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FOREWORD

This is to the best of our knowledge the first time that a football club at any level in the UK game has subjected itself to the disciplines of the Peer Review Improvement Process. It is our firm view that for doing so its Chairman and the Board deserve real credit in inviting us to put them ‘under the microscope’, that showed real leadership and courage. As the report makes clear, the decision to subject itself to this process is not all that AFC Telford United and the wider ‘Club Community’ deserve credit for. As in every organisation, there is room for improvement, in this case in each of the four themes in the benchmark that we have developed and measured the Club against. However, there is justifiable reason for everyone associated with the club to feel enormous pride and satisfaction. The new Club’s achievements, both on and off the field, since it arose Phoenix-like from the ashes of the former club in 2004, are considerable. However, and most encouragingly, we did not detect a trace of complacency from any of the 100+ people we spoke to, only a burning desire and ambition to continue to demonstrate the importance and value of Supporter Owned Community Clubs as the model for football club ownership for the future. Of equal importance in the passion for the Club that we experienced was the pride in the extensive and valuable work the Club does in the community. For many that we spoke to this aspect was arguably more important than success on the field. However, the on the field aspect of the Club’s success has also been considerable. In seven seasons the club has featured in promotion playoffs five times including two promotions. At the time of writing, AFC Telford United has been promoted again to the Conference Premier division. For many clubs this would be more than enough but for everyone associated with AFC Telford United there is still a real hunger for success in football terms, in the opportunities to work with and for the community and to contribute personally in so many different ways to that success. The pride that people feel is palpable and fully justified. The Peer Review Team themselves also deserve credit for their incredibly hard work, which like so much else we discovered about the Club has been entirely voluntary effort. I would like to take this opportunity to briefly acknowledge their contributions. Vinny Thompson, Promotions Officer at FC United of Manchester. Vinny shared his own capacity for innovation with many brilliant ideas and experiences from FCUM. Tom Hall, Director of Policy at Supporters Direct. Tom brought huge credibility to the work by virtue of his national role and experience which was invaluable to the team. Mark Berry, has a community brief for the Church of England working mainly with under 40’s. Described as the ‘’Rocking Vicar. . . just brilliant!’’ by Vinny Thompson.

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Steve Wellings a former Chief Executive of Telford & Wrekin Council with over thirty years finance experience, who negotiated the stadium purchase from the bank in 2004. Pete Jackson deserves special mention. He was much more than Project Manager. He used his local government Peer Review experience to develop the Football Club Benchmark, provided the energy and enthusiasm to insist on a full-scale Peer review exercise and in his own words ‘’worked harder than he had ever worked before’’ at each stage of the project. If the success of this is down to just one person it is Pete. In addition on behalf of the team I would like to acknowledge the imaginative and invaluable work on the ‘Census’ of fans and volunteers as part of this exercise. Particular thanks go to Richard Smith and Asif Saleem of Capgemini, the Clubs main sponsor and to Mike Sheridan and Stuart Massey who provide voluntary support to the Club on ICT and the website. All four worked closely with Pete Jackson and Mark Berry on the Census. Finally thanks to Derrick Moore, for his administrative support to the review. It has been a real pleasure for everyone in the Peer Review Team to be part of this process and a real privilege to have met so many committed and passionate people. Michael Frater CBE Peer Review Team Leader Former Chief Executive, Telford and Wrekin Council.

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1. BACKGROUND 1.1. The peer review approach to organisational improvement has been used successfully in public sector organisations and in business and is designed to identify achievements, areas for improvement and capacity for change. The peer review is not an inspection. Instead, it offers a supportive approach, undertaken by friends, albeit, ‘critical friends’. This review, commissioned by AFC Telford United, has involved the whole Club community in helping to identify what is required to continue the Club’s success, both on and off the field.

1.2. The review involved the gathering of information by the team from a range of sources that enables an assessment of the Club to be made, against a benchmark of the ‘Ideal Football Club’.

The benchmark comprised the following themes:

· Leadership and Governance · Engagement with supporters, communities and partners · Resources and performance management · Organisation and people

1.3. The team was at the Club from 26th to 28th April 2011 when most of the interviews took place. Due to availability, a number of interviews took place in both the week before and the week after. The programme included activities to enable the members of the team to meet and listen to all of the Club’s community. These activities included:

· Census of Club community (300+ replies) · Self-assessment by the Board · Tour of the facilities · Interviews with 100+ people · Focus groups with fans, partners and players

1.4. Our feedback to the Club community on the last night of the review, gave an overview of the key messages. This report builds on the initial findings and gives a detailed account of the review. The report is structured around four areas of the ‘Ideal Football Club Benchmark’ listed above and includes areas for consideration and our key recommendations. 1.5. Finally a few points about conventions adopted in this report in relation to attributing comments made by those participating in the review. Participants are advised that remarks they make will not identify the individual but where they are part of a focus or other group the general source may be identified. However, this report has drawn upon the book “Never forget – Our stories Our Club” compiled by the Supporters Trust . Quotes at the beginning and end of a section are from this book where they are attributed and consequently their source is identified here as well.

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2. NATIONAL CONTEXT 2.1. Examining all aspects of the Club's governance structure and day-to-day

operations, the Peer Review at AFC Telford is not only important as an internal

document, but it is also set to provide a crucial perspective to the on-going debate

concerning the wider governance of the game. Football governance, and the

associated issues, have not only become a matter of concern for the football

industry, but are now being examined and potentially addressed at governmental

level. This can be seen in the pledge set out in the Coalition Agreement to

“encourage the reform of football governance rules to support the co-operative

ownership of football clubs by supporters”, and the Department for Culture, Media

and Sport Select Committee's inquiry into the way the game is run.

