Statement from Mr Barber

[RupertsFlan]

Most of it is very well versed, but this bit may highlight what was potentially the tension between Gus vs the board. Why are we signing up players / extending contracts without a manager??

I guess its a question to which we will never really know the answer.

If some are to be believed Gus may have checked out some weeks ago - if the rumours are true that he was on his way well before the end of the saeson then this would all add up to the reality that things were having to be done without his help or input - which matches what Barber alludes to in that letter - that things have not been delayed due to this process.

I suspect that Poyet has done very little other than run the team on a match basis as he knew he was on his way one way or another.

 

[martyn20]

I'm joking. It's a perfectly good email to me yet some people still have to find something to moan about.

Sorry

 

[gumbo43]

He could have said that in about 3 sentences, he does like to spout a load of shit to try and make himself sound rather clever.

Nothing new is being said here and this doesnt make me feel anymore comfortable about the situation the club is currently in.

we here nothing for weeks, then all of a suddourn we cant stop releasing statements. very disapointing, I hope lessons are learnt from this, as currently its been truely shocking.

Agree 100% - waffle.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I think he's most likely an approachable bloke, somewhat demonised. At the end of the day, he went through an interview process with our chairman:
TB: we need to be profitable
PB: I have experience of doing that
TB: we need to run this club like a business, it needs to stand on it's own 2 feet and aspire to the highest level
PB: I also have experience of doing that, here is my CV, here is my setting out of how I will achieve it...
TB: That looks great, you're hired.

Fans turn on PB - only doing everything he has been hired to do by our chairman....

It might be worth looking at his last employment in Vancouver.
http://www.eightysixforever.com/2011/12/9/2623821/paul-barber-to-resign-as-whitecaps-ceo-in-february

Barber was not always well-loved among Whitecaps fans. There are ex-employees with nothing but scorn for him, although there are also those who speak well of the man. The Whitecaps' decision to sell the team's allocation of away seats in Seattle and Portland to a third-party reseller made die-hards frothing mad. Then again, he was always courteous in person, often replied to the e-mails fans sent him, and as I've indicated relationships between the club and the fans have been steadily improving over the past several months. I've heard it said that Barber actually dislikes die-hard supporters, but his organization certainly hasn't treated those die-hards like it was so.

 

[soistes]

Some of you might be interested to know that I replied to today's Barber email, thanking him for it, and saying that I thought it was a good email, and that I and many other fans continued to have faith that the club was doing things professionally and ethically.

I got the usual immediate automatic reply from the marketing department. However, this was followed about ten minutes later by a personal email from Barber, thanking me for my email, and for my "support and kind words, which are very much appreciated".

I don't know whether that's being treated as a "fan" or as a "customer", and I don't much care. It does however speak volumes that he could be bothered to reply to an email so quickly from a fan that he doesn't know from Adam, at a time when he's probably got a fair amount of more important stuff on his plate.

 

[Bold Seagull]

It might be worth looking at his last employment in Vancouver.
http://www.eightysixforever.com/2011/12/9/2623821/paul-barber-to-resign-as-whitecaps-ceo-in-february

Barber was not always well-loved among Whitecaps fans. There are ex-employees with nothing but scorn for him, although there are also those who speak well of the man. The Whitecaps' decision to sell the team's allocation of away seats in Seattle and Portland to a third-party reseller made die-hards frothing mad. Then again, he was always courteous in person, often replied to the e-mails fans sent him, and as I've indicated relationships between the club and the fans have been steadily improving over the past several months. I've heard it said that Barber actually dislikes die-hard supporters, but his organization certainly hasn't treated those die-hards like it was so.

The point being, being critical of PB is to be equally critical of TB. I can't see how people slamming PB can believe that TB is independent of what PB is being sanctioned to do - he is just doing the job he's been hired to do.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Some of you might be interested to know that I replied to today's Barber email, thanking him for it, and saying that I thought it was a good email, and that I and many other fans continued to have faith that the club was doing things professionally and ethically.

I got the usual immediate automatic reply from the marketing department. However, this was followed about ten minutes later by a personal email from Barber, thanking me for my email, and for my "support and kind words, which are very much appreciated".

