City View featuring Neil Doncaster

[Tim Allman 1]

This week''s Evening News City View would more than likely be described by Neil Doncaster as “unhelpful”.

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/sport/FansEye/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=FansEye&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=FansEye&itemid=NOED22%20Oct%202009%2010%3A47%3A15%3A320

And the writer had has a pop at the post match lynch mob on here as well.

One of the more interesting City Views I have read, so well done to David Powles.

 

[canary cherub 1]

Sums up the man to a T - "I did this, I did that" as if all the success was down to him and all the failure down to someone else

What a self-serving creep he really is

Good piece

 

[The Butler 0]

The one good point made was "perhaps things would have changed sooner if fans had voted with their feet"

I think many on this board have said the same to be called bad fans for saying so.

[nutty nigel 7,598]

Well to be fair the one of the main reasons why fans didn''t vote with their feet was that the Evening News columnists of the day encouraged them to hound out the manager instead. I don''t remember them suggesting a protest against any of the board or chief exec. In fact their only fault seemed to be that they were supporting that manager for too long. This just goes to show how people can shift blame seamlessly from one target to another when the results are poor and the changes they crave don''t work out.

Doncaster must have had something to do with the our good attendances although to claim full credit in the way this reads is ridiculous. Worthy had far more to do with the increased attendances than Doncaster could ever dream of having. But the man has class, has conducted himself impeccably and his dignity remains in tact a full three years after he was sacked.

 

[The Butler 0]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]

Well to be fair the one of the main reasons why fans didn''t vote with their feet was that the Evening News columnists of the day encouraged them to hound out the manager instead. I don''t remember them suggesting a protest against any of the board or chief exec. In fact their only fault seemed to be that they were supporting that manager for too long. This just goes to show how people can shift blame seamlessly from one target to another when the results are poor and the changes they crave don''t work out.

Doncaster must have had something to do with the our good attendances although to claim full credit in the way this reads is ridiculous. Worthy had far more to do with the increased attendances than Doncaster could ever dream of having. But the man has class, has conducted himself impeccably and his dignity remains in tact a full three years after he was sacked.

 

[/quote]

That was brilliant the way you managed to get Worthy into a Doncaster thread!![:D]

I bet you start bedtime stories to the grandchildren "once upon a time there was this Irish saint called Nigel"[;)]

[The Fish Seller 0]

This explains how he got the SPL job. Simply lied through his back teeth on his CV!!! [:@] [:@]

[Joanna Grey 0]

http://www.pinkun.com/cs_pinkun/cs/forums/1878850/ShowPost.aspx

 

 

[nutty nigel 7,598]

[quote user="The Butler"][quote user="nutty nigel"]

Well to be fair the one of the main reasons why fans didn''t vote with their feet was that the Evening News columnists of the day encouraged them to hound out the manager instead. I don''t remember them suggesting a protest against any of the board or chief exec. In fact their only fault seemed to be that they were supporting that manager for too long. This just goes to show how people can shift blame seamlessly from one target to another when the results are poor and the changes they crave don''t work out.

Doncaster must have had something to do with the our good attendances although to claim full credit in the way this reads is ridiculous. Worthy had far more to do with the increased attendances than Doncaster could ever dream of having. But the man has class, has conducted himself impeccably and his dignity remains in tact a full three years after he was sacked.

 

[/quote]

That was brilliant the way you managed to get Worthy into a Doncaster thread!![:D]

I bet you start bedtime stories to the grandchildren "once upon a time there was this Irish saint called Nigel"[;)]

[/quote]

At least they don''t get scared like yours do with "Once upon a time there was a wicked witch..........

[;)]

 

[jelltex 0]

A very fair article and further proof as to what a spinmeister the Doomcaster was.

[The Butler 0]

[quote user="nutty nigel"][quote user="The Butler"][quote user="nutty nigel"]

Well to be fair the one of the main reasons why fans didn''t vote with their feet was that the Evening News columnists of the day encouraged them to hound out the manager instead. I don''t remember them suggesting a protest against any of the board or chief exec. In fact their only fault seemed to be that they were supporting that manager for too long. This just goes to show how people can shift blame seamlessly from one target to another when the results are poor and the changes they crave don''t work out.

Doncaster must have had something to do with the our good attendances although to claim full credit in the way this reads is ridiculous. Worthy had far more to do with the increased attendances than Doncaster could ever dream of having. But the man has class, has conducted himself impeccably and his dignity remains in tact a full three years after he was sacked.

