Norman Smurthwaite

[upthevale]

I agree, and I'll see you in an identical thread in 3/4/5 years time.

 

I seem to remember you only popped up on this forum during another takeover attempt, basically to then ridicule the user Legal Beagle!

 

Seems you have nothing to offer this forum constuctivley other than winding people up just because others care about the Vale!

 

Poor show!

[Valiant Haze]

I told him two years ago after he claimed he was attacked that the amount of **** he gets on here why would you put up with it!! retire and go to your villa in Portugal you don't need the hassle as if it was me i'd would have gone long ago!

 

The truth is there is a section of supporters who will not be happy whoever is in charge and we come around again, when the Hedge funders take over it will go full circle again!!

 

As said to Norman previously...

 

 

Norman,

 

In all walks of life there is criticism, sometimes undue criticism and abuse. Sometimes it's deserved and you've ultimately instigated it. In my opinion, due to your history of responding and using social media, It's done, people know you're reading, so the questions soon become shouts when no response is forthcoming.

 

Putting shutters up isn't really the answer going forward. One would be to answer the constructive criticism and ignore any undeserving abuse. You're in a position where everything you say, do and don't do gets scrutinised. You're controlling what is ultimately our Football Club, whatever the deeds say, whatever companies house says - this football club is nothing without its supporters.

 

Where you ultimately have made a huge mistake, is to treat those customers as if it's their divine duty to attend and agree to accept that whatever your actions, they should turn up because it's a club they love. It doesn't work like that. For every action comes a reaction. Those supporters are in effect customers. You've got the best customer feedback going, but it's in the main ignored.

 

Supporters ( Customers ) that raise concerns, issues and the like have been either given deaf ears, ultimatums, ridiculed or scaremongered. Some very ill-thought out responses to paying Customers and potential customers.

The situation now is that it's got so bad, that you're seeing the start of people's feelings towards how you're running this club and treating its very own supporters. It's too late to hide.

The damage done is massive, maybe irreparable, but It's time to make some apologies, build bridges and either face these troubles head on, or put the club back on the market at a sensible price, because whatever you've spent, a good chunk of that has been wasted through mismanagement of funds. The asset book, the customer order book, the goodwill, will all back-up that statement.

 

As regards to sometimes finding things useful and then treating the masses with the same level of despair following the Bristol Rovers carnage, again just smacks of short sightedness, tunnel visioned arrogance and ignorance. Those antics, were indeed unacceptable, but isn't it also unacceptable to punish all that attend an arena, for the actions of a caged off few. This is not a classroom and you're definitely not a teacher.

 

There's been some fantastic and relatively inexpensive ideas put forward by a good number on here and elsewhere. Still the club shows no improvement in many areas, the only difference being worse due to general decline and neglect.

As regards next season. The season ticket sales are about to fall through the floor into the Vale Park mineshafts. Executive box holders are indicating this years the last.

 

And what is your answer?

 

Create havoc, get into a mess and hide away directing it all to the Secretary!!

 

You've learned nothing, absolutely nothing.

 

Do something man, Listen

 

 

Last edited by Valiant Haze; 21-02-17 at 03:00 PM.

 

Carpetman, NS paid £1.25Million for club and ground. Neither the club, nor ground has improved to that value, or anwhere near. The company's assets show no increase in value. He's mis-spent the money. Yet it's Port Vale FC that ultimately pays for it.

 

And people still keep harping on about him putting money in. He's for all intents and purposes, had the club borrow money (from himself) and thrown it down the drain through mismanagement, but he wants it all back. So the only ones that are likely to be interested are undesirables with ulterior motives. He wouldn't be selling to Hedge Funds because no-one else is out there, its because he wants his cash back at the cost of the good of the club.

[Iron Curtain]

Not really. What you wrote in reply to the OP's comment was just pathetic. Labelling him a 'Smurf lover' (or something similar) and then all that guff about your dad. It feels impossible to come on here and not be vehemently anti-Smurthwaite/ anti-protests without some imbecile making out you're up the chairman's backside. There were posters on here that included me in some stupid made-up Smurf Defence League despite me stating on numerous occasions that I want him to sell. So, yes, grow up. If you're going to denounce anyone who doesn't want the guy gone no matter what then it's a pretty sad state of affairs.

 

Yeah the Smurf-lover is a bit of a low blow, I will admit that. But then again, you have to fight fire with fire. When you are up against comments such as the below, you have to discuss issues with people in a way that they will understand.

 

The 'moaning ten' ha ha has a nice ring to it! maybe just call the website 'Moaning Vale Fan'

 

 

Now to address the other points. You are having a go at me for defending myself. Lets look at this from another perspective.

 

A few people came on here this morning alluding to the fact that it was the fans fault we were in this scenario, and that we should just sit back and accept the state the club is in.

 

I pointed out that this seems a little counter-intuitive as we weren't the ones that created this mess. I pointed out that it seems unfair to blame us.

 

It was around this point that Regal Beagle decided to say that he hopes the fans don't 'stab anyone'... now I am 100% against the comment that was made to the Chairmans Daughter. The bloke who made it should be ashamed and the appropriate action should be taken.

 

Regal Beagle however, knew that this was a contentious point and decided to just drop it into the middle of the discussion we were having when it really wasn't relevant. Dredging up the ill feeling and trying a scaremongering tactic.

