Connor Southwell et al

[Parma Ham's gone mouldy 2,268]

‘We let the managers manage’

Parma 

[Deptford Yellow 268]

I’m no ‘Delia-Outer’ but I thought she came over as jaded and defensive … I thought that raising Connor’s relative youth was a low trick to put him on the back foot. I thought his questions very valid - and if less  laser focussed than some alternatives suggested here then that was politely giving them some room for manoeuvre …Simply not answering his questions was singularly unimpressive …. If she’s fallen out of love with the club then she should leave as soon as possible while we can still hold onto some of the warm feelings……

[Capt. Pants 4,353]

30 minutes ago, Cowboy said:

Yes, the body language speaks volumes throughout that interview. How long can they all work together for? Is Attanasio holding back and waffling out of embarrassment for them, or is he really that vague?

I think he's removing himself from the question so that Delia can dig herself in even more if a hole. It was an impulsive move and it's very difficult to hide feelings from body language.

Clearly Smith didn't want that question at that time in front of Attanasio no matter how it was worded and I think that's what riled her up so much.

It's a shame really as even in the circumstances it has overshadowed what was a more positive AGM than anticipated. Smith isn't media trained but nonetheless an OMG moment, and amusing. 

 

[Michael Starr 529]

Ironic Delia showing Ageism towards Connor. Doesn't matter how young or old he is, the question (however poorly executed it was) was a genuine public interest question to probe with and they came back with "You have no idea" then mocked his age.

Edited December 11, 2023 by Michael Starr

[Midlands Yellow 4,160]

7 hours ago, Naturalcynic said:

Governance: framework of authority and accountability.  Given that there were two cosy couples in charge of authority and accountability, it seems fairly clear to me what he was asking and why he was asking it. Your attempt at defending the Board by attacking the journalist who had the temerity to ask the question really does you no credit.

You are not allowed to criticise our dear leader. Unless questions are scripted don’t ask them. 

[Pyro Pete 1,989]

1 hour ago, Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB said:

For what it is worth I think he was alluding to the fact that we had a Director of Football who effectively had his wife as his boss. I do not buy into the idea that Stuart got away with decisions because Zoe is his wife as I believe that the Board allowed him to get on with his job. Where I think the response from Delia fell down is although quite rightly highlighting how hard Stuart worked and the positive aspects of his time with us (even if Colney Lane is the facility it now is off the back of investment from supporters via the bond), she said she did not know where things have gone wrong. I would suggest her 28 years of experience should tell her she only has to look at what is now happening on the pitch to see where things have gone wrong and that is a direct result of Stuart Webbers player acquisition strategy. I would also suggest that sitting at football matches and being a Leeds fan I doubt there is very little, if any, Stuart Webber has heard over the years, basically he failed to heed his own mantra of being the bigger man and ignoring the noise. Not only did he react badly to the protestors which you could put down to a heat of the moment, he decided, after having had time to put his professional head back on to attack supporters publicly with his "divorcees in the Snakepit" comment. Attacking supporters is always a big mistake, unfortunately despite her 28 years of experience in football Delia appears to be making the same mistake, she clearly adored/adores Stuart Webber and seems resentful that he has left and that appears to have fulled the "20% wingers" remark. What I find odd about this is she seems to fail to understand that the majority of the crowd at Carrow Rd are season n ticket holders, I would guess a lot of them have been season ticket holders for a long time, as far as away supporters are concerned they are beyond criticism in my book, even if 20% of them are wingers, anybody who is prepared to travel long distances to watch us at the moment should be lauded, not slated...............

Paragraphs are your friend.

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,053]

56 minutes ago, Pyro Pete said:

Paragraphs are your friend.

Thank you for your input, it is very much welcome.....................

[S_81 929]

2 hours ago, Cowboy said:

Yes, the body language speaks volumes throughout that interview. How long can they all work together for? Is Attanasio holding back and waffling out of embarrassment for them, or is he really that vague?

If he hears her saying such flippant things toward the fan base in the future I’d like to think he’d question how long this transition will take and whether he should force the matter a bit more 

Edited December 11, 2023 by S_81

[Peregrine Shorts 360]

poor old Attanasio was probably surprised to see alcohol in what is basically the workplace, he probably thought that an AGM was a serious occasion and not a social p*ss up

[S_81 929]

2 hours ago, Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB said:

For what it is worth I think he was alluding to the fact that we had a Director of Football who effectively had his wife as his boss. I do not buy into the idea that Stuart got away with decisions because Zoe is his wife as I believe that the Board allowed him to get on with his job.

