Two Days Before The AGM Who Would Have Guessed It ?

[TIL 1010 5,041]

http://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/2017/11/27/nobody-can-claim-our-board-put-prudence-before-ambition-they-took-a-punt-thats-why-we-are-where-we-are/Mick Dennis pops up with an article which is contains many statistics we already knew but in my book slants it towards not being the Boards fault. They were only doing the fans bidding apparently with regard to splashing the cash in a bid to stay up which obviously now can be seen as somewhat reckless and we end up where we are now.

[king canary 8,261]

It is a nothing piece- yes the board backed the manager previously and we have to cut costs. Peoples concerns are mainly about how we move forward under this current model and why we''re being signed up for many more years of this under Nephew Tom.

[GJP 79]

Hang on, have we been over-paying underperforming players?

[Mello Yello 2,456]

Ho Hum......A guaranteed extra helping of main course and pudding for Loyal Mick at the next home game he attends during the pre-match dining.....Oh yes, oh yes.....

[Baldyboy 1]

Is there any surprise we hear from Delia’s best Buddy? I’m sure the usual suspects will be along to say she’s doing the best she can, and all the usual guff about Community Club!

In reality, people should cast their minds back to that Summer of 2015 when we got promoted with little old Bournemouth and little old Watford, both who are owned by nasty old foreigners, yet in a matter of 2 and a half years where are the 3 clubs sitting today?

I’m sure all the Watford fans are pining for Elton John to come back and not sell to horrible foreigners so they can once again be a nice little Community Club!

[PurpleCanary 6,103]

[quote user="TIL 1010"]http://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/2017/11/27/nobody-can-claim-our-board-put-prudence-before-ambition-they-took-a-punt-thats-why-we-are-where-we-are/Mick Dennis pops up with an article which is contains many statistics we already knew but in my book slants it towards not being the Boards fault. They were only doing the fans bidding apparently with regard to splashing the cash in a bid to stay up which obviously now can be seen as somewhat reckless and we end up where we are now.[/quote]My lawyers have just sent Dennis a writ for plagiarising my post on the 2017 accounts...

[hogesar 10,261]

Pointless article. No one with any grain of intelligence would claim Delia and Michael are pocketing money from the club, the criticism would be how the money has been spent.

[Nuff Said 5,664]

Journalist who has friendly relationship with NCFC board writes article in favour of actions taken by NCFC board.

Pink Un conspiracy theorists see evidence of dastardly plot.

Nothing to see here, snafu.

[Making Plans 957]

I think it is called getting your retaliation in first.

[coops 0]

The guys a muppet who writes absolute dog turd.

[Mello Yello 2,456]

Fans Bidding?......I thought the only time we had our say as fans was the ''Yellow or Green'' shorts vote all those years ago?.....

[Badger 2,732]

[quote user="hogesar"]Pointless article. No one with any grain of intelligence would claim Delia and Michael are pocketing money from the club, the criticism would be how the money has been spent.[/quote]There was someone on Canary Call the other night!

[Hoola Han Solo 448]

Pointless article. Absolutely no balance to any of his pieces because they’re always Delia/MWJ propaganda pieces. Mick Dennis is a patronising and arrogant bloke that loves the sound of his own voice.

If the owners really did take a punt in the January 2016 window, then why didn’t they invest more in the summer before? That ore-season was a mismanaged to disaster that left us with a squad lacking quality in key areas. Instead they panicked and threw money round like confetti on bang average players (Naismith) that we are still feeling the effects of now. They were making it up as they went, and there’s a real chance we’ll be back to exactly where we were 10 years ago - financially struggling with a poor squad of players. Absolute shambles.

[Guest]

I have always thought that Mick was someone who favoured prudence with ambition so to speak which was surprising as most journalists do like peaks and troughs so that they have different things to write about.

It was no surprise to read it and there will be many who agree with virtually all he has written.

I don''t know if there is a right or wrong way to run the club (splash the cash or keep it sound). I do know I never want the club to be in a perilous financial position again and would take L1 over the Prem if it meant meltdown.

Just like Mick we have the opportunity to comment without facing the stress of making decisions and facing the flak should it go wrong.

