On 27 Jun 2011 at 3:47pm supporter wrote:
Rooks Manager Steve King has today announced three new signings.
Crowd favourite Jamie Cade returns to the Dripping Pan from Horsham. Cade scored 11 goals towards the end of last season and was key in them avoiding relegation.
King has also brought goalkeeper Stuart Robinson back to the club from Farnborough. King is pleased to have beaten a number of interested sides to his signature, who he rates highly as a good young keeper with bags of potential.
The third is versatile 22 year old forward Ian Draycott from Zamaretto Premier side Bedford Town. The lively striker scored 24 goals last season and over 20 the previous season. He also played alongside the departing David Wheeler in the England Schoolboys team
Looking good for the coming season
On 27 Jun 2011 at 7:43pm MC wrote:
Sorry if this is a naive question but what happens to the goalie, forward etc who these three are replacing?
On 27 Jun 2011 at 9:08pm ADT wrote:
I've often wondered about the status of players in BS South/Ryman leagues - semi-pro, pro, what? Have we now got a team of plumbers and plasterers, or are they full time footballers?
On 27 Jun 2011 at 9:50pm Fan wrote:
Plasterers, plumbers, university students, salesmen, self-employed, scaffolders, you name it. Very few are full time at this level although Farnborough (BS South) have gone full time this coming season but with a very young squad.
On 27 Jun 2011 at 9:50pm Rookie wrote:
Some players will stay. Some players have moved on. Some were only on loan. The rest will have been told they don't figure in the managers plans and will move on too.
The vast majority of players at Lewes level are semi pro. They have jobs. A couple of clubs in BS South are fully pro. Such as Woking and Farnborough.
The Good Days are coming back to the Pan!!!
On 27 Jun 2011 at 9:57pm MC wrote:
Another dumb question....
What were the good days?
On 27 Jun 2011 at 10:59pm Rookie wrote:
When we used to win most games and won leagues, playing football the way it should be played, entertaining, passing the ball along the ground, with two speedy wingers and players who could score goals........
On 27 Jun 2011 at 11:10pm occasional wrote:
ok ok, time to revisit the ground & bar again after a number of dreadfully dull & demoralising visits outside to view the football
On 27 Jun 2011 at 11:33pm ADT wrote:
Interesting... huge respect to anyone who has to hold down a full time job AND keep up the training and fitness. That takes some doing.
I wonder what the average salary is for a full time BS South player. Bearing in mind someone like Man City's Tevez is on, ooh, say a paltry £100,000 a week/month/minute.
On 28 Jun 2011 at 7:52am Fan wrote:
ADT - There is always a lot of speculation about the wages that non-league players are paid and lots of wild rumours abound, particularly when a club appears to be racing away at the top of the table. This coming season, Lewes FC intend to publish details of the budget available and from this it will be possible to get an idea of average player earnings.
If you haven't tried it already, give it a go. The levels of passion, commitment and athleticism can be seen close up along with the banter that is all part of non-league football.
On 28 Jun 2011 at 8:08am 'ere be monsters wrote:
Where do Lewes FC want to end up?
On 28 Jun 2011 at 9:20am Fan wrote:
I don't know the answer to that EBM. Until last season the number one priority was for the club to survive. This was achieved due to the amazing efforts of a small number of volunteers who successfully kept the HMRC at bay. Then along came the Community Club idea and things really seem to be taking off. Cash is obviously still tight but those managing the club appear determined to stick to an affordable budget. The manager probably has less money to play with than he is used to, but he has already attracted a number of "big hitters" at non-league level and happy times ahead are a real possibility.
On 28 Jun 2011 at 2:21pm 'ere be monsters wrote:
The Good Days, I seem to remember, were when Lewes FC were a top County League side with local players. It all started going wrong after they went up to The Ithsmian league I think it was. Players from Bedford, Farnborough and Horsham? Someone must know what there is envisaged for the Club.
How does paying the Club £30 a year make you a shareholder in the Club if that share only lasts for one season?
On 28 Jun 2011 at 3:50pm Fan wrote:
I think there is an intention to develop local players by way of the youth set up. This has fizzled out somewhat during the past couple of seasons but the appoinment of Simon Wormull (a dripping pan favourite) as youth team manager shows the intent.
Regarding the £30, this allows the shareholder to vote on issues such as membership of the Board. If the shareholders are not happy they can vote for change. Such a scenario seems unlikely at present because the general view is that the current Board are doing an exceptional job.
