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The Inferno
Inferno Interview - Paul Ragan
22nd Sep 2012 | Posted by The-Inferno
The-Inferno: We've recently seen an uproar over the parking cost rising, although the price doesn't seem to be the main issue, can you explain why the cost has gone up and how important this money is to the club?
Paul Ragan: I have been saying since the beginning of the year that DCF is struggling financially to stay afloat. It's costs outweigh its income, and I have already had to inject funds several times to keep it operating. I have put in place Management Meetings at DCF and better financial control, to identify the non-payers, which is greatly improved, that said without the additional support from The DCF Car Parking monies, and other initiatives, the DCF has no future.
I will be blunt on this one, I have done much to keep our kids playing, but it should fall on everyone's shoulders and not just mine. There was uproar when I challenged the financial viability of the DCF in it's previous state and we made some good savings, but we still need financial help to support our kids and future Devils.
The-Inferno: It's been mentioned that the money raised from the car parking is going towards the DCF, however it's also been mentioned that this money isn't being used to offset costs for players or their parents, rather it's propping up the EIHL team?
Paul Ragan: This is a total myth, albeit old regime Devils probably true. When I rescued the club in 2010, there were monies missing which had been borrowed by the old regime. What causes issues are that people think they understand the cost, but in reality they don't. For clarity, costs of circa £15,500 per month in DCF include Brent Pope, Office Rent, Telephones, Stationery, Trophies, Storage, Officials, Ice Time, Jerseys, Insurance, etc, which is why we desperately need to generate more funds.
The-Inferno: The guys running the social media side have taken flak recently over some of the things posted on facebook and twitter, you've mentioned on twitter that controls are being brought in, will this prevent more pictures of cats on facebook, and dogs balancing tin cans on twitter?
Paul Ragan: Ha Ha...I'm confused too! On a serious note, last year we had no Social Media Policy, but this year we do. It's important that we recognise our efforts are purely to improve the business and not too damage it. That said, despite the majority of Social Media activity being more than acceptable and promoting the club well, I'm furious there have been so many errors made and as such have met with the firm responsible to ensure far stronger protocol's around message releases are in place.
Rest assured (me included) have a lot to learn about Social Media, and I'm pleased we've got it started, we just simply have to improve going forward, and we will as we are bringing this process in-house from early October.
The-Inferno: We've heard about the cost of running the team and why prices for tickets have increased, but is paying a PR company to run the social media side of the club cost effective when fans have offered and done it previously for free?
Paul Ragan: This is what frustrates me, what about our cheap season tickets offering interest free direct debit and kids season tickets starting from £108 for "End of Season" not too mention concession pricing, we have a habit zoning into the negatives despite the many positives! That said we have to balance the books somewhere as the fans want a good team, and unfortunately this costs.
So I have put a £1 on 2010 prices after the failing of last season. Remember, last season I listened to the Forums and reduced ticketing to £15/£10/£5 as this would drive the fans back I was told.....well it didn't and contributed significantly to a further £120,000 loss, which despite being a big improvement on the £400k the year previous, still didn't help our cause at all.
We must also remember, based on our crowd count, we should be playing with a player budget some 20/25% lower than we currently boast, it's because we have improved all areas and become far more efficient as a business that we can compete at the level we will this season, which is why as I see it the mass majority of fans are overjoyed with where the club is at today and the progress made to date.
The-Inferno: Some fans feel there's a reluctance to accept help when it's offered, unless it's in the form of payment. Would you say this is the case, and how can fans become involved in helping the club?
Paul Ragan: Absolutely not, our issue is simply time and control. To continue the ongoing improvements The Devil's organisation needs staff employed in-house, preferably on a full time basis. That said, volunteers do exist both in-house and on game night already, without whom we would not survive and are eternally grateful.
The-Inferno: Can you confirm whether Simon Hodgkinson is back involved with the club? If so what sort of processes are in place to ensure the mistakes made previously will not be made again?
Paul Ragan: Simon has not and will not be returning, more vicious rumours I'm afraid. That said, Simon's commitment and effort in supporting me was second to none during his employment. He's a great guy and someone who has always had the club at heart.
