Leeann Dempster

Ok, listened to the comments on names so we have 'rebranded' to MotherwellFCBay Cheesy but hey, it works. We are going to try the first item - again not sure how this might work but we are prepared to try it. One of the few games this season where we do not have a Match Sponsor so we have decided to open it up to individual seats. Full sponsor experience only shared... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=230552752807 Also, it's our first listing and fairly text heavy. Any ebay fanatics out there who can help make the pages look better then we'd like your advice. Leeann

A new idea from the club - not sure if other clubs do anything similar however we intend to set up a trading account on ebay in order for us to auction items of interest to our supporters, money can't buy type items and general memorabilia that is either surplus to requirements or dedicated to raise monies for particular charities (the poppy shirts might be an example of this). Not only will this raise some much needed funds but it is also a bit of fun and allows supporters who don't live locally and who might not be able to attend events like our end of year kit sale to have the opportunity to buy or bid. We are not sure if this will be successful or not but certainly worth trying out. As ever I'd be interested to hear your ideas on how we could perhaps develop this and any ideas on what we could offer would be welcome. My thoughts are that we could for example auction off opportunities such as appearing in the official team photograph or the chance be the kit man for the day…these are just ideas that need to be developed. The monies raised (other than the charity items) will be kept in a separate pot and I will be looking for ideas on how we might spend it. Look out for items under the banner of mfcbay_officially_motherwell_fc_site Leeann

A thank you to all who supported our first attempt at the SPL family weekend. Your attention and appreciation of the Community kids at half time was really terrific and I know the kids really enjoyed the experience. We can do better at these but I am pleased with the initial feedback and it has given us the experience to improve. We will be doing a lot more of this activity - any (please sensible and reasonable!) suggestions you have as to how to create a more sustained atmosphere both pre and during matches would be welcomed. Leeann

Afternoon all, I wanted to take the opportunity respond hopefully in a positive way and explain my thinking behind the increase in ticket prices. This is not a topic that I am trying to dodge in any manner, I have just too busy in the past week or so to read the message board therefore that is the reason for my non response. There are a number of factors we took into consideration when initially (pre Breidablik game) setting the prices. Clearly we wanted to make the pricing as attractive as we could and in particular in the initial round / rounds to encourage as many supporters as we could to turn up. We did that and I think you will agree with me on this with the good family offer and £15 at the gate. In general that was well received. There is a potential financial downside to that strategy in so much as we most probably lost out on revenue because we could have set the prices higher and restricted the family gate. There is the alternative view and one that we supported which is that it is more important to get the ground full, expose families and perhaps lapsed fans to the club again and in doing so brining supporters, new and old back to the club. There is also the positive financial spin off for the club in all of this, 3 strong home gates help us enormously through the year and when we can, like all other clubs and ultimately business, we need to try and maximize the return we can receive. We took the decision that were we to proceed to a later stage of the competition that we would increase the pricing but try also to maintain value particularly around families. I have read the comments on concession prices and to be fair, and in hindsight we most probably could have offered a concession price. At the time we felt a straight £20 ticket for all for a game such as tomorrows was a fair price and compromise. We have taken on board the feedback and will consider this should we progress in this competition and for all others we play in. Nights like tomorrow do not come around often and I want to thank those of you who have fed back and those who have bought tickets. As I write we have sold 8,100 tickets for the match. We are listening. Setting a pricing strategy that works for all is near impossible but we have tried to be fair and also to make Fir Park as accessible to all as we can. I accept that we can do more however the money that you spend on tickets goes directly into the club for the benefit of all. Leeann

Afternoon All, Now it is not like me to get wound up about things I read on this board....I enjoy the comments and I find the discussion really interesting. I also think it is a great way to get info straight out and also clear up issues and give comment. So... On the charter: The cost of a charter aircraft is significant so there is always a risk, should we not sell enough seats, that the club will lose money and not just a few pounds. It is my job to balance that risk and also to consider the risk versus team travel options - in this case, where we to have flown scheduled it would have meant the team arriving back in Glasgow at 9pm or thereabouts on Friday night which with a game on Sunday is not ideal. I won't give you the absolute cost but to charter this aircraft, with 147 seats it is in the region of £60,000 or in old money £410 a seat. Add to that, transfers on buses at both ends including to the match itself and a match ticket and you will see that we have kept the cost at £495 before any hotels, to a minimum. It was my view and John was in agreement that given the nature of the game and the impact a win could have for this club, taking the risk on the charter was worthwhile. We had to get the team there in as easy a fashion as possible and importantly get them back early to prepare for the Kilmarnock game. Contrary to some opinion - I have not used the charter as a way to either cover the teams costs or to make revenue for the club. These aircraft cost a significant amount of money and it can't be done on the cheap. I sometimes think that no matter what we do here, and in this case taking a larger charter to include supporters when we had other options, always seems to bring critisism. Leeann

FYI - you can obviously book a flight and match ticket only if you prefer to book your own hotel. Cost for this is £495 including all coach transfers to and from Glasgow Airport and also whilst in Denmark. Leeann

