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Glentoran
Football Club.
Strategic Summary Paper.
September
2007.
Current
Position Summary.
The
overall basis on which is document is
based on is that we need to change a
number of things in respect of our
organisational structure with a view
to improving the performance both
financially and administratively of
Glentoran. The following document in
based on the following statement of
principles;
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To
compete and be successful we have
to match our biggest rival in all
areas not only on the park but off
it as well.
-
Our
biggest rival has an in-built
financial and arguably an image
advantage as they have the
international stadium as their
home ground. Therefore we have to
even cleverer in a range of areas.
-
We
know that additional finance
resources are required to allow us
to compete successfully.
-
What
resources we have and that which
we generate have to be used to the
best possible effect.
-
There
are currently too few people, key
people doing far too much work at
Glentoran and we are in danger of
not only failing in achieving our
aim to be the best club in Ireland
but we may be slipping further
behind Linfield.
-
Much
of what happens in the club is
done informally or through
networks or historical
arrangements such as Bars and
Match day programs which are not
delivering high levels of income.
We need better systems of work and
appropriate organisational
structures.
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It
is the Board of Director’s
responsibility to ensure that we
do the right things and recognize
that any changes necessary are put
into effect.
In
order to address the issues raised
above and to improve the situation, a
number of proposals have been put
together for your consideration and
are detailed elsewhere in this report.
These are broadly in line with
proposals made before by myself in a
report given to the Board of Directors
on a previous occasion.
Creating
and Using Resources
It
is believed that there are
insufficient resources both at Board
Level and below to achieve all our
aims ands objectives. These objectives
include financial stability and
success on the pitch with that success
mirrored in our public relations and
persona. In essence to be the biggest
and best club in Ireland.
Therefore
we need more people at all levels
within the club to do more, but this
also requires us to make sure we
manage all of these resources to
ensure the right things are done and
that the Board of Directors have and
retain control over all the key
activities and finances.
As
one of the biggest clubs in Ireland we
have a potential ‘well’ of
resources. Much more of the goodwill
contained in this resource should be
tapped.
It
is also clear that a greater use of
the skills available in our
supporter base can supplement the
resources that the Board has, and this
would enable a wider range of
fundraising activities to take place.
This will also give more potential for
bigger fundraising activities to be
undertaken such as the Manchester
United game.
Our
relationships with Supporters Clubs
needs to be greatly improved, this
must be possible as most should have
the same common purpose as us. This is
important as the Supporter's Clubs
have within their ranks able and
enthusiastic people who have a passion
for the club; it would benefit all if
we could harness some of this talent
in improving Glentoran Football Club.
As
the overall strategy is to establish
Glentoran as the premiere club in
Ireland, then to achieve this we will
need to be able to finance operations
similar to that of our biggest rival.
To do that we need more money and to
get more money we need to be smarter
and fully use all resources open to us
and even some that currently are not,
i.e. create additional finances.
New
resources such as new Directors and
the creation of Non Executive
Directors would not only contribute to
resolving current issues, they would
also help manage committees and create
an avenue for succession
management with Non executive Director
‘graduating’ to full Directors in
due course.
These
principles of improving resources and
while still retaining control are the
essence of the proposals outlined
below.
Proposals.
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Consideration
is to be given to appointing a
small number of Non Executive
Directors to facilitate the
planning and implementation of all
proposed changes detailed below
and to ‘make it happen’. These
Non Executive Directors would sit
on committees outlined below and
attend Board meetings but may not
have a vote.
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The
number of full Directors should be
brought up to the full quota as
soon as possible, consideration be
given to increase that number
through an AGM if it is felt that
more are required.
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These
committees would cover the key
aspects of the running and
improving of the club as follows
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A
Fundraising Committee should be
established to create a step
change in fundraising activities
including much greater utilisation
of the club assets and facilities. Bars
and match day programs and all
other core activities reorganised
under direct management control
through the Fundraising Committee.
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A
Grounds Committee should be formed
to control and direct the work
done on the ground on a more
formal basis
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A
Finance Committee to be
established headed by the Chairman
and one other Director. This will
be the most controlling and
important committee as it will
have an oversight role on the
other committees. Part of their
brief will be to produce Budgets
and performance targets
established and implemented for
both income and expenditure.
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Obviously as
well as doing the right things, it
is vitally important that
Glentoran demonstrate and
communicate that the right things
are being done to both our
supporter base and the general
public at large. Therefore greater
emphasis must be placed on the
public persona and image. In that
regard it is suggested that a
number of changes be considered
including a Marketing and a PR
specialist should be appointed and
report directly to the Board
of Directors.
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Many
more commercial activities
are needed to improve the
financial status as well as
ensuring those already in place
deliver much more income such as
Bars and Shops. We need to analyse
what we currently get and produce
targets for what we should be
achieving for all fundraising and
bring it under one centralized
control. We then must drive the
fundraising tirelessly to meet
those targets.
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A
system should be installed in
order that current up to date
management accounts must be
available for each and every Board
Meeting as indeed there should
also be up to date information of
grounds and fundraising activities
achieved from the appropriate
Director.
