SCR Phone In Special

[BigGully]

So the new stadium has no impact on our football team? The delays, the huge outpouring of cash over the years? The uncertainty? The inability to attract better players? I'm glad the people that matter remained focused on getting this frigging stadium approved and under-way without spending millions that we didn't/don't have.

As for your comment about a general consensus about a meddling chairman seems to be about 4 of you. hardly a general consensus. If DK was the meddler that you claim, why the hell would Adams come back? He nearly signed for Walsall but came to The Albion when it was made known to him that he was wanted. Hardly likely to happen if the chairman continually meddles is it? Especially knowing Micky Adams.

Well Adams is unemployed and we are probably the only club likely to employ Adams at our level and above.

The thing is that Falmer is an overiding issue for most one here and understandably, but .............

When the Chairman meddles with team affairs its forgiven because we move to Falmer soon.

We sack our manager unreasonably but its forgiven because we move to Falmer soon.

We employ Adams who has been pretty unsuccessful in recent years but its forgiven because we move to Falmer.

These are critical footballing decision that could be argued are bad practice, but its all overlooked.

If the above happened at another club there would be outrage from the fans, but there isnt, were all off to Falmer soon !!

 

[The Large One]

But what you are told depends on your personal relationship with that person.

If someone close to the club like DK made a comment to me it would be kinda irrelevant, because he would give the club line.

If I slid up to Dick Knight last week and asked his feelings of Wilkins managerial ability he would of said that he did a great job and we are happy blah, blah, blah.

If I was a personal friend, family member or trusted confidant then of course the information would of been clearly different.

The penny, it appears, is finally beginning to drop with you.

Not that I'd place myself in the bracket, of course, but I know plenty who I would place in that bracket.

 

[The Large One]

I am interested on the football successes of BHA and there is a general consensus that a Chairman that meddles and effects team players and morale adversedly effects that success.

I think the dynamic of some on here is to get a new stadium and maybe were not all totally focused on what actually matters, our football team.

That didn't answer my question.

Of course a chairman who meddles in team affairs is not a good thing, but that isn't what I asked. I asked what meddling went on? Picking the team? Buying players without the manager's consent?

What form does this meddling take?

 

[BigGully]

The penny, it appears, is finally beginning to drop with you.

Not that I'd place myself in the bracket, of course, but I know plenty who I would place in that bracket.

I am sorry but it isnt.

I am not sure whether you are saying that what Knight said to you is credible because you are a close confidant or that I am a close confidant of someone else.

I am still not accepting your version I am afraid, coz my confidant is better than yours and he definately was not a Hammond's biggest fan and this impacted on him leaving !!!

 

[The Large One]

I am sorry but it isnt.

I am not sure whether you are saying that what Knight said to you is credible because you are a close confidant or that I am a close confidant of someone else.

I am still not accepting your version I am afraid, coz my confidant is better than yours and he definately was not a Hammond's biggest fan and this impacted on him leaving !!!

Hang on, how do you know who my confidante is? And if you think it's the chairman, how can you say yours is better?

 

[BigGully]

That didn't answer my question.

Of course a chairman who meddles in team affairs is not a good thing, but that isn't what I asked. I asked what meddling went on? Picking the team? Buying players without the manager's consent?

What form does this meddling take?

Sorry........ok


Player negotiation can depend on Knights own view of any players worth ahead of the coaching staff. ( with monies already appropriated and even then re-spent on players the Chairman prefers )

This directly impacts which players stay and which players leave and which players come in.

The current playing squad is therefore effected, but he doesnt pick the team.

If you remember a week or two ago Alex Ferguson said he knew of a Chairman that faxes the team to his manager on the Friday.

I think as most clubs seem to becoming more and more autocratic more and more of this bad practice becomes likely.

Clubs are skint and individuals with lots of money and very few footballing qualifications come in.

And of course we all put up with it because there is always a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow....not.

 

[BigGully]

Hang on, how do you know who my confidante is? And if you think it's the chairman, how can you say yours is better?

I had my tounge firmly planted in my cheek when I said that.

 

[The Large One]

Sorry........ok


Player negotiation can depend on Knights own view of any players worth ahead of the coaching staff. ( with monies already appropriated and even then re-spent on players the Chairman prefers )

This directly impacts which players stay and which players leave and which players come in.

The current playing squad is therefore effected, but he doesnt pick the team.

If you remember a week or two ago Alex Ferguson said he knew of a Chairman that faxes the team to his manager on the Friday.

I think as most clubs seem to becoming more and more autocratic more and more of this bad practice becomes likely.

Clubs are skint and individuals with lots of money and very few footballing qualifications come in.

And of course we all put up with it because there is always a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow....not.

OK, you call it meddling, I'll call it budgeting.

Of course the purse strings dictate who comes and who stays and who has togo. Every manager - including Dean Wilkins - of every club, and certainly at this level, knows that when they take a job on, unless you're at one of the uber-rich clubs where money is no object.

 

[BigGully]

OK, you call it meddling, I'll call it budgeting.

Of course the purse strings dictate who comes and who stays and who has togo. Every manager - including Dean Wilkins - of every club, and certainly at this level, knows that when they take a job on, unless you're at one of the uber-rich clubs where money is no object.

I did try to say in the brackets, that if a player that the manager indentifies as an important player and wishes to sign for £x's, the Chairman with the 'budget' to secure that deal might not secure that deal because of his own view on that players ability.

He might then lose that player and then use the same money for a player that HE prefers.

That isnt budgeting thats meddling !

 

[Scotty Mac]

He might then lose that player and then use the same money for a player that HE prefers.

