Latest q&a

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Latest q&a

Post by betts21 » 29 Nov 2019, 22:09

Latest question answers from cas anyone got a copy of it as doesn't seem to have found the way to my inbox again?

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Re: Latest q&a

Post by Fryston Tiger » 29 Nov 2019, 22:11

Check your spam box mate...that's where mine was.

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Re: Latest q&a

Post by betts21 » 29 Nov 2019, 22:16

Checked both my email spam box doesn't seem to be there either?

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Re: Latest q&a

Post by Fryston Tiger » 30 Nov 2019, 18:11

The club would like to thank every supporter for submitting their questions to the first edition of Tiger Talk. We have included the first name of the person who submitted the question for reference. All questions have been answered by either the club’s Managing Director Mark Grattan or Director of Rugby Jon Wells. --> Colin – Are there anymore signings in the pipeline?
 
Thanks for the question Colin – we have our 2020 squad in place as it stands. As you know we have a salary cap to work within and I think we have put together a very competitive squad for the upcoming season. There are always unforeseen twists and turns in a season (and a pre-season) though so I’m not ruling anything out at this stage, and in addition I can confirm that recruitment meetings are already underway for the 2021 season.
 
Jon
 
 
Ryan – Can we have fans forums like other clubs so people can express their concerns?
 
Hi Ryan and thanks for your question.
 
Every year we hold a very well attended Meet The Directors night in conjunction with the Castleford Tigers Supporters Club that is open to both CTSC members and non-members. On the night, the audience is able to ask any questions they want.
 
We have in the past run an evening starting at 6pm for people to drop in and ask questions but unfortunately only a handful of people turned up, which is why we’ve stuck with the annual Meet The Directors format.
 
We’ve also introduced this newsletter as a way of communicating directly with fans but both myself and other members of the club staff and board are always happy to meet with supporters. If you want to call in for a chat please get in touch and we will be able to arrange this for you.
 
Thanks,
 
Mark

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Re: Latest q&a

Post by Fryston Tiger » 30 Nov 2019, 18:12

Roy – In light of the new ground not moving forward, what plans are there for keeping The Jungle fit for purpose?
 
Hi Roy,
 
We are still hopeful that the new stadium will happen and will be looking for a further update from the developers once the election is over. In the short term we must adhere to a number of criteria in order to be issued with a ground safety certificate and our safety officer and management team work with the council’s safety advisory group to ensure we are safe and compliant year on year.
 
We understand it can be frustrating waiting for news of the stadium however we are 100 per cent in the hands of the developers and must be guided by them. In the meantime, we are committed to ensuring the ground is safe and fit for occupancy and this is done at considerable cost every year although most of the work is not work that you would notice such as safety barriers, walls pinned and rebuilt, new exit gates, electrical upgrades etc etc.
 
Thanks for your contribution to Tiger Talk.
 
Mark

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Re: Latest q&a

Post by Fryston Tiger » 30 Nov 2019, 18:13

Richard – How much longer do we supporters have to be the laughing stock of rugby league? The board have let the ground go to rack and ruin and it's time to front up to the Cas fans and tell them the new ground will never materialise with them in charge. I ask them if they cannot provide the above they should stand down and be replaced with people who will provide what the paying Castleford support deserves – a new ground or a full refurbishment of the old lady that has served us for many generations. 
 
Hi Richard,
 
When the current board was formed we had a club that was losing hundreds of thousands of pounds a year and with a ground that had some major health and safety issues. Since that time, the club has transformed into one of only a couple that regularly make a profit, our coaches have had the team competing in the play-offs on a regular basis and we won our first Super League Leaders’ title along with appearing at Old Trafford for the first time in the club’s history. Our turnover has doubled and we spend the salary cap on players as well as investing hundreds of thousands on transfer fees.
 
Every year we spend a large amount of money ensuring the ground is fit for purpose and can receive its safety certificate. In terms of the new stadium, we are in the hands of the developers, they are telling us that the funding partners are waiting to see the effects of Brexit, which possibly will be put to bed in a few weeks.
 
