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Carlisle United chief: Focus on team unaffected by big off-field projects
Carlisle United’s chief executive has stressed that the huge off-field developments at the club will not distract from the importance of putting a successful team together.
Brunton Park is undergoing a major summer revamp ahead of the new season – while United are also set to build a new training ground.
But Nigel Clibbens says everyone at the top of United is clear that the “main thing” remains having a winning team.
Carlisle have made six summer signings so far - the latest yesterday's capture of Charlie Wyke - and are expected to add more ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, backed by an increased budget under the Piataks.
Clibbens said this must remain at the forefront despite the scale of the renovation work taking place at United.
“The ownership and the board are doing all they can to put in place the foundations to give us the best chance to win and to be successful next season on the pitch,” said Clibbens.
“We all know winning is the main thing. It's about what happens on the pitch.
“And as I've told Tom [Piatak], we can have the best facilities and the best fan zone – but fans want to see us win.
“And although he hasn't experienced it yet, if we don’t, the Paddock will be quick to tell him, even if he's in America.
“So he understands that and we will not let our focus on the stuff we're doing off the field affect what we're doing on it.
“So that includes providing the financial firepower to Paul [Simpson] to do what he needs to do.
Tom and Patty Piatak are due back in Carlisle this week (Image: Barbara Abbott)
“Now, we've got to be careful about what we say because as soon as we start talking about money, all agents do is literally ring Paul up and [try to] get him to spend it that very minute.
“So we're not going to start saying what we're going to spend and what our budgets are and all that.
“But we will make sure that Paul has the tools to do the job. And he's already showing that he's using those tools wisely with the recruitment that he's done.
“We've got some exciting signings already made which will make it better and we've got more on the way.”
Tom and Patty Piatak are due back in Carlisle this week as the owners return to oversee more of the work that’s ongoing at United.
Their latest visit also comes in the wake of last week’s announcement that the Blues were working with Cumberland Council over a major training ground development at the Sheepmount.
Clibbens has said that the owners are investing more than £5m on the Brunton Park site alone this summer, while the Piataks have previously said that some £4m is earmarked for the training ground project.
As well as that initiative, along with transformation of the East Stand and other areas of the ground, Clibbens said Simpson is being backed on the football side in other ways too.
“At the same time, we're supporting recruitment of more football staff and more investment in football operations, such as recruitment, scouting, IT, sports and medical, nutrition,” said Clibbens, speaking at last week’s fixtures breakfast event at the club.
“All aspects of the football department have been supported as we are supporting the off-the-field stuff.”