2.2. As one of the leading lights in the Supporter Ownership movement, AFC Telford

are well-placed to provide a telling contribution to the debate over whether co-

operative ownership is a more appropriate model for football than the benefactor

one. The recent history of the club is also instructive in terms of the levels of debt

and dependency on benefactors across the game. Unfortunately, Telford's story is

not an atypical one:

� 52 clubs that are or have been amongst the top 92 clubs have entered insolvency proceedings since the Premier League was established in 1992. By way of comparison, no Bundesliga club has found themselves in a similar situation since the league was founded in 1963. Bundesliga clubs are predominantly community-owned, and are subject to strict regulation, which requires them to operate sustainably.

� It is estimated the aggregate debt in the Premier League stands at over £3 billion.

� Between 2001/02-2005/06 the 92 clubs in the top four divisions lost a total of over £1 billion (although around one quarter of this total can be attributed to Chelsea).

2.3. Many clubs only stay solvent due to soft loans from owners, creating a clear dependency. When these loans evaporate the club faces a massive shortfall that can gravely endanger their future. AFC Telford United provides a different perspective, having at least broken even financially for the last seven years. It could be suggested that the absence of a private owner (and the accompanying soft loans) requires the club to generate their own revenue streams, making them a more sustainable enterprise. 2.4. AFC Telford United is part of a growing supporter movement nationally with over 250,000 members: an umbrella organisation called Supporters Direct. The movement includes over 160 supporters’ trusts and 20 clubs in the English football pyramid which are either supporter or community-owned. The forthcoming Localism Bill could potentially offer an exciting opportunity with a proposed Right to Buy Community Assets clause, which could conceivably cover sports stadia. This would

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allow community groups to purchase their local stadium, safeguarding it for current and future generations. 2.5. For the supporter ownership movement as a whole, as well as individual clubs

like AFC Telford United, this is an exciting time. Supporters Direct believes that

placing supporters at the heart of the game‘s future is key to delivering a ‘bottom up’

remedy to football’s numerous governance-related ailments. At a time when many

clubs are struggling to stay afloat, AFC Telford United is striving to improve

themselves with initiatives such as the Peer Review. A commitment to transparent,

sustainable practices should surely form part of a blueprint for the wider game going

forward.

Tom Hall

Director of Policy

Supporters Direct.

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3. LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE “During the first pre-season in the summer of 2004, I immediately became aware of the passion of everyone at both the football club and the supporters trust. The determination and hard work of everyone to start the first season, almost against the odds was inspiring. It was a stimulating experience to be part of this. There was a belief and determination that the club would be successful on and off the field and progress back up the football pyramid.” Ian Dosser, Board Member/ Capgemini 3.1. The spirit, determination and passion to make AFC Telford United succeed on and off the pitch is still evident amongst the Board, Trust and fans alike. The story of the rebirth of the football club still retains legendary status in the minds of the Club’s supporters. The wider club community feels passionately about their ownership of the club - “my club”, “community club”, “fans owned”, “proper football club”, came up numerous times in discussion. A focus group member commented, “Not everyone sees the importance or understands clearly the relationship between the supporters and the governance of the club.” 3.2. Throughout the Club community there is a strongly held belief that the fans’ ownership of the club is essential to safeguarding the long term future of the club. There is however a lack of clarity about how the model works in practice and confusion about the relationship between the roles undertaken by the Board and the Trust Board. “Are we a fan-owned, or a fan-run club?” highlights the lack of clarity that exists The Supporters’ Trust’s objective of being the “preserver, promoter and protector” of football in Telford is shared by the Football Club Board. “It is really important to promote AFC Telford United as one brand. It is key to ensuring that the club continues to move forward”. Two separate but similar logos for the Club and the Trust vividly highlight the need to clarify roles, responsibilities and relationships between the two Boards as part of one organisation.

3.3. The Board and the Trust have worked hard at building and strengthening the relationships between the two bodies. There is increasingly a shared agenda with better relationships, improved communication and more accessible information. However, this is largely dependent on the “personalities” getting on and making it work. One Trust member summed this up when he said, “It would be helpful if the roles and responsibilities of the two Boards were more clearly defined, and the roles that individual members play were more specific.” 3.4. The Board understand that to achieve their vision they need a much wider base of people who are committed to that vision. They need to increase existing income, as well as establishing new income streams in order to support a full time club whilst at the same time not compromising the Club’s values. “We need to aspire to be more professional in everything that the Club does.” The values of the Club, in terms of being ‘supporter owned’ ‘community focused’ and a “co-operative club”, are evident from the whole Club community and are seen as being as important, if not more important, than the Club’s performances on the pitch. However, beyond these high level values, the Club’s values are quite possibly understood but remain largely implicit or unstated yet as one fan observed, “The club’s values are key to further building the Club’s support’.

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3.5. However, as one partner commented, “The Club is too reliant on too few individuals who carry enormous pressure and stress to hold the club together. The systems off the field are reactive, and the planning appears short term.” And, as one Board member commented, “The Board is too reactive, too operational, and not strategic enough”. In particular the workload and burden carried by the Chairman was frequently remarked upon as was that of the Club Secretary. The Team believe this situation is aggravated by the apparent absence of clear terms of reference between the two Boards and a lack of policies. Moreover, whilst there are identified responsibilities for Board Members they are operational in nature because of the absence of staff for these functions. Consequently Board members find it difficult to focus on strategic issues because ‘’the urgent takes precedence over the important’’.

