Walking Down The Halbeath Road

[Cardle is Magic]

As much as the Board’s detractors are hilarious, I also wouldn’t be throwing them a parade because some digging has taken place massively behind schedule.

[da_no_1]

1 hour ago, Stellaboz said:

Roads, irrigation, no wait that's the Romans.

What did they ever do for us?

 

1 hour ago, Cardle is Magic said:

As much as the Board’s detractors are hilarious, I also wouldn’t be throwing them a parade because some digging has taken place massively behind schedule.

Phase 1 complete by March 24?

[Rob1885]

Should have just relayed a plastic pitch at EEP and built a base out of there. Won't ever understand why we didn't. Don't need an academy in league 1/championship.

[The Toun Clock]

2 minutes ago, Rob1885 said:

Should have just relayed a plastic pitch at EEP and built a base out of there. Won't ever understand why we didn't. Don't need an academy in league 1/championship.

We will when we’re regularly battling in the knockout stages of the Champions League though Bobby

[Hamish's Passenger]

48 minutes ago, da_no_1 said:

What did they ever do for us?

Built us a big wall to keep the English out. 

[Cardle is Magic]

1 hour ago, da_no_1 said:

Phase 1 complete by March 24?

Not a chance.

[parsforlife]

sorry, I know folk are getting excited and all, but we were told summer 2022 in the original plans,  why should we believe it will come to fruition over a few months when its dragged on so slowly until now?

 

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/2769981/dunfermline-training-ground-youth-academy-ross-mcarthur/

'The Pars are hopeful that the site will be at least partly operational for the start of 2022/23 pre-season training.'

 

[Cardle is Magic]

Find it strange that the output from the club has stalled or gone slightly backwards since we hired a Marketing guy tbh.

I feel the club tries to present itself as being on a certain level yet so much of our operation feels small time. 

Perhaps there has just been more of a focus on generating income from local businesses etc which I guess I wouldn’t have a major issue with tbh. 

The idea of investing a great deal of time and money on a new training facility while at the same time relying almost entirely on volunteers to run the club feels like a disconnect.

[101]

6 hours ago, parsforlife said:

sorry, I know folk are getting excited and all, but we were told summer 2022 in the original plans,  why should we believe it will come to fruition over a few months when its dragged on so slowly until now?

 

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/2769981/dunfermline-training-ground-youth-academy-ross-mcarthur/

'The Pars are hopeful that the site will be at least partly operational for the start of 2022/23 pre-season training.'

 

Academy have been using it at least partially seen a few of their tweets about it like this.

 

[Salvo Montalbano]

10 hours ago, DA Baracus said:

Aye but what investments have thr board actually made?! What have the board actually done?! Where is their ambition?!

It's interesting in the article itself that it mentions "funding partners" which suggests that the German consortium didn't pony up the whole amount... now it might have been that they stumped up 95% of it but it could equally have been 5%, and it's likely we'll ever know so I wouldn't be having my socks roll up and down at how brilliant they are quite yet.

10 hours ago, Cardle is Magic said:

As much as the Board’s detractors are hilarious, I also wouldn’t be throwing them a parade because some digging has taken place massively behind schedule.

It's also quite a departure from the original plans for various pitches, I'm sure a wee stand was mentioned when Rosyth FC were meant to be playing there. Now we have one 4G pitch and some modular dressing rooms - not quite Eagles Glen.

8 hours ago, da_no_1 said:

What did they ever do for us?

 

Phase 1 complete by March 24?

We'll see. Even if it is though, it'll just be one AstroTurf pitch as mentioned above - is that going to be such a game changer? Doubtful.

6 hours ago, parsforlife said:

sorry, I know folk are getting excited and all, but we were told summer 2022 in the original plans,  why should we believe it will come to fruition over a few months when its dragged on so slowly until now?

 

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/2769981/dunfermline-training-ground-youth-academy-ross-mcarthur/

'The Pars are hopeful that the site will be at least partly operational for the start of 2022/23 pre-season training.'

 

As above, it seems a lot smaller in scope and is obviously delayed. Now clearly covid and then the rampant inflation has delayed things and put costs up but it is hard to not be a little disappointed when things are so far behind the original schedule. At least we aren't in an HS2 situation where they're building an access road then scrapping the rest!

6 hours ago, Cardle is Magic said:

Find it strange that the output from the club has stalled or gone slightly backwards since we hired a Marketing guy tbh.

I feel the club tries to present itself as being on a certain level yet so much of our operation feels small time. 

Perhaps there has just been more of a focus on generating income from local businesses etc which I guess I wouldn’t have a major issue with tbh. 

The idea of investing a great deal of time and money on a new training facility while at the same time relying almost entirely on volunteers to run the club feels like a disconnect.

Aye, for a while our social media output in particular was really good - we had Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat all doing regular posts, there were loads of interviews and behind the scenes stuff on YouTube and the like, but recently that seems to have taken a backwards step. Still see stuff but it doesn't appear as quickly and doesn't appear as professional. And then there's Pars TV which remains a bit of a b*****d son where it's not really an in-house DAFC product but it appears as though it is... They've obviously done well getting naming rights for the stadium and things like that and I think the Business Club do a lot behind the scenes but these guys who have come in will be on decent money and it's hard sometimes to see the actual benefit they bring (as opposed to the Rovers for example who got great numbers with their "Dick Extension" tweet and their link up with Las Palmas, so will be able to get more advertising revenue from having the increased traffic, as well as growing their tiny little fan base into something a little less embarrassing ).