But then again, it is only natural that the board will get stick if things go wrong on the pitch let alone financially.

[Horse Renoir 1]

No one outside of the real loonies actually think the club/board have been siphoning money away from the most important aspects of running the team

Fans grievances are

Gambling on obscure managers and clinging onto them for much longer than any other club would

Spending the money poorly

Not having adequate scouting networks/backroom infrastructure set up

Investing heavily in youth but having the academy neglected by our coaching/technical staff

Completely giving up in 2014/last season after sacking the manager too late

Jobs for the boys at boardroom level

Pay for directors that doesn''t reflect their contribution to the club/ability in their role

A refusal to let this club grow and move into the new global era

Putting the interests of the club after that of their family (You could argue purposefully harming it for the benefit of one already extremely privileged young man)

Among other things, I''m sure there''s more.

They''ve got an awful lot right over the years and when you take our finances into account they''ve done a really good job as owners for the vast majority of their tenure. But fans right now have some very valid grievances about how we''ve been run/some decisions and the future direction of the club that''s not related to the club just not spending money and Mick Dennis/The board damn well know that. This condescending, poorly timed drivel just misses the point entirely.

That article reads like it was written by someone living on a different planet. Clearly doesn''t think much of our fanbase at all.

[Lessingham Canary 108]

Sad when they have to use Mick Dennis to prepare propoganda for shareholders prior to the meeting, thought the response to the article from Jeff (below) was bang on point;-Jeff says

27th November 2017 at 10:35 pm

I have to say, I do enjoy it when the Menace proceeds to patronise and it backfires with intent (as is always the case)

Mr Delf, I can only assume by your comment you do have in depth

knowledge of the reality facing a board? Conjecture springs to mind for

both sets of opinions, making one no less valid than the other.

Although, having said that you are most certainly wrong.

Just think it through for a second. I can only assume you are a fan,

so if you owned our splendid club and could no longer afford to maintain

it (hence the recent sales), let alone allow it to progress, what would

you do?

I know exactly what your answer would be, even if the stubborn

element of your brain so dearly wants to decline such linear advances.

My opinion, based on the incredible catchment area and many wonderful

opportunities presented to push our club forward, is that have done

less than a mediocre job. It’s been pretty poor actually, especially

when you think about what we could have had and what we are destined to

have after this testing season.

Even if the club did galvanise, it wouldn’t be a long term solution

as we simply can’t sustain success with luck alone. They have sucked the

life out of the club and supporters and made you somehow believe it’s

all you can hope for. How frightfully sad.

Makes you wonder how clubs like Derby keep up coming up with the cash for transfers, wages, managers and so on ? can only be from investment via the board.

[Rock The Boat 1,332]

It has always been our expensive marquee signings that have failed, RVW, Fer, Naismith. And for a club of our size we can''t afford to waste money on big signings. A massive club can absorb the loss, our big signings have to succeed but they don''t.

Our best player this year is Maddison, bought cheaply. Some of the better players have also been brought in on relatively small fees. Our problem has been the difficulty of persuading quality players to come here and shifting the expensive deadwood.

The only was around this is to develop our own younger players and sign up potential. Back in the late 80s early 90s we had a good development system, albeit spoilt by Chase cashing in the Crown Jewels too early. We need to get back to this and if it takes a season or to to rebalance the squad toward youth, then I can accept waiting for that to happen.

[nutty nigel 7,778]

But then is it just luck that we''ve had 4 recent seasons in the PL and many clubs like Derby haven''t?

[Mello Yello 2,456]

Yeah and such a shame we couldn''t remain there......but hey, that''s Football......So, those who attend the AGM mustn''t forget the past, and throw themselves prostrate in front of the board when they appear on the stage......Because, the NCFC board is worth it!......

[nutty nigel 7,778]

I think most of those who attend the agm, rather like the directionless box gazers on match days, say nothing until they''re safely back home. Or in the car at least....

[pete 343]

It appears Delia et al have got it right mote often than not. They got lucky once in the last dozen years by appointing McNally. McNally appoints Lambert who with Grant Holt gives us the best performances and results since the early 1990''s. But PL riches have now been frittered away again under the reign of Delia. Another two years of mismanagement will see "Debt Free" be long forgotten.

