Evening all Well, I have contacted the Suffolk Punch Trust...yes, it exists, and they are low season/part-time office manned during November, but seemingly busy and well developed charity at Hollesly...and I have left a message and emailed them with a proposal. Good website too. I hope you all approve, as it seems there are quite a few members/supporters who liked this idea. In brief, the proposal is at early idea stage and can be worked up if we get an encouraging response. We have a magnificent White Horse on all corporate branding/flag, kit etc. We are rightly proud of our rural/agricultural heritage One of the finest teams with enviable track record for a smallun' Provided 2 English famous managers We would be pleased to showcase a spendid Suffolk Punch around/by the side of the pitch at Home matches - if the Club directors/marketing people approve the plan - they have small carriages and go out occasionally The partnership & association to be developed.....we believe this plan would be well received and with due publicity could be met wth enthusiastic response from supporters The Club & members can pledge charitable donations according to people's own choice and pockets. This will be mightily welcome by them - they breed and and train them, as well provide Family days, exhibits, Working days etc. One outcome could be that in time, we all decide to drop Tractor Boys ( this is an individual thing I know) and change to another Nickname. Press the media and others to listen. Take a ballot to shape and present a fresh Name. This feature activity would be bound to attract local and national media as a magnificant Punch paraded around the ground...perhaps dressed out in Blue! It will attract much comment - back to our Grass Roots stuff. The carriage could also take a VIP, Mascott, Gest of honour...regular Fans of note...the humble likes of you and me after ballot etc. Several issues to consider: 1. Is there enough perimeter grass by the pitch to allow room for a small carriage & Horse? 2. Who would be interested in taking this to the Club Office...directors, once the Plan is sufficiently worked up. ( I am happy to do this but nice to have AN Others. 3 would be ideal. My background is project management...fundraising...sponsorship etc in recent years) 3. How do you think the Club will respond? I am not familiar with their present charitable causes. 4. Costs involved to be worked out and apportioned between Club & Trust...transport, staff etc. 4. Do you all think this worth a Go 5. I tend to appraise a scheme and only take it on ( in the voluntary sector) if I think it has legs...this does ..and fetlocks whatever they are!...in my view. I am coming up after Xmas with the lady to stay for a few days break...but would journey up before if there was a meeting organised. As a starter, lets see if I get any smoke signals from the Trust. Thoughts please?
on your issues 1) It aint a small horse but a horse without a cart shouldn't be a problem 2) probably need someone with a better ability to put an idea across than me 3) They have been tossers recently on most things -maybe a change at the top has helped 4 you have two 4's! the first I cant guess on but would imagine the SPT has a regular set of people who get involved in the transportation etc and off course the idea would raise their awareness of their plight. shouldn't be too expensive I would have thought. the other 4 - definitely worth a go 5)presently wouldn't have the time to help out properly but willing to be active where possible don't wish to knowing about you coming up with your missus! (oou err! - sorry nothing like a good dose of innuendo) but I look forward to reading about any future developments.
Many thanks TB...very helpful. Sorry bout the 2 4's...was in haste before friend came round. The only reason I mentioned coming up to Suffolk is that I would be free to meet up with anyone to discuss this plan further. Nothing wrong with halthy inuendos! Any arranged meeting would need to be properly organised with agenda and sense of purpose, as 150 miles is some distance. Cheers mate.
The numbering of my points doesn't relate to yours gaffer. 1a) First port of call would be for some people to take some photos of the perimeter (or perhaps we can ascertain this from recent highlights video footage) so we can figure out whether there is space for an enormous horse. You may find that behind the goals the net is staked into the ground and it's impossible. 1b) Somebody needs to be consulted about the impact of 20,000 noisy people and a few potentially aggressive people on the welfare of the animal and if it becomes regular on a more tense atmosphere inside the ground. 2) You are far more likely to drum up interest with the club if there is a strong body of support in terms of thousands of fans behind it. 3) Almost every Ipswich Town fan will back this. 4) I can make no commitment to help in an official capacity in terms of my time or involvement but I will do what I can to support. 5) I would bear in mind that although the club supports charitable causes these are likely to be tied in for a while, based around business relationships so I would draw a distinction between the use and awareness of the Suffolk Punch and the benefit to the Trust in terms of exposure against the likelihood of the club supporting it from a charitable angle. I'm not saying that the second won't happen but I would evaluate them as separate proposals. 6) I think the initial proposal should be about interest and feasibility from relevant parties which would enable far more accurate numbers to be ascertained than making assumptions in advance. 7) So the objections you are likely to hear whilst presenting the proposal will be 1) logistics, 2) safety and welfare, 3) impact on other charitable operations. 8) The most important benefit to the club is enhancing matchdays and enhancing them to a huge degree, plus enhancing the brand and public relations. 9) The benefit to the Suffolk Punch trust, even without charitable support is exposure and potential significant income from its animal on matchdays. 10) I think it's well worth establishing some of this information and gathering thoughts before making a decision on whether to commit serious time to it. Hope some of that is useful.
Great post Gaffer and a big thankyou for putting in the time and effort. I fear that the Health n Safety Nazis will not allow an animal into the stadium and I know for sure that the groundsman (or should that be groundsperson) will have a 1000 fits if hooves were allowed onto his or hers (delete if applicable) beautifully manicured pitch! The perimeter is not wide enough around the ground which brings me onto another point. The managers dugouts are nothing short of a bloody disgrace and an embarassment to the club! They should be made larger and have some roofing! If it means taking out some rows of seating then so be it. Afterall its not as if those seats behind are being used every week. I am not being negative but this great idea will be pissed on by all and sundry!
