Club Mirror September 2018

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AT T HE HEART OF THE COM MUNIT Y

Wine report

Searching for the perfect wine list GBB F • LE G A L EA G L E • H Q • BE TTE R B U Y ING

clubmirror S e ptem ber 2 018

AT T HE HEART OF THE COM MUNIT Y

Wine report

Searching for the perfect wine list

GBB F • LE G A L EA G L E • H Q • BE TTE R B U Y ING

clubmirror S e ptem ber 2 018

AT T HE HEART OF THE COM MUNIT Y

Wine report

Searching for the perfect wine list GBB F • LE G A L EA G L E • H Q • BE TTE R B U Y I NG

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LEADER

Contributors

Clubs stand out from the crowd This month we have lots of reasons to celebrate – the season of sporting spectaculars continues to inspire sports-mad members and the closing date for the Club Awards has seen hundreds of entries flooding in from across clubland. And here at Club Mirror – just in case you’ve missed it! – we continue to add our 50th Birthday as one of the many reasons to be cheerful.

Since the magazine was first launched in 1968, the industry has changed dramatically. But one thing’s for sure; throughout the decades clubs have continued to assert their value as part of their communities and the very fabric of the United Kingdom. (You’ll see this reflected in the memories of five former editors in this issue.) Each one is unique and each has a specific offering for their specific membership.

This individuality is only possible because as a sector, and by their nature, clubs remain untouched by takeovers and reverse takeovers, mergers and buyouts. As such, we continue to stand out against a homogenisation witnessed in many areas of the hospitality industry.(And don’t forget to prove the point by entering the Hospitality Social Media Awards. See page 52.)

Perhaps most importantly clubs continue to serve a unique function in the UK. They are at the heart of the community and encourage a sense of belonging which has a real impact on society.

This is one thing that hasn’t changed. So here’s to the next 50 years.

Cheers!

Caroline Scoular Editor, Club Mirror

Chris Colverd

Hayley Cox

Sean Ferris

Karen Foreman

David Foster

Larry Hardcastle

Jonathan Hardy

David Lucas

Leigh Ann Ogilvie

Justin O’Regan

Victoria Romero-Trigo

Jill Slingsby

Editor Caroline Scoular Design David Foster Editorial Chris Colverd Events Jill Slingsby, Karen Foreman Display Advertising Margaret Doherty Sales and Marketing Manager Leigh-Ann Ogilvie Circulation Jon Hardy Accounts Andrew Soles Publishing Director Sean Ferris

Club Mirror is published by Alchemy Contract Publishing Ltd, Gainsborough House, 59/60 Thames Street, Windsor SW4 1TX. Tel: 01753 272022. Fax: 01753 272 021 Email: caroline@clubmirror.com; sean@clubmirror.com; leigh-ann@alchemymedia.co.uk; info@clubmirror.com ACP Gainsborough House 59/60 Thames Street Windsor Berkshire SL4 1TX UK t. +44 (0)1753 272022 f. +44 (0)1753 272021 e.info@alchemycontractpublishing.co.uk www.alchemycontractpublishing.co.uk The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher. Club Mirror does not verify the claims made by advertisers regarding their products.

CLUB MIRROR 5

CLUB NEWS Canelo v GGG 2 bout free to BT Sport clubs

BT Sport and boxing promoter Frank Warren have announced three big boxing bouts which will be broadcast on BT’s new pay-per-view channel, BT Sport Box Office, this autumn. To celebrate the launch,the Canelo v GGG 2 battle on September 15 will be made free to BT Sport club customers.

Canelo and GGG will face each other for a second time at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to finally decide the middleweight title after their first bout was called a tie.

In the second clash,Deontay Wilder will defend his WBC world title against Tyson Fury in a massive heavyweight contest, followed by IBF Featherweight World Champion Josh Warrington defending his belt against Belfast’s Carl Frampton.

Bruce Cuthbert, director commercial customers, BT Sport said: “To celebrate the launch of BT Sport Box Office , we’re delighted to be able to offer the first of our blockbuster line up of events, Canelo v GGG 2, free to all of our club customers.

“This follows our successful entry into boxing just a year ago with Fight Nights on BT Sport which continue to go from strength to strength and we now have the opportunity to make the more exclusive pay-per-view bouts available to clubs across the UK.” • www.btsportbusiness.com.

Sky Sports adds 12 EFL fixtures Sky Sports has announced 12 more live EFL fixtures in October and November. The Sky Bet Championship and Sky Bet League One both feature in a period of EFL fixtures, with newcomers to the division, potential early-season promotion battles and local derbies taking centre stage.

Highlights include the Steel City Derby between rivals Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday, as the Blades play host at Bramall Lane in the Friday Night Football offering on 9 November.

6 CLUB MIRROR

Sugar tax show low impact The UK’s sugar tax has had minimal impact on consumer behaviour since its implementation in April this year, according to data from Nielsen.

Over 60% of UK shoppers claim to have not changed their consumption behaviour in any way post-sugar tax, and only one fifth are checking sugar content on packages more frequently since the tax has come into effect.

The findings come from a Nielsen survey which compared results from respondents prior to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy coming into effect on 6 April 2018 and now.

Only 11% of shoppers claimed they planned to stop drinking sugary soft drinks prior to the tax; this number has fallen to just 1% post-tax. The number of people who said they would continue to buy sugary soft

drinks also, surprisingly, grew post-tax, increasing from 31% in February to 44% in June.

Prior to the tax being rolled out, the

majority of the UK supported the government-imposed levy, and some even felt it wasn’t strict enough. 54% of respondents supported the tax, and since its implementation, 69% said it should be expanded to confectionery and biscuits.

Aylin Ceylan, Consumer and Shopper Partner, Nielsen said: “Sugar continues to be the number one health concern for the fourth consecutive year and initiatives like the Soft Drinks Industry Levy doubtless contribute to furthering awareness. While we haven’t seen any significant changes in consumer habits, we have seen manufacturers adapt accordingly. The average sugar content has been steadily decreasing in key FMCG categories such as carbonated drinks and breakfast cereals.”

Over £100,000 raised for Hospitality Action

Marston’s employee is ‘in deep’ A Marston’s trainer will be championing Marston’s 61 Deep Pale Aleas he competes in the current Motor Cross season.His 2017 KTM 350 sxf modern Motor Cross bike has been emblazoned with the distinctive 61 Deep graphics across its body work, aiming to promote the brand and reach a new audience of drinkers.

Adam Jones, from Kidderminster is a Front of House trainer for destination houses with Marston’s Inns and Taverns and has been working for Marston’s for two years.

Riding motor bikes from the age of nine, he has competed in national and international competitions across Europe for a number of teams including Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki until an injury attempting a 150-foot jump put an end to his pro career when he was 24.

He got back on a bike again within a year

and now rides as an independent competitor.

Adam said: “It’s great to sign a promotion deal for my bike with the company that I work with. Marston’s are keen to see if it creates any new opportunities and drinkers for the 61 Deep brand and I am thrilled and proud to be representing my employer with one of my favourite beers!”

Elliot Allison, Brand Manager for Marston’s beers said: “We were excited to hear about the opportunity with Adam’s bike and really enjoyed it when he brought it to the brewery.

Our head brewer Pat McGinty said he was terrified to even sit on the bike so we take our hats off to Adam and his fearlessness!”

Marston’s 61 Deep is a 3.8% abv pale ale made with five American and Australian hops for a zesty aroma with tropical and citrus notes.

Olleco,the renewables division of ABP, has raised £100,000 to support catering industry charity, Hospitality Action.

The funds raised are being used to transform the lives of those in the industry who find themselves in need – from homelessness and addiction to domestic abuse and life changing illness.

To date, Olleco’s donations have helped over 540 families including Simon Holwell who worked for Maison Blanc as a pastry chef until he was paralysed by a spinal infection. Hospitality Action was able to provide him with a lightweight wheelchair enabling Simon to, as he puts it, “start leading a normal life again.”

Mark Lewis, Chief Executive of Hospitality Action said: “Hospitality Action exists to offer lifelines to people who work or have worked in hospitality and find themselves in difficulty or crisis, but we can only do this with the support of the industry we serve. I’m proud of all the people and businesses that help us – and none more so than Olleco, one of our staunchest champions.”

Supplier of cooking oils and fats, Olleco also collects used cooking oil and food waste, converting them into biofuels, energy and fertiliser, helping businesses to reduce their carbon footprint.

Awards hosts announced 2 0 1 8 Football legends Ray Stubbs and Mark Lawrenson have been announced as hosts of the 2018 Club Awards, taking place on 29 November at Doncaster Racecourse.

“The presenters and pundits have worked together many times over the years, and are now bringing their mix of humour and passion to the Club Awards,” said the Club Awards’ Karen Foreman. ”It promises to be a very enjoyable and rewarding evening and readers are invited to send in any questions to the Club Awards hosts.”

To purchase tickets for the Club Awards turn to page 46.

Drinkaware and Derby County promote healthy living Drinkaware has extended its partnership with Derby County Football Club for another season. Launched last year, messages about responsible drinking have been displayed every matchday on hoardings and screens around the club’s Pride Park stadium, reaching more than 13 million people, including audiences for televised matches.

“The partnership gave us access to one of our key audiences of midlife men, who we aim to help cut back on their drinking and improve their health, and we’re looking forward to continuing this over the next season,” said Rommel Moseley, Director of Business Development & Partnerships at Drinkaware.

Drinkaware is also involved with the clubs Walking Football scheme, organised

All for charity

Suppor ted

by

Victim Support

Victim Support (VS) is the independent charity for people affected by crime and traumatic events in England and Wales.

Rommel Moseley, Director of Business Development & Partnerships at Drinkaware

by Derby County Community Trust. The slowpaced version of the game is designed for the over-50s who may have enjoyed football in their younger days but no longer have the mobility or fitness to sprint down the wing.

To date more than 4,500 sessions have been delivered across the county with 125 participants now attending weekly events.

The events include advice on reducing alcohol, diet and exercise.

Free digital training BT Sport’s free digital training for clubs is well underway with Anfield Park playing host to dozens of clubs as we go to press.

The aim of the training is to help clubs enhance their digital skills and grow their business, focusing on how to make their business more visible online and their use of social media even more impactful.

• For full details, see pages 12 – 13 in this issue.

Victim Support’s specialist teams provide individual, independent, emotional and practical help to enable people to cope and recover from the effects of crime.

“We’re not part of the police, the courts or any other criminal justice agency. Our services are free and available to everyone, whether or not the crime has been reported and regardless of when it happened,” says the charity.

“Last year we offered support to just under one million people. With over 40 years’ experience as the leading independent victims’ charity, we know the impact that crime has on people’s lives and what it takes to help them get their lives back on track.”

Victim Support works locally to support people affected by crime, and campaigns nationally to put their needs first, providing the support they need and the respect they deserve: “Together, we help people feel safer and find the strength to move

forward after crime.”

We’ve enjoyed being part of Derby County’s Walking Football scheme and seeing the impact it makes on the men taking part: weight loss, improved fitness levels and, just as importantly, better mental health. Walking Football gives them a new activity and a new group of like-minded friends, so it can help to prevent social isolation. As one of the players said, “Walking Football gives me something to look forward to – you can get forgotten once you retire.”

• www.victimsupport.org.uk

CLUB MIRROR 7

CLUB NEWS

Clubnews

8 CLUB MIRROR

Club Mirror takes a whirlwind tour of clubs around the country in the fastest way possible – by social media.

Follow Club Mirror (twitter.com/clubmirrormag) and our sister titles at twitter.com/clubmirrorrugby; twitter.com/clubmfootball; twitter.com/clubmcricket; twitter.com/Sports4Bars; twitter.com/clubhouseeurope; Also: the Social Media Awards at twitter.com/HSMAwards

CLUB MIRROR 9

AT THE CLUB BAR

So what’s new?

Latest launches and new brews to consider stocking at the bar.

HARTWALL ORIGINAL – SPIRIT OF SCANDINAVIA IN A CAN Hartwall Original Long Drink (5.5% ABV)combines a refreshing mix of Finnish premium gin cut with a tang of grapefruit soda. Now, beverage manufacturer Royal Unibrew, is making Original Long Drink widely available across the UK. First created for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Original Long Drinkwas intended to help restaurant and bar owners cope with the unprecedented crowds of international visitors descending on the city during the games. The cocktail in a bottle could be easily stored served, and consumed in a convenient ready to drink format and production has continued to this day.

The drink uses a Finnish artisanal gin and is presented in easily identifiable packaging, available in a choice of 330ml cans and bottleswhich are reminiscent of the torch used to light the Olympic flame in 1952. Better known as ‘Lonkero’ (Finnish for Long Drink) in its native region, Hartwall Original Long Drink has a 5.5% ABV making it a great alternative to pre-mixed beverages.

• www.originallongdrink.com WHYTE & MACKAY – SCOTCH FOR YOUNGER DRINKERS The Woodsmanis a new contemporary Blended Scotch Whisky which aims to recruit younger drinkers into Scotch categoryby ‘giving traditional blend behaviours and flavours the chop’.

