When will football club owners ever learn?

The news that Worcester City FC are upping sticks for a ground share at Kidderminster has been doing the rounds for a while.  We don't know the ins and outs of the situation, but the thrust of it seems to be the owners are decamping to Kidderminster in the hope of one day returning to Worcester.  Yeah right.....

It would also appear that the owners in question have some strange notions about how their club should move forward.  Despite being forced to make a 30-mile round trip for "home" games, the Club thought it would be a bumper wheeze to demand that at least 1000 of them buy season tickets or they would wind the club up!  1000?  Appreciably more than attended games in the club's home City during the season just gone!  The club were influenced no doubt by the 4000 gate for their last home game, even though this was both the last game at their old ground, AND they were playing the Champions Chester, who probably brought half the crowd, but are probably not likely to buy and Worcester season tickets.  To salve this four-figure demand the season tickets in question have been offered for the ridiculously low price of £100.00. 

Being Kettering fans we have an uneasy feeling that we can see where this is heading....

Just say, for the sake of argument, WCFC do sell a 1000 season tickets and all is well and good when they kick off their campaign at Aggbrough.  The club bank £100,000, of which, of course £20K goes straight to the Tax-man.

The first month or so will seem a bit strange for the Worcester supporters as they rattle around inside Kiddy's large stadium.  They are a bit disgruntled at having to pay to park their cars at their "home" ground.  However, they do get a taste for the quality Kidderminster cuisine. 

Presumably the money generated from the season ticket sales is mostly used up paying a big wedge to Kiddy to rent the stadium for the season.  At the end of August all the players and staff are paid their full wages.

And then what?

Assuming that the 3.5 million made from the sale of their old ground hasn't disappeared into the blackhole of "director's expenses", or into the council's coffers as they find ways of fleecing the club over every planning issue, will it be made available to fund the running of the club?

"Let's go to a home game!"

If not, then by October Worcester City might be in a bit of bother.  No matchday income to speak of, if you don't include a clump of a dozen away fans  Presumably only a percentage, at best, of the take over the bar or in the food huts.  It does make you wonder how they would intend to fund the club.  Perhaps they will adopt a "Ladakesque" approach and simply hope many thousands of additional fans, who have never supported the club will magically decide to attend every week.  Oh, and the team will need to at least reach stage of the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup!

And now there is news that Coventry City are looking to share Sixfields with the Cobblers for the next three years.  A ground with a capacity a few thousand less than their current attendances.  A decision greeted by City fans with somewhat less that total support.

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/sky-blues-fans-react-coventry-4866970

I can't believe that, (a) if CCFC have to leave Coventry, a closer ground share can't be organised.  If they are going all the way to Northampton (round trip of over 60 miles) they might just as well tack a couple of more miles onto their journey and take over the best appointed ground in the history of football - Non Park! 

Only three previous less-than-careful owners!

Thank God we're off this particular treadmill, even if it has cost us several divisions worth of relegations.