I have pasted the chairman’s answer to investment in the club from the last Tiger Talk newsletter. “We are always open to meet with any investors who have the available funds to make a difference and who have the club’s best interests at heart.” 
 
Unfortunately, Rugby League doesn’t have a waiting list of wealthy backers looking to take over clubs and invest millions and with this in mind we have to try and live within our means and run a sustainable club.
 
Thanks,
 
Mark

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Re: Latest q&a

Post by Fryston Tiger » 30 Nov 2019, 18:13

Daniel – Will there be a warm weather training camp or some kind of camp this year?
 
Hi Daniel – thanks for this. We have made a decision that this off-season will be based in the UK. The squad spend more time with one another at this time of year than any other so of course one of the challenges will be to keep their minds fresh and a change of scenery can really help re-focus after a long training block in one place. We will be changing things up for the boys from time to time but this will all be in the UK.
 
Jon

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Re: Latest q&a

Post by Fryston Tiger » 30 Nov 2019, 18:14

Alan – If the new ground comes off will it have a grass pitch or imitation pitch and will it be full size?
 
Hi Alan and thanks for sending in a question.
 
I’m happy to confirm that the pitch will be grass and full size.
 
Mark
 
 
Mark – Can you explain a little bit more about the Club Castleford aims, what benefits we get from it, how it works, and what opportunities it opens up please?
 
I’d be happy to give you a bit more information on this Mark.
 
Club Castleford came about after discussions with Elite Pro Sports, the UK licence holder for XBlades. Elite told us they wouldn’t be renewing the UK licence for XBlades products and offered us the opportunity to partner with Oxen, Elite’s new brand. With the UK market for sports team wear shrinking we looked at alternatives. We wanted to ensure we remained in control of our long-term branding future and took the decision to create our own brand whilst still using the same supply chain and factories to manufacture for us.
 
What this has done for us has allowed us to own our own brand and once the brand is established we hope to move into team wear for amateur clubs by licencing the Club Castleford brand to local sporting clubs and organisations. We are also able to dip our toe into the workwear market, this will allow club sponsors whose staff have uniforms to move to purchase uniform with their own logo and also the Club Castleford branding.
 
Our view is that the Club Castleford brand will allow us to unlock further revenue streams for the club and also may introduce more people to the club via the branding.
 
Thanks for your question.
 
Mark

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Re: Latest q&a

Post by Fryston Tiger » 30 Nov 2019, 18:15

Tim – What are the club doing or going to do regards attendances improving in 2020? I think it's fair to say most clubs are struggling across Super League with crowds and especially Thursday night games don't help. A club like ours needs people through the gates so are we going to have some offers on say lesser games such as Catalans and Toronto at home to get people in?

Thanks for your question Tim.

We did have a real struggle last season with attendances. Part of this was driven by the patchy form we showed after a great start and this wasn’t helped by the injuries and disruptions to the team, which didn’t allow them to put out a settled squad and entertain the crowds in the manner they are used to. It is beyond our control somewhat with collision injuries and squad disruption but already we look in a better place than last year and we are hopeful that this will continue with greater consistency within the team allowing them to play in a style that people love to come and watch.

A big factor in attendances was also down to the constant swapping of fixtures late in the season and for 2020 we’ve looked at the best way to approach this. We’ve tried to devise a fixture list that will have minimal changes and whilst it would have been easier to put all of our home fixtures towards the back end of the season on a Sunday, the reality is if we perform in the top-six most of the year as we hope then we will get selected by Sky Sports. This would have meant more disruptions for fans with changes at short notice, which we hope to have significantly reduced by opting to play on Fridays at this stage of the season.

It’s fair to say we would have liked more games on a Sunday at the start of the year when we aren’t on Sky but unfortunately our opponents in several of these matches are involved in the televised fixture the following Thursday and this prevents us from playing on the Sunday due to the short turnaround.