This whole mega post looks a bit like I'm having a go at the board and that I'm just moaning for the sake of it but I'm just a bit scunnered by the way we've bot really kicked on from such a successful season on and off the park last term. With the feel good factor and even the St Pauli game, I think a few folk were looking forward to a return to some kind of Leishman or Paton era Dunfermline but that obviously hasn't happened (yet). So I guess it's just the frustration of that.

Tl;Dr - baby steps but let's see how things pan out.

[DA Baracus]

Sounds like a few folk won't be invited to the parade.

[parsboi]

1 hour ago, DA Baracus said:

Sounds like a few folk won't be invited to the parade.

 

it’s good that at least work has started in earnest at the training ground.  I stay just behind the site and it’s been very heavy with work going on since last week.  To be fair to them, they do say “phase 1” and in any project like this you want to get other funding in place to save as much of your own cash as possible - so yes part funding is no bad thing.

 

But I’m still not seeing any real improvement as a club operation between where we were in say 2020 per covid and now.

 

Social media from us does feel a bit beige and corporate, (although I happen to find a lot of Raiths “content” full on cringeworthy, and wonder just how brave they would be if they were On a couple of game losing streak) certainly we are well below where we used to be in terms of fresh types of content.  
 

There seems to be a lot of new staff posts being created off the park which we know were needed, but it’s not coming through in how the club operates to fan facing areas yet.  Reports of still people not getting emails answered, the matchday comms being a bit of a mess, entry points into East end still a pain in the backside for queuing.

On the flip side at least there’s also been a real decline in moany board statements!

 

I just remember the excitement of a consortium coming in from outside, making the right noises about genuine people looking to make improvements and genuine change for the right reasons, nothing dramatic but solid cash injections.  Developing the club and operations.  
 

Feel it’s so typically Dunfermline to have had to go backwards  after such an investment.  Hoping that itll turn out to be one step back for two forward, but lots for the club to do to get that solidified in people’s minds!

TL:DR mostly in agreement with Salvos post

Edited November 30, 2023 by parsboi

[The Toun Clock]

6 hours ago, Salvo Montalbano said:

Aye, for a while our social media output in particular was really good - we had Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat all doing regular posts, there were loads of interviews and behind the scenes stuff on YouTube and the like, but recently that seems to have taken a backwards step. Still see stuff but it doesn't appear as quickly and doesn't appear as professional. And then there's Pars TV which remains a bit of a b*****d son where it's not really an in-house DAFC product but it appears as though it is... They've obviously done well getting naming rights for the stadium and things like that and I think the Business Club do a lot behind the scenes but these guys who have come in will be on decent money and it's hard sometimes to see the actual benefit they bring (as opposed to the Rovers for example who got great numbers with their "Dick Extension" tweet and their link up with Las Palmas, so will be able to get more advertising revenue from having the increased traffic, as well as growing their tiny little fan base into something a little less embarrassing ).

As soon as big Mikey Mlotkiewics left the social media part went to sh*t. 

[Stellaboz]

I'm the first ro admit im no marketing expert but i do believe that modern engagement styles are important for clubs like us. 

Especially for the younger fans, keep the excitement up, have player interactions, mini q&a's, "on this day" type SM posts, "guess the player", stuff like that. 

Edited November 30, 2023 by Stellaboz

[HoBNob]

I've seen on Twitter that the guy who does Stenhousmuirs social media has been doing some filming at some of our games for some short videos. He was at Cowdenbeath last season and from looking at both there threads on here he seems to be highly regarded. 

Get him in and give him the keys/passwords to the twitter account. 

[DA-go Par Adonis]

7 hours ago, Salvo Montalbano said:

It's interesting in the article itself that it mentions "funding partners" which suggests that the German consortium didn't pony up the whole amount... now it might have been that they stumped up 95% of it but it could equally have been 5%, and it's likely we'll ever know so I wouldn't be having my socks roll up and down at how brilliant they are quite yet.

It is on record as to how much the German consortium have put into the club.  It's in the last published accounts.

If in your scenario, they have subsequently managed to secure us a training ground, which has been 95% funded elsewhere, it would surely be no less laudable?  It would prove they have both pumped money in to the club and shown some business acumen to ensure that the training ground is delivered.

When we were fan owned, there was no money and no prospect of a training facility.  If it was easy, they would have negotiated with "funding partners" and done it themselves.

[Cardle is Magic]

You can tell how much effort goes into the social media by the fact so many of the posts go out on the hour so have clearly been scheduled hours or even days in advance.

Football clubs need to be proactive if they want to make the most of their online channels. Even if it’s just to increase brand awareness etc rather than a call to action with ticket sales/hospitality, pushing merch etc.

Not even something that needs a lot of money or manpower behind it; I’m sure there would be marketing students at the College who could do something towards their final qualifications.

 

[par-adise]

1 hour ago, DA-go Par Adonis said:

It is on record as to how much the German consortium have put into the club.  It's in the last published accounts.

If in your scenario, they have subsequently managed to secure us a training ground, which has been 95% funded elsewhere, it would surely be no less laudable?  It would prove they have both pumped money in to the club and shown some business acumen to ensure that the training ground is delivered.

When we were fan owned, there was no money and no prospect of a training facility.  If it was easy, they would have negotiated with "funding partners" and done it themselves.

Would be an absolutely wild take to criticise the board for getting us an essentially free new training facility. 

[Stellaboz]

I have no idea about the costs of such a thing but I hope we can afford the annual upkeep.

[Chubbychops]

1 hour ago, Stellaboz said:

I have no idea about the costs of such a thing but I hope we can afford the annual upkeep.

Sweeping a portacabin and looking after 1 plastic pitch shouldn't amount to much.