Ben Mansford is taking calls/questions tonight..

On Football Heaven, allegedly. I say allegedly because they claimed they were going to play his interview on the show yesterday but never did. Anyways, here's the claim this time.

Football Heaven ‏@footballheaven <small class="time" style="font-size: 13px; color: rgb(187, 187, 187);"> 4h</small>
From 7, #barnsleyfc chief exec Ben Mansford will be taking your questions live.. #askben or TXT Sheffield 813 33. 0114 279 66 99.

 

Sent a question in

 

One of the bigger regrets about this car crash of a season is it will end up undermining what Ben could have done for us in the Championship. I hope he's in for the long ride, because he strikes me as a very able guy, and he deserves to be associated with/providing assistance to a stable Championship club. He'll go on to better things - I'd love it to be with us.

 

Why what's he done this season that impresses you so much ?

 

There seems to be an obvious irony to me.

That the route so many of us wanted and welcomed and were warmed by (the new season with Flitcroft in charge with assurances, the stepping down of Don, the addition of Ben and Maurice... followed by a former legend to manage us again part way through the campaign) is increasingly likely to be the formula that sees us relegated.

I'm pretty sure if Don had still been in charge the kid in a sweet shop buying policy of Flitcroft would have been less likely but who knows what would have happened instead.

 

Acknowledging fans at away games.
Experimenting with pricing.
Providing public comment - albeit maybe not as quick as we like but quicker than the previous regime.
Seeking fans' views (accepting that there are constraints in meeting every demand).
Engaging with local business/community.
Appearing regularly on local media.

Shall I go on.................?

 

Regarding your last point, many posters on here were at pains to impress upon Don's critics that he was simply a mouthpiece, a puppet even, for the owner and that he had little say in the decision making at the club (at least when it came to the negatives of his tenure). To suggest Don would have 'managed' Flitcroft differently to a more positive outcome for the season without the direction of the owner would be hypocritical.

Personally I think the truth as usual rests somewhere in between, whereby Don was empowered to make certain commercial decisions without sanction and others either under full direction or requiring sanction by the owner.

What I do know for a fact is that to blame relegation this season on Mansford and Wilson whilst totally disregarding the mis-management of the club over the past 8 years and absolving all those who have gone before of any fault or blame is ignorant in the extreme.

 

One of the bigger regrets, really?

Not for me.

When we're relegated and I'm summing up this steaming pile of horse **** of a season, I won't be thinking "oh what a shame for Ben Mansford, he could have been great if we were in the second tier".

*He's been CEO for a full season in the second tier and look where we are. I'm not blaming him entirely, but to make out he's not at all culpable is taking the piss. He was one of Flitcroft's 'assurances'. He then allowed David to recruit/retain/loan and release badly. So he's had input.
But I'm well aware that most folk think otherwise and prefer to blame his predecessor who never sanctioned the kind of spending seen this season but also never saw the club relegated during that tenure. Which I find rather pertinent now, Don's last interview, where he spoke of his pride at exactly that - keeping this club in the division.

Folk see that as lacking ambition, they still mock him to this day.

We've had a very different bloke at the helm this season and look where we are.





*Bit of devils advocate and debate stirring

 

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one Whitey.

 

And I'm not taking the piss, by the way.

 

I don't blame potential relegation on Danny and Ben at all. My point is the irony of having people who have stepped in that many have welcomed and prefer will be at the helm if we drop. I like both of them, prefer both of them.

And yes, you're most likely right that PC has his wishes carried out. I simply perceive Don to have been better suited to say no which could possibly have prevented one of the largest (and not very good) squads in our history being assembled and completely wasting the money we got for Stones, the cup run and Golbourne.

 

When will the seats be cleaned, where's the new scoreboard, any chance of some decent matchday service/food/drink, why do we have floodlights on when the sun is still shining brightly, why do we water the pitch when it's pissing down with rain, will the drainage in the stands be sorted so we can cope with rain without puddles forming, do we plan to get rid of the metal hordings players near go into every game.

Those would be my 7

 

ive asked about John Stones sell on and england clauses. Wonder if it will get dodged? Only issue with the questions before is they can be screened.