CEO meeting tonight - detailed report

Here's a fairly detailed report of tonight's session with our new CEO.
Jason Thelwell, our stadium announcer did a great job of introducing and compering tonight’s session (and sounded like he did a great job) I wasn’t able to go due to illness and waiting for a covid test (negative as it happens) but I know a man who did and he was able to record the audio. I've tried my best to transcribe it with the help of some software so forgive the robotic nature and/or mistakes in grammar or. As there was some video and powerpoint content someone else may have to fill in the gaps here. Some of the fan questions weren't very audible either

Jason introduced our new CEO Khaled El-Ahmad

The fans were given the option to see a pre-prepared presentation Khaled had made about himself and they opted do that and then ask the questions.


Khaled: OK. This presentation will be a bit about myself. You get to know me a where I'm from. An update on what's happening in the club. It will also be someone of soft values that I think are important that I would


Khaled: fans and the kind of ideas of what I will be doing in the coming months. OK. And before the presentation starts, I'm super excited to finally be here. The announcement of my hire was quite early, but I was on gardening leave and that's why it all took so long. It's going to give you some inside story. My gardening leave was supposed to be to October six, but then Man City called me and said, Hey, Khaled. We have a problem. Manchester, we need an exhibition opponent. So I said to Tiki and I said, Okay, I'll let me think about it. We had one issue. We were supposed to play Waterford that day, I think, is July 30th or something. I thought about it and I said, You know what? I rather the burn the bridge towards Watford to make sure I can get here as quickly as possible. So I had some very interesting discussions with Watford, canceled the game, apologized to people that bought tickets and were affected by it. But it was better for the club and then already during my gardening leave did not take this. I wanted to put Barnsley in the front seat and that's the reason why we played Man City and not Watford. So because you're here, you get some inside information, OK, in the future, I hope we can play Man City every summer. It's an interesting experience. I think we should always strive to play against the best. It went so far, and I have to turn off my phone for 48 hours because I was afraid Watford to call me too many, too many times. But now that I've had a good discussion with with them since, OK, are you ready for the presentation? Yeah. We'll start with a little video.


Khaled: <VIDEO HERE NO SURE WHAT IT WAS />

Khaled: OK, this is me. I'm a war. Refugee fled the war in the 80s, so. From Lebanon, I move to Sweden my father is Lebanese, my mother is Czech, grew up in Sweden. You see the flag of the US. It's because I lived there altogether almost 12 years I speak a bit of English, Swedish, Czech, Arabic and say I'm okay in Spanish. If I speaks to the Spanish person because then I get lost. Some of the locals are clubs that I've been part of. You'll see what it says. Black Box DWM is where I went to university. I graduated, graduated with a bachelor's in the Masters and fell in love with skydiving. I love riding a motorcycle. Unfortunately, it got stolen and when I tried to buy a new one, my wife said, No but she's not here. I was thinking, Maybe I go buy one now and then, you know, it's like a timeline of needing to go to where I am today.

 

Khaled: You see, Man city football in my city is where I spend my last six years. I have a wife and two daughters. Um, quick summary of me, I thought it would be personal to reach out to show this. OK.


Khaled: I don't know if you can see this first point is the positive problem-solving, transparent, professional, good people. Essentially, when I walked into the office the first day and my staff, my colleagues can attest to this is when I walked into the office. The first thing I wrote on the board is "impossible is nothing". And that's where my positive positivity comes from. From where I grew up as a child to be able to have the honor and dignity to lead a club like Barnsley, Barnsley and the city and that positivity Is non-negotiable. I want everyone at the club believing we can beat the Giants. I understand. Small resources. I understand a bunch of problems. But if they do decide it's all negative, what then happens is you will not see solutions. If you're positive, you will become a problem solver similar to players. Players have to find this and find solutions. US as a club need to find solutions. Yes, we'll be hamstrung and hamstrung by some resources or rules. But we will do our best.


Khaled: Transparent. I don't know you. Hopefully, you've had the opportunity where a CEO comes up and tells you all about himself, essentially. That's where my transparency start. As long as they have the information, I will try to tell you as much as I can and I'm allowed to. And I'm also a person, I said, this is where all the stuff tells that meeting today, I trust people 100 percent. I've been burned in the past and I trust people 100 percent. Once you burn that bridge, for me, there's no there's no coming back. Will I make mistakes? Yes. But then I'll stand up to do them in an honest way and say, I'm sorry. And as long as we have a dialogue about it, we can always slowly move forward professional. It cannot look, I lost what I call a spaceship and city amazing that everything else, we had a problem when we asked the money money. Um, I want that same environment within smaller resources and what I need is the way we carry ourselves, the way our customer service is. Everyone can do the best they can think can to their ability. And that's what professionalism. If you can really agree with some of the quotes that I've collected over the years, but I'm the professional, one says. A professional is someone who can do their best work and they don't feel like it. The people I touch on the first thing that I realize that everyone I've met in Barnsley has been super nice. We'll see if that continues and the results don't go away. For those who have been super nice and I've had this feeling for one other time is the first time I came to Dublin to visit my sister. I was like, We should be doing right now because the homeless people are living. Those values is important and this is what I try to be as a person. And I was trying to instill this within the football club. And these are more important than technical quality or am I good, at my job. This, to me, is the base of the work environment I want to create.


