Nigel Travis interview

[Type high]

Maybe Nigel should take over some of the cafes in the high street and make a fan hub in there

Said in jest but actually not a bad idea.

I’d love to give all my match day money to Orient. But reality is I want a nice coffee, a decent pint or two and something either healthy or tasty and fresh and Orient offer none of that

Indeed, it could actually work. Orient need more hospitality space if they want to control the revenue stream but as they've admitted themselves the ground doesn't have the capacity, especially in the East Stand.

Something worth investigating with the council should any of the high street shops struggle to fill any of the units.

Somewhere comfortable to watch any early KO games, then Orient TV could start earlier and do a bit more content reviewing the week that was and so on as further background content.

Until they can sort a new ground thinking outside the box is the way forward. Shame we don't have control of the rest of the commercial space as the Pharmacy area would've been ideal for this.

Make them an offer they can't refuse

[Max Fowler]

It's always been the case that football clubs rely upon supporters quietly ignoring the concept of "value for money".

Or paying £50 for a club shirt that should retail for less than half that price, that sort of thing?

[Daily Express bot]

Most of the food on offer is very unhealthy and highly calorific , especially the soft drinks, some people have to watch their diet for health reasons. Not very one can or want to eat a pile of crisps covered in cheese. The best thing over the club is the rolls in the West Stsnd Supporters bar and a pint for value for money I feel.

I often buy a hot drink but gave up last season as the hot water was tepid and when I told staff they were dismissive so I stopped bothering. I remember the Dunkin Doughnuts being sold with club motif on them couple seasons back and I bought few packets as gifts for people and they sold out that day . Not seen them for sale since. I wonder why they don’t try them again.

[Max Fowler]

Seeing as it appears it's open season on fans having a pop at other fans for not doing enough financially, can I ask where Nigel was in 1995?

If he'd bought the club back then for just £5, we'd still own the ground and wouldn't have all these poxy flats suffocating the stadium and preventing further expansion.

[The Reverend]

Did anybody point out to St.Nigel that season ticket prices went up by a considerable amount this season? That might have something to do with people not forking out £10 for a manky burger and coca-cola at the ground every other week. Millionaires really are sheltered from the impacts of a cost of living crisis.

[Cheshunto]

We went in the 50s club, as it was called last season, and paid a supplement of £25 each for a “ two bowl offering” and bought our own drinks. We already have season tickets so didn’t need a ticket and really enjoyed the experience. The staff are fantastic, Lucy and her team really go out of their way to make you feel welcome.

This season the same area has been renamed the E10 Lounge and the cost is £144 each (including ticket ) or £78 for the food only and unlimited drinks ( Not sure unlimited drinks in a football stadium is a good idea )
I love NT and Kent and everything they’ve done for the club, but they must realise that this is simply beyond the pockets of most Orient fans and is encouraging people to try the High Street alternatives instead.

[Lifelongfan]

I'm not about to start to criticise Nigel Travis he's pumped £millions into the club but I agree that food and drink offerings need looking at if they want to entice people in earlier before games. I'd be more inclined to criticise Mark Devlin who has not yet replaced our previous stadium sponsor who left at the end of the 2020/21 Season, it's one of the largest sponsorships for any club and he's even spent money on consultants and still no new sponsor. Not good enough. From what I can see his major achievement has been purchasing second hand perimeter boards.

Macklin sold off previous sponsorships at too low a level devalueling it. Of course he could get a sponsor but not any old one for buttons

[Dunners]

They day they serve Short Rib Bourguignon, washed down with a 2005 Clos des Papes en Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is the day I'll spend my hard earned money on the catering options at Brisbane Rd*. Until then you can stick your Orient Burger and Coke.



*Obviously, I'll require a receipt.

[B.whitehouse+10more]

Seeing as it appears it's open season on fans having a pop at other fans for not doing enough financially, can I ask where Nigel was in 1995?

If he'd bought the club back then for just £5, we'd still own the ground and wouldn't have all these poxy flats suffocating the stadium and preventing further expansion.

