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Pete Raven

Stephan Phillips answers your questions - updated Tuesday

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We had an overwhelming response to our request for you to post questions to Archant MD Stephan Phillips following his appointment as a Norwich City director.

Below are your questions with his answers in blue.

Will you at any time, block what the editors want to write if there is slating of the board including yourself?

Definitely not. The policy we have is that Editors have the editorial control to write what they want, how they want, when they want, even if it makes uncomfortable reading for people like me. In a democracy we''d want nothing less from our journalists.

If a situation arose within the board of NCFC that could cause a conflict of interests between Archant and the NCFC board which way would he go?

In all Companies, directors have access to information which is sometimes not for general release. This might be for a variety of reasons, for example commercial confidentiality, issues with staff affected and legal issues. If there was something which was being discussed in a private situation (like a NCFC Board meeting), that would have to remain private and confidential. This is what happens in all business meetings I attend at Archant, and the same rules would apply.

Can you give NCFC fans a cast-iron, 100% guarantee that at no stage will you ever intervene directly or indrectly, nor use insider knowledge in order to minimise of quash negative press relating to the club.

Yes I can. The right for anyone to express their view to one of our journalists without management interference is an important one. It''s up to Editors to decide what to do about the information they have.

How does it feel, despite your statement in the press, to have your integrity questioned?

It''s only done by people who don''t know me and I think it is a perfectly reasonable view to take. None of us trust people we don''t know. Only time will tell if people believe me.

A large proportion of fans believe the Archant group already to be guilty of cosying up to the club too much. Your appointment will result in providing a clear personal target for their distrust and anger. What strategy have you planned to use to counter this situation? Are you going to step down from one of your responsibilities?

I do understand the concern, but I think our editorial team are fiercely independent and need to remain so. The only strategy I have in place is to continue to allow our Editors to do what they are good at and to allow fans to have their own view and to be able to express that view to us. I''m not going to step down from the work I currently do.

One word - Why?

This is probably the most difficult question to answer at the moment. You may not know that Archant has helped the Club many times in the past. When I was asked to consider becoming a Director, I did think it would be much easier to stay as I was, a normal fan, sitting in my seat and giving my view of players, the ref, etc. But the Club does need help and I think any fan who is asked to help the Club, and if they are able to help, should do so. So that''s why I did it.

Isn''t being a board member of a failing football club a full time job and shouldn''t you being treating it as such rather than on top of your day to day role at Archant.

I don''t believe the Club is failing, despite being where we are. None of us expected to be in this division, and we don''t want to stay here either. I should point out that Non executive directors are not full time roles on any board, but the overall day to day running of the Club is really the role of executive directors. We have a really good Chief in David McNally.

I have no wish to in anyway impugn your integrity but please try to explain whatever made you think that, as the MD of the only local media available to question the affairs of our football club, you would have a cat in hell’s of doing anything other than raise local suspicions about the dual roles you are about to attempt to fill? Do you really have no idea that every time Archant now backs off an issue regarding the football club your hand will be seen to be behind it? Did you once stop to consider that if Bryan Gunn turns out to be that manager that his track record suggests he will be and Archant fail to call for his head you will be identified as the reason for such a response? Have you stopped to think about how untenable your position would have been in those days when "The Suffolks" stubbornly refused to see that Nigel Worthington had just run out of ideas while Archant stood by wringing its journalistic hands? Most important of all has it not occurred to you to question why they asked you in the first place?

I think the issue here is the assumption that I can affect editorial activity. I can''t. In any proper newspaper, interference from management would never be tolerated, and it is completely against our Company policy anyway. Sometimes stories are written which are uncomfortable for me, or for Archant. And that''s how it should be. The recent coverage of the editorial reductions is an example. We would not have a vibrant newspaper or websites if people felt that they were not independent. Most fans quite rightly, are concerned about the results on the pitch and have little interest in the running of the Club as a business. The fact is that I''ve been asked to help on the business aspects of the Club. I''ve run successful Companies for quite a while, which is the reason why I was approached.