The-Inferno: Does the negativity from some sections of the fanbase affect the players? Do the same people ever make you want to pack it in? On the flipside, do you think fans complain for the sake of it, or because they want things to improve?
Paul Ragan: I think any negativity about the club is demoralising for us all, staff, players, sponsors and fans. I think that 99% of true fans have no issue in being critical of the club and I have no issue in listening, learning and when and if it's commercially sensible for the business, I will make changes. The car parking gates, previous pricing policy, bringing in new volunteers, moving back to CH Sports, retaining ENL1, are just some of the examples of me listening.
What does push me to the limit when fans get over-personnel, and there are a small few who enjoy coming out publicly and milking every little issue and in short getting very personal with me. Rest assured however, these small minority will never push me away, it simply spurs me on even more as I believe greatly in what we are doing to improve this great club, and I know the results we achieve over the next 2-3 years will prove me right and them wrong.
The-Inferno: We seem to recall reading that hockey was about business for you when you first got involved, can we ask has this changed over time? Are you a fan of the team and the sport now?
Paul Ragan: I have been a massive fan of the sport from around Xmas 2010, which is one of the reason's I've stuck with it. When we win that trophy (hopefully this year) it will be difficult to hold back the emotion, I feel failing to secure silverware is simply increasing pressure on me, G and Franny, as the fans expect!
To prove my commitment I have already discussed with G that if we are in a good league position come end of November, and subject to crowd numbers averaging circa 1650 per game, then I would like us to reinforce our squad. As I see it therefore, ball is in G&F court because if we compete, fans will support!
The-Inferno: Do you still have a stake in the Sheffield Steelers, or are they fully owned by Tony Smith now? Would you ever consider doing the same to another team again?
Paul Ragan: No, I sold it last summer to Tony Smith and No I would not do it for another team. I have never believed in owning two clubs but the league had little choice but to eliminate a man at Sheffield who through his own unethical behaviour, the league had to get rid, and I was the only guy around the table prepared to step up.
As a result, the good news, I learnt a lot, we have a credible owner in Tony Smith, I exposed the wage cap breach and cheating that was apparent at Sheffield.
The-Inferno: What's been the greatest Challenge for you to date in running the club?
Paul Ragan: Managing and explaining to fans why things are done. Decisions are made and sometimes can take many months before results are seen. People need to trust what is being done here, believe and we will succeed.
Paul Ragan: It's been widely acknowledged that G has once again recruited a good team, but we've seen it mentioned that crowds need to increase from last year to 1800 or thereabouts this season to break even, two good attendances so far, but not over the 1800 mark, what sort of marketing plans are there to try and raise awareness of the team this season, especially after the Clan game?
Paul Ragan: Firstly, we need to be achieving around 1650, which we slightly beat vs. Sheffield but didn't quite achieve vs. Coventry, hopefully this weekend will be 1750+.
Secondly, I think the Clan game was partly down to the Welsh Rally Weekend, plus it didn't help with them losing 5-1 to Fife the night before. Then there was also the negativity flying around about Social Media, rather than us talking up the game.
We have sent out 8,000+ flyers this week on Wednesday and I have again committed to promoting the majority of games via Capital FM. I hope that this weekend for what promises to be a great game v The Panthers, the crowd is good. It's mad we out-sung Sheffield in Sheffield, and Braehead out-sung us in the BBT....and that does effect the team!
The-Inferno: How do you envision the leagues development over the next few years? From the outside it looks like some teams are very fragile financially? Is there a wage cap in place this season and how do you view the import limit increasing?
Paul Ragan: I think we have achieved much at League Management Level, and I was one of the few who really pushed hard for the conference system. I'm pleased to say, so far it looks fantastic, with virtually all teams winning and losing some games.
I'm not so sure import levels will change, I'm certainly happy with where we are. What is more important is that we see continual improvements made across UK Ice Hockey in general to attract further funding, greater league wide sponsorship deals, and a promotion/demotion process in place one day.
As for the EIHL we need twelve teams, and I would love to see those teams come from the South. In respect of a wage cap, it's currently impossible I believe to police such a cap in it's current format without central contracts, but I do not see this happening for a few years. There is little doubt however that the biggest threat to our league is clubs over-spending leaving clubs either chasing and going bankrupt or simply never competing and closing. Rest assured, we are working hard on corporate governance and a new constitution at Elite League level, the progress made over the past 18 months has been fantastic.
