Originally Posted by
aloreburn
Just read this update on Facebook from the tanner fund chairman.
Hi All, After my last post in regards to the committee stopping the support of the Tanner Fund I was asked to meet with the Club Board this afternoon.
We chatted in regards to our reasonings for ceasing support of the fund (in which I have highlighted in the post before) and I highlighted the issue in regards to communication between Club and Fans. With the manager stating he had the lowest wages to work with aligned to the club stating we were pretty affluent, it certainly confused fans.
The board were extremely positive in regards to the TF and stated that as far as they believed, that the TF was there to help when needed and as much as the management team had tried for more signings, there was literally slim pickings. Key factors aligning to a perfect storm, were the likes of COVID and teams reluctance to release loanees and also the changes to the substitutions, meaning more players were incorporated into their benches.
Something that we did discuss, was youth players coming through the ranks at Palmerston and the board highlighted that there were a number who they believed had the potential to make it to the first team in a couple of seasons if they were offered professional contracts and trained fulltime. Financially, the model is that any player has to meet the National Minimum Wage… so each of these players would have to be paid £x per week….. Obviously the Barflies are already contributing for this which is great but we discussed the possibility of retracting the cessation of the TF and discussing if the Fund would support providing further funding for these players for 2 seasons in the hope they would pull through into the 1st Team.
Obviously this is a long term commitment and we wouldn’t see the guys straight into the squad, however with the clubs ambition to field as many local based players in the first team, I personally think that this as well as the Barflies input would aid in long term success of the club as well as bringing it back to becoming a club that doesn’t just play in Dumfries but Trains there, with local players good enough to sustain championship football.
I do understand what we/I have pushed forward previously however I believe that the Club would benefit from this angle of support from the TF. I am therefore asking you all, as amazing contributors so far if you were happy that we continue with the Tanner Fund and we move to discuss this vision further with the club. I have told the Club if they approach the Tanner Fund for the above, then I am happy to remain as Chairman of the Tanner and approach you all for your thoughts.
This is on the bus off the bus and I apologise for those who have already cancelled their subscriptions but believe we finally may have the answer and the answers to doing what we all hoped we could do with the Fund. I have asked also that the board release a statement in regards to the intent for pushing youth into contracts and train full time.
Thanks as always and please feel free to hit me with any questions
Richie
Quite like the idea but it would need more communication from the board for it to work. That as always remains an issue but at least they arranged a meeting which is a slight positive.
Wonder when we’ll know the outcome from yesterday’s agm.
