Why is Dick Knight letting the team go down the tube

[NMH]

The good youth products created whilst he was part of the youth squad, and apparent offers from bigger clubs (Newcastle if i remember rightly) to be part of their youth set up.

Bad manager? Unable to handle contract negotiations, poor man manager as stated by players who worked under him, and some poor work in the transfer window. Also, he couldn't handle the press at all, listening to his interviews was truly cringe worthy at times.

Evidence enough?

A. Contract negotiations - his 'inability' might be somewhat due to a board who wouldn't budge. Is that his fault?
B. "Poor man manager" - that statement reflects as drivel, if you look at how he went from managing most of those lads through their youth to the FIRST TEAM (ffs!) Players also reacted with surprise and some sadness (as much as they can risk, considering their position) when stating their views.... all except a couple he dropped at the end of the season! Well, duh, never heard of sour grapes in football from players who weren't good and weren't getting picked!?
C. Poor work in the transfer window eh? I imagine you refer to Dixon, who broke the bank and didn't get played. Or McPhail, who didn't feature beyond a late sub who was afforded one touch before wise NSC pilloried him because it went out of play. Never mind Forster and Murray, loanees Richards and Whing. And what manager does get a 100% return from every player brought in at this level? I give you Robbie Savage, as a (high-profile) example. Nice hair, cars, and smiled with superwhite teeth through the pain
D. The press Wilkins "couldn't handle". Come again? Would he have been better off whitewashing, calling every point loss "unlucky, and I feel sorry for the players". I'd feel sorry for the FANS mate - especially those that bother to travel the length of the country to see how the players perform for our manager!

 

[NMH]

Is he letting the team go down the tube?

We seem to be investing money, so I think 'letting the team go down the tube' is a bit far fetched. Nothing is won or lost before Christmas.

Ha! You better take a look at the table tonight mate - we ain't going anywhere this season, and that's AFTER money has been spent on players and MA's choices of loans. Not that I directly blame the players he's brought in mind, they look like decent choices imo. The tactics and teamwork is what's failing mis er ab ly. Forget about promotion challenges - you'd have to be Uncle Spielberg at his most optimistic, to think we have a prayer.

 

[El Presidente]

If the diggers wern't moving in soon at Falmer, it would be very difficult to justify his position.

Justify his position to whom exactly?

 

[El Presidente]

I dont want DK out - very far from it - but the club really does need a very large injection of cash.

There must be enough wealthy investors out there willing to come in - this club must now RIPE for inward investment with a brand new 22.5K stadium on the way...

WHO are these mythical people? Why spunk all your hard earned on a white elephant of a stadium that won't even be half full? Anyone who thinks some idiot multi millionaire will crawl out of the woodwork as soon as Falmer arrives is at best delusional, at worst..........

We had two very rich 'investors' in Stanley and Archer, together worth about £800 million, and look where they left us, homeless and with Mickey Bennett.

 

[NMH]

How will that help? It's none of our business, but if we were told, some would agree and some wouldn't, just like now, so nothing would change.

It's amazing how many people THINK they know what goes on behind the scenes and who does what etc.

Then there are those who don't know but think we are entitled to know. We're not.

It's no different to anything you buy - food, clothes, petrol, beer - you wouldn't expect the Chairman of any of those companies to tell the world why he has sacked an employee so why a football club? We are customers, not shareholders and the only thing we are entitled to know are the company accounts filed with Companies House.

And for those calling for DK to be sacked, if he is not an employee, he can't be sacked. I don't know if he is an employee or not. As a shareholder, his shares can't be taken from him and as a director, he could be voted off the board by the other directors.

So you want to get rid of him? Then you need to find an investor with enough money to take over (assuming it's at a price that DK can't refuse) and you need to be sure that he will always employee the perfect manager and players to satisfy your needs.

Simply really.

In the meantime you are a customer who has the right not to buy the product if you don't like it, and if you are a STH you knew when you bought it that nothing is guaranteed in football.

You like comparing product sales, but don't think a football spender has a right to require quality returns on his/her investment?
I don't know what kind of business you run mate, but I for one wouldn't be buying from or hiring you if I could help it.

Someone who spends on that season ticket has a right to say how they feel about the quality, so deflecting their expectations when it suits the seller - with "nothing is guaranteed in football" - doesn't placate.
The board put Adams in the position, to sell tickets. It might have succeeded in doing that - but opting out of quality responsibility afterward is the domain of the pikey carney, or used car salesmen of yesteryear.

 

[NMH]

We had two very rich 'investors' in Stanley and Archer, together worth about £800 million, and look where they left us, homeless and with Mickey Bennett.

You cannot compare anything, to those scum. They are £800mil rich BECAUSE they are filthy (I must not say what I think here, I am really too angry and it's a waste of energy on such excrement).

Not to be used as an example of wealth that shoulda/coulda been spent on The Albion. No. Please retract, or never try pulling their names out for this type of comparison, please.

