Dick Tight Out Now!

[British Bulldog]

I guess it's because I choose to believe what everybody at the Club says - money isn't the issue.

If it was, someone would have exposed the truth.

The only people running with the story that it's DK to blame are disgruntled keyboard warriors on NSC.

Good reply, It's now upto the board as a whole to back Wilkins with the money that has been promised for a long time!

I'll never believe that Wilkins does'nt have good contacts in the game because you cant have been around the game as long as he has and have a brother like Ray without having contacts.

 

[cjd]

I think Wilkins was a sound choice in the short run, pending the right replacement for Wilkins turning up in the market place.

A run of successful results against the likes of Boston United, MK Dons, Northwich Victoria and Stafford Rangers didn't justify a permanent appointment.

We need a manager with a decent set of telephone numbers programmed into his mobile phone.

From the outside, looking in, it appears to be that a number of poor decisions are being made at the top.
I am not a fierce critic of Dick Knight,(we all know, and appreciate how much he has done for this club) but I am becoming increasingly alarmed at the situation the club is in, and the lack of any real action to correct it.
As I see the situation regarding Falmer, (surely our one hope for the long term future of this club) we are now in a war of attrition with Lewes District Council. LDC have stated their case, and some of the councillors careers will be on the line. The Albion on the other hand have put the club on the line......all awaiting the final outcome of the Falmer decision.
When we first got to Withdean, and planning for Falmer was applied, it was right for the club to be cautious in their spending on players and the Withdean stadium. Everybody understood the position and were prepared to be patient. Who cared if we got soaked,that the stadium was rubbish, that the first season back was poor. We knew better times were shortly around the corner, we could cope. We had hope.
Many years have now passed. False hopes.......raised hopes....Public Enquiries....petitions....marches....etc etc.etc.
For the last year or so, it has been blatantly obvious, that LDC and their delaying tactics have been seriously under-estimated. We await another decision in a few months time from Ruth Kelly. Even if it is a "yes", surely nobody really believes that this will be the end of the matter...?
With a reasonably optimistic timescale of say 5 or 6 years,but probably more like 7 or 8 years before Falmer could be delivered, do the Board of Directors really believe, that carrying on with as little investment on players and the Withdean stadium, that we will have any substantial support by then...?
As I stated earlier....this has now developed into a full-scale war with LDC, a war it seems to me, we are ill-prepared for.
Assuming, we as supporters are the troops in this war, we have poor equipment, (our stadium with no roof), poor entertainment (lack of investment in our team) for the troops to keep up morale, and for some time now, no rallying call from our General ( Dick Knight) for a sustained battle.
If we are going to win this long drawn out battle, it is time for our Board of Directors, to cast an eye over the situation, to re-double their efforts on all sides to keep the troops happy. If this club wants it,s troops to continue fighting, then some more money HAS to be found for better "equipment", better "entertainment" and a more visible Chairman.
The majority of the "troops" are still willing, and passionate......we,re looking for the same from our Board of Directors...

 

[British Bulldog]

We had hope.
Many years have now passed. False hopes.......raised hopes....Public Enquiries....petitions....marches....etc etc.etc.
For the last year or so, it has been blatantly obvious, that LDC and their delaying tactics have been seriously under-estimated. We await another decision in a few months time from Ruth Kelly. Even if it is a "yes", surely nobody really believes that this will be the end of the matter...?
With a reasonably optimistic timescale of say 5 or 6 years,but probably more like 7 or 8 years before Falmer could be delivered, do the Board of Directors really believe, that carrying on with as little investment on players and the Withdean stadium, that we will have any substantial support by then...?
As I stated earlier....this has now developed into a full-scale war with LDC, a war it seems to me, we are ill-prepared for.
Assuming, we as supporters are the troops in this war, we have poor equipment, (our stadium with no roof), poor entertainment (lack of investment in our team) for the troops to keep up morale, and for some time now, no rallying call from our General ( Dick Knight) for a sustained battle.
If we are going to win this long drawn out battle, it is time for our Board of Directors, to cast an eye over the situation, to re-double their efforts on all sides to keep the troops happy. If this club wants it,s troops to continue fighting, then some more money HAS to be found for better "equipment", better "entertainment" and a more visible Chairman.
The majority of the "troops" are still willing, and passionate......we,re looking for the same from our Board of Directors...

The 2 world wars combined took less time to sort out than Falmer will but i'm still up for the fight if you are! I agree it's time to go on the offensive and take the fight to ldc and let them know we wont be beaten.

 

[cjd]

The 2 world wars combined took less time to sort out than Falmer will but i'm still up for the fight if you are! I agree it's time to go on the offensive and take the fight to ldc and let them know we wont be beaten.

I,m up for the fight.....but I need to see some more from our generals.

 

[British Bulldog]

I,m up for the fight.....but I need to see some more from our generals.

Would be a bit more heartening to see them leading from the front instead of the safety of the boardroom bunker I must admit! I allways respected leaders who can lead from the front instead of having to look over your shoulder to see where the fuckers are hiding.

 

[BALDISBEAUTIFUL]

It is pay back time for the fans Dick. Give them and Wilkins what we want. We are not on a roller coaster ride anymore, it's down, down hill at present. Cut out the spin and for f*** sake tell us the truth.

 

[dougdeep]

I guess it's because I choose to believe what everybody at the Club says - money isn't the issue.

