Ian Kyle answers burning questions about Southport FC's future plans and challenges

As promised Ian has now answered some more of the questions we received for the recent Q&A that we didn’t have time to cover in the Zoom session.

We would like to thank everybody who submitted a question and some of the more general points will be answered via programme articles etc.  The response to the Q&A has generally been positive and we will, as requested do them regularly. I would like to thank those people who have offered support via donations or simply written in to thank us all for the work we are doing during what is a difficult period for a lot of Non League Clubs.

Do you think a board size of three is sufficient for Southport FC?

No, there is a lot to do at any football club, and good people who could genuinely bring something to the club would always be considered

In my opinion, the expertise of the three are good and from a variety of fields, however, and ultimately seem to lack time and experience in other areas to develop the football club and could benefit from additional Directors, maybe in a volunteer capacity rather than to invest; to then take the burden from the three. i.e. finance director, communications and marketing director, sales director etc. In short, would the club look to expand the board, with quality volunteers?

I agree that volunteers experienced in finance, marketing could be a real asset to the Club. Unfortunately, none have come forward to date

Is there money in the budget to bring players in as we have a very small squad?

The budget does of course have restraints, but Liam and I are always looking at available players to see if they would improve the squad that we have. Unfortunately, there are not that many around, and most clubs are struggling to improve key positions. That said, Liam and I were discussing potential targets only today, so we are always looking….

What is the long-term vision and how will it be implemented

To continually improve the squad with the right type of player to achieve promotion without jeopardising the very existence of the Club

What is your long-term plan for the Football Club? What do you hope for the Club to achieve on a first-team level, but away from the pitch too?

To ensure the Club is self sustainable, capable of surviving through difficult periods, whilst advancing at a rate that doesn’t endanger the club. Once we do achieve promotion, we are set up in such a way to continue to grow in a sustainable manner

I appreciate the work you have and continue to do for the club keeping it on a sound financial footing after recent debacles.

I have read on the forum people asking/ wanting information about if their are new people/money willing to come onto the board to help you? Please could you inform people if anyone is will to join and help you in financing the club?

I have built and run my own business and know how difficult times are at present and feet need to be kept on the floor on finance and debts to an absolute minimum.

Please can you explain to people the facts on this matter?

It is a particularly difficult time, income is down and expenses are up, as they are for teams across the league, and the reality is that nobody genuine has come on board, or offered to help. To that end, Claire and I are continuing to fund the club through this difficult period. As much as people rumour about alternative investors, none have been forthcoming and therefore it does not make matters any easier for us. Again I would urge any investors to make contact with us should they be genuine, we are always happy to talk

Does Ian Kyle agree that investment in the squad has been poor and have monies received from players leaving been gobbled up by the club for other needs?

Monies available have helped the club survive through incredibly difficult periods. It is an ongoing process which will turn a corner and hep the club grow both financially and in terms of the squad. It is extremely unfair to suggest that investment in the squad has been poor, when we as a family have invested tens of thousands simply to keep the club afloat through this difficult period. One only has to look at the figures that have come out this week from 5 or 6 NLN teams, all showing losses of hundreds of thousands of pounds, to understand the severity of the situation across non-league football

Can we have a full explanation as to why Lourdes Deli left?

We were extremely surprised to be informed that Lourdes Deli had taken the decision to leave. They informed us that they simply could not make it work for them. We spent a lot of time working with Steph to try and help her make it work, without having to increase the costs for the fans,  but we can only presume that Steph felt that she had no option other than to take the decision to leave. We did, as indicated, meet with Steph to see if alterations could be made to make the catering more cost-effective for her. Unfortunately, and we can only presume, due to the cost of wages, stock and other expenses I believe she was not left with sufficient profit for her to justify continuing, but again Steph would have to confirm this.  Either way, the decision was very much out of the Club’s hands. We do of course thank Steph for her contribution to this season, and for putting SFC catering very much on the map, and we wish her well with her new ventures. As soon as we knew Steph was leaving, we felt it important to bring in a new caterer who would similarly be able to enhance the fans’ matchday experience, rather than just providing standard football fayre. To that end, we are delighted to partner with Farmhouse Kitchen and wish them luck with what will hopefully be a long-term and lucrative partnership, with the fans benefitting from some varied and quality food

Club bar? Can it become a home for supporters again before and after the game, entice them in with a possible “happy hour” and a selection of hot food or sandwiches?

We do offer happy hour whenever it has been possible. It is very much a balancing act. The Club benefits massively from the ability to offer its facilities for non-football events, that often prove to be lucrative. A balance always has to be achieved. Hopefully, this is something we can achieve with better use of the fanzone and / or outside bars. We appreciate that the 1881 bar is a supporter’s bar, however we do very much want it to be seen as a community asset, available to the people of Southport for functions and other events. Again we need to balance between it being a supporters bar on a Saturday evening, but also a valuable asset to both club and community. The profit to be made for the club when comparing the hour or so post game as opposed to an evening function will always be an issue, but we are always working on alternatives to keep everyone happy where possible. We do genuinely strive to offer the best matchday experience to our fans, so the decision to close the bar on a matchday evening is never taken lightly. As the weather improves, we will look further into how better the outdoor bars and fanzone can be utilised, and we would at this point thank Howard Birch for provision of the new tables and chairs outside of the fanzone

Are there any plans to prioritise getting fans to away games? It’s great having good home support, maybe away support will help the form

This is something the club can work with TIY on if and when it is up and running….