Khaled: OK, I'm going to tell you a little bit of what's going on. I saw some questions, you know, you're asking maybe about results. You have to understand something with Barnsley Football club went through this summer. I've been in football 20 years at all levels. I've never, ever experienced all the top management leaves, essentially at the same time, players go on five week break without really follow up, which means there are not 100 percent fit. The manager comes into a situation where there's a staff that doesn't want to leave the club because they're on their way to West Brom. If you imagine this ship, you can see is a ******* tomato. But this ship was like this. Marcus didn't get to bring new systems, players one here, and you still have covid all these regulations. It's been tough. And the staff and bonds have been fantastic. The players do fantastic, and all of this takes time. Look, I didn't. I didn't even arrive until one week ago, and every change within the group of players came late. And I have because of that close, you are ready every time you take a person out of the group and put you in you, it shakes and it takes a bit of time to settle. And with those changes, we've had staff leaving. You've got David is the new club secretary he's here, so you get the chance to say hello to him. We've changed in the physiology department, in the sport and science performance. First analyst environment, there will be some other additions. So imagine all that this is the manager stuff. Everything has changed and that takes time to build trust, and the company didn't have anyone to speak the same language and would be able to connect and move forward. We're also doing some additions within the academy because we've done a lot of internal promotions, which I'm proud of and Barnsley that only produces good quality players. They produce quality staff. And the reason it says thank you is actually to my staff here, colleagues and then to you guys. I know during COVID that this is the tickets I know used to buy them. I saw you at Blackpool, I saw you at Stoke. and my two away games. I see you at home games. And I think it said it in one of my interview, my interviews. Football is nothing without supporters. It really isn't. Another reason I came here.


Khaled: So that's kind of some of the updates for you. We can move on to my thought process of the coming weeks and months. Which is not which is not a big deal, but it's not a slide. What I'm going to do in the coming months, I want to analyze every department in the club. I want to build collaboration and support. We need to look at the processes so that the way some leaves the Barnsley Fellowship doesn't shake so much need some stability going forward. One thing that is amazing with big organizations like Citi, you can look at it from a negative perspective. It's actually part of the legacy. Everyone is replaceable, meaning that 20 years from now, when we won the Premier League and I decided to retire at first and want to come and say, OK, the club is run in a certain way. You'll see a VIDEO I showed it to my colleagues earlier today. I know half of them think I'm crazy. . My mentor said. It's lonely on the top. I don't like this. I would hope I'm not alone, but that is a collaboration between everybody. But this video means a lot to me when I'm down, when I need courage, and when I was thinking of making the decision about leaving City to come to Barnsley, I watched this little clip. So it was sort of an early, early start and see if I left the good looking.


Khaled: <some clip was shown no idea what>


Khaled: <discussion on Barnsley lingo with jason>


Jason: And just a couple of things. I think what we'll do is we'll we'll we'll just have a few questions and then we'll have a bit of a breather and a break. And, you know, don't go to get yourself a drink while here and then we'll talk back in and we got a couple of questions that you guys want to ask. <missed some stuff>

 

Jason: So I guess the first thing you did from the beginning from from Manchester City and that time to sort of, you know, stratospherically club that Manchester City appears to be looking at outside of what what was the ultimate sort of decision of wanting to go to Barnsley that what what did you see when you had a look around and you met all the people on the board? What what was the one thing that kind of told you to to the club to say this is what you want to be for the next 10, 15, 20 years?


Khaled: I think when you when you're part of something so extremely modern and innovative, you know, I think if you would go and watch a Man City game and we are went through the night, it was like going to the best opera you can never go to some football for me. Um, and from my humble beginnings, I wanted to be part of something authentic, a little bit more real. I like the whole idea of, you know, the history of Barnsley with mining and kind of this David against Goliath small resources and it resonates to who I am as a person. My ambitions in terms of again, the impossible is not for me, but also to see if I could, you know, make a difference. And at the same time, blending innovation, new ways of thinking, you know, you already implemented data and scouting. Can we look at, um, global sponsors instead of just the localness of that? But I think the one word for me is authentic.


