In the latest instalment of our chat with Gillingham’s Managing Director, Joe Comper, we find out about season ticket sales and scrapping the programme among other things.

Last season was a tough one for Gillingham on the field with three managers through the course of the season. But now under the stewardship of Gareth Ainsworth, thoughts are already turning to the new season, and off the field plans are fast moving in the direction of 2025/2026. 

We have been to MEMS Priestfield to talk to Managing Director Joe Comper about all things Gillingham, and during our conversation we spoke about the current position that the Club finds itself and season ticket sales came up… 

“We thought it would be an interesting time regarding the season ticket sales this time because people have now effectively bought season tickets twice now off the Galinsons and we did wonder if people would not renew or buy as they hadn’t seen the results in the two years with a lot of problems and under-delivery!” 

“But it’s a huge testament to the other things that we are doing at the Club that people have come out and bought again around the same level as we did this time last year, maybe even more, than we sold last which tells you that as a Club we are doing a lot of things right, even if the performances and results on the pitch aren’t perfect!” 

“Last season our average attendance was around 6,250 and as we talk today, we have already over half that number in season tickets and when you go back a couple of years, we had “only” sold around two thousand season-tickets at this time of year.”

“The supporters have stuck with us – they have stuck with the owners and they still believe that we can do well and I think that they can see they are respected; they can see that their support is respected, they can see that there is investment in the Club still and that the Galinsons are still whole-heartedly in and they are not backing away.”

“They are still trying to grow the Club and supporters can see that. We want to invest, we want to move forward, but we have to do that as sustainably as possible and that cannot keep coming out of the “Bank of Galinson”!”

“The Club needs to support itself – yes, the owners of a Football Club have to put money in; that’s how it works, but we also have to move the Club forward so that it can sustain itself as high up the pyramid as it possibly can.” 

One decision that hasn’t gone down too well with some fans recently however was the Club’s announcement to cease production of a matchday programme – a decision that Comper was happy to talk about saying, “The programme lost a substantial amount of money last year – we worked out that just five point six percent of our average game bought a programme and I know that they are passionate about their programme and I know that it is a traditional thing.”

“I am passionate about our programme; as a kid I was one of those who had shoe boxes full of Crawley programmes, some signed by players – I can understand it and dropping ours was not an emotionless decision.”

“But it is a fact that a lot of time and a lot of effort goes into it, and it doesn’t make any money. It doesn’t make sense – ultimately a lot of people want digital content; they want fresh video and that sort of thing, and that’s where the majority of our fan-base is and we have to move with the times.”

“We are not the first Club to do it – we reckon around half the League now are not producing a programme; we have resisted it a long time!” 

“We are looking at other proposals – we aren’t arrogant enough to say “No, that’s our decision and you are the fans, and we are the Club!” We are talking to people, and we are looking at it.”

“If there is a viable model that will make even a reasonable profit that makes it a worthwhile exercise, then we will do it!”

“It’s not that we don’t want to have a programme, it’s just that there isn’t a business as it stands as far as we can see. We are looking at options and how we can still reach the audience that still want something – we are looking at different alternatives!”

“Throughout the year we have been looking at other Clubs – Harrogate for example when we went there had a three-game programme, and that’s an option that we are considering. We will do what’s right for the Club and hopefully please the fans along the way!” 

As for next season, plans are already at an advanced stage and Comper went on to explain how lots of things are happening in the background.

“The Club planning for next season in truth probably started when we asked John Coleman to run the team back in January.”

“We asked John to run the team, and we set about planning the dimensions of the Club – the first thing was who was the manager to lead the Club? And we got Gareth (Ainsworth) in – he had nine games at the end of the season – and within a few weeks we started to assess who was going to be with us going forward, and who definitely was not and who were we on the fence with.”

“So, we have pretty much known ninety percent of what we have and what we are going to be looking for since I would say April time!”

“Now we are trying to do that, and I’m pleased to say that before coming to talk to you Max Clark has signed a new contract with us which is really pleasing. He was out of contract – it took a while to do things as he is based in the North and had things he had to work out.”

“It was never a case of lack of desire from him to sign for Gillingham and it was never a lack of desire to have him sign; it was almost as he had to get ducks in a row in his personal life.”

“It’s different for different players as in some cases children are involved and you find sometimes that players move around to different parts of the country, but then when the kids get to school age, they have to base themselves making decisions where they are going to play, start to be based around location ahead of other things – every player is different!” 

“As far as conversations with Euan (Williams) and Conor (Masterson) are ongoing – neither are completely ruled out, neither have signed on the dotted line yet and conversations are ongoing and have been since the end of the season.”

“I know Conor has been away and has only just got back so fingers crossed. We know that everyone has the right to go and consider their own options – if you were a player, you would want to play as high as you can. Equally neither side could commit, and one side then moves on, so be it!”    

Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.