Press restrictions.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

Surely, at the end of the day, all the fans really care about is where we finish in the league.

All this peripheral fluff is just close season madness.

No it's not peripheral at all. The fans need to 'feel good' about the Club. It's essential in fact.

Does Power have to tell the fans anything? Of course not but it would be much better for him and for everyone if he engaged at least a little bit with the fans. If people feel good about the Club they will be far more inclined to put money into it, whether that be buying season tickets, match tickets, replica shirts or just a STFC duvet cover.

It's not hard -

A week into the close season - you have the traditional pictures of the pitch being re-laid and articles about what a good job Marcus Cassidy and his staff are doing.

You then announce that BOO has agreed to sign on the 1st July and you're working on getting several more in (You don't need to tell us the names Lee)

Next - you put to bed the Cooper to Wendies rumours and state that no approach has been made - the end.

Then you announce that you've invested in some brand new state of art cones for whoever the Cone Gatherer is these days (that tall bloke who also has the initials 'MC') and so it goes on...

Just engage with the fans - who are the one and only 'constant' at any Club and without whom you are fucked - and let them know what's going on without giving away any trade secrets. It will be much better all round for everyone.

[Red Frog]

This is such a steaming pile of shite. We've bought into the benefits of having a football man as chairman for the first time in our history (unless Reg wants an argument), but here's the downside. Football insiders have a deep disdain for the oikish fans and their ill-informed views, and an equally deep distrust of the press and their independent agendas.

So we get a North Korean solution to news management. Well fuk yu Kim Ill Lee, if you don't mind I'll stick to the habit of a lifetime, and get my news from the local press, rather than from your completely retarded party organ.

Shame you understand fuck all about communications, because I was ready to trust you on the football side. Or to put it in terms you might grasp, you've scored an almighty PR own goal. Think about that next time you're asking for our fucking money. Jeez.

[Honkytonk]

The obvious way to do this would have been to gradually reduce the amount of stuff available to external media outlets whilst gradually increasing the exclusives on the Fanzai app, leading to a general herd movement over to the club's chosen media. This could have taken 2 or more seasons to complete but would have felt more 'natural' to the fans.

Instead we have had a bit of an anschluss, an annexation of media overnight.

As long as we can listen to the match on matchday without player throwing a paddy and we get the team quiz on Radio Wiltshire at christmas that's all I care about. That and cobfirming signings/delartures.

[DRS]

This.

Power worries me.

He's exceptionally paranoid and overly suspicious of the press.

That is either because of previous bad experiences or naivety. Given his vast experience in football and in business, one has to presume that it's the former.

His poor relationship with the press is alienating a huge amount of people because people are naturally suspicious of his motives.

He needs to either grow the fuck up and start to realise that just because he's the owner he's not necessarily going to be right about everything all the time, or he needs to recognise his own shortcomings and have the bollocks to bring in a professional CEO that doesn't have his narcissistic tendencies and can run that side of the business properly and professionally.

And someone inside the club needs to remind him that despite what the share certificates or companies house say, he doesn't own our fucking club - we do.

I believe an increasing amount of fans are sceptical of his intentions and I don't think it would take too much for them to turn on him if the playing side goes tits up this season.

And anyone who falls for the old Essex Mafia accent must be a complete cunt.

Highest league position in 20 years. Selling players for record fees buying players for cash, we are witnessing some of the best football i have seen in years. He inherited a load of shit and if to be believed has us operating at the closest to break even than we have in decades.

If the bloke wants to try a new business venture and see if it benefits the club then fair fucking fucks to him he is entitled to try it.

Yes the press ban is shit and personally i don't agree with with it but let's see what its like in a couple of months. If we are also top by christmas fans will not give two fucks what link they click on

[Batch]

yeah, he got us to Wembley. he deserves to do what the fuck he wants because of that.

If this was diamandis the sky would have fallen in by now.

if fans are stupid enough to allow league position dictate their views then they deserve to be shit on.

[DRS]

yeah, he got us to Wembley. he deserves to do what the fuck he wants because of that.