3.6. There is clear evidence of the Board being prepared to take tough decisions when required. These include the change of Team Manager last year, the recent negotiation of a 150 year lease on the ground, the development of the 5-a-side facility, and the appointment of a new commercial manager - which all indicate an awareness of future challenges. 3.7. The inspirational role that the Chairman has played and continues to play is recognised by all. His approach of having an “open door” and of instinctively understanding the fears and aspirations of the supporters is a tremendous asset for the club. This “get-at-ability” (as described by one Board member) is also a weakness as it leads to short term and reactive planning that does not use the skills and vision of the Board members to best effect. The Chairman in particular is relied upon too heavily. Clarity around his role and capacity needs to be provided to avoid this “single dependency” becoming a significant and ultimately unsustainable structural weakness in the Club’s long term development. 3.8. The Peer team observed that with the exception of the financial information produced for the board, the development of the clubs business lacks structure and, in many instances isn’t as inclusive as it should be for a forward looking organisation. The absence of a clear business plan and the need to resource a part-time or volunteer book keeper are examples of basic requirements that are not currently in place. The Board members share this sense of responsibility and adhere to the Club’s guiding principles but are not always able to evidence their commitment to delivering it. There is a strong recognition of the need to look to the future and not become a “time capsule club that looks only to its past achievements”.

“Fans have got to take the Supporters Trust forward. Somebody’s got to be here to be the football club director and the chairman. It’s a healthy thing. Over time there must be a renewal of people coming through the club, taking it in different directions, forcing it forward, developing it and helping it grow with fresh energy and ideas all the time.” David Embery – Chairman of Supporters Trust

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3.9. Areas for consideration

· Is AFCTU a fan owned or fan run club? Are the values clear?

· There is confusion about how the governance arrangements should work and about respective roles of the Trust Board and the Club Board.

· Many see the Trust as principally a fundraiser, not as the elected voice of the

owners with a responsibility to hold the Club Board to account.

· The Club Board has remained small with a lack of understanding of how to change the membership. There is good but not a comprehensive range of skills evident.

· If the Club went ‘belly-up’ it is understood to be the Trust who would be

accountable yet the Trust Board / Treasurer are not generally given in-year financial or performance information nor have they sought it.

· Due to the confusion about how the governance arrangements should work

there is a lack of clarity and inconsistency in the involvement of the Trustees in the business of the Club’s Board.

· Whilst the club is impressive in its day to day operational activity there is

insufficient strategic focus and capacity on either Board.

· The leadership role of the Chairman is widely admired but is unsustainable for him personally and the dependence on him for so much is a significant vulnerability for AFCTU.

· There are no clear roles and responsibilities for each Board or for many

individual members of the Boards, and where they exist they are invariably operational. Therefore they are not working optimally and inadvertently adding to pressure on the Chairman.

· There appear to be no clear Terms of Reference between the two Boards and

also a lack of policies. 3.10. Recommendations R. 1. The Club should commission urgently an independent review of its governance arrangements, to include a clarification of the process for appointing new people to the Board, through Supporters Direct and look for external support to finance this.

R. 2. The Trust and Club Board should, in consultation with fans, review and confirm the Club’s co-operative values which should then be widely publicised. R. 3. The Club Board and the Board of Trustees should carry out a ‘skills audit’ to determine which areas of expertise need strengthening

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4. ENGAGING WITH SUPPORTERS, THE COMMUNITY AND PARTNERS. ’We’ve got professional people, we’ve got very working class people and we’ve got kids with rich parents. We’ve got kids with no money and everyone is treated the same and everybody expects to be treated the same. It’s very egalitarian’. Rob Palin. Supporters

4.1. The success of the club has been built on the involvement of the fans, the recognition of the key role that football plays in raising the aspirations of the community and by engagement with a wide variety of partners. 4.2. The fans forums, the range of Club events and the use of social media, including Bucks Chat and electronic communication, have all contributed to building a close and strong bond between the club and its supporters. The commitment, humour and sheer enthusiasm shown by the supporters who congregate in SN3 was commented on positively by the players, is appreciated by all sections of the ground and is a key factor in generating the match day atmosphere. The suggestion of building on this support and learning lessons from FC United of Manchester should be pursued. ‘When we are attacking the ‘Hutch’ and the fans in SN3 are chanting, they almost suck the ball into the net’. (Players focus group) 4.3. The Board listens to the views of the fans. The idea of “You Said – We Did” has recently been developed from the club census with very positive effect. Most notable amongst the responses has been the re-opening of the Frank Nagington stand for home fans. This clearly illustrates a Club that listens to its fans.

