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Archived News from May 2010

PERRY ON BUDGET, HOLDSWORTH ON PATIENCE
20th May 2010 11:42


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video interview with Andy Perry
13 May 2010
http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/FromTheChairman/0,,10325~2051432,00.html

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No budget mystery here says Stags chairman
CHAD.co.uk, 13 May 2010
STAGS chairman Andy Perry today described boss David Holdsworth's comments on not yet being set a playing budget as 'banter' and said Stags may be among the top eight budgets in the Blue Square Premier next season.

http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/No-budget-mystery-here-says.6292934.jp

Holdsworth insisted he had not been set a playing budget, but Perry said Holdsworth knew he would be getting a minimum of the same as last year, depending on how things go, with around three quarters of that budget made available this summer and the rest added along the way.

Perry dismissed any mystery over club finances and said: "Managers are always pushing for more money.

"They want to have the best playing budget in the league as they want to win things. I have no problem with that. It is just a bit of banter between manager and board to push us a bit.

"The budget will be the same as last year and I have spoken to David Holdsworth about it.

"From his point of view certain players and the size of the squad had to change and now 10 or 11 players have moved on now.

"We already have about 14 players on board for next season and that's not including the likes of Ben Turner and Tom Naylor. So we are not many short of the full squad of 19 he wanted.

"We are very mindful. We are football people and we want to get promoted.

"But we have learned a lot over the last two years. When Billy McEwan came on board we gave him a full-out budget for the season without really knowing what would happen with season tickets, walk throughs and the commercial side. We just thought that's what you did at a football club.

"Last year we felt confident with the £195 ticket offer going well to do the same. But it really strained us.

"If you put a suitcase of money straight on the table, managers will spend the lot.

"So our budget will be a phased one. David will get a set amount of about three quarters of his budget at the start of the season and then we will make more available as we see where we progress.

"We have had a great 'early bird' uptake on season tickets with over 1,040 sold and we are confident we will get the 1,200 we have budgeted for and possibly more."

He added: We will be in the top 10, maybe even the top eight Blue Square Premier budgets. It will be hard to compete with the clubs coming dow as, with their parachute money, they are a quarter of a million ahead of us to start with.

"But this season were not a million miles away from the budget at Stevenage and Rushden's was less than us and they both had good seasons. The size of budget does not always equate to success. What you want is people prepared to roll their sleeves up and work really hard. So we have a damn good chance of the play-offs."

Perry said new faces would be on their way in soon, but insisted there was no rush.

"Plenty of fans were saying our squad was too big," he said. "But we will not be leaving us threadbare. We have the nucleus of a good squad already and we know the areas we need to look at like left back.

"Although we have finished, the current football season is still going for some and there are plenty of players out there looking for clubs.

No panic management is required. We certainly won't be suckered into bringing in players early on.

"Location is important too. One of our players has just moved up to Mansfield leaving his travelling partner on his own and suddenly his petrol costs have risen. They are all important factors.

"I know the manager has spoken to at least four players and hopes to secure them on pre-contracts which is a good business move as it is good practice not to start paying players before 1st July, which is exactly the same as what the previous chairman here did."

Perry was surprised by skipper Luke Foster's Facebook comments about the club being a 'shambles' for which Foster has now apologised.

"We all have our own opinions," said Perry "I don't know why Luke Foster made those comments. I think he was just frustrated by certain aspects of what we and the gaffer want from him.

"I don't think his last three or four games were anything to sing home about and he went home with a flea in his ear and maybe didn't take it very well. But as captain he has got to stand up and be counted."

Although inevitably taking criticism from some quarters, Perry is still enjoying his role as chairman and said: "I love it. It's a great honour. It's not about being egotistical, someone has to head the club in the right way. It is not for Any Perry but for the club and the town.

"This is a great town. But it's been tough here over the past 15 years or so socially with the closure of pits, the brewery and hosiery before that.

"But the green shoots are happening all the time now.

"In the 1980s recession Mansfield was hit massively because everyone here was employed in this three industries. This time there are so many small up and coming companies that it has not hit the town as hard.

"Having said that it is still difficult commercially for us to prise a few coppers out of the hands of businesses. But we hope we can lead it forwards.

"It is amazing how much money local businesses are putting into Newport. And apparantly the owner of Fleetwood is very wealthy though that doesn't mean he will be putting millions into them."

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Stags' manager Holdsworth eyeing 4-3-3 switch
Evening Post, May 15, 2010

DAVID Holdsworth may use a 4-3-3 system for all Mansfield Town's matches next season to help solve the team's defensive frailties.

http://www.thisismansfieldtown.co.uk/news/Holdsworth-eyeing-Stags-4-3-3-switch/article-2158857-detail/article.html?

The manager says their poor defensive record is the major reason for the club's failure to reach the play-offs.
The Stags conceded 60 goals in the Blue Square Premier – more than any other side in the top half of the table.
Holdsworth knows that tally will have to come down if the Stags are to secure a place in the top five next term.
"When we scored five and kept a clean sheet against Histon we went with 4-3-3 and it worked very well," he said.
"That's something we may have to stick with because I have been disappointed with some of the soft goals we let in.
"Sometimes we played 4-4-2 at home and weren't able to break teams down, but left ourselves open.
"But sometimes how you play is affected by the personnel available to you."
Ollie Hotchkiss, Luke Jones, Jon Challinor, Michael Brough and Blair Sturrock are out of contract and waiting to discover whether they have a future at Field Mill.
The club insists it will take up a one-year option on striker Jake Speight, despite him requesting a transfer.
Young striker Lee Gregory, 21, has signed a new one-year deal.

