Stockwood interview: debt to be cleared early

Quoted from gtfc_chris

When it comes to JF I must hold my hands up and say that for a large portion of time I bought (got caught) into his communication that no-one was willing to buy the Club and that he was holding the Club up.

Despite never been a 'fan' of JF, I spent many a year being what I considered 'pragmatic' about the difficulties that exist in running a football club, the main one being that it is not an industry associated with profit and therefore being 'understanding' of a local man with just enough wealth to keep it going without risk to the Club and being thankful for that.

I must confess to being a bit simple really, not idiotic, not completely stupid but I don't really look under rocks and search for conspiracies, I just plod along enjoying the view on the way. Even with this being the case, as age kept creeping up and taking slightly more interest in the finer aspects of the Club and it's running certain things started to become apparent, even without being on forums to hear wider views. Some people hear something once and can see through the message, others (me!) need it to be repeated a few times over a time period, but eventually everyone but the blind will see it.

I think most of the fanbase had seen enough to understand that JF was clearly holding the Club hostage from fans for either local status or riches to be gained through developments around a new stadium - or both - a considerable amount of time before the Alex May news.

At the point 1878 bought the Club, everyone will have had a view on how good/bad they felt JF did for the Club, and it's very apparent how some people here rated him! Although my final opinion of JF at the point of sale was a very negative one and I was delighted to have new owners, it still felt very nervy as to what would be in store. As mentioned, like most I have no idea the complexities of running a football club and given the previous 20 years, what could these guys do that would categorically be better?

The answer is simple: everything! Simple though I may be, I have a personal belief that when trying to organise or run a Club, event or task, no detail should be considered too small. It's in the fine detail that you find the best quality, the touches that impress, that add additional value and can be what separates the fine line between success and failure. It was the big issues that ultimately made JFs role untenable, but it was the small details that when you look back at it all that provided the consistent period of below par performance across most area's of the Club.

The new owners have had to spend a lot of money bringing up to scratch the range of small details JF neglected but we're seeing how much they've played a part in galvanising the fanbase, aiding the playing and coaching staff in fulfilling their job to the best of their abilities and changing the entire outlook of a football club.

I don't agree with GrimPols assessment of the previous regime but I'm not going to try and convince him/her to abandon his thoughts, they're his/her views and I don't believe it's anyones place to try and force them to change.

What I would say, however, is that regardless of your view at the time of his tenure, I would measure his success by comparison of the feeling around the Club today. Record ST sales by over 2000 is not 'luck'. Selling out of home shirts on day 1 is not 'coincidence'. It's people recognising that the current incumbents of the Club are not neglecting the present, not neglecting the fans in pursuit of a personal legacy. As a fanbase we - in the past - have been over-expectant, impatient and overly-critical, but this has been in response to failures at boardroom level with no desire to learn or change. Those attributes are not prevalent right now because the owners DO have a desire to learn and WILL change  when they make their learnings. If you didn't see things as board room failures before, then 1878 are conclusively proving that they were.

I'm in agreement with everyone who has said we must remember the past. For those who aren't naturally distrusting of people, there needs to be frame of reference and evidence to judge the present. Hopefully in 10 years time we can still be sat here, comfortably playing in L1 and celebrating prolonged good times and that provides the evidence for the next 10 years and the standards we should expect from whatever owners we have at the time.

Quoted from friskneymariner

No  just of being  such a sad wind up merchant, who life is so sad  that this is the only way to get your kicks.Those who followed the crowd are those Fenty sycophants and hanger ons who did not or would not see where he was leading us and red crossed every anti-Fenty post.There is loyalty and then there is  blind self interest; learn to tell the difference.

Quoted from aldi_01

So you’re not John or family member after all, you’re Tim Westwood…

Quoted from HatTrickHero

Goodness me this has taken a sinister turn.

yeah, I'm out.

Quoted from GrimPol

You see I'm prepared to think through and say what I believe is right. You interpret that as sycophancy, blind following, and disloyalty. You have no evidence, you just shout and attack. It's making you ill.
The build-up bile in your head is making you blind. Doleo tibi.

Quoted from GrimPol

One accuses me of being John, the other of Alan Partridge. Make your minds up.
But then that's all you have, derogatory remarks, no substance.

Quoted from friskneymariner

Go on then i'll bite,name all the positives he did for the club,that weren't born out of self interest.

Quoted from GrimPol

Good. 1 down a few to go.

Quoted from GrimPol

No discussion, no substance, just attack. Doleo tibi