The Massive Positive of Abdallah's Reign

[Andy b]

2 hours ago, League one forever said:

This always makes me smile. 
 

What do you expect fans to ultimately affect? Even in these desperate times, we can protest/boycott etc. But it always comes down to one man’s decision to sell. 
 

Also, they took us on in league one and left us in league one- hardly a decline in status is it? And certainly not something that fans would be willing to protest/boycott about. The fanbase dwindled because they got sick of finishing 17th and being largely very average/poor. Again being average isn’t going to galvanise the masses to protest/boycott. 
 

If there was to be protest it should have been what they did to the club off the pitch, but I honestly think the average fan took no interest as long as everything seemed ‘fairly normal’ on the pitch. Which it was. 
 

 

 

 

Agree with you in part. 

 

status is more than league position. They slowly assert stripped the club and paved the way for the current farce. 
 

I wouldn’t expect fans to protest in those circumstances as there typically has to be an on the pitch decline or very clear and obvious mismanagement off the pitch to trigger that. But the soul of the club had gone by the time they left. They managed that process of decline effectively so as to avoid fans turning on them. To the extent that people defend them even now and don’t see the damage they caused
 

As to whether protest has any effect, that’s an entirely different matter. Am not suggesting it does anything but it’s the common reaction to dissatisfaction amongst fans. There was limited appetite to protest, though in 2016 a few took it upon themselves to try and get something going which petered out. 

[Dave_Og]

8 hours ago, League one forever said:

This always makes me smile. 
 

What do you expect fans to ultimately affect? Even in these desperate times, we can protest/boycott etc. But it always comes down to one man’s decision to sell. 
 

Also, they took us on in league one and left us in league one- hardly a decline in status is it? And certainly not something that fans would be willing to protest/boycott about. The fanbase dwindled because they got sick of finishing 17th and being largely very average/poor. Again being average isn’t going to galvanise the masses to protest/boycott. 
 

If there was to be protest it should have been what they did to the club off the pitch, but I honestly think the average fan took no interest as long as everything seemed ‘fairly normal’ on the pitch. Which it was. 
 

 

 

 

But part of the reason why the trust failed so badly in those years is the near total lack of interest in building it up. Only part of the reason but definitely a part 

[Andy b]

8 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

But part of the reason why the trust failed so badly in those years is the near total lack of interest in building it up. Only part of the reason but definitely a part 

Quite. The trust said and did nothing. Diane Mellor wouldn’t let them 

[nzlatic]

Just now, Andy b said:

Quite. The trust said and did nothing. Diane Mellor wouldn’t let them 

The trust always referenced the ‘red button’ didn’t they? They were the ones who could have alerted and galvanised the fans. Nothing was ever going to happen with a few fans raising issues but the trust doing nothing about it. 
 

[Dave_Og]

5 minutes ago, Andy b said:

Quite. The trust said and did nothing. Diane Mellor wouldn’t let them 

I was thinking more of there never being enough people to step forward and get involved 

[Andy b]

3 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

I was thinking more of there never being enough people to step forward and get involved 

It didn’t need people. It needed leadership 

[Dave_Og]

44 minutes ago, Andy b said:

It didn’t need people. It needed leadership 

Both 

[singe]

12 hours ago, Andy b said:

 

......

 

I worry about who we will get in replacement 
 

 

This is my worry too.

I hope someone like @lookersstandandy researches hard on hard whoever it turns out to be.

Each owner has been worse than the last since glory days, and I can't see the current incumbent doing us any favours. The only way he could rescue a modicum of his reputation is by selling to someone who is significantly better.

Stott > Moore > TTA > Corney > Lemsagam

 

[Andy b]

37 minutes ago, singe said:

This is my worry too.

I hope someone like @lookersstandandy researches hard on hard whoever it turns out to be.

Each owner has been worse than the last since glory days, and I can't see the current incumbent doing us any favours. The only way he could rescue a modicum of his reputation is by selling to someone who is significantly better.

Stott > Moore > TTA > Corney > Lemsagam

 

We have to trust the trust to do its due diligence. We have no other option.

 

It may be powerless without significant funds behind it but that due diligence should help us know what we are in for. Knowledge is power 

 

last time around diane mellor was still on about AL having a Leicester style model for the club and organising Moroccan themed nights in the weeks before she resigned around March 2019 because she didn’t like the trust asking some awkward questions.

 

it was totally unprepared and on the back foot

 

[League one forever]

2 hours ago, Dave_Og said:

But part of the reason why the trust failed so badly in those years is the near total lack of interest in building it up. Only part of the reason but definitely a part 

Oh without question. 
 

It was their job to look at the situation and say to the average fan- things off the pitch aren’t right. But worse than that, their silence endorsed it. We are only more galvanised now because we’ve finally got a trust who is doing what it should- trying to the hold the club to account. 

[Andy b]

6 minutes ago, League one forever said:

Oh without question. 
 

It was their job to look at the situation and say to the average fan- things off the pitch aren’t right. But worse than that, their silence endorsed it. We are only more galvanised now because we’ve finally got a trust who is doing what it should- trying to the hold the club to account. 

Pressured into doing so by the movement around PTB challenging the trust and holding it to account 

[underdog]

It is also about having the right experience in your supporter organisation.

 

What does a typical successful business have? I have no idea but will presume Directors with expertise in key areas like financial, legal, good governance, HR, project management, research, comms, IT, marketing.....and on, and on.

 

There is an AGM every year and only a few decide they can contribute, we are always short staffed and we are still. Ideally you need 10-12 people in some of those key areas described above. You need those key people and with the skills to motivate, hopefully an army of volunteers under them to delegate, empower, lead.

