Rob Fielding says he’s worried by the silence at the club right now and thinks the loss of local newspaper coverage hasn’t helped as inhouse media interviews allow the club to stay in its ‘comfort zone’.
Rob Fielding writes…
It seems to me that the club hierarchy are really reluctant to step out of a comfort zone this season. Whenever there has been questions it’s largely been inhouse – whether that’s a fan forum or an interview with the inhouse media team. The last discussion with an external organisation was CEO Matt Hancock’s interview with BBC Radio Stoke back in mid-January. As a result, I don’t think the club have had the searching questions that they could have had.
Local media loss is worrying
Part of the issue is the Sentinel newspaper ceasing its Vale coverage. Mike Baggaley’s newsletter is great but it’s subscription based and the cost means a much reduced audience. The newsletter therefore doesn’t have the circulation and influence that a freely available newspaper website article used to have. This loss of an external organisation asking searching questions of the club is missed. BBC Radio Stoke do a fine job but with the newsletter costing a subscription fee, Radio Stoke are pretty much the only local professional free-to-air Port Vale coverage.
I remember the days of the “MOLD” board when this website was launching calls for things to change. But OVF isn’t a heavy hitter (its audience is nowhere near that of the local press) and it was only when the Sentinel came onboard, launched a serious of investigative reports and front page splashes that the pressure really came to bear on the club. So, the loss of local newspaper coverage has been felt in terms of less need for accountability by the club.
No outcomes
The result is that I don’t think the club have not had to deliver on their promises. For instance, there was the “full review” after the David Flitcroft debacle. What was the result of that – what issues were identified and what were the actions that resulted? We don’t know because the club haven’t been pushed to disclose the results. There has been no statement of what the club learned and did. Furthermore the fact that this season has echoed the 2024 one so closely (poor recruitment, a manager dismissed too late, radio silence from the club) would suggest that any review achieved nothing. The club can only refute that by showing what did result from that review.
What does that mean? I would imagine that most fans, like me, do not expect total transparency. It’s not practical – the club doesn’t need to be accountable for every single thing, some elements may need to remain confidential and so on. I also accept that some of the club hierarchy – Carol Shanahan for instance – may not want to personally speak to the media. It seems the co-owner was “burnt” by a video of a speech during the 2023-24 season and feels its best to not speak out. That’s fair enough but a reluctance to appear in person doesn’t mean the club should not be communicating in more general terms.
Statements not interviews
What do I mean by ‘more general’ terms? Well, if a review was promised then surely there should be some details of what was actually done. It doesn’t have to take the form of an interview on camera to PVTV, or Q&As at fans forums – perhaps what we’re missing here is good, old-fashioned club statements on the website. You know something along the line of – we did this plan and these people were involved and these were the top-level results of that. That sort of thing would certainly be a start and help to address the silence coming out of the club.
However, what would be even more reassuring would be the club stepping out of the inhouse media comfort zone and sitting down with the local media to answer some hard questions on what’s going wrong. I’m sure BBC Radio Stoke or the Valiant newsletter would be happy to oblige if approached.
What do you reckon? Good points or hot air? Share your views and post a comment below.
Radio Stoke are, unfortunately, incapable of asking difficult or probing questions. Every interview they conduct, be that pre match or post match is always ‘nicey nicey’ and never touches on uncomfortable topics.
Phil Bowers conducts himself like a star struck child that has been given the opportunity his favourite pop star. Safe, predictable questions. Utterly useless.
It’s very difficult for anyone to conduct an in-depth interview whether that be with players, management or the owners, especially if they don’t wish to do one. I can recall above once when the sentinel journalist have been banned from the club for printing something the club (owners) objected to. Upset anyone and they just blackball you and you’re unable to do your job.
Carol Shanahan is an excellent communicator when she chooses, better than Mr Hancock. Interviews with the club’s owner seem to have dried up after stinging criticism, especially after the Flitcroft affair. Additionally, high profile community efforts are seen by some supporters as distracting from club responsibilities. More recently the deferred dismissal of Darren Moore sparked more complaints and criticism how the club is run. Like it or not, these events haven’t encouraged Carol to speak to the microphone, or share her thoughts and aspirations for the club. The local word to explain this could be “sneeped”. Nobody is happy with the club’s position, and some supporters relations with the club are fractured. Perhaps a senior figure from the Supporters Club can broker a break through to resurrect communications. Meanwhile supporters will expect the Shanahans to continue to bank roll their club.
I have complained for a long time about the running of the club, both on and off the pitch. I was as happy as anyone when the Shanahans took over the club. My expectancy was, the club was now (at last) in the hands of a very successful business family, who would run the club in a professional manner, which we would and could all be proud of. How disappointed have I been? They run the club as if we were in North Korea, we have almost record losses every season. Anyone with any football knowledge of how to run a football club were driven out and we end up with clowns like Flitcroft and Hancock running the club. We have these massive losses season after season resulting in the football club owing them £15million, that is before last years and this year’s losses have been announced. Fans, especially the ones who don’t use the corporate side are just ignored and railroaded. On field it’s just been one disaster after another. If yon compare the six and a half years under Smurthwaites reign compared to the six and a half years under the Shanahans it’s frightening. Even after Smurthwaite had put a number of fundraising activities into the name of his own companies, the football club still only had debts to him of £2million, a snip of what he owe the Shanahans. We had four successive seasons in league one under Smurthwaite, under the Shanahans we’ve had two relegated! Not for one minute am I suggesting I would want Smurthwaite back but it does highlight what an absolute cockup of it Carol, Hancock and Co have made. And still they don’t have the manors to speak to us!
David Brown , personally I don’t expect the Shanahans to continue to bankroll the club as you put it , I foolishly expected them to come in with their business expertise and not have these massive losses. Your post makes me feel you have a personal interest in this issue, whether you’re a friend of the Shanahans I don’t know. Everyone is grateful to the Shanahans for them purchasing the club, but even you must admit these massive losses are unsustainable and the footballing side of the club has been run atrociously. And no I don’t expect the club to make massive profits, and no I don’t expect the club to be in the championship. But I do expect a lot better than what we are getting .
Sorry Ian I do expect the club to be in the Championship these are Carols words.as for Carol being in charge I said a long time ago Under these owner Vale would go bankrupt, she knows what she is doing to our club, I would say she is 10 times worse than Smurthwaite, but I got slated for that comment , and told to stay away from Vale, if you look back at my comments I said she was killing the club from inside and she is,and good at it, it’s been happening she purchased the club bit by bit slowly slowly catches monkey, I am surprised the FA have not said anything yet, I will tell you this PORT VALE football club will never be the same again, I’ve seen some fantastic local players play for us and been bloody proud of them, most of the.team now are Unfortunately not even none league standard and Carol and co know it.
Who would want to buy a football club , owners bring in managers and then managers bring in their players . Now look whats happened the players fail and the manager fail and the fan’s stick the boot into owners
Fans expect players to work for their pay ,the manager is paid for results.
For me the football comes first the community comes second ,for all the Vale have done is the community coming through the turnstiles no .
When Vale do get successful then community will follow. No the other way run so it seems
Yes the shanehans should address the supporters instead of hiding behind mat hancock we need answers to some of there decisions on aspects of the club and how far that are willing to take the club anyfurther