A STATEMENT FROM SIMON SADLER........

tangerine_neil said:
It’s a message, but not the best.
Would prefer it if he got a proper comms manager in place and got on the front foot with this stuff. It‘s not proactive, it’s all reactionary. (And comes across a bit like a school teacher lecturing a minority of naughty pupils.) That’s a consequence of the absence of key messages at key points in our timeline, e.g. the relegation confirmed / managerial search / transfer deadline day, etc. It’s also ever so tinpot.
Even Karl admitted that comms needed to improve and things have changed a lot in that space since 2010, and people now fill the void with falsehoods and other rumours to fit agendas. It should be nipped in the bud at appropriate points, but the messaging delays are ever present.

On other fronts, for someone so fixed on the finances, why offer long contracts to high risk managers’ such as Appleton. The choice of managers’ in general have been dire. Almost wind up territory. Who is advising him on such matters?
Why have they chosen to dismiss a perfectly good revenue generating opportunity at the new training ground, completely ignoring the excellent model already in action at Poolfoot?
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You obviously do not understand how ‘long term’ contracts work.
 
Local, born & bred, passionate football fan, who’s throwing millions at our beloved club and he still gets a barrage of grief for his efforts. Who’d be a football club owner in this day and age? The expectancy from fans at times, is beyond unbelievable. There are a fair few juvenile ‘keyboard warriors’ on this site, that would begrudge raiding their piggy banks to fund the match ball, never mind a football club. Carry on Simon old son, you’ll do for me.
 
LWYRUP said:
Agreed. Either stay or don’t stay. Just don’t try to play us with this woe is me martyr bollocks.

But if you do stay please stop issuing embarrassing statements. We’re not idiots. No one’s falling for it. Nice try.
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I like Sadler.

He's just far too precious.

He's also as fickle as the fickle folk on here, he's chosen to make his silly statement to silly people after a good result and the silly folk will be back on to him next time we get beat.

I'd expect the chairman of a football club to be better than its fickle football supporters and for him to be able to rise above any criticism - regardless of how ridiculous he might consider that criticism to be.
 
SEASIDE2020 said:
I like Sadler.

He's just far too precious.

He's also as fickle as the fickle folk on here, he's chosen to make his silly statement to silly people after a good result and the silly folk will be back on to him next time we get beat.

I'd expect the chairman of a football club to be better than its fickle football supporters and for him to be able to rise above any criticism - regardless of how ridiculous he might consider that criticism to be.
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As chairman of the Silly People and Co founder of Fickle Folk, I actually thnk that’s not far off the mark.
 
straightatthewall said:
Belokon had/has a lot more money than SS ever will and, I dare say, some very specific reasons to spend it in the first place.
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Hmmm . Not sure about this .

Belokons investment was a fraction of what SS has put in .

I suspect you are correct re the specific reasons .
 
AngelBFC said:
Hmmm . Not sure about this .

Belokons investment was a fraction of what SS has put in .

I suspect you are correct re the specific reasons .
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It would be good if he could get a rich investor who would like to pumps some money in for the playing side, like Belokon did without the shadiness!!
 
SEASIDE2020 said:
I like Sadler.

He's just far too precious.

He's also as fickle as the fickle folk on here, he's chosen to make his silly statement to silly people after a good result and the silly folk will be back on to him next time we get beat.

I'd expect the chairman of a football club to be better than its fickle football supporters and for him to be able to rise above any criticism - regardless of how ridiculous he might consider that criticism to be.
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I agree that's a good post

Fickle fucks the lot us, the owner needs to be bigger though
 
SEASIDE2020 said:
I like Sadler.

He's just far too precious.

He's also as fickle as the fickle folk on here, he's chosen to make his silly statement to silly people after a good result and the silly folk will be back on to him next time we get beat.

I'd expect the chairman of a football club to be better than its fickle football supporters and for him to be able to rise above any criticism - regardless of how ridiculous he might consider that criticism to be.
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Bad news travels far quicker than good news and even my mates who don't come on line had gone from positive to negative in a very short space of time because of 'word of mouth'. Rumours were getting ridiculous (I wonder how many make them up out of boredom) and he had to address some issues. I found his statement both informative and reassuring and more to do with the running of the club than anything fickle about the owner.
 
hertfordseasider said:
It would be good if he could get a rich investor who would like to pumps some money in for the playing side, like Belokon did without the shadiness!!
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I applaud your honesty Herts, it's rare on here.

