Andy T's AGM Review

In this episode Andy T reviews the recent AGM that was held at the club. A real insight onto the preparation and content of the AGM. Andy gives us his thoughts on the AGM as well as what to expect this coming year at NLWFC

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi, and welcome to the New Till and Willows FC Podcast with me, Rob Fladder. This week I'm delighted to welcome back Andy Tiller. Andy, how are you? All right, thanks. Yeah, it's been uh it's been a while.

SPEAKER_01 0:10

Thanks for having me back on. Yeah, no worries. It's first one in the new year. Yeah, I know, I know. First of many, I hope.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Uh absolutely we'll uh we'll do loads of these again, get you on. And you're familiar with this. You could actually take over doing this now, I think.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

I might I might do a podcast with you on sitting on the other side of the table. How about that?

SPEAKER_00 0:28

I think I'll be more nervous, but we'll give it a go. I'll give it a go. I'll give anything a go once, sometimes twice if I like it. Look, we're down here today, we're gonna talk about the AGM because AGM was held last week. For those listening, it might be a couple of weeks later when this goes out, but they're important, aren't they? So what both we just start off? Why do we have an AGM? What's the purpose first?

SPEAKER_01 0:49

Well, constitution-wise, because we are a charity, every trustee has to be elected. So although we have, or we had rather 14 trustees in post, effectively, should anyone wish to come forward, effectively we have to re-elect ourselves. An organization has to have an annual general meeting because within our constitution we say that we're going to have an annual general meeting, and but all of that aside, I just think it's best practice. I mean, for me, the annual general meeting allows us to be fully open and transparent with our members, not just the people that are in the room because we publish content, and uh Craig has done a really good job of that this this week, and it's something that we really pride ourselves on in that sense that we want everyone to know how much money we're spending, how much money we're taking in, what subs contribution goes towards what achievements we've had on the pitch, what achievements we've had off the pitch. And I know we're kind of going to go through a little bit of that, but for me, I mean, I in my role I've been to a number of AGMs, and some have lasted all of five minutes because it becomes a box-ticking exercise that they have to do an AGM. And here are the accounts, and here are the elected officers, and see you later. Myself and my predecessor Jeff felt that it was not the right way that we wanted to do things at Newtonly Willows FC. So, yes, we can tick those box by having that that element of content, but constantly looking and reviewing about what our members would would want to know about. And it's as much as it's as much about reviewing 24-25 season just gone. But for me, it's also really important to project what our focus is on for the year ahead. So we do it every February because it gives us a full calendar year, so kind of between two seasons, but a full calendar year of what have we done well, what have we done not so well, what do we want to nail in in the calendar year ahead, and it it just sets us a really good benchmark for for the coming year ahead, and hopefully that's uh that comes across.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

Absolutely. I I was fortunate enough to be invited and be in attendance. And I think firstly, thank you for clearing that up because not everybody understands why. They just see it and it's a thing, every club has one, but it's it's important to understand the why. And the attend the uh the invites went out and and people come along. Uh yeah, the attendance probably not as many as anticipated, yeah. But cold night in February, lots of football going on, lots of school activities as well. I think some of the guys come back because there was school parties, Valentine's parties at schools and stuff, so you can understand the commitment was people.

SPEAKER_01 3:30

I I would say that I heard from you know every team, right? So we we we encourage every team to be in attendance, it's not mandatory, but quite quite a lot of the trustees actually represent teams. So whilst what you may have seen in the middle of the floor, actually at the the top table, if that's the right terminology, quite a number of teams are represented. I think there was a few college open days for some of our senior junior players, if you like. So the point, the point is we, you know, for those that are in the room, obviously they get the face-to-face, the verbatim, they get to ask questions, etc. For those not at the meeting, we cascaded the slides and the content, which is I think quite comprehensive, and and just gives people a bit of a bit of a flavour and a bit of a bit of unity as a football club. Because the the the the stuff that we we look at is not just, you know, the slides are not just built by Andy Tither as chairman allegedly steering the ship. The the diverse range of topics are covered by the subject matter experts within the the board of trustees, and actually some of the things that we hear at our team reps meeting kind of forms actions that we can report back on, the things that that that our team reps and coaches and teams and families want Newton the Willows FC to do better. So I I'd like to think that it's a full kind of 360 view of everything that goes on.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

I would say so. I was in attendance, I was quite impressed by it. I I think the the presentation was fantastic, you know, the effort that had gone into it, the pre-planning. Those that put the slides together, the content, they'd evidently thought about it and what's important and why the information that was in those slides was important. And I know we get into some of the detail, but it was it was really good when you know you heard people say we're gonna need to think differently, you know, it's a different way of coaching, for example. We're gonna invite other clubs along and see if we can support. And I thought, what a great forum to express that. It's not just one-to-one or whatever, actually, it got people thinking. I only do this bit of part of the club, and it got me thinking. Yeah. So yeah, I think it did work, that 360 piece. And I know that the slides are out on social media, creates a fantastic job there.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

