Club debunks rumours (15.07.05)

Chairman and manager dismiss gossip, as they focus on task ahead

RUMOURS have been flying around York Road in recent days, and like most rumours they have been largely pessimistic.
Subjects have ranged from speculation on the club’s financial situation, to whether recent signings Stephen Hughes and Robert Traynor will actually start the season with the Magpies.
However, club chairman Jon Swan and manager Dennis Greene have dismissed the rumours as tittle-tattle and hearsay.
Regarding the new signings, Swan admitted he had not been closely involved, saying: “I have left it to Dennis to sign the players he wants on the budget we have set.”
However, Greene was unequivocal, saying: “They (Hughes and Traynor) have signed on the dotted line.
“They are fantastic assets for us. They are both fantastic players, they’re both young and I’m sure they had other options, so to get them was a real coup.”
Nonetheless, there is still some concern among the fans that Greene is yet to sign a recognised keeper.
But he claimed negotiations were ongoing with three new players, including a striker, a centre-half and a high quality keeper.
He said: “They have been training with us and we’re looking to sign them.
“If we get those three, added to the others, it looks a much stronger squad than last season.
“I’m really excited about it.”
Swan too was looking forward to the new season
He said: “Dennis has got a good squad. I’m very pleased with the progress he has made so far, and I like the look of a couple of the new signings.
“Dennis has made the decision to change the style of play this season. And what’s really great for him is that he’s starting from scratch and building the squad he wants. It’s going to be an interesting season.”
As always, finances are an issue at York Road, but Swan said there was nothing to panic about, and that cuts to the player budget had healed last season’s cash haemorrhage.
He said: “We are being more restrictive on contracts this year.
“Last year we spent thousands of pounds paying players who were injured.
“We can’t afford to do that again, so we can’t have eight or nine players on contract.
“The budget has been cut from last season, but that had been increased during the year, to accommodate the situation we found ourselves in. Now we’ve brought it back down to the level John Dreyer had.”
Explaining the reasons for the cuts Swan explained that the club had limited sources of revenue.
He said: “As a club we are disadvantaged by having some of the lowest gates in the league.
“Some clubs have 700 at their home games, and we average about 250.
“That equates to as much as £3,000 a game, which works out at £1,500 a week. So we have to rely on personal contributions more than other clubs.”
However, Swan claimed the club’s new sponsors were working hard to address that situation.
He added: “The guys at Pharmalink are doing a great job behind the scenes to support the club. I think we just need to get a few points on the board, and get a few more hundred people through the gate. Then we’ll be set.”
Greene continued this optimistic theme, although his attention was focused firmly on footballing matters.
He said: “Everything’s hunky-dory and I’m looking forward to our first friendly.”
Fans hoping to see some of the new signings in action may have to wait a little longer than expected, however, after the scheduled friendlies against Leyton and Thame were called off.
Greene is trying to fill the breach, and is hoping to arrange a game against Dagenham or Woking.
Meanwhile, Holyport have been pencilled in for July 30, but Greene is still trying to get a celebrity dream team to fill the fixture.
However, the real fun begins when the league campaign kicks-off on August 13 with a trip to old foes Sutton United.
Tricky home games against Newport and Cambridge follow, but Greene remains upbeat.
He said: “Realistically, the fixtures are quite good for us. It could certainly have been a lot worse.
“I don’t think there will be an easy game all season, but Sutton away is winnable, and Newport at home is winnable. Cambridge are a slightly different matter, but we could get something out of it.
“It could have been Thurrock and then Weymouth!
“If you don’t get a win in your first three games you look like you’re in a relegation fight.
“But if you can get seven, eight or nine points everything looks very different.”
Like the chairman, Greene is hoping league success will encourage a few more spectators to get down to York Road and support their local side, and he too praised club sponsors Pharmalink for all the work they were doing behind the scenes.
He said: “If we can get a few of the gates we got at the end of last season it will be a huge boost to the players and the club.”

Club members wanting to get the inside line are invited to the club annual general meeting on Wednesday at York Road in Stripes Bar at 7.30pm.