COMMENT
THE trials and tribulations of running a sports club, as outlined in Simon Peace’s article, are typical of clubs up and down the country. The amount of time and effort put in by unpaid volunteers is usually way beyond the call of duty. I can well remember turning up at
All weather training area
road sells the players’ preferred brand at £2.50. Loyalty has a price when young players have a budget to spend. The old brewery funded loans, popular years ago when they charged their money out at around 2% per annum, and the bank base rate hovered around the 10% mark have also gone. Clubs can now borrow money from their own bank at a very cheap rate of interest, and free of brewery ties. This opens up the possibility of competitive negotiation with suppliers and a stronger bargaining position. This, in turn, reduces purchase prices at source and increases profit margins whilst, at the same time, keeping prices charged to the members affordable. Presented and run properly, sports clubs can also offer a competitive alternative to competing establishments. More and more people are choosing to stay at home rather than go to their local pub, not just because of price, but because they find that the standard of the local has dropped, the atmosphere has become hostile or it has been turned into a restaurant. It may even have closed down! With most major sporting events having been lost to terrestrial television, and many pubs unable to afford spiralling charges, we also took the decison to install satellite television. We now have the facility, not just to show the top rugby matches each week, but also football, cricket and golf as well. This has also boosted membership. We have found that many people are looking for a local establishment where they can relax, have a couple of drinks in a friendly, safe, clean and comfortable environment with a good range of products on offer at reasonable prices, and our
membership has increased accordingly. Other sports clubs, without their own base, have even started to hire the facilities on a regular basis as a meeting point for their members. People have started hiring the clubhouse for their family party or birthday celebration.
Our weaknesses are our pitches. Whilst
there has been a vast improvement they will require continual expenditure over the coming years to keep them playable. In addition, our drive and car park require proper surfacing if we really want to create a good first impression.
All of this, of course, costs money and the playing side has to come first.The growing number of postponed matches, due to frozen and snow covered pitches, will also pose a problem for administrators as these not only have to be rescheduled but lost revenue will affect the club’s finances. The improvements we have carried out to date, and those planned for the future, all generate money for one purpose - to ensure the future of Woodrush Rugby Football Club. We don’t pretend to know everything, and
we are still a bunch of unpaid amateurs doing all this in our spare time. But, we have learned a lot over the years, mainly by our mistakes, and we must ensure that future generations are shown the way, and do not make the same mistakes as we did, if we want to continue to enjoy the facilities for years to come.
my local cricket club because I had been asked, over a pint, to ‘make up the numbers’ as they were two players short for a weekend league game. My wife became the eleventh player! At the time, I hadn’t played much
cricket - some might say I continued to “not play much cricket” - but, on that first day, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and became a regular in the side. And that’s when it grabs you. Your soul is taken over by a strange force that almost demands that you work for your club, because that is what it becomes - ‘your’ club. Many will know the route to being ‘captured’ - player, fixtures secretary, secretary, chairman, cutter of the outfield, fund raiser, social secretary, taxi driver etc. etc. Our groundsman was the head
greenkeeper at the local golf club. He was also our captain and opening batsman. And he had the organisational skills of Frank Spencer! So, I even ended up picking a side just so that he had eleven players to captain! And I’d collect half the team from their homes just to ensure they remembered they were playing. Evenings were spent writing
newsletters to the vice presidents and players, and printing out fixture cards to save the club £100 in print costs. My time and printer cartidge use must have cost in excess of £400 a season! Do I regret any of it? Not a jot. I
loved every minute of it and would still be helping out if other, more pressing, matters hadn’t taken priority. So, to all the volunteers out there,
many of whom frequent our message board for advice, keep up the good work. Without you, grassroots sport in the UK would be non-existent.
Peter Britton New Year, New Career? Redundant? Or just fancy a change?
Now is the perfect time to explore a TruGreen professional lawn care franchise, ready for a New Year business launch. Why not reduce the risks of setting up in business by yourself, by investing in a TruGreen franchise and get the added benefits of a healthier, outdoor life and business support package that’s second to none.
TruGreen provides lawn care services to domestic & commercial customers including weed & feed, scarification, aeration and moss & pest control. We offer huge market potential with repeat custom year after year, a proven successful method, high customer satisfaction levels, a year round business & much more.
A TruGreen franchise & full equipment pack costs just £22,388 (you need to provide just 30% of this, the rest may be financed).
In addition to a comprehensive 2-week training course, protected territory, full marketing launch and dedicated business support manager, you also get the backing of a world leading franchisor with over 50 years experience in the UK.
For a FREE information pack call 0116 275 9005 or email us
franchisesales@servicemaster.co.uk
83
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132