Manager Viewpoint - Dartford FC boss Tony Burman

(Image: (c) C White-Griffiths/SportShotz.co.uk)

It is a challenge for any manager to get his side to compete; from grassroots, all the way up to the Premier League. But there is a particularly tricky gap to bridge in non-league football where part-time meets professional.

Dartford FC made the leap from Conference South into the Premier at the end of the 2011/12 season after beating local rivals – and now league rivals for the coming season – Welling United in a sun soaked play-off for the second promotion spot.

Remaining a semi-professional outfit in what is a largely full-time league; very few people believed The Darts would be able to keep up with the likes of Luton Town, Wrexham and Co.

It has been manager Tony Burman who has done his utmost to move his side onwards and upwards, with the club’s interests and success very firmly at heart. Overseeing a resurgence following a move “Back to the Borough” in 2007, an impressive new ground in the town it belongs has made his job that bit easier.

As a player, Burman was bought by Dartford from Charlton Athletic in 1978 for £2,000, playing for the club for a decade. After spells with Leytonstone & Ilford (having moved there with manager John Still, now Luton boss), Bromley and Erith & Belvedere as player/coach, he came away from football.

Dartford manager at the time Bob Makin asked Burman to come back to do some coaching, but also ended up playing. This coincided with the club being sold in 1992.

With the club dropping out of the Southern League, he was asked by the directors at the time to become manager of the U18s, a year before the club was elected back into the Kent League. After winning promotion back to the Southern League and securing safety from relegation, he again moved away from football a year later.

In 2005/6 Burman returned to the club as a director, had interviewed candidates for the manager’s job but instead took the job himself a year before Princes Park opened its doors.

Three promotions later and an 8^th place finish in the top division of non-league, Dartford were confirmed as the best part-time team in the country at the end of the 2012/13 season.

I asked him what he thought was behind this success, what challenges he faced as manager and what he thinks is possible for the club in the future…

The Darts had a very successful first season in the Conference Premier – did you ever think it would be possible to finish as high as you have?

We were favourites for relegation if you had read the non-league paper, along with a few others. Teams may have been turning up thinking it was three points safely tucked away maybe, I don’t know.

Things went against us a little bit in the first three games of the season and were a little bit unfortunate. We knew that we had played well and lost. With some good fortune we beat Kidderminster on the Saturday (25^th August 2012), then on the Monday when we went to Cambridge we realised that it wasn’t an FA Cup tie – it was a league game. It was probably our first experience of playing at a big ground in front of a big crowd. Winning the game probably marked our explosion onto the league.

The next games seemed to go with us – I think it was a deflected shot from Nathan Collier in the last minute and it’s gone in (against Cambridge United) and that’s won the game for us. That’s how football changes so much, and I think all of sudden belief came into is as well. It didn’t matter who we were playing, and we had some big games in the period following up. We went to Luton and Grimsby and had really fantastic support, there’s no other way to describe it, and we got great results.

I think it started at Wrexham (22^nd September) when we went there and got a draw, but we thoroughly deserved the draw. The support there was brilliant again and I think it just snowballed from that moment onwards. I think that was the first time as well that the players got their phones out and before the game started taking photos of the stands!

It was where we wanted to be; we gave it our all and we had nothing to lose. It’s what our attitude was, it continued, and it wasn’t long before people were showing us a lot of respect rather than thinking they were just going to get three points.

What have been the main challenges in competing as a part-time team?

The main things have been trying to juggle the rest periods between games and training. I’m very fortunate to have had a squad of players this year – and previous years to be fair – that looks after themselves and do train very hard. This year we’ve had to cope with getting in at 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning. We didn’t have many overnight trips, but we might have two away trips – say one on the Saturday and another game on the Tuesday.

It was trying to get that rest and recovery period, juggling with work, being part-time and the guys getting up and being in the next training session. We give players quite a bit of time off from training to be fair, simply because we would be getting in that early in the mornings. We just tried to let the recovery period take care of itself and get them into a routine that they were used to.

We’d pencilled in about ten or eleven overnight stays, but in the end we only had two because it’s not what we normally do. We were used to getting up in the mornings so we’d travel at 8 or 9 o’clock, do a few hours and break the back of the journey, rather than on Friday afternoon which takes twice as long. All of that comes into it quite a bit. If we were getting in at 3am, some of the players were getting up at 6 or 7 o’clock which meant that Wednesday was completely out of it.