The Woodsman(40% ABV) is matured using a mix of freshly-built oak casks from Ohio, which gives it a hint of vanilla and spice and ex-Bourbon barrels double-scorched in Scotland ‘for an extra depth, adding more vanilla sweetness and a hint of woodsmoke’.

The tree-inspired bottle with debossed and embossed detail aims to capture the spirit of the great outdoorsproviding ‘a stylish look and exceptional back bar stand out, especially with younger consumers looking for something different’.

Recommended serves include a Maple Syrup Old Fashioned, a Woodsman & Ginger Beer, or simply mixing with cola.

Steven Pearson, Global Marketing Director at Whyte & Mackay, said:“Our research showed us

10 CLUB MIRROR

there are younger consumers drinking across several categories but avoiding Scotch because they’re put off by traditional category cues. We recognised this as an opportunity to tap into the continued growth in brown spirits drinkers and bring to market a blended scotch with a unique flavour profile and a rich and innovative production story.”

• www.woodsmanwhisky.com CORONA – HARNESSING THE SUNSET MOMENT Corona’s helping its customers to harness the ‘sunset moment’. The beer’s latest campaign ‘Outside is Our Best Side’ sees events taking place in licensed premises across the country, with additional merchandising support to help generate footfall, increase dwell time and drive rate of sale.

As well as increasing footfall, solar powered DJ booths at various venues align with the brand’s commitment to helpprotect the environment, following its recent partnership with Parley to take action on the issue of marine plastic pollution.

A Corona sunset clock, Corona branded deck chairs and Corona ice buckets form part of the promotional support packages. Corona brings consumers into bars in the earlier hours of the evening, with 79 per cent of Corona consumers visiting them between 5pm and 8pm(CGA BrandTrack, Daypart Usage in General ).

• www.coronaextra.co.uk GOLD FOR BREWHOUSE & KITCHEN BELGIAN-STYLE BLONDE Brewhouse & Kitchen have taken gold for its Belgianstyle Blondes, ‘Head Turner,’ and have earned the accolade of ‘Best in the country” for their Milk Stout ‘Treason’ at the World Beer Awards.

Head Turner is a limited-edition triple hop blonde brewed in Southbourne, praised for its punchiness and bold flavours, while Treason is a chocolate milk stout with deep flavours and a velvety taste.

• t. 020 7183 3635 BUD LIGHT BECOMES BEER OF ENGLAND FOOTBALL TEAM Bud Light has become the Official Partner and Official Beer of the England football team.

Bud Light’s position as Official Partner will see the brand support the team with an increased presence at Wembley Stadium connected by EE, the home of England football, with brand advertising and a take-over of the bars on the Club Wembley level over the next year.

Aina Fuller, Marketing Manager at Bud Light UK, said: “Since hitting the UK in 2017, Bud Light has ‘Dilly Dilly’d’ across the country, and seen some of the strongest growth across the category.

This exciting new partnership allows Bud Light to share its passion for football with British fans, allowing us to engage an even wider audience.”

Bud Light is taking on the position as Official Partner of the England Senior Men’s Team and the Official Beer of the England Men’s team as part of a wider, long-term partnership announced between Budweiser and the FA earlier this year, which includes sponsorship of Wembley Stadium connected by EE and Budweiser renewing its current partnership with The Emirates FA Cup. • www.budlightbeer.co.uk HOGS BACK TO DOUBLE HOP YIELD WITH NEW SITE Hogs Back Brewery is predicting a top-quality hop harvest this year, with the impact of the long, hot summer raising expectations of quality over quantity.

With plans in hand to relocate the hop garden to a much larger site for 2019, the fourth, and final, harvest on the existing hop garden will take place mid-September, after which the process of transferring hops, and planting new ones, will begin.

Estate manager Matthew King said: “This is the first extended period of dry and hot weather we’ve experienced since planting the hop garden in 2014.

Hops thrive on heat and sunshine, but the lack of rainfall has affected their development. They are drawing water up to the top of the plant which is looking very healthy, but we’re not seeing as much lateral growth lower down.

“For this reason, we’re expecting this year’s harvest to be more about quality than quantity. We’ve learned a lot this summer about how hops respond to hot and dry weather, which will stand us in good stead when we move to our new hop garden.”

• www.hogsback.co.uk

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BRIGHTEN YOUR BAR WITH A TURN TO

Summer is here & there is no better time to talk to your customers about golden beers, their refreshing taste & the beauty of cask ale.

As British Summer Time finally arrives, & the sun reappears after what feels like an eternity of snow, rain & freezing temperatures, now is the time to look at your cask ale line-up & evaluate your offering for your blooming customers.

Half of 18-54 year olds will change their drink type throughout the year

Fruitier, lighter, more refreshing characteristics of golden ales lend themselves to the warmer summer months

ROTATE YOUR GUEST ALE HANDPULL WITH GOLDEN ALE • •

For those aged 18-34, pale ales & golden ales are the most commonly drunk beer style & their top 3 preferred beer styles are IPA (19%) Golden (15%) & Pale ale (14%) 68% of drinkers expect a guest ale to remain on the bar for anywhere between 2 weeks & a month, allow time for the majority of your drinkers to sample some of those great golden ales available to you

LIGHTER FOODS WITH LIGHTER BEERS Offer a refreshing Golden ale with your staple Fish & Chips, or a fruity Pale Ale with Chicken Caesar salad to make the most out of your total pub offering

THE TOP PERFORMING GOLDEN ALE IN THE MARKET BUY 2x9s OF WAINWRIGHT & GET A POS KIT OR BUY 3x9s & GET POS KIT PLUS A BESPOKE HAND PULL Kit contains 500 drip mats, 1 pump halo & 12 pint glasses *CGA OPMS 30/12/2017. MAX 1 DEAL PER PUB. WHILST STOCKS LAST.

+9.2% MAT growth*, & rate of sale up +2.8%*, the golden ale category continues to engage with all cask drinkers

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Committed to clubs As Club Mirror continues to enjoy its 50th year of publication, 2018 will be remembered as the year Club Mirror and its sister brands moved into the digital World to complement their traditional printed magazines.

2018 has been an exceptionally busy one with new launches and new events celebrating Club Mirror’s 50th birthday.

Club Mirror continues to work hard with and for the club sector. We’ve been busy launching a number of new magazines targeting specific sports clubs and – importantly for you the readers – all of the new magazines are free to clubs.

In the digital world, 2018 sees our Sports4Bars.com going from strength to strength.

This is the definitive online guide to all the live sport screenings available to all types of licensed premises in the UK.

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The Unio capa Annual Mee city theatre will machines, n’s Preferred Supp lier Dransfield Saturday, ting on the morninghost the exhibitor April 14, s, will again of gaming of at which will welcome Preferred the show, alongside be a major from The include a Suppliers Worshipf Blackpool Heineken fellow UK. ul the May , Councill UK and or of or Ian Cole as an addr Aon ess from Each deleg the keyn man as well Maynard ate will ote speaker complim , the MP entary drin receive a set of for Black Cleveleys pool Nort Paul there will ks tokens . h& be plenty on entry An official and of prizes on both days opportunities to published agenda for the Mee win with raffle sessions in the Apri ting will taking place s and bing be l issue of The Beer o at Club “The regular inter Journal. feedb key activ & Trades Exhibitio vals. shows over ack we’ve had on ity n the 2018 and taking place durin is the other overwhel the past three years trade this, the g Blackpool This mon mingly posit 27th has been show, will th’s President be held over edition of the trade ive,” said Liberal Club Club of the Mon John CIU Vice Paradise two days th is Lind Room of in Huddersfi “We’ve now Tobin. in the ley the The club Beach – eld. was foun Friday, Apri Blackpool Pleas days so that expanded the magnific even ure 14. l 13 and ent Victo ded in 1887 and to Blackpool those delegates who t to two Saturday, the rian build the centr April can only on the Satu The show ing rema e of out go aims to give on experienc rday ins over 2,000 its community the infor club mem ing the trade will not miss to this day, at members mati “As usua bers all with wealth of enjoying show. l we have club’s botto on they need to sporting access to who will a boost m line with and a seve share their full range of exhib advice avail their expertise itors snoon days a week, inclucultural activities particular able on all in areas of ding billia ker, dom their reven order to help our inoes, crick rds, and live clubs boos ues.” et, chess, music. t comedy To read the full article page 11. on the club, see

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< CLUB MIRROR 13

BIRTHDAY FEATURE – THE EDITORS

Voice from the past When John Shaw launched Club Mirror 50 years ago with business partner Jim Dowd, he had no idea it would lead to him breaking bread with royalty, a prime minister and a beauty queen. Matt Eley reports.

W

hat started with an entrepreneurial journalist spotting a gap in the market led to a career path that John Shaw had not envisaged and a title that continues to serve the club trade half a century later.

Now long retired and living in Brighton, John explains how he came up with the idea to launch Club Mirror, over lunch on the Sussex coast.

“I was working in a publishing company and it struck me that no one was fully covering the market and that it was an opportunity,” he said.

With John as editor, business partner Jim Dowd and an ad sales manager on board, the magazine was launched in October 1968 to a circulation of more

14 CLUB MIRROR

than 20,000 clubs. Though the glamour of dining with stars was still a little way off.

“We bought a copy of every Yellow Pages in the country,” says John, now 86. “And I personally went through every directory and marked up with a little line every club that we were going to put on a controlled circulation. We had no computers and no spreadsheets.”

John proudly explains how enough advertising was secured to ensure the magazine was in profit from the very first issue.

It played a vital role in letting club owners and secretaries know what was happening in the trade.

One of the biggest issues at the time of launch was

The Gaming Act 1968. [Editor’s note: The Gaming Act 1968 stated that members clubs with gaming would have to be registered by local licensing magistrates.]

“We were very conscious that we needed to be well on top of that legislation because we were promulgating that information to clubs and if we got it wrong it could have caused chaos,” says John.

“Nowadays everyone can go on the Internet but then it was almost unknown for anybody to send for a copy of an Act of Parliament and read it for themselves.”

As it is now, trade news was an important part of the title’s offer, though a front page in 1968 would

look a little different to 2018.

“To be honest, we used to put young ladies in swimsuits on the front with no real relevance to the contents inside,” says John. “You would never get away with doing that now. We had a completely male-dominated audience. Not only readers but advertisers too and that has completely transformed.

Things have changed for the better.”

Live events play an important role in the way Club Mirror engages with readers and this was already emerging during John’s 10-year stint at the helm.

“It is interesting to see the Club Awards now.

Back then we put our hands in our pockets and went out and bought some silver cups and launched a Club of the Year campaign. This became a big draw, particularly for the proprietary clubs because they could use it in their promotion,” says John.

When Wolverhampton Wanderers Supporters Club won the top prize, which was sponsored by Watneys, it led to a very glamorous encounter “Miss World was sponsored by Watneys so we got Miss World to present the cup. I remember walking through this procession with my partner with all these guys cheering their heads off,” recalls John.

It was a glamorous era for the trade with TV stars of the day all establishing themselves on the club circuit. (Club Mirror even launched a Miss Nightclub of Great Britain in the 1970s.)

A well-connected PR contact also helped John get Princess Margaret and Harold Wilson to open the title’s first and second trade shows after Club Mirror

helped raise tens of thousands of pounds for the charitable causes the magazine supported.

“I hadn’t expected these opportunities to open up to me but it was quite a lively scene. There was no space for dullness,” he continues. “It put Club Mirror further on the map and the exhibition was

a success.”

John eventually sold his stake in the business and went on to publish a successful title in the then emerging computing sector. He continues to reflect fondly on his time in clubland. And the rest, as they say, is history!

CLUB MIRROR 15

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CLUB MIRROR – 50TH CELEBRATIONS

Past, present and future Back in 1993, to celebrate Club Mirror’s 35th birthday, publishing director Sean Ferris and former editors Lewis Eckett, Peter Martin and Dominic Roskrow got together to chat about the past three and a half decades of club history. Fifteen years on we’re proud to reprint it as part of our 50th celebrations.

What is your view of the club market now, and has it changed much in the last 35 years?

Peter: Has it changed? Yes and no. It’s stayed the same in the sense that it plays a fundamental part of life particularly in smaller communities - but obviously the change in the country as an industrial centre has changed the nature of clubs, too. But while clubs operate in a different manner the way they serve their communities remains key to what they are.

Club Mirror, a magazine they said they loved, they demanded I bought them all a drink! When I went back that night for what should have been a quiet presentation I found myself with an audience of 400 – it coincided with their Bingo night! I then revealed that they had actually won the whole category and the place went mad, delirious. It was a really emotionally charged evening. Fantastic. I didn’t have to buy any beers that night and woke up with a hell of a hangover!

Sean: I think there’s an even greater need now for clubs to maintain their position at the heart of the community. We need more social interaction, and clubs are the perfect place for that whether that’s generational, interracial or based on common interests such as sports, snooker, comedy and so on.

Dominic: The bigger clubs have always been a bit intimidating. I remember going up to Darlington and seeing really good bands on a Saturday night and just being amazed at the standard. Watch any of these Pop Idol shows now and 75 per cent of the acts wouldn’t last 10 minutes at some of those places.