Community 4.4. ’’Marketing here is not just about advertising – it’s about engaging with communities.” The Board is conscious of making the Club accessible to all sections of the community and striving to involve all of the various groups who have been traditionally excluded by football. There have been several offers of assistance from supporters (“we should be more creative in engaging “non-traditional” football fans to the club and making them feel welcome”). These groups include black and ethnic minority people, women, gay football fans, families and people with disabilities. The ‘kids for a quid’ initiative and the targeting of south Telford communities were very successful in the first few years of the Club’s existence but have not had the same focus and resource to build on this of late. This is a big gap that needs to be addressed. “Building and sustaining the fan base is the most effective way of increasing the Club’s income whilst retaining the values.” 4.5. The Club has taken many initiatives to engage with different parts of the community. The annual Kabadhi tournament attracted over 2000 people last year, the numerous charity collections held raising thousands of pounds and the themed days for armed services, cancer, hospital staff etc. have all bought new people in to the ground. As one new supporter said “The Club’s work in the community is second to none”. The Learning Centre acts as a focus for a range of groups such as those

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excluded from school, the Deaf Club, the local residents’ association, and an array of community groups and many others who make use of the facilities. 4.6. The Club has also instigated a range of projects focused on addressing social issues of concern to the community; mini moto training, 4000 children engaged in extra curricula activities. The Local Police Inspector commented that “Working with the local residents’ group around the ground on environmental improvements and promoting community cohesion have contributed to building the clubs reputation. “ This work is not always given the profile it deserves and as one volunteer said “The Club needs to be better at shining a spotlight on its successes”. The original vision of reaching out from the Club’s base to the wider community has had some real successes which are reflected in the postcode map produced of fans completing the census.” The breaking of the various attendance records in the early days demonstrated the potential of the club and the importance of investing in future generations of the clubs fans.” 4.7. “We have a huge number of young fans and they are the future of our club. I work in local schools and am very proud to be associated with the club”. Taking players, and more recently the manager, into schools and to work with community groups has paid dividends at the turnstiles. “We need to reinvigorate that approach”, a long-term supporter observed. Partners 4.8. “Partnership” has been a watchword of the Club with Telford & Wrekin Council being instrumental in the original formation of the Club. This is widely recognised, “The Council’s support of the club has been immense”. Likewise, TCAT has provided an excellent link geographically and with a key part of the fans base “The location of the Club next to TCAT has provided lots of opportunities for joint working in the past and will do so in the future”. The Primary Care Trust, Local Policing Team and many others have all contributed and benefitted from their involvement with the Club. Reductions in public spending have had a noticeable impact on these partnerships in recent years but their importance to the future of the Club remains as crucial as ever. 4.9. The relationship with the Shropshire Football Association has been tense at times not least during the review over the timing of the Shropshire Senior Cup Final. However, there are opportunities to improve this relationship and the offer by the FA to use space in the Learning Centre to provide a point of contact between Telford and the FA should be pursued. 4.10. The importance of attracting new young supporters is vital and the relationship with junior football in the borough is also important to promote the reach of the club and the brand. A local Head Teacher commented that “There are concerns about the confusion over who is doing what under what banner in terms of grass roots football in the town” This view was echoed by others and is an area that should be addressed. There were major concerns raised about some of the quality of the community services delivered by people who, whilst wearing the AFC Telford United badge, are not under the accountability structures of the Club. It was suggested on several occasions that this has resulted in damage being done to the reputation of the Club.

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4.11. The Club has relationships with numerous community football clubs including the Ladies team, the Fans team, a Muslim team, a Gay and Lesbian team and Junior teams, many of whom actively promote the AFC Telford United brand in the wider community. It was felt that this needs to be recognised and supported by the Club in a more proactive way. “AFC Telford United is a positive force for good in the community. It brings people together, is forward thinking, innovative and trail blazing”. Roy Waterfield Shropshire Football Association Chief Executive Officer 4.12 Areas for consideration · Overall there is excellent engagement with supporters highlighted by the ‘Census’

though there is scope to improve the social networking arrangements and the Club should making use of the volunteers who have come forward to assist in this area

· Work to develop the fan base in the first few years of the new club has not been

systematically sustained and urgently needs to be re-invigorated. Responsibility for leading on this issue should be resolved as part of the proposed Governance Review (Rec. 1.)

· Funding for many of the community projects established in the early years of the

new Club has come to an end and public spending cuts mean this will be extremely difficult to replace. Consideration of how to pursue community objectives is needed.

· The infrastructure and provision of junior football and coaching in schools and the

community are unclear to many and could benefit from rationalisation. · The Club’s logo is used for the marketing and promotion of a wide range of

activities. The importance of the Club’s brand / logo cannot be overstated; it has cachet and therefore value compared to various organisations that wish to be associated with it. It is unclear whether all of its uses are being properly monitored and quality assured by the Club.

· The Club’s overall relationship with the Business community in Telford should be

reviewed. · The Bucks Business Club has not developed as anticipated in numbers or

influence. Its purpose and operation need to be reviewed - either expanded as a ‘smaller businesses’ club or enlarged to incorporate larger businesses who currently aren’t engaged.

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4.13. Recommendations

R.4. The Club needs to take a major initiative to develop its immediate and long term fan base. The Club should as a Supporters Owned Club, consider whether this initiative should be the responsibility of the Trust Board or the Club Board or a shared responsibility. This should be developed as a matter of urgency over the closed season so that initiatives can start from the beginning of the 2011/12 season. R.5. The Club should, with key partners, commission a review of the various arrangements and infrastructure for junior football, academy, schools coaching and community coaching.

R.6. The Club’s relationship with the Telford Business Community and the purpose and operation of the Bucks Business Club should be reviewed with a view to a step change in business engagement and sponsorship.

R.7. The Club should review all initiatives branded with the Club’s logo and put in place a simple process for quality assuring all future initiatives promoted with the Club’s brand.

