Penybont FC hosted a Fans’ Forum at the Dragonbet Stadium on Tuesday 20th October, giving supporters the opportunity to put their questions to key decision makers at the club.
The panel for the event included Chairman Alan Whiteley, Men’s First-Team Manager Rhys Griffiths, Academy and Women’s First Team Manager Leon Williams and members of the club’s new investment group. The event was hosted by Alternative Wales Founder and Penybont FC Head of Creative Ryan March.
For those unable to attend the event, and for those who want a reminder of what was said, a summary of key questions and answers is provided below:
What was it about this investment group that made you feel they were the right people to take the club forward?
Alan Whiteley: “We recognised as a board that the club had reached a plateau. The ambition and opportunity were there but to take it to the next level it was going to require investment. The investment could go into new pitches, new facilities, a new stadium and more investment in the first-team.
“We identified investment as part of the strategic reset we did a couple of years ago and included it as part of the strategic plan. I know from personal experience it is not just about money when you look for investment in a football club. It’s not just about having the most money, it's about having the right people. If you don’t have your heart in the club then investment can go horribly wrong and there’s a multitude of examples in football where we have seen that.
“The guys approached us and asked if we were interested. It went from a general enquiry to full-scale negotiations very rapidly. From the first Zoom call we had, we recognised they were investing for the right reasons and had done their homework on the club. That gave us a bit of confidence. Everything they said checked out with where we were hoping to get, so there was an alignment of ambition.
“In terms of investment it was about as smooth a process as we were going to get. From first contact to signing the cheque, it was less than two months which says a lot about the way the people gelled. So far, they have been great partners and great investors and there is no reason why that won’t continue.
“In terms of where the club is, the club is in a very good place.”
On the football side of things, how have you found it so far working with the investment?
Rhys Griffiths: “I feel like we probably should have a few more points than we do. In terms of the way we’re playing, and the way the new players have integrated has been really good.
“In terms of it being a different summer in terms of recruitment, I’m not sure it has been, it’s just been the case that we can look further afield. Before we even had heard of the investment, I said to the board we needed to start looking across the (Severn) Bridge as we are all going for the same pool of players in this league.
“We were already looking further afield and this investment has made that easier and given us added layers.”
How has this latest chapter been for you as Women’s Manager and Academy Manager?
Leon Williams: “From an academy perspective, now having the ability to run 12 age groups with 250 kids in the academy, it’s clear to see we want to have player development at the forefront of everything we do at the academy.
“But, if we focus solely on that we may end up with 240 unhappy players or parents, so we have to focus on things outside the pitch. Can we help them to make friendships and bonds for life? Can we support their education off the pitch as well? It can’t be just about providing Griff opportunities for homegrown players every year, though that is obviously what we want to do.
“We’re not going to shy away from the fact that the investment has made the gap between the academy and first-team larger. So it is our job to improve coaching, the player’s development on pitch, because there is nothing better in football than seeing a homegrown player go on to represent the first-team.
“From a female perspective, it is one of the fastest growing areas in football. There’s lots of highly talented young female footballers in the Bridgend area who have had to play their football elsewhere. We can now give them more options, and the board at the club have been really supportive of the female pathway at the club.
“It’s faith we want to repay on the field because there are long term ambitions as part of the club’s strategic plan to have a women’s team in Tier 1 to replicate the great work the men’s team have already done. For me, there’s lots of positives and great opportunities to move forward.”
As the member of the investment group who is on the ground, what have you made of the club so far, and what are the next stages for you at the club?
Ryan Paisey: “I’ve been blown away by all aspects of the club, in terms of the people. I’ve left friends and family to be around here. One culture we need to embody is the one club, many teams mentality. We all need to be pulling in the right direction, and the same direction.
“The club is doing incredibly well on and off the pitch, but I think we can activate much more. I’m really excited about what we can do if we all come together.
“We all are part of this bigger team and bigger club and can all get behind each other. We all have our own opinions on how things should and can be done. But, from my point of view being on the board and being here, everyone has my full support in the areas of the club they run.
“This is just not about money. For me, it’s about what we can do off the pitch and getting processes in place. I want to do far more of these (fans’ forums), and we should. If we keep our ears open, we can listen to everyone and celebrate our wins. We’ve had a fantastic season so far and we’re improving the facilities.”
As part of the off-pitch long term plan, which the facilities plan was a part of, where are the club at and what are the next steps in the process?
Alan Whiteley: “We launched the plan here around 12 months ago, in terms of setting out what the ambition was. We have gone to the council at the highest level and have monthly meetings to keep them abreast of where we are. We’ve got a full planning process to go through but the ambition is clearly stated.
“We are looking to have a 1500 seater stand and a pitch which is suitable to play in Europe. Our ambition has been clear that we want to see European football played here. We’d love to see 2000 or 3000 people out there and the place bouncing.
“We’ve already seen some of that in the Big Bont Bash, and we saw what it was like against Barry when 1300 people were here on a Friday night. We want that every single week because it is the best night out in the area. It is the people’s club, a community club and the facility's ambition is to drive towards that.”
The Veterans have been unable to train or play home games at the Stadium. Are there plans in place for Penybont Veterans to get a training window here and play our home games at the club?
Ryan Paisey: “This comes under the one club many teams policy. I am utterly behind supporting you guys. Yes we are behind you, we want to stay behind you, and we want to increase the support we are giving you.
“At the moment it has been about deciding which fires to put out in what order. What we need to do is to have an open forum with you guys (the veterans) and work out when this can fit. It’s not just the on the pitch equation. I would like there to be twice as many of you guys, playing all your games here.
“But, at the moment we are getting through those fires. I see no reason why in the next week or so we can’t have a conversation with you guys. I’m sure there are ways we can give you what you need for the pitch, while keeping our commitments to everybody else. We need to find a balance and I’m sure we can achieve that.”
Alan Whiteley: “Part of the facilities plan is to put in a second 3G pitch. Now obviously that won’t happen overnight, but it is part of the plans.”
What is the current situation with the pitch and is it being replaced?
Alan Whiteley: “The first stage of development is to replace the pitch for the start of the 27/28 season. At the start of next season, hopefully we will have the new pitch down. We will be in the planning process for the wider development, but we believe we do not need planning permission for the pitch.”
Penybont FC is committed to holding regular dialogue with supporters and being as transparent as possible. Another Fans’ Forum will take place at the Dragonbet Stadium over the coming months.