RICHMOND has embraced a vision for a golden decade with an ambitious plan to more than double membership, clear debt and play finals three times, all within five years.The Tigers are determined to rouse the sleeping giant of football and their dormant fans through their plan, which carries a motto of 3-0-75. The motto stands for playing finals three times, having zero debt and signing 75,000 members within the next five years.The five-year plan is about positioning the club for where it will be by the end of the decade, with a vision for 2020 that they return not just to being one of the top four Victorian clubs, but the top Victorian club.Significant in the short term is the intention to play finals three times by 2014, which would require the Tigers to make the eight no later than 2012 �� and stay there.Left unstated was if, when or how many premierships the club hoped to win by 2020.The five-year written plan, drafted by Brendon Gale after he took over as chief executive last year, pledges the club to the surprisingly bullish targets, which exceed the stated goals of any rival.All staff at the club �� players, coaches and administration �� as well as the board gathered in the players' gym at Punt Road on Tuesday night for the presentation, and all "signed up" to the goals.The plan has been driven by Gale and reflects the belief at the club that, after two years of significant personnel change, the Tigers have the critical people in place to attack such broad goals.Gale has taken over as chief executive, Craig Cameron as general manager of football, Damien Hardwick is the new senior coach, Simon Derrick has been appointed commercial operations manager and Cain Liddle is membership manager.Richmond carries about $4 million in debt, although importantly the new final stage of its Punt Road redevelopment is being done without further capital input by the club. The existing debt would be wiped out and the club would enjoy strong profit growth after retiring the debt.The financial improvement would ride from a doubling of membership to hit a target of 75,000 members. The Tigers last year enjoyed a record membership of 37,000, which was primarily seen as a spike in response to the arrival of Ben Cousins.The long-held belief at Richmond, and broadly in football, is that there is a huge reserve of support that has drifted from the club over the past two decades, which have been marked by upheaval and poor on-field performance.However, Gale reminded staff on Tuesday that Richmond was the first club in the VFL to attract one million fans to its games in a year �� 1972 and again in 1973 �� while the next club to do so, Collingwood, took until 1979. Essendon did not do so until 1993 and Carlton 1995.The belief is not just that Richmond can get back to being one of the top four Victorian clubs but that it can get back to being the top club.On the field, Richmond comes from a long way back in its push to make the finals, having finished 15th last year and being the bookmakers' favourite for the wooden spoon this year.Complicating matters is that to fill holes remaining in their list the Tigers confront drafts weakened by the concessions for the Gold Coast and Western Sydney.Gale last night declined to comment on the strategic plan, saying he wanted to send the information to members first.TIGERS��5-YEAR PLANBrendon Gale��s vision 3YEARS OF FINALS 0DOLLARS DEBT 75THOUSAND MEMBERSTHE MAIN GAMETo return Richmond to the statusit enjoyed in decades past when itwas the No. 1 club in Victoria