 

[/quote]

That was brilliant the way you managed to get Worthy into a Doncaster thread!![:D]

I bet you start bedtime stories to the grandchildren "once upon a time there was this Irish saint called Nigel"[;)]

[/quote]

At least they don''t get scared like yours do with "Once upon a time there was a wicked witch..........

[;)]

 

[/quote]

Since when have I started about wicked witches that''s your line!

In fact I like her mum, she''s a nice old girl[:D]

The joys of remembering the bedtime stories that start Bob the builder can you fix it?

[Mr.Carrow 378]

Why is anyone surprised by this?  Anyone with half a brain could work out that Doncaster was one of those people who would say pretty much anything- true or otherwise- to cover himself.  Doesn`t the fact that our majority shareholders allowed this tool to exert so much influence during our decline tell you something?

In time there will probably be similar articles written about them.....

[gazzathegreat 0]

I go along with that Mr Carrow. Nothing Doncaster has ever said has surprised me, nor the fact he stayed with us so long.

Let him go along deluding himself. He will be remembered for "looking after" NCFC during our decline, during those excessive loan deals, players leaving after clauses in our contracts, the hotel, and not forgetting all that sterling work in patronising legions of city fans outside the club shop over a long period and never answering a question.

I just feel sorry for those who live in Scotland and have to put up with him.

Surely there is somewhere high up in the Labour Party for him, should his present employers see the light.

[Duncan Edwards 0]

Well, Gazza.

"He will be remembered for "looking after" NCFC during our decline, during those excessive loan deals, players leaving after clauses in our contracts, the hotel, and not forgetting all that sterling work in patronising legions of city fans outside the club shop over a long period and never answering a question."

Maybe he will.

It just seems strange to me that numerous people on here have very selective memories. If he had only had some influence over the last, what, 3 or 4 years, then perhaps your rant would hold some water. I certainly  don''t agree with the inference that attendance increase was all down to him or the whole "I did this, I did that" demeanour of the statement BUT to try and infer that the club has been/was in decline for the entire time he was associated with the club is equally ridiculous. Why shouldn''t he claim SOME (admittedly not all) credit for the fact that we attract consistently high attendances, he isn''t telling fibs with the figures is he?

I''m interested to know which position you have earmarked for him in the Labour Party. To paraphrase the Blair campaign of 97, things don''t always get better, everyone wanted Worthy out too...

 

 

[25overpar 0]

I agree with pretty much every comment made so far, but would just like to add something that has no other foundation than being my opinion. There have been countless threads attacking ''Smith & Jones'' and blaming them for our decline. I believe they are to blame, but only in as much as they entrusted too much power to Doncaster. I''m sure we all remember the "Pudence with Ambition" phrase that was trotted out on a far too regular basis to justify not investing in Premiership quality players when we had the opportunity and the need to do so. I don''t know, but I would put money on the fact that this phrase was coined by none other than ND. He may have had some input into the success achieved by the club in attracting such high season ticket sales, but never the 100% he appears to be claiming. As far as I''m concerned ND is interseted in nothing more than a balance sheet and ironically this has led to the ultimate damage to that same balance sheet as a result of the decline for which, unlike the increased attendances he can claim 100% responsibility.

And now we are in the third division with no money, where is the fool who caused it? Moved on of course; to a position that''s probably even better paid where he can preside over another disaster!

[T 190]

There seems to be a basic litaracy problem on this message board. ND, said "we" not "I". I''m sure there are some basic literacy classes available in the community or perhaps what some people really need is some compulsive obsessive behaviour therapy.

[canary cherub 1]

[quote user="T"]There seems to be a basic litaracy problem on this message board. ND, said "we" not "I". I''m sure there are some basic literacy classes available in the community or perhaps what some people really need is some compulsive obsessive behaviour therapy.[/quote]

LOL [:D]

Thank you Neil

 

[The Fish Seller 0]

[quote user="T"]There seems to be a basic litaracy problem on this message board. ND, said "we" not "I". I''m sure there are some basic literacy classes available in the community or perhaps what some people really need is some compulsive obsessive behaviour therapy.[/quote]Could you highlight this for us please ''T''? I''ve reproduced the original article from the Daily Record below if that helps.[quote]

Secret agents to test SPL stadiums in bid to win back supporters

Oct 20 2009

By Hugh Keevins

THE SPL will send out undercover agents to every top-flight ground in a bid to halt plummeting attendances.

Chief executive Neil Doncaster has decided to act just days after Rangers boss Walter Smith insisted our game is dying.

