16th April 2020

CUSP hold zoom meeting with Directors

We were pleased to hold another Zoom meeting with Ian Mather, Godric Smith and Shaun Grady from the Club on Wednesday evening. It was chaired by Dave Matthews Jones.

The Club has been involved in detailed meetings with the EFL regarding the completion of the current season and the plans for 2020-2021, and it is clear that professional football is facing probably its greatest ever challenge. At this stage it remains unclear as to when the current season will be completed, and there are clearly concerns that the longer the situation continues the lack of football and associated income could force a number of Clubs into very serious financial difficulty. Everyone would continue to be guided by the science and prioritise public safety.

In the short term the U’s can survive financially thanks to Paul Barry’s ongoing support and the steps the Club was taking to furlough staff and reduce costs but the situation is very difficult. The sale of advance season tickets - which today reached 552 - will help with cashflow. The directors all expressed their gratitude - and that of Paul Barry - for the fans’ support at this difficult time.

Planning in detail for next season’s first-team squad had not started in earnest due to the uncertainty regarding players’ contractual situations in the summer and the obvious issue every Club was facing at the moment of how, whether and when the rest of the 19/20 season would be completed. Mark Bonner and Ben Strang had clear views on the future but everything was currently on pause.

Ian Mather confirmed that negotiations were underway with a number of key sponsors and that the signs so far had been positive. In return, CUSP members proposed ideas for further fundraising, and these will be shared with the fanbase in due course.

Concluding, the Club expressed its thanks for all the support and understanding that the fans and supporters’ groups were showing during these unprecedented circumstances. Members of the Club and the Board had been ringing around fans over recent weeks to check on their welfare and say thank you as part of the ‘Here For Us’ Community Trust initiative. CUSP members had also been actively helping with food deliveries.

Shaun explained that the Board were meeting every Friday and would continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The Club would continue to meet with CUSP fortnightly and were committed to being as transparent as possible with fans.