Mark D - "Crunch Talks" Tomorrow

[Dazzza]

Not sure if this has already been posted or not...

SWINDON Town chief executive Mark Devlin is set for crunch talks with the club on Friday as he looks to come back to work.

Devlin, 44, has been away from the County Ground after suffering injuries in a plane crash in August, but is now fit enough to return.

He said: "As far as I am concerned this meeting is to discuss my position and see if I can come back.

"I don't know what the club want to say to me but I just want to get back to work."

Since being away he has not been in contact with the County Ground board at all, despite the change of manager.

Paul Sturrock replaced Dennis Wise after the former manager's move to Leeds United and Martyn Starnes has been acting chief executive in his place.

Devlin, who re-joined the club last season, said: "I haven't been in contact with them since the accident because they told me not to. I only spoke to them last week to confirm I was ready to return. I am thinking about nothing else after Friday because it would be pointless.

"There has been a lot going on while I have been away which has certainly made interesting reading.

"It has been frustrating being away and recovering but people have been reminding me I am lucky to survive a plane crash at all."

http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1060537.mostviewed.devlin_set_for_crunch_talks.php

[Samdy Gray]

Hope he gets his job back, so to speak. I'd feel so much more at ease with Devlin speaking to the media rather than Starnes.

[RobertT]

It will certainly be an interesting one to watch pan out.  Do they go for the jugular, as their previous statement would suggest, or do they back down knowing now is not a time they should be going for bad PR?

[Fred Elliot]

Hope he gets his job back, so to speak. I'd feel so much more at ease with Devlin speaking to the media rather than Starnes.

Interesting

Don't forget though part of the fans madate to the consortium was condintional on Mark's services being retained.

Maybe I am reading too much into this but I am sure that the consortium will get a clearer indication of the board's willingness to do business, and the general scenario, based on the outcome of Mark's meeting tomorrow.

[Frigby Daser]

If the consortium takes over then it'll be out of Diamond Mike's hands (god, doesn't that sound good). After a promosing start Martyn Starnes has been ut in the unforunate position of spouting the shit Diamandis has put in front of him, and made himself look a prize prat by contradicting previous statements and lying at AGMs (again, apparently on 'instructions'...)- something Mark Devlin never did. Blaming him entirely for the overspend I suspect is bollocks too - lets pass the buck to the bloke in hospital!

Spot on Fred, if he's told there is no role for him it'll show Diamandis' determination to cling on.

[Fred Elliot]

Beware the cornered Tiger so to speak !

In all honesty, that has been my prime concern since we started all this.

We all have the feeling that things have now overstepped the threashold so to speak.

Last Fridays "going public" saw to that.

It just resolves the strength and belief that we have to ensure that the deal is done.

Its just that desparate men tend to do desparate things to hold on to survival.

Lets just hope its not detrimental to the process

[mattboyslim]

I agree to a certain extent moonraker, but hopefully as and when (if) the consortium can get involved my suspicion is that for it to happen they will need a majority stake, which should allow them to employ who they like. Whilst the fans mandated the inclusion of Mark D in these plans if Mr Power arrives and decides that Mark isn't the man for the job then so be it IMHO, providing the decision is done professionally.

[Fred Elliot]

After a promosing start Martyn Starnes has been ut in the unforunate position of spouting the shit Diamandis has put in front of him, and made himself look a prize prat by contradicting previous statements and lying at AGMs (again, apparently on 'instructions'...)-.

"Done up like a Patsy" springs to mind

[Fred Elliot]

I agree to a certain extent moonraker, but hopefully as and when (if) the consortium can get involved my suspicion is that for it to happen they will need a majority stake, which should allow them to employ who they like. Whilst the fans mandated the inclusion of Mark D in these plans if Mr Power arrives and decides that Mark isn't the man for the job then so be it IMHO, providing the decision is done professionally.

I dont think that will happen.............do you ?

 

[mattboyslim]

I agree to a certain extent moonraker, but hopefully as and when (if) the consortium can get involved my suspicion is that for it to happen they will need a majority stake, which should allow them to employ who they like. Whilst the fans mandated the inclusion of Mark D in these plans if Mr Power arrives and decides that Mark isn't the man for the job then so be it IMHO, providing the decision is done professionally.

I dont think that will happen.............do you ?

 

No, but then again strange things happen at STFC, and if it for some reason wasn't workable I think i'd just about take the Power money over Mr Devlin.  But all things being equal I suspect tehy come as a pair in much the same way that stubborness and mismanagement are stable mates with Dunwoody.

[lebowski]

i still don't understand how on earth we have a £700'000 projected over-spend. there doesn't appear to be much to show for that money, so is this because our budgets weren't accurate? whose fault would that be?

the only other thing i can think of is that the players have been having a plate of pasta each after training. if that costs £700'000 over a year then i'd expect it all to be hand made by jamie oliver!

[RobertT]

if someone can find it, one of the statements suggested about £200k of this was due to player bonuses if we go up - basically the maximum they could earn.  £200k/25 players is less than £10k each for a total season getting the Championship place, hardly crazy loon stuff.

[lebowski]

maybe the £700'000 was the VAT bill that we'd probably forget to pay after a successful season...

[Panda Paws]

maybe the £700'000 was the VAT bill that we'd probably forget to pay after a successful season...

They'll find it one day in bundled notes stashed behind the fridge ... I hear Willy was having a game of hide the cash with Gus Poyet before he went. It was a fun Tuesday afternoon at the County Ground.

"Ooooooooooooooohhhhhh THAT'S where we left it."

[Power to people]

Let's face it they are not going to give Mark D his job back, they will concoct some story to saack him, he will then surely do them for constructive dismissal.

Is he not employed by Dunwoody though don't I remember, so surely his action would be against Diamandis not the FC, so when the consortium take control and Mark returns (assuming he hasn't got anther job in the mean time) he can continue with his action as it will not hurt the FC.

As Fred said though beware Diamandis is going to want to fight this one out..he has nothing to lose