Thank you for ending our club Protesters. B&G and the Supporters Club

[Class personified]

I still standby my ‘controlled constructive approach’ comments. However we are where we are. I have cited the options open to us now going forward. These options will no doubt play out over the coming months. I will be there to support whatever Port Vale is still standing at the end.

[melv]

I still standby my ‘controlled constructive approach’ comments. However we are where we are. I have cited the options open to us now going forward. These options will no doubt play out over the coming months. I will be there to support whatever Port Vale is still standing at the end.

 

What exactly is your controlled constructive approach.What would it involve.How would it be done?

[Erniemossrules]

Ground share with Stoke City perhaps. Closest big ground

 

You would be ok there you sad little stokie.

You could get your half time entertainment smashing up a defenceless toilet.

[Erniemossrules]

G

What exactly is your controlled constructive approach.What would it involve.How would it be done?

 

Anything to get rid of that vile obnoxious bar steward.

I am sure the fans would cough up their season ticket money early to the new owners if required.

That should be more than enough to keep the club going.

Perhaps Mr Smurthwaite could cough up the Hugill money to help out.It was a windfall to the football club not his clever business acumen that delivered it.

[Erniemossrules]

Call it being wise after the event but whilst I have always been 100% in favour of getting rid of Smurf, I could never support the protests because I knew it would end badly. Smurthwaite is a vindictive man and his latest plan for the demise of the club has come as no surprise. He is a man who has had a love affair with property ownership since an early age and he’s clearly intent on adding the Vale ground to his property portfolio along with the Nuneaton football ground and therein lies the biggest problem. Will he sell the club AND the ground as one package? I doubt it. He appears to be intent on charging rent for the use of the ground should anyone be foolhardy enough to buy the club without the land and stadium being part of the package. Will anyone buy on that basis? I doubt it. We all have to face up to the fact that, whatever happens, Smurthwaite has a stranglehold on the club and will never go way. This is a sorry state of affairs.

 

Under the covenant when he bought it he can only charge 150k a year rent so take up a 5 year lease and build a new state of the art stadium.

[cheeky]

This was always going to end badly. Smurf is a stubborn man. You prod him he will react. This is what has happened. He wins. We get hit for a 12 point deduction plus he keeps the ground. A controlled constructive removal of Smurf might have taken longer but would have left this great club in a better position. Although I could understand the B&G protest this is why I couldn’t support it. This will result in my beloved club going into the Conference either this season or next or at worse into oblivion. I am Vale til I die. I am emotional as we all are. The wrong game plan has been played. I hope it won’t be our last.

 

I understand why you have the opinion you do, but I disagree with it. Whether the protests happened or not, something along these lines was always the likely outcome.

 

Norman has had a plan, all along in my opinion. If he didn’t, why was one of his first acts when purchasing the club to separate the ground from the football club? There was always an end game, that was the constant; the route to getting there was where things were never so obvious.

 

You could (possibly) say the protests have expedited this, but the proximate cause is the same, Norman.

 

Whether administration (which I doubt) or liquidation (which I suspect is the endgame) happens this summer or next, is irrelevant now. If the protests hadn’t occurred, we’d just be stuck in the same vicious circle which simply reinforces Norman’s hold on the club; a new manager around the turn of the year, Norman publicly stating he’s taking a backseat, potential buyers turned away / fall by the wayside, then comes the summer following a month away from football, anger from fans is diluted, season ticket money comes in, Norman opens his “sweetie jar”, a complete squad overhaul follows (with new players being progressively worse than those they’ve replaced), a poor start to the season ensues, and then a management change midway through. This happening once, you could class as a mistake but three years running, that’s a habit, and allows a bit of breathing space for the chairman whilst he continues with his plan.

 

Like I say, I understand why you have the opinion you do, and I’m not having a go, but laying any of the blame on the supporters, B&G etc is plainly wrong and playing into the hands of the only antagonist.

 

As a previous chairman once said “we are where we are”, and I strongly believe we would always have been here, due to the actions of one man, and one man alone.

[Erniemossrules]

A reason to hope. Not seeing much happiness in the current situation and the outcome is uncertain.

 

The only certain outcome with Smurthwaite as owner is that he would continue running it into not the ground and eventually we would end up being relegated.

[Birches Head Fred]

I understand why you have the opinion you do, but I disagree with it. Whether the protests happened or not, something along these lines was always the likely outcome.

 

Norman has had a plan, all along in my opinion. If he didn’t, why was one of his first acts when purchasing the club to separate the ground from the football club? There was always an end game, that was the constant; the route to getting there was where things were never so obvious.

