Catch-up time. This blog is a Holdingsgate-free zone, at least for today. We've seen a couple of unexpected new signings since the last time I blogged as well as the confirmation of longer-term loans on a couple more; added to which the rumour-mill, fuelled by no less a source than Skivo himself, has gone wild with the possibility of one more big signing before the transfer window shuts at 6pm tomorrow. Oh, the possibilities! If one was of a cynical frame of mind then one might conclude that the Glovers Board had relaxed the purse-strings somewhat in order to distract attention away from Holdingsgate, but we're not that cynical are we? Hell, no. Oh, I nearly forgot, we also earned a good point away yesterday against a decent Oldham side for which we were full value and were evidently somewhat unlucky not to come away with all three points after having what seemed like a perfectly good goal disallowed as well as a cast-iron penalty refused, again. What is it that referees have against Yeovil Town?
The two loanees who have penned longer-term deals are the expected ones: Millwall keeper John Sullivan and Watford midfielder/defender Rob Kiernan will remain at Huish Park until at least January 3rd 2011. Good news there, but the really good news came on Friday. In hindsight everyone and his dog and cat could see after the Hartlepool debacle that the weak link in the squad was the central midfield, especially when JP Kalala was missing. That has now been addressed, firstly with the arrival of Welsh international Owain Tudur-Jones from Norwich City, back for a second month's spell at Huish Park after his month long loan deal last season; and secondly with the massively welcome news that Shaun Macdonald is back and on a reasonably long-term basis too, also until January 3rd. We won't actually see the Ginger Ninja in action until the September 11th home game v Tranmere as he's off for the next week on Welsh u-21 international duty, but the news that both he and Tudur-Jones have signed was a huge boost on Friday after a pretty dismal week. Welcome back boys, with so many Welshmen back on the playing staff how can we go wrong?
And then there's the possibility that's got the rumour-mill in overdrive. Speaking after the Oldham game, Skivo stoked the fire: "I am still trying to add one more and I am not going to say who it is yet, but I am still trying and I think if we get this one that I am looking for we will be very strong this year." ITK's suggest the mystery man is none other than Gavin Williams. The Welsh international is out of favour at Bristol City, barely appearing on the bench so far this season under former manager Steve Coppell or current boss Keith Millen and is set to go out on loan. According to the rumour-mill L1 rivals Southampton were thought to be keen on signing Super Gav, but with the shock sacking of manager Alan Pardew - who signed Williams from Yeovil when in charge at West Ham United - that move must now be in doubt, which may just leave the Glovers in pole position. It might be a case of 2+2 equalling 5, but there have been whispers all summer about the possibility of the player returning to Huish Park at some stage, and it might just be that this time the rumour-mill's got it right. Fingers are very firmly crossed.
The thought occurs to me that if Gav did sign (I know, I know, let's not count any chickens, but I can't help myself and it's my blog so I'll say what I like), but if he did sign then not only would we have three Williams's in the squad, we'd have a grand total of six (count 'em!) Welshmen as well, if you count Andy Williams as being Welsh which I do seeing as he was born in Hereford. Six Welshmen! Plus one with a surname of Welsh! That's more sons of Wales than Cardiff City and Swansea City combined managed to name in their first team squads this weekend! Cymru am byth!
Ahem! Back to reality. The Glovers entertain Exeter City in a Football League Trophy 1st round match at Huish Park tomorrow night, a game I'm hoping to get to if my sodding electric wheelchair can be fixed before then. My back wheel fell off as I was taking the dog for a walk today, not an experience I want to repeat in a hurry. To add insult to injury it happened at Huish Park as I was foolishly going to see if the ticket office was open so I could buy a ticket for tomorrow night's game. The ticket office open on a bank holiday? What was I thinking? The bookies make the Glovers 6/5 favourites for the win, the draw is priced at 12/5 and an Exeter win at 15/8. My fiver's going on the home win. Running total: +£3.25p.
Just read: Time's Arrow by Martin Amis. Life starts at the moment of death and winds backwards in this Booker Prize-winning novel. Our sympathy is with the protagonist as he gradually gets younger until we realise that his present life hides an appalling past as an assistant to Mengele in Auschwitz. A clever, very readable novel which horrifies and amuses in equal measure. I finished it nearly two weeks ago and I still find myself haunted by the scenes set in the concentration camp, as time inexorably flows backwards, with all that implies. Frightening and absorbing.
Monday, 30 August 2010
Friday, 27 August 2010
The Slowest Drip
The Slowest Drip - by Cruncher
Even the slowest drip of information is welcome. Although it importantly highlights an issue that previously was all too quiet, it doesn't add to the knowledge we have, with the one piece of detail that the ground will remain with the club having already been let out of the bag by Digger. Have we been told that because it is already known information? Indeed maybe not, but telling us the one thing we know is not going to boost confidence that the club might be completely endeared with the need to enlighten us.