Jason: And I guess it's probably in some ways easier to put your own stamp of a football club like those I think would be, you know, the top. The Premier League


Khaled: in all aspects in terms of marketing and sales of these. Yes. Yes, definitely a reminder.


Jason: But potentially we might see Pep Guardiola coming into the hot seasons at some point down the line to help others understand this contract


Khaled: his contract expires in two years, and he's going to leave City if they can instead of taking a year off in New York. Come on, coach, Bundesliga club. Are you ready for that type of football ? <laughter/>

 

Jason: having to get out? I hear the booing. I'm so, so you come to Barnsley then and looked around the stadium tunnel, familiarizing yourself with the place of the talent and the people and the football itself. A bit of a difficult start to the season, which has to be said. You know, a couple of losses, too many draws, not just wins in terms of the impacts and the conversations around the team. And you know, you hear about football clubs where, you know, chief executives or chairmen or board of directors have a say in what the team does and who picks the players and so on and so forth. I'm not suggesting for one minute that's going to happen here, but what sort of elements do you have in terms of, I guess, your your position is more running the whole ship off the pitch rather than on it for but is there an element of sort of conversations that you might have with with Marcus and the team or the players?


Khaled: I think Im a different type of CEO, my experience, even though I have experience in all the businesses and being an entrepreneur, football is my thing and my staff knows I am 50 percent sporting director and 50 percent CEO. So the way I'm breaking up my day is morning is, according to the North Stand, and I listen to the coaches. I go into the locker room before the game. After the game, I watch training because if you don't do that, it's hard to then have a discussion about football or just seeing if the game is actually not the truth. I'll give you an example we lose to the Blackburn. Josh Benson's first game after two weeks of COVID, Jordan Williams has come back from injury. All those injuries, you know, so you think the players are 100 percent? But then when you follow the process in training, you need to be audited to then have discussions with Barnlsey football club as a whole. I think we want to go the strategy that the club moves forward regardless of who the manager is. That's where Barnsley has to get to. Um, I think that's a solid answer.


Jason: Yet on going on from that, you talk about the vision of the future. I know there's always a million long questions about this, about, you know, perhaps if people come into a new business as you've dealt with it, with a with a with a plan by the head, one 10 year plan, whatever they may seem to be, let's say a five year plan. First of all, where would you want to see? What do you see? Barnsley Football Club as you know where the Championship is the second tier of English football? That's great. That's a, you know, it's a good, good level to be up, but it's the five year plan you want to push the don't take us even further than that?


Khaled: First, transparent situation between us, um. You can be mad at me looking at Barnsley, our whole history. I look at it last if I do a dataset last year as an outlier. 2003 is an outlier. Premier League year is an outlier. If you look statistically no emotions. The club's League One championship, I I rode impossible. There's nothing on my board. I think if we are good enough to be between 12 and 18 every year. We will look we will be in playoffs more often than not. And then at some point everything will click and we'll all make the Premier League. What I don't want is probably giving you a heart attack one season, another season, you get a positive vote intact and just go like this all the time. We also have to understand where we are in the food chain in terms of financially with one of the smallest clubs. We will always be a club that will develop young players and at the right time. We say thank you and we move them on. But if we do this right, you know, when I said that we want to be replaceable and next one come and next one comes and next one comes, and then the stability keeps the club between 12 and a good football. We win some, lose some, but you will see the development. And by the end of year five, we are celebrating Premier League title.


Jason: We've recorded this, by the way. So you know, all those guys outside my.


Khaled: But again, like if I say we just want to survive the Championship. Maybe they will maybe that's going to be the actual end results, but I'm in it to win it. And we showed you that video and I think that's what's beautiful with football. And if you can have it and you might think this sounds large, but if I don't believe it and we don't believe it, collectively, no one else will. But kind of the transparent analysis of this is to make this a stable well run. And don't have the problems in terms of finances. No point deductions because for every one hundred pounds of salary, their cost is 200. No, no more sustainable, innovative, stable and hungry to. And something like


Jason: you mentioned this situation of reading. And you know, people have points up to four administration and you know, so all the crazy business in the moments of, you know, if ther is one thing about the game in general that you can take, I mean, you know, you we can talk in pubs and clubs about VR and what a load of rubbish that is and how a slot game. But you know, you're going to get into the administration and points deductions. And, you know, sometimes it becomes a little bit of a farce. This football looking from the outside in. One or all of those points is though something that if you thought you'd want to change the whole lot of those,


Khaled: I'm actually a fan of the VAR. Um, I think as all new technology things take time to blend doesn't it take too much time. Yes. But I guarantee you if we would not get promoted or got relegated because in this league, the referee misses an offside and everyone sees. I don't want that to happen. England World Cup number eight, the bar game in World Cup. But you know, that's unfair. And yes, it's it's that's not even human error. Um, so you do like, like you said, the implementation of technology. I just think it needs to blend in better with the game of football, the administration, the ownership. I think that's just sad and I don't really know or have an answer to it. But what I do like with this type of ownership is, yes, we know that we don't what we do with the Bundesliga to stick around.


