OI - I've been assured that anything we raise will be *added* to the budget. Like bonus, I suppose. Any lurking DTB may be able to confirm, but I suspect the playing budget will have been agreed way in advance of January (if not ahead of the season KO . I could maybe get this in writing from someone, if that works?

JG information here and you can download a brochure too. [Link]

JG - you could always book a box in hospitality. Seats 10 up to 18, and then no-one disappears five minutes before half time or comes back ten minutes after, since the staff serve your drinks in the box - you pre-order. Even better you won't have someone moaning in your ear, unless you invited them to your box. Why not give it a try?

One question for Doobs. I'm assuming that there is a guarantee that the currently allocated playing budget will not be reduced because of donations. However I get the impression that in January the club searches for a way to boost the buget a bit more. Is there a guarantee this will still happen even if there is a donation pool available at that point?

Anyway - its not really down to you or me to second guess - someone at the club should do the analysis to ascertain the elasticity of demand in our pricing. Ultimately the one thing you and I both agree on is the need to reach break even and put the Club on a sustainable footing - irrespective of who owns the shares. I happen to believe that break even could be achieved relatively quickly and without too much pain through many of the ideas I have put forward. The I&PS have failed to put forward any alternatives.

OI - of course you are right - there will be a point reached where for every £ you put the average ticket price up by, you will lose more than a £ in fall off in demand. I suspect we are a long, long way off that point. At near capacity attendance and with the prospect in L1 of bigger away fan attendance - I doubt that an average net vat increase of £10 would see much fall off at all. Some fans would moan and play the Class War card - but most would still come And of course there is Vat to deduct - although my average £10 needed increase was based on net vat.

I also understand with JG when he asks what’s in it for him if he donates. I will not donate any money to the club and haven’t for many years. I buy a ST and lots of merchandise, alongside purchasing food and drink in PL as I know this goes to the club. I want something to show for my money and a donation for me now is like chucking money down a well as I have no idea what we are doing with it.

A whisper on the internet linking us with Kanu, potentially... [Link]

For me JG is typical of some of the attitudes starting to creep in with our fans. I know JG is a long time fan, however I did say when we moved into PL, that new fans would need to get on board with the club ethos and that needed to be driven by the club and DTB. New fans see a lovely new stadium and think that reflects with the spending capacity on the pitch. I have said before that entering PL and going to your seat, you will see nothing promoting the club ethos and values.

Yes. Well put indeed.

Morning all. Forget the exact term for it, but too many people forget that you don't make pure profit by doing something like putting up ticket prices. There's VAT for a start...

It is not a fact that putting every match ticket up by £10 would gain us £80K per match and roughly £2 million per year. It is a conjecture. I'd guess it would be more like half of that, which is another conjecture, that I cannot back up with hard evidence.

Well put, Old Isthmian.

Nicander, Doobs and Laurence - you are missing my point. I am prepared to pay more if everyone else does likewise. If every match day seat was £10 more we wouldn't even need to be having this discussion let alone passing around the begging bowl. We would generate an additional £2m+ per season and reach break even. That is what any sensible business would do. Of course a few people would be unhappy but most of us would willingly pay the extra. The problem is that you are asking me to donate so others can continue to underpay and receive subsidies.

I have moved to agnostic about selling out not because I expect a new owner to invest lots of money to get us up the leagues but because I'm beginning to think we can't balance the books whilst fan owned and that eventually fan ownership would end in administration. I'm still hanging to the hope that the new faces on both boards will show a viable way to stay fan owned but with all the weighing in on the 7000 needing to give money I'm sensing they are struggling.

Split made a good point the other day in suggesting that there needed to be greater match day seat price differentiation and suggested that people like me were holding the club back by not purchasing hospitality. I sort of agree. The problem is that I don't want the whole hospitality culture - and I like where I sit and my immediate neighbours and for many people there is a 5 fold gulf between the cost of their current seats and hospitality. So what would I pay more for: Not sitting next to anyone who 1) Takes up more than their one seat; 2) Vapes; 3) Goes to the bar 5 minutes before the end of the first half and come back 10 minutes after it has started; 4) Constantly stands up to film the match; 5) Spouts negativity. If you could guarantee that I could avoid those people I'd pay a premium.

JG - If you're happy to pay an extra £10 on top of your match ticket, but match ticket prices haven't gone up, could I point you in the direction of WeAreWimbledonFund.com where you're more than welcome to pop £10 a week in, and it might just make your match ticket even better value :)

JG - so you are happy to accept an increase in ticket prices, because you recognise the club badly needs funds. But you are not prepared to donate any funds (which you say you could easily afford). You do understand the net result of these two things (you give more money to the club) is the same?

JG - please stop talking about what you will do, and JUST DO IT NOW?

I am just stating the obvious inescapable truth – that human nature is self-interested and that any business model which ignores this fact is doomed to failure. A few people will contribute to such a fund and then duly shout about it on here. Even more people will express their desire to do so, in order to gain brownie points, but then never actually contribute. Wimbledon is a business, a football club and a hobby. It is not in need of philanthropic donations. I have never asked for anyone to fund my hobby and am very happy to pay my way through an increase in the price I pay to watch matches – something many of you are not prepared to do. Equally I am potentially prepared to invest further capital to assist the Club reach its long-term goals – again something which many of you are dead set against. But look if any of you really think that seeking donations is a better alternative – lets see you put your money where your mouths – I for one will be happy to applaud you.

DD - no surprise about who's no.1! Ha ha ha ha ha

Haven't we just reached a plateau as a club? If we do sell out we have to not only find a wealthy owner, but one willing to put in more than all the other owners of clubs around us if we want to compete and progress. That's something like a few million a year in L1/2, tens of millions in the Championship and hundreds of millions in the PL. What's the plan?

Along side asking for more money from supporters hopefully the club/trust are looking into selling down to 50+ 1. How much that would raise is questionable. The majority of league clubs run at a loss. i will be interested as to how our club can buck the trend. If we are hoping for a bigger share of the Premier/Sky slush bucket then that is a forlorn hope. We have reached our plateau as a fan owned club. I maybe wrong but how long before a creditable plan emerges from those running the club?

DD - we don't feature I suspect, since stands are close to the pitch and the overall dimensions are pretty tight. We have also been blessed with over 90% of home areas selling out. Safe standing helps too.

Trigger - how dare you suggest I have a balanced attitude. I shall have you know, I have chips on both shoulders! :o)