We caught up with Chairman Tom Piatak this week to get an update on his first three months in charge and the plans for changes to the east stand and a new training ground.
“It’s been challenging but we’re thoroughly enjoying the process” he said. “We obviously wish the performance on the pitch was better but we’ll get there. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the first three months, we’ve got quite a few challenges ahead of us but the family are looking forward to taking them on.
“We’re accustomed to moving at a very quick speed so from that perspective I do wish things could move a bit quicker. I do understand some of the planning and approval processes that we need to go through.
“We’ve made some quick changes around the stadium in the boardroom and the 1904 lounge. The next big task will be hitting the east side of the stadium and the fans have been able to look at the plans we’ve laid out and give us some feedback on those.
“That’s going through the planning process, so we’re pleased with where we’re headed. We have a bigger picture of the overall end game and we’re slowly taking the steps to get there. We’re pleased with the progress right now.
“Our goal is to have the work in the east stand done by summer. In between the seasons, we would like to get the majority of the work done. That’s all going to depend on the planning process, but we have that submitted and we hope to get the approval we need.
“We think it will make a tremendous impact, and by being able to move a lot of the hospitality to the east stand, it’s going to open up the west stand for the players and the coaches so we can make some changes over here as well. We’re already making some minor changes on the west side for the players, but we’d like to do more for them.
“I was speaking to some of the players and I asked them if they were in charge what would be the one thing they would want to change. They all said the changing room. Patty and I were down at Old Trafford recently and we took a picture of their changing room which I showed to the players and told them that is what we’re targeting.
“I know that’s a high, lofty goal, but it’s the approach we want to take. Much like we did the boardroom and the 1904 lounge, that’s the quality we want throughout the entire stadium. Right now we are making changes in season to the home dressing room and showers, and we believe that investment will be able to be used as we renovate the west side as well. We’re not throwing good money after bad money or having to tear it down, but it’s making an impact for the players.
“When we changed the boardroom and the 1904 lounge which is where we have the meals on a match day, afterwards we sat there and said these two rooms are only being used for around four hours on a match day which is a waste of a beautiful space.
“The players now have their meals in the 1904 lounge with the state-of-the-art modern technology up on the walls. They’re able to really relax and enjoy themselves, and they also get to use the boardroom as well. We’re trying to multi-use the spaces so they benefit the players as well.”
Tom and Patty have been in Cumbria for a couple of weeks which has allowed them to meet with the University of Cumbria, Cumberland Council and the Mayor of Carlisle.
“We’ve spent a lot of time with the council and they’ve been fantastic and very supportive. We’ve also spent time with the University of Cumbria and we’re putting together a program where we can work together, which we’re really excited about. We think there’s a lot we can do with the University and also help them out at the same time.
“The opportunity to meet the Mayor was fantastic and gave us a chance to learn about the history and the culture of Carlisle. We’re getting more ingrained and spending more time walking the streets and going out for lunch or dinner, which just gives us a chance to talk to people. This is an absolutely fabulous community and we thoroughly enjoy it, we just look forward to being able to strengthen those relationships and partnerships.”
“We’re progressing really fast with the training ground,” he said. “When we looked at the analysis and presented everything to the fans before we took over, the academy wasn’t really brought up. Now that we’re here, obviously the performance on the pitch is critical, but for the long-term success of the club, we have to have the proper facilities.
“We have to strengthen the academy, we have a great academy right now but they’re travelling all over the place to get their training in. We’ve had a paradigm shift, we know the first team performance is paramount but long-term success requires the proper training facilities and the academy has to be developing the players.
“We have had conversations and we’ve visited more than five different sites. There are pros and cons to every site. Carlisle is very unique and there are limited spaces to do this. We’re pretty clear on our vision and the size of space we need. We want it to be as close to the city centre as possible because we think that’s important for the city and the club.
“We want it to be expansive enough to be able to do what we need for the first team and the academy. Every site has pros and cons, but that’s the same with every business decision, so we just have to weigh them up. With the cons, we need to look at how we mitigate those negatives. We’re going through that process and working with the council. No decision has been made yet, but it’s definitely an interactive process and we’re all working together for a common goal. I think everybody is very supportive of that.
“I have a preferred site but we’re still going through the process of evaluating all of them. This is a big decision. To give some concept of what we’re thinking of, if anybody has seen the Fleetwood training facility that’s kind of what we have in mind. We went down there before the Fleetwood game in December and met their personnel and had a look at that whole facility. The shared use space is what we’re looking at.
“There will be some exclusive space for Carlisle United, but also shared community space with that. We think that is the best because we aren’t always going to be utilising all of the resources at the same time. We do see an indoor facility with a dome because of the weather. I think it’s important to have a space for the first team and academy to train when the weather isn’t great. The Fleetwood model of shared club and community use is what we’re looking for.
“If you could take their training ground and move it up here with a few changes that’s what we’d do. We’ve identified some spaces and I have my preferences, but I like to hear and get input from everybody. I may have missed something, and collectively as a management team we need to make the best decision for the club. That’s what we’re all shooting for.”