 

I called him on it by pointing out that his comment was ridiculous. He was painting a broad brush of people with a single brushstroke based on a comment made by an idon a discussion without hiot. I like to give examples to people when I think they are wrong... it helps if feedback is real time and based on examples.

 

For some reason you then got involved, not sure why, but it really seemed to wind you up... You ironically (given your dislike for name calling) used a childish "grow up" comment, I assume trying to exert yourself as a higher authority on the topic. I retaliated... you didn't like that either.

 

And to finish I absolutely will denounce people that don't want him gone... because my opinion is that he is very bad for the club. I don't know about you, but I love the vale passionately, and I will fight and scream until I'm blue on the face to try and preserve the club. And if you don't like that, then rest assured I don't care.

[Paul6754]

The most damming post on this thread was the website Doha posted, Rodina Sports or whatever they're called.

 

How the hell can a load of conmen get anywhere near PVFC let alone call themselves "Technical Director" etc and reputedly be involved in/responsible for recruiting the new manager (Bruno) and the overseas players. That decision as much as anything shows Smurf has lost his marbles and is only interested in money.

[Essex Vale]

The most damming post on this thread was the website Doha posted, Rodina Sports or whatever they're called.

 

How the hell can a load of conmen get anywhere near PVFC let alone call themselves "Technical Director" etc and reputedly be involved in/responsible for recruiting the new manager (Bruno) and the overseas players. That decision as much as anything shows Smurf has lost his marbles and is only interested in money.

 

 

There is no argument there. Some of the players have salaries much higher than anticipated. Indeed some of our highest earners do not feature much, if at all, for the first team. So the question we need to ask is how much of the salaries attributed to these players, and other players, have an element going directly to the agency? Apparently this is not an uncommon practice and the origins of such practice is connected to the days of third party ownership.

 

I have also discovered, from an agent, that in the past some Chairman and Managers have in theory paid a high salary to a player with the unwritten agreement that part of that high salary goes back directly to said Manager and/or Chairman. Surely that would not happen with a reputable agent would it? Of course we do not know about the credentials of the agents involved in signing our players, or do we?

 

Is that a reputable agency that does things according to the rules? Has our self proclaimed Technical Director any knowledge of such practices given his extensive knowledge of the game? These are reasonable questions, I wonder if the FA compliance unit would be interested in seeking answers on our behalf? I suspect they would not be.

[Family Stand Terrier]

Maybe he's had his hand forced FST.Approx 2/3 of voters wanted him gone ,1/2 of which to ANYONE.If I remember correctly ,in the 3 horse race ,the biggest vote was for him to stay.It seems people want their flagpole and eat it.

The biggest vote was for him to stay out of 3 options by default due to the fact that the option for him to go was split. The majority by a huge amount wanted him out. The least popular out of the 3 was selling to a hedge fund. Surely he wouldn't then take that option.

 

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[werstayinup]

You don't have the same group and desire as last time

 

I wasn't going to ever get involved in all that again BUT with comments like that you can kiss my hairy arse

[bookworm]

penny black mentioned a deadline of 11 am today so has anything happened that could be described as awe inspiring or was it all bulls manure.

[Jacob_123]

penny black mentioned a deadline of 11 am today so has anything happened that could be described as awe inspiring or was it all bulls manure.

 

He said that the Americans were there at 11am but he also said nothing would be announced until 1 May.

 

 

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[philpvfc]

The biggest vote was for him to stay out of 3 options by default due to the fact that the option for him to go was split. The majority by a huge amount wanted him out. The least popular out of the 3 was selling to a hedge fund. Surely he wouldn't then take that option.

 

 

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Smurf is no different than a hedge fund anyway. The only reason he is staying is because he wants to make a profit on his money before leaving.

A hedge fund could possibly make a profit if it made a lot of correct decisions when running a football club this is certainly something that Smurf can not do.

[Family Stand Terrier]

Smurf is no different than a hedge fund anyway. The only reason he is staying is because he wants to make a profit on his money before leaving.

A hedge fund could possibly make a profit if it made a lot of correct decisions when running a football club this is certainly something that Smurf can not do.

Exactly right.

 

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[Jacko51]

Sadly the world of football is infested with people whose sole motive is making a personal profit. It would be nice if there were more people around who wanted to act as proper custodians of their football clubs and run it with integrity.

[philpvfc]

Sadly the world of football is infested with people whose sole motive is making a personal profit. It would be nice if there were more people around who wanted to act as proper custodians of their football clubs and run it with integrity.

 

Very true. I haven't got a problem with owners wanting and trying to make the clubs run as a profit as long as they put back in and don't take it all for themselves and accept responsibility if it goes wrong and the club makes a loss which in most cases they do.

[werstayinup]

If I had to choose between smurf and a hedge fund..... I wouldnt choose smurf

With ANY new owner there is at least a glimmer of hope and expectation... there is none with smurf

 

I have wondered this myself....why are people so against the Hedge Fund,we know nothing about the Americans yet,yes traders have a bad reputation BUT do any currently own clubs over here or have any wrecked clubs over here,stripped them bare and done one??? I am asking because i dont know.

 

If they are in it to make money then surely the way to do that is to get us to a higher League? and if its to sell players to make money then surely those players have to be playing well and doing well to be worth anything?

[SuperValiant1876]

This is all so ******* embarrassing. I am done with Vale, the chaos will never end, when the new owners step in someone will do some digging and we start all over again. We all deserve better but I can't see it happening. It was fun while it lasted.