There were a few times when we didn’t come in on the Thursday, simply because of that. It wasn’t many times, but it was just when we had some tough games. We usually train on Mondays, but maybe a long journey on the Saturday and home game on the Tuesday meant we would try and give them as long a rest period as possible and not do the training simply because of that. This year it worked out but whether it will work out next year remains to be seen.

How have you managed the recruitment of players and what attracts them to The Darts?

Like we did last year, we’ve had to learn to be patient and not have to have everything done by the end of May. Players contracts in the full-time game run up to the end of July, so that’s when they stop getting paid and that’s when they would have spoken to lots of clubs and then make their decision because they’re not getting paid anymore. So you have to patient.

We have to be very, very careful that if we have any player that comes from a lower league or drops down that they’re the type of player that we want with us. They’ve got to be up for that challenge. The ones that are full-time we’ve got to be careful where we spend our money. The ones that come in from the lower leagues; you’re taking a gamble, but we want the hungrier type of players.

They may not have the same experience as the ones that are dropping down the leagues, but those are the ones that have got a lot of enthusiasm and they want to learn. They want to have a go in the league and they’ve got the hunger for it. That’s where we’re coming from, and you just have to be careful who you sign.

I’ve spoken to a lot of players already; they’ll come for one meeting, they’ll come back for a second meeting and if they walk out after the second meeting they won’t be with us. That’s has simple as that.

The attraction is that we want to do well. We want to win every game. A lot of people say “we’ll finish fifth from bottom and that’s fine”, but it’s not fine. You’ve got to have ambition, and while I’m here, we’ll always have that. We want to be competing in every game that we play. One year a part-time side will get in the play-offs I’m sure and they’ll have their good and bad runs at the right time.

We were very close to doing that this year, and I’d like to better ourselves every year but that’s a tough, tough call because it is a tough and very good league. But it’s where we want to be and hopefully in five years’ time we are established and our ambition now has got to be to try and play in the League. That’s the only way I see it.

What do you think have been the main factors behind the team’s success?

First of all, you’ve got to have a changing room that’s together and a club that’s together, and that’s been proved this year. I know it was all new but the players and the supporters have always been there. I feel that whether we win or lose, if the supporters can see players working hard then they’ll back them 100%. I’ve got to add the quality to that commitment and that’s where these other teams have got that quality and can go for the more experienced players.

Losing the two Toms is a major blow to us. They’ve gone on to better things and I’m trying to get players in that want to go onto better things by joining us, and if they have the same attitude as the Toms then we won’t go far wrong. The players that I’m talking to at the moment are 24 and 25 some of them, and if they match the attitude of the two Toms then we’ll be alright.

It takes time, and to do what they have done has taken three years – not just one season. People have got to be patient with that and hopefully we’ll pull the right people in and they’ll be as good as, if not better, than the players that have left us.

I can’t say to them not to go to a full-time club, because they wanted to improve themselves. They had jobs that let them do that. It was an opportunity for them to go full-time and I wouldn’t take that away from anybody or discourage it. It’s nothing to do with wanting to leave Dartford or that we treated them badly, but the full-time part of it came in to play and in the future I hope it does with us.

Our philosophy is that our players have got to work hard. If I can get that mentality into them then the supporters will appreciate that. Over the next few years we will have that commitment and work ethic carrying on, but we've got to make sure the quality improves as well.

You've guided the club to three promotions in five seasons - How big of a jump has it been between the  divisions?

The Isthmian North to the Premier is always a jump and you’ve got to improve, but the jump between the Conference South and the Premier is massive. I think it’s a big, big step and we did well last season – on adrenaline a lot of the time and our organisation – and we’ve got to continue to do that. Especially now that people know us; they’ll know what to expect and will want to try and stop us, so to me the difference is that it’s a lot more professional.

It’s where we want to be and we want to improve our standards and that’s what we've done by coming into this league. The gap is a lot, lot bigger and you've got to be together, and although we’re part-time we've got to think in a professional way. That’s what you have to do in this league.

You get comments like “it’s better than smashing the ball when you play on the deck”, but we haven’t tried to coach them in a different way to do that – it just happens. You've got to be organised, that’s what you’ve got to try and do. The decisions the players make, that happens out there every single game. Sometimes it’s good and the decisions they make come off and you win games, but we haven’t tried to change the way we play.

