Text at top (next game etc)

Next Game: Home Against Warrington In The League On Saturday January 11th At 3.00pm ( or maybe earlier if the floodlights aren't working )

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Keyte Speaks To H&W On Money Troubles


Bulls chairman David Keyte spoke to BBC Hereford and Worcester this morning about the club's financial situation.

When asked what you do with a business that is losing £30,000 a month, Keyte responded: "You keep working hard at it.

"The TV football is affecting lower league football. I parked my car at the club yesterday and a young lad in his 20's was drifting by, looking at his iPhone, dressed in his Chelsea shirt. He probably didn't even recognise there was a football ground there. That's a huge factor. Wall to wall TV, you don't have to go and watch your local team anymore.

"It's a very difficult time for football generally."

Asked by Howard Bentham how long the club could survive with a £30,000 monthly loss, Keyte added: "We've been working at that for some 18 months now with the relegation. It does tug on the enthusiasm of the small number of people who have been financially supporting it, particularly around the board of Directors. 

"We'll keep going at it, we just need a bit of a lift. Unfortunately we failed to get through (the FA Trophy) so we know where we are for the rest of the season in terms of fixtures. 

"It's a difficult time with the crowd falling, even below our reduced average expectation. So, this last weekend, we've made further adjustments in the cost base."

Asked by Toni McDonald if they could find outside investment: "We've been looking for the last two years. There's no-one rushing to come forward. 

"My personal view is that, if there is some Herefordshire-based monied people - if they had any interest in football first of all - the business decision those people would sit on is to let it go under and pick it up for a song. 

"That's life, that's business, but in the football world that means a couple of leagues down and minus 10 points that we've been trying to avoid."

Asked if it was down to him and the other Directors to contribute to keep the club running, Keyte noted: "Yes it is."

Asked how long can the club survive like that, he added: "We asked the shareholders 12 months ago, we said openly we don't intend to do this. But then we struggle to walk away from it. It's our football club. We have a label of Directors but we are supporters. 

"Sometimes you lose sight of that with the grief you have to take, but that's why we do it. We want the football club to survive."