Positive Smurf Thread

[Conrad]

Good post, just one incorrect statement, sondico got rid of us not t'other way round.

[old sage]

I think for the sake of clarity for anyone that didn't listen, the way Smurf answered the question over the 500k means that Wildes took the money before Smurf took over.

If that were true Wildes would have had a knock off the police for theft.

[old sage]

Football is a different kind of business, an entertainment business. Your consumers often require some level of investment and demonstration of intent to retain or even enhance their patronage in your club. The fiscal restraint serving Smurf well in his normal businesses doesn't work well for him in this venue. When fans see their manager and several players unsigned from a side that has done more than consolidate its position after gaining promotion, it creates a climate of uncertainty depressing interest in season ticket offers. Our owner may not be thrilled with the numbers taking up his offer. But he currently has only himself to blame as he has created confusion amongst the patrons of his club at a moment where real momentum could be generated in driving forward season ticket purchases.

 

No one expects NS to transform into Sheik al-Smurfa and turn Port Vale into big spenders. But what fans expect is some proof of the owner's intentions for his club. A positive signal would've been to sign MA to a new contract and grant him the authority to bring back squad members he would like to retain in the side. A promise could also have been made to the fans guaranteeing the manager's ability to replace departing personnel at the same budgetary level as it existed this season. These modest moves would've been well-received by present season ticket holders and I believe the number of renewals would've been stronger as a result.

 

Smurthwaite needs to realise the entertainment aspect of this business he's engaged in demands a level of speculation and risk he's rarely had to engage in with his other enterprises. It is not enough to keep the fans investing in your product merely because it has been good in the past; a good number of fans need to see you are committed to continuing to provide the product at that level in the future before they can commit to investing in it themselves. If you leave them in doubt on the subject, and Smurf has done so on more than one occasion, then you are not going to get what you are expecting with your projections.

 

Smurf comes across as a man still trying to find his way in this strange world of football. He has proven himself a quick study in every new situation he's decided to take on in his life. I'm just hoping the learning process he's currently experiencing doesn't cost us dearly in the year to come.

The best post on the subject of Norman Smurthwaite that I have read. The poster quietly tells it as it is.

How can the owner expect fans to stump up their hard earned cash without him pledging to put a reasonable amount into the pot as well. After all it's his club isn't it?

[Twitters]

The best post on the subject of Norman Smurthwaite that I have read. The poster quietly tells it as it is.

How can the owner expect fans to stump up their hard earned cash without him pledging to put a reasonable amount into the pot as well. After all it's his club isn't it?

 

I would say putting in over a million pounds of his own money, as well as whatever it took to buy the club, is far more than a reasonable amount.

 

Then again some fans just don't want to be reasonable.

[Woakesy]

If that were true Wildes would have had a knock off the police for theft.

 

Not necessarily. Wildes seems a very intelligent bloke, I'm sure he didn't just take it from Vales account & put it in his. It'd have been a little more sophisticated than that.

 

NS didn't deny there was 500k, essentially gone missing.

[onestepatatime]

Ike, post 13- most sensible, reasoned post we have had yet on this subject.

[Vital Spark]

Each of us will read into Smurfs interview differently. For me he never really addressed any of the questions fully and certainly did nothing to put any positivity into the session or convince me to buy STs for my family.

 

Would you go to drink coffee with someone who'd taken £500,000 of your money?

[geosname]

 

Would you go to drink coffee with someone who'd taken £500,000 of your money?

 

Yes... there is an isolated cafe in the mountains, well hidden by forest... I would be returning alone

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

You may have listened but I dont think you heard and it certainly wasnt without prejudice.

I dont presume he is not being honest. I start from the position that given past events he "wasnt" honest about there is a possibility he "may" not be honest this time

 

You actually start from the position you think he's a numpty who's nicked 500k, slightly prejudging me thinks :D

[Fosse69]

This mornings Sentinel, very positive for Norman. Adams contract is the same financial terms as last season, only change is the rolling 12 month amendment. Just waiting to indicate next seasons playing budget. Why wasn't all the hot air bottled?

[Bycarsbill]

Biddleingy: "With regards to a CEO, he basically said why should we pay £100k out for a EO that we could not afford, fair point and there is not much to argue with there."

 

There is an argument that an effective CEO even on a salary of £100k would cover his or her own costs and more by improving commercial/marketing activity & income. I keep pointing to the example of Walsall FC; they have a CEO (presumably on a not insubstantial salary?) and on a similar overall playing wage budget, yet a smaller average attendance, they have made a profit for the last few seasons! An effective (and that is the key word) CEO would surely take some of the pressure off Smurf's shoulders and especially if any CEO appointed has previous football club experience, would help Smurf in his 'learning curve' on how to run a football club business? A win-win situation all round--so I cannot agree that "there's not much to argue with."

[geosname]

You actually start from the position you think he's a numpty who's nicked 500k' date=' slightly prejudging me thinks :D[/quote']

 

I dont think he has nicked any money at all so you have totally misread what I have said...

as for being a numpty, he has proved he is by his own actions...

Im no good at PR... but still he does it...

I will only release things through the official site... but still he uses other means [training ground chats as an eg]...

I have given adams a contract to sign... we have a gentlemens agreement but I havent put anything in writing...

 

he is learning by his mistakes? but he keeps making the same ones... that makes him a numpty

Investing 1.3M without any idea what was going on and not owning what he paid for??... he is a numpty

 

Making homophobic comments makes him a lot worse... "is he gay or something?"

[grebovale]

I love positive SMURF threads, only problem is,some on ear dunner so they will turn it into negative SMURF thread, it's in their head that if they onner happy the rest of us should suffer like wise .. Pathetic really but inevertable am afraid ,

 

Told yer ... :(

[valiant_593]

I would say putting in over a million pounds of his own money, as well as whatever it took to buy the club, is far more than a reasonable amount.

 

Then again some fans just don't want to be reasonable.

 

It was his choice to put money into the club and to buy the club, that decision was obviously made in terms of a potential profit. Smurf has not done this for the love of the club he has done it to make money. He is the chairman it is his job, so why shouldnt he be putting money in?

[valiant_593]

Told yer ... :(

 

grow up