But when people see us play on the deck; we want to do that, but it’s important to smash the ball into the channels sometimes. The level we’re at, you have to play like that sometimes. But you’ve got to win games. That’s what we’re here for and if you win games you've always played well, and if you lose games it’s because we haven’t played the ball on the deck.

It might be the change in football; you might have a bit more time or whatever. We’re not saying to players that you've got to play in a certain way. The football has been decent, and you've got to see games out. The teams in this league, where they’re professional, they see games out for the 96 minutes. If they’ve got a chance to get something out of a game then they try their best to do it. That’s why you’ve got to be more professional in the way that you think.

What would you say to other clubs with similar ambitions?

We don’t go over budget. We have a good accountant who says “this is what we can spend” and “this is what we’re expecting to come in” and if it costs £10 then we don’t go out and spend £20 – it’s as simple as that. Our house is in order and I think that everyone is pleased that that is the case. Yes I do lose some players over it, but at the same time we give out decent money. It’s not the highest paid, but I think it is better that they know that it’s there.

The board have always backed me in near enough everything that I’ve have done or asked, and we do it within our means – it’s as simple as that. We budgeted for 10 overnight stays and only had two, but it allowed us to give the players a decent coach to travel on because we did it that way. I feel it’s important that while we’re travelling that we can eat the right food and the club would back me on that. I think the secret is basically to not spend beyond your means and that’s what we’ve got to strive to do.

I’ve had an increase on budget each year I’ve been there. It’s been fair – I’d always want more but it’s been fair and you have to work within that and that’s what we try and do. The players’ money is there at the end of the month and that’s due to a lot of work behind the scenes. The people who sponsor us, we can’t thank them enough. It’s so helpful when that happens. We’ve had some very good sponsors over the years and all of that is a must because we wouldn’t be where we are, that’s for sure.

How are preparations going for next season?

I’ve met with all of the players from last year and the majority of them have signed deals; I wanted to get that done first. I’ve had a short break and come back with some targets that we wanted to talk to. I’ve had 5 or 6 players now that I’ve spoken to and told them what we do, they’ve listened to me and I’m hoping that they’ll come back and sign deals before we come back for pre-season. In June there will be more players calling up wanting to talk to you because their contracts will be up, but you’ve got to be patient.

You can’t just think you’ve got to sign everyone because you’ll miss someone, because your budget is gone. We have to be patient – the season starts on the 10^th August and if we sign someone as we did last year like Harry Crawford leading up to the start of the season, then so be it. Hopefully by being patient we’ll get the right players in.

We’ve made our moves for certain lads, we’ve got 8 or 9 players (now 13 or 14) signed and I want a squad of 18, so I’m going to need another 10 players. And I’m confident that we’ll get them.

There has been mention of the club looking to go full-time at some point – Going in to the future, how likely do you think that is?

There has been a lot of talk. I’ve had a lot of discussions with the board and we put together some figures that we think would have put the club at risk at this moment in time, unfortunately.

I’ve also looked at whether we train on a Monday night and we have a split in the squad; we’d have a gradual thing where some players are signed full time would train Monday and Thursday nights, Tuesday and Friday daytime with the Wednesday off.

If we go full-time straight away we’d probably lose some really good players that can’t commit to doing the full time training and day-to-day running of it. There is a big issue with full-time players’ contracts because they run from the 1^st July to the 31^st June, so there are two or three months there where you have no revenue coming in but you still have to pay the players.

That’s a big ask for clubs in our position. There are a lot of things bolted on to players’ contracts when you are looking to go full time and a lot of issues that the club needs to sort out; things like medical insurance and a full-time physio. It’s not just the players - it’s the whole club.

You’ve got to be careful, but having said that, I think over the next five years it will need to happen. We’ve got to be looking at it, but looking at it and doing it are two different things and we looked at this year and it was completely out of the question.

We’ll look at it again next year but we’ve got to make sure we have that foundation. The foundation began seven years ago, but that foundation has got to be stronger now. I’m helping with the academy at the moment. We haven’t got an in-between side at the moment but we’re trying our best to get somewhere where the players can play at a good standard.

We’re trying everything we can to either develop an U21 league or start one and it hasn’t happened yet. But it needs to happen. That gap needs to be filled from academy to first team and then we’ll grow that way, and there will be the opportunity for players to come through and get to play in the first team. All those things take time, but the long term plan will be to become a full-time outfit and we would compete with the big boys in this league.