As far as backing off from Editorial issues, that''s not what our editorial teams do.

How would you deal with the following scenario:

Norwich start off badly this season. Editorial independence means that a number of editorial pieces are written about Norwich that are extremely critical. This builds to a crescendo by mid-November with Norwich languishing in the botton three. In an emotive outburst David McNally bans Archant journalists from entering Carrow Road in any official capacity. This rapidly degenerates into a slanging match between the Norwich City Board (?) and Archant''s Sport''s journalists/Editorial. An emergency Board Meeting is called at Carrow Road just before Christmas with Norwich propping up the rest of the Division. David McNally proposes legal recourse against Archant relating to much that has been said in their publications. Stephan, do you then need to declare your conflict of interest with the rest of the Board and withdraw from any further discussion, or do you fight your corner? The question is, which corner do you fight

Wow. Not the best of scenarios, to put it mildly.

The only time anyone would have legal recourse to what we write is if we have written things which are incorrect. Sometimes mistakes are made, but they tend to be very rare. We are known for our accuracy and fair reporting. Some clubs have banned journalists for short periods of time (I can remember Newcastle doing something like that when I worked for the Thomson Corporation). It depends on what the issue is to answer this question fully. Our journalists would handle a story about NCFC in the way they wished, without hindrance from management at the newspaper or the football club. If our journalists are banned from attending the ground I think it would be a serious disruption for news and it would be counter productive for the Club as well. Which is why most local newspapers and football clubs work together whenever they can.

Mr. Phillips, it is clear due to your new role at NCFC and the initiation of this thread that you wish to get your relationship with the fans off to a good start by being seen to be open and candid. In that regard, did Alan Bowkett approach you with respect to taking a role on the Norwich board and, if so, what did Mr. Bowkett suggest you could offer to the club given your role at Archant?

No, I was asked to consider being involved with the Club by Michael and Delia. As you know I am on the Associate Directors Group (ADG) and it was felt that a representative from the ADG should go on the board. The issue is that whilst most fans would much prefer to have board members who are prepared to invest many millions, locally the people with millions have already all been approached. I have run successful organisations for quite a while and I do have some experience in sales and marketing. I guess you and other fans will judge me as time progresses, which is what happens in any role.

None of the other 91 clubs in the Premiership, Championship or Football League have the Managing Director of their local newspaper on the board of directors. Why does he think that is?

I suspect none have been asked. In all the newspapers I have worked in, none of the MD''s have been approached. The difference here is that I am reasonably well known at the Club, I am an Associate Director anyway and Archant is a significant shareholder already. Only time will tell if this is a right decision for us all.

No Managing Director of a local newspaper has chosen to accept a seat on the board of the local football club. Why does he think that is?

Please see the answer above.

Given that, with all due respect, you are not the only local person with an idea of how advertising and marketing works and the club has an "off the shelf" website that same as most other clubs in the country - why do you think you were invited to join the board? Did it never cross your mind that it could be a cynical attempt to avoid a repeat of the embarassment caused by Cullumgate?

All I can say to this question is that our Editors will continue to cover any story they wish as before and there will be no changes to how our editorial teams operate.

Isn''t it going to be impossible to secure impartiality on the part of the newspapers that you help to run, if staff know that their ''boss'' could be on the receiving end of any negative press and that they will potentially be putting their name to such pieces?

The people who run the editorial aspects of the newspapers are the Editors, and they can only do their job properly if they are free from management interference. That is our Company policy, regardless of what they are writing about.

Do you honestly believe that they would have offered you a seat on the board if you were not Managing Director of Archant Norfolk?

Probably not, is the answer to this one. But being on the Associate Directors Group was probably more important.

The previous board kept the supporters in the dark about many things. i.e transfers & offers of investment (peter cullum) etc. Now that you are on the board, are you allowed to pass on information about any future investment or transfers so it can be printed in your newspapers?

