Their Blood Is Red & White

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You can call me Al

Wrexham fans who wear their heart on their sleeve

No.4 Allan Thomas

Peter Davies continues his chit-chat with Wrexham fan, and WFC Commercial Manager, Allan Thomas...

Q. Tell us about the Rockin' Robin phenomenon. What was your part in it?

A. 'I was having a chat once with Steve Weaver who used to work on the coaching side here. He mentioned that a couple of clubs had mascots and he passed on this brochure to me. I basically thought that we had to have one. We needed a sponsor for the costume - which cost £1,000 - and we required somebody to perform in it. And over the last two seasons Rockin' has worked with me on a part-time basis; he's a top performer and is now a star in his own right. In the summer he can be out four nights a week, working at events like weddings and the like. In this sense he helps to put the football club into the community - and some people come to see just Rockin'.

Tina Turfitt?

'In the early days several different people were employed to be inside Tina; we were kind of searching for the right person. I think that Rockin' was getting a bit lonely and was getting just a little short of ideas. So we thought that if Rockin' had a partner now and again this would help; not all the time, but just occasionally. We introduced her last year and she's just like an extra prop for Rockin' - he can bounce things off her, and she can help him in a lot of ways.'

Do you think that Rockin Robin, occasionally, goes too far? Do you think he could find himself on the wrong end of an FA disciplinary hearing some time?

'Let's just say that there are now special guidelines for mascots. In fact a new guideline seems to appear every two weeks. We know that if he ever got fined it would be a big waste of money for us, so we really don't want any trouble or any bad publicity. Rockin' obviously operates on the edge, and just so long as he keeps things on the edge, and goes no further, I'll be content. He's got some room for manoeuvre - let's put it like that. Overall though he's great fun and doesn't cause any trouble.'

What do you think of Cyril the Swan?

'He's a waste of space!'\

Tell us about the shop…What do you sell most of?

'Shirts definitely - we obviously sell a lot. As to the breakdown, I'd say that for every eight home shirts we sell, we probably sell two away shirts. We also sell a lot of polo shirts - all the leisure items are good sellers.'

How would you assess Wrexham fans as consumers?

'They don't buy rubbish and I think that we now have very good merchandise. I've also noticed that fans like a good badge and some of our badges have 12,000 stitches in them!'

What about Rockin' Robin-related stuff?

'We sell a lot of hats and scarves with Rockin' Robin on - he's a fabulous seller.'

Any new developments you'd like to plug?

'We're doing a special Millenium video - it will be absolutely first-class. It will be a two-part production: one cassette will be action from all eras - League, FA Cup, League Cup, Welsh Cup and European ties - and the other will be talk, with players from lots of different periods talking about their time at the club. For the videos we've approached many different players and everybody's been very glad to help. The videos will cover Wrexham from the '50s to the '90s and will be produced by Cavalier Sound & Vision. It will be out for Christmas at a cost of £29.99. It will be done professionally and will be an excellent celebration of the Millenium.'

One club sponsor withdrew his money when Brammer was sold as a protest. How did you view this?

'The first thing to say is that sponsors are very important people. I listen to everyone and I obviously heard this particular sponsor's grievances about Dave Brammer. At the end of the day it's a management decision - that's what they do. I just get on with my job and try to establish good relations with all businesses. The chap you are talking about has obviously got the right to say what he wants to; we've just got to get on with it. Life goes on - but I always understand how fans feel. In the case you are talking about we just can't do anything. You've got to remember too that the individual we are talking about was all ready for a photo-call the next day…'

How would you characterise Wrexham FC's sponsors?

'As I've said, they're very important. There are big ones and small ones, and you've always got to have that. For example, you can ask a company for £100 and they'll refuse, but if you ask them for £10,000 they'll give you it straight away.'

Who are the major sponsors in terms of quantity of money put into the club?

'The Leader, Boyles Glass, Sainsburys and Minera Roof Trusses.Together, during Season 1997-8, these companies put a total of £70,000 into Wrexham FC - for which we're obviously very grateful. Sainsburys put in £30,000 for the naming of their stand. I'm very pleased with this; two years ago they gave us £1,000. That's the thing: get them on board and see how things develop.'

Any general observations about Wrexham FC?

