League One Manifesto

How should we prepare for life next season in League One? In between getting on with the rest of my life, I find myself preoccupied with this and here's the Ten Point Plan I'd be advocating with the Board...

1) Remove the seating on the Lower North. Proper standing on the Covered End. We could still sell tickets in advance to prevent any segregation issues, but it would allow a return to the good old days when we could associate freely. It would encourage more singing, more noise and boost support at away games. It would enable the club to offer a credit crunch cheap season ticket whilst not having to discount seating too much. It would cause massive interest throughout the game.

2) Close the Upper tiers in the West and the North for the season to focus support closer to the pitch.

3) Revert to a modern version of the 1980-81 strip that saw us storm out of Division Three. We need to get rid of the associations with this disastrous campaign. Fans will moan about another new strip but buy one all the same.

4) Offer a three year season ticket for the price of two years. This would go some way to satisfying the disappointments and hopes surrounding the freebie deal whilst incentivising sales this Summer.

5) Announce an Open Day at Sparrows Lane in the Summer with a cricket match, beer tent etc. The training ground could cope with the reduced numbers now and it would help bridge the current gap between club and fans.

6) Set-up a pre-season schedule of "proper" friendlies. A mini-tour against seaside clubs including successive Saturday fixtures would encourage fans along and to get into the spirit of the new season before it's upon us.

7) Investigate a one-off return of the Kent Cup. It would be good for community football and we might see some silverware!

8) Re-energise the social side of supporting the club. This isn't a lucrative business but it builds a togetherness amongst the supporters. We have the facilities for this after all. We are just lacking the imagination and determination to make it successful.

9) With number 8 in mind, get the lease on the Royal Oak! It's up for auction on 8th April with a guide price of £85,000 but it should go for well south of that. It would be a no-brainer if the club owned and managed it. A proper club-pub that would provide a seven-day-a-week focal point for fans in a way that Bartrams never can. Low risk too - it's cheap and the lease could be sold on if it doesn't work out. I'll run it for nothing.

10) Clear things with the fans on the last day. The Norwich game gives the club the perfect opportunity to address the supporters in a candid and honest way about the massive  disappointments of the season. It might enable a drawing of a line across what's happened and send people home with some optimism and renewed enthusiasm about next season. Richard Murray is a good speaker and he'll never get a better opportunity to talk to all of our fans than at a game. Derek Chapple and Steve Waggott could also do with standing up and telling the fans how they feel and what they are doing to get the club back on track. If it was publicised in advance, I am sure they'd get 20 minutes attention of the vast majority, especially as it's an early kick-off.

There, that's off my chest.