Morton Club Together Updates

[DumfriesTon]

Perhaps I'm being cynical but that was utterly underwhelming and a bit depressing. 

Seems a case of 'we'll do that later'. I could be wrong but haven't the club been carrying out the day-to-day running of the club since June? It's now nearing November and they're still pedalling the line of 'We absolutely need to improve this'.  Take the question around social media output for example: that's not something that you need months and months of preparation to implement. I remember when Jonathan Mitchell came in and straightaway the interviews were much more in-depth compared to the measly 1 minute interviews we're getting now, the other content he produced was pretty instant when he arrived. I remember game advertising like when we played Dundee United in the cup and there were promos all around social media/the town of 'Gunning for Glory'. There's nothing like that now. Haven't we got a dedicated social media guy now? What's he actually doing? We've had ample time to get the marketing/social media side of things in place and improved so I'm not buying this 'we're looking into it' rhetoric. 

And that's before getting on to the depressing guff about McPherson. We wanted stability but give him a 2 year deal. Stability, if that's what they wanted, could happen with a 1 year deal. Then Nick Robinson's answer basically suggesting we don't have the money to sack McPherson.  Makes the 2 year deal even more absurd.  

I have not been impressed in the slightest with MCT so far. 

 

 

Edited October 28, 2021 by DumfriesTon

[TheGoon]

Fair play for getting that together, and it’s nice to have faces to questions, but it’s hard to come out of that feeling anything but worried. Not expecting miracles overnight and for us to suddenly start behaving like a completely competent football club, but the basics in stuff like hospitality, marketing, social media, web content, advertising etc I thought we’d have  nailed down early doors (and really needed to) we just don’t. A couple of those are made more difficult by the team’s performance of course, but I’m struggling to see any kind of progress and we’re about to hit November.

[LargsTON]

God that was an awful watch.  Zero faith in these people taking us anywhere but a continued downward trajectory.   Bleak times ahead.

[irnbru]

Pretty uninspiring and a lot of buzzwords but good to hear the board members speak. Seems to be a lot of talking about things and not much being done. I'm sure that's not the case for everything so would like to hear more about what they see as success stories. 

Would be interesting to hear who the conduit between Gus and the board is too. And what exactly Gordon Ritchie does. He seems to like the anonymity but from what I gather, and others have experienced the same, he's more involved than the other board members. 

[Nornirontons]

I'm somewhat bemused by this Q&A 

Suppose at least they say that there is contingency funds.

Barr really does need to get the community side of things off the ground.

It's all well and good saying we let kids in for free but apart from your regulars there clearly no incentive on their own. Get the finger out!! Were into the second quarter of the season! Get back into the inverclyde schools and go back to giving these free tickets out to the kids and get these Full time players to do something more proactive for the club other than just at kick-off on match day!!

Theres no clear strategy to build a future fan base. It died a death after the McGraw years and the club itself has to stop relying on Mortons community and use the tools they have at there disposal much more proactively and productively imho.

[TRVMP]

Kids have been getting in for free/for very little at dozens of clubs up and down the country for decades now. It's practically expected at this point. The community stuff matters far more when it comes to building a lasting relationship.

[irnbru]

6 minutes ago, TRVMP said:

Kids have been getting in for free/for very little at dozens of clubs up and down the country for decades now. It's practically expected at this point. The community stuff matters far more when it comes to building a lasting relationship.

The community trust is really well run and has loads of inroads in the local community with schools, businesses, etc as well as doing well to get external funding.

Their remit isn't really to increase crowds, etc though (although it would be a by product) but it shouldn't be too difficult to bridge the gap between club and community since the groundwork has been done by a related organisation. I'd really hope the club are trying to take advantage of this - maybe a shared resource between the two would help. 

I agree that free tickets isn't really the answer. 

[TopCat]

Good to see the board putting their heads above the parapet a bit. I don't think anyone reasonably expects slick production or carefully coached answers to questions - those things take a lot of time and money. I'm sure everyone involved is putting in a lot of voluntary effort behind the scenes as well. 

 

That said, it would be good to see some examples of what we're trying to do and when we're trying to do it. The fanbase can't expect to see detailed budgets and cashflow reports but I think we should expect a bit of detail on the club's proposals. 

 

There's clearly a budget shortfall to be made up with increased commercial income before we get to break-even, with the government grant providing a cushion. How are we planning to close that gap? The football on show and Gus' contract are valid points for discussion but this shortfall is the thing that will sink our chances of Championship football long-term.

 

 

[TONofmemories]

Well, that was utter shit

[HamCam]

As inspiring as the football currently on offer. Fair play to the individuals/fans for putting their head above the parapet but no matter how many buzzwords and promises to do better changes the impression we are a club in danger of drifting down the leagues. As for the notion stability would be achieved by rewarding a manager, who failed the previous season and most fans never wanted, with a new two-year deal! 