 

I am a perfect example of being a director without any senior level experience of running a business. I am 30 years office based skills in  admin, customer services, Yet in 8 yrs on the foundation as a director, I have been membership, secretary, note-taker, chair, website creator, comms, accounts/petty cash, researcher, ACV contact, 1895 lottery, 1895 CF researcher,  FSA MOU researcher, playershare contact, help write the strategy.....and on, and on. Some of that stuff I have never done before but you just had to do it and we all muck in. That has not changed, whoever is the OASF team at the time, we all muck in even if it is not our area.

 

The AGM can also mean you lose that experience too when folk step down and you can be in danger of rinse and repeat. Hence why we now we stagger candidates length of service.

 

The amount of time each director gives is un-real. It is suppose to be only a couple of hours a month, it is more like a couple of hours a day. This is hard when you factor in family and work life too. 

 

The glimmer is that there is change. It started 12 months ago now. When you hear an outside organisation like the FSA say you are potentially 1 of 12 clubs that may not be here in a post covid world - was a massive slap, wake up smell the coffee, take those bloomin rose tinted glasses off and start planning.

 

Hence the strategy was born. It has a mission statement with 6 ideas of achieving the mission and 21 steps to do it. It is not set in stone, it is adaptable (and has to be with our dysfunctional set up of club/landlord)

 

We have just asked the fanbase to complete a skillscan to see what is out there too. To see if anyone, even with time, can help.

 

There is also, EFL reform on the back of the FLR to plan for. Shadow boards, golden shares etc, which will be about 18mnth off and depending of where we are.

 

If anyone is interested in becoming a volunteer, please do get in touch.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

[Andy b]

9 minutes ago, underdog said:

It is also about having the right experience in your supporter organisation.

 

What does a typical successful business have? I have no idea but will presume Directors with expertise in key areas like financial, legal, good governance, HR, project management, research, comms, IT, marketing.....and on, and on.

 

There is an AGM every year and only a few decide they can contribute, we are always short staffed and we are still. Ideally you need 10-12 people in some of those key areas described above. You need those key people and with the skills to motivate, hopefully an army of volunteers under them to delegate, empower, lead.

 

I am a perfect example of being a director without any senior level experience of running a business. I am 30 years office based skills in  admin, customer services, Yet in 8 yrs on the foundation as a director, I have been membership, secretary, note-taker, chair, website creator, comms, accounts/petty cash, researcher, ACV contact, 1895 lottery, 1895 CF researcher,  FSA MOU researcher, playershare contact, help write the strategy.....and on, and on. Some of that stuff I have never done before but you just had to do it and we all muck in. That has not changed, whoever is the OASF team at the time, we all muck in even if it is not our area.

 

The AGM can also mean you lose that experience too when folk step down and you can be in danger of rinse and repeat. Hence why we now we stagger candidates length of service.

 

The amount of time each director gives is un-real. It is suppose to be only a couple of hours a month, it is more like a couple of hours a day. This is hard when you factor in family and work life too. 

 

The glimmer is that there is change. It started 12 months ago now. When you hear an outside organisation like the FSA say you are potentially 1 of 12 clubs that may not be here in a post covid world - was a massive slap, wake up smell the coffee, take those bloomin rose tinted glasses off and start planning.

 

Hence the strategy was born. It has a mission statement with 6 ideas of achieving the mission and 21 steps to do it. It is not set in stone, it is adaptable (and has to be with our dysfunctional set up of club/landlord)

 

We have just asked the fanbase to complete a skillscan to see what is out there too. To see if anyone, even with time, can help.

 

There is also, EFL reform on the back of the FLR to plan for. Shadow boards, golden shares etc, which will be about 18mnth off and depending of where we are.

 

If anyone is interested in becoming a volunteer, please do get in touch.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

Leadership comes first tracy. That only takes one person to set the tone, vision and strategic purpose. Yes, many hands are needed but without leadership you can have 200 people with different roles and responsibilities but it won’t work. 

[underdog]

1 hour ago, Andy b said:

Leadership comes first tracy. That only takes one person to set the tone, vision and strategic purpose. Yes, many hands are needed but without leadership you can have 200 people with different roles and responsibilities but it won’t work. 

Are you taking about the chair role? or maybe another role? Face of the Foundation? Spokesperson?

 

What sort of skills, experience, personality do you expect? Genuine question 

 

[Andy b]

27 minutes ago, underdog said:

Are you taking about the chair role? or maybe another role? Face of the Foundation? Spokesperson?

 

What sort of skills, experience, personality do you expect? Genuine question 

 

I expect the leader to have leadership skills. No more. Those include personality, confidence, courage, conviction, empathy, emotion, dignity, compassion, honesty, integrity, I could go on. Where and how they developed those skills is irrelevant. It’s not a vocational position and the trust leader doesn’t need to have an specific vocational skill set. They don’t need to understand business accounts, IT, company or any other area of law. You can be a leader if you are a plumber or the ceo of a global organisation. 

 

leaders are the ones who take it upon themself to lead and to who people respond positively. Simple as that. It’s not an official position. Certainty not in an organise like the trust. 

We have a natural leader in matt now. Whether he is the chair or the treasurer and whether his background is accountancy or professional wrestling is irrelevant. Leadership comes from character and personality. 
 

clearly a load of vocational skills are needed amongst the foot soldiers 

[underdog]

4 minutes ago, Andy b said:

We have a natural leader in matt now. Whether he is the chair or the treasurer and whether his background is accountancy or professional wrestling is irrelevant. Leadership comes from character and personality. 

Thanks Andy, that is the bit I understood you thought OASF was Missing

[Andy b]

3 minutes ago, underdog said:

Thanks Andy, that is the bit I understood you thought OASF was Missing

Was missing for a long time. It’s in a good place. Many tried to unsuccessfully grab it by the scruff of the neck over the years