Welcome to phase 4 (Posted 7th Jul)
An introduction to some of the new features
Welcome to MyFootballClub 4.0. It's an important stage in the evolution of MyFC and a further step towards members being able to take control of their football club. At first glance its dashboard design makes information more accessible, and the colour scheme is more in keeping with EUFC. Here is some of the new functionality and enhancements you will find on 4.0:
Dashboard
A new homepage in dashboard format. This will make it easier to find all the most important and current information concerning the club and Society. The Dashboard is a short cut to all the key areas, including votes, team selection, articles, forums, groups and messages.
Groups
A Group can be created by any member for fellow members to discuss a shared interest, whether its regional, football related or off-topic. Each group has its own forum and it is the responsibility of the Group creator to moderate the Group's forum. A Group can be created as 'public' (viewable and open to join for all) or 'private' (hidden and invite only). The Forum Team can also view and manage all public and private Groups.
Team selector and player pages
For every match, team selection will be a two-stage process. The selector has been redesigned to accommodate this. The first stage, a vote, will enable every member to pick the team, whether they want to make a team selection for them self or hand responsibility to the coaching staff. The second stage is selecting a formation and eleven, should the member wish to do so. To help members with their team selection, the new design of the website makes it easier to provide regular text, audio and video feedback from the coaching staff. The player pages have also been enhanced.
The coaching staff will be given the results of the vote and the members' team selection 24 hours before kick-off. The results will not be made public until after the match, so as not to give an advantage to the opposition. Currently, there are no plans for the coaching staff to suggest their preferred XI or to provide a reduced squad for members to pick from. The WT acknowledge that the team selection process may evolve over time.
Widgets
Widgets are individual blocks of functionality. 'Wigdetizing' the website will enable us to easily add new functionality without having to change the site's design. Over the coming weeks we will be adding more widgets to the site. These widgets include proposal seconding, financial, ProZone and member demographics.
Forums
The MyFC forums have been divided into four areas: 'Football', 'Society', 'Soapbox', and 'Off-Topic'. 'Football' is for discussing EUFC and general football. 'Society' is for all matters relating to the MyFC Trust, including the members, Board and all live votes. 'Soapbox' is the place for making vote proposals, raising concerns and discussing possible solutions. 'Off-Topic' is the place for anything unrelated to football or to MyFC.
Search
The search functionality has been made more accurate and quicker. Articles, comments, threads and posts can all be searched for.
Messaging and friends
Messaging is now a widget so your inbox with messages from fellow members is always visible on the dashboard. 'Send' now makes it easier to find recipients. And it's now possible to delete friends.
TV
The MyFC website will have two TV players. A LoRes player which can carry new audio and video content within an hour of it being recorded (currently on this player is an interview with Liam Daish). This will be another way in which communication from Stonebridge Road can be improved. The TV player used last season will also be retained. This will be used to show matches, with free 90 minutes being available to everyone.
TV Season Tickets will also be available to purchase, giving access to edited highlights, full 90 minutes, interviews and features all in HiRes. We are still in discussions with our TV partner about the pricing of this (we are hoping to keep the cost down to between £12 and £15 for the whole season). With a third of our members living overseas, live overseas broadcasts from Stonebridge Road are a priority. Depending on the take-up of TV Season Tickets and finding a sponsor for the TV player, we are confident of trialling live overseas broadcasts from Stonebridge Road in the autumn.
Over the next few days, while the new site beds in, there may be one or two bugs. If you spot one, please report it here and the Web Team will try to solve it. We hope you find phase 4.0 easier to navigate and and more enjoyable.
Thank you
The MyFootballClub Web Team
Message from your EUFC Chairman (Posted 3rd Jul)
The New Season Approaches!
With four weeks gone since l joined Ebbsfleet United as Chairman hardly a day has passed without something needing attention or planning. Last weekend l took my family, Wife Lois and sons Zack and Stan, to the club and we rolled up our sleeves to help bring some colour and sparkle to the ground painting and tidying up after we used the sun cream. I was really pleased to meet My Football Club members on the day who amazed me with their dedication to the club as we shared a burger and beer at lunchtime and lots of discussions about the club and the new season. The playing surface at Stonebridge Road looks fantastic and all Peter Norton's hard work is paying dividends and with the goal posts now in place things are taking shape for 12 July when we entertain Charlton Athletic.
