One thing is now certain: SC Riessersee has closed the 2019/20 demolition season with a minus of around 35,000 euros. The main sponsor picks up this sum. When drawing up the new budget, those responsible had to use the red pencil.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen - A decision has been made at SC Riessersee: The club's GmbH has applied for a Oberliga license for the coming season, and the documents have been submitted to the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) on time. This was the conclusion reached by the members of the support association, which holds 90 percent of the shares in the GmbH, in a final meeting last week. All kinds of questions are piling up around this decision. How things will actually go at the SCR will only come to light in the coming weeks and months?
Pana Christakakis plays with open cards. Those responsible have promised this in the gloomy hours after the DEL2 exit, and they want to stick to it. Therefore, the managing director does not hide the fact that he presented the board of the development association with a budget for the 2020/21 season, which included a certain shortfall. "I also told them frankly that it would be better not to apply for the league with this budget." He did not want to start a season with a planned minus. "Hope is not a strategy for us," he says clearly. Christakakis expects sponsorship losses of around 25 percent, as well as a decrease in ticket sales in a similar framework. “Many people will be afraid to attend an event.” Reduced earnings that can hardly be compensated for. "Perhaps something will change with some sponsors during the season," emphasizes Christakakis. First of all, he had to calculate with these numbers.
An advantage that currently benefits the SCR: "We have very few players under contract so far." Florian Vollmer and Eetu Arkiomaa are well known. Another player is said to have signed a contract. "This gives us full control," says Christakakis. Not unimportant, because the red pencil will also have to be applied to the squad. "Of course it would be nice if we could strengthen our revenue side, but if we are realistic, we have to reduce our expenses." This also includes the direct sports area. The managing director speaks of 40,000 euros in gross salaries that are to be saved over the entire season. Therefore, there will not be many enforcement reports in the personnel sector in the near future. "We spoke to our local players, they are all informed about the situation."
The SCR hopes to get help from politicians in this precarious situation. Anton Speer had already announced at the end of the preseason in March that he would be open to the traditional club. The district administrator has now renewed its offer to support the SCR. Christakakis spoke on the spear for half an hour. "He wanted to hear a number from us about how high our deficit was after the season." He got the answer promptly. Due to the premature end, 35,000 euros were missing. The financial officers have now drawn up the final invoice. The Schwinghammer brothers have now contributed this sum - already main sponsors - in order to close this gap. However, this is an advance, not a further increase in the actual sponsorship. "I don't have the money in the season," explains Christakakis. He now has the hope that Speer can let his relationships play and possibly open up a source of money.
The SCR makers will also meet this week with the political leaders of the market community. "The mayor is apparently also ready to talk." Christakakis has already received this signal. He is concerned with running costs that affect the SCR to a not inconsiderable degree - for example, lease costs in the Olympic ice sports center.
The club is also active itself to generate additional income. Some actions are being planned. Christakakis already reveals one: "We will have a warm-up jersey for the team, on which fans can have their name printed for a contribution of, for example, 50 euros."
All of these efforts are expected to culminate in a major league season that will give the SCR a black zero. "That would be the goal." It shouldn't be easy, because still nobody knows when it starts and under what conditions. One thing is certain: all previous southern league teams have submitted at least license documents. A little ray of hope.