Words though are now being spoken, a giant step forward - just how significant a step we shall judge over the next few days as we hope for a big increase in detail. Though also welcome to hear, comment about a lack of future rent obligation on the club is optimistic intent more than detail, at this stage. And at least we have the plain words now that confirm that it is about borrowing money to create revenue streams that go to the stadium and football budgets, a definite improvement on gobbledygook about 'facilitation of the brand' and suchlike.
I hope the club now turn the drip into a flood of information, as well address questions however awkward. Martyn Starnes's reference to "extensive consultation over the last few years" lets us know that the club has had this project in mind for a long time. It also increases belief that it has been a long term objective to avoid other investors because they also would want the right to have a say on policy and direction.
Now is the time to be bold and sell the plan to the entire support with the same purpose that undoubtedly they have applied during those years of research and planning. Twelve acres of commercial security will appeal both to speculators and to advisers who can match the club up with financiers.
One thought about 'advisers' does strike me - with the experienced and renowned football-industry specialist Stephen Allinson on the Board, why does the club seek advice elsewhere?
The club needs investment to compete and grow, financiers deserve their profit but safeguards will be a key issue, both in general and in eventuality of future events such as the passing of ownership. With the club now admitting (as I see it) to a long term preferred policy of seeking out experienced commercial development backers, they would do us and themselves well to send a signal that the club will not have to yield too much of its value for the privilege.
I refer to this post from Das Boot on the Achieve by Unity forum: a plain-speaking plea for clarifying detail that will pave the way forward. As he concludes: "Once and for all Mr Fry and Co tell us all about your plans in full!"
Else, even the slowest drip such as myself will inevitably conclude that 'Achieve by Unity' is one of the assets to be sold off. But I don't want to sound a miserable git, because the club have begun to respond and credit to them for that.
Cruncher
Even the slowest drip of information is welcome. Although it importantly highlights an issue that previously was all too quiet, it doesn't add to the knowledge we have, with the one piece of detail that the ground will remain with the club having already been let out of the bag by Digger. Have we been told that because it is already known information? Indeed maybe not, but telling us the one thing we know is not going to boost confidence that the club might be completely endeared with the need to enlighten us.
Words though are now being spoken, a giant step forward - just how significant a step we shall judge over the next few days as we hope for a big increase in detail. Though also welcome to hear, comment about a lack of future rent obligation on the club is optimistic intent more than detail, at this stage. And at least we have the plain words now that confirm that it is about borrowing money to create revenue streams that go to the stadium and football budgets, a definite improvement on gobbledygook about 'facilitation of the brand' and suchlike.
I hope the club now turn the drip into a flood of information, as well address questions however awkward. Martyn Starnes's reference to "extensive consultation over the last few years" lets us know that the club has had this project in mind for a long time. It also increases belief that it has been a long term objective to avoid other investors because they also would want the right to have a say on policy and direction.
Now is the time to be bold and sell the plan to the entire support with the same purpose that undoubtedly they have applied during those years of research and planning. Twelve acres of commercial security will appeal both to speculators and to advisers who can match the club up with financiers.
One thought about 'advisers' does strike me - with the experienced and renowned football-industry specialist Stephen Allinson on the Board, why does the club seek advice elsewhere?
The club needs investment to compete and grow, financiers deserve their profit but safeguards will be a key issue, both in general and in eventuality of future events such as the passing of ownership. With the club now admitting (as I see it) to a long term preferred policy of seeking out experienced commercial development backers, they would do us and themselves well to send a signal that the club will not have to yield too much of its value for the privilege.
I refer to this post from Das Boot on the Achieve by Unity forum: a plain-speaking plea for clarifying detail that will pave the way forward. As he concludes: "Once and for all Mr Fry and Co tell us all about your plans in full!"
Else, even the slowest drip such as myself will inevitably conclude that 'Achieve by Unity' is one of the assets to be sold off. But I don't want to sound a miserable git, because the club have begun to respond and credit to them for that.
Cruncher
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Club offers crumbs of comfort
After criticising both the club and the local press last week for the deathly silence over the Holdingsgate issue, it's a pleasant surprise to note that the entire back page of this week's edition of the Western Gazette is given over to an interview with Chief Executive Martyn Starnes regarding the club's plans.
As far as I can see at first glance two questions have been addressed, sort of. Firstly it's confirmed that the Huish Park Stadium itself is set to stay under the control of the football club and not the new Holding Company; secondly Starnes states that the Holding Company has 'no wish' to charge any rent to the football club for use of the remaining land. One might hope for something more substantial in writing then a vague claim of having 'no wish' to charge a rent, but it's better than the complete silence that we had before today.
