http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/index.htmlThoughts from the CUSCLB Chairmanenwebmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgCopyright 2009 CUSCLB2012-05-10T21:32:14+01:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:04:40 +0100webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2012-05-10T21:32:14+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/44f3ef988ae999cfcda140d85a916474-20.html#unique-entry-id-20http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/44f3ef988ae999cfcda140d85a916474-20.html#unique-entry-id-20
I think it's appropriate when reviewing the season I express my personal thanks to the key members within the Branch. Al Millington handles the logistics of Match Day Organiser and the popularity of the revamped travel pages on the website, demonstrate Al's hard work. We know that many Blues fans now trust his judgement to identify cracking pre match pubs that provide a safe and friendly environment for fans. The groupsave train travel is more popular than ever with the friendships that are forged over the season make the defeats easier to take and the victories all the more sweet when you celebrate together. My personal highlight was the victory at MK when we were duly compensated with free tickets after the earlier debarcle. The 600+ Blues fans celebrated the late Cook double that duly saw him win our Champagne Moment award for the season.

I'm sure you will echo my appreciation of our Information team lead by Dave Brown who has taken the popular weekly e mail circulation vhtb onto the next level. He is competently supported by HTB Editor Geoff Graham and Webmaster Paul Parke. There is a constant thirst for fans for information. We can't and should not compete with official news but via the newsletter, website and the ever more popular twitter we have a strong communication theme within the Branch that looks to service the requirements of exiled fans. Jon McLoughlin has been tireless with his enthusiasm for all things commercial in particular the sale of our merchandise and Mike Carruthers has put together a great selection of social activities including stepping into the breach again with the logistics of this years summer trip to Lisbon. There are other unsung heroes who do a lot of work behind the scenes - Richard Wood our steadfast treasurer and Bob Brookes our reliable membership secretary. Ken Hullock never complains at having to carry and sell HTB on matchdays. Ian Jardine who always provides valuable input at meetings. I could go on. I'm proud to work with such a strong and committed team.

Our Branch football team had a difficult season. A big thanks goes to the tireless work of captain and organiser Chris Tembey. We have enough members keen for a game but we still can't find a top quality keeper that would make such a difference. I've really enjoyed stepping away from playing and barking out instructions from the touchline !

There are positive signs from the club around commercial activity. Some initiatives have worked this season such as the real ale at the club but it always seems to run out whenever I try to get a pint. We need a mechanism for fans to make other suggestions. It's some time since a fans forum and there does not appear any clear opportunity or structure for suggestions to be put to the club. We can't just believe that financial backing of Greg to produce results on the pitch is all that is needed to bring the fans back. I hope that there is a positive response from fans in relation to the new season ticket offers.

You won't be surprised to learn that we will be looking to fine tune procedures for next season particularly around phasing out the use of cheques and minimising postage costs. For those of you who can I would please ask that you set up a standing Order for your membership renewal. Our AGM on 6th July will provide both an excellent social evening and the opportunity to re-align our army of volunteers. I hope to see you there.

Simon Clarkson]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2012-05-10T21:31:37+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/8bb1efe5fd559b0dfdbbaa943cbb7c99-19.html#unique-entry-id-19http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/8bb1efe5fd559b0dfdbbaa943cbb7c99-19.html#unique-entry-id-19
The ' Shine The Light ' appeal is now in full flow and funds are ticking in through Jon McLoughlin's grafting selling the polo shirts. Carlisle fans are about to be exposed to the best raffle ever. I don't use this phrase lightly. This raffle is going to be spectacular as the prizes are absolutely top drawer. We embark on a major selling phase this month and I do hope that members who have had a few included in this issue, can spare a little time to sell some. I'd encourage you to sell them to non Carlisle fans and offer to buy any unwanted prizes off them. Can you imagine how good it would be to be registered as a player or take a seat in the dug out for a game ? That's got to be worth a £1 for a ticket. Our challenge is how to maximise sales in Carlisle. I hope the Supporters Club will get on board and supplement the outlets that have already agreed to sell. We need an army of sellers in Carlisle as the London Branch members can only do a limited amount at away games, etc

We have 13 cup finals left in the season at the time of writing this after our victory against Rochdale and in all probability will need to win 7. So with Huddersfield and Charlton still to visit BP and 6 of our 7 away games against teams in the top half, it's going to be tough. I loved the rallying call from Greg asking fans to get down to BP. Our members might not be able to do that ( although there will be a good turn out for our sponsored game on Easter Monday ) but we will certainly be there for the southern away games, which for many will include Oldham if we are still living the dream at the end of the season.

As Carlisle fans we expect nothing less.]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2012-05-10T21:31:13+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/35854ba3dae955958fe2f08c3bb8c30b-18.html#unique-entry-id-18http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/35854ba3dae955958fe2f08c3bb8c30b-18.html#unique-entry-id-18
I am warming to Chris Lumsdon's co-commentary on Radio Cumbria. He comes over as a passionate fan and a knowledgeable ex-player. The United World service is the umbilical cord for us Exiled fans on matchdays as I found out to my cost when I could not get an internet connection during the Oldham game. I love watching Jeff Stelling on a saturday afternoon. He has such a mind full of information that he handles the flow of updates with such ease. I'm finding I'm at home on more saturdays than I used to be following the switch away from the southern bias of league 1. However there are games that I'd normally give a miss to that I find myself keen to go to and hence I'm making the long trek to Exeter this weekend.

