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Let's take a closer look at this board of directors...

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The single biggest problem we face today is a board of directors who seem to have no will to fight for the club. They won’t stand up to Glenn Roeder and he won’t willingly walk. I’m sure he would have his bags packed and the engine running if there was a way he could pick up his outstanding wages on his way out of the door – but that won’t happen. In all honesty why should he. He clearly is very thick skinned and, when backed into a corner, simply refers the listener back to his, admittedly distressing, illness of some years ago.

The board comprises:

Neil Doncaster – desperately seeking a quick exit to the Football Association before his reputation goes down with the sinking ship.

Roger Munby – Dithering apologist for the others. A Chairman is supposed to be a strong leader….this one seems to be front man for two majority shareholders who don’t want the job. Still his other businesses are hardly ripping up trees so he might as well cling on to this job.

Michael Foulger – who? Doesn’t say much does he? Runs Banham Poultry. Bought one of their chickens lately? Maybe he’s a bit preoccupied!

Delia Smith and Delia Smith’s husband – Can’t wait to get out. From a position where they were lording it in The Premiership and playing the “little ol’ Norwich” card they have passed through a stage of only wanting to sell to a special Norfolk person to hawking the company round the Middle East via Orville the Duck and the bloke with his hand up his a**e.

…….and that’s it! That’s the crew running the ship. None of them, except the quiet one, with any proper commercial experience of running a large, complex organisation let alone a football club. Fine when everything is going well but as soon as major decisions have to be made that require a knowledge of football they consistently dither, ask around for advice and then proceed to take the line of least resistance followed by the cheapest option.

Anyone with an ounce of football knowledge would have taken one look at Glenn Roeder’s track record and seen that he is a short term solution at best. He may have saved us from relegation last year but should have been seen as a man to do just that, no more. To allow him a second season and huge amounts of money to experiment with a short term loan policy to ingratiate himself to his Premiership associates was probably an even worse call by the board than appointing Bryan Hamilton or Peter Grant – but it was par for the course. Would Robert Chase have allowed such a thing to happen? Would Geoffrey Watling or even Sir Arthur South? Of course not, because they each had a much better knowledge of the game of football and at least some business sense. They would have been encouraging "shopping" inthe lower leagues but this seems to be beneath the dignity of our manager who refuses to accept that, with a bit of effort, some real diamonds are waiting to be uncovered.

That, I believe, is the issue so what might be the solution. Well, Administration before the “nine games to go rule” seems to be becoming more and more attractive. It should get rid of the current directors and allow people with at least a basic grounding in the ways of running a football club and a commercial business to step forward and run the club as a sensible operation with or own home-grown talent combined with some good, lower league prospects who might earn us a good sell on fee in years to come. There remains one small, niggling problem - look what happened to Woolworths when no one could see how to make them generate a profit.....

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Excellent post.

Administration would almost certainly send us into League 1, but the way things are we''re going there anyway and without new blood in the boardroom there simply isn''t the desire or the knowhow to get us out (not at the right end anyway). 

I''m not sure that relegation by itself would bring about administration, since the club has almost been scaled down to League 1 level already, certainly in terms of permanent squad members.  Inability to pay our debts might do it, and we still don''t know whether the £2.5m LSE loan has been rolled over.

If the price was right I have a feeling there are enough committed people out there to take the club on.  We''re not like Woolworths in that the primary purpose of a football club is not to generate a profit.

Administration is not without its drawbacks but it''s starting to look like the least worst option.  BRING IT ON!

 

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Hopefully if we did go into Administration it would be in this season, not when we''re down in league 1 next season.

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[quote user="Big Bob"]Hopefully if we did go into Administration it would be in this season, not when we''re down in league 1 next season.[/quote]

Yes quite.  SNAP''s reference to "nine games to go" I think means that''s the deadline for a points deduction this season, otherwise it gets carried over.  It''s designed to stop clubs waiting till they''re relegated anyway before going into admin.  I think Leeds tried that a few years ago and ended up with a second points deduction.

 

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I know most would see it as bad, dropping into league 1, with a new manager and a new board with some money, might be a step in the right direction. Ship out all the deadwood, and get some players in that have passion, and actually want to play for the club. We might actually win more games than we lose, by dropping down, a forgotten feeling amongst us all

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Good post, but a couple of points:

We do not know that D and M "Can`t wait to get out"- it`s an assumption which i would suggest Harris` recent statement that he is looking for "investment" (repeated in Doncasters column) is wrong.

If they do not want to go, and feel that the majority of supporters are still behind them (events at the last two agm`s would have given them that impression), then they will continue chucking in just enough money to keep the club out of administration to protect their investment- no matter which division the club is in or how poor the team are.

