Enough for now ... but I'll be back with more findings soon ... luv Vic

with the spiralling costs of running a proffesional football club, it is only natural that the club should be seeking ways of attracting extra revenue. not forgetting of course that despite the obvious financial difficulties that the club has encountered recently, they have 'frozen' ticket prices for the second succesive season. as well as giving hundreds of kids free entry to matches. i wonder sometimes where some people think the money will come from, to not only help the club prosper, but too enable to maintain it's very existence.

football is a business, we are the customers. and if you give those customers a free service which takes a lot of time and effort too provide, then it's quite simple really isn't it. you have no business!

I know Bucharest are several levels above us in terms of class (they looked it too!), and I was pleased that we matched them for long periods in terms of grit and determination at the back, depite being outpaced on the flanks on several occasions. Yes, the defence is looking fairly solid. The thing that bothered me was the same old problem - no ideas and no confidence in attack. I know it's too soon to judge, but based on that performance, we have the look of a solid but ordinary middle-of-the-table team.

James Thomas worked hard but with no support, and Wood looked as sharp as a stick of celery, and twice as slow. Good to see Big John looking fitter than last year, but the close season hasn't done anything for Watkin's confidence. When this guy first joined us (1999?), he was lashing in goals from 20 yards. Now, although he still holds the ball up well and fights his corner, every time he faces goal, he seems to turn to jelly - witness the 'mazy' run and fluffed shot towards the end.

And thanks to 'Frankie' Howard for providing the biggest laugh of the night - now I know where the nickname comes from. Presented with our best chance from a sliced clearance that came to him waist-high five yards out, he spurned the easy option of blasting it into the net, and managed instead to hit his shot vertically, so high that it cleared Row Z in the East Stand and hit the metal sheets in the back wall! He couldn't do that again if he tried a thousand times.

Oh, well, here we go again... Bring on Rushden.

"Their long term strategy is obviously to earn revenue. In the time since I joined the Club some two years ago to set up the site, we have generated over £200,000 income through the site

Is that revenue for the club, or for the management company?"

That is income paid directly into Swansea City Football Club's bank account over the last 24 months from PTV.

"It was through these discussions that the decision was made to introduce Swans World. It has been launched at 27 clubs at close of business Wednesday.

Why is it that 45 clubs then have not taken up the offer as yet? That means that only only just over a third of the clubs think that the deal is suitable. If it was such a good deal, then I would have thought that the clubs would have been more enthusiastic."

Every single Club in the partnership will have launched by the time they have played their first Nationwide League game. There is not a situation where only a third of clubs think that the deal is suitable. Launch dates have been staggered on purpose so as to avoid the horrendous technical problems that arose when all the new-look sites were launched at the same time last year.

"and for this you are getting exclusive audio interviews with Nick and the players,
Does this mean that the players are now no longer available for interview to any of the other websites other than JA.net and the official site? Your use of the term " exclusively" certainly implies it. "

Exclusive simply means interviews that you won't hear anywhere else. It doesn't mean that people won't give interviews elsewhere, and it certainly doesn't mean that the main website won't be carrying normal text interviews - that will continue as normal.

As far as your point about it being priced too high, it comes in less than 50p per week and I must add that www.swanseacity.net is not becoming pay-per-view

"That appears to be a contradiction, especially given the earlier statement regarding " exclusive interviews". As a trust member, I feel particularly dismayed by this course of action. I honestly felt that the club was getting closer to supporters than it had been for years, but this latest development seems to dash those hopes."

There is no contradiction. Swans World is a completely new project that is making a brand new service available to supporters. You are making great play on the word exclusive - I posted via this site yesterday, and via the official site that there will be no difference to the operation of www.swanseacity.net other than the audio commentaries moving.

As a Trust member, I am sure you appreciate the coverage that we are now able to give the Trusts actions via the official site, i.e the disabled loos, which carried the good news to a far wider general audience. Given the well documented financial situation at the Club over the last 12 months it is fair to say that if the website wasn't profitable, there would be a real chance that it would have to close.

As Shane pointed out in another post, people are willing to pay 40p a day for a newspaper. This service is less than 50p per week so cannot be considered excessive.

Ultimately though supporters have an option of whether to subscribe or not. Those who choose not to will not miss out on breaking news etc, but those who do will receive a service which compliments the main site.

If anybody has any queries regarding this issue, then feel free to contact me at the Club, and we can discuss it further.

I also take the point that it would provide a source of revenue for the club, however, in the official statement, the club also admit to making £200,000 in revenue over the last 2 years. However, the receiver of this revenue is vague, as he doesn't mention if this money goes to the club or the internet company. There is, obviously, a big difference. If the £200k goes to the club, then I would consider this to be a major success for the club.

I haven't said that the club shouldn't take this course of action, but I do have, what I feel are very genuine concerns that the club isn't trying to fleece the fans or are distancing themselves from us.

Well lads we are lucky to still have a club to moan at after the ITV Digital farce, and besides Nick knows what he is doing, judge him at the end of the season when the new players have proved themselves against third division sides.

GIVE THEM TIME!.

Oh! and by the way any player for the Swans reading this, when you are substituted (Mr D Smith) remember the crowd appladed you when you went off, you ignored them BE PROUD TO BE A SWAN.

Firstly,

Their long term strategy is obviously to earn revenue. In the time since I joined the Club some two years ago to set up the site, we have generated over £200,000 income through the site

Is that revenue for the club, or for the management company?

Secondly:

It was through these discussions that the decision was made to introduce Swans World. It has been launched at 27 clubs at close of business Wednesday.

Why is it that 45 clubs then have not taken up the offer as yet? That means that only only just over a third of the clubs think that the deal is suitable. If it was such a good deal, then I would have thought that the clubs would have been more enthusiastic.

Thirdly

and for this you are getting exclusive audio interviews with Nick and the players,

Does this mean that the players are now no longer available for interview to any of the other websites other than JA.net and the official site? Your use of the term " exclusively" certainly implies it.

Fourthly:

As far as your point about it being priced too high, it comes in less than 50p per week
and I must add that www.swanseacity.net is not becoming pay-per-view

That appears to be a contradiction, especially given the earlier statement regarding " exclusive interviews". As a trust member, I feel particularly dismayed by this course of action. I honestly felt that the club was getting closer to supporters than it had been for years, but this latest development seems to dash those hopes.

I suppose though, that credit is due for the way in which you have replied to peoples concerns regarding this matter.

Good Luck Nick Cusack and the squad....believe us ... we are the most genuine and passionate supporters in Wales. Good luck David Morgan , Huw Jenkins , Brian Katzen and all anonymous backers!

Thank you Supporters Trust ...you've played your part in creating this feel good factor and I really hope we can treble membership this season. With a positive start in the first two months I feel we can push for an automatic promotion spot and have a healthy cup run.....the bad eggs have gone......get down the Vetch for the first home game......and support the Swans ( Wales Number One )to promotion.

Best wishes for your wedding and future happiness.

Or do you feel like me that after seeing the last 2 friendlies against quality teams (CP and SBuch) that I still remain optimistic about the season ahead. Such quality opposition I think we will unlikey come across in the 3rd Division. Opposition that will stifle out our attacks and put our defence under practically continuous pressure. But, relatively, we did defend against them well and the grit and determination was there for all to see.

Yes, you could argue we haven't seen a goal or come to think of it too much of a threat on goal either ... but let us not make too hastily made decisions until at least half a dozen or so games have been played. From what has been said these first few games are to be against some of those hotly tipped for promotion.

Yes, I'm still optimistic and looking forward to a great season ahead.