Carlisle United are becoming more creative in the commercial sphere, starting to speculate to accumulate, more creative with initiatives and not being afraid to get something wrong. The club are still not using volunteers to assist and I'm not sure why this doesn't happen. How many fans would be prepared to give up a couple of hours a week to do some telesales on match tickets? How many of the occasional fans just need a little nudge over the phone with an incentive attached ? Although it is not the be all and end, it would significantly improve turnover if you get more people into Brunton Park. Once in they buy a pie, a beer, programme, etc and they might come back. I intend to raise this suggestion again with the club. Our ' Shine The Light ' appeal has started well and shows the potential of how fans and the club can work together on a joint initiative. I hope you will look to support this cause and get involved in our auctions, raffles and merchandise activities. I personally am looking forward to our next venture down the polo shirt route with a new one out in time for Christmas. Talking of which, if this is the last issue before then, let me the first to wish you a happy festive period. For most Blues fans that means one thing - putting one over PNE on boxing day. Now that would be extra special.]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2011-08-05T20:50:00+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/7aee60d13e3c57d0302f871c7c46a0ea-17.html#unique-entry-id-17http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/7aee60d13e3c57d0302f871c7c46a0ea-17.html#unique-entry-id-17
The benefit match for Sean McDaid was a great gesture from the club and it's a real shame that he had to retire after making such a good start. Left back for me is a concern this season, as Robson still adjusts and I've yet to see O'Halloran play. Is there enough pace at centre back ? I think we could do with a youngster there to compliment the experience but the problem with loans is if they come in and do well, they'll get signed by someone else like James Chester. The additions of Welsh and McGovern seem to be very sound with Noble being a great coup on loan. There's no question that our midfield is strong. As I write this two weeks before the season, the fans are craving a striker. It's a tough one for Greg as fans have repeatedly asked for him to give the youngsters a chance. I think he'll give Loy & Madden a chance for a few weeks.

I hope that fans can be attracted to home games with a little bit of creativity around matchday offers as we adapt to the economic pressures that would appear likely to get worse before they get better. We need to speculate to accumulate, be more creative with initiatives and not be afraid to get something wrong. Finding the balance between effective decision making and fans consulatation is crucial. This is why it is such a shame that there does not appear to be a visible engagement between an official supporters group and the club. There has however been a lot of work between ourselves, CUOSC and the United Trust over the summer but until we get full engagement from the club, there is a limit as to how much we can do.

Do you ever stop and think why people join the London Branch ? Well I have asked a lot of Members of late and the main reasons are social interaction on matchdays, the banter, the accounts of days gone by and excitement of future events which make being away from ' home ' that much more bearable. I'd like to welcome Mike Carruthers onto the Committee in his new role as social secretary. As a highly motivated and organised guy, Mike will inject plenty of ideas and enthusiasm into the role and already has lots of socials lined up to cover for the loss of lots of southern games this season. We have all benefited from Mike's excellent organisational skills with his excellent summer trips. I hope Nigel Moss our new summer trip organiser can keep the good work up. Al Millington has already pulled out the stops and overseen the advance booking of train tickets for four games already including a group outing to Brunton Park on 8th October.

I hope those Members who are still yet to renew do so soon. The fist, albeit small increase in fees this decade is primarily due to costs of this publication but we felt that we did not want to cut the number of issues. Let's keep positive, get behind Greg and the team, so to make us all truly United.

Simon Clarkson

August 2011]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2011-09-04T20:47:59+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/9f9440f9485def313b09afe9f633143e-16.html#unique-entry-id-16http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/9f9440f9485def313b09afe9f633143e-16.html#unique-entry-id-16
I've had some dialogue with the club recently around commercial activity. The London Branch have agreed to raise money towards an upgrade of the floodlights. Our £1000 initial donation we hope will be followed by a further £4000 over the next two seasons under what we are terming the ' Shine A Light ' appeal. We hope to work with the club on fund raising initiatives starting with a raffle later this year. Merchandising opportunities are being researched with a baseball cap seeming to be a popular choice. There is still lots to do to get more fans interaction with the club. There is no recognised formal fans engagement process that has in the past led to ideas launched by the club falling flat. I was personally disappointed with the turnout at the fans forum. Does this mean that all is well with United fans. Reading the messageboard you'd think not !

Are the Club doing enough to get fans into home games ? The much criticised new ticketing entry system should help in this regard. One of the benefits is customer profiling. The Club should be able to quickly build up a history of attendance for each fan that will allow them to target offers at absent fans. I still think that we miss a big trick by not looking for a small team of volunteers that could proactively call fans and offer them tickets for matches. There are no costs involved here as they are volunteers. What about packages for businesses to bring clients along ? Why not get out and about and ask people what it would take to encourage them to come along ? How many of the occasional fans just need a little nudge over the phone with an incentive attached ? Although it is not the be all and end, it would significantly improve turnover if you get more people into Brunton Park. Once in they buy a pie, a beer, programme, etc and they might come back. Possibly the presence in the city centre at Debenhams will help to raise the profile. This along with the bus travel offer are good moves but so much more could be done.

These are only my views as an exiled fan. I hope that if you see things differently you will look to contribute to this fanzine.

