Capital Canaries AGM......Q & A Session with Delia, MWJ and David McNally

[Smudger 0]

[quote user="......and Smith must score."]

Got back from the meeting last night. This is an approximate summary of what took place with I hope most questions being covered .....I''m still under the influence of a few pints so I hope it all makes some sort of sense despite the beer.......

Firstly the three guests appeared as promised. I must confess that after last Saturday''s debacle I half expected Delia to announce that she had a '' collapsed souffle '' to attend to so I was quite surprised to see her there accompanied by MWJ and Chief Executive David McNally. Therefore fair play to the three of them for putting their heads above the parapet to take the flak from the floor.

The meeting was well attended by Capital Canaries and other non-members. I couldn''t count the exact numbers but the room was full. The non-members included a reporter and photographer from Archant which rattled the guests somewhat as they seemed to be under the impression that there would be no press representation  ( as has been the case at all other Capital Canaries AGM''s.) My view is that this was an exceptional meeting, two days after an opening day 7-1 defeat, and it was not unreasonable to think that the Press would be represented.

As you might expect the meeting was lively but civilised and I felt that those in the firing line acquitted themselves well. The new Chief Exec is a much improved version of the one he replaced and I got the feeling that when push comes to shove he won''t be taking too many prisoners....

From the notes I took this is a summary of how the session unfolded :

Question : What we''re the factors that made you decide to appoint Bryan Gunn ( BG ) in the close season ?

Michael Wynne Jones ( MJW ) said he felt BG needed more time. Delia Smith  ( DS ) challenged anyone in the room to find a manager - there were no takers - and also felt more time was needed.

Question : Who else did you interview ?

DS said they couldn''t be open as the Press were in attendance and David McNally ( DM ) said that it would be inappropriate to name names .( quite why having the Press in attendance would make a difference I really don''t know )

Question : It came out in the summer that Ian Crook was on a longer contract than previously thought. How did this come about ?

MWJ : We felt he needed a longer period after uprooting from Australia. The Board''s decision on his re-appointment was not influenced by the Charlton result.

DS : We felt the management team looked right as it some has lower League experience.

Question : Should we judge BG in 10 to 15 games time ?

DM : Results are the only thing that matters (  to me that sounds as though the knives are being sharpened already! )

Question : Can NCFC make a profit ?

DM :  Most clubs can only dream. This year NCFC had very negative cash flow. Club has too much debt on the balance sheet. We need to sort that out.

Question : Are you trying to sell/ had any offers for your shares ?

MWJ : We weren''t keen to sell our shares. We need investment. Delia and I have no desire to be majority shareholders but we''ve had no offers. No one wants football clubs. There was no offer from Mr Cullum.

Question : If someone said I''ll buy the Club for nothing what would you say ?

DS : We would only release shares if money put in.

Question : Is the football club up for sale ?

DS : Not for sale.( I was a bit puzzled by this as I was under the impression that if a decent offer came along it would be acceptable ) We need new investment. We don''t want NCFC to fall into vultures hands. She and MWJ knew that they would not get their money back ( Applause from the floor ) 

Question : Andrew and Sharon Turner. What happened to them ?

MWJ : They left and didn''t give a reason . The Board are not hiding behind anything. ( when pressed on this MJW said he''d given an answer so the matter was left )

Question : Youngsters. Will we be able to keep them ?

DM : We hope they progress but we need experience too. BG needed two players for each position. If good offer came in we would have to sell.

( There was light relief when someone said that it was outrageous to think that DS and MWJ would hide after Saturday''s result. DS replied that she couldn''t think of anywhere she''s rather be....)

Question : Why are we in a mess when we get such large attendances each week ?

DM : We spend too much. We have a duty of care to ensure that NCFC is here in another 107 years. We will get a plan together.

DS : We''re fighting a fire called finance. The alternative is administration.

MWJ : Our attendance doesn''t pay it''s way

Question : What is the Club''s policy towards youth players ?

MJW felt this was a shame that it has been neglected. DM said if good enough old enough.

Question : How much land/money in land do we have ?

