While it’s frustrating, I reckon at the moment we score between around 0.4-0.5 from a possible max of 1 point for stadium utilisation, no reason we couldn’t average around 15K if we had a competing side, that would take us to 0.6 points, I doubt IMG will be around for another 3 year cycle but that’s not the point.

For perspective after a quick look at last years attendances as a rough average it looks like Leeds (highest overall graded side initially) will score around 0.6-7 for the same criteria. Wigan will be around 0.5-6, Saints around 0.7 of a point. Those are the benchmark clubs, I doubt they’ll be too bothered about not getting the full point. Rovers will likely score near the full 1 point, but they’d still love a bigger ground though and I’m sure they’d sacrifice 0.2 of a point for extra revenue.

Long winded post but the point being that the reason we are not a grade A club is mostly down to poor performance on the field and horrendous salary cap management. Get the other stuff right that’s within our control and missing out on a max 0.75% of a single point on the stadium becomes much less significant.

With regards the IMG gradings, I would hope there is another phase of grading in the next 3 years.

I think all SL clubs should have a min capacity of 12k with the aim getting clubs towards 15k in the future. There is no point in just growing the game on social media, clubs need to keep growing the number of fans attending games.

SL crowds across the board are actually a lot healthier across the board than league attendances in the 80’s and 90’s. Challenge Cup and Play Off crowds struggle more.

Also there should be attention given to clubs who run Academies. It’s great that there has been ground improvements with scoreboards and advertising boards, but I’m still amazed player development has been ignored as is needed to sustain the future of the game.

Medical treatment costs increased by £100,000. Hardly surprising when staff budgets are slashed by 50%... This is exactly what happens, when cost cutting occurs.. https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/r ... 1729570352

Medical treatment costs increased by £100,000. Hardly surprising when staff budgets are slashed by 50%... This is exactly what happens, when cost cutting occurs.. https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/r ... 1729570352

Quote ="weaver93"Medical treatment costs increased by £100,000. Hardly surprising when staff budgets are slashed by 50%... This is exactly what happens, when cost cutting occurs.. https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/r ... 1729570352'" He really is insulting our intelligence now...cuts back on back room staff now complaining that we've had to pay high medical bills as a result. And where's the update on the covid loan payoff? And the takeover/investment? This bloke is taking us for a ride now, he'll shut up again after next weekend when the pass deadline has gone

Quote ="weaver93"Medical treatment costs increased by £100,000. Hardly surprising when staff budgets are slashed by 50%... This is exactly what happens, when cost cutting occurs.. https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/r ... 1729570352'" He really is insulting our intelligence now...cuts back on back room staff now complaining that we've had to pay high medical bills as a result. And where's the update on the covid loan payoff? And the takeover/investment? This bloke is taking us for a ride now, he'll shut up again after next weekend when the pass deadline has gone

Dan turning off comments on the article too, embarrassing really.

Just glad to see people are starting to realise the damage AP has done.

Carty here by the end of the week.

Don’t cut support staff budgets, then moan about the direct cost of that.
He’s unfortunately ruining his legacy of 2016 and 2017.
I still haven’t heard any contrition for the last five years, which culminated in whatever last season was.
There’s been a real lack of openness and we’ve all been taken for granted. The shtick has grown old now, and I’m bored of hearing it.
How many other clubs would get the numbers we do to watch the performances we’ve witnessed?

What finished it for me is the completed lack of professionalism this week, with his comments around his failed investment.
To use some of the words he did, when he has daughters himself, was pretty poor to say the least.

To be fair, whenever I look at the comments on the HDM site for articles about us, it largely appears to be Rovers fans trolling so I can't say I'm fussed about them turning the comments off.

His LinkedIn comments looked like those of a desperate man who's lost even more cash. I also thought he didn't look well on his photos with the Women's team (though I do appreciate it's 24 years since he arrived in this City and time catches up with all of us)

But overall he can't mismanage the club, lead it to 2nd bottom and a B grade licence then complain that the 'repair' bill is getting higher. It's like choosing not to service your car then moaning when a new engine is required years later.

It does have a “last days of Berlin” feel about it at the moment.

To be fair it was obvious that the Covid situation has really done us as a club, can’t see what AP could have done about that. He tired to gamble cutting costs on backroom staff for a few years now and that’s hasn’t paid off and the ultimate last throw of the dice was the ‘young and unproven’ recruitment strategy for this season that failed miserably. The numbers don’t add up he’s had to cut back somewhere, he’s ultimately made some terrible decisions though under that pressure.

Still don’t get the anger and hate towards him, but it’s obvious we need a change of ownership now. He’ll always be playing catch up and the atmosphere will just get more and more toxic the further we slide down.

