Norman Smurthwaite on BBC Radio Stoke, Monday 18th May

[onestepatatime]

Norman, do you?

 

You are the antithesis of V2001 and I am eternally grateful that you are.

 

I respect and admire your input to the club immensely and I mean time, passion and commitment as much as finance.

 

But at times what you define as honesty doesn't come across as such. Tonight I was praying you would come out with a really positive message that would encourage fans to be enthused about the club, but you didn't.

 

When asking you to consider employing a professional PR person its not a derogatory comment because no one is great at everything.

I would just like to see someone at the club who is capable of putting a vibrant and positive tone to the excellent work you do.

 

Someone who is good at blowing your trumpet.

 

Come what may Norman those you class as moaners are in the main the first to buy season tickets.

 

 

 

Good post.

[Regal Beagle]

This "PR" stuff is bull****.

 

If we win on the pitch nothing else matters.

 

I fail to see how employing a spin doctor will help that happen.

[old sage]

This "PR" stuff is bull****.

 

If we win on the pitch nothing else matters.

 

I fail to see how employing a spin doctor will help that happen.

Behind all the huffing and puffing you are right because the majority of fans will only come out and watch a winning team and will stay away when results are bad.

 

This leads up to the fact what comes first the good squad or the fans and I think we all know the answer to that one. Were our neighbours getting 26-27000 gates when they were in the doldrums. Of course not they were getting below 10,000 gates regularly it was only the success gained on the pitch that lured them back.

[VantaaVale]

This leads up to the fact what comes first the good squad or the fans and I think we all know the answer to that one. Were our neighbours getting 26-27000 gates when they were in the doldrums. Of course not they were getting below 10,000 gates regularly it was only the success gained on the pitch that lured them back.

 

And despite all their "success", they still posted a £31 million loss last year.

[stupers]

Remember this Smurf I aren't the only one who is complaining. We all appreciate that you bought the club when in admin but it doesn't mean that you are right all the time. Mr Wildes may have been over extravagant with your money but his style and manner came over in a positive way which was good PR.

 

Advice you could well take yourself there. You are not right all the time either. At least Smurf admits when he is wrong (Railway Stand last night).

 

What I'm getting from your Mr Wildes comment there is that it is ok to overspend, as long as you do it with a smile on your face keeping everybody happy with good PR. This isn't the first time on threads where you look to be suggesting it is a great idea to spend above our means. Your final paragraph is yet another leaning towards spending more money than you get in. It is not a sustainable business model. He did that last year, with very little return for his money.

 

I agree that the club needs to do more to sell season tickets. Smurf didn't go on Radio Stoke last night to sell season tickets, that was obvious from the outset. I thought it might have been the perfect opportunity to do this, but he didn't and explained by the fact that the budget was £1.7m regardless of season ticket sales, so he is willing to prop up the club again if season ticket sales don't go well. Not positive from a selling standpoint, but he stated he believes people will return when the product on the field is good. I also believe that as after the season we've just had, it was always going to be a difficult sell for season tickets in the summer. The early bird deal lasts until the end of June, if we can make some good appointments off the pitch and some positive signings on it, then I think people will renew late on as they always do.

 

Smurf was yet again, honest to the core last night on the radio. He didn't pander to anyone, he didn't sugarcoat anything. He just said what he felt. I for one like him for that. I know exactly where we stand after last night and feel better about the summer and season ahead.

[Valiant62]

Advice you could well take yourself there. You are not right all the time either. At least Smurf admits when he is wrong (Railway Stand last night).

 

What I'm getting from your Mr Wildes comment there is that it is ok to overspend, as long as you do it with a smile on your face keeping everybody happy with good PR. This isn't the first time on threads where you look to be suggesting it is a great idea to spend above our means. Your final paragraph is yet another leaning towards spending more money than you get in. It is not a sustainable business model. He did that last year, with very little return for his money.