However, surely a rich investor is exactly what we don't want. Sadler is trying to build the club on a sustainable long term footing, and this is in direct contradiction to that kind of investment. Certainly in the short to medium term.
 
ParkerAteMyKebab said:
Bad news travels far quicker than good news and even my mates who don't come on line had gone from positive to negative in a very short space of time because of 'word of mouth'. Rumours were getting ridiculous (I wonder how many make them up out of boredom) and he had to address some issues. I found his statement both informative and reassuring and more to do with the running of the club than anything fickle about the owner.
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No problem Parker.

I know where you are coming from but rumours are just like criticism in that they are inevitable in football and I don't think Sadler's statement will put an end to either criticism or the rumours.

He chose to make his statement after a good result and I won't be surprised if he were to receive criticism after the next poor result.

I like him, I just think that he should be better than those who are criticising him and I don't think he should be above criticism.

He was praised when he took over the club and he was praised when we were promoted and when things aren't going as well in football you get criticised.
 
SEASIDE2020 said:
No problem Parker.

I know where you are coming from but rumours are just like criticism in that they are inevitable in football and I don't think Sadler's statement will put an end to either criticism or the rumours.

He chose to make his statement after a good result and I won't be surprised if he were to receive criticism after the next poor result.

I like him, I just think that he should be better than those who are criticising him and I don't think he should be above criticism.

He was praised when he took over the club and he was praised when we were promoted and when things aren't going as well in football you get criticised.
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I'm not entirely sure you're right with what you are saying here 2020. I think Blackpool is somewhat unique, given our recent history with the Oystons, and to that extent I think that Simon is dealing with a Fanbase that is very much still on 'High Alert'. Whilst I understand that fans of all clubs can be fickle, I also think that the rumour-mongering and in particular the way in which our fanbase united during the Oyston years presents a very different problem (or potential problem) than in might elsewhere and I think Simon, to his credit, is acutely aware of that.

I think the timing of the statement will have had more to do with the closure of the Transfer Window and the ramping up of the online rhetoric and it will likely have been amended to reflect the positive result at the weekend, as opposed to have been timed to coincide with it.

I'm not sure 'better' is a word I' choose, but I certainly think that he's far more considered, rational and measured than the overwhelming majority of our fanbase and I think his statement / communication reflects that fact. People will of course read into it what they wish, but to my mind it's a very straightforward statement, with a small amount of humour and a positive conclusion. Ultimately he's just a fan like the rest of us though... OK he has a few quid and is willing to take on the role of owner / custodian or whatever, but that doesn't mean he doesn't share the same passion, frustration etc... The key thing is that he's actually trying to do something about it, whist simultaneously being ripped to shreds by certain sections of our support.

Last season was a classic example and whilst I'd acknowledge that the choice of both Managers turned out to be abysmal, the Fans undoubtedly made matters much more difficult than they needed to be. I don't think he sees himself as being 'above criticism' either and he's acknowledged as much, I just think he wants to try and give his team the very best opportunity for success and can see that we have been at serious risk of spoiling that opportunity, due in no small part to frustrations that have been carried over from our historic situation.
 
Scratcher67 said:
I applaud your honesty Herts, it's rare on here.

However, surely a rich investor is exactly what we don't want. Sadler is trying to build the club on a sustainable long term footing, and this is in direct contradiction to that kind of investment. Certainly in the short to medium term.
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Yeah be a right nightmare having the sort of money to buy the best players available to jump up the leagues
 
Scratcher67 said:
I applaud your honesty Herts, it's rare on here.

However, surely a rich investor is exactly what we don't want. Sadler is trying to build the club on a sustainable long term footing, and this is in direct contradiction to that kind of investment. Certainly in the short to medium term
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It’s not really an investment is it anyway ?

Something that loses 5 mil a year and whether or not you break even can depend on whether or not you get the right refereeing decisions ?

It’s a proper risky punt .

Unless your a Blackpool fan with tons of cash your happy to blow why would you ?

Might be different if there was major government funded regeneration going on in the town but there’s very little.

Also might be different if we were a sleeping giant etc .

This is why I keep repeating that SS is the best owner and needs to be respected for the punt he’s taken .
 
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AngelBFC said:
It’s not really an investment is it anyway ?

Something that loses 5 mil a year and whether or not you break even can depend on whether or not you get the right referring decisions ?

It’s a proper risky punt .

