People of this Parish There is something special about our Club and our town and us fans. Where else in football would the fans be screaming blue murder about a manager leaving a club who were second bottom in the league?Any league?Anywhere in the world? We're not playing well enough and we want the Manager to stay!! In a very strange way, as I've been reading through yesterday's and today's feeding frenzy it's convinced me that we support the best club in the world and it sets my heart racing. We will disagree about many things as fans but there can't be many places where a a set of fans have taken a man to their hearts in the way we took to Daniel. It says a lot about him but it also speaks volumes about us and our willingness to believe in this thing as a community. No where else in this town do 11000 people get together in the way that we do and want the same thing every other week. That's a powerful thing on itself. We dont know whats gone on. I for one won't jump to any conclusions until we can see more of the facts. however i think Im posting this to demonstrate that all this emotion is a wonderful. I've just posted a thank you to Daniel on Instagram saying thank you for touching that part of our lives which we hold so dear. I guess red rain would be quick to point out that emotion doesn't win football matches but for me it's what bonds together and makes us stronger. As all modern day footballers say these days...."we reset and we go again". Amen.
I agree but to be fair I think most clubs fans would be upset if a manger who won manager of the year, got a promotion, played great football, went a season unbeaten at home etc was sacked a few weeks into a new season after failing to get the players he’d asked for in the summer. I hardly think our reaction is unique
True to some extent, however it's the same fans who gave a standing ovation to the Reds after they lost 6-0 to Charlton at Oakwell in 2013. The applause being for them running their blood to water and every man putting in a shift despite not being very good-they all tried their utmost I wonder how many other team's fans would have done the same?
If Stendel had a decent team at his disposal, and was in this this situation, some fans would have turned on him already. The people of the town, and the rest of us, agree that he's been hung out to dry by the owners. Fans of any club would do the same in our shoes.
Well I am finding this sh1tstorm/circus mentally draining and think its time i took.a step back from all things BFC. Because I give a **** it hurts so much more than someone from the outside looking in. Conway and co really need to go some to change how I feel about them right now.
We should get a massive banner knocked up that says Thank You Daniel and unfurl it across the ponty end! If I was a prospective candidate I would be put off with how the club have dealt with this scenario the lack of grace or class is disgusting.
A very fair and rational post, Steve, which is exactly what I'd expect from someone I've sat alongside for 20-odd years. However, something is fundamentally different for me this time. It's not the first time I've disagreed with the board's decision over a manager, but the statement released yesterday is the first time I can recall that the club has acted with a total lack of class or respect to the point where I'm embarrassed/ashamed by association with their actions. The closest I can get to it is during the post-admin period under P. Turdoyl, but that was a period when the survival of the club was genuinely at risk, when having a fundamentally immoral owner was better than having no owner at all. This is different, as we're now in an era of being acknowledged as a 'well run' club. I've had 24 hours to reflect on it now, and the anger/frustration hasn't subsided in the slightest. The question for me now is how I ultimately choose to respond in terms of my support. Its early in the season, and my season ticket is paid for. My daughter is also now starting to take more of an interest, now that she's starting coming to games with a friend. Despite this I'm already questioning how much I want to continue coming to matches this season and, for the first time, I'm thinking about whether I want to renew my season ticket next year. I'm already frustrated by the product on the pitch, which arises directly from the transfer policy we have. Stendel's sacking stems directly from him having exactly the same concerns as I do regarding experience in the squad, but I at least had confidence that he'd do the best he could with the players at his disposal. In fact, he's the person I had most confidence in being able to turn a situation policy that seems pre-destined for relegation into one where we avoided it. Now he's been ditched, and in the most classless and distasteful way imaginable. Essentially, the policy will continue but without the most important element to make it succeed. If I keep coming to games, then every defeat is going to increase the anger. If they eventually decide to switch policy and allow a new manager to bring in experience, then they're only doing what they should have done with Stendel, so there was no need for him to be sacked. I heard/read quite a few comments yesterday along the lines of 'if we start winning games, it will all be forgotten'. I'm not sure I feel that way, because what the Board have done now is confirm to me that our competitiveness in the league is absolutely secondary to a recruitment policy which is clearly failing. Not having the resources to compete in the Championship is one thing. Not choosing to use available resources in the most efficient way possible to compete, and simply setting out to be a yo-yo club, is something else entirely and not something I particularly want to be emotionally invested in. More fundamentally, the moral message and lack of basic respect sent out by the sacking, and in particular THAT statement, is not something I can align myself with, and that's an entirely new experience for me to find myself with my support for this club, and its not something that will easily be forgotten just by the fact that we might win a few games again under a different manager. One thing I have realised is that it's an entirely personal reaction that everyone will take to this. I'm surprised at how personally I've felt this, as I thought I was long past the stage where anything BFC related would surprise me. What I ultimately choose to do will be right for me, but not necessarily for someone else and, to be honest, I'm not even sure what the reaction will be. Right now, I'm just processing a lot of overwhelmingly negative emotions prompted by Stendel's departure, more than any I can recall for any other manager leaving, and not particularly enjoying the conclusions they're currently leading me to.
