Podcast with Stefano

[geedub]

I don't think this has been posted here previously - I hadn't come across it before:

Podcast with Stefano from Dec 23
https://www.sportspundit.co/podcast/epi ... o-petruzzo

Lots of words - a few that, I guess, some people could take issue with...

[SteveTheBeave]

That’s an interesting listen, thanks for sharing. Ambition in 5 years to get to League 2…

[Shepperton Supporter]

That’s an interesting listen, thanks for sharing. Ambition in 5 years to get to League 2…

Have not been able to hear this, but would seem a slightly more attainable target. With the right manager and the financial backing this could be done. However the stumbling block could be Beveree with it’s limited access etc.
Would need more details as to what the five year plans are.

[SteveTheBeave]

[/quote]

Have not been able to hear this, but would seem a slightly more attainable target. With the right manager and the financial backing this could be done. However the stumbling block could be Beveree with it’s limited access etc.
Would need more details as to what the five year plans are.
[/quote]

He didn’t go into great detail on the “how” but I’m sure there will be elements we won’t like. What is certain is that he rarely refers to Hampton as being the clubs name which might be a clue to the eventual direction of travel. And he makes it clear that he’s not afraid to annoy fans if they think it’s in the best interest of the club.

Putting two and two together I wouldn’t be surprised if the club we know doesn’t exist in five years and potentially aren’t even playing in Hampton depending on what happens with promotions etc.

But potentially sinister stuff aside, there’s a lot on how they’re looking to attract more families, taking a leaf out of Harlequins book. One thing is for sure, they are ambitious…

[Tony]

There are lots of questions that arise about how ambitions are fulfilled. On a more practical level, how do you get promoted from this division when you are regularly competing with clubs with a much bigger budget and who are full time? Last season Ebbsfleet skated the title, this season Yeovil look nailed on. No real surprises there. Winning the play offs seems the only realistic strategy for everyone else unless owners are prepared to fund the player budget to a much greater extent. We know how difficult it is to win the play off final having lost twice already. You can be second best team in the season and still lose out on the day. So I guess the real question is how do the owners feel about staying in this division for a number of seasons without promotion? Maybe this season promotion is not in the plan but next season? A play off place is by no means certain this season but failing to do so would be pretty disappointing given we were second at the halfway point. After a great run of form we are now looking less certain after some mixed performances.

[TW10]

Getting out of this league is tough, getting out of the National League is nigh impossible for a club remotely akin to our size...Mel Gwinnet will need to to perform heroics..what happens when he is doing a good Job but not performing heroics??..Stefano likes Luton because they went from the National League to the Premiership which was indeed incredible..does Stefano know Luton won the League cup in 1988 and were in League 1 (Premiership equivalent) in 1992??..I fear what happens when HRBC go sideways for a few years? I think there is a high chance they move on to somewhere else

[HamptonMad]

Well at least we have reached 50 pts. And safe from relegation. I remember Luton town playing Nottingham Forest in a Fa Cup final around 1959. So there nothing like us.

[Tony]

If you are looking for a possible comparison, Sutton Utd have shown that a relatively small side can make it, although look like they may now are back on the down swing into the N L. Sutton have all ways had a reputation for being well managed financially and prepared to take a hit playing wise to preserve the club. These days the NL is full of ex league teams with much bigger catchment areas than we could hope to muster. You might hope to slip through via the play offs but even that probably requires a tripling of our budget as a minimum.

[Shepperton Supporter]

In some ways the Macclesfield result shows when you go up against an ex league team. To get to league 2 you will have to play a lot of this type of club. Look at the current National table and see where recent promoted teams from our league currently lie.

[Tony]

The point here is that to get to the targeted levels you need a very big playing budget. If you also target financial sustainability then it is going to take a very long time to build that up at a club like Hampton that has always relied like 99% of most football clubs on shareholders injecting money to keep things going. The alternative is to buy your way to success by going out and signing the best players like Dorking/ Ebbsfleet have done and hope the financial rewards follow. But Ebbsfleet are losing £1m a year and are still struggling at NL level.

[TW10]

To summarise no one with any insight into the non league scene believes Hampton have any chance of reaching the football league so don't believe what Stefano says. Happy to be proved wrong of course but I really fear Hampton being one of those clubs that goes into a tailspin when those in charge get a dose of reality and the financial plug is pulled.

[EastTerracer]

Happy to be proved wrong of course but I really fear Hampton being one of those clubs that goes into a tailspin when those in charge get a dose of reality and the financial plug is pulled.

I think this would also be my concern but , if he is to be believed, we will grow in a sustainable way. I think the least we can hope from the owners is that they leave the club in a better position than they found it.