Delegating
Responsibility and Maintaining Control
Creating
committees does not in itself solve
issues nor necessarily make things
better in themselves, they must be
managed and be fully responsible to
the Board who must ensure they are
doing the right things in the right
order and are given the correct
priority.
All
committees must have a clear outline
of what roles and responsibilities
they will have and also what authority
they do not have.
Therefore
in keeping with roles and
responsibilities it is important that
reporting structures are clearly
understood and transparent. It is
clear that Directors have specific
roles within the club, while
committees have subservient roles. We
must have a number of principles that
relate to reporting and control, these
include;
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All
key, fundamental issues and
directional issues must be
retained by the Board, the
Directors should and must decide
how much is delegated to any
subcommittee and also how the
reporting of each committee
functions.
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Importantly,
it is proposed that various
Directors and Non executive
Directors will sit on all the
committees as this ensures good
communication of objectives and
responsibilities from the Board to
committee members.
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All
Marketing and PR be given to an
appointed specialist(s) who will
attend Board meetings and
Fundraising committee meetings to
ensure the right messages are
getting out to the right people
and that activities are consistent
with our public messages
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Levels
of authority for spending club
money and or employing contractors
and outside businesses would be
set by the Board and policed by
the Finance Committee
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Paying
volunteers to do work would also
have to be approved by the Board
and again policed by the Finance
Committee.
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Community
Initiatives to be handled by a
Director, not by committee but as
a separate area of control
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Playing
issues would be dealt with by the
Manager reporting through to the
Board through the Chairman or
chosen representative.
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Any
other specialists will be brought
in by the Board or committees as
and when they require them
The
Board should also run regular reviews
of how sub committees are performing
and make any adjustments to their
composition, constitution and
frequency of meetings to make them as
effective as possible
Committee
Structures
As
outlined above, it is proposed to set
up three sub committees, namely;
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Ground
and Premises.
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Fundraising.
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Finances.
Each
committee would comprise of a mixture
of representatives and would vary in
number depending on the roles and
tasks to be performed. It is proposed
that each committee would comprise of:
As
can be seen below it is proposed to
include Supporter's Club members being
appointed onto the committees.
They should put forward candidates who
will be selected by the Board from the
list of candidates.
In
the example of the Grounds and
Premises Sub Committee it is proposed
to appoint a Health and Safety
specialist to help with the ever
increasing legislation issues. This
would ideally be a volunteer
supporter.
Grounds
and Premises Sub Committee for example
could be;
-
Director
(with casting vote)
-
Non
executive Director
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1
Appointee.
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1
Supporters Club Representative.
-
Specialist
Health and Safety person (non
voting).
The
Finance committee would be the main
club committee and therefore should
have oversight of the activities of
the other committee’s
activities and could include;
The
Fundraising Sub Committee could have;
-
Commercial
Director (with casting vote)
-
Non
executive Director
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Marketing
and PR specialist (non voting)
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2
appointees
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1
supporters club
representative
Obviously
an initial set of detailed rules for
the running of each committee could be
established fairly quickly after we
have agreed the composition of the
committee.
Establishing
a Finance Committee is a key feature
already outlined above; this should
be considered by the main committee of
the club and the one that the Board of
Directors invests a lot of the club
controls over expenditure. Its role
should include;
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Providing
oversight of all club expenditure
(in conjunction with the Board).
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Production
of regular management accounts.
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Managing
cash flow
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Giving
timely advice to the Board on
financial issues
It
is clear that boundaries between
committees can be set but are likely
to change once they are in operation,
we should expect to do massaging and
modifications of structures and
guiding rules until we get the best
fit and performance.
Closing
Summary
All
change is difficult, especially in an
organisation where tradition and
passion go hand in hand. If we add the
volunteer impact this is even more
demanding. Nevertheless few could
argue that in the current environment
we have the best model for management
and directing the club towards our
objectives.
Areas
such as Playing Staff and Community
Initiatives would be handled through
the Board as at present. It is not
believed this is best handled through
a committee type structure.
Bringing
in new people into a new structure is
doubly difficult as much is new, but
it is felt important we do so as this
is one of the key strategic issues to
be brought in front of the Board for
discussion.
In
we agree to proceed the next issue is
timing and who should be involved in
the committees.
In
terms of timing we should set one
committee up at a time and get it
operational before launching the next
one. It is likely that the finance
committee will be the first to be
started.
The
search for the right people will take
some time, the right people are
however important in making the
structures work and achieving our
aims. We are not creating committees
for their own sake, they must make a
positive difference or they should not
be allowed to continue. It is a key
Board task to ensure this happens.
Clearly
the Board of Directors must still
control the direction of the club, its
strategy and fundamental issues
relating to the financial structure of
the business. To ensure enough
time is spent on critical issues such
as the new ground it should
delegate some of the day to day
controls to sub committees as outlined
above.
Oversight
of the committees would be on the
Board Agenda at each meeting with the
relevant Director outlining
achievements or issues being tackled.
It should also be the forum for
looking forward to any forthcoming
changes that may impact on the club in
general or the committee in
particular.
To
facilitate control over expenditures
on a day to day basis it is proposed
that the Board use the Finance
Committee as system inspectors. So
control would be exercised in a couple
of different but equally important
methods.
Ian
Kerr
Director
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