He really has, and I think as well, what we tried to break down with having the general meeting, annual general meeting, and all the other meetings that we have. We wanna wanna try and get rid of this stigma of there is the committee or the trustees, and then everyone else. Like, I look at it that yeah, my role is chairman. So if you've got an organizational chart, then you're gonna have sadly my name at the top, right? That's just comes with the role, but I'm just like everybody else, I'm a volunteer just like everybody else. So whether you're uh an admin help, you're welcome to the meeting. Whether you're a parent that stands on the sideline, you whether you do a podcast, you're very welcome to come to our annual general meeting. There is no right, this is the committee, and we're reporting back, and this is how it's gonna be, and you must comply, and yeah, it's none of that. And the attendance, the the attendance was was okay, but I think the feedback that I've got off the back of the meeting with messages was actually that was really good, that was informative, maybe I can help with this, that, and the other. And and you know, if it sparks that kind of thought or enthusiasm, then that can only be a good thing.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

Absolutely, and and I think it you don't need so many numbers for things to happen, and it did spark conversation. I mean, as I was packing up at the end, I couldn't get 30 seconds to say see or later because people were eager to come and have a conversation with you, uh share ideas and thoughts and pass feedback, and I'm sure you've had plenty of WhatsApps as well.

SPEAKER_01 7:01

Yeah, well, I have plenty of WhatsApps anyway, but no, I I have, and um I think the the the the gif the good thing for me personally with this AGM is because I like to reflect on what we've done on and off the field in kind of the previous calendar year, it forces me to scroll through our social media and emails and WhatsApps or whatever because I want to try and capture everything that we've done, and I don't for one minute think I'm gonna be able to read them out one by one. I kind of pick two or three from each slide and go, that was a particular highlight, but I felt that barring the big things that happened, King's Award, King George the Fifth playing fields. I thought, ooh, maybe we've had a bit of a quieter year, and then I started scrolling social media and gone, oh no, we've we've done so much again, and uh probably more than ever. So for me, it's a good reset and it's a good review and reflect and going, actually, yeah, we we what's your purpose as a football club? What are you what are you trying to do in this community? And it is really to serve our community. So the football we've said many, many times, football plays its part, right? We are a football club at the end of the day, but reviewing all of the stuff that we do off the field and our contribution to the community, it you got me a little bit emotional again. You and I'm an emotional person um when it comes to this football club, but it it was just good to review and reflect and go, do you know what? I think we can do even more this year.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

That's gonna take some doing, right? Um, but that community piece was was evident through the night, and at the end, you know, local mayors head his part and you know, really hit hard on the community piece. But let's not get to the end, let's start at the beginning. So we have an agenda and there's some key points. You do your opening piece, and I I imagine that was probably a lot of thought go into how do I open this one?

SPEAKER_01 8:47

And it it is because I suppose you don't want to say the same thing as you've done the year before, and I think the way that I can make that variable is I always touch on a reflection of my the objectives that set. So that's something that I've done as chairman. I don't believe that Jeff set his own objectives, but I think it's really important that if I am how can I say it, the figurehead of the football club, the one that's you know, in post and trying to drive you know things forward. I've got to set myself some objectives and tell everyone whether I've done well or or rubbish, and I'm I'm open with that. And I'd set myself six objectives into the 24-25 season, and just kind of going in order, it was based on facilities. So I gave myself a green and a pat on the bat for that because we had a full season on the 3G, we had a fantastic facility at Willow Bank that our teams enjoyed, and then just in the nick of time, we got King George's towards the end of the year, agreed in principle. So I thought those are the things that I wanted to nail. That's that's great, and and from a facilities point of view as well. I felt that because we were using our venues smarter, we were varying kind of games, there's not been as many games called off, even though the bad weather has continued. So I just felt that we used our facilities better. Talked about organic growth, and we were lucky that we had two under sevens teams come through last year in the Cyclones and the Cobras, who were doing fantastically well. Really good kids, really good coaches, really good group of parents. I'm happy with that. And then we also had the under 15s Falcons or 16s Falcons as they are now that joined us for Melstown and have really just slotted in. You know, they got our culture, they got our vibes, and it's a really important age, obviously, with where we want to go from a senior point of view. So I felt like we were growing in age groups that were that were relevant, and and it looks as though that's going to continue next year. Where I give myself an amber is in the player pathways launch. So, effectively, at the start of last season, we wanted to review our offering to the community in terms of the age demographics and various other things. So, Wildcats, girls' football, steady flow of girls' teams coming through, which is amazing. We've got the Academy for Boys and Girls, we've got Football Fundamentals, which is slightly older, and then we have disability football, which is great, and then we've got squad girls, which is for 12 to 14-year-old girls who are riding the crest of a wave of the lionesses and becoming you know involved in in the sport. Obviously, we've got our junior teams and we've got our our senior teams, and I just felt that there was a little bit missing in the middle of all of that. So we wanted to we wanted to introduce something called just play, which we didn't quite get the interest, if I'm being honest. So that was going to be for kids who are not necessarily in teams but just want a kickabout, which is not on the park, so it's where we would effectively you know babysit them really and just let them play. And that was going to be for 14 to 16 year olds. Sadly, that didn't get off the ground, and then walking football. We had some interest. A couple of factors meant that we couldn't do it, so it's something that I want to kind of reset for next year. So give myself a damba for that.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

Only Andy Tillett could do that. I mean, just real law for the well, you have done, yeah. Everything we have and what has happened at how we improved as a club, the pathways, you know, you said about those under-16s, the the under sevens, and everything else we've got going on. Maybe, just maybe, and the deep the devil's in detail, right? The reason people don't just want to kick about is because when they come to the club they want to join a team. True. And I just kicking about it. I want to put that nightshirt on, I want to wear the club colours, and I want to be part of this. And the walking football, you know what? Okay, it it it may not have taken off for whatever reason, and you could do it next year, but only you could give yourself a bit of a hard time on that.