Where I think the response from Delia fell down is although quite rightly highlighting how hard Stuart worked and the positive aspects of his time with us (even if Colney Lane is the facility it now is off the back of investment from supporters via the bond), she said she did not know where things have gone wrong. I would suggest her 28 years of experience should tell her she only has to look at what is now happening on the pitch to see where things have gone wrong and that is a direct result of Stuart Webbers player acquisition strategy.

I would also suggest that sitting at football matches and being a Leeds fan I doubt there is very little, if any, bad language Stuart Webber has not heard over the years, basically he failed to heed his own mantra of being the bigger man and ignoring the noise.

Not only did he react badly to the protestors which you could put down to a heat of the moment thing , he decided, after having had time to put his professional head back on to attack supporters publicly with his "divorcees in the Snakepit" comment.

Attacking supporters is always a big mistake, unfortunately despite her 28 years of experience in football Delia appears to be making the same mistake, she clearly adored/adores Stuart Webber and seems resentful that he has left and that appears to have fulled the "20% wingers" remark.

What I find odd about this is she seems to fail to understand that the majority of the crowd at Carrow Rd are season ticket holders, I would guess a lot of them have been season ticket holders for a long time, as far as away supporters are concerned they are beyond criticism in my book, even if 20% of them are wingers, anybody who is prepared to travel long distances to watch us at the moment should be lauded, not slated...............

Very well said. 
 

Her loyalty and love of Webber left him in post for too long, and with not enough scrutiny. That much is evident. I can tell her right now where it went wrong.  At the very least, if he was to remain in that post for as long as he did, new blood to challenge him regarding transfer dealings was needed. Other elements of his role he was clearly better at. Albeit not PR. 

[canarybubbles 1,982]

2 hours ago, Deptford Yellow said:

I’m no ‘Delia-Outer’ but I thought she came over as jaded and defensive … I thought that raising Connor’s relative youth was a low trick to put him on the back foot. I thought his questions very valid - and if less  laser focussed than some alternatives suggested here then that was politely giving them some room for manoeuvre …Simply not answering his questions was singularly unimpressive …. If she’s fallen out of love with the club then she should leave as soon as possible while we can still hold onto some of the warm feelings……

I don't know if she's fallen out of love with the club, but she is like a besotted schoolgirl over Stuart Webber. For all that she sneered at his tender age, Southwell came across as extremely adult and professional in comparison.

Edited December 11, 2023 by canarybubbles

[The Raptor 1,280]

8 hours ago, S_81 said:

Mark actually moves away from her in his chair when she says the word whingers. 

It's all going as he planned. Distance himself from the comments. Leave her to alienate large sections of the fan base and get the club on the cheap when it gets as nasty as the chase days. Which it will.

[S_81 929]

20 minutes ago, The Raptor said:

It's all going as he planned. Distance himself from the comments. Leave her to alienate large sections of the fan base and get the club on the cheap when it gets as nasty as the chase days. Which it will.

Or indeed watch her devalue it further with her loyalty to poor performing managers for too long. 

[BigFish 1,999]

6 hours ago, shefcanary said:

In a nutshell, what Connor should have more explicitly asked was "who represented the 30% of shareholders with no representation at Board level under the former Smith & Jones plus Foulger structure? Also, given that one of the Board members was a connected person of one of the most important employees of the club, who on the Board truly had the "football industry experience, skill and competence" to ensure that person was being appropriately challenged."

He could then have followed up with a question to Attanasio on how he expected things to change during the remainder of his 3 year working agreement. But that would have really been provocative, made Delia even more angry whilst it would have been almost impossible for Attanasio to answer without criticising Smith & Jones even further.    

But, although he didn't get the question across well, it got the sort of reaction that completely justified the subject being brought up, sealing I think an acceleration of change at the club.

Without such a question being posed, the real failures of the past board structure would still have been conjecture. Everyone now has the evidence of how things were managed at Board level now, and it doesn't paint a pretty picture and underlines why the club has failed to take the biggest opportunities on offer to it.

When Connor asked the question I thought he had been reading your posts @shefcanary and your questions are certainly better. The question was the question of a fan rather than a journalist, which is why when asked to back up his initial question, sadly he couldn't back it up. That was his big mistake and he will learn.

Many of the responses on this thread are similar, in that they are just an excuse to exercise firmly held (negative) beliefs. Truth is the club isn't managed particularly badly as a business, although improvements could be made. The sporting side had made massive ****-ups but that is different. It is also why we are where we are.