You've nailed it in a nutshell. A bloody big nutshell. Your post sums up my feelings too. This is different to anything I've seen before, in over 50 years.
I'm angry we're the bottom of the league. I'm annoyed at the clubs statement being so cold and heartless. Totally agree with orsen's initial post. I won't get too carried away until I hear what the board has to say. I'd feel better if it was based on results though rather than Stendel venting frustration at the transfer policy because that was in place before he arrived. If the latter was the case the board can't sack themselves.
Curt...wow! A very moving post my friend and Las expected, beautifully articulated. That's exactly the kind of emotion I was referring to and which I certainly recognise in you and other I am close to as fans. I do hope that you will be there for the Swansea game and I really hope to high heaven that we have more facts by that time....at which time it will help you and me and all of us reach a conclusive view on these bizarre events. The statement is completely crass and classless as many have pointed out. Just a simple thank you would have sufficed for the minute and it may have calmed a few people down as opposed to stoking the fire. In an attempt to rationalise things in my head I would say that, having dealt with many many senior terminations in my career, if there is to be a legal dispute (with the catalyst possibly being either Daniel or the Owners) then it is feasible that they might have agree that statement together. As you know, I strongly believe that we should all sit and wait and see what transpires over the next fortnight. For sure, the Owners have some retrieving to do. What we should also recognise of course is that the Board might have their tongue tied innterms of what they can reveal. I know it's wrong to speculate but they may have had no choice but to terminate D's contract for something completely unrelated to football. I agree with you 're any new man coming in and being given the opportunity to buy more experience, which I agree we need. That would hypocrisy in the extreme. In terms of Daniels contribution over the last few weeks I think we'd agree that he has made some strange decisions 're formation. I adore the man immensely not least because of that infectious enthusiasm. However a fantastic personality and warmth as a human being does not necessarily bring success on the field. The frustration is that we just don't know what's gone off. On a far more important matter I would urge you to not cut the umbilical cord. Our relationship has been based around the club and you know the joy I feel seeing Alice and her sister at the match dressed up in their kit. Even better to see her at the last game with her Leeds fan friend who you're trying to convert. Of course it can only be your decision as to what you do with your time. Like you, in all my time following our fortunes, I've not felt like this either. I'm confused. I'm not going to slag off the Owners until I know more however. The last time I felt like this was when Danny went down the road to The Piggery. Different circumstances. Don't want to find out that DS has in some way been manoeuvring behind our backs. That would hurt. It is, of necessity a very personal thing for all of us Curt but know this......it's in your blood and that will never change.....whether you choose to come down or not. Chin up lad!!
First class, well spoken. Its a bit like ...if you wanna support a football club...go up the road to leeds, we are here to make money and will do as we like and dont care very much for your negative input.
I honestly don't know what I'll do long-term. Writing things down was an attempt to try and rationalise some of it in my head. I'm trying not be knee-jerk about it, whilst also not wanting to stay silent about it, as that would feel like I was condoning it. I've already allowed for the fact that DS might have been tapped up, which is probably the worst-case scenario in terms of justification for the club's actions. If so, then the 'best' outcome as far as BFC's behaviour is that they've repeated the mistakes with Hecky in allowing a successful manager to become so disillusioned with things that they seek a way out. Still not a great look for the owners, and one to make you question what type of replacement we'll get. As for anything outside football being the cause, then it's likely we'd never get to know this as it will be covered via some form of settlement agreement and confidentiality clause, but its reminded me that the timing of things around the court case with Barton also stinks. Surely this could have been left until after he's been required to give evidence as a witness in this case, assuming the trial goes ahead today. Like you I've been equally baffled by some of the team selections this season, particularly the cold shoulder that Cavare seemed to get in the early weeks. I'm also puzzled that we haven't seen Oduor given a run-out yet in an area where we've opted to play people out of position ahead of him, but perhaps that's reflective of the obvious differences of opinion regarding recruitment. Again, it points back to Hecky's time with us and the recruitment of someone like Knasmullner, who subsequently isn't deemed good enough for selection (see also Patrick Schmidt, ironically purchased from the same club). I totally agree that this club is in my blood, and that's why its causing so much reflection. It's a very hard thing to even consider stepping away from it, which is why it bothers me so much that there's even a thought of it. @JackTatty's post above is kind of where I'm at for now, although he managed to express it in fewer keystrokes than I did!
I have a view but I won't be indulging in further speculation on here. Hopefully we can share opinion on the 19th!