On Wednesday this week the players returned for pre season training and CEO David and l went along and met the team for the first time at the training ground. With the seasons fixtures also out on Wednesday morning l was delighted to see our first match is at home to Mansfield Town, sadly though l do not return from holiday in time to be at the match, which really is disappointing, no worries though with some really good early season matches coming thick and fast. With record Season Ticket sales hopefully, we will start the new season with a bumper crowd for such an attractive fixture kicking off our 2008/2009 campaign and then move on to Rushden & Diamonds on the following Tuesday evening.
A repeat of the F A Trophy fixture against Torquay United away on Monday 18 August which is live on Setanta TV makes the first three matches really attractive with Stevenage Borough up home next, l know Liam is looking forward to the start with a very positive attitude.
With CEO David taking up his duties full time next Monday we both look forward to the many challenges the season will present us with and have already been working well together over the past few weeks looking at many areas of the clubs development.
As they say "Bring it on" l cannot wait for the season to kick-off.
John Moules - Chairman
New Fleet home kit (Posted 27th Jun)
61.2% of members approve 08/09 design
The chosen 08/09 Fleet home shirt, as voted for by MyFootballClub members in February, can be revealed today.
The most popular and chosen shirt - home 1 received 7,792 (61.2%) of the 12,725 votes cast. Home 2 received 19.7% of the vote and home 3 19.1%.
The 08/09 home shirt can be purchased HERE and it is also for sale via the Ebbsfleet United official website.
Nike is confident of orders being delivered on or before 14 July. The shirt will also be available to purchase at Stonebridge Road on Saturday 12 July at the EUFC v Charlton Athletic match. The chosen away kit will be revealed and available for pre-order as soon as Nike are able to guarantee a delivery time.
And thanks to our contract with Nike, if you buy a shirt, it will go a long way to helping the Fleet’s youth and ladies teams. For every 250 shirts bought, Nike will kit out one of these teams for free (that includes 16 shirts, shorts and socks). So far, from replica sales from the FA Trophy, four entire kits have been donated. Hopefully sales of this season’s home and away kits will go towards more Fleet teams being supplied for free.
You can discuss this article HERE
Holiday is over (Posted 17th Jun)
Tim Glynne-Jones talks to Liam Daish
After the triumph of last season, head coach Liam Daish now faces higher expectations than ever. But a couple of new faces in the boardroom and a bit of extra cash in the playing budget should help.
It was one of the funnier moments of last season: as thousands of Fleet fans congregated in front of the Gravesend Civic Centre to salute their Wembley heroes, up on the balcony, surrounded by the players, Councillor Ken Jones, Mayor of Gravesham, introduced the head coach. “A man who needs no introduction – Liam Dash!”
Ah, irony. But a different irony must have crossed Liam Daish’s mind as he gazed out at the jubilant red and white hordes. Success means more pressure. And as he set off for a holiday in Portugal, reflecting on one of his more unusual seasons in football, he knew that the satisfaction at having landed some serious silverware would be replaced by the weight of expectation as soon as he went back to work.
So it came as welcome news on his return to Stonebridge Road that three key decisions had been made: the appointment of a new chairman, John Moules, former Conference chief executive, a new CEO, David Davis, and the vote by MyFC members to raise the playing budget to £10,000 per week.
“It’s great that the members have voted for £10k a week,” says Liam. “Last season I started with £7,200 and that was going to be cut. We started gaining momentum when Myfootballclub came in because it meant we could keep full-time status. There’s no way we could have done that on less than £7,200. I finished the season around the £9,200 mark, so to start this season where I finished off is great. It gives me more options in building the depth of the squad and, more importantly, the quality of that depth.
“We can’t throw money around like Rushden & Diamonds or like Cambridge, who have bid £30,000 for Charlie MacDonald, but we can get a decent pool of players that can compete. We saw that last season when I thought we were unlucky not to finish a lot higher. We were only three points off seventh place, we beat Burton, we beat Torquay. But the cup run affected us in the league, not so much with injuries but the fixture congestion was just ridiculous. I don’t think any other league in the country had to cope with what he had.”
