Fao Harty- This weeks phone in with Dick Knight

[SurreySeagulls]

So at the moment who would we rather have as Chairman of our club. An Asset stripper just solely there to line his own pockets and have an ugly henchman or someone who may not be a as rich a dear old Roman, but has the best interests of the club at heart.

Be honest, whether he dodges a few tough questions or not he is not making himself rich being the chairman of the Albion. His record as far as I am concerned is superb. Three promotions, a trip to Cardiff and a return to Brighton. Ok one minor point - the strip is crap. Lets please go back to our proper Blue colour.

 

[The Orange Seagull]

So at the moment who would we rather have as Chairman of our club. An Asset stripper just solely there to line his own pockets and have an ugly henchman or someone who may not be a as rich a dear old Roman, but has the best interests of the club at heart.

Be honest, whether he dodges a few tough questions or not he is not making himself rich being the chairman of the Albion. His record as far as I am concerned is superb. Three promotions, a trip to Cardiff and a return to Brighton. Ok one minor point - the strip is crap. Lets please go back to our proper Blue colour.

Yes I agree the kit is crap and the more I see it the more crap it becomes!
Pale blue just Isn't our colour and now it is being assocciated with the wiff of defeat since we've haven't had a win whilst wearing it!
I hope the club will realise their mistake and ditch it like Man Utd did with their Grey away kit a few years back.

Lets start a campaign to get our True Blue Stripes back!

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

Oh ye of short memories......remember when we first used the Millenium kit? We lost the first few games and we all thought we were never going to win in it but it turned out to be arguably the most successful kit in our history!

 

[The Orange Seagull]

Oh ye of short memories......remember when we first used the Millenium kit? We lost the first few games and we all thought we were never going to win in it but it turned out to be arguably the most successful kit in our history!

Yes but at least it was the correct colour!

 

[BensGrandad]

Of course there are investors waiting in the wings, but they are not going to make themselves known until Falmer is approved. You don't get to be rich by investing in something as risky as Falmer until it's a nailed on certainty.

At least I hope that's right otherwise DK is sailing along on the seat of his pants if he hasn't got some sort of investment in place

The most acurate summing up of the situation so far.

 

[Brovion]

Hmmm. So Dick Knight rescues the club from Archer, steers it through the dark days at Gillingham, brings it back to Brighton, steers a plan for a new stadium *almost* to victory against an unholy alliance of misguided environmentalists and Nimbys (to say nothing of hidebound Planning Inspectors), appoints BRILLIANT mangers (except Hinsh when, yes, he made a mistake), presides over a club that punches well above it's weight - and people want to say "Yeah, thanks a lot Dick - but here are some people with more money, so now you can piss off."

I'd rather be poor with Knight than rich with some Mark Thatcher character. If there are people waiting in the wings who want to come forward and take all the glory when we get Falmer - 'but don't want their names to be known at the moment', then they are cowardly beyond belief.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Hmmm. So Dick Knight rescues the club from Archer, steers it through the dark days at Gillingham, brings it back to Brighton, steers a plan for a new stadium *almost* to victory against an unholy alliance of misguided environmentalists and Nimbys (to say nothing of hidebound Planning Inspectors), appoints BRILLIANT mangers (except Hinsh when, yes, he made a mistake), presides over a club that punches well above it's weight - and people want to say "Yeah, thanks a lot Dick - but here are some people with more money, so now you can piss off."

Brilliantly put!

 

[Rangdo]

But it's still all just speculation.
Who are they.? Where are they?
Why are you so adamant he's not telling the truth about the presence of investors? He has nothing to prove. You have to prove they exist if you're going to keep going on about it.
He helped save us from oblivion and if he has got an ego (which I don't think he has) then he's entitled after what he's done for us.

 

[GUNTER]

Hmmm. So Dick Knight rescues the club from Archer, steers it through the dark days at Gillingham, brings it back to Brighton, steers a plan for a new stadium *almost* to victory against an unholy alliance of misguided environmentalists and Nimbys (to say nothing of hidebound Planning Inspectors), appoints BRILLIANT mangers (except Hinsh when, yes, he made a mistake), presides over a club that punches well above it's weight - and people want to say "Yeah, thanks a lot Dick - but here are some people with more money, so now you can piss off."

