I don't post on here a lot, but after today I just couldn't help myself - I had to vent some frustrations somehow.
I have sources within the club (I won't elaborate, so people can believe what I say or not), and there are some hardworking people that are really fighting a losing battle. It will come as no surprise that everything at the club is done on the cheap.
The staff structure is absolutely minimal - one marketing person, 2-3 corporate sales staff, two communications staff, couple of finance staff and that is pretty much it on the non-footballing front. There are probably non-league clubs out there that have bigger staff teams. There is no leadership and hasn't been for years. Internal communication from the top down is non-existent.
Every time someone leaves they are rarely replaced and it falls on the already stretched and undervalued staff to pick additional work up - with no thanks. If people are replaced it is done on the cheap, as has been the case with Kieran (the old communications guy) being replaced by his understudy who was originally employed on a salary of about 15k. The quality can be seen with things like wrong scores on social media, incorrect attendances tweeted out and poor errors behind the scenes. This isn't a pop at the staff member in question, but it shows what happens when you do things on the cheap. The same could be said about Venus coming in for Mowbray. Anderson hasn't been replaced and it's unlikely that the commercial director who has just left will either. Things had got that tight financially that people aren't allowed to spend a penny on anything - including things like CDs for pictures for the mascots of their special day. It sure if that is still the case, but believe it or not, it was and that is a genuine example of how things were/ are.
I find it quite frustrating reading here and seeing numerous half-hearted marches. Whilst it is great that the organisers of these are actually doing something and trying to take action, let's face it - they have no impact. How many marches have there been and what impact have they had?
For me the only way they will go is a complete boycott. I understand not everyone wants to do this or agrees with it, but none of us know their plans for the club and marches and petitions are falling on deaf ears. Either some drastic action needs to happen or we just have to accept it, ride it out and see what their end game is. Nothing else will have the desired outcome that we all so desperately want.
The football authorities will not step in, no chance. They wouldn't want to open themselves up to the risk of litigation by getting involved and at the end of the day, all football bodies have different responsibilities and areas of jurisdiction. Running of the business of a football club isn't anyone's responsibility.
We will get relegated this season and the club is drifting towards obscurity, it's desperately sad and not fair on fans. The one time that the owners have taken notice was when the fans voted with their feet in Northampton. They were pretty quick sharp to come back when it became apparent their business plan wouldn't work and they had overestimated how many people would make that journey.
