Wickes - Urgent

[The History Man]

I have just been speaking to Dick Knight and Martin Perry on the Wickes matter, expressing my support for their action in turning down the money from the Football League. I am certain that the vast majority of Albion fans would agree with their action.

However, they have asked me to appeal to supporters NOT to write to the Football League, Sir Brian Mawhinney or any other chairmen of Championship clubs. It really would be most unhelpful to the Albion.

The deal was negotiated by the recently-appointed marketing manager of the Football League Championship who, presumably, was not aware of the connection between Wickes, Bill Archer and the Albion seven to nine years ago. He certainly is now!

This is the first of a series of deals that the Football League hopes to pull off which will benefit all clubs. The Albion have rejected their share of it and we know that this has gone right back to Archer as MD of Focus Wickes.

But trying to scupper the deal in some way makes the Albion appear subversive and undermines our influence in the wider picture. The Football League have already granted us favours, eg our non-compliant seating arrangements at Withdean (where we do not have the required number of covered seats), and Dick and Martin do not want our relationship with the League, with Mawhinney (the chairman) and with the marketing man to be adversely affected - which a campaign outside of what the club has done
already would do.

They fully understand Albion fans' reactions but feel that the snub to Archer by our club is enough. We know that the injustice of what happened over the sale of the Goldstone was a national disgrace for the game, but let's just keep this particular Wickes issue local, otherwise we risk damaging the reputation of the Albion and its future prospects.

Dick and Martin are on their way to a meeting and are extremely busy at present, but the club hopes to put out a statement to this effect later today.

So please, refrain from sending these letters and emails as it may do more harm than good in this case.

Tim Carder
Chairman
BHA Supporters' Club

 

[Caveman]

Fair comment.

 

[Marc]

thinking about this more, Fair Enough that Dick & Martin dont want any trouble the the FL/FA/Whoever but we are FANS and surely we have our right to express our dismay at Archers latest venture into football.
Whats next...what if he buys into another football club, will we be told to be quiet then? like bugger will we be quiet!.

IMO other clubs should be told about what this scum did to us and what state he left football in in this area, he should not get away with it.
As above I can see where DK & MP are coming from and wont be taking it any further, but now other clubs are benifiting from a man who almost (and may yet still) destroy ours...its just not right.

 

[Tooting Gull]

Difficult call, but on balance I think DK and MP have got this one right making a principled, local stand on the issue. That money could come in very handy for others, and we would lose a lot of support if we scuppered it.

The bloke as we know is a completely unfit person to be involved in a football club, but advertising spend is different, will get them a few tickets and some exposure, but isn't exactly hands-on. And without nuking Wickes head office, they will always be able to advertise. Hmm, nuking...

 

[Mr Popkins]

Once again the fans being told what to do by the club and like sheep many of you will follow them again!

If you want to sent letters to the F.A the do so , its a personal choice and a wider issue than just BHA, like crabtree said ,what if he bought into another club and did it all again?

 

[timco]

Not that I would send letters in the first place, too lazy, but what are the FL doing employing someone with no interest in the history of the game anyway? Oh yeah its money isn't it, silly me.

FL should get a roasting for that alone aside from doing deals with the devil.

Can we send the FL a long spoon?

 

[Mr Popkins]

Difficult call, but on balance I think DK and MP have got this one right making a principled, local stand on the issue. That money could come in very handy for others,

what like us? 2 million needed!

at then end of the day its only £20.000 a year for 3 years, plus clubs have to give away corperate tickets. hardly a huge amount in the grand sceme of things

 

[The Great Cornholio]

Once again the fans being told what to do by the club and like sheep many of you will follow them again!

If you want to sent letters to the F.A the do so , its a personal choice and a wider issue than just BHA, like crabtree said ,what if he bought into another club and did it all again?

Congratulations - you win today's star prize. Exclusive membership to my Ignore list.

 

[Tooting Gull]

It's easy to get wrapped up in thinking only of us. There are Div Two clubs in this country who are a lot worse off than us, and that sort of money will really help them. All I'm saying is that having another club scupper your chances of much-needed revenue is hardly going to endear you to them.

It also depends on your definition of 'need'. I am still not convinced that we 'need' £2million to actually stay alive, it's more to compete in the Championship given our nightmare situation.