Jason: That's a fair point. And let me just go back to the VAR point because I think we disagree. So we agree to disagree with that because we have yeah, it takes the fun out of it for me. You know, use the I think part of the match day for a lot of people is when the match is finished. You know, after the match machine goes off, comes and goes, Garrison, you go whatever you want to go, you have a few pints with your mates, but you debate the decision, , you know, you debate what's happened or what's done after, you know what? What if you were the linesman or assistant referee, whatever told them these days that you do it this way, you do it that way and not just I know we don't have in the Championship and thank God for that because we don't perhaps want it for the Championship. It's only the Premier League. But does that not say the sort of the enjoyment and does that not take part of the matchday experience away?


Khaled: I think this is the judgment because I've watched games, we have VR and the games being amazing, and I thought that the VAR decision was right.


Khaled: I've been at games without the one that's been or amazing, but I get that you want that flow to continue. And maybe it isn't just going to reach level. Maybe, you know, when you see the top, the top level of football, everything is it's too fast for the referees and maybe another level you do keep it out of your mind. Um, so being a fan with it, it's not going to push for it to be like a championship. I'm fine with or without it. And maybe the comparison is absolute time, but I see what you're saying.


Jason: OK, I see my P45 coming dont you


Khaled: What is P45


Jason: You don't need to know.


Jason: <BREAK>

 

Jason: I’m going to ask some of your written Questions but I'm not going to skip any for just reading eyes as they come and Carly will be, as we said earlier, very open and honest and answer the questions. And that's the tunnel. So there's no names on these anyway. So they're all anonymous and governments have asked them, but it is a personal thing.


Jason: What do you feel is the most exciting part of your role as CEO at Barnsley Football Club?


Khaled: Um, I think the whole combination of being part of something authentic ability to implement certain things and hopefully see a sea change, the fans, the league championship, England. Um, it's experience kind of that whole, the whole environment and also become a David versus Goliath feeling that that I have around Banrsley football clun.


Jason: OK, then in the next couple of them, it covers in quite detail. Talk about the previous experience as well around the presentation. And


Jason: So our three previous CEOs have been successful for many reasons. What would you feel would be success for at barnsley?


Khaled: Define success? But I'm not going to be too detailed and just I think success for me is, if I stay by my values. So if I ever would move on, everyone look and say I stood by those values, on the field and one clear identity, and I would want this club to be stable, competitive with positive energy, with the ability to compete upwards. Yes.


Jason: And having spent some time around, the coaching staff, coaches, media groundsman and everyone involved, you must be excited to work with such dedicated people.


Khaled: So good people. Amazing. Everyone top, from the field in the morning, groundsmen, kitman, shouts along the loudspeaker to everybody, and it's been fantastic. Now I get to meet SLOs. Right?


Khaled: So, um, and then I have the fans to that all very good. Excited


Jason: I just want to know who's question this is the next question is I think, is ridiculous. Can you ask it?


Khaled: Can you replace the stadium annoucer? <laughter>


Khaled: So, so I'll I'll back you up How long have you been here 30 years?, here's to 30 more years


Jason: What was your team growing up?


Khaled: Um, but Inter Milan is my team, WAS my team.


Jason: Inter Milan, so why not AC Milan, what was the difference between them, I suppose, is like Everton v Liverpool's


Jason: Colors. Black and Blue based on playstation back in the day, I pick the teams based on color, but then I made a good choice, Klinsmann, Matthias, SLatan..


Jason: OK, good stuff. And probably tonight is the answer to this question, I guess.


Jason: How do you like to connect with and build relationships with the fans


Khaled: These types of events? Um, I would like to. We've been talking about the possibility of sending out maybe a monthly or, you know, the monthly newsletter from me to you, a a bit of an update of what's going on inside the club. Um yeah. And then other events , hopefully ones COVID kind of settles. I'll be there. I like this.


Jason: OK?


Jason: Are you here under an open contract and you have no other ambitions right now other than the success advancing or both of them.


Khaled: I'm here on a three year deal and my intention is to be here longer. If you guys like me, if the ownership lets me, but not as honest as I can be. I don't focus on this. Trust me, I don't have time to focus on anythig else


Jason: And when did you first hear about Barnsley in any capacity when the Barnsley first come on your radar


Khaled: When you were in Premier League because you used to have a Swedish player Peter Markstad. I actually hada call with him. I also called Roland Nielsen, the former Swedish national team player, successful at Sheffield Wednesday.(BOOS) I know when I heard that, but I did ask him about the area and he also mentioned Barnsley. But my first one was back home in the Premier League.

