|
Post by Topper Gas on Jan 12, 2020 17:58:09 GMT
When Keith Graham was brought in most fans heralded the appointment as a sign that Rovers were finally becoming attuned to 21st century football and recognized the importance of sports science to the success of the team. When he left no one said anything. I just can’t understand how we think we can have it both ways ? Either that job was really vital to Rovers moving forward or it wasn’t. If it was, but the position has now been eliminated, then we are clearly not trying to go forward and will more likely go backwards. Martyn Starnes appointment was a disappointment to me as I posted at the time. I thought we needed someone younger and more dynamic to lead the club into a new era with a new stadium. Many fans said Martyn was an ideal choice, they thought we had headhunted him from Plymouth and pointed out that Plymouth were making huge improvements to their ground so Martyn was probably bringing that experience with him too. A little research at the time showed that Plymouth had just appointed two fairly high powered directors who may not have been compatible with Martyns way of working and YouTube videos of Martyn alongside the Plymouth owner didn’t portray him as the kind of strong outgoing leader one would expect. So it didn’t come as a surprise when Martyns first statement told us he was going to concentrate on “community matter” and later he said himself he decided to leave Plymouth for personal reasons and had rung Wael on the off chance asking for a job. This coincided with Finance Director Steve Brookfield disappearing without a whisper so obviously, as an accountant, Martyn was slotting into that role with no real pretensions of being a real CEO. Sorry to be so forthright but there is clearly no plan at work here, it is a policy of clutching at straws and hoping something will turn up. Surely Starnes was brought in to replace the sh** stirring Hamer? Surely if the B Post is to be believed then the plan is to sell up to the fruit market developers once they agree a deal with Total Produce? Until that resolved one way or the other why would the ALQ's spend anything on Rovers more than to keep them ticking over? It's like agreeing to sell your house and someone querying why your not fitting double glazing, what would be the point?
|
|
|
Post by swissgas on Jan 12, 2020 18:01:51 GMT
When Keith Graham was brought in most fans heralded the appointment as a sign that Rovers were finally becoming attuned to 21st century football and recognized the importance of sports science to the success of the team. When he left no one said anything. I just can’t understand how we think we can have it both ways ? Either that job was really vital to Rovers moving forward or it wasn’t. If it was, but the position has now been eliminated, then we are clearly not trying to go forward and will more likely go backwards. Martyn Starnes appointment was a disappointment to me as I posted at the time. I thought we needed someone younger and more dynamic to lead the club into a new era with a new stadium. Many fans said Martyn was an ideal choice, they thought we had headhunted him from Plymouth and pointed out that Plymouth were making huge improvements to their ground so Martyn was probably bringing that experience with him too. A little research at the time showed that Plymouth had just appointed two fairly high powered directors who may not have been compatible with Martyns way of working and YouTube videos of Martyn alongside the Plymouth owner didn’t portray him as the kind of strong outgoing leader one would expect. So it didn’t come as a surprise when Martyns first statement told us he was going to concentrate on “community matter” and later he said himself he decided to leave Plymouth for personal reasons and had rung Wael on the off chance asking for a job. This coincided with Finance Director Steve Brookfield disappearing without a whisper so obviously, as an accountant, Martyn was slotting into that role with no real pretensions of being a real CEO. Sorry to be so forthright but there is clearly no plan at work here, it is a policy of clutching at straws and hoping something will turn up. Surely Starnes was brought in to replace the sh** stirring Hamer? The announcement of Martyn joining coincided with Finance Director Steve Brookfield leaving although Steve’s departure was never formally announced. Steve was an accountant like Martyn and he wasn’t ever replaced so it’s fairly obvious what Martyn’s role is. Many fans thought the appointment of a CEO was another sign of the club moving forward but it wasn’t because the man with the title CEO simply replaced the Finance Director. Does all this matter ? Yes it does because it is another reminder that we cannot take announcements from the club at face value.
|
|
|
Post by curlywurly on Jan 12, 2020 18:03:58 GMT
But the equation isn't as simple as this, is it?
The in the latter days of Darrel Clarke, too much was spent on the the back room and we are seeing a rationalisation of this (which is sensible in my view, given the clubs financial position).
Starnes was brought in to provide a level of proper day-to-day governance of the club. Something that despite Hamer's Corinthan bonhomie, he couldn't provide. This put Hamer's nose out of joint and he has been acting as an enemy within until his, reasonable, dismissal.
There may be more to come, but I think it is an exaggeration to describe this as disintegration.
