Pegleg, I just come up with a brain fart on how to best describe our sponsorship deal, all thanks to your signature It's like someone going into a pub to buy a pint, only to be sold a glass with no beer in it! Scally must have let go of the balloon
Just wondering if the chairman has something up his sleeve in terms of another sponsor or external investors as surely the lack of revenue will severely hurt us. Perhaps we may end up with a sponsor on the back of shirts for the first time rather than the club charity this season.
My request to Medway Council under the freedom of information act has today been acknowledged. It cites up to 20 days, so the clock has started. I will update everyone if the info is forthcoming.
Ok.. As I said that was what they do. When they say up to they actually will wait the full 20 working days to send a response. They will do that even if someone asks a yes/no question. I suspect that they will come back and say they cant provide the info due to commercial sensitivity but you should not accept this as its bollix. If they do it respond telling them you believe they are failing in their duty to comply with the legislation for political reasons or to cover up possible maladministration.... That will make them jump... Your last line should be that failure to supply the information will result in you raising a complaint to the Information Commissioners Office (they will be providing the details of the ICO when they do respond... they want to look helpful but will try to not provide info if they don't want it out there. If I was you at the point of having to re-request I would be tempted to copy your local paper into all the correspondence. You will be front page news..
What i dont understand is that Mr Scally keeps saying we have no money but will lose Prob 150k for shirt sponsor for one season if There is no money coming from Council. Who is paying for the printing costs and new signs for stadium.
As we know - for ALL the business acumen that Mr.Scally may possess , he does show some remarkable lack of it with many awful decisions he has made whilst with GFC. - -- I am sure you don't want me to bore you with the very long list that I can state. I have to say that my opinion of Mr.Scally ( as it relates to the good for GFC ), continues to diminish. From the time when he paid the princely sum of £ 1 for the Club, he has not used any of his money ( to my knowledge ), to fund anything -- all revenue used for transfers. infrastructure etc has been generated. I have long since concluded that as long as he continues to extract £200,000 - £300,000 of our money each year, he is not going to do anything for us to see another £1 in his pocket -- and when the time comes that he can't squeeze enough blood out of my stone. I wouldn't be surprised to see The Medway Council Yard Stadium, turned into Council housing. -- perhaps the BMS could become a refuse depot ?
Actually quite a valid point you make and i hadn't even considered this basic part of it! You quite rightly ask, who is paying for the new signage and logos on the new shirts if this is a non financial deal. Ok printing costs can be recuperated from shirt sales (ie supporters) but what about all the new signage, who is paying for that? More questions we ask the more we are finding, rather than writing letters to councillors maybe a transparent statement to the supporters would be a more constructive use of time.
Some people seem to love the conspiracy theory, why do people always expect the worst and why is it always the worst that gets reported/talked about? Scally was heavily criticised over the dismissal letter for a former employee, the press including national papers rang every drop of blood from the story blaming it all on PS, when the legal firm who actually drafted the letter excepted responsibility and compensated GFC and so vindicated Scally, how much press/forum coverage did that get? This looks very much the same at the moment, it has been stated that there is no financial consideration in this deal, suddenly everyone starts to suspect that there must be something dodgy going on. Has anyone considered that this deal could have joint benefit to both parties without anything being hidden, it's stated that no money is involved, do we really need information on every community project the joint team will work on, I'm sure that it will all come out in the fullness of time.
Fair points grumpygit However, imagine you had your house up for sale for £500k, someone comes and knocks on your door and says instead of me paying you £500k, you actually give me your house and in return i take your Gills season ticket off you and give it to the local community kids to share. You argue to the caller, but, as much as it is depressing watching the Gills, I will lose 500k and virtually be giving my house away for free! In fact no, i will be giving my house away for free. The caller says, well look at it this way, that's a lovely T Shirt you have on today Mr Grumpygit, how about as way to a deal, we get our name printed across it for you, in fact we will even make up a huge great big sign to go along the front of your house, with our name on to. Mr Grumpygit replies, but still i don't see what is in it for me? Ah, well we strike a hard bargain see Mr Grumpygit but as way of reward....you see that old caravan across in the field, we will give you that for free! Wow, really says Mr Grumpygit, how kind of you, where do i sign? Later that day you meet up with pegleg in the pub to tell him about the hard fought deal you had struck earlier in the day, whilst you are waiting for your pint you see some balloons fly by the open window, the barman then arrives and hands you your pint, just as you are about to sup you find the glass empty! You call barman, barman, my glass is empty (supporters response to the chairman)...the barman replies, look get out, troublemaker, think of the community. As you leave the pub you bump into alwaysright, he asks if you are ok, oh yes Mr Alwaysright, I'm very happy, I've been very charitable today. That's kind replies Mr Alwaysright, in what way? You go on to explain you've given your house away for free to a complete stranger, you gave your ST to the local community, you've got some strangers name printed across your T Shirt for free, you got served a pint glass that was empty, and to top it off you barred from your local boozer not long after seeing some balloons flying pass. Oh well things could always be worse replies Mr Alwaysright, how do you mean replies grumpy....well i was coming up Ito Way when there was a massive explosion, frightened the bleeding life out of me. Wow what happened replied grumpygit...oh someone just blew up a caravan in the field!
