Quote:
Originally Posted by deeayess
Taxis, food and drink would be restricted to a very small window once a week on average and probably only cover a couple of hours before and maybe an hour after if that.
People in general are creatures of habit and will drink in their usual pub, get the first taxi they can and if they choose food will expect it quickly.
Does the Crown make much of a profit over a week and would it take as much if there was an alternative?
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They dont have to be exclusive to a matchday though Duncan. Taxi's for example, Yes they would have exclusive rights to ferry people away from the ground (away fans @ £5 to the train station), but they would operate 7 days a week and be advertising our name. Buses, Specifically to bring in the people from Clitheroe or Darwen or Haslingden. Not profit making on their own but it would bring 30 people to the ground earlier, and stop later thus incurring its own profit. They too could then be put to use for other things such as the academy, do we spend money on transport during training? they could also bid for school contracts as well.
As far as pubs or catering establishments are concerned, yes they would be competing with other businesses. As I said, there's nothing to stop you or me from opening a competing business so there's nothing other than goodwill to stop Stanley from doing it. Why not take over a failing town centre pub? It doesn't necessarily mean that it will fail under our banner but it becomes another town centre establishment where tickets and information can be obtained. It could also be put to use for conferencing type meetings in the mornings. It could also become a main town centre meeting point prior to Stan Lee Buses ferrying you all up to The Crown. A catering business (or the pub itself) can supply better food for the Corporate dining, it could supply food for the Stan Lee owned burger bars on the ground and any waste could be put to use the following day rather than just becoming a statistic on the loss ledger.
For me, it's not necessarily The blueprint for how our club can prosper, but rather an outloud thought about how we need to think outside of the box.
But I will run with it and expand on how the conversation would go at Board level.
"Accyweb, Macca come up with an idea about how we should buy up all the town centre businesses and compete with others"
"it'd cost a fortune and upset some of our sponsors"
"drop the idea?
"yep"
If upsetting some sponsors really is a consideration then we could find ways of working with them rather than against them. For example with the taxis, Max Cabs would charge £2.50 to the train station and I personally would aim for a fiver with away fans who would be the prime target. Max get exclusive rights and keep the £2.50. We get £2.50 for doing nowt. Max put our sticker on their cars and pay us for the privilege, we push their rank above all others (fans need to join in the push).
Another pub wouldn't harm the other pubs in the slightest, the lack of pubs means a worse nightlife thus less people go out.
Lancashire Life has a list of restaurants in the county that offer fine dining - there are no listings for Accrington at all.
Ilyas Khan had the idea that a new ground could incorporate a hotel (can't see itself meself), does Accrington need a hotel? Well let's build it under the Stanley name. We instantly don't need to spend money on putting new players up and we can earn money. Yes Travelodge have the brand name that would bring its own customers in anyway, but we have 23 opportunities a year to fill the rooms to away fans.
None of these ideas are necessarily the best ones, merely examples. Stanley could (in theory) rebuild the town all by itself regardless of what help the council could offer.
Where does the money come from? Any money put into the Crown Ground could in theory be wasted money. Whinney Hill stand does not
need to be built, £660,000 could quite easily be invested into a handful of ideas that are collective nous could be brought to bear upon. Small businesses often don't appear fruitful for a long time as the owner can't invest enough money into it to get it off the ground at the right speed, it has to be done slowly and organicly, reinvesting profits rather than drawing wages. We in thoery could throw money at things to get them going right away and at the desired level of profit.