SPEAKER_01 12:35

Yeah, I give myself a hard time because I I I set myself the objective. So I've got to look at it.

SPEAKER_00 12:39

And that's honest, and you know, fair play to you. But I would, you know, maybe that uh sometimes just give yourself a bit slack on that.

SPEAKER_01 12:46

Oh no, no. Well, I've actually got a red coming up, so if you think I'm being harsh there, then okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:50

We look forward to that, and I'll I'm sure someone will call you out on that.

SPEAKER_01 12:53

The other the other the other thing I I wanted to work on is commercial relationships. So I think towards the end of the year we really started to deepen and strengthen some of the existing relationships. But I just feel that there's so much more that we can do from a commercial perspective. Chris did a podcast with you recently. I know it's it's not not well, it it will have been out by the time this one is. Absolutely, yeah. But the the financial kind of pressure that we've got as a football club is is only getting worse. And I just feel that we've made some strides with commercial like Ansel Lighting have been fantastic. They gave us a large sponsorship deal. We've got relationships with football kind of coaching clinics and and sessions where it's kind of a joint venture and we we work well together and kind of profit share sponsorship boards. But I I've I just feel that it's an area that I'll give myself a seven out of ten, and I will only give myself a green if it's a ten out of ten.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

How do you measure a ten out of ten? What's that look like?

SPEAKER_01 13:52

It means that we can offer free football at Newton.

SPEAKER_00 13:56

Is that achievable to you?

SPEAKER_01 13:58

No.

SPEAKER_00 13:59

Okay, so you you're setting yourself uh set yourself up for a few.

SPEAKER_01 14:02

That's always gonna be an amber.

SPEAKER_00 14:03

Right.

SPEAKER_01 14:06

I'm just trying to I'm trying to bring this that up. I might get us to a nine and a half and give myself a little bit of green, but uh no. I in all seriousness, I I like community that we live in, you know, certain areas of deprivation. I I just want to not not just for the money element of it, uh more how can we work more with sponsors and help them? You know, we've got some great relationships, like we've spoken on the podcast before about Panche who sponsor our open age men, yeah, Zaritza, Eskens, you know, I could name loads and loads of sponsors, and I'm just quite keen to reciprocate back rather than being thank you very much for your money, it's great. And we got better at that. And I think Craig taking the social media on just even publishing, you know, those businesses with the results is a start, but it is only a start, and that's why it's an amber.

SPEAKER_00 14:55

Well, why don't we get a podcast in Suitza or Punchy? Just sit there and listen to the vibe and give something back. So we'll pay for a meal, we'll have some drinks there, but we'll do this here. And people who have an interest, why why are people sitting there with a microphone?

SPEAKER_01 15:08

Let's do that. My waistline won't thank you for that idea, but no, mine, but mine has grown anyway.

SPEAKER_00 15:12

Okay, so let's move on.

SPEAKER_01 15:13

So my red Rob here was on coaching development.

SPEAKER_00 15:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

Now we've not stood still in that sense because we have put you know coaches through uh UEFA C qualifications and UAFA B qualifications, but I kind of feel like we always do that. Where I where I what I wanted to achieve from a coaching development point of view is really in-house structured support to coaches, not necessarily from a qualifications point of view, but for their own personal developments and their own personal growth. So, what I want to try and bring out, and we we've got some really good and exciting plans for the year ahead, which I'll I'll touch upon, is having a curriculum. And I know that sounds very school-like and very rigid, but actually, what I want to happen is a coach comes to Newton with O'Z and they understand the way that we want to play. We're ripping up our philosophy, we're starting it again, and we'll have a certain style of play, we'll have a certain style of coaching, and that will be consistent rather than it being somebody who thinks that's a good idea, somebody who thinks that's a good idea, approach A is better than approach B, and approach B is better than approach A. A lot of stuff working with the FA in terms of small-sided games, and a new coach comes in like an under sevens, and they know you know what they can do, like for minute one. They don't have to go on YouTube and think, oh, that was a fantastic exercise, wasn't it? By Barcelona under 21s. Let's do that with a bunch of six-year-olds and see if that works. It ain't gonna work, right? So I just feel that we can support our coaches a heck of a lot more, and we didn't get round to doing that, certainly not enough. So it was a firm red, and then the the final one before I you know bore everyone with 24-25 is the senior teams, and I've put that as a massive green. I really wanted to try and continue the momentum with a focus on senior teams, because I've said in the past that the football club has been perceived previously as a really good junior team, a section, sorry, and our adult team has slowly but surely been progressing and working its way up the leagues, but actually, where we're trying to focus the attention now on is our senior teams because actually the junior pathway leading into senior teams has now never been more evident as far as I'm concerned, and both of the teams are doing really well. So the ladies, you know, are in the semi-finals of Liverpool County Cup, they're sitting very comfortably mid-table in the Cheshire League Premier League, which is a really good standard. You know, we've got teams like Northwich Victoria and Stockport County Development and little old Newton the Willows in the mix, right? And then our men's team, absolutely flying, third in the league, only because of games in hand, playing teams from the league above, which is where I hope that they will be next year, and at the very least, competing. We've beat three out of the four teams, and we got knocked out on penalties after a two-all draw against another. So they're they're on a really positive upward trajectory, and I just think that that visibility of those senior teams to our our juniors, it I don't think it's been clearer now. We want you to progress, and the purpose of that is because our open age team are progressing to a really, really good level, and ultimately, rather than hoinking players here from here, there, and everywhere, there is a place for you to actually like come through and represent you know your club from under sixes all the way to when you're 35 years old.