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[quote user="Mr.Carrow"]

If they do not want to go, and feel that the majority of supporters are still behind them (events at the last two agm`s would have given them that impression), then they will continue chucking in just enough money to keep the club out of administration to protect their investment- no matter which division the club is in or how poor the team are.

[/quote]

 

Good point Mr C. At the end of the day they may not be the best business managers in the world but they will be being advised well and one suspects the advice will be verfy much along the lines you suggest. "Keep your heads down and hope for the best"

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Like everyone else I admire what Geoffrey Watling did for Norwich. He was overall very much a force for good.However his record as chairman was extremely patchy. After Archie Macaulay left Watling made four mediocre or poor management choices in a row (Reid, Swindin, Ashman and Morgan) before picking Saunders. He also sold off players (Ron Davies, Hugh Curran etc) for knock-down prices.By all means criticise the current board, but do it without rewriting the past.

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Administration is not the answer. Expanding the Board of Directors is.

As I explained in a previous thread Delia''s ideas of a price for a Directorship needs to be tossed aside and she needs to apoint experianced Directors for each aspect of the Club. A Director of Football and a Director of Reserve and Youth Team Football should take a load off Glen Roeders back and either give him more time to spend with the first team or see him walk. A Director of Scouting,  a Director of Non Football Activities and a Director of Administration would give us a Board of ten. A further Director representing the interests of the Fans would help the Director of Marketing who could be Roger Munby) and another to be the Director of Funding would make twelve

Twelve good men and true to share the load sounds good to me.

One of their prime activities (on the side) whould be to touch up their mates at the Golf Club, the City Club or the Business Forum for loans to the Club and invite these mates to join them in a specially expanded Directors Box with all the extras that Branson provides for his Virgin passengers.

If Delia really thought about it and went with my idea she might shed 20% of her shareholding by giving these shares to her new directors instead of salaries. Other payments to Directors would be by way of bonus depending on results.

 

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[quote user="PurpleCanary"]Like everyone else I admire what Geoffrey Watling did for Norwich. He was overall very much a force for good.

However his record as chairman was extremely patchy. After Archie Macaulay left Watling made four mediocre or poor management choices in a row (Reid, Swindin, Ashman and Morgan) before picking Saunders. He also sold off players (Ron Davies, Hugh Curran etc) for knock-down prices.

By all means criticise the current board, but do it without rewriting the past.[/quote]

Geoffrey Watling took the club from Third Division South to the top flight in 12 years.  That speaks for itself.

Not every decision was popular and not every decision was right but his central aim and purpose was right and that''s what really matters.  He would never, ever have allowed us to drift aimlessly as we are now.

 

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[quote user="Bobert"]

Administration is not the answer. Expanding the Board of Directors is.

[/quote]

It might be if the present owners were willing to do it but there''s absolutely no evidence that they are, quite the opposite in fact.

 

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[quote user="Mr.Carrow"]

Good post, but a couple of points:

We do not know that D and M "Can`t wait to get out"- it`s an assumption which i would suggest Harris` recent statement that he is looking for "investment" (repeated in Doncasters column) is wrong.

If they do not want to go, and feel that the majority of supporters are still behind them (events at the last two agm`s would have given them that impression), then they will continue chucking in just enough money to keep the club out of administration to protect their investment- no matter which division the club is in or how poor the team are.

[/quote]

That''s why I believe an economic boycott is a more productive form of protest than demonstrating. 

The less we put in the more D&M will have to put in and the sooner they will reach the end of the road.

 

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[quote user="Potless Percy "][quote user="Bobert"]

Administration is not the answer. Expanding the Board of Directors is.

[/quote]

It might be if the present owners were willing to do it but there''s absolutely no evidence that they are, quite the opposite in fact.

 

[/quote]

Well we could check this out by calling an EGM and putting up for the Board someone who had everything going for him, except perhaps money, and seeing if Delia voted him or her down, Somehow I dont think she would.

 I don''t know the Local Football fraternity well enough. Who would you suggest?

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[quote user="Bobert"]

Administration is not the answer. Expanding the Board of Directors is.

As I explained in a previous thread Delia''s ideas of a price for a Directorship needs to be tossed aside and she needs to apoint experianced Directors for each aspect of the Club. A Director of Football and a Director of Reserve and Youth Team Football should take a load off Glen Roeders back and either give him more time to spend with the first team or see him walk. A Director of Scouting,  a Director of Non Football Activities and a Director of Administration would give us a Board of ten. A further Director representing the interests of the Fans would help the Director of Marketing who could be Roger Munby) and another to be the Director of Funding would make twelve

Twelve good men and true to share the load sounds good to me.

One of their prime activities (on the side) whould be to touch up their mates at the Golf Club, the City Club or the Business Forum for loans to the Club and invite these mates to join them in a specially expanded Directors Box with all the extras that Branson provides for his Virgin passengers.