Keep well,

Simon Clarkson]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2011-05-18T14:20:43+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/aee3361307910fd9abce794be7bdebc5-15.html#unique-entry-id-15http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/aee3361307910fd9abce794be7bdebc5-15.html#unique-entry-id-15
The excellent partnership with the Civil service Club sees us use it for Branch meetings and the odd extra social. The staff there again pulled all the stops out for our Wembley pre match party which included a guest appearance from former Blues player Lee Maddison. Our conscious decision not to do our own merchandise this time but instead promote the Grace Little Centre through #teamabbott t shirt sales was a very rewarding achievement. We hope to get a good photo of many of the 35 members attending the summer trip to Berlin wearing the t shirts.

The Branch has continued to increase sponsorship of the club. To get over 60 members in Foxy's for the Orient game was a great effort and to have the JPT trophy present was an extra bonus.There are positive signs that the club are becoming alive to increased fans interaction as demonstrated by a constructive meeting between reps from the Supporters' Club, United Trust, London Branch and the Club represented by the new Commercial Manager Clair Fidler. There are early signs that she will bring in some much needed creativity around matchday offers. Some initiatives have worked this season such as the real ale at the club but we need a mechanism for fans to make other suggestions. It's some time since a fans' forum and there does not appear any clear opportunity or structure for suggestions to be put to the club. We can't just believe that financial backing of Greg to produce results on the pitch is all that is needed to bring the fans back. There is a lot of effort around how to best re-generate fans interaction with the Club as most fans are in agreement that there are lot of things that the fans can do to support the club in addition to cheering them on during games. I am now a lot more confident that the main players involved in these discussions can come to agreements so as to get the momentum going.

Our Branch football team finished the season on a high with a 3-0 victory at Harlow Town. We follow the play offs with interest as our only other three games this season were against supporters of teams involved. A big thanks goes to the tireless work of captain and organiser Chris Tembey. I've really enjoyed stepping away from playing and barking out instructions from the touchline ! Like all roles within the Branch we look to ensure we have resilience going forward. You won't be surprised to learn that we will be looking to fine tune procedures for next season particularly around phasing out the use of cheques. For those of you who can I would please ask that you set up a standing Order for your membership renewal. Our AGM on 5th July at the Houses of Parliament will provide both an excellent social evening and the opportunity to re-align our army of volunteers. I hope to see you there.

Simon Clarkson]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2011-02-01T09:57:47+00:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/5d4161858271181f6667d1e9384502f6-14.html#unique-entry-id-14http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/5d4161858271181f6667d1e9384502f6-14.html#unique-entry-id-14
It is great to see the Football League getting a bit more coverage on TV through the Football League show and the Late Kick Off programme. Greg has worked on his media image and all of it is good exposure for the club. We even managed to feature on the Take it Like a Fan show last week. It seemed a bit unfair that Greg got such a tough question in order to win his tenner. In fact we are now awash with information that confusion sometimes reigns. Take the pre match for the Oldham home game when information was circulated that the pitch was looking doubtful. Chinese whispers led to the excellent Chris Lumsdon who does the BBC Radio Cumbria commentary with JP, turning back home before he got confirmation that the game was on. Perhaps because there are so many lines of communication available nobody knows which one is most reliable ?

So who likes the loan market or who like me has some concerns ? I think we have had 11 loans this season alone and that can't be right. Surely it allows players to be stockpiled by the bigger clubs, so as to prevent their immediate opposition having them. The 25 player squad rule in the Premiership does not seemed to have made a difference. I bet there is a real murky side to the wheeling and dealings nowadays, particularly in relation to who pays the wages of loanees. It must be a nightmare for the tax man. Do players get two separate wage packets from clubs if the salary is split ? I'd love to see some figures around total number of loans across clubs and compare that too results. I'd still prefer to see a settled side as the downside for us is the James Chester type situation where a player does well and his parent club sells him on to another club. The consequences of the loan market was solely responsible for our FA cup defeat at Torquay and as a result we missed out on some serious cash.

Is the availability of goal clips on the internet and live football on TV having an effect on attendances ? We can all speculate as to why our attendances are down and no doubt the tough economy plays a big part. So rather than speculate, why don't we as a club ask the fans why they don't go as much now ? A simple survey which will give the club the opportunity to capture full details of supporters and rationalise databases. Communication, particularly by e mail is such an important piece of a clubs strategy that it needs to be maximised. How many CUFC fans are there out there ? Does anybody actually know ?

Some initiatives have worked this season such as the real ale at the club but is there a mechanism for fans to make other suggestions ? It's some time since a fans forum and there does not appear any clear opportunity or structure for suggestions to be put to the club. It may well be that the advertised marketing/commercial post will produce someone with the dynamacism that is needed in this area. We can't just believe that financial backing of Greg to produce results on the pitch is all that is needed to bring the fans back.

I write this at the end of January knowing that it's going to be a busy last 4 months of the season with games coming thick and fast. You will note I have not mentioned one possible London game at all. As Carlisle fans we know better than to count our chickens....

