I've had a chat tonight with Ben Mansford..

Bradford's historical attendances:



http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/brac.htm

 

Cheers Andy... and to Ben also, don't know why some give him abuse oreyht by me..

 

Cheers.

There's a timeline really for how any of this has come about. It goes back to last summer.

*Ben invited me to the brand new fan engagement evenings. It wasn't something I fancied, sitting in a room full of folk like a political party or summat talking through an agenda, a list, for an hour or so. I live 90 minutes away via trains, it's not ideal. I have though travelled over for the odd night fixture at Oakwell and for the Radio Barnsley show but usually stayed the night in tarn. The engagement forum just didn't interest me. I emailed him back explaining this.

*I received an email asking if instead would I fancy meeting Ben alone some time to discuss the club etc. It was at this point (ask Dyson or bossman) that I began to think I'd done summat wrong and they wanted to Soprano me or summat. Why they want to talk to me, I thought.. Ben then explained that as one of the more vocal supporters with an online presence (the blog etc) he'd like to meet up and hopefully strike up a relationship, to hear what each other had to say. I'd been very critical of him in some of my blogs that previous season. I was also just about to interview Bobby Hassell for the blog/WSB...

*I told him that I'd be in Redfearn's before games with pals and if he wanted to meet up then fair do's. Which is what happened. I heard him out, vice versa, I shared what was discussed in the blog. Propaganda? Possibly. Trying to engage with fans? Yes. Good or bad thing? Dunno. If I'm honest, I think he was nervous about what Bobby might be saying in the interview, but had he known just how good a bloke Bobby was he'd have had no reason to feel nervous. But that's just guesswork on my part. I'm a bit of a cynic. He was also very keen that afternoon to discuss WSB which I had to keep telling him was "nowt to do with me". Which it isn't. I wish it was like. I've submitted a couple of pieces for it and a couple of interviews, but any of us can do that. So I assume Ben thought I was associated with it. I think he was trying to fight fires at that time, and saw me as someone he could possibly influence and use for his/the club's own end. Which I don't fault him for at all.

*I bumped into him once or twice as the season went on, swapped emails now and again, but other than that, nowt much.

*For the first WSB charity walk I was very disappointed that nobody from the club really acknowledged it until the death. I half expected Ben or someone to be at Oakwell that morning as we set off, would have been a nice touch. But no. Nowt. I got in touch with him at some point to say as much. He then said he'd like to take part in the next walk, should that be possible. Having already done nearly 30 miles myself and knowing what they took to achieve, I just couldn't see Ben being capable of it. He didn't strike me as either fit enough or courageous enough, to keep walking through that pain.

*After learning of Danny Wilson's sacking, then seeing Ben's awful press conference, I was very disappointed and pissed off. I blogged in that manner. I was very critical of Ben. I didn't have any communication with him until the week prior to the second charity walk.

*The second walk was upon us, and I half expected Ben not to show up. I also assumed the 'support' vehicles were for Ben. And so when he did take part in it, all of it, and throughout that memorable day he came across brilliantly, anyone would have just assumed he was 'one of us', it sort of put paid to my assumptions that he was just a soft rich boy with no connection to us or our town/club. I was proud of everyone that day, including Ben. I felt actual sadness and worry for him when I learned about him being in hospital. I actually feel it was my fault he collapsed at the end anyway. I'd walked the last couple of miles into Bradford with him, towards the home straight. We got the photos taken etc. But then me and Marc ****** off for a pint and I never saw Ben again.

*In the aftermath you might recall he did an audioboom with the club where he said he intended to catch up with a few of us in the summer? And so it was always my intention to get him to do an interview for the blog. However, I'd not mentioned it since Bradford. Then the ******** happened with Matt and Adam last week or whenever and me being me I emailed Ben effing and jeffing. He told me to give him a call, I refused. I then calmed down and got Matt's opinion for the blog, and Ben responded by again asking me to get in touch. So I did. But with the promise that I could ask what I wanted and that within reason I could share what was said on the blog. He agreed, and the end product is in this thread somewhere.



