Message for Graham S

[Alan ( GNFC )]

Graham,I have read your article on the MyFC site, virtually dismissing this forum.I am not sure what you expect from a forum set up for debate.

 

You clearly have already decided to either watch the invading tanks roll past or defect to the invading force on the basis there are more of them.

Some people have a little more of an inquisitive mind and wish to offer a little resistance to see how well set out the proposal is.

 

To date as I, and according to you, four others have noted, it all seems on a wing and a prayer irrespective of who picks the team or whether £27.50 or £35 has been invested.

Yes there is money coming in like never before,but who is in charge of the decision making etc. It certainly wont be 200,000 plastics as far as the FA are concerned, or not according to the strict process the club I run has to go through with the FA ?

[Graham S]

Originally Posted By: Alan ( GNFC )

Graham,I have read your article on the MyFC site, virtually dismissing this forum.I am not sure what you expect from a forum set up for debate.

You clearly have already decided to either watch the invading tanks roll past or defect to the invading force on the basis there are more of them.
Some people have a little more of an inquisitive mind and wish to offer a little resistance to see how well set out the proposal is.

To date as I, and according to you, four others have noted, it all seems on a wing and a prayer irrespective of who picks the team or whether £27.50 or £35 has been invested.
Yes there is money coming in like never before,but who is in charge of the decision making etc. It certainly wont be 200,000 plastics as far as the FA are concerned, or not according to the strict process the club I run has to go through with the FA ?

I think that is an utterly misleading account of what I have posted, or indeed what I believe. The 4 or 5 I refer to are those who let this club & this forum down by jumping down the throat of anyone from MyFC who tries to engage in sensible debate with them. I was not referring to all those who currently oppose this idea, as would be clear if you bothered to read my piece properly. Indeed, I did not have you in mind at all - but, hey, if the cap fits, go out & wear it. I do expect debate & argument & disagreement on this forum, but I do not expect the childish stuff we have seen on here from some people over the last week.

As for the allegations of rolling over & lacking an inquisitive mind, well, ok, many people would think I've been too positive too quickly. (Though if you read what I post here & on MyFC, you will see that I acknowledge doubt, uncertainty & trepidation, despite believing on the whole that this could be the start of something great for the club I love.)

However, I do take exception to the insinuation of some kind of moral cowardice. I use my own name on this forum & the MyFC site. Many people at the club know who I am. The loudest & most forceful opinions on here have been negative, but I am not afraid to argue with them and I am quite prepared to take whatever people want to throw my way on the chin on Saturday.

As it goes, I was asked by a moderator of this site if I could deputise for him & talk to a news crew tonight because he felt I'd give a level headed & balanced view. But, hey, maybe he's just a roll over surrender monkey too.

When I can get on the MyFC site, which is inaccessible to me at the moment, I will copy my article in full & attach it here so people can decide for themselves (if they can stay awake long enough to read it right through!)

Graham S

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Well as it was obviously me you were talking about........I asked on more than one occasion, a couple of questions, that were fobbed off from two people quoting from the Myfc Bible. I asked again for somebody else to give me the information......Again I got the same spin, or was totally ignored, or multi posted, so my questions were buried! Then I got annoyed and shouted!

Uncle Urchin, asked valid questions, but because of his reputation(deserved, or otherwise), Fleet regulars belittled his efforts!

 

[Mackster]

Fair play to the "4 or 5", where else can they voice their opinion?

 

What is the true opinion of Fleet fans? As you say far too few post on here to get a true idea?

 

I note even now there are 200 "lurkers" and there have been 800 online at anyone time in the last few days, so this forum may influence opinion.

 

Roly said on the radio last night that he visits the forum and he also said most Fleet fans were disgusted by the MyFc move "but were coming round to it now"

 

I guess they are not positively embracing this new world, but resigned to the way things are going to be from now on.

[FleetFanatic]

Originally Posted By: Alan ( GNFC )

Some people have a little more of an inquisitive mind and wish to offer a little resistance to see how well set out the proposal is.

Surely then, yourself deciding to cough up £35 to them almost immediately is somewhat strange?

Hardly "resistance".

[Graham S]

This is what I wrote.

 

Article on MyFC

 

I am quite happy to be shot down, but please don't wilfully misinterpret what I have written.

 

Graham S

 

 

[Trebor1975]

Ebbsfleet/Gravesend fans may be coming round, but the rest of football is still sat back shaking its head in dismay.

 

Will be interesting to see what the Trust's AGM decides tomorrow - I imagine that would be a rallying point for anyone who wants to fight the takeover if they decide that they're against it.

[Hempstead Gaz]

That seems fair enough to me Graham. A good, well balanced article which probably 95% of Fleet supporters and forum posters can relate to.

[Alan ( GNFC )]

Originally Posted By: FleetFanatic

Originally Posted By: Alan ( GNFC )

Some people have a little more of an inquisitive mind and wish to offer a little resistance to see how well set out the proposal is.