In my current role as MD of Archant, I am often told information in confidence. This can be a variety of information, including commercially sensitive information, customers telling us of closures of their branches, levels of customer expenditure, discounts etc. Keeping this information confidential is enshrined in all of our commercial teams'' contracts of employment, mine included. This is standard practice in most companies. It''s not about keeping people in the dark, but just a recognition that some things are confidential.

Wherever I have worked I think it is best to be open whenever you can, provided that confidentiality is not breached.

With respect , do you think that possibly your situation is the same as with Rupert Murdoch and the populous British newspapers, owned by him , that invariably reflect only his own personal political agendas?

I think regional and local newspapers have much closer links with their readers. We have a clear company policy and that is to allow our editors to write and edit the newspapers and websites in the way they wish. So, no I don''t think we are the same as Murdoch.

If, god forbid, we are languishing near the bottom at Christmas and popular demand is for the current Board to resign, how are the local papers going to report it? They have campaigned for change on many fronts with regards to local issues [war memorial, councilor housing scam], surely the Public would expect the same from its local paper with regards to the club? How will it go about calling for the head of its boss if this happened?

The editors will be just as strong as they always are in these situations. Why should they change?

Do you think this could cause more problems if things went from bad to worse and fans want answers considering you will now be in the thick of it knowing what goes on behind closed doors.?

At least I can advise what should be said and done for the fans.

Why has he taken the role and why under mine his reporting staff and potentially jepodise the sales of the edp,bearing in mind the football reporting is one of the edp''s strongest selling points?

Our Editors decide what is written and how without management interference, and coverage of NCFC would be handled just as it is now.

Are you really so naive as to think that this was a good move for either NCFC or Archant, by putting yourself in this position? There are times when your head has to overrule your heart.

When I was approached I discussed the involvement with the board with a lot of the people I listen to and respect, including people I work with and some of the people I am lucky enough to be able to ask for advice. Like me their view was if you can help, then you should, which was how I felt.

How was he appointed - did he apply for the vacancy or was he aproached? If so, by whom?

I was asked by Michael and Delia, because of my involvement on the Associate Directors Group.

What role have the other directors asked him to fulfill on the Board?

I am a non exec director and we will be defining actions at board meetings, under the Chairmanship of our Chairman.

What particular attributes does he feel he can bring to the Board?

My involvement with the Associate Directors Group and my running of a reasonable sized Company gives me a range of skills which hopefully will be useful.

The last SCG meeting in mid may was postponed. Will these be resurrected and if so who will the Boards representatives be?

This is something which will need to be discussed by the board.

We desperately needed some new board members who were prepared to invest in our club and boost our players fund, do you have the funds to do that?

Archant is already a significant shareholder and as the EDP has pointed out we are not investing any more than we have already done in the Club. But the fact is that all the people who could put money into the club have already been approached. You know as I do what the result has been and so we need to look at things differently. Building the fund for players is a key priority for all of us, but we need to think about how to do that.

What are you going to use as a benchmark of success, how often will you review your efforts and how will you be held accountable?

This will be something which will be judged by the Chairman

As Norwich are desperately searching for investment, if a potential investor does materialise will you sacrifice your place on the board to accomodate them?

Work is continuing to find investors and we will see what they expectations are from investors as we discuss their needs.

What is your minimum expectation this season?

Personally I''d want us to get promoted back to the Championship as soon as we can and start heading back for the Premiership. But realistically, can we do that this season? I really hope so.

Will there be further additions to the board before the start of the season?

This question was asked at the press conference and Michael did say that there could be another addition.

What will you be doing so differently from the last board members?

I''m not sure exactly what the other board members did, and until I''ve at least been closer to the club than in my previous Associate Directors'' role it will be difficult to say. I liked the fact that Roger Munby was so open and was so approachable.

Are you drawing a wage or expenses from the club?

No, no wage, no expenses and I prefer to sit in my normal seat.

