This week's Fan in Focus is
Niall Campbell
Along with some answers to Niall's comments from D&R's Press Officer Dave Simpson.
Name: Niáll Campbell
Place of Birth: Ilford
Date of Birth: 14 December 1964
Occupation: Civil Servant
Favourite Band: Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, Abdoujaparov, Madness
Favourite Film: The Musketeer movies featuring Oliver Reed, Sliding Doors
Favourite
TV Programme: Ultraviolet,
1. FAVOURITE CURRENT PLAYER & WHY?
Paul Cobb. Team player, last year he was a poacher picking up goals, this season he is still picking up goals but is pulling wide and taking a more creative role. He never stops running, never gives up. My wife, Mary's favourite player is Goth because he has a nice smile!
2. FAVOURITE PLAYER OF ALL TIME & WHY?
Glyn Creaser. Hard, uncompromising 100%er. Great leader, great defender, gave everything for our club.
3. BEST TEAM PERFORMANCE?
Drawing 2-2 at Gloucester in the semi-final replay
4. WORST TEAM PERFORMANCE?
0-4 v Purfleet away last season
5. BEST GOAL 1997/98 SEASON?
Should this be this season?
Either Danny Shipp's volley against Telford or Paul Cobb's free kick against Hendon.
6. BEST GOAL OF ALL TIME?
Paul Watts volley in the 3-3 draw with Southport in our second season in
the Conference or any of Paul Cavell's many goals on the run against
Dover. Creaser's goal against Ashford was a bit special too.
7. MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT?
The final whistle at Slough in the FA Trophy semi-final replay. That
realisation that we were all going to Wembley.
8. MOST FORGETTABLE MOMENT?
I forget.
Relegation was one of the saddest moments I've endured. It was a long drawn out experience. Instant despair was seeing Dean Johnson and David Pratt miss penalties in the FA Cup 1st round shoot out against Ashford.
9. BEST COMMENT HEARD FROM THE TERRACES
Home side: Halfway line posse adapting No Limits to No More Cusack. A
touch of class
Away team: the shrill version of Silent Night by the Stevenage supporters when they beat us 2-1 at Victoria Road.
10. WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO THE CLUB TO IMPROVE IT?
Appoint a Press Officer to get us better media coverage. Radio 4 and the Evening Standard was a breakthrough but it needs to be sustained.
Appoint a representative of the fans to the board....
Dave Simpson: We have a committee not a board. The best way is via the supporters club but ensure they put it in writing so that things can be acted upon at meetings. If fans have any ideas they can always send them to the club and they do receive a reply 9 times out of 10.
Niall's reply (8th June1999)
"We have a committee not a board.......... "
I wrote to the Supporters Club in October 1998 asking why they had chosen to take certain action that did not appear to represent the interests of supporters and asking them to explain why promises made at the 1998 AGM had not been honoured. Having written six times, I still have not received an answer to my questions. This does not identify the Supporters Club as the best mode of approach. Also, having served two years on the SC committee, I am aware of the limitations to what they are likely to achieve.
I have written to the Club Chairman on four occasions and have only received one reply - to my request for an application to become a full member. The other letters included a request for permission to sell a fanzine in the ground and to suggest moving the point from which they sell programmes as it caused a bottleneck on the turnstiles (I organised all programme sales at the time).
The most effective methods of contact that I have found is to chat to Dave in the ground on matchdays or Steve Thompson by e-mail.
Do more to make the fans feel valued... Dave Simpson: Good Point but how ? Send your answers to the club or either website.
Niall's reply (8th June 1999)
Better communication. A newsletter posted to a home address that people can subscribe to. This would be of benefit to all those who do not have internet access and who are concerned about running up telephone bills by phoning clubcall.
To produce a two sides of A4 newsletter - let's start simple - monthly would be easy. It could be produced on a PC. To produce 250 copies would cost less than a tenner. To post 250 copies second class would cost £47.50, envelopes would cost around a tenner but could be cheaper for a lesser quality. Charging 50p would bring in £125 so a newsletter would be self-financing and could make a small profit. Keeping it cheap would encourage people to buy achieving the primary aim of raising the club's profile. Profit should - on a project of this type - be a convenient by-product.
The problem would be in the release of information - although this would only be a problem if the Club continue to play all cards close to their chest. The newsletter could include features on players, details of players joining and leaving the club - this after all is what most supporters are interested in - players who are injured and how they are recovering, former players. Perhaps a feature where a former player, Stimmo for example, watched a game and reviewed it for us. Let him in for nothing, give him a drink - the cost to the club would be negligible.
It would provide more sponsorship opportunities and could expand to accommodate them. It would do more to keep the club in the eyes of their supporters and spare copies could be provided to local schools or given out at local tube stations to drum up interest and support.
Let kids into the South stand for nothing - it's usually empty and they
all buy programmes and souvenirs
Dave Simpson: We are trialling
letting pensioners in the South Stand at reduced rates next season. Kids
run riot in the stands when not accompanied by an adult and when they come
as a school party we end up having to police them as their teachers spend
the game elsewhere in the club.
Get the supporters club to do more to represent supporters interests
Find a tannoy announcer who gets the information right and can be better
understood
Dave Simpson: I spoke to Active FM
last night about the possibility of mixing music with some adverts for the
station and them doing all the announcing.
Find some decent music for the team to run out to. Then, on the second
day…
Dave Simpson: The current tune is
the one picked after a competion by the recorder
And Niall finishes of with:
The other points are well made and the club deserves credit for addressing them. If there was better communication then it would get that credit.
11. DO YOU FOLLOW A FOOTBALL LEAGUE CLUB IF SO WHO?
No
12.WHAT OTHER QUESTION WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ON THIS QUESTIONAIRE?
Which celebrity would you invite to be a mascot / figurehead for the club?
13. WHY DO YOU SUPPORT A NON-LEAGUE CLUB LIKE DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE F.C
I got taken with the atmosphere at the Redbridge Forest v Marine FA Trophy quarter final when I kept my next door neighbour company. He was coming to see Steve Conner play as he worked for him. I used to go and watch Ilford at Lynn Road, so I thought I'd have a look at the newly merged team. I've been a regular since Dagenham merged with Redbridge Forest.
14. FAVOURITE MATCH BEEN TO NOT INVOLVING THE DAGGERS? 1991
FA Cup Final for the atmosphere. I enjoyed seeing Bath beat Boston 8-0 this season as Ian Stringfellow was playing for Boston and could hear every word that was said.
15. FAVOURITE NON & FOOTBALL LEAGUE GROUND VISITED EXCLUDING WEMBLEY?
The Crabble - Dover Athletic. Always nice to go to a ground where you've never lost
PLEASE ADD ANY FURTHER COMMENTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST.
I think the football club could learn a lot from this website.