Come Delia.......Let's be 'avin ya........

[Big Jim 0]

[quote user="Say Hello To The Angels"]

A common problem with football fans is ''Short memory syndrome'' basically some football fans are unable to remember any further back than the last season. The consequence of this is that they attack the board for the teams short term failings unable to see the bigger picture i.e past/future sucess and the general stability of our club.

 

[/quote]

Is this the same "short memory syndrome" which makes a large proportion of City supporters praise the board for their "ambition" in signing Crouch, Huckerby and Ashton, when the transfer fees were largely payed for by the fans in share issues and the non-redemption of the B preference shares? But then the board dont mention that any more do they? Hmmmm,i wonder why? Good stuff Mystic Megson and Cluckin,please keep it up....it will sink in eventually.....!

[In Dubious Battle 0]

We are 20 million+ in debt how do you expect the board to spend big on players when this is the case? Where can the money come from if you''ve got any suggestions i''m sure the board would love to hear from you. I would rather see ncfc run responsibly as it is than see us spending big on players with no guarentee of success only to end up going into administration and ending up in league 1. There are dozens of examples of why it''s not a good idea to spend money you don''t have on players you can''t afford Leeds United for example. Peter crouch was loaned and payed for before any share issues and with huckerby and ashton there was also a significant investment by delia & the club. 

[blahblahblah 2]

[quote].............but, I still think the board should pull their bloody pudgy fingers out![/quote]

And yet, when there''s a chance for you to raise your concerns to the board in person and get some answers (NCISA meeting), you prefer to take care of Lucky, your dog that has been dead for 3 weeks. I hope the fireworks don''t upset the poor lamb too much this weekend.  I didn''t go either, but then I''m happy to accept the status quo, and had to feed my upside down fish.

As always Mello, I admire your humour and style.  But I hear a lot of anger about restyrunts and the scary squary windowed hotel, and not many alternatives.  So until anyone else has any bright ideas of how to fund the club in the absence of TV revenue - restyrunts, hotels, and large tracts of pauper-ty development it is ?

[whoareyou? 0]

FACT:Banks and financial institutions will no longer lend money to football clubs to spend on new players.

So you have to generate the money yourself either by taking it out of your own personal bank account or making a profit from another source of income!

Strange how some people who wanted Worthington out have now turned on the board once he has gone!

The board have made some fundamental mistakes in the last few years but I still believe they have the future of the club at heart!

I also get brassed off with the spin that comes out of the boardroom too but that is as much the fault of the gullible media as it is those who churn it out!

[GMF 744]

[quote user="mystic megson"]

Gazza, there''s another stage at the beginning of the whole process.  BEFORE the club approaches the club and/or agent and goes through the negotiating process you describe, the manager identifies the player as a potential target.  This will probably involve asking his club''s permission, speaking to him and his agent and ascertaining whether he would like to come if the terms are right. Once he has done that, it''s out of his hands. 

The manager does NOT agree the fee. When the club says he "has" a budget, it does not mean that they hand it over to him.  It just means he knows how much there is.

You don''t need to defend the board on this point. They have said themselves on more than one occasion that a transfer has broken down at the negotiating stage.  No doubt it happens at most clubs from time to time and is not necessarily a failure on the part of the board.  All I''m trying to say is that if transfer negotiations do break down, it''s the board''s responsibility and not the manager''s.

I agree that the budget issue warrants a separate thread.  My concerns are not so much about the Prem season as the season after.  Why were we a selling club last summer despite making over £7m net profit from the Prem season, why didn''t we use the parachute money to strengthen the team, and why did we end up with the joint smallest squad in the Championship?*  Why, in short, did we not budget for a realistic promotion challenge? 

* Jointly with Leeds as it happens, who appear to have the same disease as we do - a couple of quality players disguising the fact that the squad is wafer-thin.

 

[/quote]

Point taken Mystic Megson, managers clearly talk to each other (and agents) all the time about the possibility of doing deals with certain players, so a hell of a lot happens before the "Clubs agree a fee" stage. However, the manager is likely to know the "ball park" transfer fee figure too and will have a good idea whether a deal is actually possible?

The only issue I have is with your comment that it''s the Board''s fault if a deal subsequently fails. In some cases, you are probably right, but you have to remember that there is nothing to stop the other club using our bid to secure a better offer from another club. Also, the players agent may still be seeking a better deal for his player elsewhere, David Cotterill going to Wigan being a case in point. The third point is that a player can simply change his mind too.

It''s not really a case that I''m defending the Board here, just pointing out that for a deal to happen, both clubs, plus the agent and the player need to want it to happen. If a deal fails, failure can often be with one or more party.

Picking up on your selling point, again this wasn''t always down to the Board. The likes of Helveg, Jonson and Francis clearly didn''t want to play in the Championship and it was clearly a case of getting the best price in each case and moving on. However, you are totally right, last season''s purchases were, generally, rubbish and I consider the Premiership legacy has been wasted on overpaid and under preforming players.

