A Message to All Stirling Albion Trust Members

[WC Boggs]

42 minutes ago, LeodhasXD said:

On catch-up reading but Stirling spent a lot on their live stream. Which is why it was not sustainable beyond the post covid captured audience.

It was about 4x as expensive as we were paying in the height of lockdown and we received a substantial rebate from Pixellot which I don't factor into the equation. We also used Dunfermline's system which was more slightly more expensive (still very cheap compared to Stirling's setup) but worked better. This year ours is homegrown and very cost effective.

We have like many other clubs made a substantial five figure income from streaming this season.
 

 

42 minutes ago, LeodhasXD said:

On catch-up reading but Stirling spent a lot on their live stream. Which is why it was not sustainable beyond the post covid captured audience.

It was about 4x as expensive as we were paying in the height of lockdown and we received a substantial rebate from Pixellot which I don't factor into the equation. We also used Dunfermline's system which was more slightly more expensive (still very cheap compared to Stirling's setup) but worked better. This year ours is homegrown and very cost effective.

We have like many other clubs made a substantial five figure income from streaming this season.
 

It was not 4x more expensive than Pixelot. It was only a fraction of their charges.  Problems emerged later when the host server wanted a lot more money for using them.  That did contribute to the decision not to livestream, when fans were let back in and hospitality could resume.  A livestream service was no longer necessary as a means of finance, or viable due to an expected vast reduction of paying viewers.

If Alloa fans prefer streaming to actually going to the recs, I'm quite sympathetic to their point of view.

[WC Boggs]

1 hour ago, rhliston said:

The owners of the Club the Trust Board have made it known what their plans are in the event of Stuart Brown and Co stepping down in an update to the members of the Trust suggest you red that its on the Trust Web Site. 

I have now read the Trust's master plan.  To work with the Exec to seek a solution.  People not to actually leave after resigning or being removed, unless it's to be on a timescale of the Trust board's  choosing. Not a word on how they plan to enforce that timescale on volunteers, as opposed to employees. It's just wishful thinking.  Trying to calm the plebs in a crisis they have no solution to. To work with people, you have to ensure they are still there to work with. I don't see any plan for guaranteeing they are. 

What I do see is a list of things they don't want any blame for.  My my, somebody's getting very nervous in fort accountability. 

 

[LeodhasXD]

12 hours ago, WC Boggs said:

It was not 4x more expensive than Pixelot. It was only a fraction of their charges.  Problems emerged later when the host server wanted a lot more money for using them.  That did contribute to the decision not to livestream, when fans were let back in and hospitality could resume.  A livestream service was no longer necessary as a means of finance, or viable due to an expected vast reduction of paying viewers.

If Alloa fans prefer streaming to actually going to the recs, I'm quite sympathetic to their point of view.

Alloa paid 4x less than Stirling  to deliver streaming per game with Pixellot. That's what I learned when talking about your streaming service with your director. So you can pat yourself on the back for quality (avoiding Pixellot) but you can't say it was also cheaper. Especially when you consider the unmanned nature of the system when you can film every other game going on at the stadium conveniently. That's probably less helpful for SA as you don't use your stadium as much as we do.

Vimeo was the issue this season but I find it bizarre to use them in the first place. We ruled them out at the very beginning when looking for live streaming solutions.

Streaming no longer necessary means of finance? Our season ticket holders can now miss a game and still watch if they are ill or have to work etc so it adds extra value to existing customers. It's also streamed to a global audience and the record this year for a game was 23 countries which most of which are not likely to be attending anyway.

Whether it continues next season will be interesting. For many clubs they'll be reticent to lose that income which is why it's bizarre that Stirling gave up on their own volition on what was essentially a free hit at a growing market.

 

[WC Boggs]

48 minutes ago, LeodhasXD said:

Alloa paid 4x less than Stirling  to deliver streaming per game with Pixellot. That's what I learned when talking about your streaming service with your director. So you can pat yourself on the back for quality (avoiding Pixellot) but you can't say it was also cheaper. Especially when you consider the unmanned nature of the system when you can film every other game going on at the stadium conveniently. That's probably less helpful for SA as you don't use your stadium as much as we do.

Vimeo was the issue this season but I find it bizarre to use them in the first place. We ruled them out at the very beginning when looking for live streaming solutions.

