FBC POD: In conversation with..... Gavin Marshall, CEO Bristol Sport

[headhunter]

Last Thursday our much heralded, and derided when it seemed it might not happen , meeting with Gavin Marshall took place when we [DaveP & Ian] were able to talk about the season as a whole and what the landscape for the club looks like going forward.

I hope the content answers some of the questions in all of our minds at this time.

AVAILABLE FROM 1.00 PM today on You Tube and Spotify etc.

 

 

[Henry]

Is it supposed to be just audio?

[One Team]

Many thanks @headhunter. Did you manage to do this in a typical FBC balanced style and ask some of the key questions of this unforgettable-for-the-wrong-reasons season? 

I appreciate it can be different when actually faced with a club employee but I think you are more GT than 3 Peaps! 

[headhunter]

11 minutes ago, Henry said:

Is it supposed to be just audio?

Audio only

[Davefevs]

So, as of last week, over 8,000 STs sold

[Numero Uno]

10 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

So, as of last week, over 8,000 STs sold

Quite a few renewed Thursday, Friday and the last couple of days so I would guess around 10K'ish then...................

[One Team]

13 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

So, as of last week, over 8,000 STs sold

That’s way down then Fevs? 

[JP Hampton]

Don’t know if it was just me but had a job to hear Gavin that clearly. Gavin would make a good politician. Vague and waffling. 

[Benneythered]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

So, as of last week, over 8,000 STs sold

They still have not said what the offer is for hospitality areas for season ticket holders, at the last home ground the on the ground staff in the Lansdown suite had no idea what was going to be on offer or at what price, so there is a fairly large chuck of sales being held because of this. Information for it should have been out at the same time as the other tickets so they have be purchased, its very odd. 

[headhunter]

3 minutes ago, JP Hampton said:

Don’t know if it was just me but had a job to hear Gavin that clearly. Gavin would make a good politician. Vague and waffling. 

He's like Richard Gould in that respect

Edited April 24 by headhunter
typo

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Numero Uno said:

Quite a few renewed Thursday, Friday and the last couple of days so I would guess around 10K'ish then...................

No idea, soz.

1 hour ago, One Team said:

That’s way down then Fevs? 

I guess some await the first “we’ve sold x” tweet, then we’ll know.  All comparing apples and pears at this point.

+++++

on an aside, well done @headhunter, nice to hear from GM, and especially for FBC to get that gig.

I’m surprised that Ian hasn’t researched ACL injuries to any degree, nor when using the Leah Williamson example, he’s unaware of why female sport stars suffer from them in particular!  A bit like the old days of work when a male boss asks a female staff member why they weren’t in work yesterday - and gets the “female problems” response, and quickly scuttles away not knowing what to say next.  

[Street red]

Seems to me they are not worried about season ticket sales more about POTD going by what marshall is saying.Why do I get the feeling season tickets will be gradually faded out over time. 8000 is'nt exactly that great and him saying 15k he is definitely living in a dream world.

[Silvio Dante]

6 minutes ago, Street red said:

Seems to me they are not worried about season ticket sales more about POTD going by what marshall is saying.Why do I get the feeling season tickets will be gradually faded out over time. 8000 is'nt exactly that great and him saying 15k he is definitely living in a dream world.

I can’t agree with that. Unless you know you’re selling a “sure thing” then the proverbial bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush. ST sales are guaranteed income and although they may get you less revenue then filling the ground with POTD, they are income you’re sure of.

If we could be sure we’d be top of the league and win every game 6-0 with people falling over themselves to attend it’s a possible business case to focus on POTD. But we can’t, and we won’t. Imagine phasing out season tickets then having a relegation season and what that does to income.

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 hour ago, headhunter said:

He's like Richard Gould in that respect

Thought Gould was an excellent CEO. Marshall hard to say, spread thinly though he is.

[Mr Popodopolous]

One thing I noticed, listened to bits of it. Will listen in full another time.

Am quite sure tbat Gavin Marshall said the football capacity of the Atyeo was around 3.7k. This is a sudden increase given that a few weeks ago Jerry SLO on the ask SLO said it was 3.4k or thereabouts.

Edited April 24 by Mr Popodopolous

[REDOXO]

Way to many statements made and answered by the interviewers in respect of finance and spend. Ask the question and let Marshall answer. 
 

The comment about nest eggs is where many were left perplexed. Now it seems there never was a nest egg all the money had been pre-spent

Did Marshall say there was a clause if a sold player becomes OOC?? Or am I hearing things. 
 

Very interesting stuff. I do get in order to get future interviews, you don’t necessarily want to be too probing. I think that other podcasts have suffered from that in the past, but decisions have to be made. 
 

Nevertheless it was some communication by the club that has been massively lacking, particularly in view of the outright garbage last October. 
 

Many thanks all! 

Edited April 24 by REDOXO

[mozo]

3 hours ago, headhunter said:

Last Thursday our much heralded, and derided when it seemed it might not happen , meeting with Gavin Marshall took place when we [DaveP & Ian] were able to talk about the season as a whole and what the landscape for the club looks like going forward.

I hope the content answers some of the questions in all of our minds at this time.

AVAILABLE FROM 1.00 PM today on You Tube and Spotify etc.