 

I agree that the club needs to do more to sell season tickets. Smurf didn't go on Radio Stoke last night to sell season tickets, that was obvious from the outset. I thought it might have been the perfect opportunity to do this, but he didn't and explained by the fact that the budget was £1.7m regardless of season ticket sales, so he is willing to prop up the club again if season ticket sales don't go well. Not positive from a selling standpoint, but he stated he believes people will return when the product on the field is good. I also believe that as after the season we've just had, it was always going to be a difficult sell for season tickets in the summer. The early bird deal lasts until the end of June, if we can make some good appointments off the pitch and some positive signings on it, then I think people will renew late on as they always do.

 

Smurf was yet again, honest to the core last night on the radio. He didn't pander to anyone, he didn't sugarcoat anything. He just said what he felt. I for one like him for that. I know exactly where we stand after last night and feel better about the summer and season ahead.

 

Absolutely kerrrrrect !!!

[Yukon]

No. Its just you.

 

He's completely lost it and yes, it is just him

[Yukon]

Behind all the huffing and puffing you are right because the majority of fans will only come out and watch a winning team and will stay away when results are bad.

 

This leads up to the fact what comes first the good squad or the fans and I think we all know the answer to that one. Were our neighbours getting 26-27000 gates when they were in the doldrums. Of course not they were getting below 10,000 gates regularly it was only the success gained on the pitch that lured them back.

 

More nonsense. The majority of fans are season ticket holders and will renew whatever- like me

[pete vale]

More nonsense. The majority of fans are season ticket holders and will renew whatever- like me

 

Don't be so sure.

I consider myself a hardcore fan as our my family.

We sit in the middle of the Paddock area and amongst a cluster of a dozen or so fans there are at least x3 not renewing their ST's.

Two have said they are not prepared to pay £22 to watch the dross of last season as walk-up customers.

I have yet to renew but probably will but there are many who won't.

Being patronised (or criticised) on occasions by the Chairman doesn't help.

 

It's football, a few wins and they'll come flocking back - a few defeats and ..........

[bycarspete]

Rugby rely on the corporate side of the business, fill all the boxes, get the boxes up in the R/W suite up and running, thats the way forward,

[sunny boslem]

Do people realise when smurf knocks the fans it's the ones that only come when we are top of the league and not the 4000 die hards

[BIRCHES HEAD WHITES]

well last nights r/s show did little to convince me that our clubs future is nothing other than an ever decreasing circle. we can be fairly sure that both popey and marshall are as good as gone unfortunately . o'connor , well lets wait and see eh. it would be good to see innis back at the club but he would need someone in the calibre of neil collins along side him , not duffy / mc givern / vesseli . i will be attending next season but not as a season ticket holder (only the second time in a decade) . out of the 6 of us who normally have a s/ticket none are renewing . fingers crossed we will have an excellent season and the club will end up better off with us paying more on the day but i believe that is a pipe dream .

 

lets all pray that we manage to keep at least one decent player (oaky) , the majority of the dross do not re sign and page can bring in some decent loan + permanent signings. hopefully vale will then get off to a good start , otherwise page will be out in september and normans sleepless nights will commence (for longer than 8 weeks this time) .

[Eddie Hitler]

I think that all the critics on here tonight and you can count them are all the same ones that appear on any Smurf thread and are just not happy with whoever runs the club!!! Maybe they ought to find something else to do on a Saturday afternoon

 

We don't know who's signing yet it's early days I,m sure come August we will have a better idea and I for one trust Norman and Page to get it right what we have to do is get behind the club and buy our season tickets and stop wingeing about club politics!!

 

I'm beginning to think that you're 2 people.

 

You've not exactly been positive in all of your recent posts John and so why feel the need to constantly bang the drum of being ever-positive.

 

You should make your mind-up.

[Eddie Hitler]

Smurf was yet again, honest to the core last night on the radio. He didn't pander to anyone, he didn't sugarcoat anything. He just said what he felt. I for one like him for that. I know exactly where we stand after last night and feel better about the summer and season ahead.

 

Really?

[old sage]

More nonsense. The majority of fans are season ticket holders and will renew whatever- like me

Lets wait and see on that one shall we Yukon.