There are a number of changes we have had to make from normal match day procedures to allow us to participate in Europe. It does change with each year with regulation becoming ever increasing. I will be honest and say though that as far as I am aware, only the plastic non back seats have been held back - we simply cannot use them. I held back a small section of the main stand for the last match as I did not want to open the South Stand to under 100 visiting fans although we did have a procedure in place to get the South open on the night were it needed. This time, the visiting fans are, I believe, being housed in the lower South tier so let me look into this and if I am correct in what I am saying, clearly we can make the seats you want available. For SPL matches, we have decided not to sell sections of the main stand North and South as season tickets to allow the club the flexibility to house visiting fans if needed. On occassions where there are too little to demand the South be opened and manned and similarly for Old Firm, if we need selected overflows. On last count this affected 11 of our fans who have all be moved successfully into other parts of the main stand. Leeann

Club charter now booked so some seats available - we have 25 approx to sell. Price is £590, includes flight and transfers plus match ticket. We will advise on recommeded hotel however as with Iceland, you book that independently. Flight leaves Wednesday 28th at 10am from Glasgow Returns straight after the match on Thursday. Wilma or Diane can talk you through the detail commercial@motherwellfc.co.uk or 01698 33 33 33 More details to follow on the website.

Due to the difficult nature of the travel arrangements from Glasgow for the first team, we are CONSIDERING a small charter flight for this trip. Potentially only 25 maybe 30 seats available. Cost to be confirmed - as you might expect, I am still in negotiations but in order to get organised as it were - if you are interested and please only if genuine, email us at commercial@motherwellfc.co.uk If we do this it would be very much as Iceland - out Wednesday AM, back Thursday PM. Cost would be in the region of £550 - this is an estimate. Aircraft would carry between 50-66 depending on interest and perhaps 1 tech stop. Leeann

Good Evening Everyone, I have decided to post on this subject tonight because I have been asked directly to do so and also because it is only fair to update you all given we have 12 pages of discussion on the subject. I have been reading this thread with real interest - the discussions around ideas for shirt sponsorship and innovation are much to be admired. There is no doubt that it is a difficult marketplace not only in the traditional media environments but also in the niche ones, such as sports sponsorship too. Do not be mislead in thinking however that we have not be active in discussions and in pursuing a partnership that cements not only our commercial interests but as important, where we aspire to be as a club. We have been in active discussions since before the end of 2009 to secure the RIGHT partnership. Read into that what you will. I can update you to say that we were very pleased indeed to strike a short term deal with a long standing business and supporter of MFC for 2 of our friendly matches. ABR Roofing stepped in when the opportunity arose - we needed interim strips for the team whilst waiting on our new home kit and therefore a short term sponsor was sought. ABR were delighted to sponsor these games and a personal thank you to them for doing so. The 2nd round Europa matches - we have again secured a sponsor for these two matches, deal done many weeks ago and will be detailed tomorrow once the strips are ready. A brand and great cause that we as a club have supported in the past and one that is very important to us going forward. Community based. Overall Shirt Sponsorship - as eluded to above, we have been working very hard in this area and I am pleased to say that we have secured a partnership that I hope will not only excite our supporters but more importantly, inspire them. The 'deal' has been on the table for some time, the detail very much flexible and the future partnership I have huge hopes for. We are in a period of organisation and I cannot, as yet, announce anything but please bear with me. What I can say is that I think you will be pleased. It is a wonderful opportunity for the club, absolutely cements our direction and future aspirations and I hope others eventually look on with envy. As I said above, I am very pleased that you are all interested enough to generate 12 pages of discussion on the subject - please also be reassured that we have been working tirelessly to secure a partnership that is insightful and beneficial for all. I will be able to tell you all soon enough - most likely the week of the 19th July. Patience...this will be different. Leeann

Hotel deal below for independent booking. Please click, I don't know how to do the clicky thing so old fashioned link below... http://www.motherwellfc.co.uk/index.php?op...&Itemid=136 Basic of which are Prices for Motherwell fans are as follows: Twin / Double Room: 55 GBP per person which includes Breakfast Single Room: 85 GBP per person which includes Breakfast All hotel room bookings should be sent to reservations@centerhotels.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or phone +354 595 8582. Reference is Motherwell FC. Please quote “Motherwell Supporters Package”

Steelboy We have agreed an allocation of 300 tickets and as before, Uefa regulations require us to detail those who purchase and obviously those on the official charter are included in this. For those travelling independently then I would urge that you purchase a ticket from us directly meaning we will have details collected. If fans decide to travel without tickets and to purchase whilst there then the club can only request that you purchase before travel. I am fairly certain the 300 will cover all those fans who wish to travel and if not, then I am confident we can arrange additional supply. What I would say is that last year in Albania and Romania and for those who travelled independently we appealled for contact details so that we knew as much as we could about who travelled. By the same token we activly circulated club mobile numbers to everyone we could so that in the event they needed information or help, we were onsite to assist where possible. Just common sense really. Leeann

Emails all up again, apologies for the delay. Wilma and Diane are waiting to take your calls and emails on 01698 333 333 or commercial@motherwellfc.co.uk Travel with the team, management and club officials on the only direct flight from Glasgow. This is our third year of organising these trips and we will use all our experience to make this adventure even more memorable for all so come and join us, I can guarantee it will exciting.