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Perry: Stags have big enough budget to succeed
Evening Post, 14 May 2010
MANSFIELD Town will have one of the top eight budgets in the Blue Square Premier for next season, chairman Andy Perry insisted today.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/football/Perry-Stags-budget-succeed/article-2154665-detail/article.html?

The Stags were disappointed not to figure in the end-of-season play-offs that sees Oxford take on York in Sunday's final.

But Perry believes manager David Holdsworth will have enough finance in 2010-2011 to be competitive at the top end.

"The budget will be no different to last season, but it does not always work out that teams with the biggest budgets do best," he said.

"You get a good idea what other teams can pay because you know what players are asking.

"I think we will be in the top eight budgets next season, which gives us a good chance of being in the play-offs."

Boss Holdsworth has intimated his final budget has yet to be set. But Perry said: "We have learned over the years. We gave Billy McEwan a full budget for the season not knowing where we were going with season ticket sales and walk-ins.

"This coming season some money will be available before the start and some as we progress. But two-thirds of the squad is already in place.

"I think (the confusion) is because the manager is pushing for more money because he wants to win, and I haven't got a problem with that."

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Police costs shocker for Stags
CHAD.co.uk, 13 May 2010
MANSFIELD Town are in discussions with police over new costs which could triple Stags' matchday police costs next season.

http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Police-costs-shocker-for-Stags.6292928.jp

Negotiations are going well but it seems clear that it will still almost double.

A set pricing structure for the county will see police charge a set fee for category A, B, C or no-police matches, decided on the size of crowd or level of trouble exADVERTISEMENTpected with category A matches costing £5,500 a game.

Based on the same matches that would have seen Stags' policing costs rise from £25,000 to £75,000 next season.

However, chairman Andy Perry said: "We had 17 police-free games last season when only police on their normal beat came in and we are sitting down with them and discussing the new pricing now.

"Under the new structure we are getting charged the same price as Forest! We should have an answer from them within the next couple of weeks but we hope we can cut the cost down to about £45,000.

"We have also managed to cut down our agreed 'blueprint area' where any problems or violence outside the ground are classed as football-related and the bill given to us.

"It did include the retail park and other areas but is now just the ground, car park and the bit they call 'Cinderella Walk' behind the houses."

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12 May 2010
video interview with David Holdsworth --->
http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/FromTheBoss/0,,10325~2050406,00.html

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Patience game for Holdsworth
CHAD.co.uk, 12 May 2010
STAGS boss David Holdsworth today insisted he was still waiting for his playing budget from chairman Andy Perry before he can start sorting out his squad for next season.

http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Patience-game-for-Holdsworth.6290330.jp

"I have heard nothing, but I am not here to talk about budgets," he said.

"The chairman has said what he wants to say and I am doing as much hard work as I can to develop certain situations.

"I am speaking to a lot of managers and a lot of playADVERTISEMENTers at the moment. I am getting some very positive vibes from players ringing me. But it is a game of patience.

"It is different for every manager. I know where this club is at the moment so I leave it to the chairman and the board to answer questions about finance.

"I have also had enquiries about some of our players as well so it may be a case of juggling a few balls.

"You have got to be practical about these things and I always said I wanted a smaller squad."

Holdsworth released eight of his out-of-contract players two weeks ago with no finances available to re-sign them over the summer, though any that don't get fixed up elsewhere could still be at Field Mill next season.

Holdsworth added: "People have to realise we are in the Conference and some players are paid in the summer and some are not. I released those boys to help them earn a living. It was the humane thing to do."

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CHAD.co.uk, 10 May 2010
http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Stags-watch-8th-October-1720.3335923.jp
16.50: Mansfield Town Football Club say they are "incredibly pleased" to have sold 1,040 season tickets so far. The Stags' early bird offer has now passed but supporters are still encouraged to buy tickets from the Field Mill box office.
The club's head of media and communications Mark Stevenson said: "Everyone knows the impact a bigger crowd has on the team's performance. "Next season's promotion campaign can only work with the supporters' backing and we are incredibly pleased to see that so many fans have already pledged their commitment to the club for another season. "Once again they have shown their unbelievable loyalty and support to what we are trying to achieve here." U7s can purchase their season tickets for free while U16s pay just £90. Adults prices range from £170 to £280. Meanwhile, the club announced this week that both 'wings' in the West Stand would re-open on a home matchday. The Stags also revealed that all catering would be taken in-house on a matchday. Said Mark Stevenson: "We are aware of some long-standing issues with catering on a home matchday. "Some of the customer-service, for example, has been appalling. This will be rectified ahead of next season so our supporters' matchday experience can be further improved. We know this move will be welcomed. "These are small measures we are taking, so that day by day, week by week, month by month, the club is improving. "Our supporters deserve the best service possible and whilst we cannot influence what happens on the pitch, they can be content in the knowledge that we are doing everything in our power to ensure that our off-the-field service is first class."

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