Indeed, much detail is missing and the whole piece still has that patronising 'papa-knows-best' feel that Yeovil fans have unfortunately become accustomed to with its communications from the Board over the last few years. No mention is made of any valuation of the land, nor does the piece detail where the rights to any income generated on and from the site reside. Neither is there any mention of any safeguards to protect the club when, as is inevitable at some point in the future, control passes from the current main shareholders into other hands. Starnes does claim that the Board have undergone 'extensive consultation over the last few years' regarding the issue. Nice to know, but what a pity they didn't see fit to consult with the supporters during that time, either through the Achieve By Unity Fans Partnership (ha!) or the Customer Charter Meetings. As usual the club pay lip service to the idea of transparency whilst conducting their real business through a veil of secrecy.
Still, at least the Board has finally said something, at last, and at least the main local paper has raised the issue publically, at last. They haven't said enough and many questions still need answering but it's a start. Interestingly it seems that a 'detailed response' has been made to Guardian journalist Matt Scott's articles from last week, but as yet there's been no acknowledgement from the paper. I await Digger's next column with bated breath.
Back to the football and it occurs I'm still to provide my usual report on last Saturday's 0-2 home loss to Hartlepool United. So here goes: We were shit. There, that covers that. Okay, I'll expand a little on that. We were out-thought and out-fought. Hartlepool correctly identified our midfield as the weak link and swamped us there. We never got our passing game going, our wingers became more and more peripheral to the game and long before half-time we were already resorting to the long ball simply because we had no other options. It was a depressing and toothless performance, probably the worst I've seen under the current manager. He knows it, we know it and the players know it. I don't see any point in saying any more at this late juncture, suffice it to say that if we play like that again we will lose again. Hopefully it was a one-off and our triumphant march to an eventual 9th place as forecast by yours truly will resume this Saturday, away at Oldham. The bookies make the home side 5/6 favourites, the draw is priced at 5/2 and a Glovers win a tempting 10/3. Tempting, but not tempting enough. My fiver's going on the draw. Running total: -£9.25p.
As far as I can see at first glance two questions have been addressed, sort of. Firstly it's confirmed that the Huish Park Stadium itself is set to stay under the control of the football club and not the new Holding Company; secondly Starnes states that the Holding Company has 'no wish' to charge any rent to the football club for use of the remaining land. One might hope for something more substantial in writing then a vague claim of having 'no wish' to charge a rent, but it's better than the complete silence that we had before today.
Indeed, much detail is missing and the whole piece still has that patronising 'papa-knows-best' feel that Yeovil fans have unfortunately become accustomed to with its communications from the Board over the last few years. No mention is made of any valuation of the land, nor does the piece detail where the rights to any income generated on and from the site reside. Neither is there any mention of any safeguards to protect the club when, as is inevitable at some point in the future, control passes from the current main shareholders into other hands. Starnes does claim that the Board have undergone 'extensive consultation over the last few years' regarding the issue. Nice to know, but what a pity they didn't see fit to consult with the supporters during that time, either through the Achieve By Unity Fans Partnership (ha!) or the Customer Charter Meetings. As usual the club pay lip service to the idea of transparency whilst conducting their real business through a veil of secrecy.
Still, at least the Board has finally said something, at last, and at least the main local paper has raised the issue publically, at last. They haven't said enough and many questions still need answering but it's a start. Interestingly it seems that a 'detailed response' has been made to Guardian journalist Matt Scott's articles from last week, but as yet there's been no acknowledgement from the paper. I await Digger's next column with bated breath.
Back to the football and it occurs I'm still to provide my usual report on last Saturday's 0-2 home loss to Hartlepool United. So here goes: We were shit. There, that covers that. Okay, I'll expand a little on that. We were out-thought and out-fought. Hartlepool correctly identified our midfield as the weak link and swamped us there. We never got our passing game going, our wingers became more and more peripheral to the game and long before half-time we were already resorting to the long ball simply because we had no other options. It was a depressing and toothless performance, probably the worst I've seen under the current manager. He knows it, we know it and the players know it. I don't see any point in saying any more at this late juncture, suffice it to say that if we play like that again we will lose again. Hopefully it was a one-off and our triumphant march to an eventual 9th place as forecast by yours truly will resume this Saturday, away at Oldham. The bookies make the home side 5/6 favourites, the draw is priced at 5/2 and a Glovers win a tempting 10/3. Tempting, but not tempting enough. My fiver's going on the draw. Running total: -£9.25p.