Probably for the same reason you didn’t buy it Max

[Top of the JES]

I'm not about to start to criticise Nigel Travis he's pumped £millions into the club but I agree that food and drink offerings need looking at if they want to entice people in earlier before games. I'd be more inclined to criticise Mark Devlin who has not yet replaced our previous stadium sponsor who left at the end of the 2020/21 Season, it's one of the largest sponsorships for any club and he's even spent money on consultants and still no new sponsor. Not good enough. From what I can see his major achievement has been purchasing second hand perimeter boards.

Macklin sold off previous sponsorships at too low a level devalueling it. Of course he could get a sponsor but not any old one for buttons

That’s Devlins argument but now we have no money coming in for the naming rights instead and haven’t for 18 months. Better to have something rather than nothing.

[BiggsyMalone]

Kent will be rolled out soon enough to put the fires out from this interview

[y o y o y]

Thought it was a great interview. Can’t criticise too many of the comments here either. Certainly a speedy way of seeking feedback.

This thread is certainly putting Nigels 'Challenge Culture' to the test. Plenty of food for thought. Things aren't always how we would all want them to be. But certain aspects do need to be addressed.
Perhaps Devlin and other directors need to up their game. Spread the load that Nigel appears to be taking on his shoulders alone.

Here's to a successful outcome, if you want happy fans what happens on the pitch will always be the main factor in getting bums on seats.

Up the O's

[Sid Bishop]

They day they serve Short Rib Bourguignon, washed down with a 2005 Clos des Papes en Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is the day I'll spend my hard earned money on the catering options at Brisbane Rd*. Until then you can stick your Orient Burger and Coke.



*Obviously, I'll require a receipt.

If they had an expensive menu like that, guess you would be about the only one ordering !

[Top of the JES]

Bit odd to blame Devlin for something someone else has said.

Travis is clearly frustrated that they are not getting the response from fans he wants, but he’s basically blaming the fans for not buying into an overpriced and not very attractive offering being laid on by the club. He’s blaming the wrong people if the CEO pitched it right more people would be in the ground earlier. It’s the CEOs responsibility to run the fans areas but all he’s done is make them overpriced and unattractive for fans to use. Travis has been badly advised by the CEO IMHO. He should be asking why are we not attracting people into the ground earlier but instead of blaming the fans he should be questioning the CEO.

[Sid Bishop]

Looking at the squad the only ones who aren't injured that you could take away and not have a major effect on selection might be

Sotiriou (given another attacking player coming in and Galbraith now available)
Sweeney / Hunt (pick one)
Byrne / Howes (pick one)

If you have to pick one to sell Sotiriou in last year of contract could net some cash for a L2 club looking for a promotion push perhaps. Sweeney too though be surprised if we sell someone who just got a new contract.

I would hardly class Ruel as a senior pro, he is fit and an ever present in the side and so far our top goal scorer and RW likes him, so little to no chance of that happening . By the way....you really have got a thing about Ruel haven't you !
Well hardly likely to be Pratley, Thompson is injured ( yet again ) so highly unlikely that he can be off loaded....a long shot...Beckles ?

Moncur, Hunt??

Real guessing game this. Another idea floated ''Thompson to retire from playing''
Well yes could be, perhaps to retire and go onto the coaching side of the game ?
Bring on Miss Marples and Hercule Poirot to investigate and report their findings within the next 48 hours !

[Beradogs]

Never seen so many moaning Minnie’s in one place. Where have all the men gone!

[LittleMate]

I think the west stand facilities for the standard seats are poor and I have no experience of the North or East stands -

They are both awful.

Do you know whatever happened to a scheme or intention to open up the old boardroom area in the east for some sort of membership bar? If there are function areas that could be used then the board should consider using them to geenrate a better matchday experience (and so to bring more people into the ground earlier). Just a thought.

