Whats Going On?

[For Us All]

This has been a publicity nightmare and gaffe, will any of those 15 lifers (was it only 15?)get a ST now? Doubtful. Financially the gain is miniscule. So we have lost a small but hardened set of fans who put money into the club before.

I do not know any of the 'lifers' but felt ashamed and disheartened by this. We surely cannot need the cash that bad and its not like we can't spare the seats. Jesus!

It has been a lose lose situation. Lets say the club have 'saved' 4k but think of the goodwill they have lost and the fans they have alienated! I will still buy the usual shirt and odd bit of merchandise and get my ST ticket but some people on principle might not. They have lost more than 4k's worth of self respect over this decision.

 

The knock-on effect from this will back to haunt us.

[old sage]

A great post from you Daddy Pig. I agree with the majority.

However, unfortunately there are people who will not buy STs and merchandise on the back of this.

The port vale family are a very close knit community. If you attack us we tend to stick together. We have come through many great times and many bad times together.

 

My worry on the Lifers STs though is that these people have mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, grandchildren, aunties, uncles, etc.

More than a handful of people become affected.

Has Norman actually taken into account that this could, and in my opinion will, end up losing the club money?

All it takes is for 1 family member from each of the lifers to become disillusioned with his actions and to stand by their family and hes gaining nothing.

Any more and hes into a loss.

 

If my father had put the best part of 5k in the club, did volountry work at vale most weeks and then got shafted like that, i would stand by him and not bother myself.

Thats not saying i dont love my club, i do, very much. But blood is thicker and in reality there is more to life than PVFC.

 

I could understand the decision if we have a sellout every week. But we have the best part of 13000 empty seats.

 

Dont get me wrong, i will be there on the first day of the season. As always. But Norman must realise that there are only a select few that have unconditional love for PVFC (the lifers being a handful), others need the buzz, need to have an arm around them to tell them that coming to the vale this next year is going to be great. Unfortunately he just keeps acting like the grinch.

 

I travel to the Vale many times a season from over here but il let you in on something. Ive not been since the Rotherham home game just after xmas.

I had flights booked in advance to come over but then all nonsense started about Mickys contract and Norman started spouting that it would not be good to get promoted! For someone like me to hear that, bearing in mind i have to get a taxi, bus, plane, train, tube, train, taxi, in that order, over a period of 6 hours, just to get to Vale Park, i decided that if thats his attitude then why should i bother when everything is so doom and gloom.

And i dare say there is more like me. Hence why we only just broke 3000 for the Crawley game.

 

I follow Barry Hearn and Darragh Macanthony on twitter.

Leyton orient and peterborough chairman.

Avearge attendances Orient 5467, vale 6249, peterborough 6339.

I never hear of them moaning and groaning about attendances. I never hear of them arguing with their own fans on twitter. Infact, go on twitter and you will see both chairman "Building the buzz" for the coming season.

Bury get less than 3000. Their supporters are looking forward to the new season from what i read. One guy says its the best hes felt in 30 years! And why? They are saying all the right things.

And there is many other clubs.

 

Pre season should be full of hope and dreams. Some of us will go down the bookies and take a bit of the 66-1 on us to win the league. Why? Because we all dream it will happen. Many had the 10-1 on promotion 2 years ago when we were days from going bust! Dreams and miracles can happen in football. Look at Costa Rica at this world cup!

 

Unfortunately, the attitude starts and stops with the top man and that is Norman. And the more he comes out with negative crap and making decisions that alienates him from supporters, the more down supporters will feel and one by one they will choose a new avenue to explore on a Saturday afternoon instead of supporting a club close to their hearts.

 

And thats the harsh reality.

Paul you know that I consider you as a good Vale fan and a friend I also think that you consider me as something of a moaner but believe me mate I only complain when I'm sure that something is wrong and this is the way that I have felt for quite sometime since the 'French kid ' couldn't be signed pre-season last year.

One thing that I am sure of is that 'Good old Norm' has no intension to put any more of his money into the club. Whether he is as wealthy as he claims I aren't sure and it is really none of my business but we didn't ask him to take over the club. Perhaps under Paul Wildes their offer was the largest but I seriously question whether it was in fact the best.

When someone like you Spunks starts doubting his actions then alarm bells should be ringing loud and long. Goodness me is he so skint that he really needs the money that the 'Lifers' will no doubt still stump up then we really are in a complete mess.