MWJ : Approx 8 acres. This could be a '' golden goose '' when the recession ends. Nobody will give money to buy players but buildings are a different matter.

Question : Are we close to administration ?

DS : We''ll fight the fire. We own 30% of the hotel when sold and there are plans in place if the banks come calling ( from the sound of this administration is not on the agenda )

 ( At this point someone called for a vote of confidence in DS and MWJ. They''ve put a lot of money into the club. In the event no vote was taken. )

Question : The 7-1 defeat. What happened ?

MWJ : It was surreal. Don''t know what happened.

Question : How long has Bryan Gunn got ?

( Understandably the guests felt this wasn''t a fair question but when DS asked if anyone in the room felt sorry for BG there was a VERY muted response from the floor )

Question : Why did the Board not stop the loan players farce ?

DS : We could only afford loan players but do feel responsible for the mess.

Question :  Regarding the pitch incursion by two supporters last Saturday I understand that they have been given a caution today by the courts but what action, if any, does the Club propose to take ? ( at this point there was laughter as someone suggested they should be given lifetime season tickets as a punishment )

DM : Clearly what happened is unacceptable. We have a duty to protect club employees and others who are caught up in these sort of incidents Why did the Club security fail ? There will be a far reaching independent inquiry as to exactly what took place and we will make a decision on receiving their report.

Question : Will the alleged incident after the match involving Wes Hoolahan be investigated ?

DM : Yes and it will be part of the encroachment enquiry. There are no plans to sell him.

Question : Rumour has it that we received an offer of £600,000 for Daryl Russell. Did we turn it down ?

DM : An offer was received from a Premiership club and was not acceptable as it did not meet our valuation ( at this point more laughter as someone asked whether it was more than £600,000 )

Apologies that this post is so long but there was a lot to cover. If there''s mistakes it''s because it''s late and way past my bedtime!

To summarise I think I must say fair play and thanks to the three guests for entering the '' lions den '' last night. After Saturday''s disaster it would have been so easy to have made an excuse and not turn up. None of them did that.

I felt that they were as open as they can be. Delia and Michael answered the questions fairly confidently and seemed less hesitant than of late. David McNally I thought was a big improvement on the previous Chief Executive. He seems to know what he wants and I don''t think he''ll take many prisoners getting it.

As you would expect after recent events the atmosphere became a little heated at times but not uncomfortably so. Everyone behaved in a civilised manner and nobody was shouted down so all in all it was a much more satisfying meeting than some I''ve attended ( probably because Neil Doncaster has moved onto pastures new )

As to the manager''s position it looks pretty obvious that it''s hanging by a thread. He needs some '' get out of jail '' results..........quick!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[/quote]

(1)  Why give them any credit for attending?  Surely they should be facing up to the hole that they have placed us in?  Do they find Capital Canaries a soft touch?  Why have they not attended other meetings recently?  Why has NCISA not invited Smith & Jones to their next AGM?  I for one have no interest whatsoever in what McNally has to say on our situation.

(2)  I am surprised that one or two of you at least did not offer your services.  I know many fans who think that they would make a more suitable manager than Mr Gunn for starters.  Why did nobody ask why they chose to award failure?  Why did nobody ask EXACTLY HOW MUCH MORE TIME was needed?

(3)  Why is McNally making comment on something which happened at the club  prior to him being there?  Why did nobody to think to pass a comment such as WHY BREAK THE HABIT OF A LIFETIME DELIA... you have never been open with us fans have you???

(4)  In response to McNally, does he not think that 10 or 15 games is not long enough to judge Mr Gunn then?  What were Delia & Michaels opinions and not their new pet monkeys thoughts on this???  Why did nobody in the room pressure them for an answer on this?

(5)  What are they doing to sort it out?  Do Delia & Michael not realise that they will have to step down in order to attract the kind of investment that NCFC needs to turn things around?

(6)  Why did nobody point out that Wynn Jones contradicted himself in this little speech?  "We weren''t keen to sell our shares but we need investment"  Why did nobody bother to question him about how he thought that he was going to get the level of investment required when the only investors they were looking for got absolutely nothing in return for their money?