Will the presence of non investing board members hinder the arrival of others prepared to invest in the longer term.

The real issue is that there is a shortage of people willing to invest, mainly because they have other things they need to do with their money. There is a lot less money around anyway, so I don''t think that is the reason why people are not investing.

If you''ve been gifted shares for your board membership will you be expecting to be paid for them should an investor appear.

I have not been gifted shares.

How much knowledge of football do you actually have and have you ever played? I thought you were a hockey man?

I have been a fan for many years, and I know how great the feeling was when we made it to the Premiership. The win against MUFC was such a glorious moment. I have played as a goal keeper many, many years ago, and I was a bad one. I have never played hockey. I''m too old for both now.

Do you think our current position is a travesty and who do you blame for it?

I think it''s not a true reflection of where we should be. I think it''s difficult to blame anyone specifically, but we have had managers who could not motivate. Like many fans I think we want to get out of this league, into the Championship as quickly as we can, but I suspect that it''s going to be a hard slog.

Where are you going to find the money from to fund a promotion drive?

It''s not just about money, but that helps and that is what we are all going to be working on.

Do you think we have been badly treated, as fans, by the board of NCFC?

I suspect I''ll be able to answer that more accurately once I am in post a little longer. NCFC fans are (in my mind) some of the best fans a football club can ever have and their loyalty deserves results.

Is there black art at play in your Peter Cullum coverage of years gone by?

We reported the story about Peter Cullum extensively so I''m not sure what was hidden.

Can one of us, democratically elected of course, take a place on the board of NCFC, and if no, why not?

I''m not sure, is the answer to this one. Does any other club operate with this arrangement?

Will decisions on the board be reached by "one man,one vote" or will majority shareholders have the final say? Do you own any shares, if not how will that affect your vote on the board bearing in mind that Delia & Michael hold 62%?

Most discussions on boards tend to be driven by overall consensus, after (sometimes) very rigorous debate. It''s very rare for a forced vote to be taken and normally there are procedures which are laid down to handle this. Normally most boards want to provide a united front after all the discussion, no matter how heated it can get during those discussions.

Does the board have a thorough, detailed 5 year plan in place, with clear ambitions and targets to be met along the way?

I am not sure. What I do know is that in business these days, things happen so much more quickly and many 5 year plans are not worth much in the way of strategic direction.

If these targets are not met, will there be quick, effective action to resolve the situation, something which didn''t occur with the previous board?

It depends on what the targets are and which ones are fundamental.

Would you, and other board members, be willing to give up your places if investors come to the club and wished to join the board?

I can only speak for myself. I would make a judgement at the time.

Were you born in Norfolk?

Unfortunately no. I was born in Trowbridge in Wiltshire.

Whatever your thoughts on messers Munby and Doncaster, I always had the utmost respect for the way they put themselves in the firing line, they always made themselves available to ordinary fans before matches at various forums and by email and telephone. Is this a line you wish to continue along or will you be like previous administrations and close shop.

I would hope that by answering these messages that it might give a view of my approach. I agree about Roger. He understood the value of the fans.

If/when a new manager needs to be appointed, how much will he be involved in the process? Does he believe that he should be?

I am not sure. These sort of discussions will be defined at our various board meetings and set by our Chairman

If you can''t bring any investment to the table, then what exactly can you bring, because as far as I was aware, we already had a sales and marketing department at Carrow Road?

The fact that I have run sizeable companies in the past will help, and also running a newspaper company is similar in approach to a football club in that the readers feel they have ownership of the newspaper, in much the same way as the fans feel they own the Club. Time will tell if I am a useful addition.

You can see from the tone of many of these questions and comments that the communication style from Board Level at Carrow Road has eroded trust and alienated supporters. You will understand the medium of communication better than most, so what recommendations will you be making to improve communications across the Board (bad pun) at Norwich City FC?

