An Open Letter from Carol

[davehartshill]

6 minutes ago, Doha said:

I can't believe I've actually just read an excuse for the special treatment for the special few is in case Robbie got shot by a Mark Chapman walt. Amazing.

At least it wasn't holding back away tickets this time.

Genuinely laughed out loud when I read that as well. As if Robbie’s middle aged female fans have handguns in their car boot. Ffs.

Edited February 7 by davehartshill

[Packmoor_vale]

56 minutes ago, TJHValiant said:

Is that you Dave? 
 

Wake up, we have run out of cash and are, looking at the table likely to get relegated. 

We have managed that even with Flitcroft’s growth plan of spending the money on an academy that I have yet to see or training facilities that seem to have fundamentally changed little. The gym for example..still in Lorne Street, not moved. 
 

Seats stuck in for Robbie..not because of the club or fans but for a vanity gig for a tired has-been. 
 

 

Tired has been that’s worth a reported 250 million 😂

[valiant_593]

30 minutes ago, ginge said:

People moan when she hasnt come out and said anything and when she does come out (just because people dislike it) they moan again. I disagree with Flitcroft staying but I think it's great we have an owner who is so open and honest about what's going on and where she stands on matters. 

Great that’s she has finally broken the radio silence. Sadly the contents of the letter is pure bs. 

[Doha]

6 minutes ago, Diego Maradona said:

So, what do you think is happening here?

 

1 hour ago, JoeB2 said:

I guess it depends on our definition of 'hobnobbing', but I'll go with the Google defintion of: mix socially, especially with those of perceived higher social status.

Within the last 2 weeks, they had a top-secret Robbie Williams event, privately emailed out to box-holders or certain branches of hospitality. They were asked for their number plate, and once all the cars were inside, they locked the gates to the car park. No open invite. No tickets. No random ballot. Select few, hush hush, don't tell the plebs.

Hob-nobbing with a pop star who hasn't been seen for years, whilst on the other side of the ground there's pensioners walking across a car park to a portaloo.

 

[Packmoor_vale]

Just now, valiant_593 said:

Great that’s she has finally broken the radio silence. Sadly the contents of the letter is pure bs. 

Finally broke the radio silence? 
Was she not at a fans forum the other week? 
And unfortunately for the full on negative fan a lot of that statement is true 

 

[JoeB2]

33 minutes ago, ginge said:

People moan when she hasnt come out and said anything and when she does come out (just because people dislike it) they moan again. I disagree with Flitcroft staying but I think it's great we have an owner who is so open and honest about what's going on and where she stands on matters. 

Knew this argument would come up.

'Well, you moan about no communication - ergo, you must praise any communication, even if it is bad'.

It's not a good argument. Carol should have shown more contrition and a willingness to engage with fans - not tell us that we're all wrong and we should just open our eyes and stop being dim.

[Rory]

Knew this argument would come up.
'Well, you moan about no communication - ergo, you must praise any communication, even if it is bad'.
It's not a good argument. Carol should have shown more contrition and a willingness to engage with fans - not tell us that we're all wrong and we should just open our eyes and stop being dim.

I think she is fuming with the fans.

[Aguar61]

1 hour ago, dantheman said:

Like the letter and respect what is said. Big respect for Carol for communicating too, she doesn’t have too.  

There is one simple solution though and one statement that will mend some of the issues we currently face. Appoint a strong manager. Someone who will get an extra 20-30% out of players. But most importantly someone who will challenge DF. Do that and I think you win back some of the respect. Appoint what will be deemed another Crosby yes man and I really do fear for us. 
 

Just because we have a DOF shouldn’t mean that we appoint someone that won’t challenge all things football and be banging down DF’s door when things aren’t going right demanding better. Have to create that environment where everyone challenges everyone to be better which I don’t think we have currently in the club from first team right the way through. We hear it so often how nice we are. Well we don’t want to be nice and equally we don’t want to be horrible but we have ri be competitive and I think that lies somewhere between the two. We had it in abundance when we got promoted and coincidentally it only seemed to wain once Clarke began to become withdrawn while dealing with some truly horrific circumstances that no farther should ever have to deal with. We will never know but I’m not having that a fully focused Clarke would have allowed DF off so lightly as Crosby may have done. 
 
So come on vale grow some for a change and restore some pride!

Do you honestly think he'll appoint someone who will question him?!?! Be like a turkey voting for Xmas that...