SPEAKER_00 18:46

Absolutely. Look, both are doing fantastically well, like you say. I will give uh I will I might I'm not gonna knock your green down because that's it was you, you you you self-evaluated. However, I'm gonna have a pop at little ladies. Only because they won't they keep refusing to come on to the podcast? Not directly, no, no, but indirectly by not coming on. But I think this year we can all help both of those and the exposure we can give via this medium, a little bit of social media, all that sort of good stuff will take it on. But what how nice must it feel for both of those teams to go, we're spearheading this club? People are looking up at us going, we could be them. And fair play to I'm just gonna, by the way, no, no, we will get them on, definitely we need to get them on.

SPEAKER_01 19:32

And we mentioned to Lauren the other day, so she's got to come on. I mean, I'm calling her out right now. We are calling Lauren. Ian, Elaine, Steve, Sharon, get yourself on this podcast, please.

SPEAKER_00 19:41

There you go. Well, you said please. I I now but yeah, it it's great, and and you know, to hear see the vibe, and you know, I'm I drink locally now, so I'm I'm not a local by voice, you can tell the accent, but I I I drink with people that are associated associated with a club, and our conversation on a Saturday and Sunday is surrounded by what's the score? Yeah, and and and you know, that's that's how it should be in this local community, and it's happening. I can tell you, because it's happening. It is happening with me.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

And you know, a great example last Saturday. So we played against Stretford Paddock, and it it's fair to say that the two teams have got a little bit of history. I don't know where it's come from, actually, because geographically we're you know nowhere near, but it's always been a really good competitive game. They're a you know, they're a they're they're a good side, well coached, but it's always had it's just a game that's just had edge, not in a bad way, it's been really good, really interesting to watch, and just to see the scenes at the end with that last minute winner. And then the bit that got me, which I thought was amazing, is there was five or six young lads that ran on with a Newton the Willows FC flag. Amazing, it's clearly from their like junior team that they take to tournaments or whatever. And I just thought, actually, that really means something to you. That's fantastic. You're up, you're you're in the euphoria of you know, winning a game with five minutes to go, scoring a you know, a you know, a last minute in a really nip and tuck game that could have gone either way, you know, it it's an early round of the cup in perspective. It's not like it's a semi-final and we've gone on to a final, you know, it's the first round of the cup, but clearly that the way that the game was going, to win it in that manner, to see the sideline really well attended, and then for the junior lads to go on the pitch with a with a you know a flag. I thought, we're actually doing something right here. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

Well, for the lads to think about bringing the flag in the first place, you know, that that's premeditated. Yeah, I'm going to the game, I'm gonna take my colours with me. You know, that's good, that's proper. That that's what you do when you support a you know a a professional club, isn't it? So for them to think, yeah, I want to do that, the the the arena happened, the the drama happened, and they was able to execute that, it's it's brilliant. And uh yeah, that's the vibe it's creating. And uh you know, it can only go one way and that's gonna keep going up, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 21:56

Yeah, it is uh it it's it's good to see attendances improved this year and I Wanted to put that focus on the senior team so that we could get that attendance because for me socially for those juniors to see those role models, but you know, for the for the mums and dads and the grandparents to come and watch a game, get a bit of food at the club, have a drink, you know, get get a few of the boys and girls like bonding together. It just strengthens that friendship, and it's a really safe environment at Newton Sports Club and and one I'm I'm keen to push on and promote even more.

SPEAKER_00 22:23

Fantastic. So we've gone through your object objectives, fair to say, pretty pretty good. I I I think everybody well, if that was me, I'd be pretty damn pleased with that. So but it wasn't just about your objectives there at ADM. There was a whole host of agenda.

SPEAKER_01 22:38

There was and we move on to the next section, and then yeah, so so the the objectives really for next year are not largely different, we're just going to do them better. So I've I've again the board of trustees have agreed that the the sixth things to focus on are facilities because we've got work to do at King George Fifth Playing Fields. Organic growth will always be an objective because that's the way that we want to grow. Player pathways, I want to launch what we didn't launch last year. Commercial, I want to broaden and deepen, strengthen relationships there. The philosophy kind of replaces coach development because it's now grown into a bigger beast. We've got a subcommittee that are ready and able and willing to attack that. And it might take 18 months, it might take two years. I don't care as long as it's the right philosophy. Within that will be coaching development and support, and then the senior teams is the final objective. So it might seem like a bit of a cop-out to do the same objectives or similar objectives, but I think that the club is in such a good place elsewhere. Not that we're going to ignore any part of the football club, but it I don't have to put finance as an object as an objective because it's it's already in the best order it can be. I don't have to put governance in because our structure and our legal kind of liability is in the best place that it can be. So we're trying to we're trying to pick the things that we think actually that's gonna take the club to the next level.

