Flanagan Gone

[birchblue]

lol I hope those who said they wanted the club to update us before the paper are happy now. Instead of actually getting some news from the paper via Trotty all we get now is f-ck all. Piper tells Trotty to keep schtum but the website never gets updated.

[Frankie100]

Maybe we should all sign up for myfootballclub.co.uk and suggest Margate is the target club

[blueblood]

It usualy updates when there is something to say

[BlueGate Alan]

Well until it is announced by the club I won't believe we have Harte yet, might be Met Police jumping the gun if you excuse the pun

[Graeme H]

It was always like this even years ago. I think whoever said about Piper running the ship is spot on.

MFC always seem to make fairly sparse announcements about stuff, and only when needed.

Maybe we should just deal with this and accept it. It's probably not a concerted attempt to upset the fans, can't see that at all.

 

Having said that i can see how a more proactive website in the mould on some others i look at regularly would raise the profile of the club further by generating more hits. Also for us long distance fans, it would be better

 

Maybe Steve Wells could contribute to any debate re the website

 

[JeremyJacobs]

How are you Graeme?

[Wellsie]

As ever I can the issue from "both sides" (aren't we on the same side?), and these commetns represent my thoughts on the issue of communications with fans generally.

 

I know that Keith prefers to deal in facts rather than speculation and I for one totally support that approach. There is then a debate about whether an announcement about "no news" is value. And even these types of anouncements have been greeted with suspicion in the past, so it is pretty much a no-win situation for the club. As I have expressed in the past there are some things that some (and by no means all) fans expect to hear about that are frankly subject to confidentiality; e.g. contract negotiations, potential signings.

 

Then there is an issue about the timing of confirmed things. As I'm sure everyone knows, the club operates on a very small admin base supplemented by one or two volunteers. This is a smaller operation than other clubs at our level, and whilst a source of potential frustrtaion, does provide scope for investment to be directed to the playing side of the club. Let's reember that the size of the cash pot is dependant upon income generated during the season plus other types of financial sponsorship. The job of the directors is then to allocate that pot of money in what they feel is the best way. So brigning the club back to the town, bringing together a good quality squad that can challenge for honours at the level we're at is a clear priority and I believe the directors have shown that intent very clearly.

 

Do I think that some aspects of the club's communciation could be better? If I'm honest, yes. Is it a big problem for me? No. And that's because it is in the directors' interests more than mine as a fan to make the right decisions. And remember, that they are fans too.

 

I also think it is easy to forget the efforts that the club does go to, to provide a balanced and forward thinkning set of services for fans. The web-site is I believe one of the best at our level and better than most in the division above us too. And this is not just about a few pople volunteering to provide content etc, there is also the investment in technonolgy and infrastructure that the club makes. Whether it's me or someone else, the in-season reporting and audio services are amongst the best around and generally available in a timely manor. (And that's not about me, becasue I have no doubt that if I didn't do it, someone else would work with the club instead.)

 

As I have said on another thread (or two) I will be speaking to Robin and others at the club shortly about where we are with players and arrangements for the new season. This info will be shared on via the web-site as a news report and of course full audio interviews will also be available. Once training is under way, my intention is to get to speak to a number of players as well as the management team and bring you those interviews in a Gate Chat programme or two in the run up to the new season.

 

I'm sure this ramble will not provide all the answers to all of your concerns, but I do hope it provides a helpful perspective. People are working on what they believe are the right things behind the scenes, and in my view we can't ask for more than that. But it is legitimate to suggest how we might go about things in a diferent way, and I guess that is in essence where this debate started.

 

Oh, and I cant wait for the start of the new season!

 

 

 

[michael]

Some valid points Wellsie- especially about best use of resources-albeit, its things like the Harte signing(or not ) which bug.

When non league daily and his own club post 7 days ago that he has signed for Margate;but we are not informed either way-thats what particularly bugs one .

Similarly, the speculation re: Flanagan-surely that needs early confirmation or denial as all it can do is create dangerous speculation either way.

 

Maybe he has not signed-and i agree about ensuring the ink is dry-but let us know-dampen speculation if needs be.