Streaming no longer necessary means of finance? Our season ticket holders can now miss a game and still watch if they are ill or have to work etc so it adds extra value to existing customers. It's also streamed to a global audience and the record this year for a game was 23 countries which most of which are not likely to be attending anyway.

Whether it continues next season will be interesting. For many clubs they'll be reticent to lose that income which is why it's bizarre that Stirling gave up on their own volition on what was essentially a free hit at a growing market.

 

OK, I checked up and our coverage wasn't cheaper per game.  At least we had cameras that followed the play and still managed to turn a profit.  

Listing 23 countries as a profit motive  for continuing isn't very helpful without numbers of paying viewers. If you had a lot then fair enough. We didn't, but it wasn't because it wasn't possible for them to pay and view if they wanted to.  I'm sure people who can't make the games are happy to get a livestream service. Again, it depends on the numbers if it's financially  viable or not. The club had no reason to believe it was.

This club can't afford to run things at a loss. There is no sugar daddy chairman to subsidize losses here. 

[Cowden Cowboy]

33 minutes ago, WC Boggs said:

OK, I checked up and our coverage wasn't cheaper per game.  At least we had cameras that followed the play and still managed to turn a profit.  

Listing 23 countries as a profit motive  for continuing isn't very helpful without numbers of paying viewers. If you had a lot then fair enough. We didn't, but it wasn't because it wasn't possible for them to pay and view if they wanted to.  I'm sure people who can't make the games are happy to get a livestream service. Again, it depends on the numbers if it's financially  viable or not. The club had no reason to believe it was.

This club can't afford to run things at a loss. There is no sugar daddy chairman to subsidize losses here. 

I thought championship clubs had had Pixellot installed for free - Alloa were in championship at the time.  Thus isn’t that why they had a lower cost model.  L1/2 clubs had to pay for Pixellot 

[Binos]

21 hours ago, rhliston said:

Just read the Chairman`s Update from Stuart Brown on the Club Website makes interesting reading. 

Among other things it states " I have my own personal "succession planning" firmly in mind and I will act on it when the time is right for Stirling Albion. That will be when the Club Board is satisfied that a suitable and sustainable "Plan B" is in place" 

Thoughts Guys and Gals. 

Stalling tactic, until the lynch mob has time to muster,  been used before 

[WC Boggs]

The only club I know of got the Pixelot system for free was Albion Rovers.  I think a board member had a connection with the company.  If any others clubs did, I've no knowledge of it.  

[LeodhasXD]

9 hours ago, WC Boggs said:

Listing 23 countries as a profit motive  for continuing isn't very helpful without numbers of paying viewers. If you had a lot then fair enough.

This club can't afford to run things at a loss. There is no sugar daddy chairman to subsidize losses here. 

Just to give you a sense of how out of touch  that statement is:

I had 10 customers + any season ticket holders who watched live vs East Fife for their 3-1 win at the Indodrill. The lowest number of the season.
It cost me £6.70 to stream the game and £4.52 in payment processor fees.

I was told your average was 40-50. It's absolutely a viable product.

 

Edited April 16, 2022 by LeodhasXD

[WC Boggs]

3 minutes ago, LeodhasXD said:

Just to give you a sense of how out of touch  that statement is:

I had 10 customers + any season ticket holders who watched live vs East Fife for their 3-1 win at the Indodrill. The lowest number of the season.
It cost me £6.70 to stream the game and £4.52 in payment processor fees.

I was told your average was 40-50. It's absolutely a viable product.

 

10  customers from 23 countries. That's quite an achievement.

[LeodhasXD]

1 minute ago, WC Boggs said:

10  customers from 23 countries. That's quite an achievement.

Giving Stirling Albion fans a bad name by being incapable of reading comprehension.

[WC Boggs]

1 minute ago, LeodhasXD said:

Giving Stirling Albion fans a bad name by being incapable of reading comprehension.

Then perhaps you should support your claim of viewers from 23 countries, with figures more comprehensible than 10 plus season ticket holders. 

[LeodhasXD]

4 minutes ago, WC Boggs said:

Then perhaps you should support your claim of viewers from 23 countries, with figures more comprehensible than 10 plus season ticket holders. 

And after that I should explain whether the Moskva sank to Ukrainian rockets or a freak accident that caused a fire. 

You'll just have to trust me as my logs overwrite after a set period of time. But notice that I said 23 countries at peak. One could assume that would be against Falkirk and you'd probably be right. 

