Season 2011-12 Fan Articles

Just This Fan's Response, Mr Elstone

By Christine   Foster  ::  16/07/2011   82 Comments (»Last) For me, it?s with increasing annoyance at the response of Mr Elstone that cries out for some response. That we hear nothing all summer, once more, but this season the lack of communication / information, expectation, no excitement, is worse than I can ever remember. But sadly it's become the accepted norm for so many of us.

So Mr Elstone, you may have been doing the best with what the club has got. In honesty, I doubt anyone would really argue the reality of the management having to deal with our legacy situation, indeed it forms the starting point of the club's operating strategy. You deal with situations with what you have.

But, once again, there is no answer regarding the reasons the club is where it is, nor what the club is doing about its future. For these are the questions that cannot and should not be the responsibility of the CEO ? they are the responsibility of the Board of Directors to ensure the business (any business, not just EFC) has access to funding and competently manages the future of the club.

Ask yourself why that has not happened, we are not as blind or as gullible (or stupid) as such a patronising response would indicate. Your annoyance in banging the same drum with the same answers totally misses the point. It?s NOT about where the money goes, never was. That?s just a smokescreen; you know it, we know it. It's not about the next transfer, the next game, which player comes and goes, the way the money is used operationally (although in truth there are questionable ones commercially), but realise too that, as much as the daily juggling allows you to manage the commercial affairs of the club, it is the responsibility of the Board of Directors to ensure you have the funding to take the club into the future. It is their vision, expertise and financial planning that is integral to ensuring we have a future. That is their responsibility. We know there is no money, we are sick of hearing it too.

What we don?t see, hear, or understand is the vision the Directors have for the club; we don?t SEE any future vision or any plan or any passion. What we see and hear is the arrogance of response, the silence... and we are left with scraps of a paltry few insignificant soundbytes that leave us confused as to what that future is. Investment and or sale? Yes? No? A bit of both?

That?s not a vision, that?s not a plan. That?s an exit strategy and herein lies the problem. The track record of future proofing this club has, and continues to be, a litany of deceit, incompetence and broken promises for the past decade at least. It is a dereliction of duty from the Board should there not be a way forward. But if there is, then for goodness sake what is wrong with telling us what that vision is?

As it stands, we are sinking. Slowly maybe, but increasingly shipping water faster than you or the team can ship it out. So, when the team fails to deliver and has no ability to refresh, when the kids fail to deliver, when David Moyes finally says enough is enough, what then?

You see Mr Elstone, that?s OUR fear. We cannot see any other rational conclusion to the restraints you have to work within. But the reason for those constraints resides with the past decisions made by the Directors (and senior operational management) of this club. That track record fuels our fear, the absence of credibility just ignites the fuel.

We cannot do anything about the decisions of the past. Yesterday has gone. It's how we deal with today and tomorrow that counts. But we keep doing it! Our frustrations lead us to question the Board because we actually do understand the need to balance the books in every way you can. But you can tell us till you're blue in the face where the money is going, but no one is telling us where we (the club) are going and how we are going to get there. You have a model that is not sustainable ? your view, not just ours. With every day that risk is growing. In the past few days, you and Ian Ross have elected to focus on where the money has gone. A tactic to move the focus away from the real issue, that?s the future of the club in case you missed it.

The Board if Directors are responsible for the direction of the club and providing the means to get there. That does not mean their personal wealth should / has to be invested either, but the provision of infrastructure funding, future strategy and vision is their responsibility. The absence of either or both means they sit on the Board because of their shareholding and not their ability to act as that vehicle. There is allegedly enough personal financial wealth to indicate that many have access to funds or should have the ability to find the right buyer, otherwise what value are they adding? Successful people bring successful solutions? So where are they?

Moving on, many in the club (and yes, even some supporters too) may ask if we have any right to expect that we should or need to be informed on how this is going to happen. But the absence of any deeds results in the questions you don?t want to answer; could it be because you can?t either?

We need and deserve better leadership, a fresh initiative, a new (or any) vision from the Board of this club. We need credibility from the top and performance from that team.

As for communication? I have written on these pages that the club could and should include its supporters, their skills and love for this club in a more proactive manner ? you're missing a trick, a big opportunity.

We want to help build ? not destroy. We want to have faith and belief and yes, PRIDE in those that lead our club. Yet, over the past decade, we have witnessed walls being built between the club and supporters faster than any brickie could repair the Park End wall. You may THINK you are communicating with the community and the fans groups but the club is NOT addressing the real issues.

But then you know that don?t you?

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