Simon Clarkson
Chairman]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2010-11-25T20:55:11+00:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/8a7be98c2ef99e89a62db9482c40ca2e-13.html#unique-entry-id-13http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/8a7be98c2ef99e89a62db9482c40ca2e-13.html#unique-entry-id-13
Our Branch numbers again reached an all time season end high after once again sponsoring a match at BP. Our excellent partnership with the Civil Service Club sees us use it for Branch meetings and the odd extra social. To have 30+ members going there for a Christmas social just emphasises where we have got to as a group of people who can come together and not only raise funds for the club but have a good time whilst doing it. In the future there is the proposed fans forum at Brighton, we are sponsoring the game against Orient on easter Monday and there is the summer trip to Berlin.

One of the real benefits of membership is your inclusive Teamcard and I was delighted to see the generous donation by members to pool their unused points, amassed a whopping £530 that was handed over to the Youth Team. The coach Eric Kinder expressed his sincere thanks for this fantastic gesture.

I hope those that have not already done so, look to purchase Ian Jardine's HTB 250 book that pulls together the history of the first 250 issues of HTB. We now also have Branch pin badges available to buy as well as a limited stock of our polo shirts. If you are stuck for Christmas presents, give us a shout.

It's been a very busy year for the committee members within the Branch but that's the upside to a bit of success. We have all joined the Branch as a result of our passion that only fellow Blues can appreciate. The social interaction on matchdays, the banter, the continual accounts of days gone by and excitement of future events make being away from ' home ' that much more bearable. An FA cup run ( this was wrote before Tamworth ) combined with another possible trip to Wembley in the JPT all just adds to the excitement. I am confident that 2011 can be even more successful as we harness the enthusiasm of supporters group to all push together in the same direction - onwards and upwards with Team Abbott.

Finally I'd like to give a warm Branch welcome to Jane Jardine who is taking over a new role as Branch PR Officer from next year. Let's hope we have lots to keep her busy with !

I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a successful New Year.

Simon Clarkson]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2010-10-08T20:18:14+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/6b4b65daa179f3390e961e00e10482e6-12.html#unique-entry-id-12http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/6b4b65daa179f3390e961e00e10482e6-12.html#unique-entry-id-12
League one is going to be tight and unpredictable all season. Home form will be crucial and after a great start in our first two matches, we have stuttered a bit of late at Brunton Park. This more than anything will put doubt into the minds of our floating support as away form and results are not as effective as seeing goals getting knocked in at the Warwick Road end.

Dave Nicholson was given a very fitting send off at his memorial service. A big gathering after the service at the aptly named Fox pub saw most attendees decked in various garments of CUFC colours, many of which Dave's wife Christine was keen for people to take away. There were many stories of happy days on the road with Dave and general agreement that the guy was a true legend. We hope to try and include a fitting tribute to Dave at the Orient game on 23rd April when we will be match sponsors.

The most recent supporters' match against Bournemouth was as usual a very enjoyable experience. We were of course buoyed by the guest appearance of Jimmy Glass. Although as per the script he did duly pop up with the equaliser, on another day he could have had a hatful ! Our kit was donated by the club several years ago and is starting to look a bit jaded, so it was great news to hear that the club are looking to repeat the gesture at the end of the season. Our next match will, weather permitting, be at Orient on 4th December. If you can't come along to play why not come along and cheer on the lads.

It has been a period of positive discussions with representatives from the club. There is a lot of effort around how to best re-generate the official Supporters' Club as most fans are in agreement that there is a lot of things that the fans can do to support the club in addition to cheering them on during games. I am now a lot more confident that the main players involved in these discussions can come to agreements so as to get the momentum going. Another step in the right direction is the provisional agreement from the club to schedule an evening fans' forum in Brighton on 4th March as this will nicely coincide with a Blue Army invasion of the South Coast in the form of a couple of supporters' buses making a weekend of it. We'd best tell the stewards at the Withdean to make sure they have got plenty of waterproofs just in case.

Simon Clarkson]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2010-09-15T19:22:58+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/4019c94c83f7ec042334d81880aa9696-11.html#unique-entry-id-11http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/4019c94c83f7ec042334d81880aa9696-11.html#unique-entry-id-11
I hope that fans can be attracted to home games with a little bit of creativity around matchday offers as we adapt to the economic pressures that would appear likely to get worse before they get better. We need to speculate to accumulate, be more creative with initiatives and not be afraid to get something wrong. Finding the balance between effective decision making and fans consultation is crucial. This is why it is such a shame that there does not appear to be a visible engagement between an official supporters group and the club. I apologise if I have got this wrong - this is my view as an exile.

Do you ever stop and think why people join the London Branch? Well I have asked a lot of Members of late and the main reasons are social interaction on matchdays, the banter, the accounts of days gone by and excitement of future events which make being away from ' home ' that much more bearable. One such person who told me this was our former President Dave Nicholson who passed away recently. I spent his last match with him and he summed up everything perfectly. Although I know it will be a sad occasion I am in fact looking forward to his Memorial service on 4th October in Basingstoke as it will be a chance to catch up with some old friends and recall memories from days gone by. It was typical of Dave that he insisted on attendees having a drink after the service and wearing Carlisle United shirts.

I hope those Members who are still yet to renew do so soon. Look out for the new Branch pin badge and wear it with pride. As always all monies generated go to the Club. Let's keep positive, get behind Greg and the team, so to make us all truly United.