 

Jason: Have you been able to meet any other CEOs in the league? And what are your first impressions and how may they agree with Barnsley's vision for a fairer league?


Khaled: Shut off all your social media. I think we were treated unfairly in our coaches being banned. Yeah. So that's the first unfairness because Stoke is probably a much bigger club, a lot more lawyers and what not and resources. I cannot understand. How our coaches got that amount of games, and they didn't and it's so we'll do our best. I would also like to create a unity and energy that can motivate us against them mentality. Certain aspects we'll never be able to change, you know, parachute money when you come from the Premier League. I do think the league is becoming tougher in terms of, you know, like derby and reading. I know with the ownerships, they're on top of it a lot. So we will do our best but we're not going to lay down because we are small and dont have the resources will will do what we can to change some things. So that is a good question. And the one I have met some CEOs. Tomorrow, I got to you're kind of going outside. I should see this. Tomorrow, I go to meet. Victor Orta, sporting director leads to can understand the journey they went, disregarding the money and mentality instilled. So of course, bringing that to the knowledge. I also know that it's one of these things so leads to Dane and called the Gauthier before. Everyone has their opinion and experience, and there's something to all of it.


Jason: OK. What expertise will you bring to player recruitment?


Khaled: First and foremost, process and time so that we don't make impulsive decisions. Really, really identifying what is the Barnsley player, looking at the age structure, you know where. I don't, you know, I don't see us signing any player older than 23 so all these discussions are happening. Should be just play with young do you create whats called a squad boundary in certain positions and those discussions will happen and are already happening.


Jason: Just hold on.


Khaled: Player recruitment is a question that I'm sorry, obviously my network with agents and our past experience, but we also have a recruiting team and I want to make sure it becomes a club decision in not just individuals are deciding who side of this life


Jason: Just one thing about recruitment . We signed these guys from Belgium just seemed to wait forever and a day to the to get the visas. How is that possible? And is that something that as a club, we we we knew or we should have known more about it? I mean, how can that go so wrong, as it did


Khaled: because of the rules and the calculation of points system? Um, people in new places did a great job. It was a learning process. Can it go quicker? I think we've learned a lot, so we should , you know, but some of it was completely out of our control. Home Office did not want us to participate in these things and there is no answer to it, except that the club did what they could from the situation. There were the people that were going to serve various roles, did their best and did a good job. Um, and then you come to a point where you just couldn't effect it and even I think Paul Conway questioned how Lukaku can be there in four days. I know maybe our end no one knows a minister to speed up the process And these are a combination of a learning process to be completed by a combination of learning the new system after the Brexit and the GB points. Um, the actual the fact that there was no CEO, no club secretary in place for the processes to support the people that's been. Um, and then there was things that it's just not happen.


Jason: And you just mentioned there was lots of that were good about the fairness of football that, you know, Lukaku, you and I remember what when Man U resigned Cristiano Ronaldo and you know, everybody was there to say no, he'll get his visa within 24 hours. And lo and behold, he got his visa in 24 hours.


Khaled: I loved it. How you comapre Ronaldo with ope and that the way it should be


Jason: Are you planning on making changes or improvements to the executive managers?


Khaled: Those are the business like the suites, right? Yeah. The boxes.


Khaled: The suites, yeah. All comes to resources to the first thing I would like to do. No promises ever made, but it hits me that they're behind glass. So actually, we took the two commercial guys and said, is there a company could come in and put in fold the glass? You know, see the executive suites if they want to watch, watch the game. Ther emay issues with glasses being plastic. That's the one thing I would change.


Jason: And I can tell you, I'm sure you're going to be there tomorrow night that we rolled out there earlier on today, and we now have electronic perimeter advertising boards for the rest of the season and


Fan: <OOH>


Jason: THe score board still doesnt work <laughter>

 

Khaled: companies that climate change is actually that's coming up in the is of the time. Like in boxing,


Jason: Do you intend to work closely with the Barnsley Supporters Trust and the club's SLOs?


Khaled: Yes.


Jason: Is your answer?


Khaled: Is that what you wanted?


Khaled: I guess this job was OK. And to be fair, it's part of the analysis. I haven't gotten to that. It's all part of this meaning. Meaning that, you know. So yes,


Jason: one day will you travel with the supporters to an away game and see everything through the fans eyes.


Khaled: So one of my previous jobs when I was, if you go down twice a year at the whole game, I would stand with all the fans. Depends on your mood and where we are. Now want me off the bus? I don't know. Good idea. Maybe if the right at the right time to consider, or maybe not, but I do, I would be more comfortable with having a home game just because of the travel and all that.