Player Viewpoint - Dartford FC defender Mark Arber

(Image: dartfordfconline.com)

Following Dartford's promotion to the Conference Premier last season, manager Tony Burman recognised the importance of bringing experienced heads into the squad. The signing of Mark Arber proved to be an inspired one.

The addition of 35-year old Arber to the squad enabled the very sure-footed development of the players around him. One particular beneficiary of his influence was centre-back Tom Bonner; awarded the players player award for the 2012/13 season and who has now gained a full-time playing contract at another club.

The South African born Essex Boy brought with him a wealth of Football League experience, notching up 600 professional appearances at clubs including Barnet, Peterborough and Dagenham & Redbridge. Arber had captained the latter club to a classic League Two play-off victory over Rotherham United in 2010, guiding them under the management of John Still to League One football for the first time in their history.

(Image: Hackney Gazette)

Following his exit from The Daggers, Burman pounced and completed what was regarded as a major signing for the club. Now after The Darts' fantastic season, I asked him what his thoughts are on it, how the standard compares to the Football League and what he sees happening for the club in the future...

Did you ever think it was possible to finish as high as the Darts have?

It is always possible. But when you tie all the elements in like work, training hours, recovery time and travelling, it is a remarkable achievement for all concerned.

What do you think have been the main challenges as a part-time outfit playing in a predominantly full-time league?

All of the above, but I don’t think we have fallen short in any of the things that should make a difference, like fitness and professionalism.

In terms of professional clubs you've played for, how would you say this side stacks up to them?

I think sometimes the temperament of the people within the club is more important than the quality of them. The lads have a great work ethic, which is a massive bonus to all.

How does the Conference compare to League 1/League 2 in terms of standard? How big is the gap?

In my opinion, it has grown a little since I last played in the Conference. I would say it’s a mini league within a league. The top 8 would cope in the league above, the middle 8 would struggle at times and the bottom 8 would have no chance of competing.

What was it that attracted you to the club? What were the deciding factors in signing?

I wanted a challenge. The challenge of being a part-time club who had just been promoted appealed to me. The objective was to stay in the league. We have passed that with flying colours.

What differences in your lifestyle have there been since going part-time?

More family time which is a massive plus, and being able to devote time to my coaching work at Arsenal.

What things would you say the club has got right, both on the pitch and behind the scenes, to enable you to finish so strongly? How does the administration and business side of the club compare to the professional sides you've played for?

The club has a solid fan base with a structure both on and off the pitch. It sets itself realistic targets with everyone pulling in the same direction. Things will get tougher because the underdog tag will no longer exist, but I believe the club has the potential to play league football in the next 5-10 years.

What do you and the players think is possible next? What do you think are the next important steps to take?

In the long run I think the club will need to go full-time to achieve their targets. Whether that will happen with the current crop I don’t know. The transition between the two will be a hurdle to jump but hopefully it can be achieved.

Player Viewpoint - Dartford FC winger Ryan Hayes

Not many people would have put money on Dartford FC finishing 8th in the Conference National having won promotion last season. But the fact remains that they are now the highest ranked part-time side in the country.

Some unbelievable performances both home and away allowed the Darts to notch up a commendable 66 points during the 2012/13 season, taking the scalps of some formidable opponents along the way.

A televised home win against eventual league champions Mansfield, as well as strong victories over Newport County, Wrexham and an emphatic double over Luton Town were chief among the highlights of what has been an exciting and confidence-boosting season.

All of this was nicely complimented by reaching the semi-finals of the FA Trophy; only to be narrowly eliminated by league rivals Grimsby Town (who were defeated in the final by Wrexham).

(Image: Press Association)

A player who had a massive part to play in all of this was Ryan Hayes.'Ryano' has been a mainstay and firm fan favourite at the club since joining as a 20-year old from Kent League side Slade Green in 2006.

Chipping in with his share of crowd pleasing left-foot belters and laser-guided assists, he has gone from strength-to-strength as a player.

Now 27 and an experienced head when it comes to promotions - three in five seasons - Ryano tells me about his career, the Darts excellent campaign and what he thinks the club can achieve next...

Did you ever believe that the Darts would have finished as high as they have?