SPEAKER_00 24:00

Why invent the wheel and don't need to just for a flashy strap line? If you've got building blocks, foundations there already, and we can improve on that, uh, you know, why why not? And so I you know, I for one, and and it's easy for me to just sit here and say that, but I don't think it's a cop-out. I think it's sensible, I think there's logic there, and I think it's something that's relatable and people can get involved in. Yeah, so they go, I haven't got to think about when you say for the facilities, everybody knows, yeah, yeah. Because there's not one coach at the club will go, I want to take that off the agenda, Andy. Yeah, yeah, go on now, take that off. Try and tell me no, and I don't think anyone's gonna take any others. So I think yeah, you know, you didn't get any objection, then no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 24:39

And it's in line with what the coaches want, and I know that firsthand from the meetings that we've had and the workshops that we've had, and just general conversations. So, again, it to stress it is not added to those objectives. I've set these objectives for me personally, but it's on the basis of verbatim and feedback that I've heard, not just from trustees, but from kind of key people associated with the club.

SPEAKER_00 24:59

Fair enough. One of the key topics or generate some interesting comment was discipline. And you know, this is one of those areas that it always will be, and you know, yeah, we are people, we work and live alongside people. Football is a passion, we get emotive, things happen. And it by the way, I'm not trying to set a bad scene here. No, there was at no point we're saying we've got a terrible disciplinary record or any there's it ill discipline going on, yeah. But it was one of those areas that generated some com conversation.

SPEAKER_01 25:33

It wasn't I think that um that the you know the various leagues and the county FAs are certainly more aware of it now, and I think in the past the get the game has been guilty, certainly at grassroots level, of I'm not gonna say letting things slide by, but you know I think that yellow and red cards are going out for the right reasons now, and it's been a bit of a culture shock because whereas you'd want to get away with something, you won't now, and County FA, I think play it very, very fair. So when things get escalated, they will look at things quite you know, we we're talking with football people who understand football here, yeah. But football shouldn't excuse bad behaviour. So if you're gonna go around and swear at someone in Tesco, right? Not not that we're sponsored by Tesco, right? I don't want to plug that. You got you enter the Zeritzer or you know, they're they're definitely a sponsor, and you start swearing at people and you start pushing and shoving. Well, it's a criminal offence. Yeah, the the the fact it's on a football pitch doesn't excuse you. And what we wanted to do is just highlight some of the common trends and things that we're finding. We've reported back that we had 44 yellow cards and since the start of the season and four red cards, which when you consider how many games we play over 40 teams like every weekend, it's not a bad, it's not a bad ratio. Of course, we would want it to be zero and zero, but we're realists, it's not not gonna happen. But the good thing is that the cards that Kevin reported back on were actually for football offences rather than it being verbals or parent abuse or whatever it might be, you know, giving back chat to the referee, it's it's for for fouls, right? So we can accept that. And I think what we wanted to try and do is educate our team reps and just try and go, well, look, the landscape of football has changed, you need to be conscious of this. Have that word with your parents, have that word with your players, because otherwise, you know, you're potentially getting yourself in hot water. But the the the bigger club ramifications are that the club gets a reputation, so you know, one bad apple kind of can spoil it, right? And we don't want that to happen and put you know 39 other teams in jeopardy of playing football. So we we're we're back in the FA here. We're we're saying you're absolutely right, we know what's right and wrong, we know we know what good looks like. Kevin kind of went through in a lot of detail what what good does look like, what the trends he's seeing. Again, we're trying to back the FA, we're trying to back the Warrington League, the Wigan League, the Cheshire League. We're on your side with it. But I'm I'm pleased that it's for football offences rather than silly bookings or misconduct charges in that way.

SPEAKER_00 28:19

Too right, and and to be fair, nobody argued that point. You know, I think people understood it. And it would be remiss of the trustees, I think, not to just keep that on the agenda. Just because we have a good discipline record by you know, in terms of parent or coach culture, doesn't mean to say we just go, oh, we won't mention it. You know, if they are trying to do the right thing, protect everybody, make sure the game's played in the right spirit, we're backing it, just a heads up. But I I think it's one of those areas where if you say, if you talk about it, people go, what do you mean? And it's defensive straight away. But actually, in the room, I I was watching the room, yeah, I didn't see that. Everyone's quite relaxed and going, nodding heads and going, Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01 29:03

Yeah, it's one of those things. You know, people I think are it really interested when we talk about facilities. We've got a grand plan, we're gonna have a 50,000 or seater stadium if I had my way, and you know, it's like the it's kind of sexy part of football, isn't it? Kevin is never gonna have that as discipline lead because discipline is discipline, the content is never usually good. It's it there's no black and the there's no grey area, is there? You're either you've either got good discipline or you've got bad discipline, and this is what you need to have good discipline, and this is what you need to not do for for bad discipline, and that that's perfect for his role, is a barrister, right? So he should know about what right and wrong looks like. But it it I think what we wanted to do is not try and beat anyone up with anything in particular, it's more raising awareness of these are the things that the FA are saying. We want to give you that information, we want you to relay that information and just keep enjoying your football.

