Further statement due today? *edit: Online now!*

[Postman Pat]

I'm not sure you can read anything concrete into their silence right now.

The LMA are supporting Gus' stance, not driving it.

Their statement from last week contains some very emotive language and was issued within a couple of hours of the statement from the club. If they honestly believed Gus was sacked on live TV they would be shouting it from the rooftops. They have said nothing.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

I don't actually think it matters what time Gus knew or didn't know.

The key point to me, and the one which made the headlines, is that the official club statement came out while MotD was on the air. That gave the BBC a chance to ask Gus about it at half time, a chance that they were certainly not going to miss.

The time that the club announced that Gus's contract had been terminated - 8pm, whatever the time on the press release says - was what made the story much more newsworthy than it would have been otherwise.

 

[AnotherArch]

So if Gus does appeal, who from the club will 'hear' this appeal?
In most organisations the appeal procedure is to a higher level of management, who can prove they were not involved in the original decision. If not higher management, then the same level at an 'arm's length' relationship.
In this case, it would appear that our two top dogs have been closely involved throughout. So I just hope that they can prove that Martin Perry has been excluded from all investigation and decision-making, otherwise we may be hamstrung by a technicality. We are not some one-man-band outfit, but a complex outfit with established procedures.

 

[RowleyBirkinQ.C(deceased)]

Please stop posting that, it is a complete lie. He posted that message after the statement had come out at gone 8 on Sunday night

Well that's my error then for not double checking 2 other people saying this. Apologies

 

[The Large One]

Their statement from last week contains some very emotive language and was issued within a couple of hours of the statement from the club. If they honestly believed Gus was sacked on live TV they would be shouting it from the rooftops. They have said nothing.

That's a scenario of the tail wagging the dog.

If I was Gus, I'd be pretty miffed if I thought the LMA were driving my case. The LMA made a statement principally because they weren't happy with what the club had put out regarding the time of a hearing. They also made out that Gus' LMA representative had been slighted. It's highly possible their statement would have been put out with Gus' say-so (more so if it circumnavigates his obligation to silence), especially as they were an important part of the process.

The club rebutted their statement.

Today, I'd imagine Gus is in conversation with his lawyers. From there the LMA may, or may not, continue to be involved in his case. Whether they are or not, it's not their place to comment on this without Gus' approval.

But if his priority it to work out his next strategy, I'm sure the LMA will be informed in due course.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Are you just going through all the threads and posting that ?

Added to three where it seemed highly appropriate and to put the argument to bed.

 

[Mackenzie]

I'm intrigued - what makes you both think Gus will just walk away once his appeal is dismissed ?

Simply to avoid having to have his dirty washing aired in public. He's been sacked, the board presumably had good reason to sack him, those reasons could be detrimental to him finding future employment.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Simply to avoid having to have his dirty washing aired in public. He's been sacked, the board presumably had good reason to sack him, those reasons could be detrimental to him finding future employment.

I seriously doubt he'd have gone this far if he didn't plan to take it all the way. This is going to County Court.

 

[Bra]

I seriously doubt he'd have gone this far if he didn't plan to take it all the way. This is going to County Court.

Tend agree about the county court. Just wondering what effect the pending court case will have to potential employers. Will it make them think about employing poyet since at some point his name will be in the press and lets face it nobody will look great. Or not care at all?

 

[Mackenzie]

I seriously doubt he'd have gone this far if he didn't plan to take it all the way. This is going to County Court.

Well we'll find out pretty soon. If it goes to court we'll have plenty to talk about, which is a good thing.

 

[imissworthing2]

Check your email, just received one from barber. Says alot without saying anything at all.

 

[soistes]

Dear ***

On behalf of Tony Bloom, our board, and all of the club's staff, thank you for your patience and support during a very challenging few weeks for everyone associated with Brighton & Hove Albion. The overwhelming support you have shown for your club during a period when we have been legally able to say very little and offer only minimum insight has been a huge help for everyone concerned. Your kind messages of support and encouragement have been gratefully received by me and by everyone here, and they speak volumes for this community's fabulously strong and supportive spirit.