Sunday, 22 August 2010
All Quiet On The Western Front (and the back)
[As much as I enjoy and appreciate Cruncher's contributions to this blog, it sometimes takes me a while to 'get' his punning headlines. This one is no exception, but I got there in the end. Hopefully it won't take you as long as me to g(az)et it! PS, if you're looking for my usual review of yesterday's debacle against Hartlepool it'll be along either later this evening or some time tomorrow, if I can be arsed. The team didn't seem to make too much effort yesterday so why should I bother? In the meantime can I point you towards Vyse's Green and White Blog where you will find a comprehensive and excellent match report. - Taff]
All Quiet On The Western Front (and the back)
I soon can get to some games and talk about the football, which I am still very much looking forward to doing despite yesterday's great disappointment. I tried to resist a ramble last week about the restructuring plans, but couldn't hold out - sorry to inform that this compulsion has occurred again. This time it is as a result of Taff's balanced and fair look at the local media blanking the wide concern at-large, about what he has christened 'Holdingsgate'. I did start to reply with a comment on his blog, but it became too long when I tied it in with the theme of inevitability - so here we are.
Nobody expects The Gazette, for example, to be confrontational. What is expected is that they acknowledge a concern amongst their readership that obviously exists, done in the briefest of ways would have sufficed. It was naive, at best, not to have stated from the start from problems incurred at other clubs, that there would be much debate and many questions. And to compound that with putting the Capital Glovers letter to one side, to the convenience of the Board (it appears), has led to the inevitable thought that lack of communication is a foe lined up on two fronts.
I have banged on about inevitabilities, and this outcome of how the local media is viewed is another of those, and as with the club, of its own making. Everyone understands why they are not at the club's throat, nor wants or expects them to be, but not why they haven't made a single reference to a significant concern amongst the community they report to, or at least raised an eyebrow as to why Matt Scott thinks it so.
If the local papers still do not give supporters' views a mention, we will have the ludicrous situation of national reporting on a provincial issue ballooning, while its local counterparts can't spare a drop of ink; a ridiculous contrast that would increasingly become part of the issue, as well as self-perpetuate it, if it were prolonged.
The Guardian was also bound to happen as a follow-up to inaction. As a direct result, of both the club and local press attitude to great concern in the community, that concern now has the benefit of a proven super-sleuth and champion of punter-perspective.
Digger appears to follow every item he starts as a project to completion. He is keeping a watchful eye on Plymouth, where that includes noticing what Sir Roy Gardner is up to. It is inevitable that a continued silence at Huish Park will lead him to find clues elsewhere - as his work uncovering the mystery of the previous Notts County owners showed.
This inevitability is now a predictable conveyor belt gathering pace. The Board need to take a reality check on what is happening, hold to the Customer Charter promise and explain how we could achieve by unity. If they don't, the simple conclusion at some point will be that they won't tell us because we won't agree that it's good for the club.
No-one wants to be at odds with their club, no-one either wants to hold up what may be an astoundingly good plan to advance the fortunes of the club.
But, on this issue, silence is madness. If a spouse was to inform the other that some bloke in a suit down the pub had told them it was good to change the house ownership into just that person's name, 'but don't worry, it's for the best', a lot of questions would follow. So would a lot of wondering, and checking to see if someone was winking at the milkman, or even the bloke in the suit, or booking airline tickets, or whatever.
That is certainly no slight on the integrity of this Board, none at all. It is simply the inevitability of human nature when faced with such an unexplained dilemma. The conveyor belt won't stop unless the Board acknowledge the obvious in that they have caused a chain-reaction that is sane, fair, and inevitable. It is up to them to apply the brakes by speaking up.
Yesterday has brought on the height of worry in normal times that a club should expect its support to have to cope with - ie. that the team played crap. It is inexcusable to bring significant extra worries through a silent dismissal, especially when disallowed by a promise of Charter. As well as it is inevitable that words such as 'despondent' to describe the effect of silence of both local media and the club are replaced by those such as 'bloomin' rude'.
Cruncher
All Quiet On The Western Front (and the back)
I soon can get to some games and talk about the football, which I am still very much looking forward to doing despite yesterday's great disappointment. I tried to resist a ramble last week about the restructuring plans, but couldn't hold out - sorry to inform that this compulsion has occurred again. This time it is as a result of Taff's balanced and fair look at the local media blanking the wide concern at-large, about what he has christened 'Holdingsgate'. I did start to reply with a comment on his blog, but it became too long when I tied it in with the theme of inevitability - so here we are.
Nobody expects The Gazette, for example, to be confrontational. What is expected is that they acknowledge a concern amongst their readership that obviously exists, done in the briefest of ways would have sufficed. It was naive, at best, not to have stated from the start from problems incurred at other clubs, that there would be much debate and many questions. And to compound that with putting the Capital Glovers letter to one side, to the convenience of the Board (it appears), has led to the inevitable thought that lack of communication is a foe lined up on two fronts.
I have banged on about inevitabilities, and this outcome of how the local media is viewed is another of those, and as with the club, of its own making. Everyone understands why they are not at the club's throat, nor wants or expects them to be, but not why they haven't made a single reference to a significant concern amongst the community they report to, or at least raised an eyebrow as to why Matt Scott thinks it so.