grumpygit - whilst I can consider the merits of your 'defence' of Mr.Scally - what is at the heart of the matter is that a 'publically funded ' organisation is involved. When there may be a possibility of our tax money being used - for other than essential services, then, I am sure that each of us can indicate at least one way in which essential services, ( supposedly being paid for out of our taxes), have been cut or withdrawn -- to our own personal detriment. If the sponsor had come from the private sector, I would have no concern for the parties to hide behind any claim of corporate sensitivity for not disclosing all the details of the deal. IF no essential service is at any risk of cuts to its' funding, Medway Council has a public duty to reassure the tax payers - who can only be placated by the disclosure of all relevant figures -- and these figures must include any potential loss of revenue to the Council, if they provide any service or amenity 'in kind.' IF there is absolutely no monetary value to any aspect of the deal - then the Club and Medway Council have nothing to hide - and they DO have a public duty to be open and transparent. IF there is no financial gain ( reduction of costs for amenities etc ), then I seriously question the business ability of Mr.Scally ( other than being able to get more money out of the fans for the huge amount of crap football endured at the new Council 'tip' ) oh - and by the way - I defy anyone to ask the Council to do something for nothing !
brb some people might think your story is a fairy tale -- poor old grumpygit - without a caravan he can't even call himself a true Pikey - you've just made him homeless - I heard that Medway Council have offered him temporary accommodation in the BMS ( don't laugh - because that could happen as part of an initiative to help the Community in Medway as part of the free ticket deal )
I'm hearing in the latest twist to this saga that mr chairman is chasing those balloons all the way across the Atlantic...looking for an investor. I wonder if the next deal will be financial <cough>
Good afternoon Please see attached Medway Council’s response to your Freedom of Information Request Kind regards ******* Information Governance Apprentice Medway Council and Gravesham Borough Council Gun Wharf Dock Road Chatham ME4 4TR www.medway.gov.uk [email protected] 01634 ****** Freedom of Information Request Response: Medway Council can confirm that the response to this request has been refused under section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act (2000). Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act, applies to information that can be accessed through other means. In this instance the information you have requested is available: https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200138/your_council/148/freedom_of_information_act_2000/4 https://www.medway.gov.uk/downloads/file/2689/gillingham_football_club_agreement Gillingham Football Club agreement Freedom of information request documents File type: PDF Size: 3.47 MB Download ^^^^ not606 members this is worth downloading, it's a copy of a letter to our Chairman. It states in schedule 13 - That GFC will continue to pay rent for the Northern Plateau It states in schedule 15 - That Medway Council and GFC will enter into constructive discussions in regards to Beechings Cross (it does not specify the exact area). It appears we are getting the use of the Southern Plateau for one peppercorn if demanded (no i never made that up!). There is a map you can download to understand the geography better.
brb - thank you for your efforts - I would have given you a 'like', but as I don't like the response from Medway Council, you'll have to receive a 'non-beneficial ' like instead. This ' non-beneficial' like won't cost me anything - but the award of it will reach further, for you, than any other like that can be registered in your profile ( or in terms of 'hard cash ).....................
.............. and being a little more serious : I am not totally convinced that there is absolutely NO financial implication to the Medway tax payer. The 'reply' implies that the fields, being 'offered' by the Council are probably at a reduced rate. The Council may defend this by stating that the fields are / would be, "otherwise largely unused." - but how fair is this discount to those who rent the fields at the full price ? Also, as brb stated earlier, who is paying for the change to the infrastructure at the ground ? I still hope that the answer is not Medway Council -- BUT -- perhaps, most importantly -- If I am now to categorically believe that Mr.Scally and Medway Council have not, and nor, will exchange any cash, then I stand by my previous accusation that this piece of business is very poor for GFC - who, under the terms of the 'deal', seem to have taken on the role of a Social Worker for sections of the Community. I am quite happy for GFC to 'engage' with the community - and to provide all sorts of 'opportunities' to assist (genuine) under-privileged members of the local population - and even provide some free tickets to matches, - BUT -This should not be at the expense of missing out on a proper sponsorship deal -- you know, where the Club actually receives some cash - not end up paying to help upkeep the same pitches for which it will pay rent (( Scally's words - not mine )) - as well as the financial burden to the Club for the change to the infrastructure at Priestfield Stadium, and the financial burden to its' supporters in paying to get in the ground - when others are getting freebies ---and, of course, let's not forget - Medway Council are not the only ones for whom there is no financial burden - because you'll remember me ,(keep on) saying, that GFC has only cost Mr.Scally one £ of his own money - well that hasn't changed - ( nor his colossal 'consultation fees ' each year ) - SO - THE REAL SPONSORS OF GILLINGHAM FOOTBALL CLUB are : you and me.
As I am now the new sponsor of Gillingham Football Club, I would like the ground to change its' name for next season. I wish it to be known as: AlwaysRight Stadium, England (A.R.S.E.) - because that is what PDS has made of me !
Offer them two peppercorns to take over the lease next year! If I am reading that right Medway council are going to maintain the pitches. How are they doing that at zero cost, Something stinks.... not sure what Get the local paper or better still private eye involved..... The letters are apparently in the public domain without your FOI so they can be published
chippy - actually Scally has stated that GFC will be helping to improve the standard of the pitches ( obviously at the Club expense - and probably by not playing football on them ). As I have said, I am happy for the Club to 'help' the local community - but any deal for a proper sponsor should involve money coming in to the Club. It's a pity that I quite like the new kit - because for as long as Scally has been at the Club, I have always bought one ( or three ), for me and my sons each time a new shirt has been available. If Scally can't be bothered to attract a proper sponsor - then he obviously doesn't need (more ) of my money - so I shan't bother nest season - I shall savour the privilage of paying for my 2 year season ticket - whilst others will get freebies - again