SPEAKER_00 29:56

And I think I come across loud and clear. And yeah, it it's it is refreshing to hear that you know our coaches and our parents are of good repute, and you know, the the club's got a good name, and the reason people don't come and have a kick about, they join teams is because it's got it's you know, one of the reasons we've got a great name.

SPEAKER_01 30:14

And and and just just to expand on that, Rob, so the next two sections actually really tie in well with discipline, I think. So, you know, in the interest of time, accreditation and affiliation. I know that you've had Tom on to talk about that, so don't need to go into the detail, but ultimately at the end of the season, the club needs to get accredited and each team needs to get affiliated. For those of you that have heard the podcast. Again, discipline is you know a key. We don't want loads of unpaid fines, so that you know, financial management's there. We don't want teams that have got concerns with the FA because the FA are well within their rights to say, Well, we're not we're not doing that. So, so discipline really, really you know, for the 26-27 season, discipline plays a really key part. And then we also reported on safeguarding. And in respect of safeguarding, it really is a no news is good news. So I was really pleased that Rebecca didn't have a lot to report on because our members should feel safe and you know inclusive, and and and safeguarding, you know, is not just about the children, it's about the coaches, it's about the parents for anyone that wants to wants to speak to Rebecca. But we don't we don't really have many cases throughout the the year, and that that that that's a good thing, and she handles it you know really well as part of a disciplinary well-being and safeguarding kind of community.

SPEAKER_00 31:35

100%. And you know, that's that's one of those things that when being down here, I've I've listened to a number of members on taking out different roles, and one of the things is a fun, but they're safe, they're in a safe environment, and that goes for anybody watching and the referee as well. You know, you've got to think about their welfare, you know, they're stood in the middle, and there's a lot of people not maybe not happy about a decision that goes their way and what conduct and making sure that the way we carry ourselves is is really important and we take care of each other, and this club does that.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

Which which we try to because you've got to look at again your purpose of the community and what you're trying to do. We know that the society is different to what it is 10 years ago, and football you know plays its part in you know a human being's life, and it may be that there are external factors going on, you know, even unknown to the parents, things are happening at school or social circles or whatever else. So, you know, Rebecca is an open book with things like that. And if you know, if any members are listening to listening to this and and would want to speak in a confidential way, then you know go on our website and you can see Rebecca's details.

SPEAKER_00 32:46

Brilliant, well said, and that's really important. Uh so we covered a number of other subjects at the AGM. Uh it feels it was only a week ago now, but I can't remember all of it. But there's quite a lot ground in there to go through.

SPEAKER_01 32:59

The next one is, and I'm lucky that I've got the slides in front of me, so it looks like I know what I'm talking about. Louise sadly wasn't able to make the evening. Louise Jackson, one of our trustees, she handles the Warrington League and secretarial elements and does an absolutely unbelievable job. But but the the key things to report back on is that the football format is changing from next year. So entry level at under sevens is usually currently 5v5, that's changing to 3v3. We actually really adopt that as a football club. The more touches of the ball you have, the better. We've introduced 3v3 just play on a Thursday night. I think you've had one of the coaches in talked about the benefit, and so we're a big advocate of that and we will embrace that. But the the Warrington League have actually done something really fantastic, in my opinion, for the clubs that are not quite ready to make that leap of faith. They've said that under sevens teams can actually join the under eights league next year. So, so you know, you you you technically are gonna play as a 5v5 team, and you can play a year up, and there will be effectively developmental leagues. We're gonna go straight in for 3v3, to be honest with you, because we we know that that's the way that the game's going, we're ready to do it, you know, we're we're well well prepared. But fair play to the Warrington League for showing that flexibility, I think that's that's great. Not much else to report, really, from a league perspective. It was like transfer windows and you know all of that stuff. So the the juicy bit, and I I always really look forward to to this part uh because it's not my own, and can sit back a bit, and there's definitely only one man for the job, which is Chris Walker, the treasurer, talking about the finances at the football club. So, to the listeners here, if I said to you that the club spent £155,810.19 pence to the pence, because we have to do it to the pence, and actually only recouped, I say only recouped, £149,002.40 pence. That would say that we've got a deficit of six grand. Oh my goodness, what are we gonna do? Like we're losing six grand. No, we're not. So so there are the because we report on kind of over a period, a year's period, that basically the deficit is that we had an invoice given to us late for end of season trophies, which was about six grand. Grants that come in will be kind of there from day one, but may only be spent 12 months, 18 months, 24 months down the line because they're for specific projects, so it sits in the bank account, so it's always a bit of a bit of a fluid thing, but ultimately Chris was you know really happy with people's fundraising sponsorship efforts. They said that I know I didn't know this, right? So you think the chairman knows everything £50,000 worth of kit order this year. It's mad it's crazy. So we launched the new kit, as you as you know, and everyone just went bananas for it. And the local sponsors that have got behind it. I mean, I it's it's very rare you see an old school kit now out there, and and I still quite like it when I do actually. I love that kit. But the new kit, I mean, it's just just created such a buzz. So every penny accounted for, Chris kind of went through the main kind of bits of income subs covering 65% of the subscriptions. I won't spoil his podcast because in fact you'll have heard it, so you can go and re-listen to that basically. Statement of accounts are there, we have to do that as part of our kind of charitable organisation. He's got a write up to the charity commission. And then we talked about grants that we got roughly about 25 grand in via grants, some commercial relationships that I mentioned earlier. And then one of the things that came from the came from the coaches was that we want to do fundraising less often but better. And I'm all for that. So they actually said, Well, can you increase the subs? And parents are okay with that, but let's not shake the tin every two weeks because we're doing a raffle, we're doing this, we're doing that. So four four events effectively, last one standing, which is hoping it'll be closed by the time this comes out, sporting dinner, Christmas raffle, and tournaments are the four things that we're going to try and help bridge the gap. So, quite interesting to see how you know how all of that additional fundraising becomes absolutely key because Chris wants to keep the subscriptions at a really affordable level. If we were to do a break-even analysis, we're probably looking at charging between 30 and 35 quid a month per player. At the moment, it's 22, it's going up to 24 next year because we wanted to phase that increase over two years because Chris just feels really passionately about keeping it affordable.

