Discussion needed, despite FC Nöttingen Assembly's commendable track record
In a recent gathering, FC Nöttingen's members deliberated on various aspects of the club's operations, including the election process for its leadership.
The annual general meetings of FC Nöttingen are renowned for their lively atmosphere, and this year was no exception. However, concerns arose regarding the election of an official who would remain in office for an additional three months. Another member expressed apprehensions about the three-month transition period between the election and the start of the term.
Despite these reservations, the club's membership fees have been increased. Active members now pay 120 euros per year, passive members 84 euros, and youth members 96 euros. The additional income from the fee increase is estimated to be 8,000 euros and will primarily be used for the renovation of the second football pitch.
The costly renovation, budgeted at 482,000 euros, was a topic of discussion during the meeting. Around 160,000 euros will be contributed by the club, with the remaining funds to be sourced from various avenues, including a specially founded sponsors' club.
One of the contentious issues on the table was a proposal to shift the election cycle to allow for a transition period in case of a change. This proposal was largely rejected by the members, ensuring the continuation of the existing election schedule.
The rejection of the proposal means that the leadership elections will continue to occur according to the previously established timetable. This decision maintains stability and predictability within the club, allowing members and candidates to plan with certainty regarding when elections take place and how transitions are managed.
It was also proposed that annual general meetings and elections would take place in February or March, but the term of the elected officials would not begin until July 1. However, this suggestion did not find favour with the majority of the members.
The club ended the year with a deficit of nearly 40,000 euros, despite taking in around 64,000 euros more than it spent. The loss resulted from depreciation of 105,000 euros. The club's liabilities, primarily from loans from private investors, stand at 700,000 euros. The club owes 280,000 euros to the bank and approximately 200,000 euros is a zero-interest loan from the municipality.
The club's facilities, valued at 1.3 million euros by the club, stand as collateral against these liabilities. Wolfgang Oechsle, a former Remchingen mayor, criticised that the proposed change to the statutes had not been detailed in the invitation to the meeting. There were cases where the registry court had not accepted similar changes to statutes in the past.
In the recent meeting, Dirk Steidl, Jürgen Steimle, Norbert Hauser, and members of the extended board were re-elected. Steidl received one dissenting vote. Despite the concerns and criticisms, there was broad consensus among the members regarding the re-election. However, the leadership's plan to align the election period with the club's fiscal year failed.
While discussing the renovation plans for the second football pitch, some members also raised concerns about augmenting their sports-analysis initiatives. They suggested that the additional income from the fee increase could be used for hiring a sports analyst, particularly focusing on football, to help improve the team's performance.
Given the concerns about the transition period between the election and the start of the term, it was reasoned that a sports-analysis expert, versed in sports-analysis, could provide valuable insights during this period, ensuring a smooth transition for the new leadership in managing the club's operations and sports-related activities.
