Flicker / Mellon / Scott / Mansford Q&A As It happens

Going to try and post questions and anwers here as they are asked if I can type quick enough and if my battery survives

 

Ben : How has the transition been and what are his plans.

• Eventful, Briliant. The fIrst challenge was to get the squad from last year signed up.
• His Week with Don went quickly
• 4 weeks into the job he has added some players
• Immedate challenges :
• work hard with Maurice, media partners etc to improve image of club
• New generation of fans
• More bums on searts
• He has been made very welcome.
• First fans forum - go easy on him!

 

Flicker: Asses Recuitment

• Talked about bringing in players with right attitude

Micky Mellon:

What are targets for next season

• Set achievable targets. If it didn't go right, start again and fix it.
• Win next game.
• Few surprises over next few days. Met by ooh!

 

Re: Flicker: Asses Recuitment

Martin Scott:

How will you approach this season?

Martin: Talked about the phone call from Flicker back in the new year.
The club was in dire striaghts but when a Friend calls you, you have to react to that!
FIrst time he met the players he was gob smacked how good they were
He talked about how the players reacted to them as a team.
Micky and Martin Scott said goodby to the players 4 times in that first fortnight.
Micky and Martin brought something different to FLicker. A different view point. Bring the ball forward quicker with more quality.
He saw a group of players so willing to work hard. Fantastic team spirit. "We all saw that."
Flicker is the gaffer. Micky Mellon is a manager. Martin is the club joker, sets up drills, sits in the stand and sees thing differently.

 

Re: Flicker: Asses Recuitment

Q1: Ben: Are there any plans for a new score board?


Scoreboard - meeting this week about a new scoreboard. Important we get news out first via website, iplayer etc etc. Good feedback for coverage of the training camp in spain.

is it possible to bring Under 5 to games at the football club.

Ben: Under 5s - We need the next generation of fans. Ben explained he has come in during a season ticket campaign. He says they will now advise that under 5 should go in the east stand upper where the old family stand was. People don't have to stick to this but this is the club's guidance. He explained we have an aging season ticket population. Ben wants to make Oakwell the first family friendly club in this area. Will try and come up with season ticket packages for families next season.

Ben: Will there be a Ponte end Bar?

Ben: There will be a Bottle bar in the Ponte next season. He is chasing the licence application every 3 days. He hope to bring other initiatives in in the future to improve facilities for drinking around the football club. He wants our fans to start and finish their day at Oakwell.

 

Re: Flicker: Asses Recuitment

Ben: Congratulations on bringin the match day prices down to £23. Will there be further promotions for Kids?

Ben:We will now allow under 5s although their will be no big announcement as this has been introduced in the middle of a season ticket sales cycle, the club are doing kids for a kid for the s****horpe game. Ben explained he needs to be respectful to season ticket holders with regards price reductions. He also wants to engage with schools and support the community and try and reinvigorate schools sport.

 

Re: Flicker: Asses Recuitment

David: Does it get on Mrs Flitcrofts nerves him being so positive all the time.

Alluded to mentality of the town. Sink or swim. They are going to keep fighting for the town. Explained that there are a lot of egos in the league. HIs team will do their business with positivity and honesty and fight for next season. Flicker said to a player today, we have the hardest working staff in the championship. The playing staff give him the positivity.

Flicker finished by asking if the person who posed the question had been talking to his Mrs.

 

Re: Flicker: Asses Recuitment

David: Please share some thoughts on how you will develop the good young players on the periphery e.g. Digby.

David: He explained he they need to develop them and expose them to the best influences at the club. Early on it was decided the young playuers have to be at the club early every morning doing gym work and make this part of their daily routine. They now have that hard work culture in place. Players now want to do this. This is productive.

Flicker and co allow 4 of these players to train with the first team squad every day. Thats what will make players like Digby better. We need to be careful though with players like Digger, who has an incredible future. When Martin and Micky saw stones they said wow! They are now saying similar about Digby.
These upcoming players have real exciting futures! The more time they get around people like Perks, Cranie etc the quicker they will progress.

 

Re: Flicker: Asses Recuitment

David: How did we get Lewin Nyatanga?

When you can show you can effect change then players want to buy into what you are trying to do. Lewin spoke to players he already knew here, on top of that he loved his time here before. He can see how the management have progressed other players. He's a few weeks behind the other and they will try and catch him up.

Micky: Asked how he keeps the players happy.

Be fair to them. Keep improving the club.

 

Re: Flicker: Asses Recuitment

Ben Is it true that Chopra been down today?

A: News from this football club will come out of this football club. We are in an arm wrestle with Sheff Wed, Blackpool, Milwall and a few other clubs with similar budgets. We dont want to comment on specific players that we are working on. We (the fans) will be first to know. Chopra has not been here today though

 

Re: Flicker: Asses Recuitment

ALL: WHat was the secret in improving Etu last season

Martin Scott: Down to me really!

Er... He typifies a lot of our players. He's been at many clubs, his career was not going anywhere until he gets a manager like the gaffer who understands how players tick. He has been played in lots of positions but the team saw how well he closed players down in training. They decided to take at chance at Ipswich to play him in midfield. Jacob Mellis is another example of a player who had skills but now also has a terrific work ethic. Etu is now playing with a smile on his face. This is what happens when you have a manager who will run through walls for you!

Flicker: I always payed in the shadow of our Gaz. Similar for Etu. I told him now is his time. He always had talent and the management believe in him!

 

Re: Flicker: Asses Recuitment

ALL: What are their defensive strategy. How do you get the balance right?

Flicker : Hard work, organisation, structure. Work on where we struggled defensively. Work. Work Work. Shape work. Class room work. Putting boys through their paces.

Micky : We have to get the balance right. We have to take pride in clean sheets. It is Important everyone is aggresive to stop goals going in. A lot of it is abiout mindset. Keeping the players switched on! To defend all the time! To work very hard. We don't want to lose the attacking plays!

 

Re: Flicker: Asses Recuitment

Ben: Mellis and Perkins contract.

Mellis and Perkins integral point. Would we like to keep all our players on long term contracts? Yes! But it has to be the right time within our budget etc etc. No specific discussions YET!