An Open Letter from Carol

[Guppys left peg]

There’s no doubting she’s sincere in it hurting but I think some of the comments are delusional (and I’m afraid I think she genuinely does believe it too). At the start of the video I’m paraphrasing but losing like that ‘isn’t us’… erm Carol we’ve watched the games yes it <ovf censored> is. It’s very much what Port Vale have become.

[DazFred]

I really can't blame Crosby

If it wasn't for him standing in for DC we wouldn't have made the playoffs

I'll type this in Capitals

GET RID OF FLITCROFT AND WE MAY STAND A CHANCE 

[Doha]

46 minutes ago, JoeB2 said:

I think it’s very telling. 

I think it's <ovf censored> scary for next season.

Edited February 25 by Doha

[southvale]

Interesting shes only bin in the area 10yrs, only bin vale 5. Think shes prob shi##ing her sen now at the prospect of losing even more money. Nice idea but hasnt worked for any of us

[eh up nah]

I loved a girl once

Most beautiful thing I ever saw

 

Wanner to be though

[Doha]

Saw this comment on facebook, the bloke is spot on.

Quote

To call the DOF ‘Flickers’ is unbelievable, let me explain Carol, he is your employee not your mate, someone you hired to look after the footballing side of club and has assembled one of the worst squads in our history. Those are your ‘phenomenal player’s’ Carol third from bottom of the league and going nowhere other than League 2. I’ll be honest I don’t care anymore, let them get on with it, they are completely tone deaf to the supporters on the terraces.

[RayWalkers40yarder]

7 hours ago, Spunk Trumpet said:

If you’re in a relationship and every single family member tells you it’s toxic and every single friend tells you it’s toxic, when you’re being gaslighted you will put up your defences and defend your partner.

This is exactly what is happening here.

The only thing we have to do is give her time in waking up. Sadly I can’t see it anytime soon so the pressure has to be kept on.

The fans need to keep voicing their opinion on David Flitcroft and hound him out of this football club. 

you are absolutely 100% spot on. and ive seen some dross over the last 40 years. mostly inthe last 10-15 but this is easily the worst squad of players weve had over that period. the blinkers are on and i see nothing to suggest we wont be playing in the basement league next season. absolutely nothing. bring back bruno and michael brown as assistant manager !

[RayWalkers40yarder]

7 hours ago, Spunk Trumpet said:

If you’re in a relationship and every single family member tells you it’s toxic and every single friend tells you it’s toxic, when you’re being gaslighted you will put up your defences and defend your partner.

This is exactly what is happening here.

The only thing we have to do is give her time in waking up. Sadly I can’t see it anytime soon so the pressure has to be kept on.

The fans need to keep voicing their opinion on David Flitcroft and hound him out of this football club. 

you are absolutely 100% spot on. and ive seen some dross over the last 40 years. mostly inthe last 10-15 but this is easily the worst squad of players weve had over that period. the blinkers are on and i see nothing to suggest we wont be playing in the basement league next season. absolutely nothing. bring back bruno and michael brown as assistant manager !

[Emile]

9 hours ago, Stockleys_socks said:

DC has publicly said he needed time out of the game to sort his life out which is more than understandable. I think we ought to bury the hatchet and stop blaming flitcroft and Carol on that one.

I don't blame them for that one. I blame them for getting rid of a manager that epitomised what port vale was all about and blaming only him for the way we collapsed after January 2023. 

What should have happened is AC is manager until the end of the season and then we hired a new management team that also epitomised the club. Someone else that everyone was going to get behind. 

We also should have realised that the failings of last season were because the squad assembled post Jan23 wasn't good enough and we needed to either replace the recruitment manager or not make the same mistakes again. 

Instead, we kept the coaches who wouldn't get a job at Stone Dominos (who were working for DFs brothers business by the way) and made the same mistakes in the transfer windows. 

And you wonder why we're in this position?!

[valeparklife]

8 hours ago, JoeB2 said:

Carol seems to spend a lot of time talking up incompetent people, like the DoF and the phenomenal players, but not a great deal of time talking up the fans who are paying to endure it.

The video today is quite sad as I’m in no doubt the emotion is real, but she only has herself to blame. Folk have been sounding the alarm bells for over a year and she has refused to listen. Tideswell told people I know that things weren’t right before the Robbie concert - that’s how long ago things have begun to slide.

The fact she is now taking more heed of the new goalkeeping coaches’ wife than she is her supporters is telling.

Just all very sad. What could have been.

