New beginnings - 25% Truth, 80% Bollocks

[Bob's Orange]

Just to be clear - I don't think they expect to find the next world class Egyptian footballer in Pakistan, I think they were using Mo Salah as an example of what can be found if you dig deep enough. I guess they want to find the first world class footballers in Pakistan if possible. (or that's what is being sold)

But I assume you knew that. 

[Mooneyraker]

Just to be clear - I don't think they expect to find the next world class Egyptian footballer in Pakistan, I think they were using Mo Salah as an example of what can be found if you dig deep enough. I guess they want to find the first world class footballers in Pakistan if possible. (or that's what is being sold)

But I assume you knew that.  

Yes, I'm being a snarky facetious twat because this guy should be nowhere near our club!

[Bob's Orange]

Yes, I'm being a snarky facetious twat because this guy should be nowhere near our club!

Yeah I realised that

Out of interest, when is the next Advisory Board?

[horlock07]

Just to be clear - I don't think they expect to find the next world class Egyptian footballer in Pakistan, I think they were using Mo Salah as an example of what can be found if you dig deep enough. I guess they want to find the first world class footballers in Pakistan if possible. (or that's what is being sold)

But I assume you knew that.  

But what if the potential Egyptian footballer was on holiday in Pakistan?  

[Mooneyraker]

I think the point here is don't say Dear old Zav is just a matchday guest if he isn't. Say he will be continuing his work on the Karachi programme if that is the case.

Be, you know, open and transparent.

[horlock07]

Yeah I realised that

Out of interest, when is the next Advisory Board?

Dunno, but the fans forum will thankfully let the most vociferous on here go along and vent their spleens in person to those who matter. Hopefully then answers will be forthcoming and bandwidth saved.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Come on. Even the most suspicious on here knows what was meant about the next Egyptian world class player. Whether there are any gems to be had in Pakistan is neither here nor there. It’s just a comparison between 2 countries that, traditionally, dont produce such players.

It seems that absolutely anything that comes out of the club now immediately has a negative slant put on it.

Nobody gave a fuck when Power took over with a history of financial disaster behind him.

It’s getting fucking tiresome.

[RobertT]

Why are we looking for the next world class Egyptian footballer. in Pakistan or have I missed something?

This could be fishy as fuck or it could not be, but you do seem to be making much of him signing something in a picture where he is obviously not signing anything, interacting with the government who will undoubtedly have done more due diligence on whatever is happening than a couple of bored blokes on the interweb adding 5 and 5 and coming up with 1500.

I am inclined to agree, I suspect as much as with Jed and others its an ego thing as with the whole VC thing until Clem realised that was a bad idea. As for the reason why its Pakistan/Karachi, there could be a plethora of reasons nefarious or entirely fine why he has chosen to go there

I sort of agree with you on the importance or otherwise of him being there.  Why Pakistan?  It is probably one of the top locations in the world for making money out of immigration processes - not least because it is dodgy as fuck locally (this is well known in the Immigration circles).  I very much doubt he went there and got the locals to create an entirely fictional football club because he felt that was a sure fire way of getting the regions best talent.  Much more likely he realised it was a very creative way of milking significant cash from well off locals in a very unregulated part of the world using a willing sponsor that had fallen into his lap.  I think he claims he knows someone who suggest the region to him - maybe it's 100% true, but you'd likely strike a partnership with a well known club there, or University, not magic one up.  It's an obvious funding vehicle.

[dalumpimunki]

I believe 'happy clapper' is the present derisory term of choice.

These pictures happen all the time when such formal signings take place, I have sat between people and govt officers in such cases where I have brought such things together for formal sign off, its PR guff no better than the massive cheque photo's, which I have also done.

It's exactly that. I've been at major contract signings and everyone that signs has their own nearly paid out place at the table, with the document to sign and a matching branded pen. Zav clearly ain't signing anything. I

I'm intrigued by this though. The Chevening scholarship (normally anyway) funds in entirety the costs of a masters degree at a UK university for the scholar. It pays tuition fees, funds accommodation, flights over, the lot. What MA equivalent qualification can we award?