Simon Clarkson]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2010-09-15T19:22:22+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/175e7d49e164f500ef6d31c35b2fa465-10.html#unique-entry-id-10http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/175e7d49e164f500ef6d31c35b2fa465-10.html#unique-entry-id-10
The Branch has continued to increase sponsorship of the club. We had not projected to be able to sponsor a match this season but stepped in when required to cover the Bristol Rovers game. Our plans for next season will be to focus on assisting the Youth set up where possible and being open to suggestions from the club as to where our donations can best be used. There are positive signs that the club are becoming alive to increased fans interaction and in some ways the forum in Southend was a watershed for this thinking. Greg came over very well and there is certainly an acknowledgement that the club need to get out there and put themselves about with the fans.

This season was an excellent one on the social front with group travel remaining a really good experience. The friendships that are forged over the season make the defeats easier to take and the victories all the more sweet when you celebrate together. A lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes prior to match days. There was a turnover of around £20k on match tickets this season and group travel to 21 matches. It's not just the company and the money saving that encourage members to travel together. The entertainment and banter on the day together with the ample supply of refreshments, make for some great days out. I'm sure this coming season will continue in that vein and I personally can't wait for the fixtures being released.

I hope you will all decide to renew your membership and when doing so buy one of our new pin badges which we have launched based on members feedback. I look forward to seeing those that can make our AGM on 19th July at the Tower of London. Enjoy the close season and fingers crossed for further improvement next season.

Simon Clarkson]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2010-09-15T19:21:09+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/a6f0de06b34396ff255cd7f274851846-9.html#unique-entry-id-9http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/a6f0de06b34396ff255cd7f274851846-9.html#unique-entry-id-9
Although there has been a noticeable appearance of some new young members in the Branch, it tends to be the older stalwarts who pick up most of the jobs. Only a couple of weeks after Jim Lawman celebrated his 60th birthday it is now the turn of Ian Jardine to do the same. Ian is one of the foundation stones that supports the Branch. Even though he has enjoyed the surgence of youth into our ranks he still ticks along in the background providing the home programme page, our fantastic mascot service and plenty of contributions to HTB.

I think this has been a decent season overall. Clear of any major relegation worries and three good cup runs. The downturn in crowds is an economic issues affecting most clubs and not one that we can be too critical of the club about. We will need to cut our cloth accordingly next season, thankful that we have been prudent this season. It might be that fans could be attracted with a little bit more creativity around matchday offers and I will push hard to increase fans interaction with a view to influencing this area. At least we are operating in the black for the season and don't have a fly by night Foreign owner.

United fans tend to be a critical bunch as demonstrated with some questioning the Fans Forum in Southend. I can honestly say the club bent over backwards to make this happen at the Branch's request. I believe that there was a very low turn out at the last one in Carlisle so why so much complaining ? How many that criticise on messageboards and the like would actually have the bottle to publicly air their complaints ? The London Branch work with the club not against it but that does not mean that we can't give structured criticism when it is due.

I hope the Wembley day out is one where everyone gets behind Greg and the team, to make us all truly United.

Simon Clarkson]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2010-02-21T16:47:42+00:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/f7a07d0242d7120cfdf2153e0053166c-8.html#unique-entry-id-8http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/f7a07d0242d7120cfdf2153e0053166c-8.html#unique-entry-id-8
This season will already probably go down as the busiest in the Branch history from an event point of view. The number of socials has shot up, together with live games on internet and tv. We have the fans' forum to look forward to in March. We sowed the seed with the club in a series of productive pre season meetings, as a Branch at that time we felt that there needed to be a greater influence from the fans. The lack of an official fans group in Carlisle does not allow that feedback to flow so I laid out a few proposals on behalf of the Branch, all of which were taken on board in a positive way and many of which we have seen come to fruition. Where we asked for a representative from the owners to come to our 250 issues of HTB event, they all attended despite the long drive ahead of them. when invited to answer a few impromptu Q & A's there was no hesitation. The honesty we got was refreshing and as a result we look forward to the forum in March. It may be surprising to some that the biggest applause of the night was not for the guest appearance of Stan Bowles but when in direct response to a question on finances to one of the owners, the detailed answered included the fact that the club was actually trading in the black for the season. Crystal Palace are the latest team to go into administration as a result of financial mismanagement. They won't be the last this season.

We have our next sponsorship game at Brunton Park and hope that by making it Good Friday we can catch a few Exiles back in Cumbria for Easter. By subsidising the cost and making it just £25 each it is sure to be a great day out. After that there are trips to Charlton, Brighton (surely it can't rain this year?) , Southampton & Norwich for a weekend away where we hope to finish off with no pressure on the game.

It is great to see the Football League getting a bit more coverage, even if it is Leeds most of the time! The Football league show and the new Late Kick Off programme together with the availability of goal clips on the internet, all make it easier for fans to keep in touch. Is this having an effect on attendances I wonder? It would be interesting for a lower league club to experiment with free admission like Ebbsfleet or the Mansfield ' pay what you think it's worth ' idea. If home clubs get double their usual attendance, they may actually take more money on the day through sales of beer, programmes and club shop sales. As supportive as we are as a Branch, we still feel the club could be a lot more proactive in being creative around commercial activities. For example how many fans would give up a couple of hours per week to do telesales to perspective fans who may be minded to come to a home match with a little incentive thrown in? The beauty of this tactic is your callers don't even need to be ringing from the club for this to work. It is essential that the Branch continues to strengthen its ties with the club not just from a fund raising point of view but to continue to be the only recognised supporters voice. I don't get any pleasure stating this and would love nothing more than to see the formation of a supporters' club in Carlisle that was prepared to put old differences aside and work together with the club to make Carlisle United a true community club.