5. RESOURCE AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT “52 clubs that are or have been amongst the top 92 clubs have entered insolvency proceedings since the Premier League was established in 1992. AFC Telford United have operated at a profit every year of their existence and are a great example of a football club being run properly” (Tom Hall, Supporters Direct). 5.1. 2011 could, with success in the Play-off Final on 15th May, represent a financial watershed for the Club. If this doesn’t happen this year, whenever promotion to the top tier of non-league football takes place the present financial structure cannot sustain the cost of promotion to the Conference Premier League. This issue will have to be addressed at some stage, possibly urgently if the Club is successful in the next few days. Added to these pressures are those of lost grants which hitherto financed the modest salary of the Chairman and income for the Learning Centre. 5.2. The Board recognises that there are significant financial costs arising from success. To date, the Board has used its limited resources to maximum effect. The fact is that the club has made a small profit in every year since its formation. This has often been in difficult and uncertain circumstances including the context of the general plight of football clubs and the economic downturn. This is testimony to the pragmatic and responsive budget management of the club over the last seven years which could be described as a delicate annual balancing act. 5.3. “Each year the Board has set its budget in March and endeavoured to stick to it no matter what the pressures and circumstances have been”. It is however fair to say that given that the Club inherited an almost new asset and has been unable to provide for asset maintenance and replacement given that they started from and with nothing. In reaching a view on this it has to be acknowledged that because of

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success on the pitch for five of the last seven seasons the Club has also had to make its next year’s budget without knowing which league it would be playing in for the following season. This situation is unsustainable in the long term in our view. 5.4. The general awareness within the Trust of the day to day financial operation of the Club is low and as one Trust member reflected, “Do we have a business plan?”, which is an indication of the need for a more forward-looking approach to financial management and a greater shared understanding by the Trust of the Club’s management challenges. 5.5. The Club inherited a tremendous facility in the stadium itself. “The stadium is the envy of non-league football and many league teams would love our ground”, one fan said. It is the Club’s biggest asset after the Club’s people. Staff and volunteers alike acknowledged that to maintain it will cost increasing amounts of money and it is essential that the Club proactively invests in its maintenance if it is to remain a top quality facility. Similarly with the pitch which is cared for by Telford & Wrekin Services and some very committed individuals who take great pride in its condition. This season it will host over 80 games. This puts tremendous pressure on it and players and fans alike are concerned to ensure that the quality of the playing surface is retained and improved. 5.6. The Learning Centre is a real asset for the club. The Club’s ambition to make the centre self-sustaining and an ‘earner’ for the Club is under pressure as public sector reductions eat into some of the activities that have hitherto been hosted. A Trust member commented “We need to consider how we maximise the income from the centre whilst again retaining the ethos upon which it was built”. The office space, bar area and training rooms all provide opportunities to accommodate activities and functions that would further enhance the Club’s income and reputation. But as one user of the Centre asked, “Is the space in the Learning Centre being used to best effect?” The Team did not have the time to explore this but the question needs to be addressed. 5.7. The Club Census asked for satisfaction ratings against all the services that the club provides and very high levels of satisfaction were given for all areas. The Catering was seen to have greatly improved and there was an appreciation of the changes made over the last 12 months as a result of listening to fans ideas. The Club shop, which is run by volunteers, is seen to be well stocked and highly valued by the fans. There were a number of suggestions for improvement and an understanding of the constraints provided by the physical size of the shop and the excellent work done by the volunteer staff. The development of online sales is still at an early stage and there is potential for expanding this side of the Club’s business. 5.8. The Club has used ICT throughout its existence and has plans to exploit the benefits of technology to all parts of the Club’s operation. This is particularly important in terms of further improving the website and the use of social media – Face-Book, Twitter, and e-mail - to extend the reach of the Club and improve two-way communications with the fans. To do this properly will require some developmental investment.

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5.9. The building of the new five a side pitches that will be completed in the autumn will provide a new resource that will need to be managed and promoted to maximise the investment that has been put in. There will also be opportunities to revisit and in the longer term develop the sports village concept with the creation of Shropshire’s first 3G pitch at TCAT. 5.10. The Club Census identified a number of major capital projects such as providing a roof for the east terrace, as well as investment in the PA system, floodlights and pitch. To raise capital for such projects will be difficult given the tight financial restrictions that are placed on the club. However there are individuals within the club community with expertise in this field and they should be called upon to help advise on how best to raise capital to invest in the Club’s physical infrastructure. 5.11. The partnerships with the business community have been central to the Club’s financial strategy. “Great support from Capgemini, Banks‘s, Simmonds, Transport, TCC and hundreds of others have bought in skills, resources and voluntary help that has added enormous value to the atmosphere around the club”, said one Trust member. The number of sponsor signs themselves reflect the esteem in which the Club is held and the breadth of support. One business supporter commented, “You could use your sponsors and business partners more creatively” and it is clear that there are still many businesses in and around Telford and Wrekin that have yet to be approached. With the appointment of a new commercial manager the Club is well positioned to exploit these opportunities. With both existing and new sponsors there is the opportunity to discuss deals for more than twelve months at a time, which would provide more certainty about future revenue. 5.12. Like all businesses the need to identify efficiencies is important to the Club and the review team identified opportunities to make savings through the better management of utility costs. A number of partners thought that the Club could become more ‘green’ and be better at recycling, and even using solar power to fuel the floodlights. The suggestion by a local head teacher and TWS to undertake an environmental audit of the Club is a good one that merits consideration by the Board. 5.13. If the Club is to increase its income levels it must look at ways of increasing attendance at home games. “Our attendance levels look really good for a non-league club, but aren’t really for a town of Telford’s size. Why can’t we aim for at least 2% of the town’s population as our average gate?” Focus group member 5.14. Areas for consideration

· The club has major ‘on the pitch’ ambitions for league football and ‘off the pitch’ ambitions for a Community Sports Trust. It is currently not resourced to achieve or sustain either in our view.

