Phone-in Thread

[Tom Bombadil]

Full marks to Dick for putting up with last nights moan fest. I actually thought he did pretty well and the exercise was quite informative.

Firstly - Directors have put £13million into the club. Ignoring the issue of loan vs equity etc, that tells us that to run the club and get planning permission for Falmer has cost us approx £1.5m a season in addtion to the revenue generated. This is a point to remember next time any one suggests investors are queueing down Queens road with bags of cash.

Secondly - We're chasing 5 players. And we've learnt not to mouth off in the press about who they are.

Thirdly - We aren't going to risk our wage structure on one player, no matter how entertaining they are. And we won't put up with disruptive players.

Fourth - Falmer tickets will on average be the same as Withdean ( not said explicitly but DK comments point in that direction) but that ticket pricing will vary by a much greater degree.

Five - Some of our supporters are incredibly stupid, even those who claim to have Economics degrees.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I am sure that if you make a sensible suggestion they will listen, try the Ask The Club facility, alternatively continue whining.

I am not 'whining'. I simply supported a view from a fellow Albion supporter. Twat.

 

[The Large One]

it comes with the territory though doesnt it alan - EVERY chairman has to put up with it

True, but then not every chairman goes into the Lions' Den of a phone-in to answer to their fans.

The man is pissed off with the innuendo and lies being spread around, and purely on account of the fact he went on the phone-in, we got to hear his true feelings when people started talking shite to him. He is only human after all.

It does beg one point - if he is going to do this sort of thing again, he would only agree to it on the proviso that he doesn't have to put up with nonsense and stupidity. That way, we can get some far more productive and revealing answers - which I am sure would suit far more people.

I quite like the idea of a Q&A format, rather than the phone-in, or even some answers to the 31 emails Dave the Gaffer had, which Dick and/or Martin could answer fully in their own time.

 

[The Large One]

Yes, but I'm not a football league chairman. His reactions have gone beyond a bit fractious for someone who is in a position of such responsibility. I'm not the only one who thinks this and we're not all in the Anti-Knight Brigade.

So you think you can pull on a tiger's tail, and not expect a reaction?

Perhaps you should apply to join the club's public relations department, with your long fuse and your cool-under-fire diplomatic outlook. Seriously.

Under the circumstances, I thought he did well to keep his tounge in check.

 

[Hungry Joe]

So you think you can pull on a tiger's tail, and not expect a reaction?

Perhaps you should apply to join the club's public relations department, with your long fuse and your cool-under-fire diplomatic outlook. Seriously.

Under the circumstances, I thought he did well to keep his tounge in check.

No, but the reaction should be professional and proportionate. I don't think this was the case on the phone-in or has been in the press recently. That is my opinion and I accept others see it differently.

I'm not sure if that was sarcastic or not so I'll treat it as not; It's a fair point, the club does need to work on it's PR. It's better than many clubs but I think it could be better. A spokesperson for DK may not be such a bad idea if he is getting as pissed-off with it all as he sounds.

I don't agree, but again it's all about opinions isn't it?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

No, but the reaction should be professional and proportionate. I don't think this was the case on the phone-in or has been in the press recently. That is my opinion and I accept others see it differently.

I'm not sure if that was sarcastic or not so I'll treat it as not; It's a fair point, the club does need to work on it's PR. It's better than many clubs but I think it could be better. A spokesperson for DK may not be such a bad idea if he is getting as pissed-off with it all as he sounds.

I don't agree, but again it's all about opinions isn't it?

I second these thoughts.

 

[El Presidente]

it comes with the territory though doesnt it alan - EVERY chairman has to put up with it

Does that mean that every Asian shop owner who has to put up with 'Paki' comments should simply smile and put up with it as it 'goes with the territory'?

 

[Hungry Joe]

Does that mean that every Asian shop owner who has to put up with 'Paki' comments should simply smile and put up with it as it 'goes with the territory'?

Poor analogy; racism is hardly on a parr with criticising a chairman about the running of a football club.

 

[El Presidente]

No, but the reaction should be professional and proportionate. I don't think this was the case on the phone-in or has been in the press recently. That is my opinion and I accept others see it differently.

I'm not sure if that was sarcastic or not so I'll treat it as not; It's a fair point, the club does need to work on it's PR. It's better than many clubs but I think it could be better. A spokesperson for DK may not be such a bad idea if he is getting as pissed-off with it all as he sounds.

I don't agree, but again it's all about opinions isn't it?

Fair enough, but the comments from the callers were not fair and proportionate either. Let's face it, we were all pissed off yesterday, DK is as human as the rest of us, even Jesus Christ would have struggled to turn the other cheek to some of those comments he had to deal with.

 

[The Large One]

No, but the reaction should be professional and proportionate. I don't think this was the case on the phone-in or has been in the press recently. That is my opinion and I accept others see it differently.

I'm not sure if that was sarcastic or not so I'll treat it as not; It's a fair point, the club does need to work on it's PR. It's better than many clubs but I think it could be better. A spokesperson for DK may not be such a bad idea if he is getting as pissed-off with it all as he sounds.

I don't agree, but again it's all about opinions isn't it?

But that's the point - for me, it WAS proportionate.