[LittleMate]

I think that we as fans run the risk of forgetting financial reality. There's a lot of difference between knowing the stakes go up when you get promoted to then actually getting the bills. I think our owners are adapting to that quite well. There's also a fan expectation that they have always paid a set rate and so why should they pay more. Well the quality of the product has gone up, the players cost more to attract and keep. It should not all be down to the owners. Its not a charity - owning a football club is more like holding a basket case - and its a wicker one that leaks badly! Whether we like it or not we are investors and the owners are trustees who pay that much more for the privilege. If we continue to co-operate on that basis then the club will continue to move forward. If we decide that we have reached our financial limits then we should expect the football on offer to reflect that. I'm happy to keep on investing at an increased rate as our trustees seem to be using our money more wisely than most other trustees at their clubs.

[BiggsyMalone]

I think that we as fans run the risk of forgetting financial reality. There's a lot of difference between knowing the stakes go up when you get promoted to then actually getting the bills. I think our owners are adapting to that quite well. There's also a fan expectation that they have always paid a set rate and so why should they pay more. Well the quality of the product has gone up, the players cost more to attract and keep. It should not all be down to the owners. Its not a charity - owning a football club is more like holding a basket case - and its a wicker one that leaks badly! Whether we like it or not we are investors and the owners are trustees who pay that much more for the privilege. If we continue to co-operate on that basis then the club will continue to move forward. If we decide that we have reached our financial limits then we should expect the football on offer to reflect that. I'm happy to keep on investing at an increased rate as our trustees seem to be using our money more wisely than most other trustees at their clubs.

You’ve completely missed the point

[Proposition Joe]

Never seen so many moaning Minnie’s in one place. Where have all the men gone!

Only real men willingly get fleeced

[Mistadobalina]

You're the millionaire CEO of a company but people aren't spending their hard-earned money on your product How do you go about improving this situation? Do you:

A) make your product more competitively priced;
B) improve your product;
C) both A) and B);
D) cry about it on a podcast and, in the middle of a cost of living crisis, accuse anyone who doesn't spend every penny of their disposable income on the substandard, overpriced crap you serve up of being some kind of traitor who wants your brand to fail?

Really dislike the sentiment of the comments about food/drink for a number of reasons, some already covered above but mainly they just come across as being really tone deaf. He can't moan about the Council not recognising how much money we bring into the area in the same breath as whingeing about fans spending money locally on a matchday. Clearly wants it both ways. Also, the area around the ground has, in the last 10-15 years, seen an incredible improvement in the food and drink options available. If the Club haven't kept up and people are going elsewhere, maybe they should do something about it beyond guilt tripping people.

These businesses are our neighbours, we're supposed to be part of a local community, branding ourselves as a community club. This isn't acting like it.

Tbf, if you've ever tried Dunkin Donuts or Papa John's, you'll know Travis has a real flair for getting consumers to buy absolute slop.

[Long slender neck]

I quite like Papa Johns

[Friend or fart]

LSN:- " I quite like Papa Johns "

Says it all really!

[Monkey Boy]

I would hardly class Ruel as a senior pro, he is fit and an ever present in the side and so far our top goal scorer and RW likes him, so little to no chance of that happening . By the way....you really have got a thing about Ruel haven't you !
Well hardly likely to be Pratley, Thompson is injured ( yet again ) so highly unlikely that he can be off loaded....a long shot...Beckles ?

Moncur, Hunt??

Real guessing game this. Another idea floated ''Thompson to retire from playing''
Well yes could be, perhaps to retire and go onto the coaching side of the game ?
Bring on Miss Marples and Hercule Poirot to investigate and report their findings within the next 48 hours !

Didn’t see the interview unfortunately (onholibobs) but if they are going to get rid of a senior pro? Could be one of the following, Moncur, on a biggish wage in and out of the side last and this season,Happe only on a year contract and injury prone or Hunt who offers nothing going forward and very little else at the moment. But don’t hold your breath because what the club say and what they actually do are totally different things.

[OyinbO]

Well, at least the terms of the debate have moved on - I'm just pleased that we no longer routinely get a "do you want the Italians back?" every time the current ownership gets criticised. Small mercies.