On 28 Jun 2011 at 9:37pm ADT wrote:
Fan - I'm a regular!
On 29 Jun 2011 at 8:01am Deelite wrote:
Were the previous board not very good at running the club then? Who were they?
On 29 Jun 2011 at 10:29am 'ere be monsters wrote:
In other words your £30 is membership for a year. As with any club if you're a member you get a vote at AGMs. Hardly being a shareholder if it only lasts a season. That's not owning a share.
On 29 Jun 2011 at 10:46am Long Time Fan wrote:
The Club saw a rapid rise up through the Divisions after being rescued by a certain Martin Elliot. He pumped lots of money into the club but as the club went higher, things got more expensive. The Manager was sacked after gaining promotion to the highest level of non-league football and Martin Elliot went from hero to zero. Of course that is a very simple take on it, but no-one has actually published a detailed account of what really went on. As stated in an earlier post, the current Board are aiming for greater transparency and only spending what they can afford.
On 29 Jun 2011 at 11:36am 'ere be monsters wrote:
Still no answer to the "Where do Lewes FC want to end up"? Is that down to a lack of knowledge or ambition?
On 29 Jun 2011 at 1:32pm Phil wrote:
EBM - The Lewes FC website includes full details.
On 29 Jun 2011 at 1:58pm 'ere be monsters wrote:
It doesn't answer either points I've made
On 29 Jun 2011 at 2:48pm Phil wrote:
EBM - you didn't look hard enough. It is perfectly explained in a document published last year.
On 29 Jun 2011 at 3:28pm Casual Fan wrote:
EBM, which football clubs give members a vote that can sack the board? Barcelona perhaps, but I can't think of any other one that gives any benefits to annual club membership beyond things like priority ticket sales, discounts on merchandise/tickets etc. If a £30 annual share/club membership gives you the same rights to influence the direction of the club as those who've put thousands into the club and have lifetime shares, then to me that makes those who spend that £30 co-owners of the club whether you want to call them shareholders or not, and whether or not they relinquish that ownership by not renewing each year. Not quite sure what point you're making.
On 29 Jun 2011 at 3:42pm 'ere be monsters wrote:
Sorry wasn't aware we were talking about Barcelona. My point is, an earlier post stated you could buy a share of the club, which is a lot different to what is being offered. I have looked and nowhere does it say about shares for £30. £1000 to £10,000 will buy you one and it'll give you more say than the £30 one because you could stand to lose your investment and be pursued for other debts. All I was doing was trying to clear this up. Don't make it sound as if I think it's a bad idea, I just don't like things advertised as one thing it's not what you're getting.
It would appear the Club has no particular ambitions as to what level they will end up playing at.
If one of you had said as much all those posts ago, you wouldn't have got yourselves into such a lather.
On 29 Jun 2011 at 5:54pm Casual Fan wrote:
EBM, don't think anyone's in a lather here, just a few people trying to answer the points you raise for anyone else reading this, in my case based on what I read on the website when looking to buy one of the new shares being issued. Look under Become A Lewes FC Shareholder on the website and you'll see you can buy a share for a minimum of £30 (you can pay more if you can afford it and want to support the club more, though it won't buy you extra privileges). It clearly states "Your share will give you the same rights and privileges as those that cost a grand. And itâ??s renewable annually at £30, in a model similar to FC Barcelona." I'm curious about your suggestion that shareholders in a company can be pursued for company debts. I've never heard of that happening before. You'd have thought that would stop anyone investing in any company and undermine our entire economic system, but perhaps I haven't understood properly what you meant.
As to ambition, I'm guessing this year's goal is to go straight back up again. After that, I'd hope the ambition is to take the club to as high a level that it can reach and still balance the books, so as not to put the club itself in jeopardy. How high that would be I imagine will depend on attendances, share ownership, how many home grown players can be brought through to avoid transfer fees, sponsorship levels, regular cup runs etc, etc. Are you looking for a specific league/division to be set now as the minimum/maximum level? It wouldn't make sense to do that to me, and not sure what value it would have, but I suppose you could send an e-mail to the club asking the board to comment on that if you feel it's important.
On 29 Jun 2011 at 8:46pm supporter wrote:
well put casual fan
On 29 Jun 2011 at 9:32pm MC wrote:
Who are on the board? Can someone point me to the info? I've tried trawling the web site and have missed it or it's not there.