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THE FIRST 6 MONTHS: KEN BORG & JONATHAN KELHAM RESIDENCY UPDATE

Updated: 3 days ago

October 2024 - March 2025



It’s already been 6 months since we started our residency project. Whilst some of our on going work starts to become visible on site, a lot of our time has been behind the scenes planning, and goes far beyond the painting of walls and stands that is more visible on match days. Together with the club committee we have begun to understand the ins and outs of how a club at this level is run and how our work and our skills can help with organisational tasks, and create revenue to future proof the club. Below we outline some of the main projects we have been working at Brislington FC, that goes beyond just the painting and improvements at the stadium. We’re aiming to keep doing an update every 6 months throughout the whole 3 year project to keep everyone up to date and also help document our work. We’re super proud of our contribution so far, and appreciative of the support from the club but we are only getting started and we’re very excited to see some of our ideas progress in the next few months. We are super appreciative of all the positive comments we have received so far but we also know that it will only be a true success if our aims to help the club become more resilient and increase it's fan reach are achieved. 


Funding

Following on from Jonathan’s successful HEQR funding bid from Bath Spa University that made the Flags project possible, we have secured a new fund from the university via the Rapid Impact Fund to help realise some of the planned projects of the Residency. 

Colin Arnold Grandstand

The refurbishment and embellishment of the stand started in ernest in October, and we worked tirelessly, sometimes against the weather, and sometimes into the evenings to get the metal work and walls ready for a new graphic scheme. We managed to secure donated materials through the Wickes Community Fund, through the local branch of Proper Job and materials generously donated by our vice chair Lee Williams. By December most of the new scheme was in place including the lettering ‘The Foxes’ on the back of the stand, which has been a hit with fans and players. We are hoping to finish the last touches on the east side of the stand in the next few weeks, and an updated stand title in place for the new season. 


Turnstile Entrance

During January and February we concentrated on the turnstile entrance as most of this work was undercover. Using a Razzle Dazzle pattern inspired by the heritage BFC banner in the clubhouse we have redecorated the turnstile to create an immediate impact when entering the stadium. In line with the lettering across the grandstand we have added a large title ‘Brislington FC’ on the main turnstile wall to enhance the entrance even further. As part of this project we have also managed to source furniture and storage for the turnstile room to make the operation on Match Day easier for volunteers. 


Pitch Side Hoarding

We have started the arduous process of cladding the perimeter to the pitch, using previously donated cladding. Whilst this is not a league requirement at this level, it would become a prerequisite should Brislington achieve promotion to the next step, making this project a useful future proofing process plus, it helps our sponsorship strategy and targets, bringing a unified approach to stadium sponsorship across Ironmould Lane. We have realised this is a long and slow task, and whilst we have started one side of the pitch, the rest will be targeted for a completion in the off season, ready for the next campaign. 


Sponsorship

To help the club become more resilient, we have started a new sponsorship strategy and we have been heavily working on outreach to plenty of local and city wide businesses. Working together with potential sponsor we have been using our creative expertise and experience to come up with innovative ideas and partnerships to make sponsorship more appealing beyond the physical hoardings at the stadium, whilst increasing revenue streams for the club - to help both the running of the facilities but also if we can help support the technical project and the team. We are currently working on a couple of potential options on main partnerships with local companies and we hope to land a deal in time for the next season. If you are a local or regional business owner or marketing team and would like to talk to us about potential creative sponsorship deals do get in touch! 


Merchandise

Since the launch of the residency we have been working on new items of official club merchandise to help the club create new streams of revenue, with all the money from this merch being reinvested in the club. In December we launched a special edition art print featuring the Colin Arnold Grandstand, whilst in March we launched the first in a new line of lifestyle garments with the ’Briz T Shirt’. These items are available to buy at the clubhouse and on the club website. Keep an eye out for new merch coming soon! We are hoping to have a presence at the BS4 Arts Trail later this year and we will be selling exclusive Briz merch over that weekend! 


Residency Coverage

We have had plenty of interest from media outlets about our residency, including interest from national non-league press who featured the launch of our project, including Non League Paper and the Non-League Insider. We were also featured on the Western League newsletter and local media outlets such as Bristol World and South Bristol Voice. 


Digital Presence 

We have been working on a new strategy for the club’s online presence, including a fresh new social media identity that ties in with the overall visual language we are building for the club, to create consistency across all the different ways fans can interact with the club, including the stadium itself. Graphics on social media now link into the same graphics fans will find at the stadium, or on the merch which creates a unified identity and a unique look fans and players can be proud of. With the help of the technical staff at the club we are also trying to bring more multimedia content to fans using highlights and photos, including away days. We have created a WhatsApp broadcast channel to reach fans in as many ways as possible getting important match day information to a wider audience - so if you would like to follow Brislington FC without using social media follow the link here! 


Things to Look Out For Next: 

  • Upgrades to the external facade of the Stadium to continue on the work in the turnstile suite with new signage and lettering, and a general reorganising of the entrance. 

  • Clean Up of Ironmould Lane roadside, to improve the approach towards the club. We will team up with Bristol Waste and organise a litter pick event. All hands on deck for this one, we will need as many volunteers as possible to help us! 

  • A Non-League Football Merch Fair at the clubhouse for all football fans in the South West!

  • A graphic scheme for the smaller standing Stand at the stadium. 

  • A funding campaign to refurbish and rebuild the aging Dug Outs. 

  • A youth focused programme for aspiring local talent wanting to experience Sports Media and Communications roles. 

  • A marketing campaign for the new season

Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far and if you are inspired by our work and would like to be involved in our project we are more than happy to talk to you! This project is open to everyone and we welcome any help and volunteering in any shape or form - next time you see us at a game just come chat to us! 

Stats from the last 6 months: 

Total hours spent working on site: 249hrs

Total amount of paint used so far: 52ltrs

Total amount of roofing screws used so far: 150+

Total amount of artworking hours so far: 93hrs

Total amount of outreach emails sent: 185+

Total amount of multimedia content created in Gigabytes: 63GB


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