· The Club is a significant business but does not have a three year rolling

business plan.

· Despite the remarkable success in achieving a positive financial outcome each year, the financial and performance management has been

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understandably short term and dependant on a welcome five figure contribution from the Trust each year.

· The Club inherited an almost brand new stadium and equipment but there is

no sinking fund to sustain and maintain the stadium (which is on a 150 year lease) or the Club’s equipment and fittings such as the tractor or the PA system

· Third party ownership of the West Stand is a material barrier to the

development of the football club. ‘

· The five a side pitches will provide an income stream but will require additional resources to manage them properly and the community use agreement requires the Club to do this.

· Despite some notable successes (e.g. with Capgemini and TTC) the Club has

not maximised its opportunities with larger businesses within Telford and Wrekin. More could also be done with the Bucks Business Club if this is intended to focus on the small business community

· The Learning Centre is a symbol of the Club’s community focus and a

significant source of income but its use and marketing needs to be reviewed especially in view of public spending cuts.

· Credit control and cash flow management is a critically important function ,

which is currently done by the Chairman and the Club Secretary. This should be given more priority.

5.15. Recommendations R. 8. The Board should develop a three year rolling business plan (with clearly explained aims and targets for the short and medium term) that sets out how the football and community aspirations are to be supported and resourced. R. 9. The Trust Board and the Club Board need to give full consideration to the issue of the West Stand. R. 10. The Club should establish a sinking fund for asset replacement and should do so in conjunction with any proposals for development funding. These arrangements should include a possible Community Share Issue and advice on this should be sought from the wider Co-operative movement. R. 11. Assets such as the five-a-side pitches and the Learning Centre (and any which might be acquired in the future) should have arrangements developed for their management to maximise efficiency and income. R. 12. The new commercial manager has been set more explicit targets to achieve increased income through sponsorship and commercial earnings. These targets should be rigorously monitored.

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R. 13. Consideration should be given to acquiring the services of a part time bookkeeper, ideally on a voluntary basis. 6. ORGANISATION AND PEOPLE. “We achieve more collectively together than we achieve alone”. David Wright MP for Telford There is a strong sense at the Club of there being a strong team ethos both on and off the pitch. Lee Carter and Andy Sinton both provide strong leadership and have a clearly optimistic “glass half-full” approach which is transmitted to the players and the wider club community. This translates into a very positive “can do” culture at all levels in the Club. The Club has a small staff team, 2 full time and 3 part time, who are all extremely dedicated and who are vital to the overall operation. The staff work closely together and there is a family feel with a good working environment and regular communication. 6.1. This small group of staff grows to over 100 on match days with the inclusion of turnstile operators and stewards together with an army of volunteers, ensuring that the match day experience is always positive. This mixture of staff provides for real challenges to ensure consistency and quality and the capacity of staff and existing volunteers to meet all of the issues thrown at them. The Club provides some excellent professional development for its staff, including attendance on the Football Administrators National Diploma, a range of NVQ awards for stewards and catering staff, and a commitment to endeavour to respond to training needs that are identified. 6.2. The Club has an amazing number of people who volunteer their time and skills. Speaking to volunteers the peer team was struck by the commitment and modesty that the volunteers demonstrate. The value that people personally get from volunteering was also clear to see. “When I volunteer I feel I have a purpose: it provides me with a strong sense of being part of a community with a common aim.” A short list of examples provides a feel for the commitment that volunteers show to the club. It cannot capture the passion and emotion that provides the motivation for people to give their time week in week out. The peer team spoke to people who organise away travel, the ball boys and girls, club events, litter picking, maintenance of the stadium, selling programmes, draw tickets, running the shop, counting cash, running the website, all done without any financial gain but because they love the Club. 6.3. The Club census identified over 100 further people prepared to volunteer their time and skills to the club and this is an area where the review team believes the club could further benefit. The suggestion, “Why don’t we have a Dragon’s Den approach” to attract new ideas for extending the fan base through the ideas and connections of the clubs volunteers is one that has great merit and should be explored. The simplest idea suggested was that, “Saying thank you”, makes such a difference to people feeling valued and costs nothing.