I have taken notice of the comments here. Most seem to be fair and hopefully I''ve tried to respond to them as openly as I can. I think we do need to keep close to our fans, but I''m not sure the best way yet. For now, it does make sense to use the Pink''Un message board, since it is so open.

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[quote user="Sports Desk - Pete"]

We had an overwhelming response to our request for you to post questions to Archant MD Stephan Phillips following his appointment as a Norwich City director.

Below are his answers to the first few and I''ll add more of his replies to the rest of the questions when he has the time to reply to them (which Stephan has said he will do).

Will you at any time, block what the editors want to write if there is slating of the board including yourself?

Definitely not. The policy we have is that Editors have the editorial control to write what they want, how they want, when they want, even if it makes uncomfortable reading for people like me. In a democracy we''d want nothing less from our journalists.

If a situation arose within the board of NCFC that could cause a conflict of interests between Archant and the NCFC board which way would he go?

In all Companies, directors have access to information which is sometimes not for general release. This might be for a variety of reasons, for example commercial confidentiality, issues with staff affected and legal issues. If there was something which was being discussed in a private situation (like a NCFC Board meeting), that would have to remain private and confidential. This is what happens in all business meetings I attend at Archant, and the same rules would apply.

Can you give NCFC fans a cast-iron, 100% guarantee that at no stage will you ever intervene directly or indrectly, nor use insider knowledge in order to minimise of quash negative press relating to the club.

Yes I can. The right for anyone to express their view to one of our journalists without management interference is an important one. It''s up to Editors to decide what to do about the information they have.

How does it feel, despite your statement in the press, to have your integrity questioned?

It''s only done by people who don''t know me and I think it is a perfectly reasonable view to take. None of us trust people we don''t know. Only time will tell if people believe me.

A large proportion of fans believe the Archant group already to be guilty of cosying up to the club too much. Your appointment will result in providing a clear personal target for their distrust and anger. What strategy have you planned to use to counter this situation? Are you going to step down from one of your responsibilities?

I do understand the concern, but I think our editorial team are fiercely independent and need to remain so. The only strategy I have in place is to continue to allow our Editors to do what they are good at and to allow fans to have their own view and to be able to express that view to us. I''m not going to step down from the work I currently do.

One word - Why?

This is probably the most difficult question to answer at the moment. You may not know that Archant has helped the Club many times in the past. When I was asked to consider becoming a Director, I did think it would be much easier to stay as I was, a normal fan, sitting in my seat and giving my view of players, the ref, etc. But the Club does need help and I think any fan who is asked to help the Club, and if they are able to help, should do so. So that''s why I did it.

Isn''t being a board member of a failing football club a full time job and shouldn''t you being treating it as such rather than on top of your day to day role at Archant.

I don''t believe the Club is failing, despite being where we are. None of us expected to be in this division, and we don''t want to stay here either. I should point out that Non executive directors are not full time roles on any board, but the overall day to day running of the Club is really the role of executive directors. We have a really good Chief in David McNally.

I have no wish to in anyway impugn your integrity but please try to explain whatever made you think that, as the MD of the only local media available to question the affairs of our football club, you would have a cat in hell’s of doing anything other than raise local suspicions about the dual roles you are about to attempt to fill? Do you really have no idea that every time Archant now backs off an issue regarding the football club your hand will be seen to be behind it? Did you once stop to consider that if Bryan Gunn turns out to be that manager that his track record suggests he will be and Archant fail to call for his head you will be identified as the reason for such a response? Have you stopped to think about how untenable your position would have been in those days when "The Suffolks" stubbornly refused to see that Nigel Worthington had just run out of ideas while Archant stood by wringing its journalistic hands? Most important of all has it not occurred to you to question why they asked you in the first place?