Doncaster swears his Family Champions scheme - which will involve

selected families anonymously visiting every top-12 stadium to report

on the quality of supporters'' facilities such as the state of the

Bovril - is the way to breathe life back into the SPL.

But he denied the woeful standard of football is the real reason fans are staying away.

Doncaster said: "We''re not attempting to sort out Scottish football at a stroke of the pen.

"But I know crowds can rise regardless of how any team is doing on the park.

"I proved I could do it when I was chief executive at Norwich City and I can do it again in Scotland.

"The product on the pitch can be right and there are still grounds with empty seats in other parts of the world.

"I have a duty to make the SPL environment the best it possibly can be.

"We need to understand why people choose to go to a certain game and

find out what it will take to bring them back on a regular basis.

"Pricing is vitally important but we need to understand the changes that have taken place in society.

"When Scottish grounds were less pleasant than they are now, such as in

the 50s and 60s, there were fewer leisure options available to the

public. That''s not the case today.

Decline "We have the best supported league in western Europe on a per

capita basis but we must tap into the family support and make people

delighted to be inside an SPL ground."

Doncaster, though, faces an incredibly tough challenge. Finances are

nosediving and season-ticket sales have gone into decline - even at the

Old Firm.

The national team has fallen to 46th place in the world rankings amid

fears Scotland could be in pot four for the qualifying groups for Euro

2012.

And the Old Firm face two matches this week that will influence their

diminishing reputation in Europe when Rangers take on Unirea in the

Champions League and Celtic host Hamburg in the Europa League. It''s not

the type of background that would normally have a customer service

survey as the first remedy for recovery.

But Doncaster remains convinced his scheme will lead to the restoration of the SPL''s battered reputation.

Hesaid: "Performance on the pitch is of paramount importance. I accept that.

"But 11 teams can''t win the SPL Championship and they still need to

drive families through the gate. The more people who go to football,

the more money the clubs will have to invest in players and the greater

the chance there will be for raising standards on the pitch.

Mystery "I put on crowds at Norwich when the team wasn''t successful on

the park and I can repeat that success in Scotland. I know I can."

The SPL''s mystery shoppers will visit all grounds and draw up detailed

reports on ticket booking, club shops, refreshment kiosks,stewarding

and the match itself.

The scheme will begin this weekend and the club found to be most

customer friendly will be pronounced the SPL Family Champions at the

end of the season.

A conference will then be arranged for the clubs to discuss a plan for change.

Doncaster added: "I''m committed to making the SPL attractive for fans.

This is the first step in that process and it''s a proven success model.

"At Norwich, I increased season-ticket sales from 6600 to 20,000 in spite of mixed results on the field.

"If we get this scheme right in the SPL we have a real chance of winning families back to the game."

Doncaster wouldn''t directly answer questions about Smith''s savaging criticism of the SPL. [:D]

But he did add: "People can look at this scheme however they wish but

if it succeeds then everyone''s a winner. The SPL has a lot going for

it." [/quote]

[T 190]

http://www.pinkun.com/content/pinkun/norwich-city/story.aspx?brand=PINKUNOnline&category=Norwich&tBrand=PINKUNOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=NOED22%20Oct%202009%2017%3A55%3A14%3A037

people read what they want to read

[T 190]

[quote user="canary cherub "]

[quote user="T"]There seems to be a basic litaracy problem on this message board. ND, said "we" not "I". I''m sure there are some basic literacy classes available in the community or perhaps what some people really need is some compulsive obsessive behaviour therapy.[/quote]

LOL [:D]

Thank you Neil

 

[/quote]

that''s ok -  predictable but a little bit of mild entertainment to let it happen

[CanaryPurple 0]

In the Daily Record article Doncaster is quoted as using "I". In the EDP article he is quoted as using "we".So in the Record you get:“At Norwich, I increased season-ticket sales from 6,600 to 20,000 in spite of mixed results on the field. I

put on crowds at Norwich when the team wasn''t successful on the park

and I can repeat that success in Scotland. I know I can.”

In the EDP you get:“There, we managed to increase the number of season ticket holders from

6,600 to 20,000. We put crowds on at Norwich when the team wasn''t

successful on the pitch and I can repeat that success in Scotland.

You''ve got to remember that money through the gate is still the number

one source of revenue for our clubs."