Unless your a Blackpool fan with tons of cash your happy to blow why would you ?

Might be different if there was major government funded regeneration going on in the town but there’s very little.

Also might be different if we were a sleeping giant etc .

This is why I keep repeating that SS is the best owner and needs to be respected .
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Unless he hedges his bets on 0-0
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
I'm not entirely sure you're right with what you are saying here 2020. I think Blackpool is somewhat unique, given our recent history with the Oystons, and to that extent I think that Simon is dealing with a Fanbase that is very much still on 'High Alert'. Whilst I understand that fans of all clubs can be fickle, I also think that the rumour-mongering and in particular the way in which our fanbase united during the Oyston years presents a very different problem (or potential problem) than in might elsewhere and I think Simon, to his credit, is acutely aware of that.

I think the timing of the statement will have had more to do with the closure of the Transfer Window and the ramping up of the online rhetoric and it will likely have been amended to reflect the positive result at the weekend, as opposed to have been timed to coincide with it.

I'm not sure 'better' is a word I' choose, but I certainly think that he's far more considered, rational and measured than the overwhelming majority of our fanbase and I think his statement / communication reflects that fact. People will of course read into it what they wish, but to my mind it's a very straightforward statement, with a small amount of humour and a positive conclusion. Ultimately he's just a fan like the rest of us though... OK he has a few quid and is willing to take on the role of owner / custodian or whatever, but that doesn't mean he doesn't share the same passion, frustration etc... The key thing is that he's actually trying to do something about it, whist simultaneously being ripped to shreds by certain sections of our support.

Last season was a classic example and whilst I'd acknowledge that the choice of both Managers turned out to be abysmal, the Fans undoubtedly made matters much more difficult than they needed to be. I don't think he sees himself as being 'above criticism' either and he's acknowledged as much, I just think he wants to try and give his team the very best opportunity for success and can see that we have been at serious risk of spoiling that opportunity, due in no small part to frustrations that have been carried over from our historic situation.
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I am entirely sure I am not right x3.

I am not wrong either, I've just offered an opinion that there was no need for Sadler to issue any statement.

Some folk will agree with me and I'm sure plenty won't.

It's no big deal but I don't think Sadler was being criticised more than he should expect - criticism of the chairman goes with the territory in football - and I certainly don't agree that he was "being ripped to shreds".

I do agree with a lot of what you say regarding negativity but we have to be honest about things, we were relegated last season and that means that we failed, I thing it's fair to say we were trying to finish in the top 21 places in the Championship and failed to do so.

I am not suggesting that we failed because of any lack of effort or financial input from Sadler, we may have over achieved the previous season, we did well to get promoted, I am not suggesting that Sadler needs to go, but we failed and I'm sure there certain things that we could have done better on.

I can't put my finger on exactly went wrong - but I'm sure you'll agree that there were certain things that did ? - but I think that football supporters are perfectly entitled to ask questions/criticise and not just after a relegation and I think that Sadler should recognise that.

I know you don't agree with me and I know I should have shut up before now but I'll go a little further, not only do I not feel there was any need for him to issue any statement, I don't agree with the timing.

He issued the statement after a good result, in the same way that those he was responding to, criticise him after a poor result, you might say that's human nature etc, etc but what I want to know is where was his statement after the club was relegated ?

Again x3, no big deal, I might have said too much there but I do agree with a lot of what have said regarding negativity in recent times.
 
SEASIDE2020 said:
I am entirely sure I am not right x3.

I am not wrong either, I've just offered an opinion that there was no need for Sadler to issue any statement.

Some folk will agree with me and I'm sure plenty won't.

It's no big deal but I don't think Sadler was being criticised more than he should expect - criticism of the chairman goes with the territory in football - and I certainly don't agree that he was "being ripped to shreds".

I do agree with a lot of what you say regarding negativity but we have to be honest about things, we were relegated last season and that means that we failed, I thing it's fair to say we were trying to finish in the top 21 places in the Championship and failed to do so.

I am not suggesting that we failed because of any lack of effort or financial input from Sadler, we may have over achieved the previous season, we did well to get promoted, I am not suggesting that Sadler needs to go, but we failed and I'm sure there certain things that we could have done better on.

I can't put my finger on exactly went wrong - but I'm sure you'll agree that there were certain things that did ? - but I think that football supporters are perfectly entitled to ask questions/criticise and not just after a relegation and I think that Sadler should recognise that.