If it was, someone would have exposed the truth.

The only people running with the story that it's DK to blame are disgruntled keyboard warriors on NSC.

Damn right, and most of those don't actually believe what they type.

 

[The Large One]

It is pay back time for the fans Dick. Give them and Wilkins what we want. We are not on a roller coaster ride anymore, it's down, down hill at present. Cut out the spin and for f*** sake tell us the truth.

Not sure what you mean there. Which truth do you want to hear that you have not yet heard?

 

[Icy Gull]

I guess it's because I choose to believe what everybody at the Club says - money isn't the issue.

.

Then you have more faith than me. 3 years of not being able to spend the money on an experienced striker cannot be attributed soley to Withdean and Falmer imo. The inability to persuade a single experienced striker in all that time must have more to do with what we were offering. The board must accept a portion of the blame for being unable to sell the Albion to a striker after three years of trying if the money is there.

 

[The Large One]

Then you have more faith than me. 3 years of not being able to spend the money on an experienced striker cannot be attributed soley to Withdean and Falmer imo. The inability to persuade a single experienced striker in all that time must have more to do with what we were offering. The board must accept a portion of the blame for being unable to sell the Albion to a striker after three years of trying if the money is there.

But when you have two (or more) clubs offering similar terms, and similar on-field prospects, other things come into play, including facilities. The stadium issue is well-known in football circles, and, until sich time as Ruth Kelly says YES to Falmer, the Albion's future is still uncertain. So which footballer - who has his own security to think of - would, given the choice, prefer to come to the Albion over someone else?

Any players would have to think long and hard about my security and prospects if they were offered a contract at Brighton, especially if someone else was interested in them.

In that sense, yes - the board are responsible - but, in the broad sense, what can they do, short of acquiring a player outside of the playing budget?

 

[Icy Gull]

But when you have two (or more) clubs offering similar terms, and similar on-field prospects, other things come into play, including facilities. The stadium issue is well-known in football circles, and, until sich time as Ruth Kelly says YES to Falmer, the Albion's future is still uncertain. So which footballer - who has his own security to think of - would, given the choice, prefer to come to the Albion over someone else?

My days of flying down the wing, delivering a pin point cross into the car park behind the goal are over, so I don't have that choice to make. However, I know I'd have to think long and hard about my security and prospects if I was offered a contract at Brighton, especially when someone else was interested.

In that sense, the board are responsible - but, in the broad sense, what can they do?

A loan player who is unable to get a look in at his current team on a season long loan? If we'd done that last year we may not have got relegated. If we'd done it this year we may be high enough up the table to interest the crowds in returning to Withdean. It may not be the best way to spend the money as we wouldn't own the player but it is an option that should have been looked at.

Yes it would be tough but just accepting this failure without questioning just how hard we are trying after 3 years seems reasonable to me?


Please don't try to tell me that there isn't in a player in the top three divisions over the last three years who wouldn't accept a deal like that if he got a decent wage and knew he could be putting himself in the shop window which he really can't do in as an effective a way in the stiffs.

 

[The Large One]

A loan player who is unable to get a look in at his current team on a season long loan? If we'd done that last year we may not have got relegated. If we'd done it this year we may be high enough up the table to interest the crowds in returning to Withdean. It may not be the best way to spend the money as we wouldn't own the player but it is an option that should have been looked at.

Yes it would be tough but just accepting this failure without questioning just how hard we are trying after 3 years seems reasonable to me?

We have had some decent players come by in those past three years, so I think it's fair to say they're trying. McShane, Currie, Beasant, Claridge, Kitson (or was that longer ago?), Benjamin, probably some others I've forgotten - some worked out, some didn't.

I fully agree with the idea of season-long loans, but the fact still remains that we are an unattractive proposition to a fair whack of the professional footballers we would like to acquire, and the longer the stadium saga goes on, the less attractive we will become.

 

[Icy Gull]

We have had some decent players come by in those past three years, so I think it's fair to say they're trying. McShane, Currie, Beasant, Claridge, Kitson (or was that longer ago?), Benjamin, probably some others I've forgotten - some worked out, some didn't.
.

Currie wasn't on loan and I don't believe any of the above were signed on season long loans, although McShane did stay the full season. I am just questioning how hard we are trying not suggesting we sack the board or even ask them to leave. I just find it very hard to accept we are putting enough emphasis or effort on doing well on the field as we should be.

As an example do you really believe that a club like Bournemouth who are in danger of administration can attract someone like Darren Anderton ,on a pay to play basis, when we had the chance (allegedly) to sign him but didn', are a better proposition than us, if the deal was sold and structured well.

 

[The Large One]

With regards Currie part of your reply, I was thinking more in terms of the fact we could attract players, rather than the method of whether we got them on loan or we bought them.

Regarding Anderton, I just don't know the story there. I would say it was a blinding piece of business on Bournemouth's part, rather than us missing out on him. I say that because it wouldn't have only been us who missed out on him (assuming we did show an interest in the first place), or rather, I can't believe that bigger clubs than Bournemouth and Brighton would not have shown an interest in him. But the point is - Bournemouth got him, ahead of everyone else.

Perhaps he is good friends with Kevin Bond, or one or two of the Bournemouth directors, or the fact that he is from that neck of the woods. But in the end, I just don't know.