(7)  Didn''t Michael just say that "you were not keen to sell your shares" Delia?  Again the question should of been asked... if they are not keen to sell their shares then how do they expect to find the level of ivestment that is going to be required over the next few years to see NCFC playing at a level that will keep the majority of it''s fans satisfied with what they are seeing on the pitch and those who are running the club.

(8)  If you were puzzled by this SMITHY then why did you not point out to her that you thought that she stated it was for sale previously?

(9)  Why did nobody point out that we had made money on player sales during every transfer window since we were relegated from the Prem and that MWJ was quite clearly talking out of his backside?

I think a lot of opportunities were missed to question them more thoroughly, but thanks for the detailed report SMITHY... [;)]

 

 

[Smudger 0]

Why when I post something sensible, nobody has an answer for it?

BUMP

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

[quote user="Smudger"]

Why when I post something sensible, nobody has an answer for it?

BUMP

[/quote]Probably because people have been stunned into cyberspace silence by the unexpectedness of it!To be serious, to take one part of Smudger''s post, I don''t blame people for being confused by the whole "for sale/not for sale" thing. Frankly, the club has not helped itself here, and the blatantly contradictory comments at Monday''s meeting only added to the confusion.The long explanation will appear on an updated version of my Cullumgate website sometime in the next decade, but the short answer is that the club is effectively up for sale, but Smith and Jones don''t seem to want to say that. Perhaps their stance is best expressed by saying that the club, while not strictly up for sale, is nevertheless available to be bought.

[blahblahblah 2]

[quote user="PurpleCanary"]Perhaps their stance is best expressed by saying that the club, while not strictly up for sale, is nevertheless available to be bought.[/quote]When selling a second hand car, there are people you would not want to sell to, and prices you would not want to sell for.  Appearing too keen would diminish the value of the asset I would imagine.

[WeAreYellows49 0]

[quote user="Smudger"]

Why when I post something sensible, nobody has an answer for it?

BUMP

[/quote]

 

Not surprised you haven''t got any answers are you? lol

[Smudger 0]

[quote user="blahblahblah"][quote user="PurpleCanary"]Perhaps their stance is best expressed by saying that the club, while not strictly up for sale, is nevertheless available to be bought.[/quote]

When selling a second hand car, there are people you would not want to sell to, and prices you would not want to sell for.  Appearing too keen would diminish the value of the asset I would imagine.
[/quote]

I think that you have hit the nail on the head here blahblahblah... [;)]

Well if Delia & Michael and Mr Gunn do not get it right this season then they could always call the scrap metal dealer and ask them to take the car off their driveway???

[Smudger 0]

[quote user="WeAreYellows49"][quote user="Smudger"]

Why when I post something sensible, nobody has an answer for it?

BUMP

[/quote]

 

Not surprised you haven''t got any answers are you? lol

[/quote]

NOPE... it really does show when I post something that there are no answers to doesn''t it?

I look forward to NCISA seeing if they can get Delia & Michael along to the AGM so that they can maybe real the list of questions above off to them again.

I am sure that  Delia & Michael, plus Secret Agent McNally will be suitably prepared by then, but will Smudger have yet more questions for them if there answers are not up to the mark? [:^)]

[Tangible Fixed Assets anyone? 0]

[quote user="Mr.Carrow"][quote user="Ankles"]

1. Season had justed ended, there was time to allow dust to settle and other candidates looking for a challenged to throw hat into teh ring. The Boards appoitned Gunn & team far to early after season end and did not take tiem to review new options that could/would appear

2. Sell out crowds not generating enough income to cover costs...well in letting wage spend escalate to twice that of other CCC clubs, i believe the Preston figures released were just under 3million the Board have to be culpable in putting us into that position.  Clearly players would join a club on a "modest" wage and not the figures we banded about

[/quote]

Preston spent about £8m on their team in 2008.  We spent £6.8m on player wages- a large part of which was funded by a £3.5m profit in the transfer market.  Spend on the team is NOT the big issue at NCFC.  In 2008 £17m was spent on non-player wage costs- double that of 2002 and the same level as when we were in the Premier league with a turnover of £38m. THIS is the issue- what on earth is all that money being spent on?

