retired_w0lfpack1

Oh, how long until the construction is complete?

retired_luz.carranza

To everyone saying that it's a bit off the board being angry with you when they've "invested" in a stadium expansion.

I'm not sure this really is a "bug", the board aren't really going to admit their errors and are looking for a scapegoat. I'd say this is quite realistic.

I've never been sure if this will work (because I'm not good enough tactically to pull it off), but I've often wondered if you play open attacking football, whether you draw bigger crowds?

retired_w0lfpack1

Yeah, in theory, that's how fandays work. If you thrill them with open, attacking football on that one day, you should get better attendance as a result.

retired_luz.carranza

Yeah, I knew that (was in the blog I think), but does it work at other times so there is a more gradual trend towards increasing numbers of fans if you are good to watch?

Like I say, I'm unable to prove this myself, but I always struggle to get fans and I play pretty boring conservative football because thats what I'm good at. So I have some evidence of the opposite effect.

retired_lmkalton

Thanks for the post! The stadium expansion was completed in January 2008 (It's July 2008 now) but attendances are averaging 1000 and the highest is usualy 3,000 :-( with the lowest being 172!

I have tried selling a few players and bringing in loans (free) instead. I thelps but only slightly. We are paying waaaaay too much interest.

I'm hoping for as you said 1 2 or 4! I'm pretty amazed that we managed to stay clear of relegation as you said, but it would be sad to leave the club now being sacked or being pulled into administration :-(

Fingers crossed!

retired_lmkalton

Into October now and the debt is still mounting. About -£1,500,00 now and our bank status is "insecure".

Fingers still crossed but board has not restructured anything....

jonnyboy2300

welcome to lower league football. one thing i try is parent club.. then friendlys as many as possible in all the breaks (at home) to make extra revenue, its not cheating, its well known in the real world.
dagenham and redbridge have held pointless games just to earn a few quid.

retired_lmkalton

Some news:

I have accepted a bid of £2.5 mil for a player I bought a month ago. Some Japanese kid who is going to be a good player. It's not what I wanted but I had to do something to get out of debt. The money should come in January and we shall see what happens then. I hope I did the right thing!

retired_w0lfpack1

That does sound like you did the right thing.

One of my most enjoyable FM's was one where I was stuck on a "hemorrhaging money" team like this one, and wound up doing exactly that - selling the kid I thought was my most promising youth, just to pay the bills.

Unlike, say, managing a world-beater and being able to buy anybody, you're really battling with resource constraints that any RL manager would appreciate.

retired_kvanesse

If you get any more decent bids then try renegotiating the structure of the payments. If your club is in long term financial trouble then structured fees will be more useful. Managing a semi-pro Swiss team, I would that players who teams were only offering 10-15k up front could fetch in up to 100k over 24months. A couple of big fees over 24 months could secure your financial future for the next 2 years until you have established yourself in your new division.

I would also recommend heavily trimming your squad of fringe players. I usually run a squad of 16 senior players plus maybe 4 or 5 more loanees on zero wages.

As already mentioned, high profile friendlies (must be home games) are a great way of generating finances. League/Cup friendly tournaments are even better as you also get gate receipts from the games not involving your team, since they are played on your ground.