I know you don't agree with me and I know I should have shut up before now but I'll go a little further, not only do I not feel there was any need for him to issue any statement, I don't agree with the timing.

He issued the statement after a good result, in the same way that those he was responding to, criticise him after a poor result, you might say that's human nature etc, etc but what I want to know is where was his statement after the club was relegated ?

Again x3, no big deal, I might have said too much there but I do agree with a lot of what have said regarding negativity in recent times.
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Maybe there wasn’t a need to put out a statement .

Might just be a case of making himself feel better .

Defending his corner after reading statements which aren’t true .

He’s entitled to do that . Whether or not he needed to can be debated .

My view is he needed to make the statement because rumours can get out of hand if not quashed .

At the end of the day he’s dealing with an extremely large customer base and his company BFC is selling a product . Untrue statements about the product can be damaging for the business .
 
SEASIDE2020 said:
I am entirely sure I am not right x3.

I am not wrong either, I've just offered an opinion that there was no need for Sadler to issue any statement.

Some folk will agree with me and I'm sure plenty won't.

It's no big deal but I don't think Sadler was being criticised more than he should expect - criticism of the chairman goes with the territory in football - and I certainly don't agree that he was "being ripped to shreds".

I do agree with a lot of what you say regarding negativity but we have to be honest about things, we were relegated last season and that means that we failed, I thing it's fair to say we were trying to finish in the top 21 places in the Championship and failed to do so.

I am not suggesting that we failed because of any lack of effort or financial input from Sadler, we may have over achieved the previous season, we did well to get promoted, I am not suggesting that Sadler needs to go, but we failed and I'm sure there certain things that we could have done better on.

I can't put my finger on exactly went wrong - but I'm sure you'll agree that there were certain things that did ? - but I think that football supporters are perfectly entitled to ask questions/criticise and not just after a relegation and I think that Sadler should recognise that.

I know you don't agree with me and I know I should have shut up before now but I'll go a little further, not only do I not feel there was any need for him to issue any statement, I don't agree with the timing.

He issued the statement after a good result, in the same way that those he was responding to, criticise him after a poor result, you might say that's human nature etc, etc but what I want to know is where was his statement after the club was relegated ?

Again x3, no big deal, I might have said too much there but I do agree with a lot of what have said regarding negativity in recent times.
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I'm not sure you've really taken much of what I said on board, judging by your reply there 2020 and I also wonder if you've maybe not been exposed to some of the stuff being posted on Social Media. I certainly don't think a lot of it would fit into the category of 'inevitable' or 'going with the territory' in the slightest.

We could debate all day long whether or not a statement was necessary (is any statement ever absolutely necessary?)... I'm not convinced it particularly matters either way and tbh that's not really why I picked up on your post. It was more that you appeared to be suggesting (and correct me if I'm wrong) that by issuing a statement, he was in some way behaving in a manner that wasn't befitting of his position.

As I see it, the decision to issue a statement is a judgement call, there's plenty of reasons to support doing so and plenty of reasons why you might choose not to. I certainly don't think that issuing a statement or not issuing a statement (and an entirely reasonable statement at that) could ever be deemed to be unbefitting of someone in his position as it was nothing of the sort. In fact we've seen a very similar statement in the very recent past from the Preston North End owner, due to similar accusations / criticism.

I'll reiterate that our fanbase here at Blackpool is not like many others at all. The Oyston years have almost certainly radicalised our fanbase and that has a lot of benefits, but it also poses some very unique problems for the owner and board to try and manage.

As I have already said, I also disagree with your assertion regarding the timing of the statement. As I see it, the statement was compiled in direct response to the online frenzy that followed the end of the transfer window. It was clearly focused around the area of transfers and investment which supports the timing.... Simon will have known that there was a break on the horizon and will not have wanted to take any focus away from preparations for the Wigan Game and so he sensibly left the statement until after the Wigan Game and in order to give fans time to reflect and digest the statement over the break... The timing makes absolute sense, unless you are choosing to be purposefully cynical.

I don't think you've said (nor could you say) too much.... I'm just not sure you are being particularly fair
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
I'm not sure you've really taken much of what I said on board, judging by your reply there 2020 and I also wonder if you've maybe not been exposed to some of the stuff being posted on Social Media. I certainly don't think a lot of it would fit into the category of 'inevitable' or 'going with the territory' in the slightest.