If this was diamandis the sky would have fallen in by now.

if fans are stupid enough to allow league position dictate their views then they deserve to be shit on.

But he isn't Diamindis is he? he has put his money in he has run us in a way that has cleared debt. If you want to ignore everything i said and assume i meant just the wembley bit that's fine.

The real idiots are the ones that all of a sudden think they are being deprived all sorts of news. The club only gave the adver and other outlets the news  it wanted us to read anyway so no different to what the app will do.

People are yet again getting worked up just for the sake of it.

[DRS]

yeah, he got us to Wembley. he deserves to do what the fuck he wants because of that.

If this was diamandis the sky would have fallen in by now.

if fans are stupid enough to allow league position dictate their views then they deserve to be shit on.

Alternativly if fans are stupid enough to compare every decision a chairman does on Diamindis they deserve to get shit on

[Batch]

Alternativly if fans are stupid enough to compare every decision a chairman does on Diamindis they deserve to get shit on

Every descision? One descision.

As I said earlier in the thread:

If Power is straight up he's doing a great job on the football side so far TBF. Not got a problem living in our means, I'd prefer a well intentioned sugar daddy but we ain't got one.

My point wasn't that Power definitely is another Diamandis and we are fucked. My point was he isn't and shouldn't be given slack because of the likes of Diamandis and the Brady bunch.

"he isn't a Diamandis" - well who the fuck really knows. I don't think so, bt ultimately I have no idea.

[Batch]

People are yet again getting worked up just for the sake of it.

We;ll disagree on that.

Its not the actual deprication of news that's the issue for me. Its the methods being deployed.

Incidentally, just to be clear the "stupid fans" response was in disagreement to

If we are also top by christmas fans will not give two fucks what link they click on

I wasn't calling you stupid, if that's how it came across.

[Costanza]

Few people comprehensively agree with it, right?

This is getting quite hyperbolic now. Offer me solutions/sensible forms of protest by all means (because it is a wrong call by the club) but I'm not doing anything like boycotting my support of Swidon Town FC because Andrew Steele-Davis isn't getting exclusive quotes.

[herthab]

I've still got my orange hat! To be honest most of the news that the Adver reports about the club is lifted from other media outlets anyway. It should be easier for them now, as they can take it all from one source.

[Batch]

Offer me solutions/sensible forms of protest by all means

Personally I'm never using it, I don't care if othe people do - that's their perogative - I'm selfish and this forced approach is disadvantaging me so that's why I'm pissed off.

As for a solution, well I guess this doesn't buy the club as many fanzai accounts as forcing people to use it, but some sort of fricken makreting of the thing would have helped

Swindon Town are pleased to offer fans enhanced an enhanced social media experience. Fanzai, a new applicaiton available for iPhone and Android, is a new way to follow the news and events happening at our club.

Every week we will bring you exclusive news, views, reaction and competition direct to you phone. You can also follow your favourite players activity, so if you have a dying urge to find out what Michael Smith had for breakfast in a Fatburyesque type stalking you can.

The app is absolutely free to use, so don't miss out - sign up now!

Then official twitter and FB pages could carry normal club news. As apposed to forcing people to register just to read about Everton hospitality and to be able to vote on charity of the year.

If a simpleton like me can do it I'm sure the club can.

------
The press issue is a separate one in my mind. Its very very not right. Not sure whatcan be done there. I guess they will have to go Adver and get stories elsewhere.

[Flashheart]

I don't use the app, the only reason I know about it is because others moan about it.

It's not made one iota of difference to me, not a smidgen. 

[Abrahammer]

Same as.

I doubt I ever really looked at the official website for news stories anyway, Sam and ASD always tell you the any news a matter of minutes later anyway.

Don't get me worry the whole press arrangements are bit silly but if this is biggest issue at the club right now I'll take that every day of the week.

[Flashheart]

Don't get me worry the whole press arrangements are bit silly but if this is biggest issue at the club right now I'll take that every day of the week.

Yep, agreed.

If this is what people currently have to moan about, then that's a sign that things are going relatively well.