 

You could (possibly) say the protests have expedited this, but the proximate cause is the same, Norman.

 

Whether administration (which I doubt) or liquidation (which I suspect is the endgame) happens this summer or next, is irrelevant now. If the protests hadn’t occurred, we’d just be stuck in the same vicious circle which simply reinforces Norman’s hold on the club; a new manager around the turn of the year, Norman publicly stating he’s taking a backseat, potential buyers turned away / fall by the wayside, then comes the summer following a month away from football, anger from fans is diluted, season ticket money comes in, Norman opens his “sweetie jar”, a complete squad overhaul follows (with new players being progressively worse than those they’ve replaced), a poor start to the season ensues, and then a management change midway through. This happening once, you could class as a mistake but three years running, that’s a habit, and allows a bit of breathing space for the chairman whilst he continues with his plan.

 

Like I say, I understand why you have the opinion you do, and I’m not having a go, but laying any of the blame on the supporters, B&G etc is plainly wrong and playing into the hands of the only antagonist.

 

As a previous chairman once said “we are where we are”, and I strongly believe we would always have been here, due to the actions of one man, and one man alone.

 

Cheeky, you don't half talk some.........SENCE sometimes.

[Phil]

Ground share with Stoke City perhaps. Closest big ground

 

I assume that is tongue in cheek?

[Class personified]

It’s too late for that now. The horse has bolted and is just about to be shot. In very simple terms it would have involved a proper grown up dialogue, respecting each other’s position and taking the heat out of difficult situations to find a consensus view. One of my fellow Sheffield Travelling Valiants is an expert in this area. Even he would have found it a significant challenge especially bearing in mind his emotional involvement with this club. That approach would have worked and achieved a more amicable and satisfying outcome for both sides. That won’t happen now so let’s move on and deal with the fallout. Port Vale will survive in some format or other and I am sure we will all be there collectively to support it.

[Class personified]

Whether administration (which I doubt) or liquidation (which I suspect is the endgame) happens this summer or next, is irrelevant now. If the protests hadn’t occurred, we’d just be stuck in the same vicious circle which simply

 

Like I say, I understand why you have the opinion you do, and I’m not having a go, but laying any of the blame on the supporters, B&G etc is plainly wrong and playing into the hands of the only antagonist.

 

As a previous chairman once said “we are where we are”, and I strongly believe we would always have been here, due to the actions of one man, and one man alone.

 

I think you talk a lot of sense. I certainly don’t blame B&G. They are fellow supporters who like me passionately care about this great club. We now stand shoulder to shoulder to protect the identity of Port Vale FC. Smurf has made his emotional decision. I know where I stand four square with my fellow Valiants.

[Jacko51]

It’s too late for that now. The horse has bolted and is just about to be shot. In very simple terms it would have involved a proper grown up dialogue, respecting each other’s position and taking the heat out of difficult situations to find a consensus view. One of my fellow Sheffield Travelling Valiants is an expert in this area. Even he would have found it a significant challenge especially bearing in mind his emotional involvement with this club. That approach would have worked and achieved a more amicable and satisfying outcome for both sides. That won’t happen now so let’s move on and deal with the fallout. Port Vale will survive in some format or other and I am sure we will all be there collectively to support it.

 

Mr Smurthwaite doesn't understand dialogue, only monologue.

[Class personified]

I suspect even the monologue may cease going forward. That no longer matters. We need to plan for the future wherever that will be and in whatever Division it will be. Onwards and upwards as I see it.

[blackdog]

It’s too late for that now. The horse has bolted and is just about to be shot. In very simple terms it would have involved a proper grown up dialogue, respecting each other’s position and taking the heat out of difficult situations to find a consensus view. One of my fellow Sheffield Travelling Valiants is an expert in this area. Even he would have found it a significant challenge especially bearing in mind his emotional involvement with this club. That approach would have worked and achieved a more amicable and satisfying outcome for both sides. That won’t happen now so let’s move on and deal with the fallout. Port Vale will survive in some format or other and I am sure we will all be there collectively to support it.

 

Speaking to someone very very close to all this Smurthwaite doesn't do dialogue,he rants and rambles and contradicts himself making it very difficult to reason or reach any form of compromise.

[Jacko51]

Speaking to someone very very close to all this Smurthwaite doesn't do dialogue,he rants and rambles and contradicts himself making it very difficult to reason or reach any form of compromise.

 

Exactly. The Black and Gold lads were going to have a meeting with him a few weeks ago but he said he would only discuss the first Chapter of the Norman Mysteries on the B&G website and nothing else!