We could debate all day long whether or not a statement was necessary (is any statement ever absolutely necessary?)... I'm not convinced it particularly matters either way and tbh that's not really why I picked up on your post. It was more that you appeared to be suggesting (and correct me if I'm wrong) that by issuing a statement, he was in some way behaving in a manner that wasn't befitting of his position.

As I see it, the decision to issue a statement is a judgement call, there's plenty of reasons to support doing so and plenty of reasons why you might choose not to. I certainly don't think that issuing a statement or not issuing a statement (and an entirely reasonable statement at that) could ever be deemed to be unbefitting of someone in his position as it was nothing of the sort. In fact we've seen a very similar statement in the very recent past from the Preston North End owner, due to similar accusations / criticism.

I'll reiterate that our fanbase here at Blackpool is not like many others at all. The Oyston years have almost certainly radicalised our fanbase and that has a lot of benefits, but it also poses some very unique problems for the owner and board to try and manage.

As I have already said, I also disagree with your assertion regarding the timing of the statement. As I see it, the statement was compiled in direct response to the online frenzy that followed the end of the transfer window. It was clearly focused around the area of transfers and investment which supports the timing.... Simon will have known that there was a break on the horizon and will not have wanted to take any focus away from preparations for the Wigan Game and so he sensibly left the statement until after the Wigan Game and in order to give fans time to reflect and digest the statement over the break... The timing makes absolute sense, unless you are choosing to be purposefully cynical.

I don't think you've said (nor could you say) too much.... I'm just not sure you are being particularly fair
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x3

I wasn't necessarily responding to your comments, I was also making my own points but I have already recognised that you make some good and fair points and you have done so again.

I still don't think that there was any need for any statement from Sadler - I think it was ridiculous to be honest with you - but I appreciate that he is perfectly entitled to do so and I'm not suggesting that he should leave or anything near that.

I also think that if he was disappointed at the criticism he received then he won't be happy again at some point in the future because while he is chairman of the club, he will continue to receive criticism and more than likely it will be far worse than he has already received.
 
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SEASIDE2020 said:
x3

I wasn't necessarily responding to your comments, I was also making my own points but I have alreday recognised that you make some good and fair points and you have done so again.

I still don't think that there was any need for any statement from Sadler - I think it was ridiculous to be honest with you - but I appreciate that he is perfectly entitled to do so and I'm not suggesting that he should leave or anything near that.

I also think that if he was disappointed at the criticism he received then he won't be happy again at some point in the future because while he is chairman of the club, he will continueto receive criticism and more than likely it will be far worse than he has already received.
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Yep, I get all that and I can appreciate that there will be differences of opinion on whether or not there was a need for a statement... I also realise you're not saying he should leave, but you do appear to be suggesting that "he ought to be better than that", which implies that his standing or credibility has somehow been diminished by issuing the statement?

I also think that you and others are perhaps misunderstanding why he perhaps felt the need to issue a statement... I certainly don't think it was because he was 'disappointed at the criticism'... I'm sure that he may well be disappointed, but I'm pretty sure that's something he can handle without feeling the need for a statement.... The issue relates more specifically to the questioning of the level of investment, accusations that we are somehow in a phase of managed decline, that SS has lost interest in the Club and that incoming transfer monies are not being invested (as well of him being put in the same bracket as Oyston)...

As I see it, those were simply falsehoods that Simon has chosen to nip in the bud and reassure any supporters who may have been concerned. He's rightly pointed out that the level of investment in this transfer window has not been at all insignificant, that we have signed some excellent players and also reaffirmed his long term commitment. I really don't think disappointment comes into it.
 
SEASIDE2020 said:
I am entirely sure I am not right x3.

I am not wrong either, I've just offered an opinion that there was no need for Sadler to issue any statement.

Some folk will agree with me and I'm sure plenty won't.

It's no big deal but I don't think Sadler was being criticised more than he should expect - criticism of the chairman goes with the territory in football - and I certainly don't agree that he was "being ripped to shreds".

I do agree with a lot of what you say regarding negativity but we have to be honest about things, we were relegated last season and that means that we failed, I thing it's fair to say we were trying to finish in the top 21 places in the Championship and failed to do so.

I am not suggesting that we failed because of any lack of effort or financial input from Sadler, we may have over achieved the previous season, we did well to get promoted, I am not suggesting that Sadler needs to go, but we failed and I'm sure there certain things that we could have done better on.