It really is not that difficult, stuff the management waffle and start to win matches with the odd bit of entertainment thrown in if you want to increase revenue on all fronts. 

 

Edited October 28, 2021 by HamCam

[port-ton]

I definitely appreciate the board answering the questions but the proof will be in their actions rather than their words. It was hardly the most inspiring piece of content but I'm not at the alarm bells ringing stage or anything. If they can do what they're planning on better than they can say it on camera then that's fine by me.

I would have liked more specifics in terms of future plans as its been months of the same business jargon with little substance to what they're actually doing to obtain their goals, but again if in 12 months time we are still in the championship with improved attendances, social media and commercial activity then that's what I'll judge them on. 

The only answer that rubbed me the wrong way was Nick's refusal to comment on if we have the finances to fire a manager on a multi year deal. Every experience I've ever had with Nick over the years has been pleasant so it's certainly nothing personal and I can appreciate its a bit of an awkward situation to answer the question publically, but as it was a pertinent financial question regarding the level of funding the club has rather than a footballing decision question I feel MCT members were more than entitled enough to know the answer to that question. 

On a purely footballing side of the debate a lot of the video was regarding increased attendances and commercial income, but there is a 0% chance of that happening while the team is playing such a poor level of football and are barely even scoring goals. I just don't see a world where we can have Gus McPherson in charge for the remainder of his contract and at the same time the board reach the goals they laid out in this video. 

 

 

 

[TRVMP]

2 hours ago, irnbru said:

The community trust is really well run and has loads of inroads in the local community with schools, businesses, etc as well as doing well to get external funding.

Their remit isn't really to increase crowds, etc though (although it would be a by product) but it shouldn't be too difficult to bridge the gap between club and community since the groundwork has been done by a related organisation. I'd really hope the club are trying to take advantage of this - maybe a shared resource between the two would help. 

I agree that free tickets isn't really the answer. 

Yes, to be clear it's not their job, but it's a nice side effect. With both free tickets and community stuff - a lot of kids will take it up, then drift away as they get older, either coz watching football doesn't appeal, or they would rather watch the superstar clubs, or because they just find other things more interesting. But if they have some kind of weekly, active connection to Morton as something bigger than just showing up occasionally to throw bottles at Thistle fans, the chance of hooking them increases. 

[TRVMP]

3 hours ago, DumfriesTon said:

And that's before getting on to the depressing guff about McPherson. We wanted stability but give him a 2 year deal. Stability, if that's what they wanted, could happen with a 1 year deal. Then Nick Robinson's answer basically suggesting we don't have the money to sack McPherson.  Makes the 2 year deal even more absurd.  

I've been harping on this for weeks - this is the opposite of sustainability. Signing a manager on the never-never, paying him with gate receipts as they come in with no way of ending it... that's utter madness. If the response is - "well, we needed a manager"... you didn't need a manager on a two year deal. "But that's what experienced managers with a strong track record get." Then clearly that's not our level in the market. We wouldn't sign a senior player up on high wages for multiple years, so why a manager? They're having their cake and eating it. People with senior football experience at a board or operational level are apparently a luxury we can't afford, but we need a two-year manager despite not being able to afford him? But simultaneously he's of so little consequence we can't budget for if he might go wrong? 

This isn't leadership from the Board. This is anti-leadership. It's a litany of excuses with no single person who'll grasp the situation and fix it. And that means the exact same thing will happen again and again. 

[Ashman]

They talked about the need to attract more fans turning up to games, the target of finishing 8th at least in the league, breaking even and stability. When we can’t even score goals never mind win games then none of these objectives will be possible. 
Worryingly, it doesn’t appear to be possible for the board to sack Gus. We will continue to lose under him, continue to fail in front of goal under him and the board will allow it to happen and therefor fail to meet their objectives. 
They need to act now and save this season 

[LargsTON]

The sooner this whole fan ownership nonsense is fired into the sun the better for everyone.  By all means use MCT as a vehicle to supplement wages and boost the playing budget but we simply don't have the numbers required to make us anything other than a tinpot outfit for the rest of what may well be our short history.  It beggars belief how anyone could think this set up would work in the first place with less than 1000 contributors.  Dunfermline have 3000 and are hardly riding the crest of a wave.  Advertise for new owners, investors, whatever....who cares.  Just anything but MCT.  

