Club Statement: 2009-10
Tomorrow marks the official start of the 2009-10 season as the club faces Stenhousemuir in the ALBA Challenge Cup.
Last season proved to be a traumatic one for Clyde both on and off the field, with relegation to the Second Division and the club, for a time, being faced with eviction from Broadwood.
To maintain full-time football at Clyde on our previous income streams was always a battle and consequently when some of them dried up in the recession and costs rose, the club was unable to live out with its means without the necessary infrastructure in place to react to the negatives that hit the club. The valued support and contributions via the Back the Bully Wee Fund and the arrangements made with NLC/Broadwood took significant pressure off the club in the short term; however that should not be confused with debt being eradicated.
At present, we are negotiating with our current landlords, NLC/Broadwood Stadium and also talking to our future landlords, North Lanarkshire Leisure Trust. These discussions will have a significant bearing on our position in the future but the short term relief gained previously will result in two years of extreme financial pressure for the football club.
Last season’s fundraising target of £140k has not yet been met and, despite expenditure being significantly cut this season, we continue to run with a deficit budget which we need to eradicate. Systems are in place to continually monitor that position but additional fundraising remains a priority for the club. The steps taken to safeguard the club last season with debt deferral means that over the next 18 months we are paying out more than £200k in historic debt. That money comes directly from resources that otherwise would have been directed to the manager to build the playing squad and in the short term that will make success on the park a far harder task to achieve. The budget will be by far the lowest in the division but we have signed a number of talented and hungry players, all keen to do well for themselves and Clyde. Our priority throughout this period, however, is to keep our club safe.
As a Board we believe that working towards a “balanced budget approach” whilst building infrastructure and community links is the route we have to take, in the full knowledge that it will not be easy for fans, especially after a period of sustained participation in the First Division. It is a route worth taking so that we can be stronger in the long term and at the same time build the appropriate foundations for future success for the Bully Wee.
Our governance has been strengthened with systems put in place to further protect the club in the future. The board has been enhanced with the co-option of Neil Watt, who will add experience and knowledge in overseeing all football activities. We have begun the essential process of improving our links with the community and, finally, discussions continue regarding how as a club we are best structured to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
Tomorrow is the start of a new campaign and we are delighted that we have a squad full of players who are determined to succeed. With your support of the team and the club in general we can use this time effectively to build up the Bully Wee once more.