I can't put my finger on exactly went wrong - but I'm sure you'll agree that there were certain things that did ? - but I think that football supporters are perfectly entitled to ask questions/criticise and not just after a relegation and I think that Sadler should recognise that.

I know you don't agree with me and I know I should have shut up before now but I'll go a little further, not only do I not feel there was any need for him to issue any statement, I don't agree with the timing.

He issued the statement after a good result, in the same way that those he was responding to, criticise him after a poor result, you might say that's human nature etc, etc but what I want to know is where was his statement after the club was relegated ?

Again x3, no big deal, I might have said too much there but I do agree with a lot of what have said regarding negativity in recent times.
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Yet many on here were criticising Sadler for the radio silence and wanted to hear what is happening. He affirms he's here for the long term and people turn round and criticise saying there's no need for a statement as they stir up trouble.

People were saying we've been spending on a par with the Oystons and he put them right by citing the transfers made and the cost thereof.

He's in a lose-lose situation when it comes to communications.
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
Yep, I get all that and I can appreciate that there will be differences of opinion on whether or not there was a need for a statement... I also realise you're not saying he should leave, but you do appear to be suggesting that "he ought to be better than that", which implies that his standing or credibility has somehow been diminished by issuing the statement?

I also think that you and others are perhaps misunderstanding why he perhaps felt the need to issue a statement... I certainly don't think it was because he was 'disappointed at the criticism'... I'm sure that he may well be disappointed, but I'm pretty sure that's something he can handle without feeling the need for a statement.... The issue relates more specifically to the questioning of the level of investment, accusations that we are somehow in a phase of managed decline, that SS has lost interest in the Club and that incoming transfer monies are not being invested (as well of him being put in the same bracket as Oyston)...

As I see it, those were simply falsehoods that Simon has chosen to nip in the bud and reassure any supporters who may have been concerned. He's rightly pointed out that the level of investment in this transfer window has not been at all insignificant, that we have signed some excellent players and also reaffirmed his long term commitment. I really don't think disappointment comes into it.
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x3

I just think that Sadler is far too precious and that there was absolutely no need for any statement.

If you think that I have misunderstood then fair enough but I'm out.

That is not to say that you have not made good points.
 
Wizaard said:
Yet many on here were criticising Sadler for the radio silence and wanted to hear what is happening. He affirms he's here for the long term and people turn round and criticise saying there's no need for a statement as they stir up trouble.

People were saying we've been spending on a par with the Oystons and he put them right by citing the transfers made and the cost thereof.

He's in a lose-lose situation when it comes to communications.
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Wiz

Not having that for a second.

Sadler did not choose to make his statement because he was concerned about a lack of communication between the club and the supporters.

I think it's fair to say that he made the statement because he was disappointed at some of the criticism that he received, "If there is a better man out there etc, etc.................

He didn't issue a statement after relegation.

He's the chairman of a football club and he needs to be better than the supporters.
 
TwelveAngryMen said:
Looking back, I think part of the issue is how quickly we were promoted from League One after Simon took over.

Our rapid rise and decent first season in the Championship set the expectation bar, incredibly high and likely took him as owner out of his financial comfort zone, particularly bearing in mind significant amount of money that he’d already allocated to infrastructure projects.

The Championship is a crazy league full of financial car crashes waiting to happen. Trying to compete financially is problematic - do you match the barn pot clubs when trying to attract the players you need or do you try to find another way ?

If BFC were competing in the top half of League One and we’d seen the significant improvements we have around the stadium and training ground but not yet been promoted I’m not sure he’d have been subject all this grief. Let’s be right our natural order is probably lower Championship upper League One based on the last 50 years so we are there or thereabouts where we should be - just on a cyclical low but with expectations of challenging for promotion.
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This is a really good point.

Sadler is almost a victim of his own success, getting us promoted in his first full season and then securing our Championship status the next all without any new infrastructure.

He himself set the bar high for fan expectations and although he has not met them the past year, he deserves the benefit of the doubt since he is the one that set them that high to begin with.
 
SEASIDE2020 said:
x3

I just think that Sadler is far too precious and that there was absolutely no need for any statement.

If you think that I have misunderstood then fair enough but I'm out.

That is not to say that you have not made good points.
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So this statement makes him look ‘precious’?
 