We are looking to grow the crowds in 2020 as this is a vital source of income that we need to allow us to complete at the top end of Super League year on year. Last season we ran a Kids For A Quid offer at a number of games but this year we will pick a couple of fixtures as family games and run a discounted family ticket instead. We are also giving all junior season ticket holders the option of bringing a friend with them for free to the first home game of the season against Wigan. 

Our Community Foundation was revamped in 2019 and has big plans to be one of the best charitable foundations in sport and the local community, and they will also be working tirelessly in the community to try to engage clubs and charitable groups to come and watch a game. Another area we are looking to grow attendances is via our matchday activity and you may have noticed last year a large amount of activity pre-game on the training pitch and pre-kick off on the main pitch with flags and mascots. This is something we will be looking to continue and grow in 2020. 

Finally, a big area of focus for 2020 is getting the community engaged with the club and in particular the players, something I think we lost a bit last season. In conjunction with the Foundation you should see greater visibility of the players in and around the community, in schools and local clubs and charities. This weekend the players and coaching staff are attempting to do the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for The Prince of Wales Hospice.

I hope this helps to give you a bit more detail around our plans.

Mark

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Re: Latest q&a

Post by Fryston Tiger » 30 Nov 2019, 18:15

Darren – At the time of asking nothing more has been said about the supporter steering group. From the brief description given it sounds like something I'd love to be involved in, how do you get selected?
 
Thanks for your interest in this Darren.
 
More details are due to follow in December but we will be asking supporters to email us with a few details and we will then invite people to an initial meeting. Depending on the numbers of supporters who are interested, we will look to select people from a wide cross section of the fanbase such as a young person, a concession, a season ticket holder, a pay-on-the-gate supporter, a new fan and a long-standing supporter etc.
 
Keep an eye on our communications platforms for more information over the next few weeks.
 
Thanks,
 
Mark


Billy – What is the latest update on the new stadium?
 
Hi Billy,
 
We are totally in the hands of the developer for the new stadium but we will be looking to get an update from them in the New Year once the current general election is out of the way.
 
Thanks,
 
Mark

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Re: Latest q&a

Post by Fryston Tiger » 30 Nov 2019, 18:16

Think this is everything that was in the email

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Re: Latest q&a

Post by tigerfeat » 30 Nov 2019, 18:46

Thanks mate ...some interesting stuff among that
I'm particularly pleased the plan is to get the players out into schools and workplaces and around the community as much as possible
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Re: Latest q&a

Post by betts21 » 30 Nov 2019, 20:02

Thanks for that worrying basically stadium is no further forwards than the last ten years realistically and we don't seem to have a back up plan of redevelopment of our own as a plan B

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Re: Latest q&a

Post by tigerfeat » 01 Dec 2019, 09:50

Basically there's not a great deal that can be done now apart from keep the ground passing it's safety certificates as said in one of the replys and hope super league don't decided to change what is the minimum requirement for a ground
Can't be long now till Axiom officially declared dead in the water surely ?
The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have
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Re: Latest q&a

Post by sirocco7 » 01 Dec 2019, 12:20

tigerfeat wrote: 01 Dec 2019, 09:50 Basically there's not a great deal that can be done now apart from keep the ground passing it's safety certificates as said in one of the replys and hope super league don't decided to change what is the minimum requirement for a ground
Can't be long now till Axiom officially declared dead in the water surely ?

In March the developers said they couldn’t move forward with the project until BREXIT was sorted out.... As you all know BREXIT Isn’t sorted therefore it hasn’t moved forward. It certainty isn’t dead in the water.

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Re: Latest q&a

Post by lurcher » 01 Dec 2019, 23:32

correct sirrocco, apparently some retailers will only sign up if we stay in and some only if we exit. either way some more should be signing up.
jo brand is eddie warings love child

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Re: Latest q&a

Post by mart0042 » 02 Dec 2019, 12:03

Like most people, I'm sick of brexit and just want it done now. We were pretty close to getting the amount needed to start. Hopefully by Xmas it's done and dusted.

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