If the local papers still do not give supporters' views a mention, we will have the ludicrous situation of national reporting on a provincial issue ballooning, while its local counterparts can't spare a drop of ink; a ridiculous contrast that would increasingly become part of the issue, as well as self-perpetuate it, if it were prolonged.
The Guardian was also bound to happen as a follow-up to inaction. As a direct result, of both the club and local press attitude to great concern in the community, that concern now has the benefit of a proven super-sleuth and champion of punter-perspective.
Digger appears to follow every item he starts as a project to completion. He is keeping a watchful eye on Plymouth, where that includes noticing what Sir Roy Gardner is up to. It is inevitable that a continued silence at Huish Park will lead him to find clues elsewhere - as his work uncovering the mystery of the previous Notts County owners showed.
This inevitability is now a predictable conveyor belt gathering pace. The Board need to take a reality check on what is happening, hold to the Customer Charter promise and explain how we could achieve by unity. If they don't, the simple conclusion at some point will be that they won't tell us because we won't agree that it's good for the club.
No-one wants to be at odds with their club, no-one either wants to hold up what may be an astoundingly good plan to advance the fortunes of the club.
But, on this issue, silence is madness. If a spouse was to inform the other that some bloke in a suit down the pub had told them it was good to change the house ownership into just that person's name, 'but don't worry, it's for the best', a lot of questions would follow. So would a lot of wondering, and checking to see if someone was winking at the milkman, or even the bloke in the suit, or booking airline tickets, or whatever.
That is certainly no slight on the integrity of this Board, none at all. It is simply the inevitability of human nature when faced with such an unexplained dilemma. The conveyor belt won't stop unless the Board acknowledge the obvious in that they have caused a chain-reaction that is sane, fair, and inevitable. It is up to them to apply the brakes by speaking up.
Yesterday has brought on the height of worry in normal times that a club should expect its support to have to cope with - ie. that the team played crap. It is inexcusable to bring significant extra worries through a silent dismissal, especially when disallowed by a promise of Charter. As well as it is inevitable that words such as 'despondent' to describe the effect of silence of both local media and the club are replaced by those such as 'bloomin' rude'.
Cruncher
Friday, 20 August 2010
Local press letting fans down
I haven't received my invitation for a chat with club chairman John Fry and Chief Executive Martyn Starnes yet, but judging by the comments made by some on the achieve by unity forum then I'm sure it's only a matter of time. It seems that the Chairman and CEO are willing to conduct one-on-one meetings with virtually anyone who asks them, which makes their apparently wilful refusal to otherwise comment on the ongoing Yeovil Town Holding Company saga very hard to understand.
It's not just the YTFC Board who are conspicuous by their silence however. So far all the running in publicising the story has been made by unofficial and independent supporters groups and websites/blogs, aided and abetted by the wonderful and tenacious Matt Scott, author of the Digger column in The Guardian newspaper. One would have thought that as the national press has now started to pick up on supporters' concerns over Holdingsgate (as I am now beginning to think of it) that the local press might have seen fit to make their own enquiries into the situation, but so far neither the Western Gazette nor the Yeovil Express have featured the story at all, other than the Gazette's initial interview with John Fry back in the first week of June, which was when the club first announced its intentions.
As I understand it the Capital Glovers sent their open letter to the Board to the Gazette and asked the paper to print it. I'm told that the paper then contacted the club to see if they wanted a right to reply to the letter, but the club refused, saying they wanted to respond to the Capital Glovers direct - despite telling the Capital Glovers that they hadn't received the open letter! Whatever, the Gazette have been holding the open letter for 3 weeks now and evidently have no intention of printing it without some kind of reply from the club, who evidently have no intention of replying - a completely unsatisfactory state of affairs. And what of the Yeovil Express? There's no bigger fan of the club than Express editor Steve Sowden but again, the silence from the paper on Holdingsgate is deafening. It's becoming clear that the local press are very good at reporting on the usual activities of the club, but when it comes to the unusual then they're found wanting. It's fortunate that The Guardian isn't as shy.
Does it matter that the local press is so backwards in coming forwards? Not as much as it did before the advent of the internet. Nowadays more fans are more informed than they used to be due to the influence of the net, but nevertheless a significant number of supporters still rely on the press and particularly the local press for their YTFC news and views. And it's these supporters who are being let down by the lack of coverage on Holdingsgate. It would be nice to think that both the Gazette and the Express could rediscover some independence and indeed some balls by the time they publish next week's editions of their respective papers, but I won't be holding my breath. The club says 'jump', they only ask 'how high'.
