Carlisle United owner on plans for more staff at the club

The Blues chairman says a number of positions have been identified where the club need extra pairs of hands behind the scenes.

Piatak feels the club requires the new additions as they look to grow and also oversee major projects and planned improvements.

Extra people on the management of United’s stadium, the commercial side and HR are to be brought in.

“It’s specific positions that we need to expand,” Piatak told the News & Star.

“I’ve mentioned that we’re stretched thin.

LISTEN TO OUR INTERVIEW WITH UNITED'S OWNER

• Part one: Relegation, budgets, recruitment, Simmo and more
• Part two: Training ground delays, stadium work, staff and more

“You look at all the projects we have – we have a leadership group that meets weekly, and we now have 100 projects on the list.

“We talk about the East Stand, Warwick Road End, Neil Centre, residences, training centre…those are the big ones, [but] there are lots of others on that list moving forward, that take resources to manage them.

“I simply think we are short-staffed there. We have specific positions we’re going to identify that will be posted and advertised shortly.

Tom Piatak wants to add to United's operational team which is headed by chief executive Nigel Clibbens (Image: Richard Parkes)

“We need to do that and that’s all part of the investment that needs to come in.”

Asked on the specific positions the club would be recruiting for, the chairman and owner said: “The first one [that’s] long overdue is facilities management.

“We sit in these meetings, and [someone says], ‘A toilet’s not working’. I’m saying, ‘Why is that coming into this group?’

“It’s important, I want the toilets to be working, but we need to have the resources so that’s getting done and not getting filtered up to someone who’s overseeing the East Stand or the Warwick improvements as well.

“On the commercial side, I envision and think we all do…we need somebody who is maybe a modified chief revenue officer. Who’s the one person who’s going, ‘Ok, are we doing everything we can for the hospitality, for the sponsorships, are we being creative?’

“Right now that tends to fall probably on Nigel [Clibbens, chief executive], and not everything can sit there.

“On the commercial side, Kerry [Evans] and Martyn [Vevers] are doing phenomenal jobs. We sold out all the hospitality last year. But we’re going to have more.

“We have the new advertisement boards coming in, those have been purchased and will be here for the beginning of next [season].

“Just the selling and marketing of that, if we take that and put it all on one individual again, it gets to be too much.

“There’s a lot going on. Probably we [also] need to get a human resources function going in the club. We don’t have that right now.

“It’s an additional job for somebody right now, [but] it’s too important. That function needs to be there as well.

• FLASH SALE: Subscribe to our full Carlisle United coverage for £5 for 5 months

“I’m going to say there are three to five positions I can think of off the top of the head that we’ve discussed in the leadership group and are going to move forward with.”

Piatak said expanding the staff should mean the personnel running the club are not stretched in the way they currently are.

“It’s work but it’s positive work. There should be joy in the journey,” he said.

“As long as we’re making decisions, and the resources are going in the right area, and we’re not spending on areas that aren’t going to return on investment or help the squad win, this should be fun.

“When you’re sometimes so constrained, it becomes difficult, everybody goes home and says, ‘That was a hell of a day at work…’

“Work is work but we all should be enjoying it. I know we’re a bit stretched there – so specific positions we’ve identified will be advertised in the next seven to 14 days.”