Simon Clarkson]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2009-10-05T19:26:38+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/ad6a15977743d13e3f793d7ba77cfdf7-7.html#unique-entry-id-7http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/ad6a15977743d13e3f793d7ba77cfdf7-7.html#unique-entry-id-7
I am warming to James Phillips on Radio Cumbria. No doubt his commentary is at a different level to Degsy as it is far easier to know which team has the ball. I do miss Degsy's gaffs! The United World service is the umbilical cord for us Exiled fans on matchdays as I found out to my cost when I could not get an internet connection during the Portsmouth game. Text updates are a killer. It's so stressful waiting for the bleep and then when it comes my heart stops whilst I open it. Mind you I wonder if James has had a ticking off after the Leeds match during which he asked if there was a brown envelope sticking out of the back pocket of the linesman!

The 1.2 million pound loss did not come as a surprise but I am more concerned that it may bring with it fear amongst our owners. I'm all for prudence and making efficiency savings but I really think we are missing a trick with our lack of creativity in the commercial sphere. This is in no way a criticism of the employees at the club who I know are really hard working and fully committed. We need to speculate to accumulate, be more creative with initiatives and not be afraid to get something wrong. The club are missing out on a major revenue stream by failing to set up a supporters' club which would generate for example an army of volunteers that could be used to assist. How many fans would be prepared to give up a couple of hours a week to do some telesales on match tickets? How many of the occasional fans just need a little nudge over the phone with an incentive attached? Although it is not the be all and end, it would significantly improve turnover if you get more people into Brunton Park. Once in they buy a pie, a beer, programme, etc and they might come back.

SO COME ON UNITED, LET'S PUT DIFFERENCES ASIDE AND SET UP A MEANINGFUL SUPPORTERS CLUB.

Simon Clarkson]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2009-08-31T23:28:31+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/215a60e452c795a8684a78d76cee8d98-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/215a60e452c795a8684a78d76cee8d98-6.html#unique-entry-id-6
I only caught one of the pre season friendlies and as a result I'm not as optimistic as I sometimes am at this time of year. Since the glorious end of last season we have made some tough decisions around our playing squad. At least the owners came out and made our financial position clear. This is to be applauded and makes our expectations a little more realistic, or at least it should for the level headed fans. Only time will tell if Matty Robson is better than Lewis Neal and Jeff Smith. Was Chris Lumsdon past it and is Lenny Pidgeley as good as Ben Williams, particularly given that we gained 60k? The major concern is the farce over the departure of Danny Graham. How can it be that he is allowed to play for Watford, they delay the tribunal and we are left without a striker ? Smaller clubs losing out again ? It will be very interesting to see how this unfolds on 6th August. One thing for sure is that we must bring in a striker before the big kick off otherwise we are going to be relying on set pieces.

This season will be another great one for the Branch. There are a lot of members working hard behind the scenes not only to raise money to donate and sponsor CUFC activities but to organise two celebrations. It is our 35th year and this will be commemorated by a special event. Before that we are doing a special 250th edition of HTB which should be out before Christmas. Keep an eye out for some new Branch merchandise too.

I had a very productive meeting with reps from the club around suggestions to increase revenue and interact more effectively with the fans. The suggestions have possibly been made before but were all made by fans like you who just want to see the club succeed. We await with interest to see how these suggestions are furthered. Already as a result of the meeting we are looking to bring a fans' forum to the South of England, so watch this space.

I write this before departing for holiday just a week before the season. I always knew I would miss the first game of the season and it actually worked out well as I'm back in time for one of the highlights of the season - our trip to the New Den! Putting my optimistic hat back on, we may be top of the league.

Keep the faith,

Simon Clarkson]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2009-05-13T17:01:35+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/8ce2c3dc75a30065d654b64b41263793-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/8ce2c3dc75a30065d654b64b41263793-5.html#unique-entry-id-5
It is becoming so predictable that there will be 4 additional minutes at the end of the second half. Do you think that the referees actually bother to count up the stoppages? Does anyone actually know what constitutes the adding of time? Another controversial aspect of matches is the optional use of Multiball. It is so beneficial to the home side and causes so much aggravation. Did anyone notice the whole dynamics of the ballboy activities change at Cheltenham once we went a goal up? Thank God that we don't have to watch the Premiership rubbish with all those prima donnas falling over all the time and throwing their toys out of the pram. Match of the day does not do it for me anymore I'm afraid.

The expected announcement about Greg being confirmed as manager allows his first real opportunity to build his team. The cut throat business that is football and the expectations of the fans mean that results are the be all and end all, and they will determine how long his tenure is. We have seen from this season compared to last that there is a fine line between a great season and a disappointing one. The signs at the latter end of the season were positive and to be fair the contract decisions and offers made were probably right. I guess that the travelling distance for the 23 away games will be in excess of 10,000 miles this season for the Carlisle based fans. The 09-10 season will give the Exiled fans loads of opportunities to get to games with Charlton, Norwich and Southampton being at the top of most peoples list. This season was an excellent one on the social front with group travel becoming a really good experience. I'm sure this coming season will continue in that vein and I personally can't wait for 10am Wednesday 17th June. In the meantime I have to prepare for the huge challenge of doing a triathlon on 6th September. I'm praying for a home game the day before otherwise I won't be able to partake in the red wine club.