The caller bloke was talking shit, and to cut through the crap, Dick said 'get the guy off'. I suspect he wanted to answer serious questions. I wanted him to answer some serious questions, didn't you? I think that's fair enough. I would probably do the same - and I suspect you might as well. Well, maybe not... Who knows?

His displeasure didn't start at the beginning of the phone-in, it started years ago when people effectively started calling him a liar and a thief.

With regards to the Albion, Dick (or rather, the club) does have a spokesperson - he's called the Press Officer. When the club puts out a press release, especially on things regarding contracts, Falmer etc, it's the club speaking.

With regards a personal spokesperson, what's wrong with a chairman getting pissed off? We don't mind it in our players - it's often labelled 'passion'. You are chastising the chairman (fair enough, he's there to be questioned), but for being human...?

Put it this way, if I went up to Dick and spouted a big pile of shit off at him, I would expect a flea in my ear back, no more than if it was me spouting shit at you. The fact that he is chairman matters not one jot to me.

 

[Hungry Joe]

Fair enough, but the comments from the callers were not fair and proportionate either. Let's face it, we were all pissed off yesterday, DK is as human as the rest of us, even Jesus Christ would have struggled to turn the other cheek to some of those comments he had to deal with.

His rection in isolation yesterday was understandable to a point. I'm more concerned that it appears to be part of a trend in his mindset though. His public half-time rubbishing of the Gold story was ill-judged as was his reaction to Naylors articles about Savage. It gives the impression of a club with a seige mentality who rather than being able to take criticism feel the need to publicly rubbish any perceived attack and at times resorting to personal snipes (certainly true in the statement made by DK referencing Naylor). It doesn't fill me with confidence. Ok, the board isn't there to fill me with confidence but like I said, I'm not alone.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Does that mean that every Asian shop owner who has to put up with 'Paki' comments should simply smile and put up with it as it 'goes with the territory'?

Silly analogy. I think you have lost the arguement.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Thought he came across well and stayed fairly calm considering some of the fools that called

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

His rection in isolation yesterday was understandable to a point. I'm more concerned that it appears to be part of a trend in his mindset though. His public half-time rubbishing of the Gold story was ill-judged as was his reaction to Naylors articles about Savage. It gives the impression of a club with a seige mentality who rather than being able to take criticism feel the need to publicly rubbish any perceived attack and at times resorting to personal snipes (certainly true in the statement made by DK referencing Naylor). It doesn't fill me with confidence. Ok, the board isn't there to fill me with confidence but like I said, I'm not alone.

Agree. The club needs to look at is PR. There are ways and means of doing things. DK is starting to look sound Heather MaCartney.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

...whoops...please remove the 'look'

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

...and add 'like'

i have just proved I cannot eat and type at the same time.

 

[El Presidente]

His rection in isolation yesterday was understandable to a point. I'm more concerned that it appears to be part of a trend in his mindset though. His public half-time rubbishing of the Gold story was ill-judged as was his reaction to Naylors articles about Savage. It gives the impression of a club with a seige mentality who rather than being able to take criticism feel the need to publicly rubbish any perceived attack and at times resorting to personal snipes (certainly true in the statement made by DK referencing Naylor). It doesn't fill me with confidence. Ok, the board isn't there to fill me with confidence but like I said, I'm not alone.

I agree with you about Gold, but historically there have always been spats between the club and the Argus, I remember when we played United in the Cup final in '83 Vinicombe put a story about the board lining up John Bond to replace Melia, and it kicked off then big style.

Andy Naylor does a good job in the main, sometimes he posts speculation, but a lot less than you see in the tabloids.

If DK wasn't prepared to take criticism he could have developed a convenient cold or had an urgent meeting to attend after the match yesterday. To his credit he didn't.

However, if someone walked up to you, starting making factually inaccurate allegations, shouted you down when you tried to respond, told you to quit your job etc. then could you honestly say that you would keep cool, calm and collected?

 

[The Large One]

His rection in isolation yesterday was understandable to a point. I'm more concerned that it appears to be part of a trend in his mindset though. His public half-time rubbishing of the Gold story was ill-judged as was his reaction to Naylors articles about Savage. It gives the impression of a club with a seige mentality who rather than being able to take criticism feel the need to publicly rubbish any perceived attack and at times resorting to personal snipes (certainly true in the statement made by DK referencing Naylor). It doesn't fill me with confidence. Ok, the board isn't there to fill me with confidence but like I said, I'm not alone.

We now know that this particular story has moved on to the extent that, through no fault of the Albion's, Gold cannot invest in the club. What was evident for me at the time was that the story (without any direct quotes, it must be said) that Gold was coming to Brighton BEFORE any proper talks had taken place could have seriously jeopardised any agreement.

One thing businessmen do not want is their business details run through the public - and specifically the media - first.

What would the comments on the club's PR be if they'd said nothing? Fans were asking for a comment, and they got one.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

However, if someone walked up to you, starting making factually inaccurate allegations, shouted you down when you tried to respond, told you to quit your job etc. then could you honestly say that you would keep cool, calm and collected?

yes.

 

[The Large One]

yes.

So you didn't mean it personally, and there was no malice intended when you called EP a twat earlier?