[ADS]

4 hours ago, pvfc1994 said:

This statement may come to bite her on the backside when we are playing in League Two next season (and the foreseeable future) with attendances of around 4000. It's a very one sided statement, taking absolutely no responsibility for the failings so far this season. Yes, there has been improvements behind the scenes and to the image of the club and the community, and no fan is denying that (we get bombarded with it enough) but there's also monumental failings on the first team side which are being swept under the carpet. She's alienating and so out of touch with the every day working class fan, treating us as if we are thick and it comes across as something of a bit of a vanity project for her now. All this hospitality stuff, the Robbie Suite, Championship ready facilities, etc, while the every day fans are having to use portaloos on a match day. Nobody is denying there's been improvements in some areas but that doesn't negate all the other negatives. The main gripe being the squad just isn't good enough to survive in this league and it's been put together by David Flitcroft. 

Vale fans pay decent money to watch a crap team put together by our DofF so they have every right to vent their frustration at David 'everything that touches a ball' Flitcroft. So to say basically shut up, sit down and Flitcroft is doing an amazing job for hitting some of the targets he's paid very handsomely to hit, while completely ignoring why fans are grumbling in the first place doesn't sit too well with me.

Why would any decent manager work under David Flitcroft? They won't. 

Where is the accountability? From anybody? They're brushing over some monumental failings. 

A) Not interviewing a single experienced manager for the role at the start of the season in the first place, when the vast majority of supporters could already see this coming. 

B) Not learning our lesson from last seasons January transfer window by signing a single striker capable of scoring goals. That's three seperare transfer windows we haven't and then having to resort to re-signing an injured striker we released a few months before.

Attendances are dropping at a rapid rate, and the atmosphere is shocking on a match day. There's a complete and total feeling of apathy engulfing the club. 

Can't wait to see Crawley and Harrogate play on our championship standard pitch though. 

Give pvfc1994 an MBE for this post. Spot on.

[Diego Maradona]

7 minutes ago, Doha said:

 

 

The photo was taken on the Saturday v Portsmouth. Robbie came into 'open' the RW suite. Nobody (fans) knew about it until it happened. 

On the Friday, previous night, there was the 'crowning' of RW as Club President. Invites for this were to an exclusive group: members of staff, players etc.

Edited February 7 by Diego Maradona

[Packmoor_vale]

Just now, Diego Maradona said:

The photo was taken on the Saturday v Portsmouth. Robbie came into 'open' the RW suite. Nobody (fans) knew about until it happened. 

On the Friday, previous night, there was the 'crowning' of RW as Club President. Invites for this were to an exclusive group: members of staff, players etc.

Wow 👍

[Howjy04]

13 minutes ago, Diego Maradona said:

So, what do you think is happening here?

What’s Robbie doing with his left hand?Sorry.

[JoeB2]

30 minutes ago, soothsayer said:

It’s clear from the statement Carol has a lot of time for DF so it doesn’t look like he’ll be leaving anytime soon. That leaves all supporters with two choices:

1. Trust her judgement as she clearly deals with him far more than any fan, hoping in the long term we improve and progress.

2. Go against her judgement and create civil war in the club and try to hound DF out.

Although I’m highly sceptical, I really don’t think option 2 is justified at the moment. Following the worst owner we’ve ever had, Carol brought some welcome stability for 3 years albeit things have gone pear shaped in the past 12 months. 

I agree with this. I 100% want to see a change in DoF and a change in overall strategy of the club. However, as much as I'm frustrated, I don't think it's a good idea to start open dissent and protests. 

Reasons why:

1. Despite anger, appetite isn't there for any more open dissent. An unpopular anti-Flitcroft protest movement is only likely to open up further rifts in a very disenchanted fanbase.

2. We can't be protesting every few years, whether that's ownership or DoF.

3. It's really unpleasant to be involved with. The last B&G was successful but wasn't nice to take part in. You get a load of stick and resentment festers between fans.

4. Carol isn't budging on this. Line drawn.

Carol has set her stall out today, in a pretty poor way. I'm no longer of the mind to defend her, and if she wants to sell up I'm not going to try and convince her otherwise. It would probably be for the best for all parties.

However, there's not a great deal we can do apart from pray they get the appointment spot on. It's apathetic of me, but I feel it's the reality.

Edited February 7 by JoeB2

[JoeB2]

7 minutes ago, Diego Maradona said:

The photo was taken on the Saturday v Portsmouth. Robbie came into 'open' the RW suite. Nobody (fans) knew about it until it happened. 

On the Friday, previous night, there was the 'crowning' of RW as Club President. Invites for this were to an exclusive group: members of staff, players etc.

That's not true at all.

There was an event the night before the game, which certain fans/box-holders were given email invites to.

I wouldn't have an issue if we had functioning plumbing tbh. I have a 90 year old Grandad attending with me.

Edited February 7 by JoeB2

[who Ronnie futcher]

20 minutes ago, Diego Maradona said:

So, what do you think is happening here?

Is that Barry from eastenders 2 behind tossy