I just don’t see who’s going to buy what’s essentially just a squad of poor players. Get off to decent start to the season, keep steady crowds and maybe we become a more attractive proposition to someone. We really need some clarity on the ‘investment’ situation, we’ve obviously decided to put more money into backroom stuff again from whatever the ‘capital injection’ has been made available to the club but I’m guessing this will need to be paid back at some point.

I think that the anger, hate and toxicity is largely down to two points that you mention: terrible decisions and sliding down the table. As fans we can only watch these things unfurl and are helpless at preventing them as we're not involved in the actual running of the club. So questions get asked about those that are running the club when things go wrong. And when things continue to go wrong, that's what generates the anger. I'm not saying I agree with it all but I can understand why it's built up as it has.

One other thing that I think has caused the toxicity and stuff is that there seems to be a lack of accountability and transparency from the club, particularly our owner. Today's case in point, AP bemoans the huge medical bills that the club have incurred but won't hold his hand up and admit that a big part of the reason we have such high bills is because he reduced the backroom medical staff in the first place. Instead he's making it sound like it's been bad luck and the improvements to the staff now occurring are forward thinking and savvy moves.

Will be interesting to see what comes out of the fans forum in a few weeks regarding things like the investment, lease agreements, the Covid loan etc but I fear it will largely be all smoke and mirrors.

I agree with both posts on this matter and as someone running a business myself that went through the Covid situation of having to pay out when having no income I do have a degree of sympathy for AP. Regardless of whether we think his decisions have been good, bad or indifferent pre/post and and during Covid its thanks to him we still have a club at least.

I totally agree with RR in that there is a level of toxicity or bitterness within the fanbase which has been created by AP simply not addressing things and being open about the situation. Instead he gave false promise's as he has been Hull FC owner long enough not to be so naive about the workings of the club and game. I do think he was lead down the garden path by Smith which has also added to the discontentment.

The only way forward if AP is still to be the owner or an integral part of the club is for brutal honesty from AP/The Club about the situation, a genuine apology from AP and no more smoke and mirrors as that just insults the intelligence.

The time for excuses for me stopped when the 2024 season finished.

The biggest issue for me is the lack of communication. For example he has repeatedly said last years squad was at 'full cap' when logic suggests cuts were made to strengthen finances.

He made it clear the covid loan was a drain in the club, told us when it was due to be paid back, but then hasn't confirmed if it has or not.

I understand that when passes for 2024 went on sale he couldn't say 'sorry guys I'm cutting corners and risk is we will drop down the table' but there's a middle ground between that and telling us the club is still being funded fully and all our issues are bad luck.

Absolutely this.

Time for Pearson to move on, say thanks for those two or so years of success, saving us from Kath, getting us through covid years and hopefully getting new investment.

That was something I was going to mention as well in my earlier post regarding things creating the toxicity, anger, hate etc and you and Chris71 have mentioned it: false promises. I don't know if we were at full cap or not and to be honest I'm not sure whether I find it more palatable that our owner lied to us or whether it would be better to believe that we so badly misspent the cap.

But whilst something like that is debatable, the bullish promises about being competitive and then serving up what we did just aren't up for debate. That's something he has been guilty of for a number of years. Fair enough, he's got pass sales to think of as you say and even generating enough interest for pay at the gate supporters to attend. But I think to repeatedly make such statements and then failing to deliver has added to the toxicity that is around.

Without a doubt! Public relations are not in good shape at all.

Last few years have been s.hite all round from the bottom up. Personally think there will be a few announcements over the coming weeks/ months . It does feel to me like a full restart for the club. Think it will be small steps and I don't think we will be in the top 6 next year. But expect us to be more competitive all round. Maybe get lucky in the CC and get a decent run. It's the hope that kills you

Its not just a squad of poor average players,its an ageing squad with several injury prone players and even the best backroom conditioning and physios wont be able to prevent them spending too much time sitting in the stands nursing injuries.
Can see this team being competitve for early season matches but not picking up many wins then falling off a cliff.

keep ironing the shirt

Not like you to be negative

The best examples of injury prone players are Cator, Scott, Truman, Sutcliffe and Carlos?

All of whom have left and been replaced by players who, more often than not, are available for selection!

The bit I've highlighted in bold you'd have to think its probably a bit of both. Looking at the squad build by Smith for 2024 can't seriously have been at full cap level, but if it genuinely has then the Cap Management has been scandalous. I'd think most likely we were operating below cap but maybe not by a lot all of which is an indication of why we were so poor and players on deals getting moved by Myler after his arrival.

AP had either been too trusting and handed over far too much control to Clark & Smith, taken his eye off the ball or just simply been dishonest or hiding the facts from the fans. I'd like to think and hope that it hasn't been the latter.

All I know is that there haven't just been a few changes taking place but almost a total root and branch overhaul of the club both on and off the field so surely the only way to go now from here on in is upwards.

Well at least YOU willl have something to celebrate.