Tom Piatak on building a club to be proud of
27 July 2025
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When the Piatak family took control of the club back in November 2023 nobody would have (or could have) predicted what was to follow, with back-to-back relegations taking the Cumbrians out of the EFL and into the ranks of the National League.
It could easily have resulted in a negative response from the new shellshocked owners, but the opposite has been as the challenge of getting back to where the club feels it belongs begins.
Speaking to the Branch on Thursday night, chairman Tom Piatak said: “It’s been a difficult 18 months for sure. There's been absolutely no ifs, ands, or buts about that.
“The London Group's support has been phenomenal with everything that you've done for the club, and it's truly recognised.
“I just want to make sure everybody knows, I feel the pain and take ownership for it, and while the results have been painful, I do see a bright future.”
“The vision has not changed,” he added. “The ownership group is completely committed to Carlisle United, and we’re not pleased with what's happened through the last 18 months.
“That was part of the rationale or the reason for the top-down review of the club, which was definitely needed. I believe the club actually did need a reset because we could keep pushing in League 2 and stay in League 2, but if we really want to get higher, we've got to be focused on some organisational issues that are now being addressed.
“Some of the infrastructure issues we had have been addressed and will continue to be addressed. But our vision has not changed. A stable League 1 club that pushes towards the Championship, that's kind of where I see it in five years.
“It's disappointing that we had to take this step back, but we're firmly committed to making the jump. Everybody at the club understands that the goals here are promotion to get out of this league as quickly as possible, preferably in Year 1.
“So where do I see the club? In League 1 pushing towards the Championship. I think that's realistic. I think it's reasonable. I think it's achievable, and I think we can get there.
“The main part of that is the first team squad. Underneath that is still a very strong academy.
“There's a lot that needs to be done to the infrastructure at Carlisle United. We want to have a club that has a winning culture and that basically is respected by the community, respected by the players, respected by the supporters.
“It's one that we can be proud of. So, there's a lot of underlying areas that we're working on that need to be addressed, and they are being addressed.”
Part of that process has been the top-down review, with many of the recommendations coming out of that already being implemented.
“They’ve done a phenomenal job,” he told us. “They've been focused for us mostly on the commercial, the sales and the media, and just trying to modernise that aspect of it.
“What we're asking them to do is put the processes in place for us, some of the collateral and things, because we don't have that chief commercial person right now.
“We do not have the head of marketing and media in place right now, so this was let's bring them on. Let's have them analyse that segment of our business, the commercial with the media piece.
“Find out where the shortcomings are, start putting processes in place that can help us achieve higher revenue om match days, whether that's sponsorships, hospitality, whatever that might be.
“And then hopefully as we fill these positions we’ll see the new processes are in place, the metrics are in place, so let’s go ahead and move forward.”
Always an issue that splits opinion, he confirmed that stadium naming rights are still up for discussion.
“We're looking at that,” he said. “And I'll say there has been some discussion because that’s an opportunity for the club, but it has to be with the right partner.
“It has to be with the right corporate sponsor that kind of represents the values and everything that the club does and preferred maybe to be a more of a local or regional sponsor.
“So yes, that's being looked at. It's being discussed, but there is nothing imminent at this point.”
