Weekly Briefing

May 15, 2022

• Was shown in draft form at the meeting
• Broken into eight main parts
• Calls for responsible owners who will be able to run the club along sustainable lines
• Calls for fans to be listened to and their views taken into account when decisions are made
• Wants to see recommendations of the Government review into football fully implemented
• Improve lines of communication between owners of football club and its supporters
• Make Brunton Park a welcoming place for all fans
• Improve reporting and transparency on financial side
• Some criticism of lack of targets in the draft version

• Was well received by those who took part
• Will be brought back next year
• Will aim to make it a bigger event
• Praise given to people who helped like Ross Parkinson and Tracy Gannon

• Members' meetings to be organised more regularly
• Sub-committees already in place on an 'as needed' basis
• More volunteers to be sought out (don't need to become board members)

• New shirt sponsors announced earlier in the day
• New commercial manager and club shop manager positions advertised
• Tribute paid to John Watt for their work on catering this season
• Fan Zone has been a success and will be expanded for next season

• Billy as Holdings rep is continuing attempts to get movement on the PurePay debt
• CUOSC is not considered a barrier to new investment
• Owners are seeking new investment and are not asking for money for their shares
• The situation with the PurePay debt has to be addressed by all owners not just CUOSC
• CUOSC have met with people willing to offer help in finding investment routes
• Billy involved in decision to increase match ticket price by £2
• Increase in price was needed to help support football side
• Billy said that without CUOSC involvement recent changes on football side would not have happened

• CUOSC members need to decide what sort of organisation it wants to be regarding fundraising
• Carlisle REUnited funds still in place are being aimed at improving the Fan Zone infrastructure

• Legal and fundraising skills are being sought
• Present board has significant experience in areas such as sales, marketing, financial, media, business ownership and IT
• Time needed to devote to the board is a barrier
• CUOSC will spell out the amount of time and resource needed to be a participating board member

• 550+ members as things stand
• Plans to improve joining process being progressed
• Potential to work with club to promote benefits of membership
• A more visible presence being looked at for next season on match days
• Tiered membership plan is being worked on as a way to generate more income

• Criticism aired over CUOSC use of social media
• CUOSC engagement policy adopted and communicated already
• Questions answered via email
• Answers usually shared via weekly briefings
• Support for more regular surveys of members/fans

• The family zone area is reserved for those with East Stand tickets
• Activities for children in the fan zone will be increased for those who are in other parts of the ground

The close season kicked off this week with a ‘mad Monday’ as Blues fans were given plenty of hot topics to talk about.

The club’s retained list always stirs up interest and with goalkeeper Mark Howard a surprise inclusion among the eight players released there was much to debate.

The night before he had scooped five Player-of-the-Season awards – including CUOSC’s – at the club’s awards ceremony at the Halston Hotel.

Howard admitted afterwards he had no idea where he would be next season, so perhaps, he already had an inkling it wouldn’t be a Brunton Park.

However, he leaves with the best wishes of all supporters and with the accolade of his team-mates, who also voted him Player-of-the-Season.

Howard said: “I have had a great connection with the fanbase. But to also win an award voted on by your peers means so much. I’m very humbled.”

Then just as fans were beginning to digest the retained list came the shock news that former boss Greg Abbott had returned to Brunton Park as head of recruitment.

Manager Paul Simpson said he was delighted to get someone “who knows what it’s like to be part of Carlisle United.”

He is looking to Abbott’s extensive knowledge of lower league football to help him bolster his squad with at least six new players.

Let’s hope we have found the winning formula we have been looking for. Simpson was the last man to win promotion with the Blues in 2006 while Abbott was the last man to bring silverware to Brunton Park in 2011 when we won the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

Simpson clearly believes we are at the start of a good journey and wants the fans and businesses to get behind the team. A few sceptics have said they have heard it all before. They may have done – but not from Simpson. And after his success in keeping the Blues in the League he deserves nothing less.

Another bit of good news that almost crept under the radar on Monday was that goalkeeping coach Paul Gerrard has agreed to extend his stay meaning that Simpson’s backroom team is now in place and already thinking about the new campaign.

 

Board meetings