[/quote]

Exactly.  Time for the non playing (exc. catering) overheads to be reduced at NCFC.

[Tangible Fixed Assets anyone? 0]

[quote user="......and Smith must score."]

DM : ( No direct answer ) Income has dropped by a third but our expenses are the same ( where this figure was plucked from is a mystery to me ) 

[/quote]

So have a good look at the non footy overheads...

According to Doncasters analysis in the press some months ago, there are some obvious places to be looked at

[Wembley_Canary 0]

Is it just me or have the events that took place at the Capital Canaries AGM are yet to be published in the EDP? Does Delia have archant wrapped around her little finger?

[lappinitup 629]

[quote user="Smudger"]I look forward to NCISA seeing if they can get Delia & Michael along to the AGM so that they can maybe real the list of questions above off to them again.[/quote]Smudger. It appears that you have little understanding of these things so I will try to explain it briefly for you........

An AGM is where an organisation reviews the previous years events, opens it''s accounts for it''s members and discusses it''s ambitions for the forthcoming year. Officers and commitee members are offered for re-election (or otherwise), co-opted and new members are elected to the commitee (here''s your chance). This is not to be confused with a fans forum where the whole evening can be spent discussing NCFC with invited members of the NCFC board.

I would have thought that NCISA have enough to discuss regarding how they can best help our club and which people are best to take them forward without the distraction of a fans forum on the same night. 

[Smudger 0]

[quote user="lappinitup"]

[quote user="Smudger"]I look forward to NCISA seeing if they can get Delia & Michael along to the AGM so that they can maybe real the list of questions above off to them again.[/quote]Smudger. It appears that you have little understanding of these things so I will try to explain it briefly for you........

An AGM is where an organisation reviews the previous years events, opens it''s accounts for it''s members and discusses it''s ambitions for the forthcoming year. Officers and commitee members are offered for re-election (or otherwise), co-opted and new members are elected to the commitee (here''s your chance). This is not to be confused with a fans forum where the whole evening can be spent discussing NCFC with invited members of the NCFC board.

I would have thought that NCISA have enough to discuss regarding how they can best help our club and which people are best to take them forward without the distraction of a fans forum on the same night. 

[/quote]

I know exactly what an AGM is for Lapp, so no need for your bed time story.

So why invite Mr McNally then??? [:^)]

[......and Smith must score. 1,332]

[quote user="West_London_Canary"]

Is it just me or have the events that took place at the Capital Canaries AGM are yet to be published in the EDP? Does Delia have archant wrapped around her little finger?

[/quote]

As far as I know it''s not been in the EDP but it was the lead front page story in Tuesday''s EEN

[Camuldonum 0]

[quote user="West_London_Canary"]

Is it just me or have the events that took place at the Capital Canaries AGM are yet to be published in the EDP? Does Delia have archant wrapped around her little finger?

[/quote]

No, they ran a piece but there was more info on here.

[Camuldonum 0]

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/News/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=enonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED11%20Aug%202009%2007%3A49%3A51%3A630

[Tim Allman 1]

[quote user="......and Smith must score."][quote user="West_London_Canary"]

Is it just me or have the events that took place at the Capital Canaries AGM are yet to be published in the EDP? Does Delia have archant wrapped around her little finger?

[/quote]

As far as I know it''s not been in the EDP but it was the lead front page story in Tuesday''s EEN

[/quote]

Peter Walsh was the EEN reporter and it is his turn for City View this week, so it may also get reported there.

 

[Camuldonum 0]

They also woke up, several days late in this fashion:

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED12%20Aug%202009%2007%3A34%3A16%3A090

 

Bosses is banned this end except for the Daily Star.[;)]

[Ren 75]

It was on Page 9 of the EDP on Tuesday.

[Ren 75]

So, to all those who said the Capital Canaries were not tough enough on the board, I look forward to reading your "sorry" messages!