The-Inferno: We've seen all the videos for the new arena and after all the work SORAC put in, it finally looks like the Big Blue Tent is going to get a worthy replacement, is there anything you can tell us about when construction is expected to start? Are we still looking at being in the new arena for the start of the 2013/2014 season?
Paul Ragan: The results of SORAC and Devil's Management working together have truly come up trumps here, and as a result we can expect a stadium in 2014 to be totally proud of. I am expecting construction to commence around June 2013, and the stadium to be ready for the start of our 2014/15 season. We have one more season left in the BBT after this season.
The-Inferno: Can you tell us your vision for the future of the club? Is there a three or five year plan or is it more get into the new rink first then grow from there?
Paul Ragan: My vision is simple - 1. Create a financially stable Cardiff Devils that delivers a professional product both on and off the ice. 2. Develop our community links and Devil's Community Foundation, we must get more kids into Ice Sports. 3. Win Trophies...we have to be more successful, but to achieve this we must grow step by step, we are putting solid foundations down and improving all the time, learning as we go.
The-Inferno: Thanks for taking the time to do this, is there anything you'd like to add?
Paul Ragan: I had the pleasure of meeting the mass majority of the STH this summer, 99% of whom fully appreciate the work that has gone into getting this club back. From a players perspective, we have a great city, a great fan base and a professional outfit that won't let them down, and this is crucial if we are to attract quality players over other clubs because they have total confidence in the way we operate as a business. I believe that when the new arena finally arrives, we will achieve number 1 status and the only threat to us achieving such an accolade I believe is if the fans stop coming.
My final plea is this.....we need more fans...sponsors are up significantly this year....season tickets are up significantly this year....we have a great team this season....we have a new stadium coming.....we've had a better start to the season than normally.....and we have a chance of breaking even this season....all in all huge progress in 12 months. We have a huge amount to be positive and proud about, and what we all need to do is work hard as the collective to get paying customers into our BBT to see what all the fuss is about....in short we want 700 STH next season, so lets work together and really get behind this team, I promise you it's going to only get better!
Thank you.
Paul Ragan: I have been saying since the beginning of the year that DCF is struggling financially to stay afloat. It's costs outweigh its income, and I have already had to inject funds several times to keep it operating. I have put in place Management Meetings at DCF and better financial control, to identify the non-payers, which is greatly improved, that said without the additional support from The DCF Car Parking monies, and other initiatives, the DCF has no future.
I will be blunt on this one, I have done much to keep our kids playing, but it should fall on everyone's shoulders and not just mine. There was uproar when I challenged the financial viability of the DCF in it's previous state and we made some good savings, but we still need financial help to support our kids and future Devils.
The-Inferno: It's been mentioned that the money raised from the car parking is going towards the DCF, however it's also been mentioned that this money isn't being used to offset costs for players or their parents, rather it's propping up the EIHL team?
Paul Ragan: This is a total myth, albeit old regime Devils probably true. When I rescued the club in 2010, there were monies missing which had been borrowed by the old regime. What causes issues are that people think they understand the cost, but in reality they don't. For clarity, costs of circa £15,500 per month in DCF include Brent Pope, Office Rent, Telephones, Stationery, Trophies, Storage, Officials, Ice Time, Jerseys, Insurance, etc, which is why we desperately need to generate more funds.
The-Inferno: The guys running the social media side have taken flak recently over some of the things posted on facebook and twitter, you've mentioned on twitter that controls are being brought in, will this prevent more pictures of cats on facebook, and dogs balancing tin cans on twitter?
Paul Ragan: Ha Ha...I'm confused too! On a serious note, last year we had no Social Media Policy, but this year we do. It's important that we recognise our efforts are purely to improve the business and not too damage it. That said, despite the majority of Social Media activity being more than acceptable and promoting the club well, I'm furious there have been so many errors made and as such have met with the firm responsible to ensure far stronger protocol's around message releases are in place.
Rest assured (me included) have a lot to learn about Social Media, and I'm pleased we've got it started, we just simply have to improve going forward, and we will as we are bringing this process in-house from early October.
