Robins cash crisis deepens
FEARS over Cheltenham Town's financial position deepened as the club's employees learned they will be paid a day late this week.
The players and staff were due to receive their wages this Monday, but the club are relying on today's home clash with Hereford United to bring in the revenue needed to pay up.
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Paul Baker has issued a stark warning about Cheltenham Town's financial plight
The gate receipts will allow the club's employees to be reimbursed on Tuesday, but the delay is an indiction of the precarious position the club is in.
Chairman Paul Baker said: "It's a cash flow issue and the players and staff will be paid a day late.
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"This is not something that we will do lightly, but the staff understand and they will be paid on Tuesday.
"We need to make sure we look after our employees and I have every confidence we can see the season out."
Baker has already stated that finances are tighter than at any other time since he became chairman in 1997.
There are fears Cheltenham could slip into administration and incur a points deduction, but Baker insisted the club would stay afloat.
"I am sure we will stay away from administration this season, but it's not going to get any easier," Baker said.
"I can't say we are not going to have any more problems paying our staff again before the end of the season."
The Robins' cash crisis could force them to leave their Seasons training base next year.
The facilities are the envy of many clubs, but the Swindon Village complex may have to be sacrificed as the budget is trimmed. The current contract expires at the end of 2009.
Baker said: "All areas of expenditure are under review, including the training facilities.
"It's a great facility, just right for us and for the centre of excellence, but it is expensive.
"It's not just the rent, it's the utility bills for the hot water and heating the offices etc.
"The rent is not small so it's a big cost area and we'll look at other options."
When Cheltenham turned fully professional and entered the Football League in 1999, they trained at The Folley on Swindon Road, using the dressing rooms and indoor sports hall at the University of Gloucestershire's Hardwicke Campus.
They remained at The Folley for three seasons before moving to Seasons, formerly the Eagle Star Sports and Social Club, in 2002.
"I have discussed the matter with Martin Allen (manager) and we are not ruling anything out," Baker said.
"We are Seasons until end of the calendar year, but we have to plan ahead and address it as part of our budgetary process.
"The facilities at Seasons are as good as many Championship clubs, but we have to cut our cloth and if we can't afford it we will look elsewhere."
It is also unlikely that Cheltenham will run a reserve team next season.
The club has a side competing in the totesport.com Combination Wales and West Division.
Baker said: "All areas will be under review and a lot of clubs operate without a reserve team because of the cost."
- Dave Hockaday, who set up the groundbreaking Cirencester Town Football Academy in 1995, was at Cheltenham Town this week to watch and conduct training sessions with the Robins.
The former Swindon Town player was recently part of the coaching set-up at Southampton.
He worked with Cheltenham boss Martin Allen at MK Dons and Leicester City.
Comments
by Phil, Cheltenham
Monday, February 16 2009, 7:24PM
“Sorry Richard but its true! And ive been told this from inside the club so its not just forum gossip.
I was amazed too btw!”
by Richard, Cheltenham
Monday, February 16 2009, 5:51PM
“Phil - I'm not sure we are still paying wages to John Ward, let alone Bobby Gould - Keith Downing YES, but the other 2 I think were paid up long ago - Surely??”
by Richard, Cheltenham
Monday, February 16 2009, 2:10PM
“This is 1 of those occasions that The Echo have tried to make a story much bigger than it actually is. Remember when were slightly late paying our Gas/Electric bill - it made the front page!! Of course cashflow has been affected - we've had more postponed games this season than I can ever remember. Once we're playing matches again, we'll be OK. Baker and the Board are probably the most prudent in the Football League - which they have been heavily criticised for in the past - we won't go into Administration on the back of this story. Even if we go down, we'll be getting rid of about 10/11 players anyway, so our wage bill for next season will be greatly reduced. Don't panic fans - The Echo's blown it all out of proportion - their circulation may be down.”
by Happy Bull, Newent
Monday, February 16 2009, 1:57PM
“Oh well you would have made some money from us on Saturday. Shame then that this "bigger club than Hereford" we hear constantly on your message boards is relying on us and other teams to bring sizable supports to subsidise your wage bill. Maybe if a few more of your locals bothered you might not be in this mess. You've been punching above your weight for a long time and the decline has begun now. You'll be playing Gloucester again soon (probably in the conference-they seem to be doing well this year) .