'To me, Wrexham are the biggest club in Wales and they need to be in the First Division. It is also a friendly, family club. I believe we have got a lot of potential. In terms of sponsorship I want to help bring in money to help Brian Flynn get us there. That's how I sell Wrexham FC. I say to people: we need your help, we need money. And the more sponsors I get the less we have to dip into gate receipts.'

So football's changing…?

'Yes, I was watching Dickie Davies' Soccer Scrapbook on Sky the other day and I just looked at the game he was showing with amazement. There were only a couple of advertising boards round the ground and no sponsor's logo on the players' shirts. Incredible. There's definitely been a revolution in football. Gate money, as a proportion of overall income, has gone down, while income from sponsorship has gone up. At Wrexham we have to keep on top of things. I'm looking forward to even more important sponsorship deals in the future.'

One of my abiding memories of you is March 1997: the night of the all-night Chesterfield FA Cup ticket vigil. Tell us about that…

'I knew the queue for tickets was going to start straight after the Saturday afternoon game against Burnley, I think. I left the Executive Lounge around 7pm. As I left I saw a woman in a wheelchair queueing for tickets and loads of people under umbrellas. The queue was getting longer and longer; as I drove home I realised it was raining and I just thought I had to go back to the shop and couldn't just stay at home. My wife drove me back to the Racecourse and I opened everything up. In the end there were thousands of people queueing in the club car park and along the roads. I wasn't really surprised. The night was just like a haze. Everyone, including me, was drinking as the night wore on - beer, lager, everything. I launched an ad hoc bargain sale in the shop and we took a lot of money. It was a fantastic night; in the end I think that people were paying for things in cans of lager! Carl Tunnah was even sleeping inside the club shop: I think that after the 54th pint he'd just collapsed. The ad hoc sale was amazing: buy one, get one free - everything was in the sale! A lot of helpers came in as well; messages were going out on the radio and tea, coffee and soup was being given free to anyone who wanted it in the queue. The queue just got bigger and bigger: it went right round the car park. Next morning I was just gone, out of it, drunk still. I think I went home about 10 o'clock on the Sunday morning! The whole episode said so much about the attitude of Wrexham fans; I was just pleased to be in a position to help.'

How do you get on with the local media?

'Fine, hopefully. I understand that they want stories and I'll always pass on anything I can if it's relevant. I'm always willing and I think the manager and the chairman are too. It's a nice cordial relationship and obviously press coverage can be very useful to the club - it's a form of advertising and it can help promote the club.'

How do you respond to the claim that the club's PR is not as good as it could be?

'It's obviously something that the club has got to look at. Perhaps we need a specialist Press Officer at the club; but that's not my decision - that's for the Board of Directors. I think the Board are very aware of this as an issue. Obviously with the new stand, there need to be more telephone lines and the like - things will work a lot better. I think that on the whole we're under-staffed. Everyone here works so hard.'

How come it took the club so long to get a VISA facility?

'We trialed it in '96, but some people on the Board just wanted to make sure the whole thing was viable. You've got to make payments and I think the club just wanted to be sure. But since we've had it, it's been fantastic. People, after all, don't come out with money anymore - they just use their plastic card.'

Tell us about the future, Allan. How long, for example, will you be Commercial Manager?

'This will be my fourth year in the job. I'm looking for the club to move on. I'm ambitious and I want to be at Wrexham - I don't want to work for anyone else. If I wasn't doing my job I wouldn't stay here. At the end of the day I'm a fan. I don't just do things for the money - I need to keep going and so does the club. It would be time for me to go when there was someone else who could do a better job. But it's Wrexham or bust for me!'

What do you think you'd do if you didn't work in football?

'I guess that if I didn't have this job I'd do something else in marketing or sales.'

Do you still get star-struck?

'Yes, all the time. Seeing Rushie so regularly gives me a massive buzz. And all the other Wrexham players too - Russell, Carey. They play for my team and I'm in awe of them - even now.'

Do you think the Welsh Assembly is a good idea?

'Yes, if it's good for Wales.'

Do you own pieces of club shop merchandise?

'Yes! A Rockin' Robin mug, cufflinks and a polo shirt.'

Thanks a lot for your time Allan - top man!