The-Inferno: We've heard about the cost of running the team and why prices for tickets have increased, but is paying a PR company to run the social media side of the club cost effective when fans have offered and done it previously for free?
Paul Ragan: This is what frustrates me, what about our cheap season tickets offering interest free direct debit and kids season tickets starting from £108 for "End of Season" not too mention concession pricing, we have a habit zoning into the negatives despite the many positives! That said we have to balance the books somewhere as the fans want a good team, and unfortunately this costs.
So I have put a £1 on 2010 prices after the failing of last season. Remember, last season I listened to the Forums and reduced ticketing to £15/£10/£5 as this would drive the fans back I was told.....well it didn't and contributed significantly to a further £120,000 loss, which despite being a big improvement on the £400k the year previous, still didn't help our cause at all.
We must also remember, based on our crowd count, we should be playing with a player budget some 20/25% lower than we currently boast, it's because we have improved all areas and become far more efficient as a business that we can compete at the level we will this season, which is why as I see it the mass majority of fans are overjoyed with where the club is at today and the progress made to date.
The-Inferno: Some fans feel there's a reluctance to accept help when it's offered, unless it's in the form of payment. Would you say this is the case, and how can fans become involved in helping the club?
Paul Ragan: Absolutely not, our issue is simply time and control. To continue the ongoing improvements The Devil's organisation needs staff employed in-house, preferably on a full time basis. That said, volunteers do exist both in-house and on game night already, without whom we would not survive and are eternally grateful.
The-Inferno: Can you confirm whether Simon Hodgkinson is back involved with the club? If so what sort of processes are in place to ensure the mistakes made previously will not be made again?
Paul Ragan: Simon has not and will not be returning, more vicious rumours I'm afraid. That said, Simon's commitment and effort in supporting me was second to none during his employment. He's a great guy and someone who has always had the club at heart.
The-Inferno: Does the negativity from some sections of the fanbase affect the players? Do the same people ever make you want to pack it in? On the flipside, do you think fans complain for the sake of it, or because they want things to improve?
Paul Ragan: I think any negativity about the club is demoralising for us all, staff, players, sponsors and fans. I think that 99% of true fans have no issue in being critical of the club and I have no issue in listening, learning and when and if it's commercially sensible for the business, I will make changes. The car parking gates, previous pricing policy, bringing in new volunteers, moving back to CH Sports, retaining ENL1, are just some of the examples of me listening.
What does push me to the limit when fans get over-personnel, and there are a small few who enjoy coming out publicly and milking every little issue and in short getting very personal with me. Rest assured however, these small minority will never push me away, it simply spurs me on even more as I believe greatly in what we are doing to improve this great club, and I know the results we achieve over the next 2-3 years will prove me right and them wrong.
The-Inferno: We seem to recall reading that hockey was about business for you when you first got involved, can we ask has this changed over time? Are you a fan of the team and the sport now?
Paul Ragan: I have been a massive fan of the sport from around Xmas 2010, which is one of the reason's I've stuck with it. When we win that trophy (hopefully this year) it will be difficult to hold back the emotion, I feel failing to secure silverware is simply increasing pressure on me, G and Franny, as the fans expect!
To prove my commitment I have already discussed with G that if we are in a good league position come end of November, and subject to crowd numbers averaging circa 1650 per game, then I would like us to reinforce our squad. As I see it therefore, ball is in G&F court because if we compete, fans will support!
The-Inferno: Do you still have a stake in the Sheffield Steelers, or are they fully owned by Tony Smith now? Would you ever consider doing the same to another team again?
Paul Ragan: No, I sold it last summer to Tony Smith and No I would not do it for another team. I have never believed in owning two clubs but the league had little choice but to eliminate a man at Sheffield who through his own unethical behaviour, the league had to get rid, and I was the only guy around the table prepared to step up.
As a result, the good news, I learnt a lot, we have a credible owner in Tony Smith, I exposed the wage cap breach and cheating that was apparent at Sheffield.
The-Inferno: What's been the greatest Challenge for you to date in running the club?
Paul Ragan: Managing and explaining to fans why things are done. Decisions are made and sometimes can take many months before results are seen. People need to trust what is being done here, believe and we will succeed.