As he looks to strengthen his playing squad, Liam has firm views on the involvement of MyFC members in transfer decisions – probably the hottest debate we’ve seen on the site so far.
“There’s a lot of work that goes into signing a player. You’re aware of players all the time but it’s about more than just what you think he can bring to the club. You’ve got to look at his age, you’ve got to look at his locality. I’m not in a position to relocate players from other parts of the country down around the M25, where the cost of living is dearer but the money they’re on is probably the same. Once you take all these things into account, there’s not a million players out there. When I find one I’ve then got to sell the club to them, sell the facilities, which isn’t easy.
“When you’re doing all that donkey work you want to keep the people making the final decision informed, so you know they want it and can make a quick decision when the time comes. A lot of it is down to timing and how quickly you can act. It can happen very quickly. But there’s a need for confidentiality. There are agents at this level now that are touting players, not just to you but to other clubs too. And there are players out of contract who are going around looking for a deal. I know the majority of members have the club’s interests at heart but there could be people logged on who find out what our business is and make other clubs aware, then the next thing you know they’ve come in and taken the player from under your nose. If I have a chat with one of the board members, it stays within those four walls.”
Added to this, Liam cites his record in the transfer market as good reason to trust his judgement.
“I think I’ve been pretty prudent. I’ve not wasted money, I’ve not had players sitting on their backsides on two or three year contracts. The wage structure doesn’t have anyone majorly above anyone else, so I’m not risking having a large part of my budget sitting in the stands if a player’s injured. I’ve always kept quite a hungry side, a lean side, ready to compete.”
The matter of location was brought into focus on Liam’s return when Wembley hero Chris McPhee announced that he was moving down to the West Country to live with his new wife. That historic winner against his former club Torquay United would be McPhee’s last significant touch in Ebbsfleet United colours: it highlighted the transient nature of Conference football in particular.
“It’s not so much a football thing with Chris, it’s more of a lifestyle situation. The way he was talking, if I’d upped his money one hundred per cent I don’t think he’d have stayed.
“He was a good player for us, he played well in a team that looked after him. There are no individuals here. It was exactly the same when Charlie MacDonald left. He scored goals because the people around him helped him to. Take Chris McPhee’s goal at Wembley. John Akinde was very unselfish in setting him up. But he’s made his decision and we wish him well.
If McPhee’s departure was a blow, the appointment of a CEO and a new chairman came as welcome relief for Liam. “There were a lot of things I had to sort out last year, and maybe I did too much. It’s exhausting, there’s too much going on in your brain. It’ll be good to concentrate on what I do.
“I’ve spoken to David Davis; there are things we want addressing and he’s on it straight away. He’s looking to tighten up the ship and make things work financially. With John’s experience as well I think it will work well. I know John from his days with the Conference. He’s a doer, he’s local, he knows the area so I think he’ll be good.”
It would be an added bonus if member Tom Baker’s campaign to raise an extra £20,000 for the playing budget from 1,000 pledges of £20 succeeds. “That’s the beauty of MyFootballClub,” says Liam. “It taps into a lot of enthusiasm. With that amount of members a little becomes a lot.”
Training resumes at the beginning of July with the first friendly, hosting Charlton Athletic, on July 12th and the visit of Millwall to look forward to before the season gets under way. Liam knows this is going to be a season of managing expectations, as well as trying to live up to them, but as he returns from his all-too-short break, he’s excited at the rumble of a new season rolling in.
“I’m looking forward to the new season as I look forward to every season. It’s going to be a real challenge because expectations will be high after winning the FA Trophy, but it’s given us extra belief. The players are a year older, they’re maturing together and, knowing their mentality, they won’t be putting their feet up and taking it easy. They’ll want more of that winning feeling.
The turn-out at the civic reception was amazing. That hit home with the players and everyone at the club. What will it do for our crowds? – that’s the crux. If we can’t boost our gate by at least thirty per cent after that – 25,000 at Wembley, the civic reception – I don’t know what else you can do awareness wise. Maybe a new ground. I’m looking forward to seeing what sort of turn-out we get.”