[RobertT]

Come on. Even the most suspicious on here knows what was meant about the next Egyptian world class player. Whether there are any gems to be had in Pakistan is neither here nor there. It’s just a comparison between 2 countries that, traditionally, dont produce such players.

It seems that absolutely anything that comes out of the club now immediately has a negative slant put on it.

Nobody gave a fuck when Power took over with a history of financial disaster behind him.

It’s getting fucking tiresome.

There is some good debate to be had about Zav's involvement, but I do think the club has a lot to answer for here for very different reasons.

At a time where fans are being asked to volunteer to send sandwiches and crisps to Calne, it looks very odd to tie ourselves into a scheme that will, if  not already, drag resources from the club to support.  We literally have zero shit together and then do this?  It's a canary in a coal mine, if nothing else, that things are just a bit fucked up.

We can't really do much other than nash our teeth, but for a club relying on goodwill to the extent we have been, it's not a good look.  If they wonder why season ticket sales decline - start here and work your way around.

[Mooneyraker]

Come on. Even the most suspicious on here knows what was meant about the next Egyptian world class player. Whether there are any gems to be had in Pakistan is neither here nor there. It’s just a comparison between 2 countries that, traditionally, dont produce such players.

It seems that absolutely anything that comes out of the club now immediately has a negative slant put on it.

Nobody gave a fuck when Power took over with a history of financial disaster behind him.

It’s getting fucking tiresome.

This hasn't come out of the club, which again tells a tale in its own right. The last we heard, literally a fortnight ago, he wasn't involved anymore. Yet he clearly is. They've made a rod for their own back here.

And on Power, plenty of people gave a fuck and they were largely told to pipe down, and that in itself is reason enough not to just sit idly by when there are questions to be asked of the current regime and things look and smell off.

[RobertT]

It's exactly that. I've been at major contract signings and everyone that signs has their own nearly paid out place at the table, with the document to sign and a matching branded pen. Zav clearly ain't signing anything. I

I'm intrigued by this though. The Chevening scholarship (normally anyway) funds in entirety the costs of a masters degree at a UK university for the scholar. It pays tuition fees, funds accommodation, flights over, the lot. What MA equivalent qualification can we award?

Oddly, some sort of Football Data Science scheme would have made more sense in all this - in fact, it would have filled the internship need we seemed to have (which looked dodgy as fuck in terms of sticking to UK employment law).

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

This hasn't come out of the club, which again tells a tale in its own right. The last we heard, literally a fortnight ago, he wasn't involved anymore. Yet he clearly is. They've made a rod for their own back here.

And on Power, plenty of people gave a fuck and they were largely told to pipe down, and that in itself is reason enough not to just sit idly by when there are questions to be asked of the current regime and things look and smell off.

But do you know for sure he’s there representing STFC or just himself as an external agent?

You may well be right - but you don’t know and are just taking the worst case scenario as fact.

[Mooneyraker]

But do you know for sure he’s there representing STFC or just himself as an external agent?

You may well be right - but you don’t know and are just taking the worst case scenario as fact.

Zav Austin is sat in a photo that talks about a Swindon Town Football Scholarship.

I genuinely can't believe this is even a debate.

[horlock07]

I sort of agree with you on the importance or otherwise of him being there.  Why Pakistan?  It is probably one of the top locations in the world for making money out of immigration processes - not least because it is dodgy as fuck locally (this is well known in the Immigration circles).  I very much doubt he went there and got the locals to create an entirely fictional football club because he felt that was a sure fire way of getting the regions best talent.  Much more likely he realised it was a very creative way of milking significant cash from well off locals in a very unregulated part of the world using a willing sponsor that had fallen into his lap.  I think he claims he knows someone who suggest the region to him - maybe it's 100% true, but you'd likely strike a partnership with a well known club there, or University, not magic one up.  It's an obvious funding vehicle.

Who knows, doing a little bit more reading round the things https://study-uk.britishcouncil.org/scholarships-funding/chevening-scholarships it appears that successful applicants are chosen at the relevant Embassy or High Commission level so not sure how Austin can influence that (at least initially), plus they tend to be for more academic things so no idea how the club can angle that unless its a MA in being shite at football?