I remember being on the judging panel in Birmingham once and all the judges agreed that there was one outstanding act. Trouble is, the audience had taken a liking to one of the other acts who was good, but was destined to go nowhere in the business. We knew our decision wasn’t going to be popular, but I wasn’t prepared for the booing when the decision was announced. Nor was I prepared for the fact that when I turned round the other judges had scarpered.

Thankfully everyone felt sorry for me and I got away with it!

Dominic: I agree with that. In the future there will be more and more people working from home and already the social culture around work is going. We’re social animals and we need to meet somewhere. And for vast numbers bars and city pubs are just too expensive. Clubs have become far better at being all inclusive, attracting people from different walks of life and from varied backgrounds. They have to continue on that path if they’re going to prosper in the future.

Lewis: There’s been some consolidation in the club market – with some operations being unable to compete and going to the wall. The ones that have survived are those that have moved with the times. Yes, there’s a place for community clubs based around sports and entertainment but it can’t all be about cheap beer. The large clubs that have survived should be looking at making themselves more relevant to the wider community. Food is an important angle here as is an understanding that not everybody wants to drink either lager or bitter. A better range of wine should be investigated, particularly for women drinkers.

Clubs that have embraced the changes in a social and economic sense should continue to do well. There has to be a realisation that members are still customers and need to be pulled through the door in the first place and then fulfilled while they are there.

Do you have a favourite club story?

Sean: My favourite has to be the shock and surprise of turning up at a massive club in Blackpool to present a certificate. The shock was the size of the club, as well as the influence it had within the community. The surprise was doing a reckie before the evening presentation, and being quizzed as to who I was. They were incredibly friendly, and when I told them I was from

16 CLUB MIRROR

Lewis: When I got the editor’s job at Club Mirror the then publisher asked me if I had any experience of clubs. “Well, I’ve built one,” I replied rather smartly.

This was somewhat true, as myself and a number of mates had spent a year building a clubhouse for an amateur rugby league club in Hemel Hempstead. In fact the clubhouse was the first ever for a rugby league side in the south of England – and it’s still standing!

One night, just before opening, we had been working on the interior ‘til about 2am. It was freezing inside but the beer had already been delivered so we were having a few bottles at the newly completed bar.

Suddenly the front door was kicked in and a team of police, plus dogs came hurtling in. We just stood there, bottles half way to our lips as they milled about. Finally, they asked what we were doing and we explained. All the while, one of the officers was leaning casually against the wall as we were questioned. When they left, we could see the back of his coat was covered in white emulsion – the wall had only just been painted! We didn’t say a word, but five minutes later he was back in looking for some white spirit. That coat was ruined.

Another time, during Club Mirror’s Nightclub Awards I got a call on a Saturday night telling me that the person who was supposed to be presenting one of

the regional awards that evening had cried off. This was a problem. The club was in Cardiff and I was living in Hertfordshire at the time. Worse still it was already 8pm. I called the club and casually asked if they had gone to much trouble for the presentation, hoping I might be able to postpone.

“Well we’ve blown up a thousand balloons, booked a marching band and invited the Mayor,” said the slightly puzzled manager. I put down the phone and went downstairs to tell my new girlfriend that we would be ‘going out’ that night. She thought I was mad when I told her where we were going. Two and a half hours later we were in Wales. She must have seen the funny side – she still married me.

Any particularly fond memories?

Sean: It’s got to be the Club Mirror Awards. I’ve been associated with the club industry for 10 years and every year I look forward to them. Conferences as well.

It’s where the sector comes together and comes to life.

Real people, real issues and real emotions. Especially at the Awards, where you’d have to be the hardest nut around not to be affected by the genuine tears of laughter and pride. They get better year by year. We’ve had great comperes, always trying to pick people with club backgrounds.

Dominic: I’ve always loved the awards. When you put on a lineup with Bob Monkhouse, Les Dennis, and (the late) Edwin Starr and see hundreds of people having the time of their lives, then everything seems worthwhile.

Peter: The original Club Mirror Awards were special because all these acts would come and perform for us for nothing and there were so many great characters.

Great entertainment. I think of the great people such as George Favva in South Wales and the likes of Jim Dowd, who lived and breathed clubs. We used to put on the very best up and coming names and they stayed loyal to what the paper was about.

Dominic: Yes, Bob Potter at Lakeside’s another one.

Real personalities. I remember once talking to Bernard Manning and he told me that if Club Mirror asked him to perform he’d do so, and he’d do it at a fraction of his normal rate.

Lewis: Yes, Awards nights have always been great fun.

During my time as Editor I remember the great Entertainment Showcases we used to host every year.

We had some cracking acts on – very talented people who were out there working the clubs and honing

Sean Ferris recalls visiting a Blackpool club incognito, where he was preparing to present a Beer Award to the Bar Manager that night. His cover was blown and he still gripes about having to buy the whole club a drink! Nor has he got over the shock of 400 people turning out for the presentation. It coincided with their Bingo night!

A stunned looking Lewis Eckett, in 1993, remembers a young group playing a club in Huddersfield. He thought they ‘weren’t bad’ and asked his companion who they were.

"Take That. They'll never be up to much," was the reply. Eckett expects to be invited to judge for Pop Idols next year.

their craft. A far cry from today’s manufactured pop wanabees. I remember seeing some young lads sharing the bill at a club in Huddersfield with the Ann Summers Roadshow. As the boys finished an old Tavares number I turned to my companion and said, “They weren’t bad, what’re they called?”

“Take That,” came the reply. “They’ll never be up to much.”

What is the biggest threat to clubs?

Sean: People are far too tempted to stay in and watch terrestrial or satellite television, play on the computer.

Clubs are competing with television, computers etc.

We need to make sure that young people continue to come to clubs and input. They are the life blood and the future.

This also impacts on pricing. The price between entertainment in home and out of home has got to narrow, and that means the government thinking about how they tax every pint of beer and every drink.

Dominic: It’s back to that social thing again. Ten years ago you’d have said the biggest threat was the loss of the traditional manufacturing industry or government legislation on alcohol and tobacco. But now it’s definitely the isolation thing caused by home computers and so on.

If clubs still see the word ‘marketing’ as a dirty one, then they need to get over it. Youngsters who haven’t experienced the exhilaration of a great live club night or of collectively watching sport should experience it at least once. And clubs have to do more to make their offering that much better than staying at home.

Lewis: I’m worried about legislation like Licensing Reform, which seems to have completely ignored the club market and attempted to bundle it in with the pub industry. Then there’s government legislation on issues like racial and sexual equality. I don’t agree with discrimination but I do believe that private members clubs should have the right to pick and choose who can become a member or not. If they aren’t allowed that choice then they cease to be clubs in my book.

Enticing people out of the home is clubland’s biggest challenge, says Peter Martin. As a member of a rugby club now, he’s happy to be an enticee. “You can’t beat going for a pint at the end of the day, propping up the bar and setting the world to right. Clubs do that sort of thing best”.

To be honest, there’s been enormous changes in clubs all over the UK – in a relatively short period of time. More often now there is complete equality in clubs between male and female memberships.

Sure the CIU struggles to pass the resolution every time it comes up, but that is not representative of the club industry as a whole.

The changes that we have seen have happened ‘organically’ and are representative of society in general. It would be hugely damaging if legislation was passed that forced clubs to behave outside of the current framework.

Peter: The biggest threat is also clubland’s biggest challenge – enticing people out of the home and in to a social situation. I’m a member of a rugby club now and you can’t beat going for a pint at the end of the day, propping up the bar and setting the world to right. Clubs do that sort of thing best.

Do clubs have a rosy future and is there anything they need to do to guarantee it?

Dominic: Oh of course they have! But value for money doesn’t mean cheap. They need to provide to make sure they reflect trends that are going on elsewhere in society and match them. Wine and food are obvious areas, and providing the sort of standards women now demand is key. To reach those standards might mean spending money and charging more, but clubs can still be cheaper than pubs and offer outstanding value for money. Then they have to make sure people know about them.

Peter: I know it sounds banal but you come right back to what Club Mirror always encouraged its readers to do, and that’s stay relevant to the membership and provide what they want. It’s about providing the entertainment and environment that includes the whole family.

Sean: Clubs have an extremely bright future. I wouldn’t have taken on the magazine if I didn’t truly believe that. My future is now inextricably linked to clubs and I’m here for the long term just as they are.

An easy target? Dominic Roskrow still shivers at the thought of one judging night in Birmingham. While the judges were unanimous in their choice of act, the audience had other ideas. “I wasn’t prepared for the booing when the decision was announced. Nor was I prepared for the fact that when I turned round the other judges had scarpered!”

I agree that we should get better at publicising ourselves. Certain clubs, sports and health clubs particularly, are well acquainted with the marketing initiatives they need to draw people in. But they’re lucky in the sense that they have a particular purpose – to get fit, keep fit and possibly to socialise.

Again, the youngsters need to be shown that clubs are fun, exciting and grown up, rather than something their parents or grandparents did.

Clubs need to wake up to the fact that the pub food success story can be replicated. And given that pub food has been slammed for becoming over priced (The Good Pub Guide) the club sector has everything to go for. We’re calling it the Club Grub Challenge, and we’ll be pioneering this over the coming months.

Another threat is suppliers not taking the club market seriously enough. Clubs have long track records, and don’t change hands every time a brewery or pub chain sells off another bit of its estate or portfolio. I believe that suppliers should be paying greater attention to the club market.

Given that clubs sell more blended whiskies, Cognacs, dark and white rums, vodkas, non cream liquors, packaged beers, packaged ales, packaged stout, packaged cider and perry than any other sector in the on-trade, the club sector should be more demanding and warrants a much greater focus than it currently has. You may be getting the impression I feel very passionately about this. I do!

Lewis: I agree with a lot of Sean’s sentiments. I also think it’s important that clubs retain their identity and don’t try to be something they’re not.

The feeling of community is key here and we should never lose sight of that ‘clubbable’ element.

Clubs are not pubs. True there are things clubs can learn from the pub market but I believe there should be a clear point of difference between the two.

Clubs are for people who want to belong – whether it’s a community social club or a golf club – there has to be a common purpose and shared interest among members. That’s the strength of clubs and long may it continue.

CLUB MIRROR 17

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BEER FESTIVAL – GBBF

Great British Beer Festival brews up a storm The Great British Beer Festival boasted its largest ever range of beers at its summer event. Held at Olympia, London, this was the venue for he 2018 Champion Beer of Britain Awards. So who walked away with accolades? Read on…

B

erkshire-based Siren Brewery has won the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA’s) prestigious Champion Beer of Britain Award with its Broken Dream Breakfast Stout.

The stout (6.5% ABV) scooped gold thanks to its ‘deep and complex blend of chocolate, coffee and a touch of smoke’. The judges commented that it stood out for its aroma, taste and finish, all of which were superb.

The announcement was made on the opening day of the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) on 7 August after a year of local tasting panels and regional heats across the UK. This is the second GBBF accolade for the brew, having won silver in this year’s Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition at the GBBF Winter in February.

CAMRA’s National Director Nick Boley said: “Congratulations to Siren Brewery for taking home the Champion Beer of Britain award with their Broken Dream Breakfast Stout - the highest beer accolade in the country. This is a distinctive, strong,

20 CLUB MIRROR

well-balanced stout from an outstanding craft brewery. If there is any beer in the world that is dangerously drinkable, it’s this one!”

Siren Brewery founder Darron Anley said: “What a huge achievement that the Champion Beer of Britain is a heavy stout with coffee and lactose flavours in the midst of such warm summer weather!

Broken Dream Breakfast Stout is one of our core beers and one of the first beers we ever brewed we’re absolutely delighted.”

The silver accolade went to Suffolk-based Green Jack’s Ripper (8.5% ABV). Inspired by Belgian Tripel ales, this is a strong barley wine, ‘smooth and yet well-hopped’, and winner of CAMRA’s Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition in February.

Bronze was awarded to Tyne & Wear-based Mordue for Workie Ticket (4.5% ABV), described as ‘a complex and tasty bitter’ with plenty of malt and hops ‘and a long, satisfying, bitter finish’.

All finalists were available to sample at the GBBF alongside over a thousand different beers, ciders, perries, wines and gins.

