We met the committee of the sports and social club last night. In our ten standards to live by, we affirm that we desire a strong and active sports and social dimension to Huntly Football Club. For many years, the Sports and Social Club, which is a private club owned by its members and not by Huntly FC, has provided this, as well as significant funds to help us keep going. Sadly the Committee told us that recently trading figures have been disastrous, the club was trading at a heavy loss and was not being used. Unless some help were to be provided, they could not see how they could continue to trade as costs have been cut to an absolute minimum. They asked if Huntly FC could help them to ride the storm.

As Directors, we have a legal duty to care for the funds of Huntly FC, and it would be wrong for us to inject FC money into a venture if all we are doing is short term help to keep a losing cause afloat for a few more months. In other words, if the illness is terminal, providing financial help is not going to provide a cure, only a postponement.In addition, although we have made good strides, the financial situation of the club is by no means healthy, there is still work to be done.

We agreed that if a plan could be reached to revitalise the club, then it would be our desire to provide help to give time for this plan to be devised, and so we are to arrange financial help to ensure that the club stays open for a further three months. This gives all of us time to turn it around, or find a new way forward.

First ideas are that a winning team on the park will do much to restore business, also it would help a lot if the Directors, Committee, players and managers were to use the club more.

The Committee are to call a meeting of members to discuss how the club can be made profitable again. A further thought was that the Supporters Club might like to pitch their ideas in. At the end of the day, if our fans do not use the club, then there is no future for it.

So, in short, the Football Club is to use its skill to provide a financial raft for three months, during this time, all of us must put in ideas about the future of the club, and restoring its commercial viability.

In concluding our meeting, the Directors paid tribute to the enormous contribution that had been made in the past by the sports and social club, and to the very hard work by the present committee members in trying to keep it afloat, when many of the things that had worked in the past to provide income were no longer working, and where the nature of the people using it had changed significantly.

The Board reaffirm their determination, under our Ten Standards to Live By, that Huntly FC will have a strong sports and social dimension, we just have to find the right way to do this. All of you can help by putting your thoughts on the web page.

i think the way forward with the social club is close during the week and only open friday and saterday with a part time staff and if in the future it picks up again you could think about opening seven days again as it would be a pity to close it for good.also keep a closer eye open for underagers as it is the club that will suffer if they get caught by the police.also you would cut down on a full time stewards wages

Anyone who is old enough will remember that the Keith FC Social club was one of the best in the North East at one time! Without going over 25 years of history in any detail they went through a gradual closing down exercise and I think most would agree that it's got to be one of the biggest dumps in the HFL now. Do you really want your club to go down that route? If you really are a Social Club member -- support it!

I think Robin has a point too though. When the Social club was first formed it was well supported by the HFC commitee, but not now. Mind you back then I believe it was a commitee that ran the club, not a board of directors, is there a clue in there?

If anyone has any ideas lets hear them.

I can confirm that the social club does have a current financial problem, however it can be addressed, but this is not the forum to reveal all.
A special general meeting has been arranged for Wednesday 11th October at 7.30 pm in the social club to inform all members of all relevant details.
How we have landed in the position we are.
Proposals to alleviate problem in the short term.
Way forward.

I have asolutely nothing against a debate on the subject in order that all views may be aired as this will also allow the social club committee some idea of the strength of feelings or not in retaining the club.
I would request however that if you are going to take part in the debate that you have the decency not to hide behind annonymous logins.

OK I'll kick this off and although not knowing the details of the current crisis I have my suspicions.

Anyone who has ever attended a Social club AGM will know the truth about "donations" to HFC, and anyone who attended last year's meeting will know that I questioned the levels of “donations” which directly caused the small loss for the year (I’m sure it’ll be minuted).

Let’s be honest if you could get your neighbour to pay your electricity, and water bills etc, and if you could get free access to their drinks cabinet, it would be a dream come true would it not?

With regards to the financial difficulties at the social club. I also dont know the ins and outs of the financial going ons, but how about we up the yearly membership fees. I am a member of the social club myself and have been for 8 years, yet I have only spent £8.00 on membership fees. I am sure people wouldnt mind paying a little bit more to assist the Social club. In the end of the day if money doesnt come in then we could find ourselves having to find elsewhere to get a social drink. Which personally I would not like to do. What are peoples views on this ?

As a member of staff if huntly fc social club, i would be so dissapointed to see the place shut down, even if it remained open in the weekend and shut through the week it wouldn't work, you see you might not realise because noone goes to the club through the week but on a monday night the fiddlers are in practicing, this is free entertainment for anyone who enjoys this kind of music, i for one didn't like it to start with but after working every monday since it begun i have grown to quite enjoy it, it kicks of at half six with the juniors then continues till 10 with the seniors, this is not advertised anywhere so hopefully now some more people will know, on a tuesday we have bingo for members, it kicks of at 7pm and all members and friends are welcome, numbers have dwinddled in the past so come along and support it, the pool league is away to begin on a thursday which is another event that we take part in. so you see the only time there isn't something on is a wed and sun, (however sundays do include free pool to members), so you see to shut down through the week all we will be doing is letting people down, instead lets see some of YOU THE MEMBERS coming in and supporting the social club, we can blame the football club/board/directors etc all we want but the members need to get behind us and start supporting aswell.
I have had a lot of good nights out at the social club and that is where i met michael 8 years ago so you see it will always be a special place to me, and even though i have a moan about it from time to time the unsociable hours and nusence customers etc, i wouldn't have passed up the opportunity to work there for all the tea in china, i have met a lot of good people there and hope that the social club will still be there when my kids are old enough to drink,

Johan-Louise, this is exactly the right thinking-what needs to be done to make the Social Club so popular with the members that it attracts enough regular business to be a financial success. We need an active social dimension with Huntly FC, what do we have to do to get it? Please support the meeting on October 11th when all this will be discussed.

I will be there with bells on, i just hope that there is a good turn out of members, because that is what we need, we cant have them sitting at home reading these comments thinking it doesn't matter,that we will get by, their views are not impotant, because that is not the case. So i urge you all aswell to come on the forum, voice your oppinions, WE NEED YOU!