Jason: OK, and the final question from who these ones? Have you ever tried Barnsley CHOP or porkpie?


Khaled: Will taste it but I'm not very much into red meat. I like more chicken and seafood.


Jason: Do Barnsley have the qualities to stay in the Championship this season.


Khaled: I'm surprised we already think that way. Compared to other seasons, quite a similar start was only played by somebody with maybe one fourth one under the Ismael. I do believe we have the quality to stay in the Championship. Honestly, hasn't even come to my mind that we wouldn't.


Jason: But I think when we were talking just a little bit about, you know, if you look at this time last season, less points than them now and we ended up, you know, we've gone on a great run and, you know, it's the playoffs. So what's your saying?


Khaled: Impossible is nothing. You know, they're not being transparent. I think one of my biggest task and also Marcus is living with last year's kind of success. Hope is amazing, but hope can also be quite heavy, heavy to carry because you only compared to what happened. No fans, five substitutions. Different style. And that's what nothing is right or wrong, which is great because it shows the club has that.


Jason: The next question is about Marcus, to be honest. So Marcus was brought in before you arrived, but in that sort of guard leaving crossover, did did you have any involvement in bringing Marcus to Barnsley?


Khaled: I was on gardening leave. I think everyone knows what that means


Jason: and something completely different in Barnsley. Furloughitis, I think, is the technical name.


Jason: What are your international connections that can help to strengthen the team?


Khaled: Network, however, it's all now controlled by if the player qualifies for the GB points. So what? What was possible like Dike ? No more. They have to qualify. It's quite complicated. The players that do qualify, most of them would probably have the ability to other clubs might have more money for them, so it becomes a bit harder to bring in four the foreign players and what I mean, normally, with someone like the Dike who would not have qualified if we have the samehe same rules at the time he came he wouldn't qualify because of the league ational team minutes. I mean, it's exceptional, but my network is covers most of the world, and hopefully we. OK.


Jason: <Khaled asks the fans about what barnsley means to them>


Khaled: <question asked about updating the facilities>


Jason: Can I just add something to that? There's a debate the other day raging about Oakwell, and somebody said it's our how it was based. It's where we played, where we belonged. And if there ever came a day of building a brand-new stadium somewhere, perhaps not even on Grove Street, you know, people say, you know, there's one there that moment things are just to show that you want to stay at Oakwell home now with everything we've got. Or would you want to go to brand new Stadium somewhere else? So let's have a show of hands to stay at home as well.

 

Jason: And for the new stadium?


Jason: Yeah, it's kind of split into split it split decision, isn't it? You know, it's a split decision.


Fan: <Fan question I couldnt understand>


Khaled: OK, thank you. What do you want and expect from a person in my position? So for me, essentially.


Khaled: <Very very long statment which sounded a lot like Young Nudger about the potential of barnsley and talking about continuity. Relates to the manager. Ishmael at these part of the season said we need more strength and power upfront. We dont have that physical ability to fill role. Previous system went out the window. Should we revert back to the direct style because of the lack of quality of players? Squad drilled in a certain way but its gone out the window. Missed opportunity in the transfer window (to continue)./>


Khaled: Good analysis.


Khaled: When Morris and Oby are up to speed not an issue we will have that physicality.


Khaled: <discussion about what the fans want to see in the club>


Khaled: Q.These two Belgian players weve been waiting and waiting weeks for them to get fit. What goes on with this? Why cant we sign player ready to go into the team ?. Only players have a broken leg or or waiting weeks and weeks.


Khaled: Analysis will be done and discussed as we move forward again. Unctrollable reasons.


Fan: The matchday experience doenst really work. What about some of the quick wins.


Khaled: For example?


Fan: For example at half time having enough people to serve you at half time. Quick wins on the face of it.


Fan: On that point as well, why no cashless service?


Khaled: It's comoing, not sure when, but it's coming.


Fan: All your predecessors have promised to improve the matchday experience and non of them have. <discussion on lack of matchday experience>


Fan: My thought is that it's because I havent experienced that that so far. I've been to one home game. Will try and experience that before coming up with a solution. also ask interanlly what it goes to take to improve.


Fan: What about the fan zone


Khaled: they were hoping to at some point bring it back. It's it has to do with the to regulate the safety, the way the roads are closed, COVID. Some of it's, you know, essentially we just started to bring people back. And over time, we hope to recreate that fantastic venue.


Fan: <question abnout experience and recruitment - why dont we get any - can it be looked at. Can we expect more city players/>


Khaled: We can discuss when I eat (later), because of the transparent for me, if I could say 19 year olds all over the field and the experience doesn't have to be age, it's more connected to the personality of the player where we might have to right. I do agree in terms of the value of Solbauer but I wanted to ask you before I consider that. But you know what I would want. I would want a natural progression for Helik and Anderson to step in and be those (experienced) players.


