We need gates of over 500 to keep the club's head above water, warns Margate director

Sunday 31st October 2010

MARGATE director Cliff Egan says if crowds do not increase to the 500-mark then the club may force manager Iain O’Connell to cut his playing budget.

The club’s last three home games have attracted a total of 1,068 supporters - an average of 356 - and this is giving the directors of the Ryman Premier League club cause for concern.

“We need gates of 500 and above to keep this club’s head above water,” Mr Egan told www.margate-fc.com.

Clearly the shortfall in attendances is putting additional pressure on the club’s finances. The Board will continue to try and address the short fall but, should attendances not improve soon, the Board will be forced to cut costs in order to ensure the club lives within its means.

“I don’t want to create a sense of crisis at this stage,” added Mr Egan. “But I did want to ensure that our supporters were aware of this issue sooner rather than later.

“If the situation does not improve very soon, we will have to cut back which will affect all aspects of the club including the competitiveness of the side we will be able to put out on the field each week.”

The directors are continuing to look for new investment and to introduce new people to the board. In addition, effort has gone into improving the club’s commercial revenue streams.

Mr Egan revealed: “Commercial income is up. But, to put the current situation in context, income form our current gate receipts are falling well short of covering our weekly wage bill.

“The commercial income is very welcome and very much appreciated, but it does not cover the short fall each week.”

The club are continuing to work hard at generating new income streams. Their next two home Ryman Premier League games against Bury Town (6 November) and Sutton United (13 November) will see three groups of children - including winners of a McDonald’s competition - taking part in activities at Hartsdown Park.

These initiatives are designed in part to encourage new supporters – children and their parents – at Margate Football Club.

But the majority of the income we need to sustain a competitive side MUST come from gate receipts.

“We are just about to start a leaflet campaign to encourage more people to come to Hartsdown Park, to watch LIVE football and support the Gate,” added a concerned Mr Egan.

“But I would also like to ask all our regular supporters to try and encourage your friends or lost fans to return as this would be a great help to the club and its ambitions this season.”

The directors would like to express their thanks to all the regular supporters.

Mr Egan added: “But please, spread the work about Margate Football Club. “We want to put this club back where it belongs – in the Conference. But we will only do so on a sustainable financial basis, and we need your help.”

The club missed out on a much-needed £3,000 in FA prize money following their 2-1 home defeat to AFC Hornchurch in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Carlsberg Trophy yesterday.

The club have collected £5,200 in prize money from the FA during their short-lived FA Cup and FA Trophy runs this season.

O’Connell was disappointed to go out of the FA Carlsberg Trophy to AFC Hornchurch yesterday, citing two key issues in the defeat; momentary lapses in concentration in an otherwise excellent defence and playing into the opposition defence’s hands going forward.

Margate expected the Urchins to cause problems from set pieces and that was the source of the opening goal. Ironically, Martin Tuohy’s goal came from Rickie Hayles’ Aaron Lacy-type long throw.

“The one thing I did say (to the players) is that they’re dangerous form set pieces and that was a long throw (that set up the opening goal), and he (Tuohy) should never have been able to score from there,” O’Connell told www.margate-fc.com.

“Second half, we came out and looked the better side really.

“Scored a great goal from Curtis (Robinson) – a great header. That’s when we really should have gone forward but we didn’t.”

The Blues’ manager went on to say that there was little to choose between the two sides overall; the visitors looked the better side in the first half and the situation was reversed in the second. It was a game of few chances and Hornchurch made more of their opportunities count.

He also bemoaned his side’s approach to playing long balls into central areas which can be effective with Shaun Welford up front. But a different approach is required when he’s not there.

O’Connell added: “We can play, we can get the ball down, we can get it wide, we can get the ball in the box but a lot of the time today when we could have put it maybe in the channel we wee hitting the centre half’s head.

“We’ve just got to learn to play and have more confidence in ourselves and take a few risks going forward.

“Today, we didn’t look like we were going to threaten them to much (from open play) which was the same for them really.”

Margate welcome high-flying Blue Square Bet South side Bromley to Hartsdown Park on Tuesday for a low-key Kent Senior Cup First Round tie.

Bromley are the highest ranked Kent side in the competition at present as they are in second place in the table - just a point behind Braintree Town - as goals from Ryan Dolby and Warren McBean defeated relegation threatened Thurrock 2-1 over in Essex.

The competition has lost it’s cutting edge in recent years due to no Football League interest and the final being played at one of the finalists rather than at Gillingham’s Priestfield Stadium.

O’Connell said: “I’m not sure what side I’m going to put out yet but it’s going to be a strong side.

“It would still be nice to stay in a cup (competition). They’ll probably have a strong side out so I’ll have a strong side but there will be people I want to have a look at.”

On the injury to Shaun Welford, the manager expressed some frustration that the club are still waiting for the results from Thursday’s scan although the intention is to follow that up as a matter of urgency in the coming week.

Quotes courtesy of www.margate-fc.com

Margate v Bromley

Kent Senior Cup First Round

Tuesday 2nd November 2010

Kick Off 7:45pm

At Hartsdown Park, Hartsdown Road, Margate, Kent CT9 5QZ