You can count me in for a contribution if that what it takes....

I believe the term is squadbuilder - although I'm sure we'd be happy with the money going to anything improving the team

I'm in too

Thing is guys, you'd need probably best part of £100k p.a. to fund such a role. Now if 1,000 of us paid £100 each that would do it - for a year - but would you part with that much cash? And thats if 1,000 folk would do it.

We couldn't even get more than a very few hundred at best to sign up for a supporters association for only £5/year.

My guess is that if you got 100 you'd be doing very well - and thats £1,000 each - for a year.

Ain't gonna happen, is it?

But get another 1,000 bodies through the turnstiles every week - and maybe just maybe a bit less negativity all round might help encourage some folk back or even some new folk - and you are well on the way to being able to fund such a role - or, more to the point, reinstate a number of lower-ranking troops who would appear to have been paid off recently.

How about looking at it as any money that goes toward recruitment of players, coaching staff and/or training facilities has got to be a good thing?

No argument with that whatsoever, obviously!

Again, though, just how many would be as commendably selfless and supportive of the club as Debaser and yourself? I suspect you two are very much in a minority though. We saw how apathetic the majority of the fanbase is when we had a supporters' association AND some pretty major issues. Its a thankless job trying to drum up support!

Otherwise, you end up with a small number of dedicated supporters doing a load of work, and giving of their own time and money, and all you get is a load of armchair critics moaning "...why hasn't Bulls' Squadbuilder (or whatever) done x?" Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt...

You get far and away the best multiplier effect by getting more bodies through the turnstiles. Most especially when you get the kids excited, and they get the parents hooked. Like we used to do going back to Peter Deakin's day. This argument has been debated on here pretty regularly, of course.

A big gripe of mine is why the club has never sought to enlist the input and help of the more committed (and responsible) fans - properly and with real involvement, not just on their terms. There will be quite a wide untapped skill-set out there. In a modest way, been there done that too as one or two on here know. If half the passion that was poured out on here could be harnessed to the benefit of the club, I'm sure we could make a difference.

Till the performances pick up the negtivity is always going to be there. Like wise the floating fans aren't going to come back while we are playing like we are.

On the squadbuilder idea AFAIK the club have never sounded out the fans it they would be intreted in the idea. I know the scheme Huddersfield run is very succesful so why couldn't it be here.

At times I do get the feeling that the fans are necessary evil if they could get away with out us they would.

Hi Adey, welcome back I've missed your voice of reason.
Your comment above is valid showing a singular lack by the club in engaging with fans in general, but moreso in blindly ignoring the potential of passionate fans that are qualified to give a commercial input to the club's administration/promotion for FREE.
Do they really think that all their target market (fans) are dumbos not to be trusted? Do they not realise the lengths that some fans woud go to in offering their various skillsets in assisting the club?
If you were not successful with your strenuous attempts to engage them with BISA is anything to go by there is little hope they will respond any better now. But we live in some hope that they do.

The other option (not as good as extra people through the turnstiles though) is for regular fans to spend a bit more in the ground ie game draw tickets, programmes, extra pint of beer etc.

On this I can assure you I am doing my best

Bradford Ultras anyone?

Thanks for that, although in fairness I can be as unreasonable as the next man where I believe injustice is being perpetrated!

Also in fairness, it wasn't so much that the club would not engage with BISA, as much as most of the fans wouldn't - but nor would the latter put forward a viable alternative for engaging with the club. Its easy to complain, but a little less so to do something to make a difference.

The other problem when you ARE able to engage with the club is that you become aware of facts of life that maybe too many supporters would prefer to pretend do not exist. Its the same problem that faces responsible shop stewards.

But yes, I'm sure there are quite a few dedicated supporters who could provide significant leverage to the efforts of the Club's limited personnel - across a range of disciplines. ME, for example, would be nailed-on to help SD with club PR... It would have to be within an agreed framework, of course, and with appropriate limitations.

I suspect that one or two of the club directors (and I am not referring to the Chairman) would view allowing this as utter heresy - maybe also ones who help give Red the understandable impression that "At times I do get the feeling that the fans are necessary evil if they could get away with out us they would".

I've heard it said that one or two directors have referred to the fans as "fickle" - and whilst there is undeniable truth in that (as we have seen demonstrated on here) I really think the club needs to find some more effective way of engaging with the generality of the supporters - and especially with the more dedicated ones - than is currently the case.

And if that smacks of apostasy from me, well its only because, like most of the people who post on here, I care and I want to see this club back where it belongs.

5000 fans giving a tenner does not seem too unrealistic. That's half way there. But agreed, I can't see it happening.