SPEAKER_00 37:25

That came loud and clear on the podcast with him. And I I was astounded, and only £50,000 on kits, but six grand on trophies, you know. You're like, wow, that's you know, you just don't really think of it. But I so I suppose this a club this size and scale with 40 teams, X amount of players in that, it doesn't take much to add that up, and all of a sudden, you know. And Chris was saying at tournaments, we could the opposition uh the runners up at a trophy as well. Nobody else does it. No, or nobody else we know.

SPEAKER_01 37:56

No, no, very, very few do, and we we want people to continue at the willows and feel you know that there's an experience to be had there and that everyone's got you know fair chance. I mean, it it's scandalous some of the some of the tournaments that you see, like hundred pounds, and the wit the you know, the winners get a trophy, and you know, it's a medal which is you know, let's say from a uh an app, basically, where it's you know two quid for 25. From China. Yeah, yeah. So we we our medals are locally sourced, trophies are locally sourced, they're really, really good quality. We spent six thousand pounds on trophies, but at the end of the day, when you have a merit from Newton the Willows FC, we want you to want you to be proud of that.

SPEAKER_00 38:34

Absolutely. It's just one of those stats that stood out for me, just didn't realise. But yeah, that that was a real interesting part of the of the AGM. I I think you know, there was a lot of active listening, let's be honest, but it's one of those where it was absolute silence. Oh, it was you know, and people were really interested in okay, let's hear this. And uh I don't think people realize not quite where how much the income and the outcome ends up.

SPEAKER_01 38:57

Yeah, definitely. And uh Chris does an absolutely unbelievable job. I mean, you know, I wouldn't do his job for all the team China and I couldn't, don't have the skill set and he's an counter by trade. So, you know, just get on with it, Chris. And you know, as long as you're happy, I'm happy. He'll tell me when you know we're we're feeling the pinch a little bit, or you know, paying supplies. He's got a really good working relationship with Newton Health and Fitness as an example in terms of payment plans for the 3G that we've got all year round. So Chris is absolutely the man to manage it, and he'll tell me what he thinks is a an acceptable level of subscriptions and what fundraising we need to do. We just go and do it.

SPEAKER_00 39:31

Amazing, amazing. I mean, in then there's just a few more bits.

SPEAKER_01 39:34

There's a few bits, and they're really quick now. So we the trustees and officers is a staple within within the AGM agenda. So we invited nominations for trustees. We had one that came through, and and as part of our constitution, we're allowed up to 15 trustees, of which we had 14. And Luke Ramsden came forward, he's been involved in the club a number of years. You've had him on the pod. Yep. Really good guy, wanted to develop some help with the commercial relationships, he wanted to get involved in the schools and kind of solidifying that healthy relationship, organisation of events, he's really good administratively, like very well organised, and just someone who will really get involved in anything that we ask him to. So he got a complete unanimous vote from the trustees in the first instance. We proposed him, and it was you know unanimous that that they wanted him to be joining the board of trustees, which was great. I asked if anyone else would like to be chairman. Stonkhold silence. So I've got to do it again another year. But I have to be elected by by the members, so if nobody puts themselves forward, then I can continue. I'm I'm just hoping next year I might have some better luck, and someone says, Yeah, I'll have a stab at that.

SPEAKER_00 40:44

Um that's not gonna happen. Uh it's not on the foresight. But yeah, just going back to Luke, congratulations to Luke. Well done, well deserved. Glad there, and you know, I think testament to the the role you play and how you do it, it's you know, people don't want to not push you out.