Over to you, Fleet fans.
Stonebridge Road record (Posted 11th Jun)
Season ticket sales so far top 500 mark
Yesterday was the final day of the season ticket discount. So far, the club has sold 256 full season tickets and 180 mini season tickets. In addition, the MyFC website has sold a total of 99 mini season tickets.
With two months to go before the start of the season, this year's current total of 535 beats last season's final tally of 252 (which comprised of 245 full and 7 mini).
(You can see the previous years' season ticket sales on the Fleetwiki HERE. A full breakdown of full season v 11 match mini v 5 match mini against full price v concession against terrace v standing will be published before the start of next season.)
Congratulations to MyFootballClub members for deciding on the pricing strategy and approving an extension of the discount. More than doubling last year's season-end total already suggests the thinking was spot on.
And a very big thank you to a number of volunteers including Howezy, Buster1976, Vladivladkaz and Cooperman who spent many hours helping us put together the databases from which the pre and post Wembley season ticket mailings were sent.
You can discuss this item of news HERE.
Two months remain before next season kicks off, giving us the opportunity to further increase sales. Mini season tickets can also be sold throughout next season. Mini season tickets are available to purchase HERE, and full season tickets can be purchased over the phone at Stonebridge Road on 01474 533 796
CEO & Chairman of the EUFC Board (Posted 9th Jun)
Announcement of appointments
It gives me pleasure to announce the appointment of David Davis and John Moules as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the EUFC board respectively. Both were the unanimous recommendation of the entire Society board and have been fully endorsed by The MYFC Web team.
Many of you will know David as an active member of the Myfootballclub community under the guise of his username “Gadgetman”. As you will see from his statement below, not only does he have a wealth of experience in finance, business and management but also a firm commitment to the ideals of our venture and a good understanding of all of the issues many of us have about the development of a democratically run Football club. Some of you will know that David has attended many home games since the acquisition and has become a real fan of the team.
David will take up a full time position at the club and is currently negotiating release from his existing commitments. He will take over the day to day running of the club from the MYFC operators who will now be free to concentrate on the Website and promotion of MYFC. I would like to thank them all for their efforts in dealing with all aspects of the clubs activities since the takeover. It has been a difficult and sometimes thankless task in a role that none of them were familiar with at the outset and have had to oversee at an important part of the season. Their work culminated in the extremely successful Wembley FA trophy operation in which 25,000 tickets were sold and successfully distributed.
I would also like to acknowledge the patience and hard work of the EUFC staff and for the help and advice of the club secretary Roly Edwards.
John Moules has knowledge of football at Conference level that is second to none. He was Chief executive and company director of the Football conference for 8 years to 2007 and is on first name terms with a host of club chairmen and managers alike. Having met and spoken with him I found him to be extremely approachable and very knowledgeable about many players at our level of football including issues to do with buying and selling. John is also an excellent communicator and has great experience in media liaison. His position with us will be part time and his role will concentrate on advice on football issues and on Media statements. He will be taking over as Chairman from Brian Kilcullen who has remained at the club as interim Chair since the takeover. On behalf of all of us, I would like to thank Brian for his invaluable help and advice during this initial period.
David Davis. CEO introductory statement.
Well, this is my first communication of many, as the CEO of EUFC.
It is an absolute honour and I intend to do my utmost to help the club progress and carry out the wishes of you, the owners.
For those of you who have only seen my forum persona, a little background on my recent career:
I held a senior management position at an international financial data service provider in Fleet Street, where I started as Technical Services Manager with a staff of three, and left as Director of Customer Services, Europe.
I joined a global computer brand as the UK Service Manager, transferred to an EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) role and left as Head of Field Operations, EMEA, with responsibility for the performance of over 8000 engineers. The annual budget for the region was $80M.
For the last few years I have been earning the major part of my income as a Forex trader.
But don’t let the “senior management” roles mislead you. For the last year I’ve been helping a local independent school with their ICT systems, including crawling under desks sorting cables. I am happy to roll up my sleeves and “get stuck in” when necessary. For example one of the first things I have my eye on is fixing a sign that says “Family Entrance” over one of the turnstiles.
