Vote: do you want Port Vale owner Norman Smurthwaite “gone”?

[Family Stand Terrier]

I'm not the one calling fellow Vale fans scum and filth mate.

No, just calling them a dick, because they have a different opinion to you. Hypocritical? No?

[SuperValiant1876]

No, just calling them a dick, because they have a different opinion to you. Hypocritical? No?

 

Calling someone a dick for being a dick is slightly different wouldn't you say? I mean, I know I am banging my head against a very hard brick wall here.

[Family Stand Terrier]

Calling someone a dick for being a dick is slightly different wouldn't you say? I mean, I know I am banging my head against a very hard brick wall here.

Calling someone filth for being filth is obviously different to you. All down to opinion for me. Both wrong to say as much on here, I'll hold my hands up to my part and apologise if offence was caused. For the sake of moving on.

[SuperValiant1876]

Calling someone filth for being filth is obviously different to you. All down to opinion for me. Both wrong to say as much on here, I'll hold my hands up to my part and apologise if offence was caused. For the sake of moving on.

 

Being filth and scum in my eyes is reserved for thieves, rapists, peados and murderers but if you think that someone having a different opinion on a football club owner is filth and scum then we will always disagree but I accept your apology in this instance and lets move on.

[Family Stand Terrier]

Now who's the bigger man?

[SuperValiant1876]

Now who's the bigger man?

 

IN fact I don't remember calling you a dick anyway, can you point me in the direction of that post please?

[Family Stand Terrier]

IN fact I don't remember calling you a dick anyway, can you point me in the direction of that post please?

A few weeks ago now can't be arsed look back especially after that result. Besides, you've called it me twice in the last couple of hours

[Aussie Rules]

Back on topic please.

[DIV3SOUTH]

Now who's the bigger man?

 

My Dad's bigger than your dad. To both of you!

[Valiant62]

Disastrous decision getting rid of Page for Bruno. Wants to invest / lose less than he was doing which is his privilege. Employing Garlick, Aspin and Rudge seem like good decisions. The hero to zero image is always going to be tied to how the team is doing on the pitch, so his stock is low at present. I don’t particularly see someone else coming in and bankrolling a surge. I’m agnostic on the issue of his staying or going tbh. Sorry for uttering such heresy and all that but there you go.

[robf]

A quick note from me:

 

* This vote is still open for a few more days.

* It is set to be one vote per person so I reckon it is fair

* There is no bias - you can vote for or against the question

* I know how many have voted and will disclose that when voting is closed ++

 

++ and bearing in mind Norman himself reckons there are 3,000 hardcore supporters, I think the numbers already voted on this will give a good idea of fan support

 

So, if you haven't already voted please click on this link - http://www.onevalefan.co.uk/2018/04/vote-do-you-want-port-vale-owner-norman-smurthwaite-gone/

 

Thanks,

 

Rob

[CambridgeDon]

I'd feel a whole lot better if Smurthwaite were gone as his reckless decision making and lack of judgement in footballing matters is at the root cause of our decline, which, with the right owners in charge, would have been wholly avoidable. The one question I keep asking myself though is, could we end up with someone worse? Not possible? Look at Darlington, Orient and the host of other former league clubs who will probably never see the inside of a football league ground again. How would we feel, for example, if the blue one sold out to a consortium who wanted to sack Aspo and Rudge and bring in their own man? Doesn't bear thinking about! Yes, I want him gone but it's possible that we could end up with even worse owners. Hope I don't get too slated for this - it's NOT in any way intended to mitigate the serious damage Smurthwaite has done but simply to point out that his departure in itself would be no guarantee of better times. Tin hat on!

[Family Stand Terrier]

I'd feel a whole lot better if Smurthwaite were gone as his reckless decision making and lack of judgement in footballing matters is at the root cause of our decline, which, with the right owners in charge, would have been wholly avoidable. The one question I keep asking myself though is, could we end up with someone worse? Not possible? Look at Darlington, Orient and the host of other former league clubs who will probably never see the inside of a football league ground again. How would we feel, for example, if the blue one sold out to a consortium who wanted to sack Aspo and Rudge and bring in their own man? Doesn't bear thinking about! Yes, I want him gone but it's possible that we could end up with even worse owners. Hope I don't get too slated for this - it's NOT in any way intended to mitigate the serious damage Smurthwaite has done but simply to point out that his departure in itself would be no guarantee of better times. Tin hat on!

But under Smurthwaite, our decline is so rapid that all of the above is very possible. Look how close we've come this season, considering this time 2 years ago we finished uncomfortably mid table in L1. One man's actions ripped all of that apart.

 

By no means am I suggesting I want the club to be ran by crooks who could do an even worse job than Smurthwaite. But we know there is another option, a damn good one, one that Norman himself says is right for the club. Which is why it's so frustrating that we're stuck with him, when his actions are so damaging for the club.

 

If he'd have come out and sold us his vision for the club, or at least made some sort of effort to explain how he intends to turn it around, sticking with Smurthwaite would be a serious consideration. As it stands, there's nothing of the sort from him. We're stuck with him, and he knows it.

[Valiant62]

His declarations of vision for the club have not gone well and his hogging the spotlight has been part of the problem. The current situation is a halted decline, CEO and DoF with decent CVs, a manager with half decent experience who is more likely than anyone else to elicit patience from fans while he steadies the ship and has as good predictive value as anyone to move us forward on the pitch. The financial stuff is all qualitative and full of unknowns, including the amounts of bids and skills of prospective new owners. I prefer it when Norman keeps his visions to himself, if I’m honest.

[Family Stand Terrier]

His declarations of vision for the club have not gone well and his hogging the spotlight has been part of the problem. The current situation is a halted decline, CEO and DoF with decent CVs, a manager with half decent experience who is more likely than anyone else to elicit patience from fans while he steadies the ship and has as good predictive value as anyone to move us forward on the pitch. The financial stuff is all qualitative and full of unknowns, including the amounts of bids and skills of prospective new owners. I prefer it when Norman keeps his visions to himself, if I’m honest.

I agree with every word. So far his vision for the club has been either; non existent, lazy, or in the form of threats to fans about what could happen if he left. The outcomes of each are there for all to see. I wouldn't want a repeat of what's gone before. IF, he genuinely wants fans to support him, I only see that happening if he carries out a number of actions. Two in particular should be;

 

- Accept that he is to blame for where we are, not with words, but with a financial hit. Write off the loans. His mistakes, he pays for them, not the club.

 

- Spell out his future vision, both long and short term with a series of bullet point targets. Short term I'm talking about the next 3 / 4 months as we gear up for next season. Long term would look at all aspects of the club, on and off the pitch. It's; identity, aspirations, community focus, approach to attracting fans / customers / sponsors / corporate, improving facilities, etc.

 

Whoever runs the club I'd expect the same, as an absolute minimum. How else does he expect fans to support him given the way things currently are.