SPEAKER_01 40:59

So no, well, it but it but it's got to be open, right? So that that's why we put on the advertisement. If you would like to go for a trustee role, then you know you're very welcome to put your name forward. And you know, that'll be the case next year, even with 15. So we will advertise if you want to come as trustee because actually you can retire for and you can re-elect for a you a quorum that you know in the constitution. So it's not a closed door now, now that there's 15. You know, someone might go, I I I wouldn't mind having a go at that, and someone might go, Well, do you know what? I kind of I think that they'd be better for that role, and I think we've got that fluidity and open-minded approach where we're not protective over our own little empire. So we did that, and then a really quick one was the acceptance of the club constitution. So that's basically an opportunity where we can add something to the constitution, and it might be something like a four trustees need to make a decision of if there's a purchase of over a thousand pounds, right? So if Chris has got a big order from Nike and we need to get loads and loads of footballs, isn't Chris okay to make that decision? Yeah, he is, right? But but but constitutionally, we might put something in to say anything over a thousand pounds, like four of us have got to agree, yeah, and like almost sign it off kind of thing. So it it's it's matters like that that you can put in now a very long constitution. We were quite happy with with how it was, so there weren't there were no amends, and then Chris wanted to add a slide on membership fees and subscriptions. So we're kind of forecasting that in today's society that there is going to be an increase. So certain suppliers are already saying that there's a 5% increase coming for next year. So we've announced that we're gonna do from next year £24 times £10. So it's an increase of of £2 per month only, uh, even though our costs are greater than that, if I'm being totally honest. But we'd also, and we don't have to implement this, but we've also forecasted £26 and £28 for the following two years. Now, what we will do is we will look at the the kind of external factors within the market and go, that's a reasonable assumption. We don't have to implement it, but what we've done is we've put it as a a thing within the AGM to say if we need to implement it, you can. So Chris might turn around and say, I'm happy with 24 quid. Things have settled down a bit, the economy's got a little bit better, prices have only gone up by 1% rather than 2%, rather than the forecast of 5, 6, 7, or 8%. So we put those in, and then any other business. We had a couple of questions which were which were answered on the night, and everyone left happy 90 minutes later.

SPEAKER_00 43:28

100%. Yeah, you didn't even really go into added time, did you?

SPEAKER_01 43:31

No, no, no VAR though, was there?

SPEAKER_00 43:33

No, no VAR. So there's no no controversy, but the the agenda flowed quite nicely, and I think people got you know got enough out of it, and and I think this this episode just solidifies some of those points that maybe people don't understand all the time. You know, that key point about setting expectation on you know interest rates go up, and you know, we pay more for everything we have outside. We don't have to implement it, but we're just setting some expectation it could happen. You know, I'll tell you what, if people tell you it could, whilst it's not always welcome use, at least you know. And you go, okay, yeah, that's all right.

SPEAKER_01 44:08

And start planning for that. And to be clear as well about the membership fees and subscriptions, I mean, Chris is probably the only treasurer who doesn't like raising subs, I would say. Because it's the easy, easy solution for us if I'm talking candidly, but we would rather go and fundraise and and look for grants and like work hard behind the scenes because you know, we've got some families at the club that have got an ex you know, three or four players or two or three players, and and you know, so we're saying it's only two pounds. Well, two pounds times three is six quid. It's an extra 60 quid a year. It's probably a pair of football boots, isn't it? Or so so we always look at it from that perspective to go because re really last year the way that the finances went, it should have been 24 pounds. So we but we didn't want to make a jump of 20 to 24. So Chris said, let's do 22 and 24. So people have got that forewarning. That was actually at the AGM 24 to 25 that we said that we were going to do it to 24 quid, and we've implemented that and follow follow through with that. But that was Chris's say so to say, no, I don't feel comfortable going from 20 quid to 24 quid, four quid times three, 120 quid a year extra.

SPEAKER_00 45:21

100% and and look, fair play to not just Chris, but everybody be on the team that made that happen. So it could be kept at that level. And you know, I I think the word cheap has gone out of today's society. Yeah, affordable, affordable and reasonable out of two words you'd say, yeah, yeah. Is that affordable? It depends on the individuals we know that, but you would look and go, yeah, in the local area, that's affordable to carry out a sporting activity in today's society. So fair play to everybody, because it it takes undoing to keep that at that level. It's not just Chris setting the the the number. Everybody has to work bloody hard behind the scenes.

SPEAKER_01 45:58

Yeah, and I and I on that note, I would really like to say thank you to the trustees that really have worked so hard in the previous year as part of my chairman's opening speech. Um you know, I'm I made to look good by having very good people behind me, but you know, having you know, keep using the example of Chris as the treasurer, Dave, I know has done a podcast on governance and you know, so Kevin on discipline and Louisa could name every single one of them. They've all contributed in some way to you know the success of Newton the Willows, and the things that we reported back on are their individual roles that sometimes I have to report back on, but I'm quite bad at taking credit, and I'd rather give credit to the people that deserve it, which are the ones that have built the foundations of those slides.

SPEAKER_00 46:42

Very modest of you. Well try to the uh I think your objectives you went a little bit too hard in my uh humble opinion, but that's a personal opinion, and uh good luck with the objectives for next year. I don't think you're gonna need luck. I think you know there'll be a sea of green on that AGM in 12 months' time. I'm pretty confident of that, uh, because there's people willing to help and support that. And thank you for coming on the pod again.

SPEAKER_01 47:04

Yeah, thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00 47:05

Enjoy explaining the AGM.

SPEAKER_01 47:06

Cheers, thanks.