I'd rather be poor with Knight than rich with some Mark Thatcher character. If there are people waiting in the wings who want to come forward and take all the glory when we get Falmer - 'but don't want their names to be known at the moment', then they are cowardly beyond belief.

Excellent summing up. Totally concur.

Even if there was a rich investor(s), I would want Dick to stay as Chairman. That man saved our club and has passion beyond belief. He lives and breathes blue and white. He feels our pain. He shares our joy. He's a true fan.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Some people here need to take off the blinkers, and DK needs to be asked some tough questions.

Top of the agenda should be "What is our Plan B?" I don't accept that by talking about it we'll be jeopardising a "Yes" decision - in any walk of life you need to have an alternative plan in place.

Dick is a top guy but a master at avoiding the question. At a previous Fans Forum my mate stood up and asked Dick whether he thought it was a good idea that we were starting the Div 1 season with one striker.

Dick replied that he was surprised to hear Bobby wasn't good enough for my mate and then extolled the virtues of Bobby to a receptive audience.

A couple of weeks later Bobby gets injured, we start with Wilkinson and Marney, 12 defeats in a row etc etc.

 

[Brovion]

Some people here need to take off the blinkers, and DK needs to be asked some tough questions.

Top of the agenda should be "What is our Plan B?" I don't accept that by talking about it we'll be jeopardising a "Yes" decision - in any walk of life you need to have an alternative plan in place.

Dick is a top guy but a master at avoiding the question. At a previous Fans Forum my mate stood up and asked Dick whether he thought it was a good idea that we were starting the Div 1 season with one striker.

Dick replied that he was surprised to hear Bobby wasn't good enough for my mate and then extolled the virtues of Bobby to a receptive audience.

A couple of weeks later Bobby gets injured, we start with Wilkinson and Marney, 12 defeats in a row etc etc.

I resent the implication that we're all blinkered Knight-lovers who think the sun shines out of his backside, if he was a shit chairman we'd be on him like dogs on a bone. It's a matter of acknowledging him for what he's done and accepting that no, he's not perfect but we could do MUCH worse. A former safe-cracker perhaps a la Darlington?

Also, what do you mean 'tough' questions? We can ask them here:

Question: What is Plan B?
Answer: There is no Plan B. If we had an alternative our enemies would say "See, even the club think Falmer is the wrong site". And if we had a Plan B we certainly wouldn't make it public for the same reason.

Question: Why haven't me signed more and better players?
Answer: Because we haven't got any money. And we haven't got any money because we play at a poxy ground with tons of restrictions and where we don't even profit from the hot dog concession.

Question: Why are we in so much debt?
Answer: See previous answer. You can't pay professional footballers £25 a week any more.

If your sole reason for thinking he's past his sell-by date is because he gave an Advertiser's answer at a fans' talking shop then you're being wilfully vindictive. I think the only reason Knight allows himself to be subjected to grilling by imbeciles (although I accept you mate's question was valid and DK's answer wasn't perfect) is because he wants to be open and let us have a say. "It's our club not theirs" That's something we haven't had to say for years and I never want to have to say it again.

 

[Icy Gull]

The harsh truth is that WHEN someone comes in with oodles of dosh, and it will be after Falmer approval, DK WILL be brushed aside if deemed necessary by the incoming money man/men/corporation. It's not right, it's not fair but we live in a world where money dictates.

Before you jump on me remember that most of you think it's perfectly acceptable for a Rooney type player to give two fingers to his club and move on to better himself. Is DK's demise going to be any different?? If there is someone with money, all that DK has done will be fondly remembered but won't stop him being consigned to the scrap heap of history in the best interests of the club and all that crap.

I don't agree with any of the above but it doesn't make it any less true.

 

[Row Z Creased Shirt]

An interesting thread, yet more hot air from the Knight out brigade, not one constructive suggestion as to what could have been done differently.

