Walsallone wrote:5 of the team who started yesterday came through our youth system so whats all this nonsense about not being a football club!!! I am proud we produce our own and long may it continue.
The free hold issue needs resolving and we all know that but perhaps someone could explain the protesters strategy to me? I just don't get..12 people standing outside throughout the game and at the best estimate around 100 chanting "Bonser out" at the end!! How does this help to resolve the key issue? It also mean't that the players especially Liam Roberts went off with some of the fans not showing their appreciation. How sad is that?
Agree with a lot in there. Especially the bit about Roberts reception at the end. It was a bit sad.
But you could argue that yesterday's team contained so many of last year's reserves because the manager has completely mis-spent budget rather than it being a glowing testimony of our youth policy/philosophy. We can't keep applauding the latest version of Walsall FC strategic narrative without looking a tad deeper. Roberts, Kinsella, Flanagan and Bakayoko started because Gillespie, Devlin, Flo and Jackson haven't worked out rather than because last year's reserves were like United's class of '92.
And the thing about the protest is that it is a reminder that the customers of the football bit are different. We care. On all the other parts of Walsall FC if we don't deliver, the customers won't turn up in the cold to make a point, they will just go elsewhere. They don't have in their hearts the hope that The Venue can become the best Conference provider in the country, they aren't willing it to be the best it can be for their fore-bares to enjoy. Whereas football fans do care. To the point they will still turn up and deprive themselves of all or part of the product to make a point to try to influence improvement. That is some commitment and a commitment the club should notice and engage with. Otherwise more of the football customers will act like customers of the other bits of the club and if they aren't happy just not turn up at all.
We need diverse income streams. We absolutely do and we do it well. Just don't take the fans of the "core business" for granted because we aren't far from many fans just saying "Walsall FC -why? What is it for? What is its purpose? And why should I bother?