What is your long term plan for the Football Club? What do you hope for the Club to achieve on a first team level, but away from the pitch too.

To continue to build and then progress in a sustainable manner that does not jeopardise the existence of the club

Why was Nicola removed from tannoy duties and not mentioned in the announcement?

A forum recently discussed the failure of the club to advertise sufficiently around the town when home games were approaching. We took this on board, and a partnership with Sandgrounder Radio provided the perfect opportunity to improve that. Unfortunately, we had to make a decision as to what best benefitted the club, and what helped make us more accessible to the local Southport population. Sandgrounder Radio was simply an opportunity too good to turn down, particularly in light of the aforementioned criticisms. The marketing and advertising that we now receive from sandgrounder radio is only to the club’s advantage

Are there plans to reintroduce a youth team / reserve team set up? And if so will any of these lads be able to play County Cup games

The club, and in particular Steve Dewsnip assisted by Jack Bainbridge are working very hard at growing an Academy that is in its maiden year. Interest for next season is fantastic, with the Academy seemingly looking to grow threefold.

Why was the boiler only looked into being replaced on the day of the match last Tuesday knowing full well it had been broken for some time?

It hadn’t been broken for some time. It broke on the Friday night. We had someone out as soon as possible on Monday. Unfortunately the part that was required to repair it could not be easily obtained. The boiler (which is only 3 years old) is of course a commercial boiler, parts for which are not immediately obtainable and specialist input was required.

We appear to lack ambition and we remain in the North division as a result. Was it really necessary to sell Carver for a modest sum? We were never the same after his departure.

When the offer was received , Marcus was given the choice to stay or go. Understandably as he has a young family he chose to take the higher wages and a chance to play in the football league. I don’t think anyone would begrudge him that? Marcus’ affinity for the club continues, and I would not be surprised to see him back at Haig Avenue in some capacity in the future

What are the club’s plans for the next two seasons?

Continue to improve our young squad, so that if promotion were achieved, we would not come straight back down the next season

Why has the club not made any moves to address the Striking problem which is hindering the clubs attempt to get into a play off position? Surely there are players down the pyramid looking to break into a higher level of football who score regularly.

Obtaining the services of a quality striker has been an issue for most clubs in the NLN this season. Our scouts continue to search

Does the club have any plans to alleviate the large queues inside the ground for a drink?

Yes. we are continually looking for ways to increase the ability to serve drinks and food

Away from large-scale capital investment into the club, can Ian and Liam outline plans to increase other revenue streams?

We are constantly looking at all revenue streams to try to maximise income during extremely difficult times

Would the club ever consider the 4G pitch and community football centre approach?

We did enter into these negotiations with the council before covid hit. I see no reason why these talks cannot be revived, although my own preference for Haig Avenue would be for it to remain grass. A 4G pitch would have to be an alternative, second site used, for example, for training purposes and in conjunction with community needs

Realistically, where does our playing budget stand compared to the rest of this league?

We do not have access to other teams playing budgets. Our budget is considerably less than some, but about average for the league. Again figures coming out recently show how much debt that some NLN teams are prepared to get into at present.

Many supporters(including myself) expressed a concern going into this season with a 19 man squad facing an extra 4 league games plus all the Cup competitions.This without any U19 or academy players to call on.This decision is now coming home to roost as SFC can’t fill a bench with fit players most weeks and facing a fight to stay at the 6th level of football.Comments please?

We always have sufficient on the bench to fulfil our needs in any one game. Other NLN teams recently have had two players on the bench. Others have tried to have games postponed through difficulties faced in fielding a full side. Others are getting in to massive debt to ensure that they have sufficient to both fill a bench and have players sat in the stands. We believe we are acting in the best interests of the club

Are the club looking for a new striker to be signed this season?

We are always looking

What is the effect of local teams I.E. Chorley, fc utd marine, bury and Macclesfield (not forgetting Curzon and Chester city, all either in or below the national league structure, have on new player negotiations? This looks to me like a square peg in a round hole situation with players of quality making unrealistic demands of clubs, and in reality, is there that many quality players to satisfy the needs of so many strongly supported clubs within a small radius?

Finally how are Southport fc addressing these problems going forward.

I fully agree that demands from a good proportion of players have become unrealistic, partly driven by teams “throwing” obscene amounts of money at them willingly. Again this is evidenced by the recent accounts being published and showing the horrendous levels of loss / debt. Liam and I have never let Southport be dragged in to this , and we pay what we believe are fair wages for the level.

Who was the player we were “selling” in January, Who was the club involved and why did it not take place?

I don’t think it would be at all fair on the player to discuss any potential transfers that did not happen

I ( along with others) can’t help but think that Ian Kyle is not now helping himself by not having that face to face meeting. Active shareholders (admittedly not sure how many watch these days) wouldn’t be disruptive and might even come up with support/idea’s on how to help? He probably feels isolated but isn’t helping the situation the club finds itself in now by this reluctance.

I have always been approachable, and make myself approachable on matchdays. I have previously been involved in face to face meetings with fans on an individual and group basis. Have you ever approached me to discuss any issue and have me refuse to talk to you? As you will appreciate, the recent unacceptable abuse I have received on social media has tempered somewhat how I approach any such meetings. To say I am “not helping the situation” is not, in my opinion, a fair consideration of the current situation that we find ourselves in. With respect, the situation has not been helped by the abuse that I have received, rather than by any reluctance on my part. Again though I would encourage anyone to approach me at the game who wants a chat, and hopefully face to face meetings can resume in the bar in due course.