This is why Port Vale need a CEO!
Rob Fielding says that the recent tweet from owner Norman Smurthwaite once again highlights the need for a CEO at the club.
Rob Fielding writes…
Following three days of controversy at Vale Park, owner Norman Smurthwaite tweeted the above comment.
I don’t expect the owner to run the day-to-day business of the club while he is on a break – that is fair enough. But he should surely consider appointing someone who can run the club on a daily basis – a CEO!
While I don’t believe his suggestion that he could “consider his options” is serious, I think he should consider another option far more seriously.
I don’t expect the owner to run the day-to-day business of the club while he is on a break – that is fair enough. But he should surely consider appointing someone who can run the club on a daily basis – a CEO!
I outlined my own belief in why a CEO would benefit Vale recently and I have to say that the events of recent days have only reinforced my view that we are in dire need of someone to look after the “nuts and bolts” of running a football club – an experienced CEO who has footballing experience is a must.
If the chairman cannot manage the club on a daily basis (which is reasonable – he shouldn’t be there 365 days a year) he needs someone he can rely upon in his absence and it is clear Vale currently lack that person.
With the recent issues at the club – a transfer embargo that the manager was unaware of, the Joe Davis eligibility debacle at Plymouth and the failure to register Lee Hughes’ loan last season, it is clear that even the basics are beyond some Vale staff. As the panel below on the right indicates, it is part of a CEO’s duty to manage the day-to-day running of an organisation. That is surely exactly what we are missing!
With that in mind, a good (note that word Messrs Deakin and Bratt) CEO will more than pay for themselves so if we can attract the right person then that initial loss will soon be forgotten as the CEO brings more revenue into the club.
A CEO who knows the game can undoubtedly help a Chairman who publicly admits he is still a “novice” and has missed the input given by the more PR and marketing savvy Paul Wildes.
There are plenty of issues that need resolving at Vale Park – including the future of manager Micky Adams and the future of 14 first-teamers – and many would argue that these things should have been dealt with already. Perhaps with a CEO who has worked in the game, who can plan and organise, these issues would already be ironed out and perhaps communication would also have been better too.
So, for me once again the question is not – “can the club afford a CEO?” it’s simply “can the club afford not to have one?”
What does a CEO do?
The role of a chief executive is to deliver the strategic plan, coordinate an operational plan and essentially manage the day-to-day running of an organisation.