Fan: Brentford were given as an experience and that these players will leave. Can we hang on to them long enough for them to be the experienced players? Brentford given as example (summarised couldnt hear)


Khaled: We will discuss brentford after this because they have their owner that put in so much money. So they've done a good job. But they had all night. If I'm not wrong, if you got $50 million pounds extra just to pump in and I think they had average salaries in Championship around thirty thousand pounds a week. Some of the players, I understand the vision of Brentford, but it's it's so different financial situation. The situation, but yes, we want to create the wages and salary levels where we can figure out how to keep the players even longer


Fan: <summary>How will Barnsley benefit from Multi club ownership? All the transfers are out. How do Barnsley use that to bring players in? When people like Mcgeehan go out do Barnsley get anything in return?


Khaled: Will to summarize all of that. At first glance, the question in terms of city football potentially bringing in players if they fit within what we want to do, if it's in our communities, we can explore them. So yes, it's it's obviously a good relationship and partner to have. We've actually been making calls that all the games that come in tomorrow again, so that hopefully that would fit in. To answer your question, I actually think theyre building that we could send players to those clubs. does help Barnsley because they somehow stay in-house. The other clubs help us offset costs. We still own the percentage. So if they would involve is we retain the financial value, the fact that we send out 5 players. That level is better for their development instead of playing under-23s. So some of them are still barnsley players and in general without knowing the whole multi structure. Yet if you look at their history verses like Redbull or City they've done everything quite quickly, so it's still a bit of it's own island. But the discussions are about how can somebody, how can they benefit from each other, whether it's a pre-season tournament with these teams play each other or taking a player from Oostende, or from France


Khaled: Well, I think they do want to create that tpe of collaboration. I'm not sure they'll put in all that money that it takes to put it that's a standard and I don't actually think they need to. I think you can run a very smart business model almost like a lower tier, but still being very efficient.

 

Fan: Can I go back a moment? Yeah. Oostende signed Jack Emry in the summer show signed from Celtic, and then the flipped him straight away for six million euros point like this as well.


Khaled: four point five


Jason: euros? Oh, OK, well, whatever then. That's what it says on Sky Sports. They made a large profit. What I'm saying is can we compete with them. Or is it absolutely no that we can't compete with a sister club


Khaled: in terms of signing him before he went to Scotland? Yeah, because he was on loan . I felt Barnsley should have signed him


Khaled: Hard to say, I wasn't in the building to know what the thought process was about him as a player because he's a cenre back right


Fan: yes a tall center back


Khaled: He's good, is good with his feet.


Khaled: I'm probably still not signing a centre back. I don't think that was the priority.


Fan: <gues the question bit inaudible >


Khaled: Good question, number one, three years from now and League One, the Championship is what I ask one, what does success mean? Maybe we have the best venue, maybe we have a 16000 season ticket instead of 10. Maybe my family likes to be here. All those things add up to be success. It doesn't scare the winning team. If we get, I don't want to say that it's negative. If we are in a situation where we're not middle at the top, it doesn't have to be with you. Obviously, see what I see, where you're coming from. A good, good idea. But again, really success this year could be with 20 years, but we change things on matchday and I can see the see the progression because


Fan: <another question I couldnt hear - future of the manager maybe?>


Khaled: it's it's one I support everyone at Barnsley that is there now. When you look at the backroom staff, there is English law, right? And it's not easy to to move people and I don't want to do is if they're doing a good job. Players, it's different. You have to believe that, you know, if they don't reform, then we might have to demand whether it's loan or sale, if they do well, as well, that when it comes to the manager, it depends in terms of performance And it's not just the points. It can be that I see a progression in other areas and that I feel that it's we're barnsley's heading together and I would keep it if it comes to a point where you feel everything is going down. I think the answer would be simple. But the difficulty in your question is there's so unqiue to the situation that we could be in and I don't know when the situation is as long as it makes sense easier. Otherwise, we could talk about it afterwards. I can't say we're going to the 60 days out of the firing of the manager because there's so many circumstances around it that can be uncontrolled, the injuries, the transfer windows. But everyone at the football club, which is such a dynamic workplace, is essentially always a little bit under pressure


Khaled: No, thank you. At 8:45, you really made me think.


Fan: Criticisms over the last few years, has been a lack of ambition. And in the past, we in a situation where a group of scientists led fromdata got us over the line and went into a promotion place but then squandered the opportunity. First of all, can you assure that all the this not a lack of ambition? Also had problem attracting players?