If Delia really thought about it and went with my idea she might shed 20% of her shareholding by giving these shares to her new directors instead of salaries. Other payments to Directors would be by way of bonus depending on results.

 

[/quote]Its a ruddy football club - not a multi-national electronics giant. What it needs is for the board and manager to do their job correctly - we don''t need anymore deadwood.

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[quote user="Bobert"][quote user="Potless Percy "][quote user="Bobert"]

Administration is not the answer. Expanding the Board of Directors is.

[/quote]

It might be if the present owners were willing to do it but there''s absolutely no evidence that they are, quite the opposite in fact.

 

[/quote]

Well we could check this out by calling an EGM and putting up for the Board someone who had everything going for him, except perhaps money, and seeing if Delia voted him or her down, Somehow I dont think she would.

 I don''t know the Local Football fraternity well enough. Who would you suggest?

[/quote]

The Supporters Trust was formed with the express aim of getting a supporter onto the board.  They have bought tens of thousands of pounds worth of shares.  If you want to know how difficult it is to get onto the board you only have to ask them.

 

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To be fair to Doomcaster (and God knows my keyboard found it difficult to type those words) the job at the FA would be a considerable promotion with a much-increased salary so you can''t blame him for going for it. Mind you, with his track record of running a Football Club, it speaks volumes for the buffoons running the FA that he could get anywhere near a short list for the position he''s in for.

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[quote user="astrodyne"][quote user="Bobert"]

Administration is not the answer. Expanding the Board of Directors is.

As I explained in a previous thread Delia''s ideas of a price for a Directorship needs to be tossed aside and she needs to apoint experianced Directors for each aspect of the Club. A Director of Football and a Director of Reserve and Youth Team Football should take a load off Glen Roeders back and either give him more time to spend with the first team or see him walk. A Director of Scouting,  a Director of Non Football Activities and a Director of Administration would give us a Board of ten. A further Director representing the interests of the Fans would help the Director of Marketing who could be Roger Munby) and another to be the Director of Funding would make twelve

Twelve good men and true to share the load sounds good to me.

One of their prime activities (on the side) whould be to touch up their mates at the Golf Club, the City Club or the Business Forum for loans to the Club and invite these mates to join them in a specially expanded Directors Box with all the extras that Branson provides for his Virgin passengers.

If Delia really thought about it and went with my idea she might shed 20% of her shareholding by giving these shares to her new directors instead of salaries. Other payments to Directors would be by way of bonus depending on results.

 

[/quote]

Its a ruddy football club - not a multi-national electronics giant. What it needs is for the board and manager to do their job correctly - we don''t need anymore deadwood.
[/quote]

Oh come on! What other football club in Norfolk has debts of £20,000,000 . I doubt many business''s have debts of that amount. NCFC is not what one would call a football club but it is a multi million pound entertainment centre. I don''t see that properly qualified additional directors would be dead wood at all.

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[quote user="Potless Percy "][quote user="Mr.Carrow"]

Good post, but a couple of points:

We do not know that D and M "Can`t wait to get out"- it`s an assumption which i would suggest Harris` recent statement that he is looking for "investment" (repeated in Doncasters column) is wrong.

If they do not want to go, and feel that the majority of supporters are still behind them (events at the last two agm`s would have given them that impression), then they will continue chucking in just enough money to keep the club out of administration to protect their investment- no matter which division the club is in or how poor the team are.

[/quote]

That''s why I believe an economic boycott is a more productive form of protest than demonstrating. 

The less we put in the more D&M will have to put in and the sooner they will reach the end of the road.

 

[/quote]

Agreed- i`ve been on an economic boycott for several years now.

The trouble is is unless they are made aware that the majority want them to stand aside i think they will just keep the club afloat and we will carry on drifting.  How many people are posting baseless assumptions such as "there is no buyer so we just have to get the manager out", or "if there was anyone interested, they`d have sold up"?  If they think they still have majority support why on earth would they sell up?!

They can`t go unless someone buys their shares, but at least protests would focus their minds on what a club in crisis is realistically worth and whether any other owner could actually do a worse job......I really didn`t want it to get nasty but i fear it might [:(]

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[quote user="Mr.Carrow"][quote user="Potless Percy "][quote user="Mr.Carrow"]

Good post, but a couple of points:

We do not know that D and M "Can`t wait to get out"- it`s an assumption which i would suggest Harris` recent statement that he is looking for "investment" (repeated in Doncasters column) is wrong.

If they do not want to go, and feel that the majority of supporters are still behind them (events at the last two agm`s would have given them that impression), then they will continue chucking in just enough money to keep the club out of administration to protect their investment- no matter which division the club is in or how poor the team are.

[/quote]

That''s why I believe an economic boycott is a more productive form of protest than demonstrating. 