 

[Knotty]

You like comparing product sales, but don't think a football spender has a right to require quality returns on his/her investment?
I don't know what kind of business you run mate, but I for one wouldn't be buying from or hiring you if I could help it.

Someone who spends on that season ticket has a right to say how they feel about the quality, so deflecting their expectations when it suits the seller - with "nothing is guaranteed in football" - doesn't placate.
The board put Adams in the position, to sell tickets. It might have succeeded in doing that - but opting out of quality responsibility afterward is the domain of the pikey carney, or used car salesmen of yesteryear.

Of course you have a right to say how you feel about the quality of the product you are getting. But saying that 'nothing is guaranteed in football' is the simple truth. It is not deflecting anything.

I am very disappointed about what has this season but it still doesn't give me the right to know what is happening behind the scenes at the club or demand explanations for appointments/sackings. The only right we have is to rant on here and not buy a ticket for the match or a season ticket next season, assuming things don't improve.

What other rights do you think we should have?

 

[El Presidente]

You cannot compare anything, to those scum. They are £800mil rich BECAUSE they are filthy (I must not say what I think here, I am really too angry and it's a waste of energy on such excrement).

Not to be used as an example of wealth that shoulda/coulda been spent on The Albion. No. Please retract, or never try pulling their names out for this type of comparison, please.

I won't retract, because the facts don't lie. Again I ask the question, who, in the middle of the biggest post war recession in history, is going to come forwards to spunk of their money on a two bit provincial football club with a fickle and unpredictable fan base of at most 5,000 regulars?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Last season we had a young manager who was learning his trade. He was brining through some promising youngster, He built a team that in the first half of the season showed real promise, before contract negotiations with the club captain and others led to this team falling apart.

The same manager then rebuilt the team, during the season and somehow got the side up to 7th in the league, only just missing out on the play offs.

Whilst at times last season the football wasn't great at least you felt we were making progress. The loan players were kept to a minimum and the youngters coming through although inconsitent gave you a sense of things to come and it felt right that we as a club were supporting the young players, the future of the club.

Dick Knight (and apprarently the board) took the view that Dean Wilkins for was not the right man for the job and brought in Mickey Adams. I guess they blamed him for ther falling crowds and overlooked the general fact that people have had enough of paying a fortune for the Withdean experience.

So anyway having done that we now the position where Mickey favours loan players ahead of our own youth products. Where we would rather pay other clubs players wages and develope their talent instead of ours. Where an old hasbeen mate of his can come and play for a month to get match fitness. Where a youngster in Joel Lynch is not good enough to get into a bottom half League One team but can hold a place in a Championship side.

Jake Robinson, Dean Cox, Tommy Fraser have all shown signs this season in the short bursts they have had that they could do just as good a job as the loan signings yet they are constantly having to play second fiddle to youngsters from other teams.

I accept that the club can't go and spend a fortune on players, but I feel we now being extremely shortsighted if we the think the future is in loan players and not our current developing youth players.

DK really has lost the plot in my opinion, and whilst we owe him a great debt, that does not exclude him from criticism. The treatment of Dean Wilkins was shoddy, the way the club is going in its treatment of young players is no better.

As was posted last season, and probably the season before, DK seems to think he can call the shots as to where the club will finish in any given season. Falmer's been put back a year, effectively, so DK thinks we can cruise in the Third Division for another season, just tread water, get a run in the Piss Pot, flog 30K tickets to the general popoulace of BN something and all the attendant merchandising shit. And he's a lucky chairman, and he'll probably get that Grand Day Out at Wembley. Only a couple of matchdays away after all. Trouble is, in the medium term, there's a shitload of club out there with a shitload more ambition than the Albion. We'll sink sure as a stone while the ambition is to tread water.

Just won't do

 

[RexCathedra]

There must be enough wealthy investors out there willing to come in - this club must now RIPE for inward investment with a brand new 22.5K stadium on the way...

How many of the 92 clubs break even or better? I'd guess it's less than 20. Putting money into a football isn't an 'investment' in any generally accepted sense of the word.

 

[NMH]

I won't retract, because the facts don't lie. Again I ask the question, who, in the middle of the biggest post war recession in history, is going to come forwards to spunk of their money on a two bit provincial football club with a fickle and unpredictable fan base of at most 5,000 regulars?

History shows that 5,000 is not all we could possibly hope to attract. I know many people who do not attend matches purely because of the ground.
The attendances at The Goldstone were often far better than Withdean could dream of, and the population has grown since.
People HAVE invested in clubs such as Reading and Hull City - how far removed are Brighton from what they were before their current situations? So why say we don't have such possibilities?
Gold at Birmingham was a likely investor, if he was (avail)able to do so.
Some fellow in Bahrain likes Man City, some Russian likes Chelsea - but who woulda thought?

