TerrasBlog 09/05/08 - Part one of the interview with Weymouth FC Chairman Malcolm Curtis.

Greetings TerrasBlog fans.

Things are quiet around Weymouth FC (for once!) and so I have taken the initiative in contacting Malcolm Curtis through a third party. Thankfully, our club Chairman agreed to take part in an interview with TerrasBlog.

Rather than go down the obvious route and talk about the same old subjects, Malcolm agreed to talk a little bit about owning a football club and some of his heroes. He also told me about the player he would sign for Weymouth if money was no object, but you will just have to wait until the second part of the interview is published to find out who...You will also need to wait until part 2 to find out why I have taken up running in the last couple of weeks!!

I would like to think that those of you who know me and know the spirit of this website will know that this is no publicity stunt and is simply meant to be an insight into the man behind the club.

Please note that this is an exclusive interview so I will be watching out for lazy journalists and other websites nicking the copy and publishing it... If you want to use parts of this interview yourself may I suggest you contact the club and donate an appropriate fee to a charity of Weymouth Football Club's choice.

Ok, no more waffling part one of the interview...

TerrasBlog - What are the first three words that come into your head when you think of Weymouth FC?

Malcolm Curtis - Responsibility, Community and Liability

TerrasBlog - Can you describe to us a typical day being Chairman of the football club?

Malcolm Curtis - Simple answer is there are no typical days. But a normal day could consist of something like this.

6-6.30 am

Get up check blackberry for messages that have normally come on from terras volunteers ie supporters club, TT , web site , newsletter and board members etc over night as they mostly have day jobs there tends to be a bit of late night e mail traffic especially if big news has broken or just about to break ! I do quick reply’s and might down load any pressing thoughts i have had over night into an email to Gary. Strong coffee and go

8 am

On the way to my office in the car often on the phone to Gary to follow up any developments overnight and discus overnight communications and day ahead , plus about this time i would start my own calls around my many other business interests .

9 am

At my desk ( try to be there by 8.30) , normally catch up on days local news and talk on the forum over a morning coffee.

9-1pm

Would be taken up communicating or meeting with any of the following architects , planners , land owners , agents , consultants , accountants and bankers talking discussing or negotiating , over the last few months a lot of this has been Wessex or new football stadium related . Rarely have a proper lunch if i do it’s a quick sandwich at desk . Prepare for that nights meetings .

1-5pm

If there are any meeting around the club i try to make them pm , there has been a lot lately because of all the changes we are making to the business model so lots of meetings with the lots of suppliers , marketers , PR , brand and a lot of time generally spent informing people of what we are doing as a club and what we are now all about. We are working hard to get business, local authority’s and people in general to buy in to the changes that are underway at WFC ,often these meetings involve Gary or and ken . There is now a sales and marketing group that meet fortnightly .In between , calls and emails keep coming in on the day job .

5-6pm

Most days either in person or on the phone Gary and I will discuss the day’s events , nearly every day something has cropped up unexpected .........this would be the only time I discuss team issues and only on a need to know basis, John , Alan and Gary are the experts here and i try to stay out of any involvement unless there are budgetary or contract issues .

6- 9pm

Some evenings i actually get to see my boys ....but most evenings I have a board or management meeting from 6-8/9 , WFC has a board, , finance committee, that rotate every fortnight along with a soon to be separate community trust for youth football , a great deal of work goes into preparing for these . I also sit on the board of two other companies that have monthly meetings, when possible I might I try to meet up with reps from the youth section, TT or supports club but lately that has only been when there has been a problem.

John, Alan, Gary and I try to have supper once a month to catch up on team affairs away from the work environment. If there are any gaps in my diary then I will often take someone out for supper to promote either the club or my other business interests. There are very few free nights.

Between 9 and 10 pm

Get home catch up on any late news around Weymouth in general or the club via the internet or echo big glass of wine and bed around 10.30!

I suppose this would represent a typical day but there are often very untypical days when you spend 15hrs fire fighting and entirely focused on one area. The 1^st three months in control where just that but this happens less now!!

Then there some days I do very little business around WFC but that’s also very rare.

TerrasBlog - Do you ever step back and think… aaaaaaahhhhhhh, why am I doing this?!

Malcolm Curtis - Of course I would not be human if didn’t, especially when it gets personal I also get very frustrated when we attack ourselves as club that's very frustrating as it just damages the brand of WFC and stops people getting involved but on the whole I am loving the challenge of this massive task .............the highs are very high but the lows can pretty low too.

TerrasBlog - Do you ever get any time off? And if so how can you relax away from football?

Malcolm Curtis - Although I work every hr possible in the week I try not to work at the w-end and use that time ( when we are not playing) with the family we like to get out in the fresh air walking or beach in the summer. Personally I am at my happiest when I am up a mountain whether walking or skiing. But invariably football and WFC encroaches into our free w-end time but we try to only allow that to happen on our terms though I suppose the reality is WFC takes over your life !

TerrasBlog - Having made a success of business, how different is football to any other industry?

Malcolm Curtis - I could write a book here! the short answer ?

In some ways its very very different but in others it’s just like any other business the biggest problem is that in WFC you are running a PLC in terms of diversity, press , pr and community involvement with the resources of a very small business. Is there a business with more public interest and involvement in Weymouth ??

Thanks very much to Mr Curtis for his time and his honest answers to my questions. Tune in tomorrow for part 2 and more from the Chairmans' chat with TerrasBlog.