With some relief, it's back to why we are all here, the football. The Glovers entertain Hartlepool United tomorrow at Huish Park, with the visitors reeling somewhat after the unexpected resignation of former manager Chris Turner this week. Glovers boss Terry Skiverton has signed former Watford midfielder Billy Gibson on a 6-month deal and he will presumably go straight into Saturday's squad. Missing will be the suspended JP Kalala and almost certainly missing will be the almost certainly injured Luke Freeman; but on the plus side both Dean Bowditch and Andy Welsh should return from injury, so happy days there. Skivo's main selection dilemma will be in the central midfield spot - will Ed Upson or Rob Kiernan partner Luke Ayling in the middle? I would go for Upson initially, but Skivo may prefer Kiernan's defensive nous. We will see tomorrow.
The bookies make the Glovers favourites for the win at 11/10. The draw is priced at 12/5 and a Hartlepool win is also at 12/5. My fiver is going very firmly on the home win. Running total: -£4.25p. Come on you Greens!
It's not just the YTFC Board who are conspicuous by their silence however. So far all the running in publicising the story has been made by unofficial and independent supporters groups and websites/blogs, aided and abetted by the wonderful and tenacious Matt Scott, author of the Digger column in The Guardian newspaper. One would have thought that as the national press has now started to pick up on supporters' concerns over Holdingsgate (as I am now beginning to think of it) that the local press might have seen fit to make their own enquiries into the situation, but so far neither the Western Gazette nor the Yeovil Express have featured the story at all, other than the Gazette's initial interview with John Fry back in the first week of June, which was when the club first announced its intentions.
As I understand it the Capital Glovers sent their open letter to the Board to the Gazette and asked the paper to print it. I'm told that the paper then contacted the club to see if they wanted a right to reply to the letter, but the club refused, saying they wanted to respond to the Capital Glovers direct - despite telling the Capital Glovers that they hadn't received the open letter! Whatever, the Gazette have been holding the open letter for 3 weeks now and evidently have no intention of printing it without some kind of reply from the club, who evidently have no intention of replying - a completely unsatisfactory state of affairs. And what of the Yeovil Express? There's no bigger fan of the club than Express editor Steve Sowden but again, the silence from the paper on Holdingsgate is deafening. It's becoming clear that the local press are very good at reporting on the usual activities of the club, but when it comes to the unusual then they're found wanting. It's fortunate that The Guardian isn't as shy.
Does it matter that the local press is so backwards in coming forwards? Not as much as it did before the advent of the internet. Nowadays more fans are more informed than they used to be due to the influence of the net, but nevertheless a significant number of supporters still rely on the press and particularly the local press for their YTFC news and views. And it's these supporters who are being let down by the lack of coverage on Holdingsgate. It would be nice to think that both the Gazette and the Express could rediscover some independence and indeed some balls by the time they publish next week's editions of their respective papers, but I won't be holding my breath. The club says 'jump', they only ask 'how high'.
With some relief, it's back to why we are all here, the football. The Glovers entertain Hartlepool United tomorrow at Huish Park, with the visitors reeling somewhat after the unexpected resignation of former manager Chris Turner this week. Glovers boss Terry Skiverton has signed former Watford midfielder Billy Gibson on a 6-month deal and he will presumably go straight into Saturday's squad. Missing will be the suspended JP Kalala and almost certainly missing will be the almost certainly injured Luke Freeman; but on the plus side both Dean Bowditch and Andy Welsh should return from injury, so happy days there. Skivo's main selection dilemma will be in the central midfield spot - will Ed Upson or Rob Kiernan partner Luke Ayling in the middle? I would go for Upson initially, but Skivo may prefer Kiernan's defensive nous. We will see tomorrow.
The bookies make the Glovers favourites for the win at 11/10. The draw is priced at 12/5 and a Hartlepool win is also at 12/5. My fiver is going very firmly on the home win. Running total: -£4.25p. Come on you Greens!
Thursday, 19 August 2010
Can you hear the Yeovil sing ...?
Cruncher is back with a follow-up to his blog of last week, 'Get over the hump'. Is there anybody out there listening?
Can you hear the Yeovil sing? I can't hear a ...
Well, you know the rhyme. Although there are some signs of warming up the vocal chords for a performance or two. Once the Board went for the ostrich technique, it was inevitable that they would invite more criticism and less trust. Just as it was clear that once Matt Scott was on the scent of the shareholders documents, that he would eventually find them. This is increasingly becoming a saga about inevitabilities; if the Board remain obstinate, there is no doubt Digger's spade-work will be followed up until eventually he starts up the JCB. The more you bury yer head in the sand, the easier it is to get yer arse kicked.
On motive, I remain open-minded. I do, however, see why the wider view may be falling the other way, largely due to the lack of explanation and debate. For all that is good at the club, silence and non-engagement unfortunately is a common theme, meaning a bolted-door policy over the years on other matters has now impacted on this single vital issue, to affect the benefit of doubt: one of the afore-mentioned inevitabilities.
