Reeves for King wrote:
Diamandis is the sort of bloke who couldn't care less whether people protest about him or not. Waste of time. I can't see how it's actually his fault anyway; it was Devlin that sanctioned the overspend.
If you believe that then you're utterly deluded.
why is he deluded? Do you know exactly what happened?
Yes - having spoken to all the major players involved in the "overspend" back when all this started (ie September time), I think I do have a pretty good picture of what happened. And I set that out at the meeting we called in Old Railway Museum back in September, which is where all this kicked off, if you remember. The minutes are online on the Trust website at
http://www.truststfc.co.uk/meeting_27_09_2006.php. You may also remember that at the time, our version of events was roundly rubbished by the board (remember "there is no rift"). I think events since have more than vindicated what we said that night.
I am of the opinion it was Devlin that sanctioned the overspend too,
Insofar as there is an "overspend" it refers to items agreed by all the board at the time, with an understanding that some of the additional cost would be underwritten by Bill Power, some by the Wills family. Obviously, when Diamandis fell out with Bill Power and Phil Emmel, that agreement unravelled somewhat, leaving the Wills family to pick up the tab and a scapegoat needed - step forward Mark "still in hospital with his son after they both nearly died in a plane crash" Devlin to carry the can.
Let's look at some of the alleged items in the "overspend" shall we?
1) Wise and Poyet's contracts - both, according to his own boasts, brought in and contracts negotiated by Mike Diamandis. And to be fair, a reasonable "overspend" to make, if we were serious about pushing for promotion
2) Players' bonuses - the win bonuses were left at the same as last season (so probably high-ish for League Two), but now only applied if we are in a play-off position. The rates are the same as the whole board, including Mike Diamandis, were apparently happy with last season - the difference being this season they've had to actually pay win bonuses, whereas last season we didn't win games and got relegated. That might sound like overspend to you, to me it sounds like what should be a a self-financing (because better League position should mean higher gates, hence more revenue which it largely has for most of this season) staff incentive scheme.
3) Players having meals together after training - an innovation Wise introduced in an attempt to bring more professionalism to the squad and bond the team. As opposed to them all fucking off to the pub, for example. Certainly seemed to work under Wise, and at a cost of perhaps 30k, money well spent.
4) Paul Ince - yep, definitely a big spend. Signed long after Mark Devlin had left, contract signed by Sandy Gray one would assume (as Finance Director and Co Secretary) and if you remember a big song and dance about how James Wills had underwritten the amount that went over the 60% wage cap to get League clearance. So if this was such a massive problem, and remember he was signed at a time when the plane crash had already happened and the board had apparently already discovered to their horror that Mark Devlin had somehow gone beserk and sanctioned all manner of ludicrous overspend, why go through with the deal? You simply say, "Sorry Dennis, turns out Mark Devlin was a psycho who was secretly burning fivers in the boardroom and we've got no cash left so you can't bring your mate in".
So, of that alleged overspend, the three big-ticket items (Wise, Poyet and Ince) are all now gone, leaving a self-financing incentive scheme which just sounds like good business sense to incentivise the players to achieve promotion rather than pissing about in mid-table, and meals together after training rather than going out on the piss.
Basically, we're being asked to believe that at some point over the summer, Mark Devlin went totally loco and without the knowledge of the Finance & Admin Manager at the time (Martyn Starnes) or the Finance Director (Sandy Gray) somehow managed to commit the club to hundreds of thousands of pounds of overspend it could not afford. Even if you swallow that (and if you do, I've got a second hand car I'd like to sell you), there's no way he could have slipped it past Mike Diamandis. Given the accounts we've had from the man himself as to what a tight rein he keeps on the finances (and please remember to applaud him for his wonderful management of the club's affairs over the past five years - remember we wouldn't be in the wonderful position we're in, with massive operating losses, a failed CVA we have no hope of paying, relegated and with more chance of growing an extra head each than getting a ground redevlopment underway any time soon were it not for his masteful controls), you'd have to be, well, deluded to believe that all this wasn't done with the full agreement and knowledge of all concerned, including the board and Diamandis.
but now i just wait for an abusive response as i do not share the same opinion as you...
Sorry to disappoint. No abuse, but not some random "opinion" based on wild unsubstantiated allegations from people with a proven track record of lying to the fans either. I prefer to rely on
solid evidence before forming my opinion. Hope that helps clear up why sonic might have thought r4e was somewhat off-track.