I hope you will understand that it is still not possible for us to provide you with any detail of the processes or circumstances that led to Gus Poyet's dismissal on Sunday, or to Charlie Oatway's ongoing suspension. I appreciate that this will frustrate some and it will, no doubt, lead to more speculation, rumour, and misinformation. I regret this very much because of course it creates more uncertainty, but we are still engaged in internal processes, including Gus's right of appeal, and we must ensure we continue to manage those processes with the utmost professionalism, dignity and confidentiality. You can however be sure that the club has followed - and continues to follow - very careful legal advice. You can also be sure that the club's communications have been both timely and entirely appropriate at every stage.

Our pre-season preparations have, as you would expect, been very high on our agenda since before the end of last season. And, as you will have seen from Sunday evening's announcement, we do intend to appoint an experienced interim manager to oversee first-team training, working with our existing staff. Given the uncertainty of recent weeks, we have had to consider and plan for every eventuality to ensure we eliminate any possibility of disruption to our preparations for the new season. We will of course update you once these interim plans are finalised and we are in a position to provide you with more details. Meantime, the players have reported back from their summer breaks today as planned. The first few days of pre-season involve the usual physical and medical testing, overseen by our medical staff and sports scientists, while technical sessions don't start until Thursday.

Recent events have not stopped our recruitment team, led by David Burke, our head of football operations, identifying player targets and we can expect to see some movement on this front over the next few weeks. As usual, this is something the chairman continues to be heavily involved in too. Similarly, we continue to work behind the scenes on new contracts for those players who were with us last season and we want to retain. Again, as is normally the case, these discussions take place over a number of weeks and typically accelerate as pre-season commences. And, despite the issues we have faced of late, we are not behind with any of this work.

Our investment in our player budget will be in line with last season. However, Financial Fair Play (FFP) is one challenge facing us that simply won't go away. With it comes the need to drive our revenues as hard as possible and to keep our overall operating costs at a minimum in order to ensure we remain competitive on the field. I'm sure many of you may well be fed up with hearing and reading about it. I can make no apology for reinforcing this message, as it is an essential one to ensure our continued progress as a club. It is also something that Tony and the board have made an absolute priority for all of us. This season is the first with the new rules firmly in place, and our aim at all times must be to operate within the guidelines.

One important date for your diary - and it's a great opportunity to discuss FFP and other topics in more detail - is Thursday 1st August when we will host another Fans' Forum at the Amex. We look forward to another evening of lively debate and to meeting those of you who can join us for this very popular annual event ahead of the new season. Tony and I will be available to answer your questions, direct from the floor, via our website, or via BBC Sussex. In addition, we hope to see as many of you in person as possible in the months ahead as we look to increase the number of supporter group meetings we host and attend throughout next season.

Sadly, these past few weeks have seen our club in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. We are well aware that our approach to a difficult situation has surprised many and has divided the opinion of some of our supporters. We are also well aware that an information vacuum creates a void that invariably gets filled somehow. However, it has been – and remains - very important for us to follow legally correct process, to remain calm, and to be professional. As such, it has also been necessary for the club to bite its tongue while some have rushed to judge our actions and reputations, regardless of the lack of information in their possession.

I can assure you that our absolute priority has been – and remains - to ensure that the very difficult processes we have had to follow have been handled with as much professionalism, confidentiality and dignity as possible and, just as importantly, that they have been managed within both the club's guidelines and the laws of the land. We have balanced this while doing our very best to keep you, our supporters, informed of matters when it has been possible and appropriate for us to do so, not least because it is neither our style nor our preference to conduct our private business or that of our employees in public.

All that remains is for me to thank you once again for your great support and understanding during this very challenging period. Our primary focus now is the season ahead and ensuring that we prepare as well as we possibly can. We look forward to seeing you back at the Amex next month.

Kind regards,
Paul Barber
Chief Executive

 

[Albumen]

Check your email, just received one from barber. Says alot without saying anything at all.

He says it best . . .

 

[Albumen]

Dear ***

Bit harsh!

 

[Acker79]

Their statement from last week contains some very emotive language and was issued within a couple of hours of the statement from the club. If they honestly believed Gus was sacked on live TV they would be shouting it from the rooftops. They have said nothing.

They don't need to. The story tells itself, as all the news headlines show.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

He knew it was pending... We all knew it was pending, it doesn't say he knew he had been sacked.

With Gus appearing on TV just after the statement was released it would've been difficult to contact him as all guest have to have their mobiles turned off during recording a programme...if anyone was at fault it was his representive from the LMA....