Simon Clarkson]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2009-03-08T11:50:06+00:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/6260ef1a6d8bee74713aad79a450e7ed-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/6260ef1a6d8bee74713aad79a450e7ed-4.html#unique-entry-id-4
Do you like multi-ball? I personally do as it speeds the game up. So why don't Carlisle use it? There is a serious advantage to be made of it for the home team if you play it right and I saw this first hand at Oldham. If the home team are on the attack and needing to score the spare ball is zipped straight away from ball boy to throw taker. Any other scenario, then it is slowed right down and in particular when the away team want the ball quickly, the ball boy acts all dumb and drops the ball, etc. Take note next time you watch a game. I believe the option to use multi-ball is with the home club.

One thing I don't particularly like is the loan system. It needs a serious shake up. Loans are meant to be for emergencies. Gareth Taylor is a great loan for us but how can Danny Graham being injured be an emergency when we have Bridges, Dobie, Madine and Anyinsah on the bench? The loan system is very much dependent on who you know. How are Hereford able to attract Man Utd players? If fewer loans were allowed, it is likely that bigger clubs would have fewer players on the books as I'm sure some buy up players just to stop other clubs having them. Rant over.

This may not be a popular opinion but I hope Leeds go up this season. It will surely make it easier next season for us to make a promotion push if they and Leicester are promoted. There is no longer any novelty in going to Elland Road and winning. I think they will learn from last season and make it through the play offs. Only Cheltenham are certainties to go down. The appointment of Russell Slade at Brighton might save them and allow us our yearly visit to the Evening Star. All the other teams are fighting hard. Their respective results against us will affect who makes the drop.

At least we probably don’t have to worry about relegation. Greg can use the remainder of the season to shape things for the future. There is likely to be a lot of player churn in the summer before we start it all over again. I myself am really looking forward to the last weekend of the season to take in the Millwall game and the awards Dinner and then have a rest. Mind you there is always the planning for next season.

Simon Clarkson

]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2009-01-26T13:47:48+00:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/48605444c55a11ea27dea4678759519b-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/48605444c55a11ea27dea4678759519b-3.html#unique-entry-id-3
I write this with the January transfer window drawing to a close and for me the sooner the better. It’s a time where the big guns flex their muscles and usually get what they want and clubs like us know that our best players will look elsewhere. There is little player loyalty. The dust is still to settle on the proposed Hackney deal but I wonder how that came about only a few days after the manager said he was part of the future?

The train companies are doing fans no favours by hiking up their prices and reducing the selection of tickets. It really is a minefield with the same journey tickets ranging in price from one website to another and offers on with restrictions at other times. Credit goes to the smaller franchises who offer groupsave deals which tend to be the best way to proceed as flexibility of departure times is a real bonus. The last train trip saw a self imposed beer ban on the outward journey but don’t panic we were only helping a Branch member clear out some wine.

It’s a busy time on the Branch planning front. There has been loads of interest in the summer trip to Cologne and Mike Carruthers is doing a sterling job pulling this together, including confusing the tour operator and as a result getting a free hotel upgrade ! We have our end of season weekend that spans our sponsorship of the Millwall game and places at the Awards dinner. Both are proving to be very popular. There is also some advanced planning being done as to how we can best celebrate our 35th anniversary and the 250th issue of HTB, both of which will be during this year.

Has the romance in football gone? The football league must think so. Why else pitch Carlisle at Brighton on valentine's day? I can imagine a few Blues fans ending up in hot water over that one. Will it all be worth it? Be warned it is the worst view in the league and yet from a Branch perspective it is one of the best trips of the year. It is handy for most and has probably the best real ale pub of any trip. This year’s trip will be supplemented by a post match gathering at Tony Little’s place. Let’s hope it is not a question of going there just to dry out.

Simon Clarkson]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2008-12-20T14:55:51+00:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/64c53d3acc5a5180b3751cbd6e4688d4-2.html#unique-entry-id-2http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/64c53d3acc5a5180b3751cbd6e4688d4-2.html#unique-entry-id-2
I hope the board backs him in the January transfer window and we can make some permanent signings. I am not comfortable with loan signings and in fact I think it’s one area of the game that should be reviewed.

The two trips to Grays were enjoyable experiences. I found those involved in running the club a great bunch of people. I experienced two new things at the games. The floodlight failure – how bizarre was the timing and the fact that they asked over the tannoy if there was an electrician in the ground ! The MBW penalty in the second game – we all forgot the rule until the ref blew his whistle.

Where have all the discounted advanced purchase tickets gone? I wonder if it’s the credit crunch but there are very few grounds where tickets are cheaper if bought in advance. I always buy mine from CUFC in any case as they keep 5% of all monies. Every little counts. One thing I have stopped buying is away programmes. I just never have time to read them. In fact I am embarking on selling a large piece of my collection.

After a quick weekend back home to deliver Christmas presents (nothing to do with the Leicester game ) it will be all stations go for the Northampton game the following Saturday . We have a busy day. It’s an early train (which will be tough after my work Christmas party) to play in the supporters match kicking off at 10.30 am. I guarantee it will be wet and cold but a good craic. We will meet up with the other supporters for a couple of beers before the main game. I estimate getting back home 14 hours after leaving. Who says Southern based Carlisle fans have it easy !