After two championships, one play off victory and a return to Brighton, you would think there would be some gratitude about, but no, more whinging.

And, yes once Falmer is granted I'm sure potential investors will come crawling out of the woodwork once DK has done all the bloody hard work for them!

It makes me fume how short peoples memories are. This is, one cup final and a brief flirtation with the old Div 1 aside, the most successful era in the Albion's history and still people are moaning. Give me strength, will some people get a grip on reality around here. We have got f**k all money that is why all the great things you want to happen aren't happening, how difficult is that to figure out!! It also makes our recent achievements even more remarkable.

If you know anyone who has the cash to improve things then by all means put up or shut up, but please spare the rest of us the petty sniping at the man who has turned this club around in the past few years.

 

[Rangdo]

I wouldn't blame the guy if he told us all to piss of and left us to rot after all the ungrateful wankers having a go. He saved us. Not all by himself, but he took us on when we had been royally f***ed and left to die. Have faith. He's brought us this far and I trust him to do what's good for the club and not himself unlike his predecessors.

 

[BensGrandad]

You buy a brand new car or computer and at the time it is the bees knees and so proud of it but then it begins to wear out and has to be replaced by a more up to date model that can service your needs better so although you loved your old car or computer your new one suddenly begins to seem better until it goes wrong and the process starts all over again and yopu say I shouldnt have changed that car or computer but at the time the new one looked better.

What do you do stick with your old for ever knowing its wearing but its been good or take a chance on a new one that you think will be better for you?

I do not think anybody is saying forget what DK has done now kick him out, I most certainly am not what I am saying is we must look to the future and not keep harping on past achievments irrespective of how good they were. There is no denying he has bought us some good times.

It is inevitable that people / companies with money will come forward once permission is granted for Falmer whether or not they would want DK to continue as Chairman would be beyond any of our wishes.

 

[Rangdo]

Alternatively, do you keep faith with someone who has a proven track record of success and has proved that he has the future success/survival of the club at heart or do you take on someone who has money but only an interest in what he/she will get out of it who eventually leaves the club in a mountain of debt and on the brink of collapse after gambling everything on the chance of a bit of success, who had the backing of the "Knight out" brigade because they offered the opportunity of signing a few new players?

 

[BensGrandad]

Proven track record on the pitch but if I have read the accounts correctly and I am now putting myself up for ciritiscm ( I am not an acoountant) I believe that our debts are greater than they have ever been.

Even higher than when the terrible 3 sold The Goldstone to clear them , as they said.

 

[b.w.2.]

DK has been / is great, but we need some fresh investment in the team... I would like to hear DK proactively request the assistance of FBS, or whoever, to enable the club to spend SOME more money on team strengthening...

I'm not expecting bucket-loads of cash, or DK to relinquish his Chairmanship of our club... but the ONLY way we can get some much-needed funding into the team is for the existing board to invest more, or for a new board member with some financial clout to be found...

Look at it this way... the play-off final provided us with at least £400k of UNPLANNED / UNBUDGETED revenue... this money, or a large proportion of it, should have been invested in a recognised Championship-level target man, and a quality defender...

Falmer is the top priority, but the team must NOT be forgotten altogether... otherwise the case for Falmer will be weakened by relegation and falling attendances... I hope DK and the board understand this, or we are in deep sh1t...

 

[Pavilionaire]

Brovian, read my first line again and then read your first line again.

Here's a clue, I said "some", not all. You say you resent the implication that we're "all" blinkered Knight lovers.

If I thought everyone loved DK I would have said so.

I am a massive Knight fan, but he has shown he is falliable, so let's stop seeing this as black or white.

If we don't get Falmer I think it likely that Knight will stand down. I also think we should consider the possibility of what if we don't get Falmer, and not bury our head in the sand as if everything is going to be OK. Rightly or wrongly, both inspectors have given it the thumbs down and that alarms me.

If next month Prescott says no and Knight resigns where will this club be?

 

[Yorkie]

yorkie, changing the subject (quickly), what is that avatar a picture of?

Rose tinted spectacles. What else