LancyTony

Wow...that IS an expectation! If Carol decides she needs him at the club, it will be in this role, She's not likely to demote him, I don't think? But, I do see where you're coming from - I just don't like to question professional people's abilities unless I know them, personally, and work with them, and I don't form ideas about them based on rumours, conjecture or the obvious loathing and pre-conceptions some fans have for DF, particularly, and the role of DoF, which they think doesn't belong in a League 1 club!

I agree to an extent...the transfer kitty isn't affected by money spent on community engagement, it's a proportion of the club's income and can't exceed that figure. But there are other reasons for attendances dropping - with the postponements, we are getting too many games too close together...and when they are home games it's a big ask for fans to support Vale every game. I guess, even worse for away games with the cost of travel thrown in? And, yes - I'm aware that fans vote with their feet if the product on the pitch isn't great. But Vale have always had a core following that doesn't seem to dip? Without knowing the actual events, I'd hesitate to question the ability or attitude of a professional businessman? I can't see the reason behind DF deliberately leaving us short - what's his motive? But, we don't know how many times players and / or clubs have let us down / changed their minds at the last minute? Or their own targets have fallen through? I know people have said "just get anybody in, FFS - we need bodies!" But - what would have been the reaction if one of those bodies had been Theo Robinson???

Absolutely right, BB!!! And look at the scale of some of the debts racked up over the decades - QPR...£170 million +, I believe? Wigan / Bolton not far away from that? Ludicrous...insanity!

hmmmmm......

He does...but, he had a few more years than the Shanahans have had! Some of our fans have unreasonable expectations, and expect things to happen overnight?

Thanks...Ki think...but I'd argue that if a football club doesn't interact with its community, its community doesn't support it? Where do the mascots come from? Who pays for VIP experiences, bringing money into the club? Id we ignore the local schools, we lose a generation of supporters. Would the community have attended the markets we've held...or the open days? Or the gigs and sportsmen dinners? Like it, or not, these are all examples of community engagement, and help to attract new supporters...otherwise, would any clubs bother doing them? Increased attendances offer the chance to spend more money on the team. It is a balancing act...but ignoring the community interaction is ill-advised.

Our owners have also been hampered, due to the lack of investment on the stadium in previous years. Attendances have been less than we expected because the terraces / stands didn't meet H & S standards, so had to operate at lower capacity, consistently reducing the gates and takings!. Fortunately, due to FFP, money spent on ground improvements took nothing away from the team - unlike in Bell's days!

I think time has given Belly a halo he never deserved? It wasn't great, turning up, for the first game of the new season, to find your best player had been sold...time after time! Fortunately, Rudgie was the manager and found some great replacements...but they became fewer over time.

Interesting...and somewhat surprising...to read the level of cynicism that some posters have towards the Shanahans? But - had they not bought the Vale, when they did...who else would have? I don't remember Smurftwat having lots of prospective buyers? And what would have happened to the Vale had Carol and Kevin not stepped up? It's too easy to suggest they had any other motive than making sure the club didn't fold...but it could have, and they were worrying times - quickly forgotten by some critics, and never experienced by the new fans! Also - to the muppet who says Vale are a football club above all, rather than being a part of the community - if you don't have community support you don't have a football club!

He also sold our best players...often as the season was about to start...and only allowed Rudgie to spend half the cash!

No ambition! The season we almost made the playoffs for the top League, I wrote to Rudgie saying I hoped we'd strengthen the squad during the Summer, for a proper push. Rudgie replied saying he thought we would end up selling some players instead - we did, and we know what happened!

hahaha...I doubt it!

hmmm...so you chose to ignore the content of the post I was replying to?

There's plenty of "wrong" feet in football, right around the globe...not only Loft!

James Wilson / Jamie Proctor / Tom Pett / Mal Benning / Harry Charsley / Connor Hall / Dennis Politic / Lewis Cass / Funso Ojo / Ellis Harrison / Will Forrester / Ethan Chislett / Connor Ripley / Mitch Clarke / Alex Iacovitti / Tom Sang / Uche Ikpeazu / Jesse Debrah / Jayson Leutwiler - would all like to thank you for your support! There have also been players who most of us thought would be decent signings, but just didn't work out for us, for whatever reasons. And, of course, there are loan players and our own youngsters who have been much better than "a disgrace to their profession)!!! Maybe your memory just needed jogging?

We have seen in our not-too-distant past many wrong men at the wrong time - any managerial appointment is a risk.

It does seem to happen to some players? I think the same was levelled at Tom Conlon?

No...I don't need to stop doing that at all. You need to stop being abusive, though!

At least 6 of those could have come from your own keyboard. This is what I mean about hypocrisy - I got 2 suspensions...one for being abusive, the second because an admin has a personal problem with me. That's fine - but, as you and Yappy have just proved...and I've known for a long time...that other people are as abusive, or more so, than me - but because I defend my club, instead of bitching about it all the time...and because there is a minority on here who are genuine gobshites, I'm just called names or labelled a happy clapper - which is no insult, by the way! Think about your own posts before you call anyone else names, Doha - you've been getting away with it for a long time! UTV VTID KTF TTP

Wow...yap yap yap!

Good points.

Most of our goals have come from midfield. You reckon we only have one striker worth mentioning - so where would you get a new striker from?

You're on the same page as Yappy - you think your posts are all valid and insightful! I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy of some of our "fans" and the FACT that people make mistakes in all walks of life - maybe if we were all a but more thoughtful, this forum would be less toxic? Pull your neck in and stop being abusive!

"...Support the lads, then" didn't last very long?

You supporting Ryan Loft, now, Nippy?