We always knew that if we stuck together and competed, we had enough quality to beat anyone on our day.

As players, how has juggling work with travelling and training affected not just your performances, but your lives?

Very hard! I used up more than a week’s holiday with midweek away games, as I work nights. With the training side we managed it well. If we were far away on a Tuesday we would normally have the Thursday off, or just have a very light session. With my home life it was hard also. Having a young family - two young children and wife - it would be difficult sometimes being away the whole weekend and not seeing them does affect you a little, but my family totally understand my love for football.

Did you ever think that when you were playing in the Kent League you’d be on the brink of full-time football just a few short years later?

Not for one minute! I always had confidence in my ability, but when I wasn't wanted at Thamesmead I went to Slade Green just to enjoy it and play with my mates. But to be so close to full time football is unreal, really.

How does the Conference compare to the Ryman North/Ryman Premier/Conference South? Was it a big step up?

It's miles and miles ahead of Ryman Prem and North. The Conference South was a hard league, but the Conference is the best league outside of professional football and if you have an off day, you get punished and in big way. We've been beaten not by better sides, it's just if you make mistakes at this level you end up on the back foot. 

What do you think has been the key to the team’s success? Is there anything that you think sets you apart from the full time teams?

Our team spirit is unreal. Our togetherness in and out of football is better than most, I would think. We work so hard for each other and as a group everyone gets on very well. Also, there is lots of quality in our team. I personally think that we have the best centre-midfield partnership in non-league football with Elliott (Bradbrook) and Champs (Tom Champion). They have been unreal for the last 3 years.

What would you say has been behind your own success - proving yourself at every level you've played?

Good family and friends around me. I love to prove people wrong. I always said when I left Thamesmead I was good enough, I just hope people that told me I wasn't good enough back then realise now that maybe they made a mistake. Playing in the Ryman Prem I was very lucky to play in a great team. Conference South I did find hard personally - for what reason I don't know. I went through a bad stage where changing jobs didn't help and I wasn't fit if I'm being honest with myself.

What is it like playing under Tony Burman? What is it you think he has done to get the best out of the team?

It's great to be fair to him. As much as he rants and raves at me, I know that he has so much belief in me. I do owe the gaffer a lot for where I am now - and I do get away with murder! But if I'm not on it I do get the "hair dryer treatment". He gets in good lads that are good players. Being here so long, I've seen him improve loads.

What do you and the players think is possible next?

It's going to be harder next season without doubt, but if we can get in a few good players to improve us we know we can compete and beat anyone. I personally think we are 3 good players away from being a top team and competing for the play offs.

The Precarious Position of the Football Manager

From bottom to top in football, managers are the all-too-frequent casualties of under-performance on the pitch. You would never expect Fernando Torres to be handed his P45 for not scoring enough goals. Or Joe Hart having his contract terminated for not keeping a single clean sheet in 10 games. It must be both unsettling and confusing therefore when a manager loses his job within a matter weeks of being handed it.

Just yesterday evening, Neil Warnock “parted company” with Leeds United. The club languishes at mid-table after losing 2-1 to Derby County on Easter Monday. They have been stranded in The Championship – either side of an appearance in League One between 2007 and 2010 – since relegation from the top flight in the 2003-04 season. That’s almost a decade of underachievement, on the back of financial mismanagement and executive confusion.

A pattern of “revolving door syndrome” is reaching almost laughable levels at another former Premier League mainstay – Blackburn Rovers. A period of exactly six months at Ewood Park has seen three different managers at the helm. Growing discontent, verging on hatred, for the club’s owners among Rovers fans is not aided by the Venky’s habitual hiring and firing policy.

Steve Kean was the first of the three to lose his job after two years in charge. Former Rovers player Henning Berg – part of the famous Premier League winning side of 1994/5 – was appointed, then inexplicably sacked again just 57 days later. His successor Michael Appleton lasted just ten days longer than that, leaving the club with a caretaker manager in Gary Bowyer.

Fans and neutrals alike have gone from dismay and disgust to acceptance and expectation of this kind of activity. A perhaps even more confusing scenario is currently being played out at League One’s Stevenage Borough. The club have sacked Graham Westley twice already, most recently in March of this year after a run of 14 defeats in 18 games. They have now re-appointed him, with his first game back in charge ending in victory over Hartlepool.