So that’s the condensed history, now the future:
I know there has been a considerable amount of debate as to whether the CEO needs to come from a football-related background and there are polarised views on the subject. Well, I don’t. Initially I thought this might be an obstacle but the more I considered the situation, the more I believed that the key priority at the club is to use business experience to reduce the operating loss as much as possible. And we are very fortunate to have the extensive football knowledge and experience of our new Chairman, John Moules, to draw on as required.
It is difficult, without becoming much more intimately acquainted with the financials and operations at the club, to determine how far the losses can be reduced, whether they can be eliminated or turned into profit and over what period of time.
However, in my opinion the key priority is to get the club to as near a self-sustaining position as possible. If we can achieve this, the funds from MyFC become the “value-add” that will give us an edge:
1) Funding for additional skilled players to aid our promotion bid, which our competitors may not be able to match.
2) Marketing to the local community to increase gate attendance
3) Marketing to the global community to increase revenue through other means, either membership funds or from ancillary streams, such as club products, lotteries etc.
4) Interim investment in Stonebridge Road to improve the experience and consequently attract more support.
In addition to increasing revenue, we need to look for possible cost efficiencies. Being, literally, the person “on the ground” will help enormously in identifying where such efficiencies can be made.
We also need to be taking advantage of our model: We have a wealth of talent around the globe and, to put it bluntly, should be using this free labour wherever practical. Another benefit our competitors do not have.
The other edge we have is technology. I would like to see the technology extended to link MyFC to the Club, even in ways such as webcams at the training ground and pitch (watch the players going through their paces and Peter Norton riding his mower up and down!), to video Q&A sessions.
One promise I will make: You will receive very regular communications from me, giving updates on the progress of our initiatives and making recommendations to you for your consideration. Perhaps articles such as this might even be in video form in the future. I will be discussing the most effective ways of engagement with the Board and Operator in the immediate future.
The above is just an introduction to my way of thinking. In one sense, it is irrelevant: Although it helps you to know where I come from, in terms of experience and attitude, you are the people making the key decisions; I will often be the one to implement them, whether I personally agree or disagree.
The challenge is fascinating, particularly in terms of keeping to Will’s original concept of giving football back to the fans, while engaging in the necessary commercialism required to progress the club.
As a founder member of MyFC, CEO of EUFC and fan of The Fleet, I would like to thank you for taking the trouble to read this article. Up the Fleet!
John Moules. EUFC Board Chairman introductory statement.
Over the past 25 or so years l have been involved in professional football as Referee, Administrator, and more recently as a Match Assessor. Until September last year l was Chief Executive of the Football Conference (known as Blue Square now) and oversaw the competition progress from a 22 Club Membership to 68 Clubs and progressed the commercial income from around £350,000 per annum to around £3 million per annum for the season just finishing and that income is guaranteed for the next 4 years. The introduction of increased promotion with the Football League, Play-Offs, restructuring of the National Leagues and representation on the F A Council all came during my time of leadership with the competition.
Last season saw my long term Chairman Bill King retire from office and the move of the Conference administration to Birmingham were two good reasons to move on in my own life. Since then l have been working with a number of clubs and leagues on a wide range of projects assisting them in planning their future strategies and income streams through new sponsorship agreements.
Some months ago l was approached by MyFootballClub to explore areas of common interest in assisting them progress their aims and objectives as new owners of one of my local clubs Ebbsfleet United. Having changed their name with all of the pains that involves the club achieved national fame immediately with a historic F A Trophy win at Wembley in May this year. Sitting among the 25,000 from Kent at the final it convinced me that there were new challenges in the coming few seasons for Ebbsfleet and its 30,000 share holders. The unique ownership set new trends in the game with football supporters and fans at the heart of the clubs future.
Ebbsfleet has many key challenges to address over the coming years with the Thames Gateway development project bringing thousands of new homes to the area and new businesses, plans for a new stadium and continued development of the clubs successful Youth Schemes.
Having met the MyFootballClub Trust Board and the Web Team we realised we shared the same vision of the future of a football club.