As it happens, based on John Fry's long service and how the club is perceived in the wider football world, my instinct remains that there is good intention - though I sincerely wish the route avoided separation. I wish also that local and/or supporter investment had been sought as a preferential strategy, including accepting well-chosen new directors for their input and ideas as well as their money.
Apart from The Guardian, the press have been shy while supporters have been penned-in like sheep subdued by a wall of silence. On this issue, that has a proven as well as a potential risk, sheep don't stay penned-in for ever. The silence of the lambs has ended, the flock has broken free to find its voice with questions, and the club needs to find its own voice with comprehensive answers. Digger breaking through the topsoil does seem to have got the club reaching for the throat-spray. Let us hope that what they do say addresses the issues full-on, especially with regard to safeguarding the club and ensuring it benefits wholly from its own assets.
No-one wants development to be off-agenda, this small club needs to create revenue. The opportunity is there for the club to understand, then explain and engage, and then to achieve by unity. A lack of such action though will compound an opposite and divisive effect. With crowds having dwindled significantly compared to a few years back, that is relevant to the here-and-now, as well as the future. 'Achieve by Unity' is the club's motto, and (as the Guardian article highlighted) the Charter also demands debate on such issues.
I noticed Denison Till and their belief in asset-separation alongside understanding of 'football difficulties' a couple of months ago, when searching around to find more clues in general. I made and repeated a general enquiry that was not responded to, though accept an explanation given. Since Digger's disclosure that the club is consulting with them I contacted them again, combining my initial general points with YTFC relevance.
Consultant Andrew Lindsay (while understandably and politely expressing his unavailability to comment specifically or to continue a dialogue) sang the praises of the Yeovil directors, as he had done to Digger, confidently assessing the Yeovil Board as ranking high on integrity and commitment to both club and community, in his many years of experience; also re-assuring (without detail) that the proposed route was both safe and wise; and he viewed the current Yeovil business model as notably superior to how most lower league clubs were run.
All well and good. Now it is time for the Yeovil Board to sing the praise of their own proposals, and that will inevitably have to include detail. The Capital Glovers Open Letter was a fair and respectful open-minded approach, which I would ask the club to note as reflecting the general view of a great many of us. I know that others are making similar approaches and seeking other routes of help and advice - as is the inevitable outcome when explanation goes AWOL. If that compounded further, the collective opinion would strongly suspect that satisfactory explanation was not possible - the worst scenario.
This is not a stand-off from uninformed (oh the irony) supporters, but a plea from a realistic support that wants to be allowed to share a vision that they want proven as an exciting way forward they can take part in. Sing up.
Cruncher
Can you hear the Yeovil sing? I can't hear a ...
Well, you know the rhyme. Although there are some signs of warming up the vocal chords for a performance or two. Once the Board went for the ostrich technique, it was inevitable that they would invite more criticism and less trust. Just as it was clear that once Matt Scott was on the scent of the shareholders documents, that he would eventually find them. This is increasingly becoming a saga about inevitabilities; if the Board remain obstinate, there is no doubt Digger's spade-work will be followed up until eventually he starts up the JCB. The more you bury yer head in the sand, the easier it is to get yer arse kicked.
On motive, I remain open-minded. I do, however, see why the wider view may be falling the other way, largely due to the lack of explanation and debate. For all that is good at the club, silence and non-engagement unfortunately is a common theme, meaning a bolted-door policy over the years on other matters has now impacted on this single vital issue, to affect the benefit of doubt: one of the afore-mentioned inevitabilities.
As it happens, based on John Fry's long service and how the club is perceived in the wider football world, my instinct remains that there is good intention - though I sincerely wish the route avoided separation. I wish also that local and/or supporter investment had been sought as a preferential strategy, including accepting well-chosen new directors for their input and ideas as well as their money.
Apart from The Guardian, the press have been shy while supporters have been penned-in like sheep subdued by a wall of silence. On this issue, that has a proven as well as a potential risk, sheep don't stay penned-in for ever. The silence of the lambs has ended, the flock has broken free to find its voice with questions, and the club needs to find its own voice with comprehensive answers. Digger breaking through the topsoil does seem to have got the club reaching for the throat-spray. Let us hope that what they do say addresses the issues full-on, especially with regard to safeguarding the club and ensuring it benefits wholly from its own assets.
No-one wants development to be off-agenda, this small club needs to create revenue. The opportunity is there for the club to understand, then explain and engage, and then to achieve by unity. A lack of such action though will compound an opposite and divisive effect. With crowds having dwindled significantly compared to a few years back, that is relevant to the here-and-now, as well as the future. 'Achieve by Unity' is the club's motto, and (as the Guardian article highlighted) the Charter also demands debate on such issues.
I noticed Denison Till and their belief in asset-separation alongside understanding of 'football difficulties' a couple of months ago, when searching around to find more clues in general. I made and repeated a general enquiry that was not responded to, though accept an explanation given. Since Digger's disclosure that the club is consulting with them I contacted them again, combining my initial general points with YTFC relevance.