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6.4. As well as the supporters who regularly volunteer there is a whole army of people who, unofficially, promote the Club in their schools, workplaces and communities. The membership of the various media such as, Facebook, Twitter and Bucks Chat, indicates the passion that exists to find out more about the working of the club and to debate everything from team selection to mushy peas. This provides further opportunities to recruit people to act more formally as ambassadors for the club or “Buck-an-ears” as one fan put it. A recent example of providing match day posters online for people to distribute electronically to their friends and family or to print and display in retail and other premises should be further developed. 6.5. The relationship between the fans and the players was explored during the review and the importance the players place on the volume of support and the encouragement they get was highlighted. As one player said, “The support we get from SN3 is phenomenal. It was great at the Alfreton game this season to hear noise coming from the whole ground.” The players are very keen to increase the level of contact with the fans and the fans equally are very enthusiastic about strengthening that relationship. 6.6. The relationship between the fans and the stewards was also an area of much debate. It was recognised as one young fan commented that, “The Club has been swift to deal with bad behaviour and to encourage better relationships between us and the stewards”. Getting this relationship right is very important and the efforts made by the stewards recently to engage positively with the young fans in particular has been greatly appreciated. The local Police equally are full of praise for the Club’s liaison and the, “impressive knowledge and skills of the Club’s senior stewards.” 6.7. A number of women supporters commented on the safe environment within the ground and the fact that people with physical and learning difficulties were catered for. As one carer commented, “The Club thinks about the different needs of its supporters”. This is again important and links back to the values of the Club. There are further opportunities that the staff and volunteers have identified to extend the welcome of the Club to all sections of the community. 6.8. One part of the Club’s community that has almost universal respect is the media team that provides written, audio and photographic coverage of all of the Club’s games. This resource provided by the Shropshire Star, BBC Radio Shropshire and the Wellington News, provides a service second to none at this level of football and assists supporters far and wide to keep in touch with the Club’s performances. However, if promotion to the Premier Division is achieved, consideration will need to be given to increasing the space and facilities provided for the media on match days, as well as providing information swiftly (e.g. match day team sheets). “To be honest, I am very proud of what I’ve done for the Club and you know, hopefully, I’ll continue to do as much as I can. My dreams for the future are to secure a league berth. I think with a town the size of Telford we could do a Wigan Athletic. It can be done; we are living the dream and why shouldn’t we continue to dream that little bit higher”. Club Volunteer 6.9. – Areas for Consideration.

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· The Club is insufficiently resourced in terms of staff to carry out the many tasks related to staging football matches, pursuing community objectives and sustaining relations with the wider Club community.

· Far too great a burden is carried by the Chairman and the Club Secretary

which means an inappropriate imbalance between short term operational matters and long term strategic ambitions.

· The staff numbers grow from five to over one hundred on match days. Some

of the functions carried out by paid staff on match days are carried out by volunteers in some supporters owned clubs.

· The Club has done some initial work on a ICT strategy – this work should be developed further to take advantage of new technologies and improve further the clubs Social Media presence

· The Club will need to review its provision for the media if it achieves

promotion to the Premier Division, and should involve the local media in that review.

· The Club’s reliance on volunteers is both a strength and vulnerability.

Harnessing further voluntary effort identified in the Census must be a priority. 6.10. Recommendations R. 14. The Trust and Club Boards should both seriously consider how to address the excessive workloads of existing staff including (and especially) the Chairman and Club Secretary and consider ways of financing an Operations Manager. R. 15. In parallel, or as part of a wider exercise, the Club should carry out an audit of the work done by volunteers and match day staff in particular. This would be mainly to maximise the use and skills of volunteers and to celebrate the work that they do. This should include the development of a strategy to organise volunteering at all levels, to encourage participation and to ensure improved communication. R. 16. The Trust Board should consider whether some of the money it raises should be used to support voluntary initiatives or community projects. The Board could operate as a ‘Dragons Den’ in considering requests for funding for these initiatives. This may need to be phased given the Trust’s contribution to the Club’s finances.

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7. NEXT STEPS The report contains significant areas for consideration and recommendations for the Board, Supporters Trust and the wider club community to reflect upon. The Peer Team are conscious that not everything will be agreed with or will be able to be delivered overnight. We have also left a lot out, there were literally hundreds of ideas and suggestions for improvement that we have captured but were unable to include in this report. The Peer Team believes that the report should be circulated widely and the discussion, ideas and debate continue - this after all is what a fan’s football club is all about. We also suggest that we meet with the Board and the Supporters Trust, preferably in a joint meeting, to formally present our findings and to help create an action plan that is owned and endorsed by both Boards. The Peer Team has also offered to provide on-going support to the Club to assist in monitoring progress and to provide mentoring support and advice where required. AFC Telford United can be justifiably proud not only of its outstanding success on and off the field but also for its innovation in piloting this Peer Review process which we are sure will be of interest throughout the football world. Recommendations R.17 The report should be circulated widely and a workshop arranged involving the Board and the Supporters Trust to formally present the findings and to agree an action plan that is owned and endorsed by both Boards. POSTSCRIPT Since the review was carried out and as this report was being finalised AFC Telford United won their play-off final against Guiseley AFC and next season return to the Conference Premier Division. The Peer Review Team offer their congratulations for an outcome that is richly deserved. However, we would draw attention to a recurring theme during the review. The ambition and desire for promotion expressed by many was often tempered by a genuine concern that the club would not be sufficiently resourced to compete with clubs that are mostly full time. It was also pointed out that the fans have got high aspirations and have got used to success on the field with three promotions out of five playoffs in just seven seasons. If the club struggles in the Conference Premier will the fans and volunteers start to drift away and what will that mean for finances and what can be spent on players. It is the firm view of the Peer Review Team that if next season's on the pitch challenges are to be met successfully then the off the pitch challenges identified in our report must be addressed with vigour and determination as a matter of urgency. The next few months of the closed season provide an ideal opportunity to do so and position the club so that it can compete successfully in the Conference Premier Division.

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Appendix One

Recommendations

LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE

R. 1. The Club should commission urgently an independent review of its governance

arrangements, to include a clarification of the process for appointing new people to

the Board, through Supporters Direct and look for external support to finance this.

R. 2. The Trust and Club Board should, in consultation with fans, review and confirm

the Club’s co-operative values which should then be widely publicised.

R. 3. The Club Board and the Board of Trustees should carry out a ‘skills audit’ to

determine which areas of expertise need strengthening

ENGAGING WITH SUPPORTERS, THE COMMUNITY AND PARTNERS.

