Worrying lack of scrutiny at Brighton and Hove Albion

[Brighton Breezy]

I was discussing this the other day with a fellow poster in the pub but there appears to be certain supporters on here - ones who often dominate discussions - who look upon any criticism of the players, the board, the manager as disloyal and something which should be shot down at all times.

Scrutiny is one of the most important things in the running of a football club and it was through asking questions, speculation and scrutiny that certain legendar Brighton fans unravelled the plots of Archer et al.

I am not suggesting for one minute that Dick Knight and Mark McGhee are plotting some evil plan to kill of Brighton but the ability to scrutinise and ask questions of those running our football club on a day to day basis is one of the few powers we as supporters have.

If anything such pondering and scrutiny should be ENCOURAGED not slated as being negative or conterproductive.

 

[Scotty Mac]

well said

 

[Biscuit]

Seconded.

 

[vulture]

 

[Ernest]

The likes of Atilla have a lot to answer for

 

[Curious Orange]

I think we should encourage scrutiny of some posts on here. I genuinely believe there to be a conspiracy among some so-called fans to get the team relegated through their continued negativity. I don't know why this is, it is the Withdean conspiracy of silence.

 

[Mr Banana]

I agree in principle, but on the flip side of the coin i reserve the right to 'shoot down' people who make ridiculous comments - a classic example being the fools who are somehow looking to blame the current situation on Dick Knight.

Dick SAVED this club - if it wasn't for him the club would have no future. He CLEARLY has made funds available to McGhee this season. While he isn't, nor ever promised to be, a faultless chairman, the fact that we are in the relegation zone does nothing to question his position.

One other thing i want to chuck in to the mixer...imagine if we had lost in heroic fashion at the play-off final. Imagine if we had gone on to just miss out on the play-offs in division two, playing some decent football along the way...everyone would probably be satisfied with McGhee, despite being a division lower than we are.

It doesn't make me any less depressed at the current situation, but it's something i've had in the back of my mind throughout this terrible run.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

I think the important thing to remember is that whether pro or anti McGhee NO fan wants to watch the RUBBISH we are serving up right now and NO fan wants to see Albion lose.

Criticising and scrutinising does not suddenly make you an inferior supporter.

If supporters had not done this in the past we would not have a club at all.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I was discussing this the other day with a fellow poster in the pub but there appears to be certain supporters on here - ones who often dominate discussions - who look upon any criticism of the players, the board, the manager as disloyal and something which should be shot down at all times.

Scrutiny is one of the most important things in the running of a football club and it was through asking questions, speculation and scrutiny that certain legendar Brighton fans unravelled the plots of Archer et al.

I am not suggesting for one minute that Dick Knight and Mark McGhee are plotting some evil plan to kill of Brighton but the ability to scrutinise and ask questions of those running our football club on a day to day basis is one of the few powers we as supporters have.

If anything such pondering and scrutiny should be ENCOURAGED not slated as being negative or conterproductive.

Think the Alive & Kicking could have done with a LOT more scrutiny. A shitload of money, best part of a third of a million quid if memory serves, went into that black hole, and I know of at least one Albion couple who set up a standing order to pay into it, and indeed are probably still paying into it, cos as far as I can see it was never officially wound up. Be interesting to see a breakdown of where that tidy sum went.

 

[The Large One]

Criticism should be actively encouraged.

It's the belief in the resultant course of action which worries me. My beef is when one person comes up with a scenario or a rumour. NSC then becomes judge, jury and executioner without the club being given a chance to form any kind of defence against a given 'crime', and before you know it, NSC has a new policy amongst the hotheads.

Point in case: McGhee's alleged falling out with Michel Kuipers. It never happened in the manner widely believed on here, and yet it was taken as gospel.

 

[fosters headband]

Criticism should be actively encouraged.

It's the belief in the resultant course of action which worries me. My beef is when one person comes up with a scenario or a rumour. NSC then becomes judge, jury and executioner without the club being given a chance to form any kind of defence against a given 'crime', and before you know it, NSC has a new policy amongst the hotheads.

Point in case: McGhee's alleged falling out with Michel Kuipers. It never happened in the manner widely believed on here, and yet it was taken as gospel.

Not having a go here. But how do you know this to be fact?

 

[The Large One]

Re: Re: Worrying lack of scrutiny at Brighton and Hove Albion

Think the Alive & Kicking could have done with a LOT more scrutiny. A shitload of money, best part of a third of a million quid if memory serves, went into that black hole, and I know of at least one Albion couple who set up a standing order to pay into it, and indeed are probably still paying into it, cos as far as I can see it was never officially wound up. Be interesting to see a breakdown of where that tidy sum went.