 

[Marc]

I dont see how a a simple letter from a passionate FAN can cause any wrong doing, start it thus:

I, Fan, am not telling you not too except this money, I'm just letting you know where its coming from <enter into long winded paragraphs about Archer>

end it thus:

I am not affiliated with the club in anyway, I'm just a passionate fan using my right of FREE SPEECH to let you knw what this tyrant did to my beloved club, whether you accept the money/deal is entirely your buisness and I will not argue with you if you choose to agree too it.



Now tell me whats wrong with that?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The Football League won't be happy with the fact that the Albion are taking a principled stand and refusing to take the scumbag's money. They'll be even less happy that the story has broken in the way it has. We've spoilt the launch party.

DK will no doubt be in line for a smacked bottom.

Dick's best line of defence is, of course, that the actions of the Club reflect the wishes of the fans.

Some independent evidence of the truth of this will no doubt help Dick in any row with the FL.

I reckon that no damage will come from the fact that some people have already expressed their opinions to Mawhinney. But if DK & MP say hold back, then we should show the discipline that has always made our campaigning successful.

 

[Marc]

Congratulations - you win today's star prize. Exclusive membership to my Ignore list.

he's just made a point that as the club have said "No dont do it" a vast majority wont (not that anyone probably would've anyway but the point is justified), we are allowed to say what we want and I dont want anyone who aint my Mum or Boss telling me otherwise!

 

[Curious Orange]

I don't see any problem with individuals expressing their feelings about the Wickes deal. But then again I also don't see any reason for us to try and stop other clubs or the Football League accepting what we see as dirty money. That is a matter for their own consciences.

P.S. I should add that I agree with the Albion's decision to not accept this cash, it is paltry compared with the millions Archer got from us from the onward sale of the Goldstone and the sale of his shareholding to the present board.

 

[Meade's Ball]

I don't like the idea that fans showing their displeasure would somehow undermine a relationship between the club and the Football League.
I won't automatically go against what Martin and Dick say, but i'm a little uncomfortable with this.

 

[Marc]

But if DK & MP say hold back, then we should show the discipline that has always made our campaigning successful.

yeah OK maybe a campaign was too heavy a word, but whats wrong with a couple of letters to a couple of people stating reasons why we (we = fans of football not just BHA and not the club) believe the money is wrong because of whom its coming from?
nowt wrong with that, fair enough DK & MP dont want a big deal made out of it, thats fine with me, but people still need to be told what Archer did to us.

 

[Mr Popkins]

The Football League won't be happy with the fact that the Albion are taking a principled stand and refusing to take the scumbag's money. They'll be even less happy that the story has broken in the way it has. We've spoilt the launch party.

DK will no doubt be in line for a smacked bottom.

Dick's best line of defence is, of course, that the actions of the Club reflect the wishes of the fans.

Some independent evidence of the truth of this will no doubt help Dick in any row with the FL.

I reckon that no damage will come from the fact that some people have already expressed their opinions to Mawhinney. But if DK & MP say hold back, then we should show the discipline that has always made our campaigning successful.

so predictable! one day lord B you will say somthing against the club, and one day palace will win the premiership!

 

[On the Left Wing]

I don't disagree with Tim on much, but on this issue I do.
There is no equation which balances a fan's right to protest to the Football League and call for wider action - and indeed fans from other clubs to do the same - with some kind of moral whip which the Football League holds over the Albion.
The day that any football clhb chairman - however principled and well-intentioned - tells the fans what to do and they obey, is the day that football, as we know it in this country, dies.

 

[3gulls]

Once again the fans being told what to do by the club and like sheep many of you will follow them again!

If you want to sent letters to the F.A the do so , its a personal choice and a wider issue than just BHA, like crabtree said ,what if he bought into another club and did it all again?

How can you say such a thing. This is a statement by the Chairman of our "independent" fan club!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The Dick Knight Defence Case, Part Two:-

"Honestly, Brian, I haven't whipped up the fans to have a go at this deal. In fact, if you go on NSC, you'll find that I expressly asked them not to."

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Part Three:-

"Sorry, Brian. You'll just have to understand that Albion fans are very passionate about this sort of thing".