News Article | 8th June 2009 » Are We There Yet?

An update from the Directors

It's now been 38 working days since Ian Johnson and Gary Apsley took over the reins of the Sheffield Scimitars from Martin Birch and this fact will probably come as a surprise to quite a few of our more 'informed supporters'? Gary Apsley gives an insight to his first few weeks at the helm of the Scimitars.

"What is interesting is that the business that IS the Club was in serious need of some strengthening and that is a fact that Martin made no secret of, so it should be no surprise to anyone that a significant amount of restructuring of the business is required in order to ensure that the Club remains viable as a going concern. A small point of the re-structuring concerns the amount of assessment and evaluation of what works or does not work in terms of the operation of the business. This is about everything that is required in order to make the on-ice stuff work from agreements with the venue to the financial matters affecting players being paid on time, kit, PR, sponsorship etc etc. The thorough evaluation of a business is not something that can be done overnight and any professional accountant or financial manager will tell you that.

It would be worth remembering that the Scimitars is primarily a business which operates an ice hockey team that plays in a semi-professional league where operating costs are high. With this in mind, all of the EPL Clubs are likely to be monitoring what they spend and how they plan to spend without really knowing what is going to come in through the 'tills', especially with the current state of the national economy. In my world this means RISK and at the current time, the risk far outweighs the rewards but we do plan to change that.

So, this is where Ian and I entered the Scimitars. Martin did as much as he could and found that the resources consumed by the Club were not sustainable and he needed help. Help was not forthcoming in sufficient quantities and for his own reasons he needed to move on. I, for one, applaud his dedication and commitment to the sport and to the Club, which is why I felt it appropriate that he should be offered the position of Club President, and one he has graciously accepted. Whilst Martin might not be at the thick of things now, he has pledged to guide and support the Club without the burden of years gone by, maybe he will enjoy watching the team from his new lofty position? I hope so. All we need to do is to steady the ship, implement some business improvements, then manage our activities within a budget to hopefully see the team winning both on and off the ice. Sounds really easy doesn't it?

So, back to the last 38 days! My word, we have been busy. But to read some of the remarks and accusations from the 'fans'(?), it would appear to me that some have already dismissed our credentials and efforts before we have even begun? What's all that about I wonder? I am somewhat disappointed that there are those who are openly criticising us before we have even had our first Board Meeting? I can only assume that our critics must be running some highly successful and major businesses that must be un-affected by the current recession given some of the remarks that are being made? If you are a highly successful business person then maybe you could have offered some help to Martin? Incidentally, I would certainly be happy to consider help if you are up to it?

It is true to say that, as the new owners of the Scimitars, we are not 'millionaires' who are using the Scimitars as a 'boy's-toy' like some 'football club chairman', but does that make us wrong for the Club? Even if I had millions of pounds, would I be wise to throw any "hard-earned" in to a cash-burner like an ice hockey club? I suspect not!

You know, the Scimitars is probably best described as a SME business (small to medium enterprise) which is likely to have a turn-over of about £200k pa. Its only employees are the players, all of the other 'staff' are volunteers who give-up their time freely for the benefit of the Club - maybe people should think about that when they are openly critical of them? Our business operates nationally with a growing customer base that is largely 'provincial', and although loyal in part, it is not currently of sufficient strength to support the business as we would like. This is why our business 'wheels' turn slower than those of other, larger businesses.

Having spent the last 6 weeks or so trying to secure the nucleus of the 'operating team' with the appointment of a highly talented and extremely credible Head Coach and retaining the most promising set of British youngsters currently available, I believe we have already successfully delivered a strong platform for the Club which demonstrates our commitment to Martin and those closely associated with the Club. These are private commitments that are not cast in stone but something that we have every intention of honouring for as long as we are able. We believe that things are looking really good for the team right now and I would ask all of our supporters for their continued patience with our announcements, however frustrating it may be, because we are doing what we believe is best for the Club and we desperately want to keep the Club in the 'headlines' for the right reasons!

There has been plenty said about the 'lack' of official statements from the Club about players, cash, season tickets etc etc….. I am personally struggling to understand why there is such a desire for all information to be made available immediately, and because we haven't jumped right in and answered every single question posed on a 'fans Forum', that we are somehow "dismissing and alienating the supporters and damaging the Club". I did take the time to speak to one of our supporters yesterday because I felt compelled to offer support to one of our volunteers who I thought was taking all of the criticisms of the Club personally. You can rest assured that the Club has a dedicated and robust approach to promotion of our activities and in time I feel sure you will see the Scimitars as a 'beacon' club which others will be desperate to follow.

I could go on about this or that, but you know what, there's probably no point and to be honest we have so much work to do to get the Scims ready for the 2009/10 season that it would be wrong of me to allow a few 'supporters' to slow us down. So, I ask you all to think about the 'propaganda' machine you have created over the past few weeks, and suggest to you that it is you who have the true potential to damage the Club you hold dear? None of you know Ian or me, and from what I can see so far, you do not appear to want to give us a chance? If you know ice hockey like some of you say you do, then you will know about our credentials as people who can deliver ice hockey for the community to be proud of. For those of you who can't help themselves to be other than 'critics' then I suggest you are not the type of 'supporters' that Clubs like the Sheffield Scimitars actually needs or indeed wishes for….. but then of course you may not agree with that comment either!

Back to the progress - we have been working hard to secure new and additional sponsorship for the Club. There WILL be announcements on this in due course. All I can say at this time is that there will be a new Main Sponsor for the Scimitars as the Copthorne Hotel 2nd year deal was not taken-up by them, which was a major disappointment. I understand that Handley Brown are considering their options for continued support of the Club and I am hopeful that they will retain their support of the club for next season.

Another area of interest at this time is the Club Shirt design and links with the Sheffield Junior Ice Hockey Club. I have made no secret of my desire to see a joined-up Club incorporating both Senior and Junior operations. I have held a number of meetings with the Sheffield junior club and I am hopeful that we can find a way to become one Club that will embody all of the elements of a true Hockey Academy that could go on to achieve 'foundation' status.

We have also had talks with a number of the Elite League Clubs about two-way deals and we are currently negotiating with a major American League team about the possibilities of them touring the UK with games being pencilled-in at Sheffield, Coventry and Cardiff. Before any of you start to question this idea, let me just say that we have a record of "making things happen" so you'd be wise to keep an open mind!

That's about where we've got to, which I would say is pretty good going for 38 days in the job! So to round-off, let me say that I look forward to meeting the real Supporters of the Scimitars next week and will be more than happy to talk about what we need to do to get the Club and the Team to the top of the tree. We have a difficult time ahead, money is tight for everyone and our costs are going to be considerable but with Manchester Phoenix in the EPL at least we have a reasonably close away fixture now that Telford are not going to be competing.

Enjoy the summer break and look forward to some exciting times ahead either with a few imports or without….but that's JR's call"! Come and meet us at the Fans' Forum on Friday, 12th June, 7.30pm to find out the answers to your questions.

Gary Apsley

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10th June 2009
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7th June 2009

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