went back up, so the Board must think what’s the point of going up? We’d have higher costs without the extra income, and that potentially leads us down the path towards bankruptcy. The ethos at Dartford FC is unlike any other. We’d love to be averaging 2,000+ in the NLS, or, better, 3,000+ in the NLP. Unfortunately, that’s unlikely, and we certainly can’t guarantee it. Therefore, I fear the only way that promotion would be financially desirable is if we had less income in the Isthmian. Which means lower crowds, sadly.

Our attendance didn’t just hold up. According to football web pages, our average was 1,289. Thats higher than both conference relegation seasons and all but one season in National South (21-22: first post-Covid)

So what’s to say that it won’t go up? Obviously being in a title race helped attendances but I think the board deserve a lot of credit for taking on feedback and implementing changes this season. Is it not to our credit that we finished 3rd when our budget was 17th? That means at least 15 other teams spent more than us and also didn’t go up.

Like many others, I wanted us to bounce back at the first attempt and am disappointed. But there are so many positives to take and build on. These conspiracy theories about the board are laughable

Yes it’s to our credit that we finished 3rd with a 17th-place budget. Credit to the management & players, without whom the board would look stupid.

In terms of positives, I suppose the Happy Clique on here will have loads. The reality is we just don’t know at this moment which players, and manager, we will have next season. We could be starting from scratch again. The loans will go back, and our best players will have offers from elsewhere. The likelihood is we’ll have a nucleus from the season just gone, but we don’t know yet, do we?

[Park Life]

Do we know for sure we're the 8th lowest budget??
Look at the teams in the division and that just doesn't look right to me??

Also I'd doubt all clubs would share their financial figures, after all how many employees broadcast their staff wages to competitors??

Must admit i don't like all this kind of talk in the open and to the press, don't see that it helps anyone.

[Sleightly Deceptive]

I hear ya Parky. And I get it and kinda agree. However, it doesn’t hurt to speculate. We are a BIG club in the non league world and it’s not wrong for DFC fans to have a healthy elevated expectation going forward. For sure, it’s easy to slide down the slippery slope to oblivion. THAT is my worry. We just HAVE to rise - and f*cking quickly. And if that means ‘sod the budget’ for a while, then so be it. There are too many clubs ‘ready’ to take our ‘place.’

[Park Life]

I hear ya Parky. And I get it and kinda agree. However, it doesn’t hurt to speculate. We are a BIG club in the non league world and it’s not wrong for DFC fans to have a healthy elevated expectation going forward. For sure, it’s easy to slide down the slippery slope to oblivion. THAT is my worry. We just HAVE to rise - and f*cking quickly. And if that means ‘sod the budget’ for a while, then so be it. There are too many clubs ‘ready’ to take our ‘place.’

Agree with a lot of that mate, i think we're punching below our weight as a club and an injection of fresh faces and new ideas might help the club going forward. I honestly believe that with our facilities we have the potential to be doing a lot better and I've always felt the club undersells itself as we have so much going for us.
Outside/private investment is virtually impossible for us though as we don't own the ground so unlikely a sugar daddy is gonna come in and buy........ the name only.

Still my glass is always half full and Ady is a decent guy so

COYD
KTF

[Sleightly Deceptive]

[Bridge and a tunnel]

Car crash interview for me....99% should be in private.
What message does it send,....... sounds like he is walking and half the players too .....

[Mark Sweet]

Makes the club look terrible and unattractive to any players who may want to join.

Looks like we will be losing our manager and 90% of our squad.

Oh dear. So much for the 5 year plan.

[Dart of Herts]

Makes the club look terrible and unattractive to any players who may want to join.

Looks like we will be losing our manager and 90% of our squad.

Oh dear. So much for the 5 year plan.

This aged well

[Sleightly Deceptive]

Can peeps please not ‘quote’ the cretin’s posts. I’ve got him blocked and my therapy is going well. But the tit crops up on reposts! (tongue in cheek).

[Dart of Herts]

My bad. The timing was too good, I couldn’t resist

[The 5th Searcher]

Can peeps please not ‘quote’ the cretin’s posts. I’ve got him blocked and my therapy is going well. But the tit crops up on reposts! (tongue in cheek).

Thanks for the tip SD regarding blocking, it certainly works .

[Dave T]

Can peeps please not ‘quote’ the cretin’s posts. I’ve got him blocked and my therapy is going well. But the tit crops up on reposts! (tongue in cheek).

Thanks for the tip SD regarding blocking, it certainly works .

You beat me to it SD, but on reflection, he got it all wrong again anyway, so the quote shows him for what he is anyway

[Tony H]

Nobody knows what the budget is, nor should they outside the Board and management team. Ady did superbly well to achieve 3rd with many home grown players without splashing out as previous managers have done at this club and others simply to achieve nothing. Classic example - Folkestone last year!

[Dave T]

Nobody knows what the budget is, nor should they outside the Board and management team. Ady did superbly well to achieve 3rd with many home grown players without splashing out as previous managers have done at this club and others simply to achieve nothing. Classic example - Folkestone last year!

Agreed Tony, and judging by the number of current players re-signing for next season, it looks like the budget probably hasn't changed a great deal, and probably therefore wasn't too much of an issue anyway!!!