Kind Regards,
Hereford United.
ps, thanks for the 3 points and the chance to celebrate on your pitch ;-)”
by bob houghton, france
Sunday, February 15 2009, 7:58PM
“Bearing in mind the context of this story, Saturday's result was a massive, massive body blow for Paul Baker. He was obviously looking for a bumper gate for the game and, yet again, barely 3000 home fans. If we had won, there would have been a glimmer of hope and, as in previous seasons, fans WILL turn up to give their support to an exciting relegation battle. A couple more home wins and we would have been up to 4500 - 4750 with the fans behind the team. Unfortunately another fruitless afternoon of lumping the ball hideously up the pitch and capitulating - once again - in the last twenty minutes. What price home attendances now. The fans are hugely disappointed in the players, mainly despise the manager and now - no top of all that - can see no hope for the rest of this season. Millwall at home on a dark February night with almost no away support - and those that do come are best avoided. 2500 ? And season ticket sales for next season while Martin Allen is in charge?”
by Barry, wales
Sunday, February 15 2009, 6:56PM
“I'm a long distance fan but from my view I see that you fans are all getting to picky, MA has a proven record and we were lucky to get him, the real problem is that to be successful in league 1 a club needs 6+ thousand fans there week in week out with capabilities of 10,000 for big games. At the monent 6,000 fans is a dream day for the shire so I strongly feel cheltenham need to think big, really big.
I propose Cheltenham merge with forest green rovers to create a super club, capable of surviving the league 1 hell. I know, you may think I'm crazy but truly this is the only way, build a lovely new ground halfway and for there we'll build a team with potential to win league 1. After a while more football fans will join us, gloucester fans and Tewksbury watchers may even turn up. Brace yourselves, witness the cheltenham town to Gloucestershire United transformation!”
by Phil, Cheltenham
Sunday, February 15 2009, 1:58PM
“As much as i think PB has done a brilliant job at the club and hope he continues to run the club as sensibley as he has, one major thing worries me! WHY ARE WE STILL PAYING WAGES TO BOBBY GOULD, JOHN WARD AND KEITH DOWNING?! Gould managed the club about 5 years ago and its ludicrous that a club with so little money agree to give long term contracts complete with various clauses to a manager who was clearly a risk! John Ward forced himself out of the club to manage Carlisle, so why oh why was he not told "if you wanna leave, we pay nothing and expect the relevant compensation"? And finally Keith Downing, who saved the club from relegation (with plenty of help from Gillespie), made an encouraging start to the season under the circumstances, wasn't given full backing of the board( KD recognised defence as our weakness, attempted to sign a young experienced centre back at league 1 level from swindon town- only to be told NO, you must sign an attacker) and quickly and unfairly shown the door! Along comes Allen, obviously earning more, tears apart the squad spending all our money on loan signings and still delivers fewer points than Downing! And does anyone seriously see MA completing his 3 year contract? I doubt it!
Im not surprised we could end up in administration, but being smarter with player transfers (not selling gillespie for peanuts when he had recently signed a new contarct) and appointing a manager who understands the club and isnt just after the next pay cheque may have helped to avoid this mess!
P.s - that manager would have been Bob Bloomer btw.”
by dale, cheltenham
Sunday, February 15 2009, 10:08AM
“cameron cant agree with your comment about training on whaddon rec !! there is enough s*&t on there without cheltenham training there !!”
by Richard, Cheltenham
Saturday, February 14 2009, 10:49PM
“snigger!”
by Bored northerner, Whaddon
Saturday, February 14 2009, 3:44PM
“To Mike Hunt. Did your parents really give you that name?”