THE WINNERS

GBBF – A HISTORY

Champion Beer of Britain 2018 – overall winners Gold Silver Bronze

Siren Craft’s Broken Dream Breakfast Stout, Berkshire Green Jack’s Ripper, Suffolk Mordue’s Workie Ticket, Tyne & Wear

Champion Beer of Britain 2018 – category winners Mild

Gold Silver Bronze

Greene King’s XX Mild, Suffolk Rhymney’s Dark, Gwent East London Brewery’s Orchid, Greater London

Bitter

Gold Silver Joint Bronze

Orkney’s Red MacGregor, Northern Isles Mighty Oak’s Captain Bob, Essex Bank Top’s Flat Cap, Greater Manchester Acorn’s Barnsley Bitter, South Yorkshire

Best Bitter

Gold Silver

Mordue’s Workie Ticket, Tyne & Wear Bishop Nick’s 1555, Essex

Joint Bronze

St Austell’s Tribute, Cornwall Salopian’s Darwin’s Origin, Shropshire

Golden Ale

Gold Silver Joint Bronze

Salopian’s Oracle, Shropshire Salopian’s Hop Twister, Shropshire Abbeydale’s Moonshine, South Yorkshire Windsor + Eaton’s Knight of the Garter, Berkshire

Strong Bitter

Gold Silver Bronze

Fuller’s Dark Star’s Revelation, Greater London Bay’s Devon Dumpling, Devon Kinver’s Half Centurion, Staffordshire

Speciality

Gold Silver Bronze

Colchester’s Brazilian Coffee and Vanilla Porter, Essex Cromarty’s Red Rocker, Highlands & Western Isles Derventio’s Cleopatra, Derbyshire

This year marks the 41st anniversary of the Great British Beer Festival. The first large beer festival run by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) was held in Covent Garden in London in September 1975. It was a four-day event that attracted 40,000 people who drank 150,000 pints of real ale.

It was soon followed by the first ‘proper’ Great British Beer Festival, held in 1977 at Alexandra Palace. The venue for the Great British Beer Festival has moved between cities since it was first established but has been settled in London since 1991. The only year in which a festival was not held was 1984, due to a fire at the venue.

Venues •1977-80 •1981-82 •1983 •1984 •1985-87 •1988-89 •1990 •1991 •1992-2005 •2006-2011 •2012-2018

Alexandra Palace, London.

Queens Hall, Leeds.

Bingley Hall, Birmingham.

Fire at the venue prevented the Festival taking place.

Metropole, Brighton.

Queens Hall, Leeds.

Metropole, Brighton.

Docklands Arena, London.

Olympia, London.

Earls Court, London.

Olympia, London.

Champion Beer of Britain 2018 winners Porter

Gold

Red Cat’s Mr M’s Porter, Hampshire

Stout

Gold

Siren Craft’s Broken Dream Breakfast Stout, Berkshire

Barley Wines & Gold Strong Old Ales

Green Jack’s Ripper, Suffolk

Old Ales & Strong Milds

Tintagel’s Excalibur, Cornwall

Gold

< CLUB MIRROR 21

CLUB AWARDS – MARSTON’S ROAD TRIP

Clubs with winning ways Just what makes certain clubs stand out from the crowd? Club Mirror joined Marston’s on a whirlwind tour of some of the brewer’s most successful clubs, all finalists in this year’s Club Awards.

HURN BRIDGE SPORTS CLUB Christchurch, Dorset Founded in 1885, Hurn Bridge Sports Club is the home of Christchurch Football Club and provides entertainment and up-to-the-minute facilities for its 1,000 members.

In January the club undertook a £50k makeover to modernise the clubhouse facilities and to encourage more young people into the club.

“We painted and decorated, put in new furniture throughout, a new bar with lighter wood and new flooring,” says Manager Trinie Linge. “On the equipment front we put in new pumps, a new screen and new sound system. As a result, we’ve had an increase in private functions such as weddings.”

As was intended, the refurbishment has drawn more people in. “The members love it!” says Trinie.”

The clubhouse has two bars, three gaming machines and shows sport on both BT Sport and Sky Sports. Outside, and the club has a patio, cricket pitch and football pitch. As well as Christchurch FC, the club has a darts team and cricket team, with entertainment including live music and Rock and Roll every Sunday, all communicated to members via facebook, twitter and local flyers.

At the bar Razor Back is its best selling bitter.

MANOR GOLF CLUB Kingstone, Staffordshire With the appointment of a new course manager, the 26 year-old club decided to make the golf course more user-friendly and appeal to younger people who don’t want to spend so much time playing golf.

“We stripped away the rougher areas and made it more of a parkland at a total investment of £50,000,” says Secretary Sarah Bathew. “The course is still as big – 130 acres – but you can’t lose the ball as much!”

The reaction has been extremely positive says Sarah: “Our green fees income has doubled, we’ve gained 50 new members, casual players have doubled and we’re attracting younger people.”

During the school holidays, junior clubs are held every Wednesday. “Parents drop off the kids at the club and the Pro teaches them golf for the day,” says Sarah New social events have been introduced, including monthly themed evenings. “Our staff really enter into it and get dressed up. Next mouth is a Bavarian night and we’re also doing an American evening with seven different wines and food,” says Sarah.

22 CLUB MIRROR

The club promotes its activities through its website, twitter and facebook, as well as adverts in the local press, Midlands Golfing Magazine and an enewsletter to members A new extension will house a second function room with capacity for 130 people, boosting function business. The room will incorporate outdoor gardens and a patio area with panoramic views.

At the bar Shipyard and Pedigree are the best sellers.

PARKSTONE GOLF CLUB Poole, Dorset At its maximum ceiling of 800 members, Parkstone Golf Club is in the happy position of having a waiting list of 30.

“We are a very selective and exclusive golf club,” says House Manager Mark Ryan, adding that the club has raised its green fees by 25%. “The European Ladies Amateur event is being held here, as well as the South West Seniors next year.

Georgia Hall, who plays on the Ladies European Tour, trained here.”

The 109 year-old club has been put at number 82 out of the UK’s top 100 golf courses. Investment is key to this, with £200k being spent on the course – new bunkers, top soil and the re-assignment of three holes (£80k each hole) – and a further £100k on a new kitchen.

“We’re also waiting for planning permission which we should receive in the next week for green sheds where the green keepers will keep their equipment,” says Mark.

On the social side, the club hosts a broad range of events and can seat up to 200 members who enjoy a mix of everything from tribute bands to opera.

“We’re known as a friendly club and women on their own – such as widows – come here and feel safe and comfortable,” says Jean Cooksley, Club

Secretary, adding that membership is up 5%.

Ashley has introduced catering with hot pies and filled rolls plus buffets for event catering.

“One of our members turns 100 in January so the club is paying for a special celebration and the local paper is attending. Ashley is doing the catering,” says Jean.

“We hold a free barbecue once a year and a free senior citizens Christmas party for 90 hosted by the club with dinner, wine and entertainment.”

At the bar The best selling bitter is Pedigree.

At the bar Ales from Ringwood.

WILBY WMC Wilby, Northamptonshire Wilby WMC has appointed a new stewardess Ashley Gardner, who, together with her husband Darryl, has been working hard to boost the club. This included building a 22ft x 16ft smoking shelter with tables and chairs and lights leading to the garden.

Air conditioning has also been installed in the 88 year-old club, along with new tables and chairs and a new cellar for beer.

< CLUB MIRROR 23

CLUB AWARDS

Dynamic duo – Club Awards 2018 hosts are announced Football pundits and presenters Ray Stubbs and Mark Lawrenson look forward to welcoming you to the 2018 Club Awards.

R

ay Stubbs and Mark Lawrenson have worked together many times over the years, and are now bringing their mix of humour and passion to the Club Awards on November 29, 2018.

“We’re delighted that the football legends will be hosting this year’s event, and it promises to be a night of action, information and surprises,” says the Club Awards’ Karen Foreman.

Both Ray and Mark have played in the FA Cup, with Ray scoring for Oswestry Town in a qualifying round and Mark winning the trophy as a Liverpool player in 1986.

Who are you?

MARK LAWRENSON Born in Lancashire, Lawrenson began his career at Preston North End, and also played for Brighton and Hove Albion before moving to Liverpool in 1981.

He won many honours with the Merseysiders and formed a defensive partnership with Alan Hansen that is still regarded as one of the best-ever in English club football.

‘Lawro’ was capped 39 times by the Republic of Ireland, before an Achilles injury brought his playing career to a premature end at the age of 30.

After hanging up his boots, he managed Oxford United and worked alongside Kevin Keegan as a defensive coach at Newcastle.

Lawro has been a regular BBC football pundit since 1997 appearing on Match of the Day (and more recently on Radio 5 Live) and his weekly predictions are widely reported and widely followed.

While his prediction that Brazil would win the World Cup was off the mark, his confidence that England would reach the quarter final was spot on.

RAY STUBBS Ray has carved a successful career in sports broadcasting after playing professional football with Tranmere Rovers FC. He is currently working for Talksport and was a reporter for BT Sport, and formerly working for ESPN presenting Premier League and Scottish

24 CLUB MIRROR

“

”

Lawro has been a regular BBC football pundit since 1997 appearing on Match of the Day.

Premier League matches. Ray is an entertaining and highly amusing after dinner speaker recounting his tales from the sporting world. Ray is a great fit for most events not just sporting dinners.

Ray joined Tranmere from school and was on the club’s books for five years before switching to an administrative role with the club. He then spent three years with BBC Radio Merseyside as a reporter and presenter. In 1986, Ray moved to BBC Manchester as an Assistant Producer, working on a number of sports including snooker, darts and bowls, as well as A Question of Sport. He also worked as a Producer, reporter and presenter on BBC Two’s investigative series On the Line, a series which saw him go to Italy in 1990 to report on England football fans at the World Cup Finals.

Later that year, Ray began working as a reporter on Grandstand, Match of the Day and Sportsnight.

He reported from the Irish camp during the 1994 World Cup in America, and was the BBC’s reporterin-residence in the England camp during Euro 96 and the 1998 World Cup in France. He also co-hosted coverage of the 1998 Winter Olympics and copresented coverage of the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

Ray covered the last three World Cups for BBC Sport as well as the European Championships in 2000 and 2004. Ray presented Score each week, was the regular presenter of the BBC’s snooker and darts coverage and has occasionally presented of Match of the Day. In 2009, Ray left the BBC after 26 years to join ESPN. He presented the Premier League and Scottish Premier League matches on the satellite sports channel. He then became BT Sport chief football commentator and is currently working for Talksport.

“

”

Ray covered the last three World Cups for BBC Sport as well as the European Championships in 2000 and 2004.

ANY QUESTIONS?

Readers are invited to send in any questions to the Club Awards hosts. Extra brownie points for any questions relating to ‘50’.

Complete the form below or email info@clubmirror.com with the subject line Club Awards Q&A. Alternatively, post your question to: ACP/Club Awards Q&A, 59-60 Thames Street, Windsor, SL4 1TX Your name: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Club name: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Email address: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone no: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Question: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Deadline. October 31, 2018

< CLUB MIRROR 25

CLUB AWARDS

Doncaster Racecourse gets ready for Club Awards FR RACE T EE ICK WORTHETS £16.50 each All fina

lists, win ners and guests w ill be giv en FREE tickets to enjoy a day's r a cing on Novemb er 30, th e day af ter the Club Awards.

Following the success of last year’s event, the Club Awards return to Doncaster Racecourse on 29 November, 2018. And in celebration of Club Mirror’s 50th birthday, we are once again offering free racing on the following day. Are you ready to join us?

A

ll Club Awards finalists and Gala Dinner guests are invited to join us for an exciting day’s racing on Friday, November 30.

“A spectacular and sociable day’s racing in November will be the perfect way to keep the Club Awards celebrations going,” says Karen Foreman from the events team. “The atmosphere will be electric and we’re delighted to have worked with the racecourse to secure free tickets for all of our Club Awards guests in our year of festivities."

26 CLUB MIRROR

JOIN US FOR THE CLUB EVENT OF THE YEAR

The Club Awards Gala Dinner is now in its 27th year, well known for providing the perfect informative – and fun – way to network with suppliers and fellow clubs.

Complete the form below, or email us on caroline@clubmirror.com

STOP PRESS...

In our continued commitment to clubs, all club finalists and attendees are invited to take up our FREE cost review service.

TICKET BOOKING FORM 2 0 1 8

29 November, 2018, Doncaster Racecourse

2 0 1 8

• Beer Festival – 5pm

NAME: ________________________________________________________

• Complimentary drinks reception – 6pm

POSITION IN CLUB: ___________________________________________

• Three-course gala dinner – 7pm • Entertainment with celebrity host and after dinner entertainment • Complimentary ticket to Doncaster Racecourse the following day for each guest

■ I would like _______ (STATE NUMBER) tickets @ £55 + VAT

CLUB NAME AND ADDRESS: ____________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER: _____________________________

(Total inc VAT: £66).

EMAIL ADDRESS: _______________________________________________

VAT (Total inc VAT: £630). This includes 2 complimentary tickets.

SEND COMPLETED FORM TO CLUB MIRROR:

■ I would like ________ (STATE NUMBER) table/s for 10 @ £525 +

BOOK ONLINE: www.awards.clubmirror.com or use this QR code

■ I will/will not take up my free tickets for racing on 30 November.

(One ticket per Awards/Gala Dinner guest.)

■ I would like to take up my FREE club cost review.

BY EMAIL: info@clubmirror.com

BY POST: Club Awards, Gainsborough House, 59-60 Thames Street, Windsor SL4 1TX

BY FAX: 01753 272021

OR CALL: 01753 272022

< CLUB MIRROR 27

Rugby live on BT Sport BT Sport is the only place you can watch every televised Gallagher Premiership Rugby game and matches from both the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup.