I don't know whether that's being treated as a "fan" or as a "customer", and I don't much care. It does however speak volumes that he could be bothered to reply to an email so quickly from a fan that he doesn't know from Adam, at a time when he's probably got a fair amount of more important stuff on his plate.

I raised a few things a month ago and he responded within an hour. Clearly he cannot comment on the Poyet situation and he is working to strict guidelines regarding FFP and the need to cute expense. In spite of the difficult last 24 hours, where potentially he was a bit in a corner, with Gus likely to comment on the Beeb, I think he has done a fairly reasonable job.

 

[gumbo43]

Yes .. He has got more important stuff to do, so please let him get on with it, I'm sure he was pleased that you were pleased that you thought he wrote a good letter, did he get a gold star, i can only wonder how he found the time , ten minutes too.. Nice one. May try it myself..

 

[Surf's Up]

I think he's most likely an approachable bloke, somewhat demonised. At the end of the day, he went through an interview process with our chairman:
TB: we need to be profitable
PB: I have experience of doing that
TB: we need to run this club like a business, it needs to stand on it's own 2 feet and aspire to the highest level
PB: I also have experience of doing that, here is my CV, here is my setting out of how I will achieve it...
TB: That looks great, you're hired.

Fans turn on PB - only doing everything he has been hired to do by our chairman....

It's astonishing how some people on here are demonising Barber for doing what he was hired to do by the Chairman. I haven't seen any criticism of Tony Bloom on here yet Barber is doing what he is doing with the agreement and approval of Bloom throughout. This will include the timing of the news of Poyet's dismissal yesterday (and re this I suspect that Poyet and his advisors were negotiating a walk-away deal with the club all yesterday knowing that if a deal hadn't been reached by a specified time he would be dismissed) and the content of Barber's letter today. I'm sorry, it just too easy to slag off Barber and those that are slagging him off should realise that, in effect, they're slagging Tony Bloom off.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

Apologies for not reading through all 7 pages to see if this is mentioned but WHERE has this statement come from? I haven't received it by email and it's not on the official site...

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The point being, being critical of PB is to be equally critical of TB. I can't see how people slamming PB can believe that TB is independent of what PB is being sanctioned to do - he is just doing the job he's been hired to do.

That's where I differ from others, where I am not totally sure that TB is sanctioning everything that is done.

 

[soistes]

Apologies for not reading through all 7 pages to see if this is mentioned but WHERE has this statement come from? I haven't received it by email and it's not on the official site...

got it by email. Assume it went to all STH, and other supporters on the database?

 

[martyn20]

That's where I differ from others, where I am not totally sure that TB is sanctioning everything that is done.

You think he walks around with his eyes and ears shut?

 

[hitony]

Right, I have not had time to read this thread, so what's it all about then

 

[portlock seagull]

Well, comparing this articulate, reasoned and reasonable email (albeit limited by legal constraints on what he can say) with Poyet's self-serving gibberings on TV last night, I know which inspires more confidence from me.

Yep, I'll go along with this. Well said.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

got it by email. Assume it went to all STH, and other supporters on the database?

Although apparently not me. Slightly weird.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

You think he walks around with his eyes and ears shut?

He doesn't spend every day at the club as he has business and family interests in Australia. Don't be naive and don't be taken in by patronising management speak either.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

got it by email. Assume it went to all STH, and other supporters on the database?

I pointed this out earlier. I have asked the club several times why I get the weekly newsletter but fail to receive club emails despite it being the same email address that's registered.

 

[martyn20]

He doesn't spend every day at the club as he has business and family interests in Australia. Don't be naive and don't be taken in by patronising management speak either.

You think after all the money he has invested he would just let the CEO do what he wants without overseeing him and guiding him in a certain direction. Not to mention the fact everyone within the club now and previously have said how close TB's relationship is to the working of the club and the employees.
You think if PB had done anything against the wishes of TB and the board he would be able to repeat that mistake and do something else wrong?

 

[soistes]

I pointed this out earlier. I have asked the club several times why I get the weekly newsletter but fail to receive club emails despite it being the same email address that's registered.

I had a problem a while back with not getting club emails (even though my partner did, and we registered at the same time), and it seemed to be a glitch in their system. I logged onto my STH account on the ticketing site, and changed the email address to my work email, and the emails started coming ok. I then repeated the exercise and changed it back to the original email address, and the emails are now coming to that one. No idea why