Adver News: Town to make midday statement

[otanswell]

Headline breaking news on BBC Sport website now

[flammableBen]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/

[sheepshagger]

Well the media attention will certainly be big...

I can't see the announcement of Paul Bodin as boss making the headlines of the BBC Football website.

Mex, I do completely understand your point of view, and respect it - however is there not a point here where politics and football can be separated ? 

You might not like the blokes politics, you might not even like the bloke very much - but his politics don't mean they are STFC's politics or any of the players politics

I am sure over the years we have had many players who have been pretty right wing in their beliefs, and probably just as many who are left wing - I'm sure the same can be said for managers/owners/chairman as well...

But you don't stop supporting the club because of it - PDC is only one man - STFC is a lot bigger than that - as fans we will back the team and as you know managers come and go

Just a thought like ?

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

'kin hell Whatever happens it won't be boring. Think I'll see how things are looking 6 months down the line rather than make any rash statements right now.

[Ardiles]

Question for Ben & Mex:

Would you stop supporting the club if one of the players sympathised with fascism, or a member of the ground staff, the or the financial controller or one of the chaps who works in the ticket office?  I appreciate that the manager's role is a public-facing one, but where do you draw the line?

I don't like the fascist sympathies either but, in my view, Di Canio will be just one of many people working at the club - none of whom are bigger than the club itself.  I hope you change your minds.

[juddie]

Be interesting to see how the board deal with this, if at all.

I see why those saying they won't go feel that way. Personally, I'm more concerned about his coaching ability and his ability to do his job. There's no question the appointment will generate a lot of excitement. He has excellent contacts and, crucially, he may convince some of our players who were thinking of leaving to stay on.

We will have the fittest squad, bar none. And who is going to mess with him? No-one.

I think the players will be inspired by him. It's a massive call from the board, let's hope it pays off.

[Ginginho]

I understand people's concerns and fair play to you if that's how you feel.
I've never really been actively interested in politics to be honest, but would certainly consider myself as a lefty if anything. Racism, fascism, etc does not sit well with me either, and i'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about the impact Di Canio could have on the club.
On the other hand, as a footballer he never displayed any such views, he came across as passionate and also compassionate (Take the Everton game where he caught the ball when the goalkeeper was down, for example). I just hope it's only this side of him we see and he leaves his political views in Italy.
I'm mostly excited about the appointment (if indeed it is him), but I also have an air of concern at the same time.

[pauld]

You may mock me take the piss etc. But if it is di canio Im out of here. Fascism to me is something that makes me sick to the stomach and i cannot and will not pay money and support an openly fascist supporting manager at the county ground. After 29 years i promise to you now i wont set foot in the county ground until he is gone, shit performances I can put up with but not this. Sorry if that makes me a shit fan but throughout my life i have been on anti fascist rallys, in the past my family have died fighting fascism and this appointment does not sit well with me. If he is appointed today my love will stfc will die.

Spot on Mex. Got a lot of thinking to do over the summer myself. Whatever people might wish, football does not exist in the moral and ethical vacuum it thinks it does. Some things are just bigger than football.

[phelpsieboy]

http://twitter.com/#!/ELITEtheAGENTS

They say its Di Canio

[pauld]

Question for Ben & Mex:

Would you stop supporting the club if one of the players sympathised with fascism, or a member of the ground staff, the or the financial controller or one of the chaps who works in the ticket office?  I appreciate that the manager's role is a public-facing one, but where do you draw the line?

I don't like the fascist sympathies either but, in my view, Di Canio will be just one of many people working at the club - none of whom are bigger than the club itself.  I hope you change your minds.

The manager is not just someone "working at the club", he is it's public figurehead. And this isn't a question of a player's/groundsman's private views, they (and the manager) are welcome to them. This is someone who has repeatedly and publicly espoused fascism. By employing such a person as the public figurehead, it inevitably reflects on the club and, at the least, what the club thinks matters and does not matter. Utterly ashamed

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

Spot on Mex. Got a lot of thinking to do over the summer myself. Whatever people might wish, football does not exist in the moral and ethical vacuum it thinks it does. Some things are just bigger than football.

People are saying 'I'm not bothered about his political beliefs' like it's a question of whether he votes Labour or Tory or something. As you say, it goes way beyond that. It sure as hell is going to be interesting.

[Abrahammer]

I really hope this is one big red herring and come midday PDC is no where near our club for footballing reasons.  I don’t agree with his political views but it is totally irrelevant to me and I suspect will be to the vast majority, I don’t really think a significant proportion of fans will be cutting ties with the club.  

There is no genuine footballing reason why you would appoint him to a league 2 team, my only hope is that his number 2 will have experience at this level and become the brains behind the outfit, similar to the Wise/Poyet setup.

Assuming its PDC though I’ll put my disappointment aside and fully support him hoping I’m proved wrong about the appointment.

[Barry Scott]

Be interesting to see how the board deal with this, if at all.

I see why those saying they won't go feel that way. Personally, I'm more concerned about his coaching ability and his ability to do his job. There's no question the appointment will generate a lot of excitement. He has excellent contacts and, crucially, he may convince some of our players who were thinking of leaving to stay on.

We will have the fittest squad, bar none. And who is going to mess with him? No-one.

I think the players will be inspired by him. It's a massive call from the board, let's hope it pays off.

I think this is close to something I'd have liked to have said. It's also clear Wray doesn't mind sticking his neck out where Fitton was a bit more cautious. The fat lady is yet to sing though.

[Dozno9]

I don't see what his beliefs have to do with managing the team, ok if you feel that way but for me it makes no sense to stay away. The difference between what he believes and actions of those in history is miles apart so unless he starts making fans march on a Saturday morning before the game I'll be going (I'm not really a morning person).

[STFC_Gazzza]

Sadly I cannot sponsor this Facist among other reasons. I will not be renewing my manager’s sponsorship this season, Ok someone else will jump at the chance to sponsor him but morally I can’t do it. I already informed the club previously I would not back Paul Hart either as he didn’t give a shit about STFC. Hamman was my first choice followed by Bodin.

Not ripping Di Canio as he hasn’t had a chance yet but Di Canio could easily do a “Wise”, Wray said he wanted someone who was here for the long haul and was looking for someone who wanted to be at Swindon Town for a long time. If I was Wray I would be pretty fucked off and question Di Canio’s commitment to STFC already, days after being interviewed for the STFC job he is doing the media rounds begging West Ham to be their manager. I would have said fuck him then and went on to choice number 2 based purely on that. Clearly he will fuck off at the first chance of calling, some would say ok that’s fair enough because to get a bigger club he has to do well here first…

 It may pan out, it may not, it’s a calculated risk, you either love him or hate him and sadly after last season the fan base will once again be divided. Hamman would have got everyone on side. Very risky bringing in someone who seemingly has little or no knowledge of the lower leagues in England, he may give the players a kick up the ass yes but I would have went with Haman or Bodin for me.