 

Having spent the weekend in Kent-and read a few old copies of the I of T gazette-i thought i'd raise a couple of points not previously referred to:

Following the release of a few players-RT does say that 'maybe he would have hung on to one or two if the budget allowed' Not sure if Protheroe would have been among them,but in fairness to RT ,it does imply that he did not want to release a couple but had little choice (personally ,apart from LP where you got two positions covered in one quality player), i can go with his released players.

 

I also note that RT 'praised' Haworth for adding a different dimension-quite right-but why did it take so long to do this.

It was obvious from November that we needed a 'different dimension'to the Pinnock/Hocktom axis.

Indeed RT was promising to sign a striker from Novemeber,but finally got one in March-a bit late me thinks-everyone else had worked out our gameplan by then and hence the lack of points in Jan-March period.

 

Whilst i think most fans get nervous over lack of players/signings at this time of year, i have a deep seated fear that fears are justified-hope to be proved wrong(i think Wellsie-you said in an earlier post-'if i know Robin-he will get his summer signings early ' !! )

I just fear that RT is not well enough connected or a salesman type to get players to the club.

I read how he was waiting for the PFA retained list-is that correct-or an 'excuse'.

How many players on the PFA retained list which i think is mainly full time league and conference players are realistically going to be considering going part time in the Ryman at a club with a reduced budget in 2007/8-good luck and fantastic job RT if you pull that off-but can't see it myself.

 

So are we struggling to get players-my gut feel says its proving difficult-but as ever i just hope i am completely wrong and look a prize t..t for posting the thought;and the club announce 4 signings tomorrow !!! i wish !!

 

Again, my gut feel this close season, is that we will see very few summer signings, but instead be reverting to getting a few trialists who have not been able to get 'fixed up elsewhere' in the pre-season friendlies and end up signing a few second raters accordingly.

 

Hope i am wrong

 

 

[MargateFan]

Of course, you could look on the bright side. There are often good players near the end of pre-season that for whatever reason have not found a club yet. Maybe a pearl or two in amongst.

 

And can you see Trotty ever signing anyone he considered second rate? If I were he, I would feel a little aggrieved at so harsh a judgment, considering that he is probably working his cojones off at the moment for a fairly ungrateful set of recipients.

 

There's a bit of time to go before total panic, is my opinion.

[styx45]

KP likes to deal in facts eh--dont make me larf, is this the same facts as the five a side pitches are going to start-everything is done and dusted ..what a joke that was

[Pagey]

Nice posting MM, Totally agree

[Cookie]

Originally Posted By: styx45

KP likes to deal in facts eh--dont make me larf, is this the same facts as the five a side pitches are going to start-everything is done and dusted ..what a joke that was

An equally good post.

[MargateFan]

Pointless in supporting this club at all, then.

 

Fair enough.

[Cookie]

I fail to see what thats got to do with it?

Whether things go as officially planned/stated,or whether they don't the support dosen't stop just because we are airing our frustrations & feeling let down again & again & again.

If theres a problem (as there surely is) then lets have those facts

If its bad news then so be it.Hurt we might be but at least we would know once & for all what the real state of play is.

[P.W.]

Whilst it is frustrating that we don't seem to be making signings, it is easy to forget that we do have a core nucleus of a side retained from last season. The lack of a regular 'fix' of football in the close season is making us a bit cranky.

 

We were rather spoiled last year by Robin making his selections pretty early on. After that it's difficult to remember that a few years ago (just before our Conference South season) we had got to the opening pre-season match at Southwood unsure if we had 11 players to fulfil that fixture (in fact we had to loan a 'keeper and a centre half from the Kent League to be sure of naming 11 men).

 

Last season Robin managed to pick up SCS (and nearly had Paul Nichols) from the unattached trialists who were looking for a new team - perhaps, unbeknown to us, he has a good bunch of trialists ready to fight for a place in next season's squad, with a smaller budget this season waiting a few weeks is probably a shrewd move.

 

Frustrating it may be - but lets be patient.

 

signed An impatient fan

[Gate4TehWin]

I thought trott was waiting for La Liga to finish before he made his moves in the transfer market you wait come the start of the season we will walk it with this line up ScS, Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Pablo, Skinner, Joaquín, Jay, Mckimm, JJ, Villa, Diego Milito

[michael]

Plus the winner of the Golden Boot-

 

Trotti himself