Call now 0800 678 1069

Be There

2018/19 HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP

The battle for Europe The Heineken Champions Cup returns in October and the draw has set up some mighty clashes in the pool stages. Holders Leinster Rugby begin their defence against Wasps.

L

ast season Leinster Rugby became only the second club in history to win Europe’s top club tournament for a fourth time. This season they begin their title defence with a must watch Heineken Champions Cup clash against Wasps on Friday, 12 October.

The Pool 1 confrontation live on BT Sport is just one of a host of top-quality matches in the fixture schedules for all six rounds of the 2018/19 Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup Former tournament winners, Bath Rugby and Toulouse, are set to kick off their campaigns when they meet in Pool 1 at the Recreation Ground on Saturday, 13 October.

Premiership champions, Saracens, begin their battle on Sunday, 14 October when they take on Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium and last season’s Guinness PRO14 runners-up, Scarlets, will be at home against the 2018 Champions Cup defeated finalists, Racing 92, on Saturday, 13 October.

Castres Olympique, make the journey to Kingsholm to face Gloucester Rugby in Pool 2 on Sunday, 14 October, while Cardiff Blues, who triumphed in last season’s Challenge Cup, go head-tohead with tournament debutants Lyon on the same day.

Newcastle Falcons are back in Europe’s top flight

for the first time since 2005 and Dean Richards’ side have a tough opening fixture against RC Toulon on Sunday, 14 October.

• For a full list of all October pool fixtures, turn overleaf.

Heineken Champions Cup 2018-19 Pool One: Leinster, Wasps, Toulouse, Bath Pool Two: Castres, Exeter Chiefs, Munster, Gloucester Pool Three: Saracens, Glasgow Warriors, Lyon, Cardiff Blues Pool Four: Scarlets, Racing 92, Leicester Tigers, Ulster Pool Five: Montpellier, Newcastle Falcons, Edinburgh, Toulon

> CLUB MIRROR 31

2018/19 HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP

ROUND 1

ROUND 2

All times are shown in your local time 12 Oct 19:45 Leinster Rugby v Wasps 13 Oct 13:00 Bath Rugby v Toulouse 13 Oct 16:15 Montpellier v Edinburgh Rugby 13 Oct 15:15 Exeter Chiefs v Munster Rugby 13 Oct 17:30 Scarlets v Racing 92 13 Oct 17:30 Ulster Rugby v Leicester Tigers 14 Oct 13:00 Gloucester Rugby v Castres Olympique 14 Oct 14:00 Lyon v Cardiff Blues 14 Oct 15:15 Glasgow Warriors v Saracens 14 Oct 16:15 RC Toulon v Newcastle Falcons

All times are shown in your local time 19 Oct 19:45 Leicester Tigers v Scarlets 20 Oct 13:00 Munster Rugby v Gloucester Rugby 20 Oct 14:00 Castres Olympique v Exeter Chiefs 20 Oct 15:15 Edinburgh Rugby v RC Toulon 20 Oct 15:15 Wasps v Bath Rugby 20 Oct 17:30 Saracens v Lyon 20 Oct 18:30 Racing 92 v Ulster Rugby 21 Oct 13:00 Newcastle Falcons v Montpellier 21 Oct 15:15 Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Warriors 21 Oct 16:15 Toulouse v Leinster Rugby

? y b g u R e v Lo

AT THE HEART OF THE RUGBY COMMUNITY

ISSUE 12

agazine m r e t s i s touch with by.org.uk n i p e e k Then .clubrug w w w t a y Club Rugb

Enter the Social Media Awards

using this QR code

Audience Takeover! Club Rugby readers enjoy a night out at BT Sport Summer Tours England, Ireland and Wales head South

Battle of the Brands Which brands will boost trade behind your bar?

A

d

Also keep up to date with Club Rugby on twitter.

<

32 CLUB MIRROR

CLUB MIRROR READER INVITATION

Join us on set at Rugby Tonight It’s a case of lights, camera, action as Club Mirror prepares for the next ‘audience takeover’ of BT Sport’s popular magazine show, Rugby Tonight. Care to join us?

W

ith the rugby season now well underway, what better way to celebrate than by joining us at a screening of Rugby

Tonight?

Packed with celebrities from the world of rugby, the screening is at BT Sport studios in Stratford, London, where you’ll enjoy a few drinks, a bite to eat and some rugby chat ahead of the live broadcast which was to go on air at its usual time of 8pm.

Free to readers, this will be our fourth audience takeover at a date yet to be confirmed. See you on set!

CLUB MIRROR 33

>

CLUB MIRROR READER INVITATION

TICKET REQUESTS Just email us your club name, your contact details and how many tickets youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like. Simple as that. e. info@clubmirror.com t. 01753 272022 www.clubmirror.com

<

34 CLUB MIRROR

Join our club!

Become a member of Wooden Spoon for just ÂŁ5 a month and help us change childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives Members can:

And most importantly, you will be helping change the lives of children and young people across the UK & Ireland.

woodenspoon.org.uk/membership

2018/19 EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP

Let the battle commence – the

European Rugby Challenge The European Rugby Challenge Cup is set for another strong season and the road to the final on Friday, May 10 in Newcastle promises to be an interesting one. Games start in October and there is plenty to keep your members in the club. We have a look at the opening weekend’s games.

Challenge Cup 2018-19 Pool One: Northampton, Clermont Auvergne, Dragons, Timisoara Saracens Pool Two: Pau, Ospreys, Worcester, Stade Francais Pool Three: Sale Sharks, Connacht, Bordeaux-Begles, Perpignan Pool Four: La Rochelle, Zebre, Bristol, Enisei-STM Pool Five: Benetton, Harlequins, Agen, Grenoble

Perpignan v Sale Sharks Perpignan return this season after four years away.

They get the competition underway in Pool 3 on October 12, when they host two-time Challenge Cup winners Sale Sharks, who boast a key signing in fullback Chris Ashton (at time of writing it was uncertain whether a seven week ban would include this fixture) Perpignan have also made several international additions.

Northampton Saints v ASM Clermont Auvergne Northampton Saints and ASM Clermont Auvergne clash in the opening round of fixtures in Pool 1 on October 13. Both teams have lifted the Challenge Cup on two occasions, Northampton in 2009 and 2014, and ASM Clermont Auvergne in 1999 and 2007.

Bristol Bears v Zebre Rugby Bristol Bears make an instant return to the Challenge Cup in Pool 4 after a one-year. Pat Lam’s side open

36 CLUB MIRROR

their campaign on October 13 against Zebre Rugby.

Bristol reached the Challenge Cup semi-finals in 2000 before being beaten by Pau, while Zebre are yet to make it past the pool stages of the competition.

Stade Français Paris v Worcester Warriors 2017 Challenge Cup winners Stade Français Paris round off the opening set of fixtures in the Challenge Cup on October 13, when they host Worcester Warriors in Pool 2.

The French side have recruited former South Africa head coach Heyneke Meyer who is taking the reins in the French capital. He is joined by two-time European Cup winner and legend Paul O’Connell, who has been appointed forwards coach.

Worcester have also recruited well during the offseason, with Scotland back-row Cornell du Preez and fly-half Duncan Weir both moving to Sixways from Edinburgh Rugby.

• For a full list of all October pool fixtures, see opposite.

ROUND 1

ROUND 2

All times are shown in your local time 12-14 Oct TBA Enisei-STM v La Rochelle 12 Oct 20:45 Perpignan Perpignan v Sale Sharks 13 Oct 14:30 Timisoara Saracens v Dragons Dragons 13 Oct 15:00 Benetton Rugby v Grenoble Grenoble 13 Oct 15:00 Harlequins v Agen 13 Oct 15:00 Northampton Saints v ASM Clermont Auvergne 13 Oct 15:00 Bristol Bears v Zebre Rugby Club 13 Oct 15:00 Connacht Rugby v Bordeaux-Begles 13 Oct 15:00 Ospreys v Pau 13 Oct 21:00 Stade Francais Paris v Worcester Warriors

All times are shown in your local time 19 Oct 19:30 Agen v Benetton Rugby 19 Oct 19:30 Dragons v Northampton Saints 19 Oct 20:00 La Rochelle v Enisei-STM 20 Oct 14:00 Pau v Stade Francais Paris 20 Oct 15:00 Zebre Rugby Club v Bristol Bears 20 Oct 15:00 Worcester Warriors v Ospreys 20 Oct 15:00 Sale Sharks v Connacht Rugby 20 Oct 16:00 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Timisoara Saracens 20 Oct 19:00 Bordeaux-Begles v Perpignan 20 Oct 21:00 Grenoble v Harlequins

Bacar Courv Jack D Capta Jager

? t r o p S e v Lo

ith latest w h c u o t an stay in c s r e v o l t4bars at r o p S Spor ts h t i fixtures w d n a s w e n ars.com B 4 s t r o p S www.

Also keep up to date with Sports4Bars on twitter.

< CLUB MIRROR 37

LIVE SPORTING FIXTURES FROM

Saturday, September 22, 7pm – Sky Sports Box Office

Boxing: Anthony Joshua v Alexander Povetkin

Wembley Stadium will provide the backdrop for one of the biggest fights of the year as reigning champion Anthony Joshua fights Alexander Povetkin for the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles.

The best of With the 2018/19 football and rugby seasons underway, plenty of boxing and racing action plus the not-to-be-missed Ryder cup, there’s plenty of sport to enjoy this month.

Saturday September 8 7pm Sky Sports Action

Saturday September 15 8.35am Sky Sports Action

The Arena Birmingham is the venue for Amir Khan’s welterweight bout against Colombian fighter Samuel Vargas.

New Zealand began their Champions Cup run with an impressive victory over Australia and would hope to mete out similar treatment to the Springboks.

Boxing: Amir Khan v Samuel Vargas

Saturday September 8 7.45pm Sky Sports Football

UEFA Nations League: England v Spain

Thursday, September 28, 6.30am – Sky Sports Golf

Golf: The Ryder Cup

The biennial match play golf competition takes place at Le Golf International on the outskirts of Paris as Team Europe, captained by Thomas Bjorn, take on Team USA, captained by Jim Furyk, in this fabled competition. The USA are the defending champions.

This brand-new tournament will see all 55 UEFA member countries compete between September and November 2018 in four leagues subdivided into four further groups.

In their first encounter, England take on Spain who suffered a dismal World Cup 2018 campaign.

Premier League: Chelsea v Liverpool

It has been a summer of upheaval for Chelsea with Maurizio Sarri replacing Antonio Conte as manager and several new faces joining the Stamford Bridge crew.

Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp has splashed out on high-priced goalkeeper Alisson Becker and will be hoping that the Brazilian will add some real solidity at the back.

Saturday September 15 12.30pm Sky Sports Premier League

Premier League: Tottenham v Liverpool Can Liverpool overcome their defensive frailities which were all too apparent last season and make a concerted challenge for the title?

They will certainly need to watch the Spurs attack very closely to gain any points here.

Tuesday September 11 8pm Sky Sports Football

Saturday September 15 5.30pm BT Sport 1

England take on Switzerland in their second UEFA Nations League encounter. The Swiss were one of the surprise packages of the 2018 World Cup and England will not take them lightly.

It wasn’t a vintage start to the season for Manchester United and the squad will need to pull together quickly if they are to have any chance of gaining any silverware in 2018/19.

Thursday September 13 1pm ITV4

Saturday September 15 10pm BT Sport Box Office

One of the highlights of the flat racing season as Doncaster puts on four days of top-class action.

Thursday is Ladies Day with some exhilarating racing in prospect on this famous Yorkshire course.

Top boxing action as BT Sport Box Office launches with the rematch between Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alavarez, live from the TMobile Arena in Las Vegas.

UEFA Nations League: England v Switzerland

Saturday, September 29, 5.30pm – BT Sport 1

International Rugby Union: New Zealand v South Africa

Horse Racing: St Leger Festival, Doncaster

Premier League: Watford v Manchester United

Boxing: WBA/WBC World Middleweight Title Fight: Gennady Golovkin v Canelo Alvarez

For latest news and timings on sporting events coming to the club screen, visit Sports4Bars.com 38 CLUB MIRROR

September’s live sport Horse Racing: The St Leger Festival, Doncaster, Starts Wednesday, September 12, 1pm, ITV4

ALSO COMING UP...

Thursday September 6 7.45pm Sky Sports Football

UEFA Nations League: Wales v Republic of Ireland Saturday September 8 10.30am Sky Sports Cricket

International Cricket: England v India, 5th Test Saturday September 8 12.30pm ITV

Horse Racing: Haydock Park, Ascot and Kempton Park

Saturday September 22 7pm Sky Sports Box Office

Sunday September 16 4pm Sky Sports Premier League

Premier League: Everton v West Ham United The Toffees have looked in decent form in the early stages of the Premier League and appear to be a good bet to finish in the top six by the season’s conclusion. West Ham, by contrast, have continued to experience major difficulties in the same areas which blighted their 2017/18 season.

Saturday September 22 5.30pm BT Sport 1

Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion v Tottenham Brighton got their season off to a flyer with a shock 3-2 win over Manchester United and this victory will give them immense confidence for the long season ahead. Spurs may not have completed any major signings during the summer but they look in good shape with a band of highly motivated players, headed

by England star Harry Kane.