I expect that MA will take the club private. When he does we won't even know what the actual governance structure is and may look back at this as the halcyon days of openness.

 

[Ernie Wise 73]

As I posted recently, at the end of the Swansea 3-0 home defeat at the end of last season I had the AUDACITY to say to her who must be obeyed, ‘that was shambolic’. At the next and final home game against Blackpool I was stopped by a high vis and camera wearing security/ steward who asked me to give my name and photographed my season ticket. He then said there had been previous but unspecified incidents involving me and threatened that I would be excluded from Carrow Road if there were any more incidents.

 I suppose I am one of the 20%, because I cared about the club. I am 68 years old, attended Carrow Road for almost 60 years, attended almost every away game up to May for 48 years, shareholder for more than 40 years, 10 years on the SCG, 

I obviously didn’t care about the club. 
When I approached the club about the‘incidents’  I was at first ignored then basically fobbed off.

As far as I’m concerned they have along with the growing dominance of money (some from rotten regimes) taken away the love I’ve had for the club. I have travelled the length and breadth of the country and Europe supporting MY club….but no more.☹️☹️

[Kenny Foggo 1,122]

20 minutes ago, Ernie Wise said:

As I posted recently, at the end of the Swansea 3-0 home defeat at the end of last season I had the AUDACITY to say to her who must be obeyed, ‘that was shambolic’. At the next and final home game against Blackpool I was stopped by a high vis and camera wearing security/ steward who asked me to give my name and photographed my season ticket. He then said there had been previous but unspecified incidents involving me and threatened that I would be excluded from Carrow Road if there were any more incidents.

 I suppose I am one of the 20%, because I cared about the club. I am 68 years old, attended Carrow Road for almost 60 years, attended almost every away game up to May for 48 years, shareholder for more than 40 years, 10 years on the SCG, 

I obviously didn’t care about the club. 
When I approached the club about the‘incidents’  I was at first ignored then basically fobbed off.

As far as I’m concerned they have along with the growing dominance of money (some from rotten regimes) taken away the love I’ve had for the club. I have travelled the length and breadth of the country and Europe supporting MY club….but no more.☹️☹️

The day she gives up control won't be a day too soon...  

I know of others that have had "problems" just for expressing opinions.

[Duncan Edwards 2,277]

27 minutes ago, Ernie Wise said:

As I posted recently, at the end of the Swansea 3-0 home defeat at the end of last season I had the AUDACITY to say to her who must be obeyed, ‘that was shambolic’. At the next and final home game against Blackpool I was stopped by a high vis and camera wearing security/ steward who asked me to give my name and photographed my season ticket. He then said there had been previous but unspecified incidents involving me and threatened that I would be excluded from Carrow Road if there were any more incidents.

 I suppose I am one of the 20%, because I cared about the club. I am 68 years old, attended Carrow Road for almost 60 years, attended almost every away game up to May for 48 years, shareholder for more than 40 years, 10 years on the SCG, 

I obviously didn’t care about the club. 
When I approached the club about the‘incidents’  I was at first ignored then basically fobbed off.

As far as I’m concerned they have along with the growing dominance of money (some from rotten regimes) taken away the love I’ve had for the club. I have travelled the length and breadth of the country and Europe supporting MY club….but no more.☹️☹️

Binner

[CardiffCanary 134]

33 minutes ago, Ernie Wise said:

As I posted recently, at the end of the Swansea 3-0 home defeat at the end of last season I had the AUDACITY to say to her who must be obeyed, ‘that was shambolic’. At the next and final home game against Blackpool I was stopped by a high vis and camera wearing security/ steward who asked me to give my name and photographed my season ticket. He then said there had been previous but unspecified incidents involving me and threatened that I would be excluded from Carrow Road if there were any more incidents.

 I suppose I am one of the 20%, because I cared about the club. I am 68 years old, attended Carrow Road for almost 60 years, attended almost every away game up to May for 48 years, shareholder for more than 40 years, 10 years on the SCG, 

I obviously didn’t care about the club. 
When I approached the club about the‘incidents’  I was at first ignored then basically fobbed off.