Hi all, We have really tried to price this trip as affordably as we possibly can. You'll be interested to know that we have not loaded the costs in any way to cover players and officials as this would have put the cost well out of reach at nearly £600 a seat before transfers and match tickets! We are trying to encourage you to come along but I accept that it may well be out of reach for some supporters. We could have gone on scheduled airlines however the benefits to the team of a direct flight are such that we decided to charter an aircraft and encourage you all to join us. I hope you can. Leeann

To answer the questions on season ticket collection. The books have arrived and are currently being counted, sorted and being made ready for collection and posting. We will advise soonest when they will be dispatched or available for collection. We used a few volunteers last week to quicken the process so hopefully finished early this week. Leeann

Hi Bob Great news you have signed anchorboy up for Summer Soccer School. I hope he enjoys being coached by our current legend Stevie Kirk as he follows his own pathway to legendary status! What did you think of the online booking system?

Guys, That should be the link fixed now but just in case the site can be found at https://www.motherwellsoccerschools.com Apologies for the wee error

Noted thanks, we are on it now. It was working I promise! LD

Good evening all, If you have had a look at the Official Site lately you will see the Club are running a Summer Soccer School for boys and girls from the ages of 3 to 16 on the AstroTurf behind the East Stand. Costs are from £5 per half day through to £10.00 a full day and £50.00 per week. Our community coaches including Club legend Stevie Kirk will help the young people develop their skills and there will be a range of games, and other fun activities for them to take part in. Kids between the ages of 3-5 will be especially well catered for and we have experienced coaches who work with the Mini SteelKids programme to take care of them. All the young people attending the Soccer School will have a great time in a fun and safe environment. Over the past two weeks th Club have invested in an online booking service to manage the soccer school programme and provide a better service to you the fans. This is the same system used by Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool so its top notch. You can enrol your child on the Summer Soccer School through this system at: https://www.motherwellsoccerschools.com Or you can telephone our booking hotline on 01698 239926. If anyone needs any more detail please feel free to email Charlie Bennett at Charlie.Bennett@motherwellfc.co.uk and he'll get back to you as soon as he can.

The situation is simply that it is Craig's preference to announce the player deals together however the others are taking a little longer to finalise and yesterday the media boys had Stevie's news and were going to run with it. That being the case, with it coming out anyway, Craig and I took Alan's advice in that good news such as this should, wherever possible, come from the club so I told him to run with it. There is nothing rattling in the background on this one. Others to follow very soon I hope. Leeann

Afternoon, For those who have previously put their names forward, please read below. Thanks for your interest and comments regarding the Supporters Advisory Committee. I would like to invite everyone who put their name forward to get together to have very much an informal an initial discussion about the structure of the committee, the roles and time involved in coming onboard and some agreement on general direction to at least get us started. As we have a home match on Saturday the 3rd April and therefore most of you will be coming to the ground anyway, I would like to suggest we get together between 1pm and 2pm to start discussions. The meeting will be held in the Sponsors Lounge which is located in the main stand. Please report the main entrance of the main stand and you will be directed from there. Please respond to ann.steven@motherwellfc.co.uk and advise if you are able to attend. If you did not put yourself forward previously then please do not attend as we are already somewhat over subscribed... Kind regards Leeann

Pleased to confirm that Stevie Kirk has indeed joined the club on a full time basis and will be working within Motherwell in the Community as a Community Coach. He will be working with Bobby Jenks to add further depth and quality to this important area of the club and will be joined in the next few days by one other new member of the team who has been recruited to the position of Head Of Adult Learning and Motherwell In The Community. The remit of these posts are to use the power of football and in particular Motherwell Football Club to motivate people to fundamentally change their lives by engaging in lifelong learning, improving health and well being, participating in sport and in doing so contributing to the improvement and regeneration of local communities. We are committed to further developing this resource, more of which you'll hear about in the weeks to come. Alan B is preparing a piece for the website but since you all knew anyways....I thought I'd confirm. Leeann

Quick update on this from my end, as ever I have been caught up in other club business but I do plan to contact those who have put their name forward with a view to organising a meeting in the coming days. The meeting I hope will take place, assuming the majority of people can attend, on Saturday 3rd April prior to the Falkirk match. Thereafter once we have had the chance to talk through what is involved, commitment etc we can finalise the committee and get things moving. Please bear with me, it is rather hectic at the moment. Leeann

Morning All, My apologies for the silence from me on this topic however I have been concentrating on club matters elsewhere. To update you all, we have had approx 25 notes of interest from supporters who are interested in participating in the consultative committee. In order to move this process along swiftly I think we should probably set Friday 5th March as the final date for applications thereafter we will be in contact with those who have shown an interest to take it to the next stage. Leeann

A post most certainly doomed to compost corner Gaag, please do the honours.....or like me other may nearly choke on their food whilst reading!! Leeann