All of the above points to one sad, seemingly obvious fact: the position of manager at any professional football club is a fragile one. Directors and chairmen can sit behind the desk and the chequebook for decades without so much as a sniff of the exit door, yet when it comes to a fall guy they point straight to the ‘gaffer’. This brings me back to my initial observation about where the blame lies.

£50m-worth of Spanish centre-forward or a first choice international goalkeeper, both of whom take home a substantial pay packet each week. In between these we have nine other accomplished professional players that have represented their countries in some form. No wins in five games and the owners declare a crisis and go in search of “a change” in approach. Does he replace his misfiring striker, greasy palmed keeper or piano-carrying centre half? The simple answer is ‘no’.

It takes something far more serious for a player to immediately lose his job. Failing a drugs test will sometimes do it, as evidenced by Adrian Mutu. You can also get sent to prison. It’s safe to say, that in a normal place of work, if you simply don’t deliver on your duties you will quite easily be shown the door.

In the football world, the same is true only for the manager.

The Hammers go Olympic: Is it the Right Move?

It’s been a long time coming; dividing opinions among politicians, football clubs and fans. West Ham United have finally been named as the anchor tenants of the Olympic Stadium in Stratford. The Hammers will move into their new home in August 2016, after the venue will have undergone between £150-£190m of investment and alteration.

The main concern for fans was the fact that they would be so far from the pitch. That concern was not allayed by attendance at the Games last summer, or when watching from their sofas – it did appear to be a fair way back from the action.

However, the arguments for moving have been strong and as a fan, I must say that a move is clearly the way forward should it be economically viable. West Ham chairmen, Davids’ Gold and Sullivan, along with Chief Executive Karren Brady, have made extremely convincing cases for jumping ship from Upton Park.

Along with retractable seating to ensure that fans can enjoy the best views possible while keeping the track, a seemingly sincere pledge to lower the cost of attending games will be the telling factor for unimpressed followers.

The Boleyn Ground has been the club’s home since 1904, allowing local businesses in what is an otherwise deprived area to stay afloat. Although the on-pitch exploits haven’t been enormously fruitful at any point, it has nonetheless given East Londoners a sense of identity and community rarely seen with other top clubs.

So why do I think that a move is the right way to go? I’d say it comes down to a few things:

(1)  Any other prospective move is not even close to being on the cards. The financial condition of the club,though quite visibly more stable since the current administration have stepped in, is far from that enjoyed by the cash-rich big boys (we all know who they are). This means staying and developing the Boleyn, which has its limits both legally (planning permissions etc.) and when it comes to money.

(2)  Accommodating demand from fans.It’s not exactly splashed across the papers, but the waiting list for season tickets has always been congested. An almost two-fold increase in capacity would mean that young adult fans with some disposable income can buy theirs and become the next generation of die-hards.

(3)  Higher attendances =lower-cost football.It’s been a key lure for a move to the Olympic Stadium, but the increased capacity from 35,016 to 54,000 fans would mean significantly lower ticket prices. The challenge for the owners will be delivering on this promise

(4)  A boost to the club’sprofile.The move will bring us into the top-five attended clubs in the Premier League (should we remain there for the foreseeable future). A modern, all-purpose facility is also what the club badly needs if it is to keep up with its London neighbours, as well being able to facilitate regular European football - should those glorious days ever come! It’s all well making space for the fans, but providing something to cheer about comes with the territory.

(5)  Provides a realistic hope of avoiding a ‘White Elephant’. To look at it from a practical point-of-view,the last thing anybody wants is a fantastic venue laying waste. The O2 Arena proved to be the saviour of the Millennium Dome, but only after 6 years of it decaying on the riverside. Allowing West Ham to move in, paying £2m a year for the privilege, makes perfect sense.

A predictable wave of criticism and opposition will continue to fall over the move– former sports Minister Richard Caborn has already added to the protests. The diplomat in me empathises with clubs like Leyton Orient, who will inevitably suffer the effects of reasonably priced Premier League action on a couple of miles down the road. That said – who knows whether either of us will be in the same position come-2016? 

Not to be misunderstood – the heart often pushes me towards wanting the club to stay put, but I think the change is crucial. Now under the control of business-savvy multi-millionaires and already attracting established players, the club will (hopefully) continue to grow and flourish from bottom to top.

Forever living in the past should be replaced with looking positively to the future. What better way to encourage that than by upgrading its headquarters?