As far as I’m concerned they have along with the growing dominance of money (some from rotten regimes) taken away the love I’ve had for the club. I have travelled the length and breadth of the country and Europe supporting MY club….but no more.☹️☹️

That is very big brother !!! Like a dictatorship 

[The Real Buh 3,498]

34 minutes ago, Ernie Wise said:

As I posted recently, at the end of the Swansea 3-0 home defeat at the end of last season I had the AUDACITY to say to her who must be obeyed, ‘that was shambolic’. At the next and final home game against Blackpool I was stopped by a high vis and camera wearing security/ steward who asked me to give my name and photographed my season ticket. He then said there had been previous but unspecified incidents involving me and threatened that I would be excluded from Carrow Road if there were any more incidents.

 I suppose I am one of the 20%, because I cared about the club. I am 68 years old, attended Carrow Road for almost 60 years, attended almost every away game up to May for 48 years, shareholder for more than 40 years, 10 years on the SCG, 

I obviously didn’t care about the club. 
When I approached the club about the‘incidents’  I was at first ignored then basically fobbed off.

As far as I’m concerned they have along with the growing dominance of money (some from rotten regimes) taken away the love I’ve had for the club. I have travelled the length and breadth of the country and Europe supporting MY club….but no more.☹️☹️

She’s lost it, she’s a weirdo. I’d see if you can get a photo of the steward as well or maybe get an official explanation from the club?

[howzer14 5]

Everyone from shareholders to employees to the public should be able to understand what good corporate governance is. It helps businesses restore confidence. Given that nobody is actually able to answer how the club is actually governed (We have no chairman, no chief executive or managing director). I'd say it was a wholly legitimate question to answer and the fact a majority shareholder is unable to answer is worrying. 

 

[Ernie Wise 73]

8 minutes ago, The Real Buh said:

She’s lost it, she’s a weirdo. I’d see if you can get a photo of the steward as well or maybe get an official explanation from the club?

Believe me I tried!

 I wrote a letter to the club- no reply…

another club employee, who I know found the letter and I finally got a 6 line acknowledgment that they had received the letter.

A couple of weeks later i sent another letter asking for a proper response- no reply…

I then registered a complaint via the website, to be told the issue had been closed.

Not sure what else I can do- write to the press?

[The Real Buh 3,498]

4 minutes ago, Ernie Wise said:

Believe me I tried!

 I wrote a letter to the club- no reply…

another club employee, who I know found the letter and I finally got a 6 line acknowledgment that they had received the letter.

A couple of weeks later i sent another letter asking for a proper response- no reply…

I then registered a complaint via the website, to be told the issue had been closed.

Not sure what else I can do- write to the press?

That is pretty nuts. There has been a bit of a police state fee to the ground these days. Just a load of failure bouncers rifling through old ladies purses.

The 80% love it of course, often dropping their trousers without request.

[Ernie Wise 73]

4 minutes ago, The Real Buh said:

That is pretty nuts. There has been a bit of a police state fee to the ground these days. Just a load of failure bouncers rifling through old ladies purses.

The 80% love it of course, often dropping their trousers without request.

👍😂

[Corbs1 92]

A journo asked Ryan Lowe a question on sat, and his answer was basically we have “good bad and mediocre times”. I liked this answer, and at times I wish Conner would take this on board with us. Currently we are in the latter, it’s is acceptable to have a barren patch. Otherwise I’m ok with Conner, although his reports are a tad long. 

[Mello Yello 2,320]

Conner has written a piece concerning empty seats at Carra....It's on the Pink un website thingy.....

[The Real Buh 3,498]

4 minutes ago, Mello Yello said:

Conner has written a piece concerning empty seats at Carra....It's on the Pink un website thingy.....

The 80% don’t see those empty seats

[nutty nigel 7,711]

1 hour ago, Duncan Edwards said:

Binner

Simon says -

more like Alan Devonshire than a binner.

@Ernie Wise Did Delia set the dogs on you? 

[ricardo 7,456]

20 minutes ago, Mello Yello said:

Conner has written a piece concerning empty seats at Carra....It's on the Pink un website thingy.....

Empty seats can't boo.

[Ernie Wise 73]

14 minutes ago, nutty nigel said:

Simon says -

more like Alan Devonshire than a binner.

@Ernie Wise Did Delia set the dogs on you? 

Inspector Ed is on the ball, me thinks!!

[Ulfotto 673]

28 minutes ago, Mello Yello said:

Conner has written a piece concerning empty seats at Carra....It's on the Pink un website thingy.....

I think Connor like many fans has only really known the Lambert era onwards. It has been a surreal ride since Lambert took over where we most been promoted or relegated every season and that sort of excitement is almost guaranteed. The spell post 94- Lambert was pretty attritional at best save for the Worthington era where let’s be honest the football was pretty ordinary.