I think the issue here is the assumption that I can affect editorial activity. I can''t. In any proper newspaper, interference from management would never be tolerated, and it is completely against our Company policy anyway. Sometimes stories are written which are uncomfortable for me, or for Archant. And that''s how it should be. The recent coverage of the editorial reductions is an example. We would not have a vibrant newspaper or websites if people felt that they were not independent. Most fans quite rightly, are concerned about the results on the pitch and have little interest in the running of the Club as a business. The fact is that I''ve been asked to help on the business aspects of the Club. I''ve run successful Companies for quite a while, which is the reason why I was approached.

As far as backing off from Editorial issues, that''s not what our editorial teams do.

[/quote]

Thanks Pete. Time will tell hey, I just hope people lay off the conspiracy theories for a while until such a time where they may be appropriate (if ever).

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[quote user="The Butler"]Sorry Pete but my question although "answered" was a politicians answer, NO answer to the question![/quote]

The Good Lord failed to bless you with common sense. You were expecting, perhaps, different?

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Well I for one am happy with those so far.  Pretty honest an open answers.

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Considering you were possibly the most vocally concerned about the appointment on here, ACE, that''s quite something.

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Seems to me that it''s the same question and same answer over and over again, just worded slightly differently. Is no one interested in his favourite food or breed of dog?

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"Editorial reductions"… so that would be redundancies then would it?There is the perfect example of what people are concerned about, spin, spin, spin!!!!!!Please tell it like it is… it doesn''t help anyone when you don''t play with a straight bat!

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Of course it MAY be nothing, but Neil Doncaster always used to reply to blue, and Stephan Phillips is doing the same. Has anyone actually seen them in a room together? Take away a wig and the obviously false moustache...

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[quote user="PurpleCanary"]Of course it MAY be nothing, but Neil Doncaster always used to reply to blue, and Stephan Phillips is doing the same. Has anyone actually seen them in a room together? Take away a wig and the obviously false moustache...[/quote]

That was me (and no I''m not Doncaster)

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[quote user="Sports Desk - Pete"]

[quote user="PurpleCanary"]Of course it MAY be nothing, but Neil Doncaster always used to reply to blue, and Stephan Phillips is doing the same. Has anyone actually seen them in a room together? Take away a wig and the obviously false moustache...[/quote]

That was me (and no I''m not Doncaster)

[/quote]Curses! Another baseless conspiracy theory bites the dust.

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''We have a really good Chief in David McNally.''

---> So why is he not CEO of Fulham?


 

Why isn''t Sir Alex the manager of Bury? Why isn''t the rain red? Why am I not hung like a grand national winner? Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why Why ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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[quote user="Sports Desk - Pete"]

[quote user="PurpleCanary"]Of course it MAY be nothing, but Neil Doncaster always used to reply to blue, and Stephan Phillips is doing the same. Has anyone actually seen them in a room together? Take away a wig and the obviously false moustache...[/quote]

That was me (and no I''m not Doncaster)

[/quote]Did you know any editors that were ''reduced''?

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I thought the last answer was well put. And no, I am not a bloodyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy sheep.

I think the issue here is the assumption that I can affect editorial activity. I can''t. In any proper newspaper, interference from management would never be tolerated, and it is completely against our Company policy anyway. Sometimes stories are written which are uncomfortable for me, or for Archant. And that''s how it should be. The recent coverage of the editorial reductions is an example. We would not have a vibrant newspaper or websites if people felt that they were not independent. Most fans quite rightly, are concerned about the results on the pitch and have little interest in the running of the Club as a business. The fact is that I''ve been asked to help on the business aspects of the Club. I''ve run successful Companies for quite a while, which is the reason why I was approached.

As far as backing off from Editorial issues, that''s not what our editorial teams do.

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[quote user="Andy Larkin"]"Editorial reductions"… so that would be redundancies then would it?

There is the perfect example of what people are concerned about, spin, spin, spin!!!!!!

Please tell it like it is… it doesn''t help anyone when you don''t play with a straight bat!
[/quote]

Extra Extra Read all about it!!!

Stephan Phillips doesn''t play with a ''straight bat''

More startling revelations about the media mogul who is taking over the world, tommorrow.