[lappinitup 629]

I like Mick Dennis. As a personal friend of MWJ and Delia he would be well aware of the problems and choices they are faced with before they make any difficult decisions.Unlike the Professors of Hindsight, he will look at the whole picture and balance the RVW''s and Naismiths against the Maddisons and Pritchards, the Johnsons and Redmonds. He will know that clubs newly promoted to the Premier League have to hand out lucrative contracts to attract new, quality players and indeed, keep the best ones we already have, and he will also know the parachute payments are in place for that very reason. Can you imagine being relegated without them? Three clubs going to the wall every season.As a fan of Norwich City Football Club, he will do what fans do, he will support the club through good times and bad, none of this nonsense "I support the team, not the board". Of course he will be biased in his articles because of his friendship with the club''s owners, but it will also be based on facts (according to the book of Purple, chapter 4 verse 22).Keep up the good work Mick. There is always another side.

[TCCANARY 263]

[quote user="pete"]It appears Delia et al have got it right mote often than not. They got lucky once in the last dozen years by appointing McNally. McNally appoints Lambert who with Grant Holt gives us the best performances and results since the early 1990''s. But PL riches have now been frittered away again under the reign of Delia. Another two years of mismanagement will see "Debt Free" be long forgotten.[/quote]Experience should''ve taught us all that when it comes to NCFC predicting he future isn''t easy.Who knows what tomorrow brings?

[Lessingham Canary 108]

@Nutty nigel

But then is it just luck that we''ve had 4 recent seasons in the PL and many clubs like Derby haven''t?I agree, in football terms i wouldnt swap the 4 recent seasons in the PL or the day out at Wembley with Derby. My point is they are a club that is well supported, keep finding cash to invest / reinvest in the squad, managers and so on, they could afford McLaren twice! my belief is they have a better recruitment team in place than most, they will get to the PL again, could be this season by playoffs or 2nd to Wolves. Like us they are owned by a local "businessman" and have strong community links. I would suggest he wont take a punt at anything, his risks will be well calculated and cost of failure will be factored in. Mr Dennis on the otherhand believes Norwich took a punt because thats what the majority of fans wanted ! codswallop, i dont want our owners taking a "punt" i want them to demonstrate that they are working a well argued strategy, are actively looking at ways of bringing funds in (doesnt have to mean losing control), i hope my proxy ask the right questions tomorrow evening ;-)

[Mello Yello 2,456]

I really don''t have any interest whatsoever in attending an AGM, It''s not for me I''m afraid. Thankfully I have many other interests than just NCFC. There are many of the support who also have no interest in attending the AGM - or have no wish to being club stockholders or shareholders.

If there were thousands of interested attendees, the AGM would be akin to the recent ''Take That'' gig or the past Billy Graham event at Carrow Rd. With the hopeful AGM attendees all clamouring to get an AGM seat that would have to be held inside the ground to accommodate them all. So I''m certainly not in a minority. It''s a minority though that attend the AGM (and in reality it''s only a minority of NCFC support who actually contribute to this forum) it''s certainly not the ''majority''.......Anyone here on a waiting list for club shares?

I certainly won''t be dictated to by anyone either, on their opinion how a supporter should support.......

Anyway those in the NCFC supporting minority who are attending the AGM......Enjoy!.......

[Big Vince 390]

[quote user="TIL 1010"]http://norwichcity.myfootballwriter.com/2017/11/27/nobody-can-claim-our-board-put-prudence-before-ambition-they-took-a-punt-thats-why-we-are-where-we-are/Mick Dennis pops up with an article which is contains many statistics we already knew but in my book slants it towards not being the Boards fault. They were only doing the fans bidding apparently with regard to splashing the cash in a bid to stay up which obviously now can be seen as somewhat reckless and we end up where we are now.[/quote]

I can''t be bothered to read the Dennis article and so I am only going on the responses to it on here.

The point is there is a core of 3 board members who have been in situ for 21 years and between them have consistently repeated the same mistakes over the whole period of their tenure.

Two of them are up for re-election tomorrow night.

The problems that have beset NCFC over these 21 years have far more to do with poor decision-making, lack of football nous and lack of real scrutiny over what goes on underneath board level. The Board does not properly hold its employees to account and too many times gives the impression of being in office but not in power.