 

 

Well done Dave and Ian for getting this done  

Also, fair play to GM for fronting up. We criticise them when they don't answer questions, so hopefully this is a sign of improvement fan comms.

I don't think we learn anything revelatory here, and no doubt there will be criticism, but there were questions relating to a lot of the key topics that we debate on the forum and I think GM answered where he could (he's not exactly going to divulge our transfer budget).

I suppose one controversial comment from GM was that our current position is only slightly below our season expectations. This will ruffle feathers following the narrative around the Pearson sacking. 

What I took from the interview is that the current strategy will remain in place; that we hope to achieve success on the cheap, via canny recruitment, and hoping we get the wind behind our sales.

[Davefevs]

5 minutes ago, mozo said:

This will ruffle feathers following the narrative around the Pearson sacking. 

Shhhhh, only if you mention it!

[mozo]

1 minute ago, Davefevs said:

Shhhhh, only if you mention it!

I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it...

[Numero Uno]

9 minutes ago, mozo said:

Well done Dave and Ian for getting this done  

Also, fair play to GM for fronting up. We criticise them when they don't answer questions, so hopefully this is a sign of improvement fan comms.

I don't think we learn anything revelatory here, and no doubt there will be criticism, but there were questions relating to a lot of the key topics that we debate on the forum and I think GM answered where he could (he's not exactly going to divulge our transfer budget).

I suppose one controversial comment from GM was that our current position is only slightly below our season expectations. This will ruffle feathers following the narrative around the Pearson sacking. 

What I took from the interview is that the current strategy will remain in place; that we hope to achieve success on the cheap, via canny recruitment, and hoping we get the wind behind our sales.

When you add the context that it was Marshall who said promotion was the aim THIS SEASON it is a strange comment......

[luke_bristol]

4 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

When you add the context that it was Marshall who said promotion was the aim THIS SEASON it is a strange comment......

I’m interested to know who they intend to hold accountable for this failure, and how.

[maxjak]

3 hours ago, Numero Uno said:

Quite a few renewed Thursday, Friday and the last couple of days so I would guess around 10K'ish then...................

Personally.....I am waiting to see what happens in the transfer market before i decide?   I might well be spending a percentage of my income, after they show me what percentage of their budget   they are  intending to invest in next season's squad?  I want to see some ambition and positive steps before i throw my money in the pot?

[exAtyeoMax]

did they mention the impact of the sky tv deal on fans attending games?

[1960maaan]

1 hour ago, Silvio Dante said:

I can’t agree with that. Unless you know you’re selling a “sure thing” then the proverbial bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush. ST sales are guaranteed income and although they may get you less revenue then filling the ground with POTD, they are income you’re sure of.

If we could be sure we’d be top of the league and win every game 6-0 with people falling over themselves to attend it’s a possible business case to focus on POTD. But we can’t, and we won’t. Imagine phasing out season tickets then having a relegation season and what that does to income.

 

That was a strange one . Said they almost didn't want more season ticket holders .

That's great if, as you say people are falling over themselves to watch us. The revenue would be more , averaging 22k with 14k STH means 8k paying a premium . But at any given time , a drop off in results and form and they are the first to go missing. 

I'd like to think they would see any fall in numbers as a sign they need to tempt more people to get a Season Card, if they think  the ones that don't renew will just go to games anyway,  they are mistaken. 

[phantom]

5 minutes ago, exAtyeoMax said:

did they mention the impact of the sky tv deal on fans attending games?

The brutal answer is that nobody really knows until the fixtures are published in June 

[phantom]

1 hour ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Thought Gould was an excellent CEO. Marshall hard to say, spread thinly though he is.

Gavin Marshall is CEO of Bristol Sport not Bristol City who Richard Gould was CEO of 

[1960maaan]

3 minutes ago, phantom said:

The brutal answer is that nobody really knows until the fixtures are published in June 

With Season Card prices going up year on year, the games being moved around making it harder for some to plan games and some would be able to just watch at home ?
I can only see a negative impact.

EDIT;

Those fixture lists will be interesting. They will have everyone at 3pm on a Saturday to start , and we will have to wait until Sky feels fit to let us know when the games will actually take place. 

Not looking forward to it in that respect.

Edited April 24 by 1960maaan

[exAtyeoMax]

8 minutes ago, phantom said:

The brutal answer is that nobody really knows until the fixtures are published in June 

but did he acknowledge that it could be a problem for fans?

[Mr Popodopolous]

10 minutes ago, phantom said:

Gavin Marshall is CEO of Bristol Sport not Bristol City who Richard Gould was CEO of 

That's what I mean, he is Group CEO- thinly spread.

Seems a bit of a choppy structure overall.

[phantom]

1 hour ago, 1960maaan said:

With Season Card prices going up year on year, the games being moved around making it harder for some to plan games and some would be able to just watch at home ?
I can only see a negative impact.

EDIT;

Those fixture lists will be interesting. They will have everyone at 3pm on a Saturday to start , and we will have to wait until Sky feels fit to let us know when the games will actually take place. 

Not looking forward to it in that respect.

Sales confirmed as over 12k, there's not the impact so far 

 

That's incorrect, it's already been confirmed that when the fixture list is released it'll show all the TV slots up to FA Cup 3rd round weekend 

So basically up to the New Year's Day round of fixtures