FAB 11th February

I think a lot of the ill feeling amongst the fan base would be addressed if we had regular updates and open communication.

I'm not asking them to divulge the inner workings of a transfee window for example, just acknowledge that they're listening to fans concerns regarding squad depth etc...

 

Very surprised to read this kind of feedback, to be honest.

The BBS and other social media have been practically in meltdown regarding the transfer window, with some groups already organising protests aimed at the owners for the next home game.

The Sporting Director is getting pelters for refusing interviews with local journalists, and subsequently for producing a website interview that was widely ridiculed as akin to internal club propaganda.

In the meantime, the FAB engaged directly with the club to invite him to their next scheduled meeting, so that the issues causing said meltdown could be discussed rationally, and for which minutes could be subsequently published. The invitation is accepted, the FAB ask forum members for their input into the process, and yet this is somehow the wrong thing for it to do.

Presumably the preferred response is to do nothing, make no engagement with the club on the subject, and hold a regular scheduled meeting where everyone tries very hard not to mention anything about the issue that is causing all the social media activity?

 

If the board could choose to either remain in forced chastity for the rest of their lives, or have to have sex every day with a different random person chosen from the electoral register, which would they choose?

Also, what do they think the most popular luncheon menu is?

 

But this is my point - it's a meltdown because, well, it just always is. It's an emotional topic that right now can't be claimed to be anything - nobody knows if it was a successful window or a **** one. Most people think it's ****, understandably, but how can you actually know that until the lads we've bought actually play & we see what impact is has on results?

My, obviously very personal and not widely shared view, is that this group should be talking and working with the club on longer term issues. Fall in attendances. Reduced engagement with younger people. Stadium experience. Ticketing policy etc. These are things that are objective & you can clearly see the impact of the work & time. Having a meeting to discuss a transfer window just feels reactionary & like I said, a waste of everybody's time. You might come out feeling like you've learned something, but in reality what can they say? They're not gonna come out & say 'yeah we've signed some ***** in January'. They're gonna say what they've released to the public because ultimately that's the truth. We're financially constrained, we've taken a punt on some players that we think will be ok & we've got rid of some that we don't want.

 

All that dialogue remains ongoing, and many of the general issues you've listed were covered to some extent at the last meeting on 16th January, for which the minutes are already in the public domain. None of them are disappearing, and all that's happened is that space has been cleared at this meeting to focus on one key issue, because it is literally all that anyone wants to talk about at present, whilst allowing some of the less urgent updates to roll into the following meeting.

 

What interview is that? He's only done one and that's with the clubs media team, which was a disaster

 

It sounded like Giddings to me ,sorry if I'm wrong.The point stands though.

 

Scripted interview with scripted answers.

Says a lot without say anything. To say Rodriguez has been on our radar a while is laughable

 

Whats laughable about it?.Players like him should be on our radar or the data analysts aren't doing there job.Anyway like I said its just my opinion.I don't know if he was and you don't know if he wasn't.

 

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We played Neil Farrugia up front for the 2nd half vs a team in the top 6 were supposedly trying to chase down, that should give you the first notch on the marker to how successful our window was.

 

FWIW, I agree with you, I predicted at the announcement of this group it would end up doing this but should be concentrating on the bigger stuff.
The Supporters club should be the ones asking for this meeting at a seperate time IMO.
That said irrelevant of how they ask and push it is unlikely his answers will change as for why and how the transfer turned out like it did.

 

Bonnie Blue has entered the chat.

 

Whilst maybe true, that is your opinion, not a fact. Just because we sign people on the last day of the window, like many other clubs, it does not mean they are panic buys. They may look that way, and they actually may be last minute gambles, but we don't know for sure.

 

The board appointed Clarke as the man to take the club forward on the pitch. Do the board allow Clarke to have 100% say on tactics and formation every game? If not, why not?

 

Now we have a commercial link with other EFL clubs through the Vertu sponsorship, would it make sense for the like of Jon Flatman to set up a working group/round table of similar people at other clubs to share best practice and work through common challenges.

 

Mr Somaz, if I gave you £100. Will you leave please??

 

You are either a fruitcake or very good wind up merchant

 

Great question.

 

At least I've got manners.