Consultant Andrew Lindsay (while understandably and politely expressing his unavailability to comment specifically or to continue a dialogue) sang the praises of the Yeovil directors, as he had done to Digger, confidently assessing the Yeovil Board as ranking high on integrity and commitment to both club and community, in his many years of experience; also re-assuring (without detail) that the proposed route was both safe and wise; and he viewed the current Yeovil business model as notably superior to how most lower league clubs were run.
All well and good. Now it is time for the Yeovil Board to sing the praise of their own proposals, and that will inevitably have to include detail. The Capital Glovers Open Letter was a fair and respectful open-minded approach, which I would ask the club to note as reflecting the general view of a great many of us. I know that others are making similar approaches and seeking other routes of help and advice - as is the inevitable outcome when explanation goes AWOL. If that compounded further, the collective opinion would strongly suspect that satisfactory explanation was not possible - the worst scenario.
This is not a stand-off from uninformed (oh the irony) supporters, but a plea from a realistic support that wants to be allowed to share a vision that they want proven as an exciting way forward they can take part in. Sing up.
Cruncher
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Late goals cost points, again.
Triple disappointment for the Glovers at the Memorial Stadium yesterday. Firstly we went down to a 2-1 defeat to Bristol Rovers, losing to a goal scored in the 4th minute of injury-time at the end of the game; secondly we lost Luke Freeman to a leg injury. At first it seemed the loanee might have broken his leg, but x-rays thankfully ruled that out; nevertheless it seems certain that the youngster will be sidelined for some weeks, though exactly for how long we will have to wait and see. A shame for him, and us. Thirdly, JP Kalala got himself sent off for 2 bookable offences which means he'll miss next Saturday's home game against Hartlepool. With such a small squad the last thing Skivo needs is a self-inflicted wound like this, it means that our central midfield against a streetwise Pools outfit next weekend will consist of two players whose League One starts can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
So far this season the Glovers have played 3 games and conceded 4 goals. All 4 goals conceded have something in common - their timing. The goals against have all come either in the last 5 minutes of the halves played, or in injury time itself. Now obviously 3 games is only 3 games, but nevertheless they are interesting stats. And of course we can all point to games last season when late, late goals cost us dearly - off the top of my head I can think of matches against Leeds, Millwall and Southampton from the run-in last season, in all of which we conceded injury-time goals which cost us points. What causes the late goals? No doubt fatigue, disruption caused by substitutions, maybe a lack of concentration or perhaps simply heavy pressure from teams desperate to score, all will play their parts. It's obviously something that Skivo and his coaches will be aware of, let's hope that a solution to the problem can be found sooner rather than later.
After 3 games in 7 days the Glovers now have a week to regroup before their next match. Three points out of a possible 6 and a narrow loss to a Championship side in the League Cup is by no means a bad start to the season. But the loss of Freeman for however long and Kalala for one match in the first week is a reality check. It's a long season and we have a very small squad. For all the optimism amongst the fanbase at the moment survival must still be this club's first goal.
Just read: Skippy Dies by Paul Murray. The blackest of black comedies set in a contemporary Dublin boys school. Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll are rife, and that's just the staff. What the boys get up to is worse... Hilarious, irreverent and at times moving and sad. It's on the long list for this year's Man Booker Prize and well recommended
So far this season the Glovers have played 3 games and conceded 4 goals. All 4 goals conceded have something in common - their timing. The goals against have all come either in the last 5 minutes of the halves played, or in injury time itself. Now obviously 3 games is only 3 games, but nevertheless they are interesting stats. And of course we can all point to games last season when late, late goals cost us dearly - off the top of my head I can think of matches against Leeds, Millwall and Southampton from the run-in last season, in all of which we conceded injury-time goals which cost us points. What causes the late goals? No doubt fatigue, disruption caused by substitutions, maybe a lack of concentration or perhaps simply heavy pressure from teams desperate to score, all will play their parts. It's obviously something that Skivo and his coaches will be aware of, let's hope that a solution to the problem can be found sooner rather than later.
After 3 games in 7 days the Glovers now have a week to regroup before their next match. Three points out of a possible 6 and a narrow loss to a Championship side in the League Cup is by no means a bad start to the season. But the loss of Freeman for however long and Kalala for one match in the first week is a reality check. It's a long season and we have a very small squad. For all the optimism amongst the fanbase at the moment survival must still be this club's first goal.
Just read: Skippy Dies by Paul Murray. The blackest of black comedies set in a contemporary Dublin boys school. Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll are rife, and that's just the staff. What the boys get up to is worse... Hilarious, irreverent and at times moving and sad. It's on the long list for this year's Man Booker Prize and well recommended
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