You could never level that accusation against Mr Chase who was at his post by 7am each morning, ran the club from top to bottom and was duly rewarded by success on the pitch. He also always responded to correspondence immediately. The same cannot be said of the Suffolk Socialists. If you are going to rely on others to do your job for you then you inevitably leave yourself wide open to being let down.

People come here, get on the gravy train, don''t add much value, then leave the club skinter than it was before. Only McNasty added any real value to the club dragging it up from 23rd in League 1 to 11th in the EPL. He earned every penny of his bonuses. The same cannot be said of others on the payroll.

But he couldn''t work any more miracles without significant new money coming into the club. That should have been the time when the Suffolk Socialists stepped aside so that the bigger wallets could get the club to the next level. That is what AFC Bournemouth did. As soon as they got to the EPL a new American benefactor arrived on the scene. The boy Mostyn had the nous to do the right thing at the right time.

By contrast, the Suffolk Socialists take too much time to do the right thing and so the opportunity is lost. They took 18 months to sack Worthy. They took months to sack Hughton and they took months to sack the boy Neil.

So, if the boy Dennis thinks it is ALL about what has been done with money he is wrong.

What is also required is at least half of one football brain cell to rub against another half of one football brain cell.

[Diane 500]

Micks in a no win situation here isn''t he, he''s been asked several times over the past week or so on twitter ''''where''s the money gone '''' so he''s now explained that in great detail. He''s also had to hear fans accusing Delia of taking money out of the club, so has corrected that too, because we know that''s just not true.

Not quite sure what he''s done wrong and no idea why you Lessingham think the board have asked him to write this article, which again just isn''t true.

Looking forward to meeting some of you at the AGM and hearing what you have to say.

[nutty nigel 7,778]

[quote user="Lessingham Canary"]@Nutty nigel

But then is it just luck that we''ve had 4 recent seasons in the PL and many clubs like Derby haven''t?I agree, in football terms i wouldnt swap the 4 recent seasons in the PL or the day out at Wembley with Derby. My point is they are a club that is well supported, keep finding cash to invest / reinvest in the squad, managers and so on, they could afford McLaren twice! my belief is they have a better recruitment team in place than most, they will get to the PL again, could be this season by playoffs or 2nd to Wolves. Like us they are owned by a local "businessman" and have strong community links. I would suggest he wont take a punt at anything, his risks will be well calculated and cost of failure will be factored in. Mr Dennis on the otherhand believes Norwich took a punt because thats what the majority of fans wanted ! codswallop, i dont want our owners taking a "punt" i want them to demonstrate that they are working a well argued strategy, are actively looking at ways of bringing funds in (doesnt have to mean losing control), i hope my proxy ask the right questions tomorrow evening ;-)

[/quote]

I agree Lessingham. Our current problems have not come about through being prudent or taking a punt. They have come about through poor use of our resources. Tonight they will be discussing mistakes of the past. In reality that''s wasted time because these were already discussed and acted upon nearly a year ago. I hope there''s more discussion about the club moving forwards. It''s difficult to hold a long term view when current form is so short term. It''s just pot luck which run of form the AGM falls in. Anyway, I shall enjoy being among City fans. I always do.

As for Mick Dennis. I doubt he was used for any propaganda purposes. He writes what he writes. The reaction on here rather goes to show that what he writes is like a red rag to a bull rather than pouring oil on troubled waters.

I''m sure you''ve chosen well and your proxy will represent you perfectly ;-)

[City 2nd 192]

hogesar wrote the following post at 2017-11-28 3:06 PM:

Pointless article......... the criticism would be how the money has been spent.

And on keeping failing managers, who they allowed to spend that money, far far too long!

[City 2nd 192]

nutty nigel wrote the following post at 2017-11-28 5:58 PM:

But then is it just luck that we''ve had 4 recent seasons in the PL and many clubs like Derby haven''t?

Flippin’ eck NN you sound like that lot from down the road who always harp on about past success. It’s the here and now that matters, and that doesn’t look good at all! Yes, luck does come into it, and just maybe Lady Luck has pulled our plug as well.