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Kingstonian is dying
Views: 819
Music, schmusic. We are totally missing the point.
Kingstonian FC is dying. Our average gate so far this season, despite playing some attractive, winning football, despite moving a little bit closer to home (and to a much better venue) and despite half-price entry for the last two months, is under 250. And it's only that good because we were at home to our landlords on Bank Holiday Monday.
Of course it's entirely legitimate to debate whether the team should be running out to "Tears for Fears", or something else. (And the fact suddenly we're not, might shine a light on what the Directors think of the supporters.)
But the truth remains that the Club is dying and the Directors don't seem capable of doing anything about it.
As Secretary of the Supporters Club, I'll continue posting newsletters and player interviews and updating the Match Centre and helping to arrange travel to away games and running an online shop - and doing everything else I can think of to try and keep morale up.
But increasingly, I find myself asking why I bother.
Rex
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12 people 2 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 694
I do agree and have thought it for some time
but what’s next?
it seems there’s not the appetite to form a new ckub, so we just watch it die and piss away the Wimbledon money.
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3 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 702
Problem is Jon
The club maintain the SC is a minority with their views.
One board member personally told me they were happy aslong as they could have a pint with their mates on a Saturday when I suggested something cost free and progressive for them to try. To then say I should form my own club if I don't like it.
I offered my professional expertise to be shat down upon by a board member who fell asleep in said meeting who does not as far as aware hold the expertise I do in business banking and start up lending
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It's the Organs or the Craic, you can only serve one master
Edited by JBreeze at 17:57:03 on 3rd October 2024
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7 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 677
The hawkers thing is a shame
I personally think that could have been good.
Was like going back home.
Cannot understand why the YMCA would not be interested only think is I can think off is that they would have wanted a large pay bit who knows.
As far as I was aware all the risk and everything would have been in KS name.
Food for thought
Anyhow other options are needed and have heard through the grapevine things are being worked on but don't know where that's honest.
Need to find somewhere ASAP and get the wheels in motion
The team though is playing some good stuff and have to agree I like RPV and feel very welcome there.
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4 people 4 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 590
Dislikes so pointless even trying to speak on here.
Rex fair play to your comments but I honestly feel ymca wanted more out of it but that's by the by
We still need to find a new ground which was always going to be hard but seems harder now.
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2 people 2 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 601
You think they should have given up their land for free? And the have them thank us for it ?
If you fell asleep writing that you are more than qualified to be on the board
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It's the Organs or the Craic, you can only serve one master
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4 people 2 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 609
No text
Kingstonian Supporters Club
Edited by K Supporters Club at 19:50:33 on 3rd October 2024
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Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 616
The Club's failure to secure the Hawker site really rings alarm bells for me. Seemingly, everything was right - it was in everyone's best interest and even the Council wanted to happen.
Yet the Club were unable to close the deal. And then they burnt their bridges with an arrogant statement, blaming YMCA rather than trying to understand their concerns. It feels like that was our last best chance - frankly it was the only thing many of us were clinging on to. And now it's gone.
Rex
Edited by reximus at 21:29:54 on 3rd October 2024
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6 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 586
I don’t think there’s anything to say the council wanted it to happen?
it may be true but I’ve seen nothing to suggest that
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Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 471
Hi Jon
I have it from good authority from someone in the council they did. ( not the club)
Also bigger picture why would the council not want that to happen surley that would be good for them.
Local schools in that area was a good catchment area for support for us as well.
That place is and was falling apart improvement would only have made it better surley
Edited by FOLEY at 18:48:17 on 4th October 2024
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2 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 1373
I would have thought that after RBk's disastrous handling of
planning and refurbishment of the swimming and leisure facility at the fairfield, they would have had some interest in creating a state of the art leisure facility at the Hawker site.
Its a travesty that Kingston doesn't have a major leisure centre to serve the borough. Whether Ks would be included in this, I don't know. Despite the obvious objections to development of the Hawker site, I think a pool, leisure centre and gym could easily be built there with room for a small football stadium.
The site is much bigger than people think.
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3 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 439
I don’t doubt that someone in a body of hundreds liked the idea
that’s not the same as the council being supportive of it. just like the council were never supportive of Lovelace even tho one councillor thought it’d work.
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8 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 450
just adding that this week Kingston Council announced a £8m overspend.
I think we gotta be realistic and hope that while council can give introductions it won’t - and shouldn’t - have money to contribute on a wasteful arrogant company like Kingstonian FC
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3 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 447
Doesn’t sound to me like the council would have any money to spare even if you were in charge.
If the Athletics ground behind Kingsmeadow is not possible and it has been said in the past it is not then I don’t really see where we can build a ground.
I think it is a fair bet that we aimed to ground share with Corinthian-Casuals and improve their ground but that turned to dust.
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2 people 1 person
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 476
'It had been said' is doing a lot of work here. It's certainly been said by board members and their allies who have never wanted it to begin with because they dreamt that 0% chances like Hawker and Lovelace were possible.
I can well believe it's been said by some people at the Council as well. Cllr Sweeney said it in a public meeting a couple of years ago, saying a football pitch wouldn't fit. As has been discussed on here at length, it would fit if you moved the discus circle a few feet.
As Jon said the other day the Council a large and complex organisation with 48 elected members and hundreds of staff. They will have differing views and misconceptions.
It's obviously possible because it works successfully so many other places. It's a case of actually making a proper case for it, including how Ks' money can help a Council with an £8m overspend improve a tired facility. But it has to start with the board accepting that ideas like Lovelace and Hawker were always completely unrealistic.
Edited by SDG (Ks) at 09:49:45 on 6th October 2024
Edited by SDG (Ks) at 09:51:06 on 6th October 2024
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7 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 840
‘then I don’t really see where we can build a ground.’
Please trust me on this one, in the borough of Kingston upon Thames there are loads of places to build a ground.
Unfortunately to make it happen you have to have the right people on the board and around them with the right experience and skill sets. Then you look at our board and wonder why we are screwed!
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5 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 543
Sadly I offered my professional opinion to the board free of charge of course and was told to be grateful for a free of charge bank account the SC had. It was also implied I didn't know how banking worked by said member of the board who also fell asleep halfway through. Despite the fact I had been a bank manager for over 10 years
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It's the Organs or the Craic, you can only serve one master
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3 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 551
My dad buying a season ticket was responded with not good enough cos he didn't buy a 50 50
Make it make sense
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It's the Organs or the Craic, you can only serve one master
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2 people
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 534
Honestly don't why I bother
That said board member before he fell asleep in the SC meeting told me to form my own club then
I don't know why the SC wastes their time.
The GKs family nearly came close to assaulting a fan and we are told to just deal with it incase the managers leaves.
It is accepted as fact the players family member did this but the board don't want to upset the manager who seems to agree this is right???
In what world does a manager have that much power over the owners?
I've highlighted before the meeting was meant to bring supporters and board together but one board especially was intent in slagging off fans cos he still got his pint on Saturdays, also slagged off a bank manager for not knowing knowing protocol etc
My dad's whos a new ST holder is not welcome cos he won't buy a 50 50 but hey the goalies dad can try and assault a fan who bigged up Rob Tolfey no questions asked despite the board and manager knowing this happened
Joke
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It's the Organs or the Craic, you can only serve one master
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1 person
Re: Kingstonian is dying
Views: 524
"but hey the goalies dad can try and assault a fan who bigged up Rob Tolfey"
I believe the non-violent cosmic retribution for this should be for 90 minutes of "Don't you wish your keeper was Rob Tolfrey" at the next match.
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3 people
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