That isnt budgeting thats meddling !

turienzo?

 

[Harty]

In other words, the decision to sack Dean was effectively taken in January.

Shock, horror, but I find myself agreeing with Mr Alan Wares.......

 

[ewe2]

I only have a view !Knight is over 70 years old. He is a true seagull man . His dealings with players, or i think their agents are i think is correct,(not being held to ransom) Hammond or any player at our level are not so great they can be replaced by 20 similar players. However i agree Dick wants to leave HIS legacy ie Falmer,and why not.......what a legacy !!!! ps.... Harty i just love your phone ins

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I'm rather glad I went to watch some cricket this afternoon, and escaped the temptation to chip in with my contribution to this debate as it unfolded.

All I will say now is that DK did want to retain DH, at a fair price, and that DW didn't contribute to achieving that. Maybe if he had been a better manager, it would have happened. Instead, DW revealed his weakness as a manager. The consequences are that both DH and DW have gone.

BigGully and bhadeb are telling the story from another angle. They've managed to distort the picture beyond recognition.

As I said on the phone-in, MA seems to recognise that the manager's job is all about working with the players, the Chairman, the Board and the fans.

 

[Screaming J]

All I will say now is that DK did want to retain DH, at a fair price, and that DW didn't contribute to achieving that. Maybe if he had been a better manager, it would have happened. Instead, DW revealed his weakness as a manager. The consequences are that both DH and DW have gone.

Does this mean with DW gone and Colchester down there is a chance Hammond could come back if he asked nicely?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Does this mean with DW gone and Colchester down there is a chance Hammond could come back if he asked nicely?

That would depend on Adams, I guess.

And the cost of the deal.

And Hammond's agent.

And Hammond's willingness.

And the Chairman.

It would be a very interesting set of negotiations.

 

[Screaming J]

Originally Posted by Screaming J
Does this mean with DW gone and Colchester down there is a chance Hammond could come back if he asked nicely?

That would depend on Adams, I guess.

And the cost of the deal.

And Hammond's agent.

And Hammond's willingness.

And the Chairman.

It would be a very interesting set of negotiations.

that'll be a no then!

 

[ROSM]

Well I didn't get told anything by the chairman but as I understand it (from my said source which I accept is one agent telling another who told his friend who told me) is that:

The offer made to hammond in october last year was a reasonable time to make the opening one with c25% of the contract remaining

The final offer by the club was a reasonable one but he got offered more by colchester

In the interim, Wilkins was acting more as the players friend than a senior club employee. He contributed, most likely naively, to Hammond thinking that the club would do anything to keep him. Whereas the club wanted to keep him at the right price. In one session I was told, the two Deans left the room to leave the chairman and agent talk through the deal. The standard Knight dealing (known by agents) is a lowish first offer then a reasonable second. There is rarely a third.

It was then that the we will wait and see in the summer statement came from the agent. As there was likely to be no increase the club via the chairman told the player that if he wasnt going to sign, rather than risk him leaving on a free he should leave now. I'm not aware that threats of rotting in the reserves were made but it is possible.

So it seems to me that the question isn't whether Knight wanted hammond - it is a question of the gap between what Wilkins wanted him at and what the club was prepared to pay.

The same with Savage.

What was Wilkin's undoing in my mind was his inability to keep that view to himself and what he may have said that got back to players like OCallaghan, hammond etc. If you are manager you abide by collective responsibility on decisions. When you break that, you run the risk of falling foul of the employer.

The fact that bhadeb and Big Gully both have given Wilkin's side (and why I have often played the number of people in the meeting line to them to try and point out that they must know that it was that obvious it was 'his side) is a symptom but not the cause of Wilkin's departure. I dont think they or anybody else who repeated his opinion helped him though. Talking out of school and then having it spread was never a good sign.

I think the decision to finally dispense with DW was made after the paul reid comment - although his card had been clearly marked in january, I think our final league position would have saved him until then.

 

[bhadeb]

Dick Knight said if Hammond didn't go to Colchester he could rot in the reserves - this is a fact - where is george o'callaghan - left us and ipswich released him - more of dick's handy work and lies - yes i agree bas's wage demands were too high and i can fully understand why he went - all dick knight wants is a yes man and unfortunately Micky is now that man - he may well have had a good relaitionship with dick all those years ago but Dick is nowa bit older and unfortunately not wiser

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Dick Knight said if Hammond didn't go to Colchester he could rot in the reserves - this is a fact

Better than letting him go for a free! We are a business (that loses £2m+ a year) you know!

where is george o'callaghan - left us and ipswich released him - more of dick's handy work and lies

Whilst I would love to have kept GO'C, it seems it was never going to happen. Where is he? Playing in Ireland and I daresay that is a huge step down from the English league. Why did no one else want him?

all dick knight wants is a yes man and unfortunately Micky is now that man - he may well have had a good relaitionship with dick all those years ago but Dick is nowa bit older and unfortunately not wiser

Is he a 'yes man'? I can't remember MA ever being a yes man. Perhaps you would like to fill me in on that one. My abiding memory of MA is that HE told Dick he needed a new squad and the chairman/board obliged. Hardly a yes man!

Can I make a suggestion? I was bitter about the departure of McGhee and now of Wilkins, but the best solution is to get behind the new manager....unless you are planning on swapping teams that is.

 

[Frutos]

....unless you are planning on swapping teams that is.

We can but hope, at least it would stop her dribbling on here and making allusions to a 'truth' she has consistently failed to deliver. She just ends up sounding like her needle is stuck in the groove.