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Did anyone ask the question "can we trust a man with a moustache"?  Just wondered.

[quote user="The Voice Of Reason"]

[quote user="Andy Larkin"]"Editorial reductions"… so that would be redundancies then would it?There is the perfect example of what people are concerned about, spin, spin, spin!!!!!!Please tell it like it is… it doesn''t help anyone when you don''t play with a straight bat![/quote]

Extra Extra Read all about it!!!

Stephan Phillips doesn''t play with a ''straight bat''

More startling revelations about the media mogul who is taking over the world, tommorrow.

[/quote]

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[quote user="The Voice Of Reason"]

[quote user="Andy Larkin"]"Editorial reductions"… so that would be redundancies then would it?There is the perfect example of what people are concerned about, spin, spin, spin!!!!!!Please tell it like it is… it doesn''t help anyone when you don''t play with a straight bat![/quote]

Extra Extra Read all about it!!!

Stephan Phillips doesn''t play with a ''straight bat''

More startling revelations about the media mogul who is taking over the world, tommorrow.

[/quote]And there is the problem TVOR… these ''meeja'' sorts can''t help but spin things. I''m sure the ''reduced'' editors were glad to here that they weren''t made redundant, they were made smaller!

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May the Lord forgive him for he knows not what he does.....(Dandy Chapter 9. Verse 1066

We may as well have asked the lamp post outside the ground to be honest. Very political answers as one would expect.... and a very soft touch for Lady Delia to toy with.

She knew what she was doing alright........

 

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So the story a couple of months ago in which an AVIVA employee started a Facebook group up called give “City a Waive” was not a soft plant by NCFC to get the rebate story back into the news?

If you recall, this was the story in which this fan was pictured is his AVIVA sponsored city shirt, in front of the AVIVA company backdrop, which surely would not have been used had he not had permission from AVIVA, having started a rebate campaign by himself, which just happened to be picked up by Archant and run as a story with no input at all from NCFC?

Who was it that said that NCFC do not influence editorial policy?

 

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[quote user="Andy Larkin"][quote user="The Voice Of Reason"]

[quote user="Andy Larkin"]"Editorial reductions"… so that would be redundancies then would it?

There is the perfect example of what people are concerned about, spin, spin, spin!!!!!!

Please tell it like it is… it doesn''t help anyone when you don''t play with a straight bat!
[/quote]

Extra Extra Read all about it!!!

Stephan Phillips doesn''t play with a ''straight bat''

More startling revelations about the media mogul who is taking over the world, tommorrow.

[/quote]

And there is the problem TVOR… these ''meeja'' sorts can''t help but spin things.

I''m sure the ''reduced'' editors were glad to here that they weren''t made redundant, they were made smaller!
[/quote]

Agreed Andy.

I think Delia is taking on extra spin & Mr Phillips appears to have gone starry eyed

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[quote user="Tim Allman"]

So the story a couple of months ago in which an AVIVA employee started a Facebook group up called give “City a Waive” was not a soft plant by NCFC to get the rebate story back into the news?

If you recall, this was the story in which this fan was pictured is his AVIVA sponsored city shirt, in front of the AVIVA company backdrop, which surely would not have been used had he not had permission from AVIVA, having started a rebate campaign by himself, which just happened to be picked up by Archant and run as a story with no input at all from NCFC?

Who was it that said that NCFC do not influence editorial policy?

 

[/quote]Perhaps this isn''t as much news to everyone else as it is to me. Of course if this was two months ago then I don''t quite see how this was getting the rebate story BACK in the news, since it hadn''t been an issue until then. And once it was relevant the club pretty much got all the publicity (good and bad) it wanted with the Foulger offer.No matter. I just love a good conspiracy theory. The only trouble with this one is I''m not clear what the cunning scheme was. Was it that the whole Facebook campaign was deviously dreamed up by Joe Ferrari, who then rather stupidly used as his stooge a fan who worked for the club sponsors, thus immediately arousing suspicion? And rather defeating the object.Or was it that fan was genuine (after all, AVIVA employ thousands in the city) and the Facebook stuff genuine but that Archant Towers only carried the story because Ferrari put a horse''s head in the editor''s bed?Or some devilish combination of the above?I ask not because I doubt the existence of some conspiracy, but just to know which is the one in which I have to believe!

