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I know there may be a lot of 'talking the talk' etc but there does seem to be a sea change in the organisation currently and a lot of things that are now currently happening or about to happen are things we have been crying out for for a long time. MM has to gain a helluva lot of trust due to the tainted relationship with the previous incumbent, but at the moment frankly I'm not sure he can do much more than he is doing. Increased revenue streams from non playing activities should have been getting done well before now and I fear that with Slessor Gardens now in place, Dundee may already have its 10k plus outdoor concert venue but you can only try - I'm not sure if the Sandeman Street residents will be ready for Iron Maiden at Tannadice I fear (Originally Posted by PortugueseFrank
From Fed update of q&a with Martin and Fyffe says Taylor and Thompson signed majority of players in Jan. So criticisms of signings perhaps shouldn't be laid entirely at Csaba's door.
Here it is in full of their FB page.
Members Update
Q&A following the Fed AGM with Mike Martin and Jimmy Fyffe:
Prior to detailing the content the Committee of the Federation would like to thank Mike Martin and Jimmy Fyffe for giving up their time and providing those present with a very informative and well received session. The plans for the future are very positive and in some cases overdue but the new Board of Directors appear to be acting quickly with the best long term interests of our Club to the forefront and we wish them every success in getting our Club back to its proper place in Scottish Football.
The Club to have a squad of 40 players, 24 regarded as first team players. Loans would not form a major part of the squad and 4 places in the 24 will be "reserved" for youth players although this may not happen this year but will in future years.
A few more players will hopefully be added to the 19 players who have already left the Club.
3 new players expected this week, hopefully 2 on Monday. The 3 includes a goalkeeper
Csaba has final say on what players are brought to the Club. In January 2018 the majority of the players were signed by Stephen Thompson and Darren Taylor not Csaba. Mike Martin responded to a question stating that he believed Csaba to have all the required qualities to ensure we were crowned Champions at the end of the season.
Luggy is in charge of all scouting at all age groups but will eventually focus on central and south of England. Dave Bowman was chosen by Luggy to cover Scotland. The recruitment process has undergone a significant and required review which will hopefully bring benefits moving forward.
Debate still taking place about whether the structure should be primarily our own scouts or recommendations from "contacts".
Player contracts consist of three elements: basic, bonus and an accommodation allowance in relation to the "25 mile rule".
No signing so far had meant the new wage structure has had to be broken although many agents tried to "plead a case".
The players will only get a bonus if they win a game, no bonus for a draw. The bonus will be paid at the end of the season - but only if we are the Champions, if not the bonus will be halved.
The club are close to filling the goalkeeper coach vacancy, with other new posts likely to be filled quite soon.
Some of the players who've been signed , claimed they had better offers elsewhere, but came to United because they want to be a part of the changes that are happening. Jimmy Fyffe said you could sense a more positive feeling when you entered Tannadice these days. Non playing staff seem happier and definitely up for the challenges ahead.
Mike Martin, Luggy, Csaba, David Southern and Laurie Ellis meeting about every 3 days to discuss signing targets. Mike Martin and David Southern handle contracts with the agents of the players Csaba wants to bring in.
A rigid checklist is in place to ensure the risks in recruitment are minimised. One year deals are not longer considered.
The Challenge Cup will be for the reserve squad this season, Craig Easton and Scott Robertson will be in the dugout for this competition.
An application has been made to the SFA to allow 15-year-olds to play in the reserve team and in the Challenge Cup. Celtic have made a similar application and thus the Club is hopeful of a favourable outcome. It is hoped that by doing this sort of thing United can prove to youth players that their best chance of appearing in the first team and making a successful football career is by signing with United where they will be given an opportunity if they have the qualities required.
An application has been made for United's academy to have elite status.
Sunday morning warm-down sessions will now take place, the players will have Monday off and be back in at St Andrews on a Tuesday morning.
Csaba has decided that the players will train at Tannadice on a Friday before a home game.
Specific afternoon training sessions will be held with only the players involved in the topic being covered required to attend. These sessions may at times cut across all squads.
Pre season has been moved back from Monday to Thursday (21 June). Mike Martin will address all coaches on Wednesday highlighting the need for Club standards to be adhered too, including appropriate language in public areas and being respectful of the opposition. His initial feedback from other Chairman was that the Club was not as well liked as he would wish it to be and sees addressing this as an important objective.
The club will make a financial loss this season due to the revenue situation i.e. Championship v SPL income and not costs which are all budgeted and under a more strict control. Success will be rewarded but failure will be addressed quickly.
A new sports bar will be opening half way through the season. It will be on two levels with the top section used for match day hospitality. The George Fox hospitality lounges have been combined and improved at almost no cost to the Club thanks to various sponsors. This facility is to be utilised out with match days and as it now has its own entrance can be used without opening the stand. It is hoped that a variety of non football related functions will utilise this facility providing additional ongoing revenue to the Club.
The share sale process is progressing, due diligence has been complete for some time and Mike Martin is confident of a successful outcome. The prospective new owners have been kept informed in relation to the big numbers for 2018/19 but not the detail of how these sums are to be spent. Mike Martin confirmed that if he is still involved after the share sale he will consider establishing a basis in Dundee. He also stated that Gussie's ownership would revert to the Club when the share sale takes place at the same price he paid.
United still own 20% of Ryan Gauld and will get a sell-on fee for Stuart Armstrong. Mike Martin stressed that some media stories were completely without foundation using Chris Miller as a recent example.
Although a loss was expected for the current year this could be reduced by unbudgeted income with Mike Martin giving the example of the Scottish Cup game against Aberdeen which was worth approx. £100k to United.
Mike Martin's 33% share purchase took place in October. No formal announcement was made as he didn't think it was of interest as Stephen Thompson still remained the majority shareholder. Mike Martin and Jimmy Fyffe both stressed that Stephen Thompson has no involvement with the Club at any level and they believe this will continue until the sale of his shares takes place.
Luggy is now unlikely to hold the trial game previously mentioned although some players will be invited to join "on trial" during the pre season period. It is hoped to announce more pre season friendlies shortly.
United's website and social media communication are under consideration and it is intended to improve this aspect of the Club shortly.
A new card based ticketing system is likely for 2019/20 with feedback from other Clubs being that this will pay for itself quickly. Mike Martin said his aim was for Tannadice to become a "cashless" area, accepting that payment at gates could be made via contactless bank/credit cards, rather than pre purchased tickets.
Another revenue stream being considered is looking at Tannadice as a concert venue , Rod Stewart in June/July 2019 was mentioned.). Player contracts should have been addressed many moons ago obviously and entering the 21st Century with non paper ticket entry can only help boost crowds slightly.
As things stand, I would give MM an 8/10 for a good start, but more, much more needs to follow.
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