Season 2011-12 Fan Articles

The First Step Back

By Christine   Foster  ::  20/08/2011   13 Comments (»Last) What so many of us have pointed to, interpreted or read between the lines for the past few years is now confirmed as fact by our chairman.

Many on here may so ?So What? We all knew? and the other comment, ?its done immeasurable harm to the club.?

Well, the harm has been done by the incumbent for the past decade, it has highlighted the un-sustainability of the Premier League in these bad economic times; it highlights the fact that there are plenty of other clubs in similar predicaments but the bank has not yet pulled the plug as they have on EFC.

But sadly it confirms to all of us how badly the club has been run and allowed to drift into this position. The Hail Mary pass that was Kirkby really was the best the board could come up with after missing opportunity after opportunity, boardroom positioning and wrangling, we are left with an inadequate commercial model, an inept board and a rudderless ship.

Damm them to hell for taking us there.

So where to now, St Peter? (apologies to Elton John)

It's clear that we have to segregate the team issues from the commercial realities, despite the problems each cause each other; the chicken or egg syndrome. It is incumbent on each and every one of us to fully support the team, to the max. Walking away is not an option. We are in this together.

The club needs to accept support, help and advice from a skilled fanbase that is desperate to help. Irrespective of the reasons we are in the position we are in, they MUST take action to stabilise the club, we MUST understand that we are in a reality check and the difficult decisions have to be made on players, prices, cost cutting. We have to support them in a short-term action plan to get us out of this mess they have gotten into.

That?s does not mean forgiveness for where we find ourselves, we just need to fix it.

In the US they have legislation called Chapter 11 that protects companies should they fall into liquidation, the principle being that it gives the management team time to recover... Problem is of course it?s the usually the same management team that got the company into trouble in the first place. Hardly inspiring. The point it, there has to be realistic changes in management at the club. Some have to walk now or be pushed. (Start with the Communications Director!)

The board need professional help to get out of the mess we are in. We should not have to propose this but if we don?t who will? When will they (the club managment) realise we can help, we have a part to play? We want to help. We can blamestorm later once we are out of the mess they have presided over.

The club needs to be sold, the board needs to change, the attitude to the fans need to change, as ours does to them. The division of fans the club has engineered was disgraceful, the silence a slap in the face to our intelligence, the intransigence and arrogance appalling. But we have to move on. So does the club. With us ? not in spite of us.

In short we can:

? Support the team fully
? Offer the club real support through professional assistance or in any way we can.

The club should:
? Listen to us.
? Work with us.
? TALK TO US.
? Let us know where we can help.

It may be like asking the turkeys to vote for Christmas, but what other choices do we have? If the club go into bunker mode, it will take many years to recover. At least the Truth (in part) is out there. Now we can move on without conjecture or interpretation of comment. It?s the first painful step back.

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