[BishopBrennan]

I’ve just watched the Q&A (twice), and to say it is uninspiring is being generous. I have absolutely no qualms with the footballing aim of the season being Championship survival, along with striving for sustainability. Between Lesley Ann, who could sell snow to the Eskimos, and Chris Ross coming on board with a solid background of income generation, I’ve got no concerns that the club will maximise revenues. 
I took issue when my question about football expertise on the board was kicked into the long grass. This issue has been raised for the best part of a year now, both internally and externally, so blustered ‘we’re considering it’ type answers really don’t cut the mustard at this stage of proceedings. This is particularly galling when our football decision model thus far has left us as the lowest scoring team in the SPFL with a manager we don’t seem able to sack because of the length of deal we offered. Stability can quite easily be achieved at this level with one year rolling contracts. If only there had been someone in place at the time to advise the board of that…
I don’t buy the ‘when finances allow’ argument either. It was acknowledged at least once in the video that a winning football team on the pitch helps boost crowds and engagement, which were stated as key aims of the club in the near future. So, improving footballing performance has tangible benefits to the rest of the club. A good appointment to oversee footballing operations could quite easily justify their salary through an increase in league prize money alone. I'd go as far as arguing that Morton can't afford not to appoint a Sporting Director. To examine the worst-case outcome, MCT overseeing a limp-wristed relegation in their first season will affect their credibility massively. I’d argue that MCT are quite a way behind where they expected to be at this stage of the project in terms of their membership numbers, gaining the trust of the fanbase and their overall credibility. I’m open to all accusations of hyperbole, but if MCT do not change the current manager and/or their governance model, and the club go down this year, it will be the first nail in Morton Club Together’s coffin. And a large one at that.
I can see absolutely no positive case for amateurs continuing to make footballing decisions at the club who already have a professional reputation that is lower than a snake’s arse. I also found the choice not to name Gus’ immediate line manager strange. Where exactly does that decision fit into the ‘open, honest and transparent’ policy we were pitched? Taking the current state of affairs at face value, and giving MCT the benefit of the doubt, it is poor decision making that I’d label as ‘penny wise and pound foolish’. Ineffective football decision making at board level will hinder the club’s results, reputation and therefore engagement and ultimately finances. If you were to take a more cynical look at the current set-up, it would appear that we have a director who simply wants to play Dougie Rae on our money, whilst lurking in the shadows to avoid any potential repercussions.  
Neither of those scenarios are acceptable, and both could quite easily have disastrous consequences. 
 

[TopCat]

 

3 hours ago, LargsTON said:

The sooner this whole fan ownership nonsense is fired into the sun the better for everyone.  By all means use MCT as a vehicle to supplement wages and boost the playing budget but we simply don't have the numbers required to make us anything other than a tinpot outfit for the rest of what may well be our short history.  It beggars belief how anyone could think this set up would work in the first place with less than 1000 contributors.  Dunfermline have 3000 and are hardly riding the crest of a wave.  Advertise for new owners, investors, whatever....who cares.  Just anything but MCT.  

Ownership aside - we're not in a position to compete financially with the likes of Dunfermline - they're a bigger club with a bigger fanbase and a more expensive playing squad. Their underperformance is down to their tinpot management setup making a mess of the budget they have.

Unless some idiot with a penchant for frittering money like early-years Dougie Rae turns up at our door then that financial gap isn't going to close. Even then, a big chunk of Rae's stewardship was an outright disaster, there's no reason to expect success from someone new.

We're already a tinpot outfit because we're a Championship club with a core of 1800 fans and a diminishing pool of potential new supporters. The best we can realistically expect from MCT or a new owner is a marginal improvement on that. There's no point doom mongering just because you don't like that situation.

[LargsTON]

57 minutes ago, TopCat said:

 

Ownership aside - we're not in a position to compete financially with the likes of Dunfermline - they're a bigger club with a bigger fanbase and a more expensive playing squad. Their underperformance is down to their tinpot management setup making a mess of the budget they have.

Unless some idiot with a penchant for frittering money like early-years Dougie Rae turns up at our door then that financial gap isn't going to close. Even then, a big chunk of Rae's stewardship was an outright disaster, there's no reason to expect success from someone new.

We're already a tinpot outfit because we're a Championship club with a core of 1800 fans and a diminishing pool of potential new supporters. The best we can realistically expect from MCT or a new owner is a marginal improvement on that. There's no point doom mongering just because you don't like that situation.

Sorry but I can't accept that nonsense at all when I see clubs of similar or lesser stature leaving us in their shadow both on and off the park.  Morton fans are almost conditioned to accept our fate and where our standing in Scottish football lies.  Thats through decades of mismanagement at every level of the club.  It's a sad state of affairs.  Morton isn't a lost cause by any means but it requires more than MCT to give the club the seismic shake up it needs to finally progress to a more realistic level.  We're certainly better than an annual relegation battle in the championship but under the current model that will indeed be our ceiling.   It doesn't need a sugar Daddy, there's massive prize money in the championship now but that's somehow been forgotten.  We just need strong leadership which we've never had in the three decades I've followed the club which is a crying shame.

 

[port-ton]

Did Dunfermline supporters not sell the club or a big chunk of it to German investors? They definitely have investment beyond their community funding which makes their season even more hilarious. 

[LargsTON]

5 minutes ago, port-ton said:

Did Dunfermline supporters not sell the club or a big chunk of it to German investors? They definitely have investment beyond their community funding which makes their season even more hilarious. 

If that's true they must be run by the local knitting bee.