[Fat Barman 0]

Just to chip in to the conversation - whilst some players obviously wanted out of the Championship, Jonsson clearly stated his desire to stay and show the fans what he was capable of. The reason he was encouraged to leave (wage bill?) was never published, nor was the whole Edworthy departure (although that topic has been done to death on these boards over the last season and a half!).This could be used as an argument either for, or against, the Board, depending on who you think decided that these players should be shoved out/not persuaded to stay. For my money, I think it more likely it came down to a finance decision, not one based on what was best for the squad.

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

So, judging by our current league position and finances how much of a gamble would it have been to have spent the Ashton transfer fee at the start of the season and got a striker in then?

Norwich originally dropped out of the Premier league at about the worst possible time and having got back there failed to capitalise having not been a million miles short of doing so. Unfortunately it was prudence with ambition and not ambition with prudence.

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

Blah x 3. If you put as much effort into questioning your Club as you do in questioning posters on here you might have more credibility.

You are the Neil Adams of the Message Board: constantly presenting an opposing view but not pushing that view too strongly.

Clearly, you are an NCFC employee, on this Board for the purpose of influencing and neutering discussion, it is so transparent it could hardly be otherwise.

[canary cherub 1]

Thanks Gazza.

Just to clarify, there''s a difference in meaning between "responsibility" and "fault".  I never said that every time a transfer falls through it''s the board''s fault, in fact just the opposite.  It does seem to have happened rather too often imo, but that''s another story.  It is their "area of responsibility" however, not the manager''s (whoever he happens to be).

The point about selling is this: if you sell players for £2.3m and buy players for £788,000, what can you expect?  It''s the Chase era all over again.  We sold Chris Sutton for £5m and bought . . . Ashley Ward (or was it Mike Sheron?).  We sold Ruel Fox for £2.5m and bought . . . Neil Adams.  We also sold Robins and Ekoku and did not replace like with like.  No disrespect to Ward, Adams and Sheron but they''re not in the same league.  And nor were we by the end of that season . . .

While we''re on the subject, who thinks we nearly went bust in 1996 because we spent too much on players?  We didn''t.  We spent too much on infrastructure and amassed huge debts that we couldn''t pay off unless we stayed in the top flight.  Chase took a gamble on selling all those players to reduce the debt and still avoiding relegation, and he lost.  If he''d sold two and kept two it would probably have worked, but he didn''t know when to stop.

Our current level of debt is similarly the result of borrowing too much to spend on infrastructure.  It drains nearly £2 million a year of our limited income on interest payments.  Like Chase, they simply don''t know when to stop, and now they''re going to "reward" the fans who pack out the stadium every week by . . . spending more on players? or borrowing another £10 million to enlarge the City Stand?

[Cluck 0]

Mystic......that is a very telling post and I take my hat off to you.

I pray that others may now remove their blinkers and begin to see what really is going on at Carrow Road.....plus it''s relation to history.

We''ve been here before....but back then we had some family silver to sell. Not this time though...............

[GMF 744]

Thanks Mystic. I don''t dispute there''s a difference between "responsibility" and "fault", although, looking at some of the other replies on this thread, I think the meaning has been confused by some.

Don''t get me started on Chase. Some of the past purchases were truely shocking, although, let''s not forget, the vast majority of transfers in those days involved a fee and many clubs operated on the basis that expenditure exceeded turnover on the understanding that one big sale every so often would balance the books. We were no different to the majority of clubs at the time.

The game has moved on since, thank god, but I still think Worthy acquired too many players and went for quantity, rather than quality on too many occasions.

I seem to recall we had the record at one point for most £1M plus sales and Jon Newsome remainded our record buy, at £1M, until we purchased Dean Ashton.

The South Stand had to be replaced at sometime, otherwise we''d of had a ground with a capacity of less than 16,000. I suppose that begs a further question of whether we should continue with the existing capacity or not. My own view is that we should wait until we''ve managed to have 2/3 seasons in the Premiership and, at the moment, all funds should be directed towards the playing side.

  

[Mello Yello 2,294]

[quote user="blahblahblah"]

[quote].............but, I still think the board should pull their bloody pudgy fingers out![/quote]

And yet, when there''s a chance for you to raise your concerns to the board in person and get some answers (NCISA meeting), you prefer to take care of Lucky, your dog that has been dead for 3 weeks. I hope the fireworks don''t upset the poor lamb too much this weekend.  I didn''t go either, but then I''m happy to accept the status quo, and had to feed my upside down fish.

As always Mello, I admire your humour and style.  But I hear a lot of anger about restyrunts and the scary squary windowed hotel, and not many alternatives.  So until anyone else has any bright ideas of how to fund the club in the absence of TV revenue - restyrunts, hotels, and large tracts of pauper-ty development it is ?

[/quote]

Lucky isn''t dead..........he''s actually in cryogenic suspension. (He''th alstho, goth a ''thaw'' paw).

I don''t bother to attend any ''get togethers,'' staged AGM''s, NCISA meetings, protests or punch ups. Like the ''Quo,'' they''re so seventies! I also much prefer to ''bleat'' on this forum. I''m not ''angry'' - just frustrated, at the current situation we find ourselves in.