Along with new Ebbsfleet, Chief Executive, David Davies who is taking up his position at the club over the coming weeks we will work together with the current Administration, Team Management and Playing Staff to put in place development plans for the club over the next three years along with the thoughts and ideas MyFootballClub members want to see implemented.
My role as Chairman of the Board will see me operating on a consultancy type basis one or two days a week looking at all aspects of the club and liaising with David and the administration team, helping and advising where appropriate Manager Liam Daish on football matters and using my experience to introduce new people and projects to the club to continue to build on its playing and community development.
You can discuss this article HERE
A testimonial (Posted 28th May)
In memory of Jack Maddam
Ebbsfleet United Youth have been asked to field a side in Jack Maddam’s testimonial this Saturday. For those of you who don’t know, Jack passed away in his sleep just days before his 18th birthday on 30 March. Please check out this link.
Ian Docker coached Jack in his time at Gillingham, and a few of the PASE boys played in teams with him too.
We kick off at 12 midday on Saturday 31 May at Strood Sports Centre, Watling Street, Rochester, Kent - in his honour - in conjunction with the very generous support of the Centre. Should anyone wish to come and give their support they would be most welcome.
Many Thanks
Paul Nash
Comments from Adam Holloway MP (Posted 21st May)
His experience of Ebbsfleet's trip to Wembley
Gravesham's MP Adam Holloway has write the following about the FA Trophy final day and ask for us to publish it for him. Content below:
Probably not since World War 2 have so many residents of Gravesend, Northfleet and the villages been away at one time. But the turn out for The Game at Wembley on Saturday was huge - Gravesham must have been deserted.
Total Torquay and Ebsfleet fans - 40,186 of which at least 65% were wearing red t-shirts. That is at least twenty six thousand supporters mostly from here. I have always hated football (because I am useless at it), but I loved this. All of it, my best day yet in Gravesham. From realising that the three red t-shirts behind me at the bar were three fans from Boston (yes, Boston America: now we love our local team….but it aint a Manchester United. Yet). To the way that the ball accelerated over wet grass, moved by thunder from the crowd and sky. I did not realise that football can be like ballet, though I am not brave or stupid enough to suggest to number 19 he wear a tutu.
Injury time arrived, and with it time for Torquay to equalize – or for The Fleet to gain an extra goal (and me £60 from the bookies for my bet for a 2-0 Ebsfleet Win). But money can’t buy grown men and women crying with happiness as the final whistle went. Well, I am going to spend £35 of the money I did not win and buy a share of something that will give pleasure to many more generations of people in Gravesham, and now through the internet across the world.
Adam Holloway MP
Sweet FA! (Posted 9th May)
FREE live feed of FA Trophy Final for overseas MyFC members
Thanks to a thread started by members (followed up by asbodan, who in turn alerted the web team), the Football Association have accepted our request for a live online feed of the FA Trophy Final for overseas members.
We have passed on your thanks to the FA, who would also like us to acknowledge Sky Sports for providing the feed. An unlimited number of viewers can access the feed and it will be free of charge.
You can watch the FA Trophy HERE
(this link is likely to go live later on today and will show live coverage from approximately 15 minutes before kick off)
MyFC podcast (Posted 3rd May)
Episode 18
Sparky and Jacko are re-united as they look forward to Saturday's big Wembley showdown. There's an indepth look at our opponents Torquay, analysis of recent votes, discussion about the US radio ads plus all the usual member messages.
And here it is:
Episode 18
Here are the previous episodes:
You can also subscribe to our podcast at iTunes. We've been number one already, we're now at 6, so it would be good to hang around those Champion League places. To subscribe to the podcast in iTunes:
1. Go to iTunes
2. Click on iTunes Store
3. Click on 'Power Search' (this is top right of the page)
4. Enter 'myfootballclub' in the title box
5. Click on 'subscribe'.
And then write us a (good) review, please!
We are looking for match reporters and contributors so please get in touch.
Email: MYFC@podme.org
Phone: +44 (0)151 665 2726
Skype: MYFClub
Also we still need more friends! We are Sparkyer and Spartans 53 on the forums.
Thanks
Sparky and Jacko