Lets hope that there is a good valid reason for Smurthwaite's latest 'party piece'

[ELDERBEZZA]

Some brilliant comments, from the heart,on here and I just hope Smurf takes a look and acts soon .Its July and still time for him to create some buzz at Vale !PLEASE

[Walter]

Only alienated 4 or 15 people? 1) Given you work for the club I'm surprised you're so flippant about these Vale fans who contributed not only in our time of need, but have given so much more 2) Given your position, surely you must understand alienating one customer generally has an exponential effect due to word of mouth/social media etc and 3) Is it really only 14-15 fans that have been alienated?

 

I have a friend whos dad is one of the "lifers", and do you know what she said about the whole sorry situation? "He's annoyed, but he's trying to find the positives in it because he loves the Vale and he has done since he was a tot"! A fan who you group as "only 14 or 15", who "took their chance". If this is what club employees think of us, crikey, it's no wonder the commercial side is on its backside!

 

And then you go on about cost cutting measures. The 14-15 season tickets equate to £3.5k approx. If we are that desperate for cash, it isn't the fans fault as you seem to be inferring. It must go a whole lot deeper than that!

 

You seem to have the same disregard for us fans as your employer!

 

If he does work for the club, he really needs to think about who actually pays his wages. ***.

[Little_Al]

For goodness sake let us have some realism. Norman owes these lifers nothing and has already given them two years free and is now offering another year at half price. True Vale fans will put up and shut up as many of us do year after year. The lifetime tickets were a gamble -a gamble on the honesty and financial ability of Valiant 2001 when they were obviously offered because Valiant 2001 were short of money.

[Santa]

True Vale fans will put up and shut up as many of us do year after year.

A quote lifted straight from the Valiant 2001 book 'How To Run A Football Club'.

[melv]

For goodness sake let us have some realism. Norman owes these lifers nothing and has already given them two years free and is now offering another year at half price. True Vale fans will put up and shut up as many of us do year after year. The lifetime tickets were a gamble -a gamble on the honesty and financial ability of Valiant 2001 when they were obviously offered because Valiant 2001 were short of money.

 

 

I have a question that still needs answering so here is your chance.

 

Why was it left so late to inform the life season ticket owners that they would now need to buy a ST for the next season?Why was it done so unprofessionally?

[Pops]

Do you think Mo would have made such a gaffe of such magnitude. Something is seriously wrong here. Root and branch was the only good thing Sinnot said. Get on with the cull instead of putting up with the present lot.

[Andyregs]

Do you think Mo would have made such a gaffe of such magnitude. Something is seriously wrong here. Root and branch was the only good thing Sinnot said. Get on with the cull instead of putting up with the present lot.

 

Wasn't he talking about you too. :) He was useless though.

[Jacko51]

For goodness sake let us have some realism. Norman owes these lifers nothing and has already given them two years free and is now offering another year at half price. True Vale fans will put up and shut up as many of us do year after year. The lifetime tickets were a gamble -a gamble on the honesty and financial ability of Valiant 2001 when they were obviously offered because Valiant 2001 were short of money.

 

To be more accurate, the Adminstrator honoured the tickets for the season before last and it was Paul Wildes' decision last season, I believe. And just to keep you happy, this Vale fan has put up and shut up - I have already paid for my season ticket and will do so again next season.

[Pops]

Wasn't he talking about you too. :) He was useless though.

 

I was very happy to leave. Believe me, Mo was more astute than any person I have come across in 40 years of football. Useless - don't make me laugh. Why do you make this comment? Please explain.

[cheeky]

I was very happy to leave. Believe me, Mo was more astute than any person I have come across in 40 years of football. Useless - don't make me laugh. Why do you make this comment? Please explain.

 

His useless comment was about Sinnott, it was quite clear. I thought that would be something you'd agree with.

[Pops]

I was very happy to leave. Believe me, Mo was more astute than any person I have come across in 40 years of football. Useless - don't make me laugh. Why do you make this comment? Please explain.

 

On second thoughts I don't think I want to know. I suspect it is the same reason why Adams et al didn't want him to succeed.

[Pops]

I stand corrected and apologise Andyregs.

[cheeky]

On second thoughts I don't think I want to know. I suspect it is the same reason why Adams et al didn't want him to succeed.

 

Are you seriously dropping the race card...again? After accusing werestayingup last week, erroneously! You couldn't be further from the truth....again!