R.4. The Club needs to take a major initiative to develop its immediate and long term

fan base. The Club should as a Supporters Owned Club, consider whether this

initiative should be the responsibility of the Trust Board or the Club Board or a

shared responsibility. This should be developed as a matter of urgency over the

closed season so that initiatives can start from the beginning of the 2011/12 season.

R.5. The Club should, with key partners, commission a review of the various

arrangements and infrastructure for junior football, academy, schools coaching and

community coaching.

R.6. The Club’s relationship with the Telford Business Community and the purpose

and operation of the Bucks Business Club should be reviewed with a view to a step

change in business engagement and sponsorship.

R.7. The Club should review all initiatives branded with the Club’s logo and put in

place a simple process for quality assuring all future initiatives promoted with the

Club’s brand.

RESOURCE AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

R. 8. The Board should develop a three year rolling business plan (with clearly

explained aims and targets for the short and medium term) that sets out how the

football and community aspirations are to be supported and resourced.

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R. 9.The Trust board and the Club Board need to give full consideration to the issue

of the West Stand.

R. 10. The Club should establish a sinking fund for asset replacement and should do

so in conjunction with any proposals for development funding. These arrangements

should include a possible Community Share Issue and advice on this should be

sought from the wider Co-operative movement.

R. 11. Assets such as the five-a-side pitches and the Learning Centre (and any

which might be acquired in the future) should have arrangements developed for their

management to maximise efficiency and income.

R. 12. The new commercial manager has been set more explicit targets to achieve

increased income through sponsorship and commercial earnings. These targets

should be rigorously monitored.

R. 13. Consideration should be given to acquiring the services of a part time

bookkeeper, ideally on a voluntary basis.

ORGANISATION AND PEOPLE

R. 14. The Trust and Club Boards should both seriously consider how to address the

excessive workloads of existing staff including (and especially) the Chairman and

Club Secretary and consider ways of financing an Operations Manager.

R. 15. In parallel, or as part of a wider exercise, the Club should carry out an audit of

the work done by volunteers and match day staff in particular. This would be mainly

to maximise the use and skills of volunteers and to celebrate the work that they do.

This should include the development of a strategy to organise volunteering at all

levels, to encourage participation and to ensure improved communication.

R. 16. The Trust Board should consider whether some of the money it raises should

be used to support voluntary initiatives or community projects. The Board could

operate as a ‘Dragons Den’ in considering requests for funding for these initiatives.

This may need to be phased given the Trust’s contribution to the Club’s finances

WAY FORWARD

R.17 The report should be circulated widely and a workshop arranged involving the

Board and the Supporters Trust to formally present the findings and to agree an

action plan that is owned and endorsed by both Boards.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Peer Review team have found this experience to be a thoroughly enjoyable one. If there is one thing above all that gives us great hope for the future of this football club it is the people we have met and the values they embody, values shared by playing staff, supporters, volunteers, operational staff, community partners, sponsors, the supporters trust, board members and not least the Chairman. It has been a privilege to speak to so many people who have such passion and commitment to AFC Telford United, people whose love for the Club and the community goes beyond Ninety minutes sporting entertainment. The Peer review would very much like to thank all who took part, filled in the census and came to the presentation evening. We would like to thank by name those who made us welcome and gave their time to meet with us personally. There are many people to thank and no doubt we will have missed a name or two, please accept our utmost apologies if this includes you. Dave Topping, David Wright MP, Ian Tyrer, Ian Dosser, Wynn Price, David Embery, Dewi Barlow, Christine Cartwright, Mike Claridge, Stephen Clark, Andrew Corfield, Tony Edwards, Alison Hay, Andrew Jennings, Jonathan Martin, Stuart Massey, Diane Morris, Phil Shieber, Derek Wellings, Mick Conway, Adrian Collins, Louise Bartholomew, Lisa O’Hanlon, John Bradbury, Jim Robinson, Maureen Lawley, Fay Shieber, Roxanne Pritchard, Toni Pritchard, Mike Sheridan, Derrick Moore, George Fletcher, Charlie Fletcher, John Dayus, Pat Grainger, Anne Johnson, Rob Palin, Sophie Griffiths, Rachel Threadgold, Stuart Davidson, Colin Walker, Paul Sanderson, Vic Maher, Inspector Richard Langton, Debbie Jones, Christine Bradbury, Neil Simmonds, Jenny Wynn, Anton Gunter, Graham Wynn, Adam Myatt, Phil Walker, Peter McPhillips, Tony Conlon, Pete Llewellyn, Richard Sheehan, Alan Jones, Roy Waterfield, Dave Howells, Cliff Broome, Kuldip Sahota, Richard Overton, Paul Kalinaukas, Luke Fearnell, Alan Palin, Adam Guest, Lee Simmonds, Bob Groome, Tom Sinton, Steve Humbles, James Baylis, Chris Hudson, Nick Southall, James Bond, Chris Peak, Peter Peak, Andy Sinton, Darren Read, Brin May, Stuart Whitehead, Ryan Young, Jon Adams, Carl Rogers, Will Stoodley, Pat McCarthy, Olly Jones, Nick Brockis, Richard Boulter, Mike Nadal, Rob Udakis, Paul Ferguson, John Phillips, Richard Baugh, Sharon Bowyer, Paul Riley and Lee Carter. Numquam Obliviscere Contacts and further information If you would like more information or the opportunity to speak to the team. Please contact:- Pete Jackson Review Manager pete@jacksonlawley.co.uk

Lee Carter Chairman, AFC Telford United lee.carter@telfordutd.co.uk

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Notes