It’s winter but we are planning our Branch summer trip and we’ve decided to go to Cologne. Websites are being checked for deals and routes. I’m told by a train enthusiast that you can do the journey by rail. Details on how to join us are in this mag.

There is also some advanced planning to be done as to how we can best celebrate our 35th anniversary and the 250th issue of HTB, both of which will be during next year. In fact 2009 promises to be a great year, as we will end this season by sponsoring the last game of the season against our friends from Millwall.

I wish you all a Happy Christmas and a successful new year.

Simon Clarkson]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2008-06-30T09:00:00+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/420cdce643bbf6376b303302235b23ad-1.html#unique-entry-id-1http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/420cdce643bbf6376b303302235b23ad-1.html#unique-entry-id-1
If as most people agree our squad was too small last season, we need to hope that we are busy in the transfer market. For me we need cover at goalkeeper, right back, centre half and centre forward (at least until the return of Garner) plus a right winger. This is a minimum. The successful teams in the lower leagues use the loan system to its full potential and in particular recruit players on the fringe of Premiership teams. It was predicted that Swansea would struggle with the loss of their star player Lee Trundle. They strengthened wisely including good loans. The loss of Keiren Westwood could be viewed in the same way. Only time will tell.

Although Southern exiles miss out on trips to Bournemouth , Luton & Gillingham in return we get to go back to Peterborough and sample new grounds at MK Dons & Colchester. Will the appetite for a trip to Elland Road be the same this year? Leicester could well be the biggest turn out.

Off the pitch ( once it is re-laid at a cost of 30k ) there are some fans issues the club must resolve. The ability to buy tickets online will help with some of the ticketing issues but there also needs to a lot more pro-activeness around getting supporters into Brunton Park. Why didn't we sell out at home to Leeds in the play off ? Discounted tickets, money off vouchers or other initiatives must be looked at. Surely it's better to have someone in a seat at a reduced price than the seat empty. Once in the inevitable spend on other items might occur.

On the social side the Branch had a fantastic season. Group travel really took off and some great friendships have emerged. Our popular meeting places with the option of turning up to collect your match ticket brought friends together for some memorable days out. In fact when obstacles like bus replacement services were thrown in our way the group seemed to rise to the challenge and the day out at Bournemouth typified this when we convinced the bus driver to take a detour and drop us off near our meeting place. The other passengers were gobsmacked having already having had to put up with the Branch flag draped across the middle of the bus during the journey.

It's time to look forward and hope that this season is as enjoyable as last. There are lots of people working hard to achieve that result for you, not least the players who need your loyal support. Get behind the lads and cheer us on to the Championship.

Simon Clarkson
]]>webmaster@carlislelondonbranch.orgHome2008-10-17T08:04:58+01:00http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/452b05afcad0a564923a9ee1684f12d9-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.carlislelondonbranch.org/features/chairman_files/452b05afcad0a564923a9ee1684f12d9-0.html#unique-entry-id-0
Does John Ward know his best starting 11 is a question that I have been asked many times? Surely before you pick a team you have to decide on a formation and a players best position. Is Scott Dobie a striker or a winger? What is Danny Carlton's best position? Is Gowling a right back despite playing for Bournemouth as a centre back ? Which combination of midfielders works best? Dare I suggest that the increase in our squad size has actually contributed to the dip in form. Have we got a Rafa Benitez scenario with too much rotation?

Meanwhile, away fans continue to get the rough end of the stick. MK Dons was a classic example. Kids for a quid and adults at £10 and yet United fans had to pay full price. Forest had the right idea last season when they made it a fiver for everyone for their sky tv game. I was already uncomfortable about playing MK Dons. Their ticket pricing only aggravated me further. Can you imagine how we would feel if someone took our club away and moved it to Durham? I am proud and relieved to support a community club that is on a stable financial footing. I know that will sound boring to some but there is no point in having a honeymoon period and then ending up like Gretna is there?

The credit crunch is certainly helping to focus the minds of both clubs and supporters. I think our crowds are holding up reasonably well. We could certainly be a bit more creative in attempting to entice people down to Brunton Park. Discounts and offers do work - that's how MK Dons get 10k+. Our exiled supporters are now routinely car sharing and the groupsave 4 for 2 is used on the trains whenever possible. The quality of the communal food and drink brought on the trip has also dropped!

I have noticed a significant increase in the number of players with hyphonated surnames. Diesel Dickey recently made a full team. We now have two ourselves. Why are there more now I wonder? The youngest player to ever play in the league is even one of the members of the exclusive club. I wonder if it's a scam by football clubs to squeeze money out of supporters for replica shirts!

Our November Branch meeting will see the CUFC chief scout Stuart Gray popping in to do a Q & A session. This should give a great insight into that side of the club. We have representation in the fans feedback group which is a welcome opportunity for the fans to influence how the club improves the relationship with the fans. This is an appropriate step to take as it will allow fans to feel that they are being listened to. At least this is constructive rather than the bleating that invariably takes place on websites where fans often make irrational comments born out of frustration. We all want to see the club do well but calls for the manager to be sacked are completely inappropriate at this stage. The main thing I do agree on is bringing everyone back at corners seems to be illogical as we will never win the ball when it's cleared. I wonder what the opposition would do if we left four players up?

Simon Clarkson]]>