Boxing: WBA, IBF, WBO & IBO Heavyweight World Title - Anthony Joshua v Alexander Povetkin Another massive fight for Anthony Joshua following his recent successful title defence against Joseph Parker. Wembley is sure to be packed to the rafters as the London fighter takes on his Russian challenger. Povetkin has lost just once in his 35 professional fights and that came way back in 2013, making him a potentially tricky opponent for Joshua.

Thursday September 28 6.30am Sky Sports Main Event/Golf

Golf: Ryder Cup

UEFA Nations League: Northern Ireland v Bosnia-Herzegovina

Following the Opening Ceremony held on Wednesday night, the action gets underway in the battle between Team USA and Team Europe at Le National in France.

The USA’s last victory on European soil came way back in 1993, at The Belfry, Davis Love III securing the win by defeating Costantino Rocca at the last hole.

Sunday September 9 5pm Sky Sports Football

Saturday September 29 5.30pm BT Sport 1

Saturday September 22 12.30pm Sky Sports Premier League

Sunday September 23 1.30pm

Premier League: Chelsea v Liverpool

The jury is still out on Chelsea under their new manager Maurizio Sarri but the Blues are certainly providing some major excitement to the season through the dazzling skills of key men such as Eden Hazard and Marcos Alonso.

Last season’s showdown between these two sides at Stamford Bridge was a fairly tense affair, Chelsea edging the battle 1-0 with Olivier Giroud scoring the game’s only goal. Earlier in the season, at Anfield, the scoreline was 1-1, Willian scoring a late equaliser for the Blues following Mo Salah’s 65minute goal.

Sky Sports Premier League Premier League: West Ham United v Chelsea

Saturday September 8 2pm Sky Sports Football

UEFA Nations League: Denmark v Wales Sunday September 16 1pm Sky Sports F1

F1: Singapore Grand Prix

Premier League: Fulham v Watford

www.Sports4Bars.com

For latest news and timings on sporting events coming to the club screen, visit Sports4Bars.com CLUB MIRROR 39

THE 28TH CIU BEER & TRADES EXHIBITION

YOUR HOSTS George Dawson CMD President

John Tobin Vice-President

Kenneth D Green CMD General Secetary

John Batchelor NEC Member

Sean Belton CMD NEC Member

Geoff Blakeley CMD NEC Member

Carol Goddard NEC Member

David Gravel NEC Member

Les Hepworth CMD NEC Member

Sid Hicks Outgoing NEC Member

Chris Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill NEC Member

Ken Roberts CMD NEC Member

Bob Russell CMD NEC Member

George Smith NEC Member

Geoff Whewell NEC Member

Stephen Goulding Office Manager

THE 28TH CIU BEER & TRADES EXHIBITION

28TH BEER & TRADES EXHIBITION When?

Where?

12 April, 2019 Norbreck Castle Hotel, Queens Promenade, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY2 9AA

JOIN US • Find out what CIU's National accounts and club suppliers are up to and what impact they could have on your club • Seek legal advice • See what's new in entertainment • Learn about sporting opportunities • Network with other clubs EXHIBITORS Last year we welcomed: Ace Furniture; Adgen TV; Aon; BOC; BT Sport; CAMRA; Club Control; Club Journal; Dransfields; Efficient Energy; Heineken UK; Payment Sense; Rijo42 WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN US “This year's event will see club-supporting suppliers all ready and waiting to showcase their products and provide expert advice on helping club business,” says Stephen Goulding, Office Manager CIU. CIU MEMBERSHIP Not a member? For more details on joining the CIU, please contact: Stephen Goulding Address:, CIU Office Manager, Club Union House, 253-254 Upper Street, London N1 1RY t. 020 7226 0221 e. SGoulding@wmciu.org SEE YOU THERE? Suppliers – Due to the large venue, there are a few stands left, so call 01753 272022 or email info@clubjournal.co.uk Clubs – CIU HQ will be sending out delegate/club information in March. If you have any questions in the meantime, call 020 7226 0221 or email info@wmciu.org.uk

HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS

HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS

Making sure that your club gets talked about is all important.

Social Media is a vital weapon in the club armoury when it comes to spreading the word. Some clubs also work with PR agencies to promote themselves still further, so this month we offer top tips on how to find the right consultants to help achieve the club’s goals.

Finally – and when you’ve caught up on all that marketing effort – don’t forget the value of sleep.

Improvingservicevia socialmedia

F

or clubs, platforms like twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook are becoming essential components of membership management and marketing strategies. An essential part of this is how to deal with the negatives alongside the positives.

According to research undertaken by The Social Habit, 42% of people who make a customer complaint via social media expect a response within an hour. A further 32% demand direct action in as little as 30 minutes.

Kevin Mullaney, Head of Digital at Flagship Consulting, believes that most consumers now expect a rapid service 24/7. “This doesn’t need to be the full answer to their question but an acknowledgement of the comment and when the customer can expect a follow up. Customers expect this level of response on weekends too so if your social media teams aren’t available 24-7 then make sure to specify when they are active in the profile’s bio,” he said.

Be quick Try to respond within one hour of a complaint being left on social media. This doesn’t need to be the full answer to the question raised, but an acknowledgement of the comment and when the complainer can expect a follow up.

Show empathy With a 140 character limit and no sarcasm filter to speak of, it’s hard to gauge the sentiment of some tweets. Responding to a sarcastic tweet in a serious manner, or conversely offering a jovial response to a serious grievance can be damaging.

Some situations require a friendly, empathetic response with an honest admission of mistakes, while others need to be much more formal and pro-

42 CLUB MIRROR

cedural. In some instances, the complaint may be so severe that 140 characters or a short response won’t cut it and you will need to take the conversation offline and away from public view to resolve an issue to satisfaction.

Don’t hide negative responses Nobody wants to receive negative feedback in a public forum, but the last thing you should do is delete complaints from your timeline (unless they are offensive, of course). Removing genuine complaints will only serve to anger the person who has left them, potentially escalating the situation and making it much worse than it would have been if you’d simply

held your hands up, accepted responsibility and offered a solution.

There can even be a positive aspect to having negative reviews; it shows that you are real. Mistakes happen – it’s how you deal with them that matters.

A report by Reevoo showed that customers spend more than five times as long on a site that has bad (but trustworthy and genuine) reviews. They also convert nearly 85% more often.

Social Media savvy clubs should enter our Social Media Awards. Turn to page 54 in this issue. Not so comfortable with facebook and twitter et al? The sign up for one of BT Sport's free digital training sessions. See page 18.

Health and safety – risk assessment R

isk assessment is a legal requirement. As part of managing the health and safety of your club, risks in the workplace must be controlled. This means assessing what might cause harm to people and deciding whether you are taking reasonable steps to prevent that harm. (Please note: if the club employs less than five employees there’s no need to write anything down, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).)

A risk assessment is not about creating huge amounts of paperwork , but rather about identifying sensible measures to control the risks in the workplace. Your club is probably already taking steps to protect employees, but a risk assessment will help you to decide whether you have covered all you need to.

Things to think about Think about how accidents and ill health could happen and concentrate on real risks – those that are most likely and which will cause the most harm.

For some risks, other regulations require particular control measures. Your assessment can help you identify where you need to look at certain risks and these particular control measures in more detail.

These control measures do not have to be assessed separately but can be considered as part of, or an extension of, your overall risk assessment.

How to assess the risks in your club • Identify the hazards • Decide who might be harmed and how • Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

• Record your significant findings • Review your assessment and update if necessary Many organisations who are confident that they understand what’s involved can do the assessment themselves, says the HSE. You don’t have to be a health and safety expert. When thinking about your risk assessment, remember: • A hazard is anything that may cause harm, such as chemicals, electricity, working from ladders, an open drawer etc.

• The risk is the chance, high or low, that somebody could be harmed by these and other hazards, together with an indication of how serious the harm could be.

• www.hse.gov.uk

Sleep – your best business ally I

f you want to look after your members properly then how about starting with yourself? Dr Sally Norton, NHS weight loss consultant and surgeon, founder of www.vavistalife.com offers the following advice.

Whatever you might think, tiredness from lack of sleep doesn’t just make it hard to function the next day. It runs far deeper than that. Sleep problems like insomnia can increase our risk of health problems such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and depression. Being tired also reduces will-power making it harder to keep up healthier behaviours. So here are five great reasons to get a really good night’s sleep.

And your members will thank you for it!

really does show in our face and can be picked up by others. What’s more, when we are sleep deprived we find it more difficult to interpret the emotions of others - not ideal in a busy clubhouse on a Friday night!

common problem which can lead to further complications of its own as well as require dietary restrictions and long-term medication. Poor sleep can lead to increased blood pressure, which is associated with strokes and heart attacks too.

2. Reduce your risk of dementia It seems that there is a link between poor sleep and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists think that sleep provides time for the brain fluid to wash away the proteins that are associated with these problems – so aim for around seven to eight hours a night to let your brain catch up with the housekeeping.

1. Beauty sleep – it’s not a myth We all feel worse after a bad night’s sleep but hope that dark glasses, make-up or a smile may disguise it. Not true, I’m afraid! Studies show that poor sleep

3. Reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes Sleep of less than five hours a night may more than double your risk of type 2 diabetes, an increasingly

4. Be a safer driver It’s no surprise that people who are sleep deprived are more likely to nod off at the wheel and have a greater risk of car accidents. Sleep apnoea, often associated with being overweight, is a condition where people wake up frequently at night, often keeping their partners awake with their snoring too, and then fall asleep during the day from exhaustion.

If you recognise this pattern, chat to your GP as it can be treated, not just reducing your risk of accidents – but of high blood pressure, heart disease and other problems too.

5. Sleep yourself slim Studies have shown a link between the quality of our sleep and our waistlines.

When we have a bad night’s sleep it seems to decrease the body’s hormone that regulates appetite – leaving our hunger levels at an all-time high. But it gets worse – we not only feel hungrier, but research shows that we specifically reach for high-calorie/high-fat foods, in an attempt to boost our energy levels that have been left depleted by poor sleep.

Finally...

Aiming for seven to eight hours of restful sleep a night could help in all of these and numerous other ways. We may feel we are too busy to spare the time for another hour or two in bed... but fear not. It seems that people who get adequate sleep tend to live longer – so we will have lots more time in the long run!

CLUB MIRROR 43

<

HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS – FREE TRAINING

HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS

Free digital training for clubs Free digital training for clubs is now available across the UK in a partnership between BT Sport and Google Digital Garage. And there’ll be a few sporting guests dropping in to join in the event.

F

ree digital training for clubs is taking place across the UK, courtesy of BT Sport in partnership with Google Digital Garage. The aim of the free-to-attend sessions is to help enhance digital skills and grow business by focusing on how to improve visibility online and to increase the impact of social media.

Bruce Cuthbert, director of commercial customers, BT Sport, said: “Having a presence on social media has become key for clubs to encourage new and existing customers into their venues. Our customers also tell us that that many of them are not entirely confident in how to do this to get the best results possible. Teaming up with Google Digital Garage means we will be able to give our licensees the chance to get practical training from experts which they can put into practice straight away to raise their profile with their customers.”

The events were launched after a survey revealed that 55% of consumers plan ahead when going out to watch live sport and 45% of live sport watchers ‘follow’ a bar or pub on social media. Meanwhile, 58% of BT Sport pubs have indicated they would promote sports events on social media more if they knew how to make the most of it.

Justin O’Regan, Editor of online sister title Sports4Bars.com said: “The value of social media is well-documented, but like everything it takes time to master it. These courses are a sure-fire way to help in a one- day dedicated workshop. These courses are perfect for everyone from complete beginner to those who want to improve existing skills.”

Training sessions are taking place at venues across the UK and include workshops, face-to-face coaching and the opportunity to speak to specialists on a range of topics, from online advertising to website optimisation.

Guest appearances – sporting stars To ensure that attendees enjoy the workshops as much as possible, BT Sport has lined up some of the biggest names in the sporting arena to join in Q&As at the day’s events – from rugby’s Brian O’Driscoll and Ugo Monye to football’s Robbie Savage and Jermaine Jenas.

“At Liverpool’s event, Steve McManaman provided fascinating insights into the world of British football,” said Justin. “As a scorer of nearly 450 goals for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester City and England, I think it’s fair to say that he scored again with those of us at the training session.”

44 CLUB MIRROR

Brian O’Driscoll, Belfast

Ugo Monye, London

Robbie Savage, London and Manchester

Lawrence Dallaglio, Bristol

BT Sport – coming up “This year is set to be the best season yet on BT Sport and for the first time ever, clubs will be able to show back-to-back UEFA Champions League games on the same day, with exclusively live football action from 6-10pm, doubling the trading window,” said Bruce. “We also have top flight football action from the Premier League and more Emirates FA Cup games than ever before. BT Sport will be the only place to watch all the televised Gallagher Premiership and Heineken Cup rugby

this year.”

On the boxing front, the Broadcaster has also announced a free-to-clubs screening of Canelo v GGG 2 on September 15 to celebrate the launch of BT Sport Box Office.

