[Albion] Dick Knight interview now on YouTube

[dejavuatbtn]

I think that only those who lived the experience from beginning to end will really understand and appreciate just what this handful of people achieved, how they galvanised the fans, and why they should all be remembered long into the future. What surprises me most is that none of them has been nominated for an award like an OBE in recognition of services to sport and the community.

 

[torchieboy]

Who were the 17 clubs that wanted us out ?

 

[Driver8]

Who were the 17 clubs that wanted us out ?

Name and Shame.

 

[torchieboy]

Someone must know. Bet there's a few that have needed help from others over the past few years

 

[The Large One]

There's another angle to your point Al. You're right to say we were lucky to have two people coming to the rescue when we were in trouble but we were also lucky that they came to prominence in the right order.

Dick was the perfect man to take over the club at the time, not only to handle the removal of Archer but just as important to get Falmer. His sales and marketing skills, as well as his ability tp persuade the powers that be, to motivate the fans and to run the club on a shoestring were essential. Without him I dread to think where we would be now.

And Tony was the perfect man to take over and develop Dick's groundwork.

Had they come in a different order I'm not sure Tony would have been the right man to get us to Falmer, and Dick didn't have the funds necessary both to complete Falmer or to fund the rise to where we are now.

I would love to have seen Dick hand over the keys to Tony on the pitch before the first game.

I hope that whatever differences they did have are now behind them; we wouldn't be where we are now without both of them

Absolutely. No desire to be disingenuous towards Tony, but it required the upfront in-your-face chutzpah, and overt arrogance in the face of hostility that Dick Knight had/has in shovel-loads to get as far as we got. He was, after all, starting at Ground Zero.

But Tony has come in and made the right strategic, logistic and commercial decisions required for a person taking over at the time he did.

Still love the analogy from 'We Want Falmer'...

ANDY SIMONS: "Dick Knight's crossed it into the box, you could say, and Tony's knocked it in."

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

John is the same age as me too. As good as football seemed in the 'good' old days of the Goldstone and Withdean, the game, and life in general for that matter, has moved on.

As much as l loved my seat at the back of the old wind swept, rain soaked, south stand at the Withdean, there is no way l would swap my nice roomy padded seat in the West Stand of the Amex for it now.

Some times memories can be rose tinted, and there is no way I would like to go back now.

This.

All the best!

 

[Beach Hut]

they get broadcast as and when with no publicity really

Except now......

 

[attila]

Except now......

That was down to me. Latest TV were going to post the details of each programme on here and other Albion fan sites but I asked them not to.
You may not believe it, Peter, but I wasn't confident about this, having never done it before. I thought this one would be of interest so thought 'what the hell'...
Chris Staines' cousin eh? Small world

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I think that only those who lived the experience from beginning to end will really understand and appreciate just what this handful of people achieved, how they galvanised the fans, and why they should all be remembered long into the future. What surprises me most is that none of them has been nominated for an award like an OBE in recognition of services to sport and the community.

Unless you are Albion through and through, I guess it's difficult to fully understand just what it means.

 

[Mr Banana]

Love it. They should change the thumbnail to the one of you and Lord Finesse sitting at the table though, or the black and white one of you. Not sure if Latest have any production staff anymore?

(Sorry, ****ing nerd)

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Name and Shame.

Dick didn’t name them in his book apart from Oldham.

One thing that I’ve always presumed from the success of the Falmer For All campaign is that Dick was willing to delegate and allow members of the team to use their own talents and skills, which is the way advertising agencies usually work. Perhaps John can confirm that?

 

[Weststander]

Name and Shame.

Paul Scally’s Gillingham was one (from DK himself). Allegedly unpleasant.

 

[Weststander]

I wish I knew what it is between DK and TB, but there certainly seems to be something. Without DK I don't think we'd have had a club to support. Obviously he didn't have the financial clout to take it further, and TB stepped in, and thanks to him as well we are where we are today - but if DK hadn't been there first, there would have been nothing for TB to put his money into.

They are both Albion heroes through and through. Full respect to both, not just to one or the other. Both of them!

Simply a clash of ego’s. TB took the glory of the final stadium step (yes, we all know justiably so, with his incredible generosity).

Once the coup occured, DK was shunted off the Board completely by a vote where Perry, Chapman and all the others ditched DK. Given a titular role of the Community work, he was not permitted to be a major part of the Doncaster grand opening.

 

[Weststander]

I wish John you would accept that old school isn't the way forward.

No evidence here at all that DK has any beef with Tony or the club. The opposite in fact.

Gosh....I miss Withdean. The open sky above the terrace, the fresh air....



John is the same age as me. I have a horrible feeling I sound just like him. Slightly over insistent, won't shut the **** up

Edit: top interview. great work.

I hope you have a great Christmas break with the HWT clan.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I hope you have a great Christmas break with the HWT clan.

Cheers Westy. Was offline yesterday, feeding the famished. Hope you had a great day too