He bought the club at a good price, he talks a lot but has yet to implement in a more meaningful manner and he’s received more money than many of his peers via transfer and compensation. His costs are the same as his peers which he knew about when he took over the club. We are currently in league one. So let’s wish him well, and support our club. Let’s not Molly coddle him when he’s been years in the job or laud him for money invested when we cannot see a new training ground, new stand or new higher league position. Let’s save the kudos for when he’s earned them.
 
AmericanTangerine said:
This is a really good point.

Sadler is almost a victim of his own success, getting us promoted in his first full season and then securing our Championship status the next all without any new infrastructure.

He himself set the bar high for fan expectations and although he has not met them the past year, he deserves the benefit of the doubt since he is the one that set them that high to begin with.
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He and he alone made a balls up with repeated bad decision making last year and was slow to pivot costing us ironically more than he bought the club for.
 
Theoneandonly said:
He and he alone made a balls up with repeated bad decision making last year and was slow to pivot costing us ironically more than he bought the club for.
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No one is saying you can’t criticize him, the point is that he deserves the benefit of the doubt when questions regarding commitment or investment are brought up (Which they constantly have been over the past few weeks).
 
AmericanTangerine said:
This is a really good point.

Sadler is almost a victim of his own success, getting us promoted in his first full season and then securing our Championship status the next all without any new infrastructure.
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I'd say he's more a victim of taking over from the Oystons. If you get it wrong post Oyston people don't understand why and get mega frustrated very quickly. I think the reasons are down to honest recruitment mistakes, the huge increase in player wages and transfer fees in recent years, and the amount of pressure from the fans. He could maybe borrow a bit of Karl's detachment. He could communicate more often. He could be brutally honest. I'm doing my best, I've made mistakes, we can't succeed all the time, we are learning, I'm a huge fan and love the club, we can't compete with the top 30 budgets, 10000 fans isnt 20000 or 30000, the value of shares may go up as well as down, we are having to rebuild again after last season's huge disappointment and it will take a bit of time.

He kind has just done that but it coukd have come earluer and it's reactive rather than proactive. Get on the front foot. Front foot ownership. Be confident and honest and then ignore the trolls. Trolls are part of modern life unfortunately.
 
Theoneandonly said:
He bought the club at a good price, he talks a lot but has yet to implement in a more meaningful manner and he’s received more money than many of his peers via transfer and compensation. His costs are the same as his peers which he knew about when he took over the club. We are currently in league one. So let’s wish him well, and support our club. Let’s not Molly coddle him when he’s been years in the job or laud him for money invested when we cannot see a new training ground, new stand or new higher league position. Let’s save the kudos for when he’s earned them.
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A good price ?

If it was such a good price why wasn’t there loads of interest ? It was no secret the club was for sale .

Have you seen how much he’s spent and how much it loses every year?

It’s a money pit .

He’s unlikely to get his investment back unless we get to the prem or Blackpool turns into Las Vegas.
 
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Yep a good price. Do your comparables. His point of entry was very reasonable. Spent? Less than many of his peers. Wasted on poor choices probably more than his peers. It’s no more a money pit than any of its competitors and after more than three years still short of completing its earning potential
 
So then @Theoneandonly maybe you could enlighten the rest of us perhaps and answer a few questions….

Firstly, what was the purchase price?

How does that compare to the price of other similar Clubs?

How much has he subsequently spent?

Who are ‘his peers’ (presumably you mean the Teams who were in L1, at the point when he took over?) and how much has each of them spent (maybe you could do a League table of their expenditure and achievements ?)

What is the Clubs ‘earning potential’ and how much does it currently earn?
 
Sadler had the balls to bid for the club when everyone knew that buying off the Oystons was a minefield. The cost was not just the purchase price, it was also the cost of sorting everything out, legals, huge amounts of time, rectifying things. If Sadler has put in 18m since he bought it then he's spent about 26m in total I think? Of his own money.

A club of Blackpool's size really should be grateful for that surely (esp as he is clearly not on the make, quite the opposite) and simply urge him to find a better recruitment process for key jobs and admit he's not best placed to select football people. Find people you trust to make good recruitment decisions. That's the hard bit.

Maybe Julian Winter is that guy now. But maybe a Jimmy, or several Jimmys, would also be a good idea. Wise old football heads to have a chat with occasionally and canvas opinion. Even then, you have to find the smart people. Plenty of duffers in football. Whose judgement can you trust? That's what SS is wrestling with I think.
 