Fan: now is a difficult issue because we got players and owners of smaller players than and now throwing a lot more debt like this. We always play byt ht erules.


Khaled: Yes, certain things is difficult, finances always playing a role and essentially when I'll start over because I think you'll come back. So number one, the lack of ambition, um, and I'm not moving my family and leaving that whole area e to come to an environment that's lack of ambition. No impossible is nothing. If the resources are there, we want to progress, but we will not jeopardize the sustainability of the club and have it all. And if we do it right, it's going to be a steady progression. Um. I can then maybe ask you, you know, do you sign any player that might help us to get promoted versus taking that money and maybe improving certain parts of the stadium? Is that lack of ambition? You know, we're not trying to bring the player to the to the first team. So there's strategic discussions over over time that are that are important, but lack of ambition. No, I can guarantee that if we everyone at Barnsleuy football club wants to taste what you did last year. On your second question. It is difficult because of the financial results. Um, and the player I heard. I'll just say the names of Coventry player so next time you can boo. Gyokeres He was a main target. Um, had the call with Barnsley and I hear this afterwards he's like Barnsley. I'm not coming to Barnsley. And the information I got was quite rude. Every person at the club must come here because they want to be at Barnsley not for the money, not for anything else. They're coming here, just the same reason I'm here, same reason I feel that you guys are here and they have to buy into it. And if they're not into it, they're out

 

Fan: Question about liking the previous CEO but they left as soon as a better offer came along. How are you different?


Khaled: I don't want to go to the forest. I'm going to. Um, I think it's a bit different when you compare me to the past CEOs I've faced at the top. I've been in an environment at the highest level. I want to make.. I want to make a difference. So if I would ever take that step, I would feel I'm making it for the similar reasons that it's the right project. Um, I turned down the top job in MLS prior to this. Um, because it didn't provide what level I feel barnsley provides. my honest answer today. After three years, I might be tired of you guys


Fan: <Question about media and commerical and facilities>


Khaled: We have Swedish TV coming. There was an article in general public in the United States. You have a point about the former CEO being in the media, as can what I told them. I go, Who should I speak to? Perception is reality. How can we together be proud of Barnsley not to lose kind of history and heritage, but to promote it, to promote and to promote us? Um, and it's it's a job we have to do. And I think, you know, to be fair, if you look at the back of the back sponsor, if you Google, it's one of the most fastest growing companies in the world. The fact that Barnsley is the first football club they sponsor is massive. This is a company from Boston. I was like, How did this happen? It shows that there is potential. And I agree with the facility with Oakwell,the firstteam, Academy, its connected nicely? The potential is massive, is it going to be tough? Tough job? Yes. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think honestly, people are used to tough work and tough times and we all almost embrace it. Um hmm. Yeah.


Fan: How were you recruited?


Jason: I was recommended by Elaine Stritch and then I was approached by friends of mine. That is the honest truth.


Jason: Yeah. And you talked about growing the club and how does how does a club grow commercially? Because the the 1.5 million pound the below Rotherham in commercial from when they were in League One. 2.3 in the Championship? So that's just not good enough. That really, really isn't good enough. You know, you talked about the the the the back of the shirt sponsor the last time bounced out front of their sponsors jams to go with someone else. They missed it. And then we have this really small company in the local area. You know, when we look back at John that was called the construction company of the Stones, that kind of meant that that's not good enough. You know, we've got to we've got to grow. You know, I look at somebody like Husky. You know, they're wanted to grow and you're probably aware of them. And the tagline is chocolate the Red Bull chocolate milk they represent.


Khaled: They have a Swedish team.


Fan: Yes they are a Swedish company and sponsor Millwall, McLaren and Alfa Romeo. You know, how do Barnsley attract sponsor like them. Is that becausd they are London or is it is something that Barnsley can grow?


Khaled: Yes, 100 percent we have to grow commercially, so over time we don't just rely on player sales. And over the last four years, with the economics, there's been between 10 and 30 percent growth that needs to continue and maybe even bigger. In terms of season ticket holders. I met the council on Friday to find out the situation around the Oakwell. I asked one question to Sir Stephen and I said, How many season ticket holders do you believe Barnsley as a city can have? And he said 15000 by my own calculation, before I can meet with 16000 from 10 to 15 is another four or five hundred thousand pounds every year. But we also have to be able to offer better things and to stand up behind increasing prices with the sponsors. So all with you and I completely agree with it. The next time you guys get to speak to my colleagues and ask them about the changes in energy, we're trying to add into those areas. But it's also tough because we have to create a narrative in this story. Why should they come to Barnsley and not sponsor Brentford or Leeds ?


Fan: Also, we know what happened to the Parliament sponsorship.


Khaled: We're still discussing with them.


Jason: <Jason Wraps up the evening>