Warky I would agree with you if it were any other idea, but this is a bloody brilliant one that I think could have legs if the horse being inside the stadium thing can work. I agree there's no way it would be allowed onto the turf unless it was on the last day of the season before the pitch was relaid, but that's not enough to make it viable. are you certain there's not a comfortable amount of space around the perimeter?
they have the carts which take the warm up goals off the pitch so I would imagine there would be room - will try to have a better look this afternoon
Good morning all Many thanks for comments to date - all positive and Hamps makes some excellent additional points. First up, is our ongoing recce of the ground, pitch etc. if someone can take a photo or two, and scribble the odd notes, of potential safe walk-abouts inside & outside the ground, that would be a fine start. Hamps is right - we need to build a concensus of support with practical worked up proposals over a few weeks, and then consider an approach to the Club. I no longer have any direct hits. Sheepshanks was mine years ago....! I shall go and draw up a simple Project plan, and am very happy to give this time,energy and to travel up for any meetings; I am semi-retired and very keen with your support and enthusiasm and any skills & knowledge you an all bring to the trough...sorry..table, that would be very helpful. And special thanks to Warky for setting us off on this course! Hope you all enjoy today's game...I have a feeling it could be another season/ years ahead defining match, if MM pulls a similar trick out the bag for subs and tactics....if only! I am with you all...and that poor departed soul who will be well remembered this afternoon.
How do we get to pass on our real contact details outside of the forum? Or am I being plain dumb? have always wondered, as lour communications and simple step planning would be much easier via email/tel. I do appreciate that some simply do not have the time, but can still enthuse, comment and guide us along the way. I feel its such a cracking idea...and that Town officials might well sit up and thing " Why the ffs didnt we think of that!"
Presumably the best way would be to share details by PM on here. Living up in Wales it's highly unlikely I'll be of much use beyond sharing ideas but still willing to be a part of it.
Great idea and good luck(although I share the fears about H&S madness) If it fails I've a couple of alternative suggestions: 1)Dress up some gimp in a cheap blue and white My Little Pony outfit ,they could even have a "cool" sidekick with wicked shades and a streetname like Baaaadmuthaaa to appeal to the kids...oh yeah we've already been there! 2)Get Delaney back on loan and put a saddle and harness on him, parade him round the perimeter, no-one would notice the difference!
If you need a few cart horses to parade on your pitch. Get up to Elland Road we still have half a dozen that Warnock brought in " to do a job"! Damn and blast big al beat me to it. Lol
Health and Safety is not even really about not doing dangerous things. It just means that if you do anything that is generally perfectly safe you have shown that you have thought of some extreme things that can go wrong before you do it. Now then the campaign needs a name / tagline. I'm not suggesting we use these but to kick off: Putting the Punch back into Suffolk; The Suffolk Punch: Pride of Anglia. Gaffer - you can send anyone a private message by clicking on their username on here and then clicking private message down the left hand side. But I can set up an email account for people to email to share their information if that's easier.
Thanks Hamps thats very sensible and I see how to do that. Big Al...I love it...there is plenty of scope to set up loads of crittas...donkeys....et al! But I shall try to stick to Plan A, and I am getting a good response on here. Please dont be put off those who live miles away - you are just as important in following this scheme, contributing ideas as and when. I feel bad at not attending as many games I would like, but the 300 mile round trip is just very expensive and I have other things in my life. Hamps- I do like the first Campaign id. proposals! I can see another upcoming headline soon...Horses or Tractors! I have begun working up a proper project plan and will share it here first...then start messaging/emailing those who join Hamps excellent idea of an email account. I look forward to anyone's thoughts on the Pitch surrounds inside/Outside ground theme later on. I think someone's alternative of Outside where we all swell, chat and drink at half time...is a good Plan B. But would lack the focus, the attention and the impact of in the ground under full spotlight and parading around the park. I am hopeful that we can perhaps lead One horse...if not the full carriage Monty. Who knows, we might all meet up one day at Rileys...that would be nice. 1st round on me as I shall need it by then!
Have set up an email account. By sending an email or any details I will assume you're happy to share that information with the rest of the group. I will be careful to verify anyone I'm suspicious of but accept no liability if one of them turns out to be more of a nutcase than myself. [email protected]
Thanks for that Hampy and lots of good comments to date. Before I too switch to the email account/PMs on here, I shall give a brief update as where we are at moment. Received very positive email from Chief Exec of the Suffolk Punch Trust...while on holiday. She would welcome a meeting to talk thru things. I am in midst of drawing up a project plan for us to refer to, add, comment and above all Action! I shall now migrate to the email account, where all shall be revealed. I shal also give updates on this forum as members feel inclined to read about our progress, and amybe contribute in some way. Has anyone who was at the match yesterday any further notes or thoughts on the suitability/practicality of the ground for trundling a Horse around - all agree that it has to be off the playing surface. Back to the game itself - I share most people's views on the need to give us an attacking line-up to start with...get some fluency, confidence,a goal or three...keep the shape, and then, only then, sub on more defensive players later to shore up. MM makes predictable changes too little too late yesterday from what I heard, and Mick Mills says he too would prefer to see new faces in the middle now. Especially Chambers et al! With Cressy back, we hopefully will push on again. Wish he had been there yesterday. Clearly misse his pinpoint passess and energy/creativity...steep learning curve for Mings. But, all in all, a fairly predictable result and not the end of the world. I also believe we must all realise that we are about where we should be...top half...but not play-offs. But still disppointed as we have let quite few games get away from us...losing points perhaps as many as 6-8 that we should have taken. To sum up, in next window, give us some cash and get in 2-3 top players, and give us something to watch 2nd half this season, and push on to really compete next...