Surely then, yourself deciding to cough up £35 to them almost immediately is somewhat strange?

Hardly "resistance".

The cost of half a tank of petrol to try and get a feel for what it is all about is hardly strange.
I expend far greater sums on due diligence before purchasing properties or employing staff.

[FleetFanatic]

No argument there..... but before you highlighted Graham's posts on another forum,

Graham had already stated his support of the takeover on here.

 

I just don't see what your point was, everybody is entitled to an opinion.

 

Graham was just bolder than most in expressing it.

 

I've post both negative and positive comments about it,

without really being shot down.

 

And yes, I still feel all MK Dons to a certain extent.

 

However, it would be nice to know how much the debt has increased to (let's face it, the board wouldn't have approached MyFc unless things were looking bleak) - I fancy it's around half a million.

[Unrecognized Genius]

Originally Posted By: Alan ( GNFC )

The cost of half a tank of petrol to try and get a feel for what it is all about is hardly strange.
I expend far greater sums on due diligence before purchasing properties or employing staff.

Are we supposed to see you as a very important person, then, because you drive a vehicle with a huge petrol tank, buy property & employ staff? Is that why you oppose MyFC with its apparently leftward leaning philososphy? And yes, I might be deliberatley putting my own spin on your comment, but I don't really think you are in a position to complain.

Personally, I think you've made yourself look rather daft on both the threads you started yesterday. As FF says, what were you trying to achieve? You are hardly unearthing high treason are you?

EC

[Hempstead Gaz]

Originally Posted By: FleetFanatic

However, it would be nice to know how much the debt has increased to (let's face it, the board wouldn't have approached MyFc unless things were looking bleak) - I fancy it's around half a million.

You have hit the nail on the head there Darren.
We know the board are prudent, but with a break even gate alleged to be 1350, and us averaging 950, the board were looking at a monthly LOSS of around £10K.
Factor in the debt, which in 2006 was £350,000 and, as you said is probably closer to half a million, and is it any wonder the board elected to go down this route.
As has been said before, even going part time wouldn't have cleared the debt, crowds would have gone down and relegation or even administration would have beckoned.
Where the board have been a little disingenuous is in not being open about the debt. Were we close to going bust? Possibly, possibly not, only the board will tell you that, and they aren't saying.
Most of us would have been prepared to see the club take a drop in status to secure it's long term future - but were the board left with no alternative?

[Alan ( GNFC )]

Originally Posted By: Unrecognized Genius

Originally Posted By: Alan ( GNFC )

The cost of half a tank of petrol to try and get a feel for what it is all about is hardly strange.
I expend far greater sums on due diligence before purchasing properties or employing staff.

Are we supposed to see you as a very important person, then, because you drive a vehicle with a huge petrol tank, buy property & employ staff? Is that why you oppose MyFC with its apparently leftward leaning philososphy? And yes, I might be deliberatley putting my own spin on your comment, but I don't really think you are in a position to complain.

Personally, I think you've made yourself look rather daft on both the threads you started yesterday. As FF says, what were you trying to achieve? You are hardly unearthing high treason are you?

EC

Never complained, maybe just cautious.
Enough said , I'll return to 'Lord Lucan' status !!!

[Mackster]

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

Originally Posted By: FleetFanatic

However, it would be nice to know how much the debt has increased to (let's face it, the board wouldn't have approached MyFc unless things were looking bleak) - I fancy it's around half a million.

You have hit the nail on the head there Darren.
We know the board are prudent, but with a break even gate alleged to be 1350, and us averaging 950, the board were looking at a monthly LOSS of around £10K.
Factor in the debt, which in 2006 was £350,000 and, as you said is probably closer to half a million, and is it any wonder the board elected to go down this route.
As has been said before, even going part time wouldn't have cleared the debt, crowds would have gone down and relegation or even administration would have beckoned.
Where the board have been a little disingenuous is in not being open about the debt. Were we close to going bust? Possibly, possibly not, only the board will tell you that, and they aren't saying.
Most of us would have been prepared to see the club take a drop in status to secure it's long term future - but were the board left with no alternative?

I think you've hit the nail on the head.

The board must have panicked when the name change had the effect of losing nearly 200 fans. Short of finding a rich benefactor, the MyFc model looked the only game in town.

As unpalatable as it is for "proper" fans the subscription service for new fans with hopefully the long term aim of getting 3/400 of them to attend games should achieve the breakeven of 1350.

No one likes the idea of having to trade to buy fans, but it may be the only way to keep the club at Conference level.

[Santa]

Originally Posted By: Trebor1975

Will be interesting to see what the Trust's AGM decides tomorrow - I imagine that would be a rallying point for anyone who wants to fight the takeover if they decide that they're against it.

I dont think they will come out against, would guess at 'our aim is to help sustain the long-term viability of the club et etc and are happy (?) to work with others who share our goals et etc'

I am not an ST member but would at this moment join the ST ahead of MyFC. I can imagine the ST may be disappointed that they couldnt attract those fans who have.