[canary cherub 1]

[quote user="T"][quote user="canary cherub "]

[quote user="T"]There seems to be a basic litaracy problem on this message board. ND, said "we" not "I". I''m sure there are some basic literacy classes available in the community or perhaps what some people really need is some compulsive obsessive behaviour therapy.[/quote]

LOL [:D]

Thank you Neil

 

[/quote]

that''s ok -  predictable but a little bit of mild entertainment to let it happen

[/quote]

Yeah right [;)]

 

[canary cherub 1]

[quote user="CanaryPurple"]In the Daily Record article Doncaster is quoted as using "I". In the EDP article he is quoted as using "we".

So in the Record you get:

“At Norwich, I increased season-ticket sales from 6,600 to 20,000 in spite of mixed results on the field. I put on crowds at Norwich when the team wasn''t successful on the park and I can repeat that success in Scotland. I know I can.”


In the EDP you get:

“There, we managed to increase the number of season ticket holders from 6,600 to 20,000. We put crowds on at Norwich when the team wasn''t successful on the pitch and I can repeat that success in Scotland. You''ve got to remember that money through the gate is still the number one source of revenue for our clubs."


[/quote]

Both direct quotes and therefore probably accurate.

How very interesting, and so typical of the man. 

The SPL haven''t rumbled him yet, clearly.  Took us long enough after all.

 

 

[nutty nigel 7,598]

So are Archant in bed with Doomcaster even though he is toast?

We need answers in order to find out who the dishonest people really are[:O]

[;)]

I need to go to those literacy classes but I bet they''re on Tuesday evenings when I like to go to football.

 

[The Fish Seller 0]

[quote user="T"]

http://www.pinkun.com/content/pinkun/norwich-city/story.aspx?brand=PINKUNOnline&category=Norwich&tBrand=PINKUNOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=NOED22%20Oct%202009%2017%3A55%3A14%3A037

people read what they want to read

[/quote]Or maybe Neil says what he thinks people will want to read.

[norfolkchance1 0]

Just wonder how long it will be before someone does another one of them caption competition threads with the picture of him grinning at the trophy, you''d think he was the manager of a team that had just won it.

[canary cherub 1]

[quote user="Mr.Carrow"]

Anyone with half a brain could work out that Doncaster was one of those people who would say pretty much anything- true or otherwise- to cover himself.  Doesn`t the fact that our majority shareholders allowed this tool to exert so much influence during our decline tell you something?

[/quote]

Yes. It tells us that provided he could utilise his way with words and his sober prudent image to keep the fans eating out of their hands, he had a job for life, could do exactly what he liked and was accountable to no one.  D&M must have known how much time he spent playing email tennis with the fans, which is not normally part of a CEO''s remit, but it was worth it to them even it if meant he was neglecting essential aspects of his job, like giving leadership and direction to the football club. 

Doncaster would say (and do) anything to ingratiate himself.  Getting personal emails from the very top of the club would make the fans feel important,  regardless of whether the content actually meant what they thought it meant, and it was one of the key reasons why so many ignored the obvious for so long.  They trusted him.  When he said "this is a well run club" they believed it without reserve.  He could use a form of words to swat away the most penetrating of questions. 

Does anyone really know the exact circumstances of his departure - was he sacked?  It was pretty obvious last season that he was desperately looking for another job so that the Chief Rat could abandon ship before the proverbial really hit the fan. 

 

 

[canary cherub 1]

[quote user="canary cherub "]

Doncaster would say (and do) anything to ingratiate himself.  Getting personal emails from the very top of the club would make the fans feel important,  regardless of whether the content actually meant what they thought it meant, and it was one of the key reasons why so many ignored the obvious for so long.  They trusted him.  When he said "this is a well run club" they believed it without reserve.  He could use a form of words to swat away the most penetrating of questions. 

[/quote]

On relection I would go further than that.  It was one of the key reasons why the fans were so divided.  He promoted the idea that being a loyal fan meant being unquestioningly loyal to the board, and those who believed it naturally saw the sceptics as disloyal and treacherous. 

 

[T 190]

The only place I the saw that argument was on the message board so it seems to be you that it is perpetuating that view. Why the paranoid obsession with ND anyway. He is gone. It is the past. Move on.

[Mello Yello 2,302]

[quote user="T"]

The only place I the saw that argument was on the message board so it seems to be you that it is perpetuating that view. Why the paranoid obsession with ND anyway. He is gone. It is the past. Move on.

[/quote]

Only if you move on first, you club crawly bum lick.

[canary cherub 1]

[quote user="T"]

The only place I the saw that argument was on the message board so it seems to be you that it is perpetuating that view. Why the paranoid obsession with ND anyway. He is gone. It is the past. Move on.

[/quote]

Where else would you expect to see it?  Match programmes?  Archant?  I don''t think so . . .