Barnsley FC Reply: West Stand Update

And on here. Troll. Troll.

 

When I saw your post, I thought it was going to me comic sans.

 

$hit response, surely nobody can be happy with that!?

What of these 'stories' circulating? Why not be transparent and tell us exactly what the issues are then and why so many fans have been cast aside.

Two statements from the club and both absolutely piss poor. Sorry mate I hope you receive an absolute onslaught at the engagement meeting.

 

I live a mile from Oakwell and I can smell the bull$hit from here

 

It should have been handwritten with a quill for a personal touch. Far too easy and less personal when you receive a typed letter.

 

We nearly cracked 50,000 infections today for the first time since restrictions were eased three months ago. What fun Sunday will be people cramped together especially in concourses more than they already would have been. Shutting a stand couldn't have come at a worse time. If/when we lose on Wednesday it's going to be even more awful at the weekend unless they get shut of Schopp.

 

I fail to understand why he needs to share the action plan to re open the stand with the supporters Trust either? Surely you just get on with whatever is needed to make it "safe" and maybe publish a timeline so we have an idea of when it may be re opened?

 

It's like one of those badly typed murder letters ... send for Poirot.

 

My odds are 0-100 for Sunday, but other than that I agree with every word. A chilling commentary on the situation at the club, made even worse by this meaningless reply to the Trust's letter.

 

Think it may he more of a Miss Marple case. Somewhere a club employee is going to tell the Trust they have something to tell them, and get given a mug of arsenic instead of tea before they set off to meet them.

 

'facts presented', 'risks associated'. More meaningless, empty noise.
The reply is clearly a holding operation designed to make fans feel better simply because its a reply. But its not a reply is it?
It's no wonder people are getting more and more pissed off.
State what the 'facts' are
Tell people what the 'associated risks' are instead of hiding and deferring.

 

"The reason the West Stand is closed is .................. aaaaarrrghhhhh .... gnnnnnnn ..... "
"Quick, send for the doctor."

 

It’s disappointing to say the least. Don’t know what to do about Sunday. I’m fine with the football but the trust has gone. Hell of a rebuilding job and that’s for the trust not the West stand.

 

Hollow words, as you say why not give more detail about the potential reopening. What needs to be done exactly? I can only imagine there are structural engineers and Health & Safety officers within the supporters trust.

 

This is how I'm starting to feel. There are just so many other things that can be done. The football really does take over your weekend for home matches.

 

The only meaningful new piece of detail in there is that he's stated that it was his call, as CEO, to close the stand. I hadn't been convinced regarding this previously as the action, and previous communication, looked strongly like it had come from Paul Conway.

Taking that at face value, then he's effectively come into the role and been responsible for creating quite possibly the worst ever breakdown of confidence between club and supporters in living memory (and to be fair, that's up against some fairly healthy competition).

Pending any further and better explanation on Thursday, and assuming that he's the primary decision maker (which I still struggle to believe is the case), then it would potentially make his position untenable as CEO almost before he'd got his feet under the desk. It would appear to be a spectacular misjudgment as to the scale of the adverse reaction this would generate, particularly viewed alongside the near simultaneous increased allocation of away tickets.

I don't like having to wait a few more days for a more meaningful update, but perhaps this is understandable given the proximity of the Engagement Forum this week. The error on this part came in the previous statement where it was simply stated that this would be the timescale of communication, when it was still a fortnight away.

I'll reserve further judgement until the Trust have had the chance to meet with him. Thanks to those within the Trust who've progressed matters this far around their full-time jobs and other responsibilities.