When Keith Graham was brought in most fans heralded the appointment as a sign that Rovers were finally becoming attuned to 21st century football and recognized the importance of sports science to the success of the team. When he left no one said anything. I just can’t understand how we think we can have it both ways ? Either that job was really vital to Rovers moving forward or it wasn’t. If it was, but the position has now been eliminated, then we are clearly not trying to go forward and will more likely go backwards. Martyn Starnes appointment was a disappointment to me as I posted at the time. I thought we needed someone younger and more dynamic to lead the club into a new era with a new stadium. Many fans said Martyn was an ideal choice, they thought we had headhunted him from Plymouth and pointed out that Plymouth were making huge improvements to their ground so Martyn was probably bringing that experience with him too. A little research at the time showed that Plymouth had just appointed two fairly high powered directors who may not have been compatible with Martyns way of working and YouTube videos of Martyn alongside the Plymouth owner didn’t portray him as the kind of strong outgoing leader one would expect. So it didn’t come as a surprise when Martyns first statement told us he was going to concentrate on “community matter” and later he said himself he decided to leave Plymouth for personal reasons and had rung Wael on the off chance asking for a job. This coincided with Finance Director Steve Brookfield disappearing without a whisper so obviously, as an accountant, Martyn was slotting into that role with no real pretensions of being a real CEO. Sorry to be so forthright but there is clearly no plan at work here, it is a policy of clutching at straws and hoping something will turn up. I think it is too much of a stretch to use Keith Graham's departure as symptomatic of a major problem. I don't know Keith, nor am I close enough to the club to know all the ins and outs, but the article at his appointment and the one at his departure show that this was a medical professional who had been in and around a whole range of different sporting activities, without being a football specialist. He made the decision to move on after 3 years, to concentrate on (potentially lucrative) private practice and there is nothiing particularly odd about that.
We are better placed for medical and sports science coverage now than for nearly all periods in Rovers history.
Similarly, Starnes may not be everyone's cup of tea, but he is more business-like than Hamer, based on the recent evidence at Rovers and discussions with those that knew him at Swansea.
The club has over-spent since the AlQs came in and they have made mistakes. I don't see the loss of the people you mention as symptomatic of a disintegration - just better budgeting.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2020 18:11:30 GMT
Mike Turner is still listed on the club website as a Director. Unsurprising, given he is the legal adviser to Dwane Sports and his employers (Taylor Wessing) are the club’s lawyers and also provide company secretary services (a conflict of interest?).
Martyn Starnes has lower league experience and is a chartered accountant so does the CEO and CFO roles. Steve Brookfield ran finances after Watola left. He lives in Lancashire and apparently got fed up with the travel (sounds familiar?) and the attitude of the AQ’s.
Garner is dreadfully out of his depth which is not his fault, and must be in a very difficult place with the family issues. The word ‘indefinite’ in today’s statement probably means he won’t come back. The club has to regain its stability on the pitch quickly. Harsh, but realistic.
But the real problem is, as ever, the Jordanians. No need to list the charge sheet of what hasn’t happened in the three years they’ve owned the club.
|
|
|
Post by Hugo the Elder on Jan 12, 2020 20:49:06 GMT
Surely Starnes was brought in to replace the sh** stirring Hamer? The announcement of Martyn joining coincided with Finance Director Steve Brookfield leaving although Steve’s departure was never formally announced. Steve was an accountant like Martyn and he wasn’t ever replaced so it’s fairly obvious what Martyn’s role is. Many fans thought the appointment of a CEO was another sign of the club moving forward but it wasn’t because the man with the title CEO simply replaced the Finance Director. Does all this matter ? Yes it does because it is another reminder that we cannot take announcements from the club at face value. And does anyone know the real reason any of these people are no longer at the club? Does it matter? Yes it does because it is another reminder that we cannot just accept the negative rumours peddled at face value.
|
|
|
Post by piratejames on Jan 12, 2020 21:00:03 GMT
If you would have come to me at the start of the season and Said we’d be 5 points off third with a game in hand on some opposition I would have snatched it without thinking, as a life long rovers fan, I can admit we were over achieving, people slate the owners but all they heard throughout the last managers reign was how poor the football was even though we were getting results, now they bring in someone that wants to play football the nice way and people moan about that, Rome was not built in a day! It will take time and if you haven’t got the patience for that then keep your crap to yourself, no use is it slating the manager or players when we are all trying to pull together in the same way.
I personally look at our position and think wow we’ve gone through our terrible run and we are 12th and 5 points away from 3rd, normally we’d be in the relegation zone and 5 points away from getting out of it! Have some perspective! UTG
|
|