The less we put in the more D&M will have to put in and the sooner they will reach the end of the road.

 

[/quote]

Agreed- i`ve been on an economic boycott for several years now.

The trouble is is unless they are made aware that the majority want them to stand aside i think they will just keep the club afloat and we will carry on drifting.  How many people are posting baseless assumptions such as "there is no buyer so we just have to get the manager out", or "if there was anyone interested, they`d have sold up"?  If they think they still have majority support why on earth would they sell up?!

They can`t go unless someone buys their shares, but at least protests would focus their minds on what a club in crisis is realistically worth and whether any other owner could actually do a worse job......I really didn`t want it to get nasty but i fear it might [:(]

[/quote]

I fear that Delia is a bit like Robert "Zimbabwe is mine!" Mugabe.  In the last resort it''s a case of "Norwich City is mine and I won''t give it up and you can''t make me so there!"  I really do think we''re dealing with that sort of mentality.  The more we protest the more satisfaction it will give her to hold on to power.

 

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[quote user="Bobert"][quote user="astrodyne"][quote user="Bobert"]

Administration is not the answer. Expanding the Board of Directors is.

As I explained in a previous thread Delia''s ideas of a price for a Directorship needs to be tossed aside and she needs to apoint experianced Directors for each aspect of the Club. A Director of Football and a Director of Reserve and Youth Team Football should take a load off Glen Roeders back and either give him more time to spend with the first team or see him walk. A Director of Scouting,  a Director of Non Football Activities and a Director of Administration would give us a Board of ten. A further Director representing the interests of the Fans would help the Director of Marketing who could be Roger Munby) and another to be the Director of Funding would make twelve

Twelve good men and true to share the load sounds good to me.

One of their prime activities (on the side) whould be to touch up their mates at the Golf Club, the City Club or the Business Forum for loans to the Club and invite these mates to join them in a specially expanded Directors Box with all the extras that Branson provides for his Virgin passengers.

If Delia really thought about it and went with my idea she might shed 20% of her shareholding by giving these shares to her new directors instead of salaries. Other payments to Directors would be by way of bonus depending on results.

 

[/quote]Its a ruddy football club - not a multi-national electronics giant. What it needs is for the board and manager to do their job correctly - we don''t need anymore deadwood.[/quote]

Oh come on! What other football club in Norfolk has debts of £20,000,000 . I doubt many business''s have debts of that amount. NCFC is not what one would call a football club but it is a multi million pound entertainment centre. I don''t see that properly qualified additional directors would be dead wood at all.

[/quote]I would rather see 12 more players - not twelve more directors tbh.

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Meant to add: the only thing a protest might do is expose any cracks that exist between Delia and Michael. 

We assume that he is either completely under the thumb, or is as committed as she is to holding on to the club no matter what, but we don''t actually know.  Maybe he''s ready to throw in the towel but she isn''t?

 

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Potless, we agree on Watling overall, and I certainly agree that he would not let things drift. We shall see, having got into this position, whether the current board will now let things drift.As you are on this thread, two other things:1. Loved the story about the "Norwich" baptism.2. You may remember a few days ago we were discussing whether or not there was a confidentiality clause over Cullumgate. As I like to deals in facts I now know the answer to that, but (of course!) it was given to me in confidence, and I will not break that confidence.What I can say is that the situation is/was slightly more complicated than one might have thought, and perhaps slightly different to what you or I thought. However, since this is all water under the bridge, it hardly matters now.

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[quote user="Potless Percy "][quote user="Bobert"][quote user="Potless Percy "][quote user="Bobert"]

Administration is not the answer. Expanding the Board of Directors is.

[/quote]

It might be if the present owners were willing to do it but there''s absolutely no evidence that they are, quite the opposite in fact.

 

[/quote]

Well we could check this out by calling an EGM and putting up for the Board someone who had everything going for him, except perhaps money, and seeing if Delia voted him or her down, Somehow I dont think she would.

 I don''t know the Local Football fraternity well enough. Who would you suggest?

[/quote]

The Supporters Trust was formed with the express aim of getting a supporter onto the board.  They have bought tens of thousands of pounds worth of shares.  If you want to know how difficult it is to get onto the board you only have to ask them.

 

[/quote]

As I remember it the Supporters Trust was not formed "with the express aim of getting a supporter on to the board" but when it came to the put it was one of their own that the Supporters Trust wanted elected. Some of us did not think that was a particularly suitable qualification and there were others who could help the Club more in the capacity of Director.There are many individuals who have "bought tens of thousands of pounds worth of shares" and receive no mention in that respect. The Supporters Trust would have been better to have thrown their support in with the much older Shareholders Association if that was their aim as the Shareholders Association control far more shares and have over 300 members paying an annual subscription.

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