I don't think I'm up his arse, or we're big pals etc. I don't though think he's all sorts of bad things either. I genuinely believe he's doing and trying his best in his capacity at the club. He'll be the first to admit he gets things wrong. I think he'd agree that he talks a good game without so far really backing it up too. But he's very ******* intelligent. And clever. He has a fantastic knack for saying so much without really saying owt at all. It's done knowingly, he's not daft. I've re-read that blog I did last night and I think there's very little there to be honest considering how long we talked.

I took notes though, I've remembered a few things. I will try and add anything I think is worth repeating in this thread a bit later on, but for now I'm taking my dog out in the basterd rain. Oh the joys.

 

I called him, not that it makes a difference.

His appointment as director came about a few months back and is recorded at companies house. I just wanted to know if this was accurate, so no announcement mate.

I don't see why it's an issue that he discussed Matt Bailey's departure with me. I'd got Matt's side of it, he wanted to give me his. I'm good friends with Matt, I was doing what mates do and fighting his corner. I hope a compromise of sorts can be reached on that.

And we didn't discuss transfers in any fashion different to him doing an interview with the Post or an audioboom with RS. I appreciate I'm 'just' a supporter like you are, I'm not special or owt on that score. But why is that a bad thing, that he's able to discuss things with a normal supporter who blogs/shares what was said?

I'm glad the majority of folk see it for what it is. Cheers.

 

Exactly that.

I don't get paid for it. No ads on my blog. No ulterior motive. Just want 'us' to know stuff. I tried for years to talk to Don Rowing. Only at the back end of his tenure did he agree and by then I wasn't interested after the stunt they tried pulling with Jacob.

 

Foirgive me here, but I'm just reading each post and responding as I go along. But Jay (as ******* ever) has nailed it. Pleases me that folk seem - in the main - to see it for what it is.

I would like to interview him though one time, record it and upload it, audiobum if yer like.

 

He said summat like this "I know I'm going to come over as a politician doing interviews, I can't really win. If I'm too open, too positive or too bold I'll be criticised. If I'm too closed off, downbeat and difficult with people (I mentioned Don Rowing at that point) I'll be criticised for that too."

He also referred to the players and management taking accolades when things were going well, and the management and board/CEO/owner etc taking the flak when it's going badly. In other words, it's very rare a board member gets any kind of praise or credit, possibly only in the distant future as time goes on. He's very aware that he's going to be the fall guy on most occasions, but says he'll not alter his approach to his job.

But I too take what he or anyone at the club says with a pinch of salt.

 

Receiver. Wide receiver.

 

These things, selfishly on my part, aren't really a big deal to me. I did get an answer on Lindley's though and yes they've gone. We've "taken back ownership of the concourses". He said. Apologies for not raising the other questions but there are SLO's employed who you could email? And Ben also told me to ask if anyone off the forum wants to attend the fan engagement forums to send him an email saying so. Think they're going to be monthly and Mr Cryne wants to attend them where possible.

 

Glad we've got rid of Lindleys. Hopefully now products will be better and more reasonably priced. Nobody should want to pay around 2 quid for a club sausage roll when they can get a better one in town before the match for 80 pence.

 

I see it for what it is and there is no harm in meeting / talking with fans. But his or clubs reasons for changing from Mat to Radio Sheffield should come straight from the horse mouth so to speak by official announcements . The same with him becoming a board member should be announced, not via blogs on forums.
As I pointed out earlier nothing against you and fair play to you for taking the time but the club are still very poor at announcing things correctly, there passing info on via word of mouth.

 

Fair do's pal.

 

Thanks for that. A good read and insight. Ben is ok by me. Clubs interests at heart.

 

Am I missing something here? I knew that BM had become a director, so it must have been announced by someone at some point. Thinking about it, I think PC mentioned it at the No.7 meeting. It certainly hasn't been 'announced' during the phone call with Whitey, put it that way.

 

Don't think he did. I knew too, but the reason I knew is because of this posted on here by BFC Dave:

http://bbs.barnsleyfc.org.uk/showth...p-minority-of-fans-harming-the-club&p=1682189