Andy Rosler Q&A

Very good set of questions all very relevant 

Thank you to Andy Rosler for taking the time to answer these questions for us. He is happy to make the Q&A a regular thing, which is great news.


Could we be given some information of just how the back room operates i.e. Admin,support staff,lottery etc?
IL is MD.
IB is Director of Rugby and Operations.
Paul and Adam comms and marketing.
Tracey and Carol accounts and admin (and a lot more).
Paul H welfare.
Colin Lottery.


Are there any new recruits in the pipeline?
Quite a few under discussion and this is constantly evolving we hope to announce maybe one or two soon..balance is making sure we are sensible with the budget as there is no funding other than what the club can generate itself.

What measures are the board putting in place to try & reverse the decline in supporters actually watching Salford?
Looking at ticket price and travel issues and how these impact on support.
Consider where we can switching to weekends if we give enough notice.
Further promotions and community initiatives.
Engaging with supporters trust to improve match day experiences.
Linking with community clubs and local businesses and large retail complexes for increased exposure and incentives.
More engagement with schools colleges and universities.
Designing better online and social content to engage with fans on not match days.
More aggressive marketing for match day revenue and half season ticket sales.
Incentives for fans to bring in additional numbers.


Without increases in supporters revenue, how does the present board seek to increase marketing revenue to allow investment in future players
This can come from links with businesses for sponsorship and hospitality.
Sector sponsors.
Increased merchandise lines.
But low support generally means a reduced playing budget which means we have to be very shrewd in the market and or lucky with injuries .


What is the long term plan for the team - Where are you aiming for them to be in 5 years time?
This season is key because if we are not in Super League next season there is no guarantee what the new promotion system will look like and we do not have the benefactors that some Championship teams have.
But assuming that the unthinkable doesn't happen we will need to make sure we plan our recruitment better and then have a much better and organised sales and marketing operation to ensure we can spend up to the level of the new cap.
It is essential that we develop and retain the best local talent so we are looking at bringing back the top level academy and or reserves hopefully by the start of the 2020 Season.
Also want to encourage growth of college and uni teams playing RL in area and support growth in community clubs.
Very ambitious scheme to incorporate employers into our Academy so players have multiple pathways in or outside of RL.


When the previous owner was in charge there was talk of closer links behind the scenes with Sale in as far as shared resources - is this now going to happen?
They haven't been too forthcoming and don't really see the value even to the extent of sharing the Club shop which is disappointing but we will continue to discuss options with them where there could be mutually beneficial. I think there are many benefits of a link up for e.g A Rugby Academy.


What can you do to allay fans nerves that other cherished players won't simply be sold on if they come asking for a transfer and if this does happen will the club do anything if other teams are unsettling our players.
As above you generally get the team you deserve..If the budget doesn't support the player spend then we have to be realistic. However we would rather say if you want a team of good quality then this is the additional revenue we need what can we all do to contribute. The Club is in the hands of volunteer fans and not wealthy benefactors so its a collective responsibility.


Is the board going to explore any new match day retail possibilities? Wet sales, food and merchandise etc.
We earn zero from food and wet sales so little point however we want to create a premium experience where we can so will look at some options on how we can improve other areas like entertainment.


We don't seem to hear or see much of the other board members? Are they still active?
The SRD Holdings Company merely holds the shares in the Club and therefore its members have no real operational involvement other than to oversee the appointment of the Clubs Directors and to ensure governance.
I am the only member from the Holding Company serving as a Director on the Clubs board hence I am far more active and visible..I am still a volunteer and do need help at executive level so am on the look out for new appointments.


What's Ian Blease's role?
Other than all the existing squad and RFL duties Ian is plotting the long term development plan to find recruit and retain the best local talent. This is an area which has been neglected for many years and is essential in establishing the Clubs relevance in the region and the league.


How does the Foundation link to the Club?
It is entirely independent and has for some time not had a positive relationship with the Club. We are now looking at aligning strategies which will be very valuable for both parties. My view is that they should be seen as one with the club but delivering our community activities.


Where does the Supporters Trust sit with the Club?
At the moment quite an informal but close relationship..we are due to engage more formally via structured dialouge but given we are already a fan owned club our.interests are very similar.

Are we going to resurrect the Academy/ ATeam?
As above.

Yes he does @londonred and it's great that the club are taking steps to improve dialogue with the fans, especially as Andy has agreed to do a regular Q&A for us.

Hi all.

Andy Rosler has agreed to do another Q&A for us. If you have any questions (different from the ones previously asked) post them below.

Thanks.

The clud has been regularly updating the fans on various things including loan player progress but we’ve had nothing on injuries. Could the club be a bit more open about this? We don’t need clinical detail just - expected back in x weeks/back in training/pushing for return.....

Why does it appear that you are the only board member who has a presence on a regular basis, the other members seem much less active than yourself.

I'll ask again and see if it gets posed and if it does if it gets answered.

Why when you have asked fans for help and ideas does the club ignore you when you do, it is a very good way to alienate those who do.

Why do we have the crazy situation of no home fixture for 4 weeks, why can't the league simply introduce a one home, one away system?

Would the board/club be open to a system next season where a fan can buy a season ticket and commit more than the required payment each month? That way the club might get an increased monthly income.

Could the club introduce a members directory for those members in business who would be willing to offer discounts to other members? This way the club can then also see if there are people who could provide a service for them also.