 

[Giraffe]

History shows that 5,000 is not all we could possibly hope to attract. I know many people who do not attend matches purely because of the ground.
The attendances at The Goldstone were often far better than Withdean could dream of, and the population has grown since.
People HAVE invested in clubs such as Reading and Hull City - how far removed are Brighton from what they were before their current situations? So why say we don't have such possibilities?
Gold at Birmingham was a likely investor, if he was (avail)able to do so.
Some fellow in Bahrain likes Man City, some Russian likes Chelsea - but who woulda thought?

Agreed, I think once we are within a year of opening Falmer new investors will be keen to be involved. Until that point we are probably stuck with the current board. My point is that I don't think DK should remain as chairman or figurehead as it needs a fresh approach. He is completely dictotorial at all levels of the club, making Ken Brown's job no more than his PA. Time for a fresh face to be seen in my view.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Lets not forget, that Wilkins still hasn't got another job.

Mark McGhee took 9 months to get back into management. Why? Perhaps he wasn't eager to pick the first offer or perhaps he was happy to take a small break? He was still getting paid, afterall. The same may apply to Wilkins. He is surely still getting paid or has received a lump sum and can afford to bide his time until the right offer. Isn't he scouting for someone? Adams also tried to recruit him TWICE during his various spells in the Midlands.

In short, whether or not the disposed manager has got a job 5/6/7 months after he has been removed is not evidence of his coaching/managerial abilities. No brainer, surely?

 

[cjd]

I won't retract, because the facts don't lie. Again I ask the question, who, in the middle of the biggest post war recession in history, is going to come forwards to spunk of their money on a two bit provincial football club with a fickle and unpredictable fan base of at most 5,000 regulars?

An interesting and valid point. I,m glad someone like yourself, who is acutely aware and experienced in the financial world, should point this out.

WHO indeed, in their right mind, would invest in this "two bit provincial football club with a fickle and unpredictable fanbase of at most, 5,000 regulars".............?

Surely, this is the worry that Giraffe and many others have......?

If, as Mr. Perry says, the finance is in place..................then if it,s good enough for the banks............it'll be good enough for an investor................or............is the finance NOT in place...?

 

[sir albion]

Knights time was up years ago,fresh idea's and a new era is required.Can't believe why so many idiots on here kiss his arse,knight is holding this club back.Knight doesn't even have much to do with falmer anyway as thats perry and co.

The best thing for this club to actually move on after so many years of shite is to get rid of knight asap.

 

[pasty]

As was posted last season, and probably the season before, DK seems to think he can call the shots as to where the club will finish in any given season. Falmer's been put back a year, effectively, so DK thinks we can cruise in the Third Division for another season, just tread water, get a run in the Piss Pot, flog 30K tickets to the general popoulace of BN something and all the attendant merchandising shit. And he's a lucky chairman, and he'll probably get that Grand Day Out at Wembley. Only a couple of matchdays away after all. Trouble is, in the medium term, there's a shitload of club out there with a shitload more ambition than the Albion. We'll sink sure as a stone while the ambition is to tread water.

Just won't do

You know what, I am starting to get that kind of feeling. It's almost like sod everything for now, the only thing that matters is that we get promoted to the Championship the season before Falmer opens. That way there will be a huge wave of euphoria from the resulting promotion and that in turn will hugely boost tickets sales for the first season at Falmer. I'm really begining to think that within the club, nothing, but nothing else matters than Falmer.

 

[RexCathedra]

Knights time was up years ago, fresh ideas and a new era is required.

A new era isn't needed -- just a mysterious Russian petro-spiv, or an emir unable to do basic maths. The only 'fresh idea' that matters is £. s.d. And there aren't enough stinking-rich-but-football-besotted nutters to go around.

 

[El Presidente]

Agreed, I think once we are within a year of opening Falmer new investors will be keen to be involved. Until that point we are probably stuck with the current board. My point is that I don't think DK should remain as chairman or figurehead as it needs a fresh approach. He is completely dictotorial at all levels of the club, making Ken Brown's job no more than his PA. Time for a fresh face to be seen in my view.

How on earth do you reach that conclusion? There have been no new 'investors' at Southampton, Leicester, Derby, Huddersfield, Darlington etc, clubs with both new stadia and a decent fan base, so why on earth would someone 'invest' in the Albion?

Investors look at risk and return, the Albion is high risk and zero return, we have not made a profit for over thirty years.

 

[dougdeep]

Knights time was up years ago,fresh idea's and a new era is required.Can't believe why so many idiots on here kiss his arse,knight is holding this club back.Knight doesn't even have much to do with falmer anyway as thats perry and co.

The best thing for this club to actually move on after so many years of shite is to get rid of knight asap.

So who would run the club then? Dick has said he will step aside if the right person comes along. Some people on here think money men are falling over themselves to invest in us.

 

[El Presidente]

Knights time was up years ago,fresh idea's and a new era is required.Can't believe why so many idiots on here kiss his arse,knight is holding this club back.Knight doesn't even have much to do with falmer anyway as thats perry and co.

The best thing for this club to actually move on after so many years of shite is to get rid of knight asap.

Can someone let the village know we've located it's idiot.