Update from the Chairman – Club Organisation and Staffing
It is a little over three months since I came into the club and as I mentioned when I first took over, I wanted to spend the first month just understanding how and why things were done, the second month thinking about how we could improve them and then the third month we would look to start implementing the changes.
We have made great progress identifying opportunities to improve and thus ensuring the Club has the right foundations to move forwards. A great deal of this is taking place behind the scenes, but I can assure you we have made giant strides and I am immensely proud of the work we have already achieved.
Financially, this process is well underway, we no longer have any shareholder debt, past or current. We have been told we are in the best position we have been with the council financially since we moved into Melbourne Park in 2006, all historic overdue invoices have been cleared, as has one of the two Bounce Back loans. All this leaves is a Bounce Back loan and the long-term Sport England loan which is at very favourable rates and has yet to start being repaid. We will consider our options with this as and when repayments start. We have also tidied up the structure regarding fundraising.
We have had success with regards to sponsors, we are obviously grateful as ever to our shirt sponsor in Mathew Collins and Ascend Broking for their continued support. We have also renewed agreements with some previous sponsors and have a number of new sponsors join us. More information on that coming soon. We will also be launching our first business networking event on the morning of 5th December, please do contact us if you are interested in joining us, there is no cost!
We have also been focusing our attention on the people resources required to provide stability and ultimately, to deliver our aims for the Club. We have recruited a strong advisory board of non-executive directors and now have monthly board meetings, two having already taken place.
In thinking about all the resources required, some guiding principles have become clear that help shape the approach we will take.
- Preparedness – A headline principle to be instilled across all parts of the Club will be one of preparedness for a higher level of football operations. For example, as a National League South Club, we should operate as a National League or League Two Club, increasing the benchmark as the Club progresses.
- Accountability – Historically, the Club has relied upon a large number of fabulous, passionate volunteers to try to move the Club forward. This will remain the case in the majority of roles and we are very grateful to anyone that helps us in that way, however, across all areas of the Club’s operation we want to drive real accountability for achieving our goals. In our mind, this requires a core team of permanent, employed resources, to lead the way.
Current Situation / Progress to Date
Both now and in the future, we believe the Club needs a lot of day-to-day leadership and decision making. This situation calls for a CEO / Managing Director role to be in place. I have taken on this role in an interim role. For the short term, this will be in addition to my role as Chairman. At a suitable point, we will split these roles and recruit for the vacant position.
To bolster the Club’s foundations, resources are required across multiple functions and where there is no senior person currently in a role, specialist employees from the Gorely Group are being utilised in the short term. The role holders are:
- Operations – Keith Moule
- Football Secretary – Keith Moule
- Finance – Elisa Estanislao
- Commercial – Mark Kirwan
- Marketing / Media – Justin Levett
- Clubhouse / Events – Stephanie Watkins
- Community Liaison / CCFC Foundation – Stephanie Watkins
Adopting this approach unfortunately means that the current position of General Manager is no longer applicable. Phil Crowe has been hugely important to the Club over the last couple of years, for which Dan and I are very grateful. However, having discussed potential options over the last few weeks, Phil will be leaving the Club. He has kindly offered to continue providing advice on some key issues, so I am hopeful that he will still be a visible supporter on matchdays.
Finally, I want to mention and thank Jackie Kirrage, Nicky Smith and Josh Lowe, along with Robbie, Mickey, Adam and the rest of the team as well as our band of invaluable volunteers and of course, our fans.
New ownership with new thinking and ways of working can and should be uncomfortable, but as I often say, nothing great was ever achieved in your comfort zone….. and we are well on the way to achieving something great!
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