“This follows our successful entry into boxing just a year ago with Fight Nights on BT Sport which continue to go from strength to strength and we now have the opportunity to make the more exclusive pay-per-view bouts available to clubs across the UK,” said Bruce.

LOCATION

VENUE

DATE

London

BT Tower

17th September & 18th September

Belfast

Kingspan Stadium

24th September

Edinburgh

BT Murrayfield

1st October

Newcastle

Kingston Park Stadium

2nd October

Manchester

Old Trafford

16th October

Cardiff

Cardiff Arms Park

22nd October

Bristol

Ashton Gate Stadium

23rd October

ANY QUESTIONS? Clubs attending the workshops will have the opportunity to join in Q&A sessions with BT Sport stars. Any questions? Then just complete the form below OR email the relevant details to info@clubmirror.com Name: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Club: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Venue you intend to attend: _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Question: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Email these details to info@clubmirror.com OR send this coupon into: ACPâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;BT Sport Q&A, Club Mirror, 59-60 Thames Street, Windsor, SL4 1TX

< CLUB MIRROR 45

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HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS

Legal eagle HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS

D

uring the referendum campaign, the subject of immigration was prominent. Since the referendum, a number of illuminating statistics have been produced regarding migrant workers in the leisure industry: • There are approximately 150,000 EEA workers in the hospitality sector.

• 24% of the workforce in the sector is made up of non-British nationals, higher than retail, travel and care.

• In eating and drinking out businesses the number of migrant workers rises to 37%.

• Migrant labour in restaurants has increased by 18% and in pubs, bars and nightclubs by 59% (nearly all of which were EU migrants).

• Migrant workers in specific jobs included chefs (42%), restaurant managers (35%), waiting staff (29%), kitchen and catering assistants (29%) and bar staff (13%).

Right to work checks All employers, irrespective of size or sector, are required to prevent the employment of illegal workers. In order to comply with this requirement, it is necessary to carry out a three step check to confirm that a potential employee is entitled to work in the UK. Right to work checks should be carried out on all potential employees. All job applicants must be treated in the same way in order to avoid discriminating against anyone.

A right to work check must be carried out before a person is employed in order to ensure that they are legally allowed to do the work in question.

There is also a requirement to conduct a followup check on people who have a time-limited permission to work in the UK when the permission expires.

The right to work check will consist of a person producing to an employer a document which is accepted as demonstrating that the person has permission to work. The lists of acceptable documents can be found in Annex A of the Employer’s Guide to Right to Work Checks published by the Home Office which can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/u ploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/72085 8/29_06_18_Employer_s_guide_to_right_to_work_c hecks.pdf There are three steps to the right to work check: • Obtain the person’s original documents as speci-

48 CLUB MIRROR

The UK’s departure from the European Union is fast approaching.

With the hospitality sector being particularly reliant on migrant workers, Legal eagle David Lucas explores the implications.

fied in the guidance.

• Check the validity of the documents in the presence of the holder.

• Make and retain a clear copy, and make a record of the date of the check.

It is essential that employers carry out the right to work checks as it is illegal to employ someone aged 16 or over who is subject to immigration control and is not allowed to undertake the work in question.

It is an offence if an employer knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, that they are employing an illegal worker. The maximum penalty on conviction is five years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

In routine cases involving the employment of illegal workers, a civil penalty will be imposed as an alternative sanction.

In order to deal with an employer who continues to use illegal labour, there is also a power to impose a closure notice and compliance order.

Immigration offences and penalties are grounds on which a licence or certificate issued under the Licensing Act 2003 may be refused or revoked.

Licensing Act 2003 In order to prevent illegal working in premises licensed for the sale of alcohol or late night refreshment, the Immigration Act 2016 amended the 2003 Act in a number of ways: • Premises licences to sell alcohol or provide late refreshment and personal licences cannot be issued to an individual who does not have permission to be in the UK, or is not entitled to undertake work relating to the carrying on of a licensable activity.

• Licences issued to those with limited permission to be in the UK will lapse when their permission to be in the UK and work in a licensable activity comes to an end.

• Immigration offences, including civil penalties, are “relevant offences” as defined by the 2003 Act. • The Home Office (Immigration Enforcement) has been added to the list of responsible authorities which must receive premises licence applications (except regulated entertainment only licences)

and, in some limited circumstances, personal licence applications.

• Home Office (Immigration Enforcement) may request a licensing authority to review an existing licence or certificate when it has concerns relating to the licensing objective of preventing crime and disorder, including immigration crime and preventing illegal working in licensed premises.

• Immigration officers are permitted to enter premises which they have reason to believe are being used to sell alcohol or provide late night refreshment, to investigate whether immigration offences are being committed in connection with the licensable activity.

• The licensing authority must review a premises licence if the premises to which it relates were made the subject of a compliance order to prevent illegal working.

A case in point Employment of an illegal worker was an issue in a relatively recent High Court case. In that particular case, a restaurant was the subject of a joint visit by the police and immigration officers. It was discovered that the chef at the restaurant had no current

entitlement to remain and work in the UK. The holder of the premises licence accepted that he employed the chef without paperwork showing a right to work in the United Kingdom. He also accepted that he had paid the chef cash in hand at a rate less than the minimum wage without keeping or maintaining PAYE records. He also purported to deduct tax from the chef’s wages and did not account to HMRC for the tax deducted.

On the basis of those facts the licensing authority revoked the premises licence. The licence holder appealed to the magistrates’ court. Somewhat surprisingly, the appeal was upheld by the District Judge who over-turned the decision to revoke the licence.

The licensing authority appealed to the High Court where the Judge allowed the appeal and revoked the premises licence.

Licensing authorities have recently been given the power to suspend or revoke a personal licence for the commission of a relevant offence under the 2003 Act. This power is now being used by licensing authorities in respect of the employment of illegal workers.

European Union workers Concerns have been raised about the ability of EU citizens to continue working in the hospitality sector after the UK has left the European Union.

The Government has stated that there will be no change to the rights and status of citizens living in the UK until 2021. An EU citizen who wishes to continue living in the UK after June 2021 will be able to apply for “settled status” for them and their family.

The scheme will be fully open by March 2019 and the deadline for applying will be 30 June 2021.

Full details of the scheme are still subject to approval by Parliament but further guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizensfamilies/print

CONTACT DETAILS Fraser Brown Solicitors 84 Friar Lane, Nottingham NG1 6ED e. dlucas@fraserbrown.com t. 0115 959 7139 mob. 07973 899398

CLUB MIRROR 49

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HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS

HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS

Want to cut club spend while increasing efficiencies? Well now you can. Introducing HQ Building the Business. Completely free to clubs this new service involves no contracts and no costs, just better buying and better club business.

Welcome to HQ Building the Business F

rom utilities and energy savings to procurement and financial services, HQ Building the Business works with your club as a surrogate head office, helping you to boost club business. And by working with carefully selected club-supporting partners and suppliers, HQ Building the Business will save you valuable time and resources in the quest to save your club money, freeing up you and your committee to run an even more efficient club.

You’re just three steps away from saving money.

Step 1

Free no-obligation audit – just call us or email us.

Step 2

Following our audit and discussions, if we believe we can help your club we will source the best deals available.

Step 3

Frequently Asked Questions Q. How does it work?

A: It starts with a free and confidential audit of your club in those areas where you would like to find savings and efficiencies. This could be anything from utilities to phone bills and from food to club equipment.

Q. What are the costs?

A. There are no costs. HQ is free to join.

Q. What are my obligations?

A. There are no obligations for you or your club and no contracts. All we ask is that when we work with you, you are open about your current supplier situation.

suppliers we need to prove the value of a club to their business, but if we can help we will.

Q. What are your club credentials?

A. We’ve been working in the club sector for over 30 years in various roles. The launch of HQ Building the Business is the culmination of many years working with clubs and suppliers, from brewers and telecoms suppliers, to energy and water companies.

Q. Do I need a face to face meeting?

A. Not necessarily. A lot of the ground work can be done over the phone/email.

Q. What should I do if I want to get in touch?

A. Just email enquiries@hqbusiness.com or call 01753 272022.

Q. Does the club need to have a minimum turnover?

A. Our services are most suited to clubs with a minimum turnover of £100,000. This is because to secure the HQ Building the Business deals with

Your club starts saving money.

This is what we call a win win! So get in touch now and help us help you to make 2018 an even better year for your club and your members.

You can call on 01753 272022 or email enquiries@hqbuildingthebusiness.com.

General Manager of Gallagher Premiership Rugby contender, Worcester Warriors “My role is very much to ensure that the support mechanisms of an efficient stadium and business are in place. I’ve worked with David and his team to assist in delivering savings across the business at Worcester Warriors and I am delighted to recommend the team on a professional as well as personal level.

Energy has been one of the biggest projects, and this procurement is delivering significant short and long term savings. There are plenty of people out there who claim they can do this; this team can.

A large part of my role is about getting things done efficiently and effectively, hence why I value the straight talking, efficient and short sharp presentation of results. No fuss, no salesmanship, just a host of opportunities followed up by appropriate and helpful assistance to deliver the chosen projects; make the most of them.”

• www.warriors.co.uk

52 CLUB MIRROR

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CALLING ALL CLUBS – AWARDS

Could you be a winner?

Calling all clubs! Are you a tweeter? Or a Facebook fanatic? Are you using social media to build club business? Then step into the spotlight with the Hospitality Social Media Awards.

ENTRIES AND ACTIONS 1. Call for entries – just email your club name and brief details of your website and/or facebook/twitter etc to – info@hsma.biz. We’ll do the rest. You can also enter online at www.hsma.biz or use the QR code on this page.

Closing date – 30 June, 2018.

Supported by clubmirror Au gu st 2 01 8

AT T H E H E A RT O F T HE CO M M U NI T Y

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

ISSUE 14

ISSUE 12

AT THE HEART OF THE RUGBY COMMUNITY

Sports Special

It’s all eyes on the prize L EG AL AD V I C E • H Q • AS K TH E E XP E R T S • FR EE T RAI NI NG

Clubhouse Europe Buying Group – page 22

MDPs 2018 – full programme announced

Time to shine – enter the 2018 Club Awards

Welcome to the finnish line – golfing life in Finland Recruitment – hire for passion, train for skills

Enter the Social Media Awards using this QR code

54 CLUB MIRROR

Audience Takeover! Club Rugby readers enjoy a night out at BT Sport Summer Tours England, Ireland and Wales head South

Battle of the Brands Which brands will boost trade behind your bar?

Awards Could you be our Rugby Club of the Year?

Congratulations to the first ever Hospitality Social Media Awards winners.

SOCIAL MEDIA – RAISING YOUR PROFILE Are you…

A tweeter?

A Facebook aficionado?

Interested in getting a helping hand?

BT Sport and Google Digital Garage are running free training sessions for all levels of Social Media-hungry clubs. Each event takes place from 10am to 5pm. To book your place just email us – info@clubmirror.com

Interested in how the last Awards panned out?

Then just take a look at www.hsma.biz

Dates and venues for BT Sport and Google Digital Garage training sessions Each event takes place from 10am to 5pm.

LOCATION

VENUE

DATES

Liverpool

Anfield

3rd September 2018

Brighton

Amex Stadium

10th September 2018

London

BT Tower

17th September 2018 18th September 2018

Belfast

Kingspan Stadium

24th September 2018

Edinburgh

BT Murrayfield

1st October 2018

Newcastle

Kingston Park Stadium

2nd October 2018

Manchester

Old Trafford

16th October 2018

Cardiff

Cardiff Arms Park

22nd October 2018

Bristol

Ashton Gate Stadium

23rd October 2018

If any of the above apply, then just email us your club details to info@clubmirror.com and we’ll do the rest. You can also enter online at www.hsma.biz Good luck!

CLUB MIRROR 55

DRINKS REPORT – WINE

In search of the ideal club wine list

The sheer diversity of both wine styles and consumer tastes within the GB on trade means that the necessary, if sometimes derided, ‘wine list’ is one of the most important elements that a retailer can provide to the drinker, says Mark Newton of data specialist CGA.

W

ith many drinkers as fickle as ever and competition fierce, utilising the wine menu to drive footfall can provide an allimportant advantage – whether a casual dining restaurant, or a club.

The wine list is also often seen as the ‘face’ of the category offer by customers to any given venue, so to maximise the effectiveness of the offer it is crucial to optimise the menu, by understanding how many wines (per category) are desired (and expected) by consumers and how their choices are made. Price – whether by the glass, or by the bottle – is also an important factor, information on customer willingness to spend, and average price points, can provide key insights into best practice pricing and ranging.

56 CLUB MIRROR

Does size (of menu) matter?

In an often complex category, a barrier often cited by consumers to choosing wine, is a feeling that there can be too much information to digest, especially when taking into account style, country, region, varietal and price preferences. Thus, providing a balance between providing a sufficient amount of choice to please the majority, without alienating potential customers, can be difficult.

