Dear ALS
I have just finished watching STID and I am left in a more depressed state for our club, than before it began. What is obvious from these episodes, is the lack of leadership and direction that has festered within the set-up, for decades. You can go back to the last time we were in the third tier, and the disastrous appointment of McMenemy that led to it and how much he was paid, which shows how bad things were even then.
Watching the episode where Donald was in the process of buying Grigg, he phoned J Ross, to ask for his opinion on whether he was worth any more than £1.25m and told no, he ends up paying over twice that. Now call me old fashioned but if the manager, who is in charge of the team and picking, knowing what players are available and worth having in the team, says a player is not worth a certain sum, and he is bought, it is not the managers fault. You can see it was never an option keeping Maja, as his agent was pulling the purse strings, but to buy a player who is unable to score goals!
Methven seemed to be trying to do the right thing and for the club to break even, speaks volumes as to the effort put in, to making the right steps, then off he goes.
The blame can't be entirely on the shoulders of Short. As a businessman, he was sold on the idea of owning a big historical football club. He came in, knowing nothing about running a proud football club, with such passionate loyal supporters. The future structure of the club staff, when he did take over, yes was down to him. The huge sums of money spent while he was the owner were an attempt to bring success, but as we have all seen, the turnaround of wrong managers, was a disaster, which added to the downfall. Rodwell's purchase, is a classic example of how badly it was handled. To have to keep a player on board, without a get out clause for the club, and then pay his salary until the contract runs out. He's laughing all the way to the bank.
We have to face facts, owning a football club, is never going to make you money. Whoever takes on the challenge, will need to realise this. The league has many clubs, in the hands of chairmen/owners, all looking to find ways of funding a sinking money pit. All we can hope for, is to find an investor/s, who can provide a professional business structure and funding, to bring some form of stability and success back to our club.
I fear the club; from comments made by Methven and Donald, will become a bring them on from the youth team and sell them on at a good price. Watch this space.
More depressed, Croydon Mackem