Put the ground and surrounding development on the back-burner, strengthen the squad and, appoint someone who''s not only in possession of a  good business acumen - but also knows the game of footy onto the NCFC ''oh so comfy board''. Who, then hopefully - will give it a good kick up the hearse........

Who on the board, has actually a teeny weeny understanding of football eh?

Dave Stringy thingy, was brought in to assist with the ''anointment'' of ''Gorbals Grant'' by Delia and her Dour and Diminutive Disciple''s......Now, wouldn''t it be ''wunnerful'' if someone with his capacity of experience, coupled with a sound business brain - was allowed to encroach into the closed clique of Carrow Road.

I appreciate the contribution to the Carrow coffers by our ''savoury'' ''Delia or no deals'' and her Hubby Mikey.......Although, without the intervention of Mr Watling (who was the true saviour of this club), it wouldn''t have materialised.

We shouldn''t just have to rely on restyrunts, hotel executive relief and corporate thingummy stuff. What about the annual religious get togethers in the stadium during the close-season...Jehovah''s etc? There must be a fee for that.More concerts to be staged, rock, pop and classic gigs. England U21 Internationals etc. The hotel would be packed with fans of footy and various musical tastes - who attend a game/gig then don''t have to travel till the next day. 

They''ve been at the helm for 10 years now, and I feel it is time for a re-shuffle of Directors - as they have become somewhat stale. ;~)

Football first, not food!

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

Your next post will be Grand Mello.

[HappyhammerAndy 0]

And to make it even worse, all the supporters of premiership clubs are wettin themselves about, Lets be avin you, Delia and Norwich Football Club

Andy 

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

Not wettin'' themselves about West ham though, are they?

''like my dreams they fade and die.''

[First Wizard 0]

Delia sacked Mike Walker when the side was starting to gel!.

She wanted Hamilton to stay on, she appointed Worthless and now an untried Grant. Viewed like that, in simple terms, shows the woman to be inept, clueless and a liabilty for our club.

With her in charge this club will go nowhere, she didn''t save this club, Mr Watling did!.

Until fans wake up and grasp these facts, nothing will change.

Enjoy your myths!.

[canary cherub 1]

[quote user="Rudolph Hucker"]Not wettin'' themselves about West ham though, are they? ''like my dreams they fade and die.''[/quote]

I thought they''d replaced "Bubbles" with "Don''t cry for me Argentina . . ."

[GMF 744]

More like, until someone comes along to buy out her shares in the Club, nothing will change.

[GMF 744]

[quote user="1st Wizard"]

Delia sacked Mike Walker when the side was starting to gel!.

She wanted Hamilton to stay on, she appointed Worthless and now an untried Grant. Viewed like that, in simple terms, shows the woman to be inept, clueless and a liabilty for our club.

With her in charge this club will go nowhere, she didn''t save this club, Mr Watling did!.

Until fans wake up and grasp these facts, nothing will change.

Enjoy your myths!.

[/quote]

So what''s your answer to our problem then 1st Wiz?

[Cluck 0]

[quote user="1st Wizard"]

Delia sacked Mike Walker when the side was starting to gel!.

She wanted Hamilton to stay on, she appointed Worthless and now an untried Grant. Viewed like that, in simple terms, shows the woman to be inept, clueless and a liabilty for our club.

With her in charge this club will go nowhere, she didn''t save this club, Mr Watling did!.

Until fans wake up and grasp these facts, nothing will change.

Enjoy your myths!.

[/quote]

These wise words from someone often dismissed as being reactionary and a little potty?.................

Makes brilliant sense to me Wizard.....Time supporters of this once ambitious club sat up and took notice. The bigger picture is where the problem lies....not simply the positions our donkeys play in on matchdays.

[HappyhammerAndy 0]

We''re just waiting for Ashton to get fit, remember him?

Ashton and Tevez upfront! £35m of talent between them. Thats enough to buy Carrow Rd isn''t it?

Thanks for your concern. Bubbles are not fading in the East End, just waiting to see whether the takeover will be for £75m or £100m? 

See your attendances are slowly dropping. See how many you have next season in division 1?

Written before we get thrashed against Arsenal tomorrow!

Andy

[blahblahblah 2]

[quote]

Written before we get thrashed against Arsenal tomorrow!

[/quote]

You could get thrashed by Arsenal tomorrow and still draw 0-0. [:S]

[The Fish Seller 0]

Two years ago, early days of Peter Grants managerial spell.Can you guess where we''re going with this?

[. 0]

[quote user="The Prisoner"]Two years ago, early days of Peter Grants managerial spell.

Can you guess where we''re going with this?
[/quote]

It''s tough having such vision....but at least I''m decent enough to share it all with you......

[Erik the Viking 0]

BUMP, two years old and more relavent as each day ticks on!

[Smudger 0]

[quote user="Neil Cluckcaster"]

[quote user="The Prisoner"]Two years ago, early days of Peter Grants managerial spell.

Can you guess where we''re going with this?
[/quote]

It''s tough having such vision....but at least I''m decent enough to share it all with you......

[/quote]

and they have wondered why we have laughed at them over the years hey Cluck???

Blimey oh riley... if you didn''t laugh... then all you could do is cry... [:D] [:''(]