Analysis of consumer survey data undertaken by CGA has shown that many wine drinkers see a menu of 11-20 wines as being the sweet-spot. Therefore, it appears clear that a level of choice is important, but the message also suggests that it is important not to overwhelm (particularly more mainstream) wine

consumers with too much choice.

Indeed, according to CGA data, the average number of brands on GB on trade menus is currently 11.3 (across both still and sparkling) – suggesting many retailers are already focusing on the ‘median’ ideal of consumer preference. But does it satisfy all options or retail/ consumer opportunities? It is probably fair to say that this view can vary considerably by outlet type/ customer expectation and demand.

The importance of additional choice to ‘typical’ wine drinkers can be illustrated in the difference between Hotels (17.6) and sports/ social clubs (9.1) – customer expectations, followed by likely category demand will be the driver here.

Food also plays its part. Food led pubs, for

This is reflective of general wider trends within the wine category.

When customers look towards higher priced wines then quality becomes the key driver of choice.

At the lower end of the market – perhaps typically – it remains a price driven market. As a result, it is important for retailers to ensure that their higher end wines are ‘worth the money’ – otherwise they are likely to be pushed back to price being primary motivation.

example, offer an average of five more wines on a typical menu than a local/ wet led pub. Where the food offer is an important part of the overall retail offer then the availability of additional wine options/ choice could be crucial in such a competitive environment.

Price is King?

The old adage ‘price is king’ still appears to hold true, according to what consumers rate as important in their choice of wine. This reinforces the classic consumer demand that price is the primary motivator, but ideally not at the sacrifice of quality of product – something which venues need to keep an awareness of.

Over half (52%) of consumers suggest the ‘low to medium range’ (up to £15 a bottle bar price) remains key. However, it has declined by -3% year on year and signs of category premiumisation can be seen from the fact that the ‘medium to high range’ has increased by 4% to 22% with demand creeping up.

It’s all about the white…

It is clear that white wine is the most popular category style with over two thirds of consumers suggesting that it should be the focus of greatest emphasis on wine menus.

White is also the biggest choice at the lower end of the market by consumer demand. Offering accessible entry levels of well-known white wine should therefore be a key element of any wine menu. Red wine appears to have the greater propensity towards premiumisation – possibly because it remains the key option for more formal ‘food pairing’ rather than casual, or general drinking where price is potentially a bigger motivation factor for white and rose.

What country? What grape?

While consumer survey analysis provides one view of the most popular wine styles for drinkers – CGA On Premise Measurement can give us a pure volume sales view on what Sports & Social Club drinkers specifically are buying.

Based on latest data the most popular wine countries of origin include obvious options such as Italy and Australia, but also more premium countries like New Zealand (volume up +6.9% year on year) are showing the biggest levels of growth.

When we move on to grape types (varietals) again classic styles such as Pinot Grigio are at the top of the list. However, Sports & Social Club wine drinkers are following wider on trade trends which suggest greater experimentation and interest in previously less well known wines such as Malbec (volume up +4.8%).

It should also be noted that the sparkling wine phenomenon of Prosecco are showing some of the highest overall on trade volume uplifts in the sports & social club sectors (up almost +150% year on year) – which is providing a whole additional area of potential and opportunity for venues, whether bottle, or draught by the glass.

Summary So, what is the ideal wine list? It depends on a multitude of factors, from venue type, location and customer base, with the key being to know the customer and to understand their expectations by outlet (or indeed outlet type). That said, amongst the variables, there are constants that should be taken into account: • Familiar entry points – whether brands, styles or grape varietals – are important to the decision making process for many drinkers, especially in more mainstream scenarios.

• There can and should be more interesting options at higher prices to more clearly reflect the premiumisation trend and willingness of more knowledgeable drinkers to broaden their scope.

• Most consumers choose low-mid range, so concentrate the majority of wines within this range.

But, clear opportunity exists at the mid-high range especially by the glass, where the increased use of wine dispense systems like Verre de Vin mean margin can potentially be enhanced and wastage reduced.

• The huge success of Prosecco has reinvigorated the more budget sparkling wine sector – and is showing no significant signs of slowing in popularity.

CONTACT DETAILS Mark Newton e.mark.newton@cga.co.uk t. 0161 476 8335 www.cga.co.uk Source data for this report: CGA BrandTrack Consumer Analysis & CGA Wine OPMS P06 2018

CLUB MIRROR 57

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CLUB AWARDS – A WORD WITH CLUB INSURE

Club Insure – club insurance specialists

Club Insure aren’t your typical insurance broker. We do things a little differently to everyone else. We were created using a different mould. We were founded for the love of the industry. We love clubs and we want to see them thrive – and we have 20 years of passionate work to prove it.

S

ince 1998, we’ve been dedicated to keeping the club scene alive and thriving through offering the best possible protection. In fact, we’ve partnered with some of the club industry’s leading associations like the Association of Conservative Clubs, CISWO and the NULSC so that we can stay in the thick of club issues.

We’re here to offer protection in more ways than one.

Our history Club Insure, and our sister company, NDML, were formed in 1998 as Nightclub Direct and Millennium Leisure Ltd. Ironically, our first office was above a bookmakers, which is incredible when our business is based on managing sensible risks.

“

Through office moves and new clients we grew, and in 2013, the Club Insure brand was born. No matter what the name or the branding, the mantra stayed the same. We aimed to make our portfolio within clubs diverse, so that we could offer specific cover. We wanted to make sure that all stones were turned. We made sure that our experience with one club, or sector of clubs, would help us with the rest.

Starting in 2013, we partnered with an association for the first time, CISWO. And soon after that came the Association of Conservative Clubs. Through understanding what their members were worried about, we could evolve our insurance packages to give them peace of mind as well as protection. We also celebrate club successes with our long-term sponsorship of Club Mirror’s Club Awards.

Who we are today Today, we have over 4,000 clients in different club sectors. We support social clubs, sports club, leisure venues and everything in between. Most importantly for us, is that our biggest channel for gaining new customers is still word of mouth and testimonials.

We must be doing something right.

We’re constantly developing new ways to make life easier for our clients, such as our online portal where customers can see all their documents with a few clicks of their mouse.

Contact us via phone, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, email…whichever way you prefer to communicate, we’re there.

We don’t just wax lyrical about our business. We win awards for it. Our in house claims team won at

I would gladly recommend your company on the ease that you arranged our buildings and contents insurance. As I had already advised you that the club needed to reduce our expenses, you quickly arranged our insurance at a very competitive price fixed for three years. Your personal visits to the club made all the difference. Our trustee and myself were able to discuss in detail all our insurance questions with you. Within a short time all was agreed and signed for.

The Rednal Social Club

The Rednal Social Club

58 CLUB MIRROR

”

“

Club Insure were Great Doddington WMC able to tailor a policy to suit our club’s needs in a professional and friendly manner. The quote was all encompassing and very competitive. They answered any questions that we had with patience and I wouldn’t hesitate I would gladly recommend Club Insure to use them again on the ease that they arranged our club’s or to recommend combined insurance. They were extremely them to others. helpful and informative. A very detailed inventory was Great Doddington WMC carried out of the whole premises and was supported by photographs of all areas. This I thought was a very useful exercise for the insurers and ourselves leaving no room for misrepresentation of our rugby club. Both Club Insure and the insurer’s administrative staff were very helpful with all the queries we had as a committee. The policy documentation was produced very speedily at a three year fixed price policy.

“ ”

”

Woodrush RFC

the modern claims awards and the UK claims excellence awards. Club Insure as a whole have won Commercial Broker of the Year and Schemes Broker of the Year.

• Talking to them like a human to ensure they fully understand every process.

• Maintaining the service level throughout the contract – we’re not a sale and bail broker.

Our values Today, we value each and every client as if they were our own business. Every single account and policy is delivered with the upmost care and attention.

Emblazoned on the wall at our head office are the words ‘Treat our customers exceptionally’. They’re the words of our chairman, Justin Romero-Trigo.

They’re the first thing we see in the morning and the last thing we read before we leave for the night.

What are our plans for the future More of the same, but always improving is the name of the game for Club Insure. We know that sounds like an oxymoron, but it makes perfect sense in the way we operate. When we say, ‘more of the same’, we mean more the outstanding service we offer to clients every day. When we talk about continual improvement, we know that complacency is as good as moving backwards, and we can only remain the best by making the most of our learnings.

If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself, ‘of course they’d say all that, but where’s the proof?’, then we’re totally with you. So don’t just take our word for it; read what our customers have to say.

It’s a motto that drives everything we do.

Treating customers exceptionally to us means: • Going the extra mile to save them money and get them a better level of cover.

CONTACT DETAILS If you want to speak to Club Insure about the tailored protection we can offer your club, call us today on 0844 488 9204.

CLUB MIRROR 59

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ASK THE EXPERTS – SEO

Thoughts on DIY SEO If your club has a website, just how well versed are you in the principals of SEO? Not so much?

Then this one’s for you.

L

et’s start from the top. SEO stands for search engine optimisation, the aim being to make your club easy to find and near the top of the listings when Joe Public searches for you or a club in your area (for example).

So where do you start?

Define keywords Make a list. It’s a good idea to sit down and think about some keywords which you think relates to your club and its business. If you’ve never delved into the world of keyword research before, it’s probably best to have a focus on 3-4 keywords.

From this, you can then think about expanding those keywords, whether it’s adding more to your list or trying different variations of phrases (or ‘long-tail keywords’ as the professionals call them!). If you’re feeling really brave, have a look at Moz’s keyword explorer. It enables you to enter terms and phrases and offers you more suggestions.

Local Listing Whatever the size of your club, taking advantage

60 CLUB MIRROR

of the use of local business is always a good idea.

Google My Business is a location-based service, and very worth having. Not only is it free, it’s quite easy to set the basics up. We recommend being as detailed as possible, add photos, add your opening hours, add your location, and information about your club. You can also get your members to leave reviews, improving your credibility, too. (Here at Studio44 we will, of course, always help with setting up Google My Business for you, but if you want to make a start before we step in it could save some precious time.)

Meta Mania Now you have some keywords to go on, you shouldn’t just implement this within the body of your content. It needs to be considered for both your page titles and meta descriptions. In short, your page title comes up in the Google search engine, and the meta description is the little bit of information underneath. It’s important to implement keywords throughout both of these two things. (With our Content Management System – CMS - we give you access to both of these features

so it’s something you can try at home.)

Keep it fresh Regularly updating content on your site is a key starting point for boosting your SEO, and also, who knows your club better than you?

Providing regular content updates not only is liked by search engines, but also shows that you are loyal and committed to keeping your members up to date.

Here at Studio44 we’re experts in SEO, so any questions on what more you could be doing, please feel free to drop us a line!

CONTACT DETAILS Studio44 44 Newton Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1RU t. 01892 888 011 www.studio44.agency

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ASK THE EXPERTS – INTERIORS

Current club furniture trends, styles and colours Fancy a refurb? Always on the agenda, and an important part of keeping your club top-of-mind, Robert Price, examines some of the latest furniture trends.

I

f a refurbishment has been at the top of your todo list for a while, you’re not the only club which has delayed crossing it off the list. If you’ve gone a long time without an interior update, it can be difficult to know where to start with a refresh. So what’s been happening in the world of club décor recently?

Comfort is key Whatever the club location – easily accessible or a bit of a drive – comfort is key. Members will expect quality need a reason to visit and stay.

To create an environment which attracts members and encourages them to extend their stay, clubs must shift away from industrial style décor and move towards a more personal one.

Comfortable furniture and cosy corners for relaxing and socialising will continue to be welcomed by members.

Above all else, you need to visualise your club as a place you can picture people spending a chunk of their time in.

Embrace tradition Traditional stylings have continued to be popular in 2018. They have made a fresh comeback and have been combined with luxury and comfort.

Upholstered wooden chairs and dark leather furniture are perfect for creating a welcoming and traditional atmosphere.

From here, a focal point can bring character to the area. Perhaps you have an original exposed brick wall or a longstanding bar? These can be great assets and your refresh should work to emphasise and draw attention to them. A club painting depicting players and teams gone by or a specific piece of furniture, perhaps a standout sofa, can also work as a focal point for the room.

Furniture to match your team’s colours A currently popular theme used by clubs is to match the colour of their seating with the team’s colours. Doing so provides a unique touch. When refurbishing Annan Athletic FC’s clubhouse, to match with the team’s famous colours, the club decided to have the Harrow chairs upholstered in black and gold flat weave.

If you can’t find the right colour to match your team, furniture providers who also upholster seating are often able to find an appropriate match if

“ Werneth Cricket Club works with Trent Furniture to refurbish its clubhouse.

Comfortable furniture and cosy corners for relaxing and socialising will continue to be welcomed by members.

”

CONTACT DETAILS you describe what you’re looking for.

A club’s refurbishment doesn’t have to be anything drastic. Simply updating the furniture, adding a lick of paint and redecorating can be enough to persuade your members to stay for a pint after a game and for the general community to consider your club space for functions.

Established in 1960, Trent Furniture supplies clubs throughout the UK, as well as to pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants. It makes and assembles much of its furniture at the company’s Leicestershire factory. t. 0116 2986 866 or 0116 2984 791 www.trentfurniture.co.uk

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