New people and casual fans want to follow a team who are at least in with a shout of competing in the play-offs or getting to Wembley. It's become a yearly certainty reading about us being the relegation favourites in pre-season predictions. Nobody is going to read that and say, "I can't wait to give watching Wakey a go this season. I might even convince a few more to come along".

The improvement in facilities may increase footfall, it may not. What will really increase footfall is consistent, solid home performances, following up good away wins with home wins, and a string of seasons when we're not trying to survive in the last few games. It's telling that even mid-table mediocrity looks appealing right now.

Michael Carter was in a predicament. He wanted to balance the books but this left no money for investment in the team. The only way he could invest in the team was by getting attendances up. The only way to get attendances up was by investing in the team. And round and round in "relegation favourites" circles we go.

I think that sums us up perfectly. We attracted some good players under Kear/Chester, Kear left and then one by one, so did the players.

I think fans got fed up of hearing the same very season........we need more through the gates. You will not get more through the gates with a budget team.

At some point you have to take a risk......and as far as I'm aware........that never came.

Good luck to MC however. Thankless task and his health will be better for it away from the club.

Huge, huge thanks MC, without you, there may not have been a Wakefield Trinity and certainly not a Wakefield Trinity in SL.
Every fan wants their club to spend, spend, spend and to be successful and MC has copped a fair bit of stick over the years for "not doing more".
However, what he has done for the club has been superb.
From total basket case, in an old shabby ground, to one of the best run clubs in SL and all on a relative shoe string and finally, a "new" stadium to enjoy.
Things look way, way better than they did 10 years ago. Thank you !

Classic catch 22.
The issue, as always is, how do you speculate without the "spare" cash to "gamble" on success ?
Like you, I would love to see more promotion of the club but, equally, when a certain Mr Glover spent big and increased attendances, things ended very, very badly.
Euromillions anyone ?

What is the good Doctor up to these days?

Although attendances increased under Glover, weren't they all free-loaders who walked in through Cats Bar without paying and as soon as they stopped that, attendances went down again ??

Anyway, without wishing to de-rail the thread, I would also like to express my profound thanks to MC for your outstanding efforts over the past 10 years in keeping our club alive and making it a more appealing proposition than the basket case that we were before your tenure at the helm. Regardless of what the future holds for us, I will be forever grateful to you for your blood, sweat and tears and wish you well in your retirement

Would be nice if we could keep him on on a part time retainer basis to keep his knowledgeable eye on " The books", perhaps he has passed some of his fiscal know how on to JM.

Isn't JM an accountant too ??

Yes

How long until he is announced at being on the board for Wakefield AFC?

Wonder if the new owner of Wakefield AFC, has considered investing in us, as they are now moving in.

By all accounts, he, and the company he owns, look to have a quid or two.

The ground is the issue really, as far as I can tell. New stadium that generates income that buys players who attract the crowds. I think what we are getting is three years too late, and we all know the blame doesn't lie with the club as it is at the moment. I think the stadium a few years ago would have attracted the bigger support he was after. It wasn't going to happen with the stadium as it is.

As soon as I saw the IMG criteria, I knew we were done. He must have done too.

The problem is that we are just no longer competitive. I don't expect us to win games anymore, and no one is going to shell out £25 to watch a poor team in a poor stadium.

Chicken and egg, self-fulfilling prophecy, whatever, but he's done a sterling job. The future is grim though.

Idiotic comment as usual.

Underhanded maybe, but idiotic it is not. Football is after all MC's first love is it not?

If MC wants to go do something else, and that something else is be involved in an exciting new footballing venture, who are we to undermine that dream?

I don't think that MC being involved in Wakefield AFC would ultimately be a bad thing actually, read of that what you will.

I'd normally agree but I don't really see anything wrong if Carter wanted to do this.
Clearly Egg doesn't know either way but if that's what he wanted to do then why not.