I gave East Fife figures to show the worst case scenario but continue to ignore the point and argue that the figures are untrustworthy.

[WC Boggs]

Bringing up the Moskva isn't much of a pivot. It's not the peak that defines a season on viewing, it's the average and well you know it.  If you can't produce an average figure for international viewers just say so. I don't even trust your motives for being on here, so let's not get into trust issues.

[LeodhasXD]

3 minutes ago, WC Boggs said:

Bringing up the Moskva isn't much of a pivot. It's not the peak that defines a season on viewing, it's the average and well you know it.  If you can't produce an average figure for international viewers just say so. I don't even trust your motives for being on here, so let's not get into trust issues.

Why is google one of the biggest companies in the world? It's because your data has value and it collects every single bit of it. Likewise my data has value and I don't give it all away for free. At the very least it's excellent data to create a business plan which is something noone had two years ago when we dove headfirst into streaming.

Doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell why I am on a multi-fanbase forum talking about a local club 10 miles away?

[WC Boggs]

4 minutes ago, LeodhasXD said:

Why is google one of the biggest companies in the world? It's because your data has value and it collects every single bit of it. Likewise my data has value and I don't give it all away for free. At the very least it's excellent data to create a business plan which is something noone had two years ago when we dove headfirst into streaming.

Doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell why I am on a multi-fanbase forum talking about a local club 10 miles away?

No, you just give claims you need that data to support away for free.

It doesn't take a knowledge of rocket science to figure out why an Alloa fan would be stirring it on this forum. That you don't need data to convince anybody with. If it gets you off, do carry on. I don't feel like it holding for you though, so cheerio.

[LeodhasXD]

6 minutes ago, WC Boggs said:

No, you just give claims you need that data to support away for free.

It doesn't take a knowledge of rocket science to figure out why an Alloa fan would be stirring it on this forum. That you don't need data to convince anybody with. If it gets you off, do carry on. I don't feel like it holding for you though, so cheerio.

I'm going to take that word salad as "I don't like being proven wrong on the internet." 

For the record the Moskva reference was because one man's narrative is another's propaganda. The fact is it's at the bottom of the Black Sea but I concede that's a nuanced point. I'm just pointing out the wreck of the Stirling Albion stream does not lay with Vimeo or Pixellot or lack of customers. Just the board.

[WC Boggs]

52 minutes ago, LeodhasXD said:

I'm going to take that word salad as "I don't like being proven wrong on the internet." 

For the record the Moskva reference was because one man's narrative is another's propaganda. The fact is it's at the bottom of the Black Sea but I concede that's a nuanced point. I'm just pointing out the wreck of the Stirling Albion stream does not lay with Vimeo or Pixellot or lack of customers. Just the board.

I can handle being proved wrong just fine. Better that than repeating the same error.  So it's a "wreck" now that lies with the board.  Our board like most others were confronted with a technical challenge outwith their experience, and a short timescale to adapt to it.  Adapt to it they did and may not have come up with the cheapest answer, but they did provide one of sufficient quality, that it was much praised from our fans and fans of other clubs. I consider that a superior option to the visual torture of the Pixelot option.  The wreck was the pandemic. Our board did not create that.

It is no surprise to me that an Alloa fan wants to attack our board, relishing another internal war. It's no surprise to me that  instead of comprehending the word cheerio, you just fixate on  me to attack our board again.  I repeat. I'm not holding it for you and since cheerio  is beyond your understanding, let's go with get lost! Conversation over!

[LeodhasXD]

For posterity my thoughts on Stirling Albion are well-known. They've not been relevant for over a decade to us. Which is a shame. It used to be a good fixture growing up. I don't particularly harbour any animosity to them as "rivals" like some do or take glee in seeing you be a farce. They should be competing at a higher level than they are.

What I am now is as much of an industry expert on streaming as you'll get in a lower league Scottish football club. I keep seeing these conflicting self congratulatory posts on an expensive streaming solution and then flimsy excuses on why that's the only option. I disagree. I am a maximalist when it comes to streaming and Stirling are on the wrong side of history.

 

[craigkillie]

Good to see you're staying modest despite your incredible expertise.

[WC Boggs]

For posterior as opposed to posterity,  I  will be informing a director what use this industry expert puts any information he is given to. I doubt he will get much conversation after that.