That 'Black Hole' was closer to £2m in size. £300,000 didn't cover much of it.

The money was to pay ongoing debts. The status quo could not have gone on much longer without a crux being hit, so the club acted as early as possible to try and stem the flow. Ultimately, it took the sale of a couple of players to even up the ship.

 

[Mr Banana]

It never happened in the manner widely believed on here, and yet it was taken as gospel.

Please educate us with a thorough account of exactly what happened.

Seeing as nothing happened and they're obviously best mates, i wonder if Michel and McGhee are missing each other as much as the back four missed Michel after the first goal this afternoon?

 

[BensGrandad]

Re: Re: Worrying lack of scrutiny at Brighton and Hove Albion

Think the Alive & Kicking could have done with a LOT more scrutiny. A shitload of money, best part of a third of a million quid if memory serves, went into that black hole, and I know of at least one Albion couple who set up a standing order to pay into it, and indeed are probably still paying into it, cos as far as I can see it was never officially wound up. Be interesting to see a breakdown of where that tidy sum went.

Have you any answers to the above post Large One?

Which players were bought from this fund or was that the 40 note fund if so which players were bought from that fund.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Again, not having a pop at the guy because he will always be an Albion LEGEND, but it would be interesting to see just how much of his OWN money Dick Knight has invested in the club.

It seems we have sold a lot of players, had the bonus of the play off final and the spurs cup game, Norman Cook famously paying £500,000 for a parking space and various campaigns to get fans to stick their hands in their pockets.

Nobody ever seems to know how much Dick Knight has given.

 

[Curious Orange]

One other thing i want to chuck in to the mixer...imagine if we had lost in heroic fashion at the play-off final. Imagine if we had gone on to just miss out on the play-offs in division two, playing some decent football along the way...everyone would probably be satisfied with McGhee, despite being a division lower than we are.

People have far too high expectations of us in this league.

I remember mulling over the whole Withdean situation after we won Division Three, and I thought to myself that I'd be happy with mid-table, and that it was probably too early to have any ambitions beyond that as we'd struggle at a higher level without the new stadium. I've been fortunate to see three seasons at that higher level since then, and guess what, we've struggled.

I'm sure most people would have replied that they'd be happy to finish 21st if asked at the start of the season where they thought we'd finish, with maybe a misty-eyed glance at the lower part of mid-table. So I can't for the life of me fathom why people are SO upset that we're struggling; upset I because we're losing, well that makes me kind of grumpy, but some people have been truly venemous. It isn't on, there are realities about the club's situation that people are just going to have to accept.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Re: Re: Re: Worrying lack of scrutiny at Brighton and Hove Albion

That 'Black Hole' was closer to £2m in size. £300,000 didn't cover much of it.

The money was to pay ongoing debts. The status quo could not have gone on much longer without a crux being hit, so the club acted as early as possible to try and stem the flow. Ultimately, it took the sale of a couple of players to even up the ship.

I understand that. But the people who contributed to the A&K fund did deserve more of an update. I think it got a mention in the programme twice in total.

 

[DJ Leon]

I was discussing this the other day with a fellow poster in the pub but there appears to be certain supporters on here - ones who often dominate discussions - who look upon any criticism of the players, the board, the manager as disloyal and something which should be shot down at all times.

Scrutiny is one of the most important things in the running of a football club and it was through asking questions, speculation and scrutiny that certain legendar Brighton fans unravelled the plots of Archer et al.

I am not suggesting for one minute that Dick Knight and Mark McGhee are plotting some evil plan to kill of Brighton but the ability to scrutinise and ask questions of those running our football club on a day to day basis is one of the few powers we as supporters have.

If anything such pondering and scrutiny should be ENCOURAGED not slated as being negative or conterproductive.

Totally agree Richie, scrutiny is a good thing. It's the half-assed logic, reasoning and judgement coming from that scrutiny that gets on my nerves.

Oh - and noone other than the Ernest wannabes dominate any conversations on this board now.

 

[tedebear]

Constructive criticism is useful and welcome, blatant slating and derogatory slagging is not... there are many on here who are guilty of the latter...

 

[Mr Banana]

Again, not having a pop at the guy because he will always be an Albion LEGEND, but it would be interesting to see just how much of his OWN money Dick Knight has invested in the club.

Nobody ever seems to know how much Dick Knight has given.

I don't know if you supported the Albion at the time Uncle Dick took control, but it was well-publicised at the time. I can't remember/be arsed to look up exactly how much it was, but i think it was about £2 million to clear the debts at the time. He also attracted his fellow investors at the time and has attracted significant investment since.

He has admitted he does not have any more of his own money to put in. We cannot ask for any more than that.