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[quote user="PurpleCanary"][quote user="Tim Allman"]

So the story a couple of months ago in which an AVIVA employee started a Facebook group up called give “City a Waive” was not a soft plant by NCFC to get the rebate story back into the news?

If you recall, this was the story in which this fan was pictured is his AVIVA sponsored city shirt, in front of the AVIVA company backdrop, which surely would not have been used had he not had permission from AVIVA, having started a rebate campaign by himself, which just happened to be picked up by Archant and run as a story with no input at all from NCFC?

Who was it that said that NCFC do not influence editorial policy?

 

[/quote]

Perhaps this isn''t as much news to everyone else as it is to me. Of course if this was two months ago then I don''t quite see how this was getting the rebate story BACK in the news, since it hadn''t been an issue until then. And once it was relevant the club pretty much got all the publicity (good and bad) it wanted with the Foulger offer.

No matter. I just love a good conspiracy theory. The only trouble with this one is I''m not clear what the cunning scheme was. Was it that the whole Facebook campaign was deviously dreamed up by Joe Ferrari, who then rather stupidly used as his stooge a fan who worked for the club sponsors, thus immediately arousing suspicion? And rather defeating the object.

Or was it that fan was genuine (after all, AVIVA employ thousands in the city) and the Facebook stuff genuine but that Archant Towers only carried the story because Ferrari put a horse''s head in the editor''s bed?

Or some devilish combination of the above?

I ask not because I doubt the existence of some conspiracy, but just to know which is the one in which I have to believe!



[/quote]

Facebook used to get something someone wanted for/from NCFC perish the thought.

No hold on the name Gunn starts to ring a bell can''t quite remember!!

The fancy over manned PR dept could never come up with a devious plan like that or deliberately setting on certain fans to blacken characters would they?

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[quote user="The Butler"]

Facebook used to get something someone wanted for/from NCFC perish the thought.

No hold on the name Gunn starts to ring a bell can''t quite remember!!

The fancy over manned PR dept could never come up with a devious plan like that or deliberately setting on certain fans to blacken characters would they?

[/quote]Careful, Butler. You''ll get yourself mistaken for the much-missed Potless Percy! I think I''m right in saying (apologies, of course, if not) that was one of his/hers.

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[quote user="PurpleCanary"][quote user="The Butler"]

Facebook used to get something someone wanted for/from NCFC perish the thought.

No hold on the name Gunn starts to ring a bell can''t quite remember!!

The fancy over manned PR dept could never come up with a devious plan like that or deliberately setting on certain fans to blacken characters would they?

[/quote]

Careful, Butler. You''ll get yourself mistaken for the much-missed Potless Percy! I think I''m right in saying (apologies, of course, if not) that was one of his/hers.[/quote]

I believe there may be an element of non-fiction - concerning ''blackening of character''.....

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Sorry - still think Stephan has rather nievely missed the point. I don''t doubt his support. I don''t doubt his eagerness to "help the club" in any way he can. I don''t doubt that Eastern Counties Newspapers (as was) helped the club in the past. I just don''t think he has questioned the motives of those who invited him onto the board. Not being unkind, but I return to the simple question - would they have invited him if he had been the same Stephan Phillips but MD of a PR and Marketing company in the city? I think we all know the answer to that one - but maybe it has been lost on Stephan. It''s not him they want it''s what he represents and the effect he can have on others. What will be interesting is how he reacts when they call in the favour........

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Thanks for sorting this Pete.It''s provided quite a good starting point for those of us who don''t know Stephan Phillips personally - he''s certainly in at the deep end (as it should be)!

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