Paul Ragan: It's been widely acknowledged that G has once again recruited a good team, but we've seen it mentioned that crowds need to increase from last year to 1800 or thereabouts this season to break even, two good attendances so far, but not over the 1800 mark, what sort of marketing plans are there to try and raise awareness of the team this season, especially after the Clan game?
Paul Ragan: Firstly, we need to be achieving around 1650, which we slightly beat vs. Sheffield but didn't quite achieve vs. Coventry, hopefully this weekend will be 1750+.
Secondly, I think the Clan game was partly down to the Welsh Rally Weekend, plus it didn't help with them losing 5-1 to Fife the night before. Then there was also the negativity flying around about Social Media, rather than us talking up the game.
We have sent out 8,000+ flyers this week on Wednesday and I have again committed to promoting the majority of games via Capital FM. I hope that this weekend for what promises to be a great game v The Panthers, the crowd is good. It's mad we out-sung Sheffield in Sheffield, and Braehead out-sung us in the BBT....and that does effect the team!
The-Inferno: How do you envision the leagues development over the next few years? From the outside it looks like some teams are very fragile financially? Is there a wage cap in place this season and how do you view the import limit increasing?
Paul Ragan: I think we have achieved much at League Management Level, and I was one of the few who really pushed hard for the conference system. I'm pleased to say, so far it looks fantastic, with virtually all teams winning and losing some games.
I'm not so sure import levels will change, I'm certainly happy with where we are. What is more important is that we see continual improvements made across UK Ice Hockey in general to attract further funding, greater league wide sponsorship deals, and a promotion/demotion process in place one day.
As for the EIHL we need twelve teams, and I would love to see those teams come from the South. In respect of a wage cap, it's currently impossible I believe to police such a cap in it's current format without central contracts, but I do not see this happening for a few years. There is little doubt however that the biggest threat to our league is clubs over-spending leaving clubs either chasing and going bankrupt or simply never competing and closing. Rest assured, we are working hard on corporate governance and a new constitution at Elite League level, the progress made over the past 18 months has been fantastic.
The-Inferno: We've seen all the videos for the new arena and after all the work SORAC put in, it finally looks like the Big Blue Tent is going to get a worthy replacement, is there anything you can tell us about when construction is expected to start? Are we still looking at being in the new arena for the start of the 2013/2014 season?
Paul Ragan: The results of SORAC and Devil's Management working together have truly come up trumps here, and as a result we can expect a stadium in 2014 to be totally proud of. I am expecting construction to commence around June 2013, and the stadium to be ready for the start of our 2014/15 season. We have one more season left in the BBT after this season.
The-Inferno: Can you tell us your vision for the future of the club? Is there a three or five year plan or is it more get into the new rink first then grow from there?
Paul Ragan: My vision is simple - 1. Create a financially stable Cardiff Devils that delivers a professional product both on and off the ice. 2. Develop our community links and Devil's Community Foundation, we must get more kids into Ice Sports. 3. Win Trophies...we have to be more successful, but to achieve this we must grow step by step, we are putting solid foundations down and improving all the time, learning as we go.
The-Inferno: Thanks for taking the time to do this, is there anything you'd like to add?
Paul Ragan: I had the pleasure of meeting the mass majority of the STH this summer, 99% of whom fully appreciate the work that has gone into getting this club back. From a players perspective, we have a great city, a great fan base and a professional outfit that won't let them down, and this is crucial if we are to attract quality players over other clubs because they have total confidence in the way we operate as a business. I believe that when the new arena finally arrives, we will achieve number 1 status and the only threat to us achieving such an accolade I believe is if the fans stop coming.
My final plea is this.....we need more fans...sponsors are up significantly this year....season tickets are up significantly this year....we have a great team this season....we have a new stadium coming.....we've had a better start to the season than normally.....and we have a chance of breaking even this season....all in all huge progress in 12 months. We have a huge amount to be positive and proud about, and what we all need to do is work hard as the collective to get paying customers into our BBT to see what all the fuss is about....in short we want 700 STH next season, so lets work together and really get behind this team, I promise you it's going to only get better!
Thank you.
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