View from the Chair

[TonyM]

So, my personal thoughts on last night. 

Firstly, a very, very disappointing turn out, I know we all have lives away from the Walks at 3pm on Saturdays but I certainly thought there would have been more people there.

I haven't always been SC's biggest fan, partly because I don't believe in the benefactor model and partly because I think he has got some pretty fundamental things wrong in the past but I thought last night he came across very well.  He is first and foremost a football fan (in fact he thought it helped him initially that he wasn't a 'Lynn fan' which allowed him to think with his head rather than his heart) who obviously takes a great deal of pride in how IC sets his teams up to play.  He shares a lot of traits with many business owner-managers I have worked with and that remains a worry for me in terms of expanding the off-field team but he seems to have an idea of what that structure would look like, even if he wouldn't put a timescale on when we might see it in practice it last night.

The other big thing that impressed, other than his willingness to sit at the front and take questions, was I now have a different slant on things that have been appearing in the programmes this season - things that happen at 'other clubs'.  I had always read this as having been written in a 'self-pitying' way but last night when he spoke about things other clubs do, he obviously is all the time looking at how he could adopt or tweak what he sees elsewhere to his situation at the Walks.  Whether it was my reading or his writing I am not sure but I have in the past suggested he needed a 'confidant' to run his Chairman's notes past before sending off for publication and maybe that is still the case.

So in conclusion, those who didn't attend missed a good evening that, whilst not confining all of my concerns re promotion, funding, etc to the bin, did make me more optimistic that we are in much, much better hands than when Buster was in charge.  I wouldn't go as far as DD's post above as I think IC is head and shoulders the best thing to have happened to the club and even appreciating SC's hand in that he did also appoint Simon Clark, so maybe we can settle that it is sometimes better to be lucky than good.

[wack]

No mention in reply to bovril's request Ref player leaving?

[TonyM]

If anyone is attending this tomorrow night would like to know if one of our players is leaving in January? as heard a rumour today? seems strange as the position we are in and the attendances we are getting ? as the fee didn’t seem that great 🤷🏼‍♂️ actually think keeping this bunch of players together we could win this league and gain promotion 🤞it isn’t true.

Apologies, this was asked and, as you would expect, SC said he had no knowledge of any player going.  Obviously we have scouts coming to games (which SC confirmed although not who they were looking at) and he said he wouldn't stand in the way of a player going full time which I think is the right stance for the club to take. 

Something else I missed from my summary was he was proud of the four lads who are now playing full time (Cameron Norman, Cameron King, FBT and Jordon Yong) and it was a selling point for the club in attracting players, he also stressed that he felt it was important to have good working relationships with other local clubs which I guess is for them to answer as to how valid that is.  He also added that he hoped that at some point in the future we would reach a level where players didn't want (or need) to go.

[Blue Moon]

Thank you Tony, very fair, balanced and informative report.
What did you think to the evening Griss ?, as one who has often requested a Q n A session with the chairman and that money making events take place I presume you went ?

[Grissles Oleary]

Thank you Tony, very fair, balanced and informative report.
What did you think to the evening Griss ?, as one who has often requested a Q n A session with the chairman and that money making events take place I presume you went ?

Sadly I didn't attend,work commitments,I would liked to have gone,and ten pounds was reasonable considering it included a pint and a hotdog,so in reality it would only cost a couple of quid.

[Mallard]

Thanks Tony for the summary of the evening.  Sounds like SC was as open and frank as he could be.  Did he mention he still has the ambition to take the Club into the Football League ?. 

[Blue_and_Gold]

Nicely written report Tony. Enjoyable to read. Many thanks.

[Linnet64]

Had hoped to get there,  but sadly moving next week so too much to do. I have however sneaked out for Tomorrow game

[TonyM]

Thanks Tony for the summary of the evening.  Sounds like SC was as open and frank as he could be.  Did he mention he still has the ambition to take the Club into the Football League ?.

Thanks (also to B&G), no worries as I appreciate not everyone could attend.  SC did mention the Football League but said that this was a tiny part of his thinking at present, mainly because he has so much on and I think he now appreciates how far away we are on a number of fronts.  For those looking for a more positive spin, he did say he didn't think there was as big a gap playing wise as some might think (having watched the Peterborough vs Dover game last weekend) and also talked about teams getting on a roll and building their own momentum which takes them on multiple promotions.

[Mallard]

Think the Chairman is spot if you look at the results from the last round of the FA Cup.   Boston getting a well deserved draw at Rochdale, Altrincham just dipping out to last minute winner at Portsmouth.

Maybe if the Chairman does another evening at later date then Bev Archer could do it as podcast so us that don’t live so close could view it.

Have to say ( without blowing smoke up ya jacksy) that judging by your reporting skills and feel for the club that Stephen should invite you to join his back room staff as you seem to have a lot to offer. 

I’m sure many on here would like to thank you for your detailed appraisal of the evening.

[Colin Fuller]

Just read TonyM’s feedback. As a former Lynn News journalist I would have thought there was enough newsworthy detail in Mr Cleeve’s evening for the local paper to report. Do you know if they were represented?  Thankfully, for us long-distance fans, TonyM has kept us ably informed. Big thanks to him.

[Nigel1505]

Most informative and well written thread there has been on this forum for a while.

[Blue_and_Gold]

Most informative and well written thread there has been on this forum for a while.

   

[TonyM]

Although this interview was separate from the evening at the Walks with SC, there are some common themes so have added the link onto this thread

https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/exclusive-steve-cleave-talks-kings-lynn-town-ian-culverhouse-norwich-connection-4308490#popup-sso

Not sure about his view on the FA getting involved with compensation for players but I guess he is closer to the finances than me so does take it that much more personally, for me we should be developing all players full stop - if they go on to higher things then great but if not we have a better player ourselves, the development of Tom Ward would be the prime example in IC's first spell at the club.

Also quite an opportune time to be talking up our relationship with Norwich City and loans, could do with something practical coming out of that link in the next week.