Notts County chief executive Jason Turner has provided his latest update to supporters.
I know this will be a frustration to you all, but I am unable to provide you with detailed information on the current financial situation at the club. However, I am assured that our current debt to HMRC will be settled ahead of the scheduled court date.Certain matters are quite simply outside my control, however I am pleased to report that in many ways it has been another very productive month behind the scenes at Meadow Lane.
Earlier this week, we were delighted to announce the launch of our exciting new junior membership, YOUng PIES, which replaced the Team Magpies initiative.
When I arrived at the club eight months ago I identified our offering to young supporters as an area in need of significant improvement and this move comes after carefully thought out discussions with a number of key people.
Our feeling was that Team Magpies had somewhat lost its way and that a fresh start was required in order to provide our young supporters with a membership they can really engage with.
I’m pleased that the majority of Team Magpies have opted to carry their membership over to our new initiative, which is open to all supporters aged 16 and under.
We value fans of all ages and this is our latest step towards ensuring everyone can truly feel a part of their beloved Notts County. More details on our YOUng PIES membership can be found here.
On the subject of enhancing our engagement with supporters, I was delighted to welcome Rob Holland into his new role as a Supporter Liaison Officer.
Rob was elected by the fan base to help Dougie Pullen and Tim Bradd deliver what I’m sure will be a very successful SLO operation. Commiserations to his fellow candidate Tony Guy, who narrowly missed out in the ballot. I know the team are very keen to tap into Tony's knowledge and enthusiasm to assist them in their efforts.
In future I will be liaising closely with the SLO team on subjects such as the EFL’s Whole Game Solution survey, which has now been ruled out following news that the FA have secured a new international broadcasting deal.
From the results of our own survey on this subject, it was clear that the majority of our supporters were not receptive to the proposed changes, and this view was also shared by other clubs and supporter groups.
The structure of the Checkatrade Trophy also continues to receive criticism, and I have asked the SLO team to provide me with further feedback from the fans to enable me to present these views to the EFL.
There has been a significant change to the operation of our ladies’ team, with chief executive Matt Alexander moving on to pastures new. He leaves with our very best wishes for the future.
This development gives us the opportunity to further integrate the ladies setup into the club and I will therefore be taking on CEO duties, with Matt Rowland promoted to the role of chief operating officer. I am excited to take on this new challenge.
The ladies’ season may be over, but our men’s campaign is in full swing. Half-season tickets are now on sale, offering supporters the best-value way of watching our final 12 home league matches of the season. For more information including prices, please click here.
Tickets for all our festive home fixtures are also now on sale, including the Emirates FA Cup second-round tie against Peterborough United on Sunday 4 December (kick-off 2pm). Everyone at the club is excited at the prospect of reaching the third round but we know it will be far from easy against a side doing well in League One.
The commercial department will be hosting a ‘Posh’ Sunday carvery for the visit of Peterborough next weekend. Places are selling well already, so I would encourage supporters to book now to avoid disappointment. Further information is available here.
It is with sadness that our community officer, Matt Lawson, is leaving his role at the end of the month to pursue his career elsewhere. However, I’m pleased to say he will continue to assist our academy as its part-time dietician. We all wish Matt the very best in his future endeavours.
On the playing front, we continue to monitor the progress of youngsters Luther Wildin and Jack McMillan, who are on loan at Grantham Town and Coalville Town respectively. The manager and I also allowed Wes Atkinson to extend his stay with Gateshead this week, and he will now complete his loan with them on 24 January.
It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge recent results, which we all accept have not been good enough. John Sheridan and I, whilst being frustrated at the sudden onset of injuries and illness in the camp at such a busy time, are determined to bring the good times back to Meadow Lane. John is one of the most experienced managers at this level and we are lucky to have him here. If anyone can get it right, he can!
There remains a good spirit amongst the players and staff, and I know they are all working very hard to put recent disappointments right. Your backing is critical to help them achieve this.
Thank you all so much for your continued support - and here's to three points at Barnet tomorrow.
Come on you Pies!
Jason