She seems to treat people like you would in a 'normal' business, rather than football.

Like if your sales manager isn't performing. Let's stick with them and see how we can help.

But in football, if they're a duffer, you have to be ruthless.

We clung onto Askey for way longer than we should. Same for Crosby. Same for Flitcroft.

[pete vale]

7 hours ago, RayWalkers40yarder said:

you are absolutely 100% spot on. and ive seen some dross over the last 40 years. mostly inthe last 10-15 but this is easily the worst squad of players weve had over that period. the blinkers are on and i see nothing to suggest we wont be playing in the basement league next season. absolutely nothing. bring back bruno and michael brown as assistant manager !

I'd take Michael Brown as a player NOW!

Edited February 25 by pete vale

[Bald Eagle]

Absolutely deluded - next job likely to be Chairperson of the Flat Earth Society!

Tears either to curry favour, or the realisation that £10m+ spent will see us back exactly where we started (but with an even worse squad that could take us straight through to the National League if we’re not careful).

Has systematically removed everyone at the club who dared to have an opinion that was not the same as hers, and surrounded herself with yes men.  Colin Garlick probably the most cynical of these where we had Carols ‘spin’ as to why we did not need a Chief Exec, only to appoint Matt Hancock to the role little over 12months later.

The comment that she takes the new coaches wife’s word that we will be alright, rather than the fans view that things are very very wrong speaks volumes!

All the ‘togetherness’ that Carol takes credit for was fostered by DC’s personality and relationship with the fans, which was further galvanised by his tragic loss.  I do not blame her for having to part ways with DC, but I do for appointing AC to the role with no other candidates considered despite losing 3 of his 4 games in charge at the end of last season.

DF is culpable, but has been allowed to go about his work seemingly unchallenged.

Carol is ultimately accountable as the owner, but is blind to the situation and unable to accept any blame, as clearly demonstrated in the open letter, this rant, and other interactions at forums, when she just tells us what we should think!

In summary, 5 years in, back in the same place, £10m+ down the drain, worse squad, no paddock toilets, fan base divided at best and totally disengaged at worst, but we do have the RW suite, everyone says we are nice and we make a good packed lunch for the community!  
 

ps at least I got my OBE👍

 

 

Edited February 25 by Bald Eagle

[JoeB2]

If we are extremely cynical, we could say all the good stuff of the Shanahan reign was down to Darrell Clarke being a really good football manager. 

Without him, we’re back to where we started with millions owed to Carol, a poor squad largely under contract, and a new scoreboard, hospitality suite, and an extra changing room for the players.

That’s not me saying he shouldn’t have left, but just the reality that the club hasn’t really moved forward a great deal despite all the bluster - we just happened to appoint a good manager.

Edited February 25 by JoeB2

[pete vale]

22 minutes ago, JoeB2 said:

If we are extremely cynical, we could say all the good stuff of the Shanahan reign was down to Darrell Clarke being a really good football manager. 

Without him, we’re back to where we started with millions owed to Carol, a poor squad largely under contract, and a new scoreboard, hospitality suite, and an extra changing room for the players.

That’s not me saying he shouldn’t have left, but just the reality that the club hasn’t really moved forward a great deal despite all the bluster - we just happened to appoint a good manager.

I think you are right Joe. I was respectful of Clarke but also attributed success to Crosby also. I liked AC and he is obviously the scapegoat here. We all know who/ what is to blame. I remember a conversation I had about football club ownership and shares, etc many years ago with Terry McDermott. He held a lot of shares in Newcastle United before Ashley. He told me "If you want to make a million out of football - Invest £20M son"!!! He was right. Whilst appreciative of the Shanahan's, they really do need to start to listen to the masses before even more heartache transpires.

Edited February 25 by pete vale

[Vale1995]

The thing is she has shown absolutely zero understanding of how we are all feeling. Just constant smoke and mirrors to belittle our opinions. 'Phenomenal players' how amazing our dof football is . While us fans sit in the stands watching a shower of <ovf censored> everyweek get worse and worse everyweek. No fight nothing. She doesnt know what she is doing simple as that. She thinks us fans care about the community side more than the football. Its always look what were doing off the pitch were doing so much good work. I dont pay my hard earned money for us to be a good club off the pitch. I pay to be entertained and all i see is complete and utter ineptness on the pitch. But somebodys wife said were going to be fine so why are we all upset for. Im fed up of hearing words . They mean nothing... im sick of seeing players apologise after games. Roll your <ovf censored> sleeves up and show us you actually care. But i dont think they have that in them.