Club's new owner updates Reds' supporters
Ziya Eren will attend his first game since becoming the club's new owner when Reds take on Oxford United on Saturday.Mr Eren will be introduced to the fans before Saturday's game at approximately 2.50pm.
This is the statement he made to the media at a press conference on Friday afternoon.
Firstly I would like to thank our fans, staff and everyone affiliated with the club for their patience during the past months. I am truly delighted to begin this new chapter as owner of Crawley Town Football Club. Today, I intend to give a detailed summary of what our intentions and desired outcomes are. The target is to play in the Championship within 8-10 years.
Before exploring and ıdentifying our new strategies, we must be transparent about the current situation the club is in. Over the past five years Crawley Town has reached League One status. Unfortunately, since then, a downward spiral has occurred. This is because of a lack of stability, organisation, modern strategies and policies. The club has been operating at a financial deficit for the past five years. This is not an ideal platform for any football club to grow from. If the club is to move upwards it is vital to fine-tune all aspects of the club.
We have identified the factors that are of paramount importance for the successful running of the club. They are:
Affiliation with fans. The club must do more to make Crawley Town FC more accessible to our supporters. We have a fanbase and they must be appreciated more and feel that this is their second home. Without our fans we are not a club so it is our aim to communicate with our supporters more frequently. How we will do this, time will show. We are working on a new membership scheme, with details to be announced soon, and many more ideas are being developed. This is a family club and I hope to see an ever-growing Crawley Town family.
The budget. There seems to be a bit of confusion over the playing budget this season. As well as the set budget, a further £200,000 has been added making the budget in the top 10-12 in the league this season. We will be increasing the initial budget by 10% for next season. Please remember we are football people with an extensive network of contacts in the game. To discuss our aims and methods for the pitch is not advisable. We don’t want others to hear or understand our methods. In business and in everyday life no one shows their blueprint for success before it has been achieved.
The Team. Despite difficult circumstances the team should achieve a safe mid-table finish. There is not much point in assessing past performances but instead we should look to the future. I would like to see an attractive footballing team. I demand passion and love for the shirt. My belief has been if anyone thinks the shirt is too small for them then the door is wide open for them to leave. This is not a reference to any member of the current squad. Passion, hard work and determination are the elements I require. Within the current squad we have many players whose contracts finish at the end of the season. Key decisions will be made regading the current playing squad shortly.
The manager. As we would do at the end of every season, we will assess the manager’s performance in the coming weeks. I want to thank Mark for the job he has done so far this season. It seems the management are expressing various concerns. Since my takeover, I have sanctioned every request from the manager. He can verify this. It is unfair to mention the training ground situation as this was not our decision or in my power to change.
Commercial and sponsorship. The club has performed below expectations on the commercial front. There has been a shake-up and I expect instant results from the new team. I thank the new members of our marketing team for adapting quickly and their willingness to work. I kindly ask the local businesses to get behind the club. We will be offering mutual deals for local businesses. We have to have something to offer them. You can not just take, we must give back.
Academy. We are in the process of researching the financial requirements for the setup of an academy. In all honesty, 2017-2018 will be a realistic target to start an academy.
Match day experience. We want to improve the match day experience for our fans. More details will follow but I can confirm that under-11s will be admitted for £1 next season. Better food will also be introduced, not necessarily kebabs! All joking aside, the club aims to make a better matchday experience for all supporters.
European club affiliation. With our close access to Gatwick, we are an interesting club for some European giants to consider affiliating with. Currently we are talking to various elite clubs about constructing and developing a working relationship.
These are just some of the points that are being worked on. As a team, we will work tirelessly to achieve our targets. The new Crawley Town family is born today and this family is going to make its mark on the football stage. We will laugh, cry and shout together but in the end together we will succeed.
Ziya Eren with some of the squad and young Reds who have been attending the Soccer Schools this week