Theoneandonly said:
Yep a good price. Do your comparables. His point of entry was very reasonable. Spent? Less than many of his peers. Wasted on poor choices probably more than his peers. It’s no more a money pit than any of its competitors and after more than three years still short of completing its earning potential
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Need more detail to do the “comparables” you suggest
 
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voyeur said:
Sadler had the balls to bid for the club when everyone knew that buying off the Oystons was a minefield. The cost was not just the purchase price, it was also the cost of sorting everything out, legals, huge amounts of time, rectifying things. If Sadler has put in 18m since he bought it then he's spent about 26m in total I think? Of his own money.

A club of Blackpool's size really should be grateful for that surely (esp as he is clearly not on the make, quite the opposite) and simply urge him to find a better recruitment process for key jobs and admit he's not best placed to select football people. Find people you trust to make good recruitment decisions. That's the hard bit.

Maybe Julian Winter is that guy now. But maybe a Jimmy, or several Jimmys, would also be a good idea. Wise old football heads to have a chat with occasionally and canvas opinion. Even then, you have to find the smart people. Plenty of duffers in football. Whose judgement can you trust? That's what SS is wrestling with I think.
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You make a decent point Voy, but what is a reasonable timeframe for a new owner starting from scratch to establish the perfect management team?

Let's bear in mind that initially SS was living in HK etc.. So he's initially appointed a mate and relied on Mansford (who had some plus points and some negative). He has completely restructured his management and recruitment team only recently... We are yet to really see the impact of those changes and whilst I get the point about a 'Jimmy' I also think you might reach a point where a 'Jimmy' ends up being the extra cook that spoils the broth....It seems to me we have more than enough experience packed into our recruitment / management set up right now and they will individually have access to their own mentors / advisors.

When you do actually look at it and compare us in relative terms, we are performing at least as we would be expected to and possibly even slightly above average. So arguably even with all these so called poor decision making and bad recruitment, we are still (in a very short space of time) outperforming many of our peers.

Also when you look at the Senior Management Team he has put together, as well as the appointments of Eardley & Dobbie and the structuring of the Academy Set up in general, the intent is there. These appointments are definitely not the cheap option and they demonstrate ambition and intent to develop the Club and improve.
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
You make a decent point Voy, but what is a reasonable timeframe for a new owner starting from scratch to establish the perfect management team?
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Absolutely, it takes time. I think when Critch quit it was a critical moment cos it wasnt expected and the team SS had built didnt seem to function for whatever reasons, and Sadler seemed to take over at that point. If he hadn't already. Maybe he'd never let go of the reins. It does take tome to build a good management team but he didn't need to recruit Appleton (or McCarthy) the way he did. He decided to trust nobody except himself, it would seem, and he made crucial errors. A wiser person would have consulted a Jimmy equivalent or two and maybe have taken longer. Taking longer is not ideal but it's better than a bad appointment.

Yes that is part of his learning curve but maybe an unnecessary one. Created by fear and panic and lack of trust, and lack of consultation. A big step backwards. We were only a few points off survival, or one home win over Cardiff. Slightly smarter and less neurotic thinking could have kept us up.
 
In my opinion, all genuine Blackpool FC have an affiliation with the town and or the football club. As a 'sand grown' supporter since 1959, I have never wavered in my support for BFC, suffered the many disappointments but remember and enjoyed the numerous successes.

Whilst we all crave success and would like to win every game, the reality is that isn’t going to happen.

A lot of so called football fans choose to support a team with whom they have no affinity, live miles away, probably never been to the town/city or even seen then play live! I cannot understand why any football supporter does not choose to support their home town team. Clubs in the lower leagues and non league teams could not survive without a loyal fanbase.

I believe Blackpool FC’s future is in it’s best position ever. Simon Sadler has demonstrated his commitment to the club’s future. We, the genuine fans appreciate all his plans and achievements to date.

To those who can’t cope with any defeat, I say, move on and join the masses of the so called ‘big 6’ supporters.​
 
Somerset Seasider said:
In my opinion, all genuine Blackpool FC have an affiliation with the town and or the football club. As a 'sand grown' supporter since 1959, I have never wavered in my support for BFC, suffered the many disappointments but remember and enjoyed the numerous successes.

Whilst we all crave success and would like to win every game, the reality is that isn’t going to happen.

A lot of so called football fans choose to support a team with whom they have no affinity, live miles away, probably never been to the town/city or even seen then play live! I cannot understand why any football supporter does not choose to support their home town team. Clubs in the lower leagues and non league teams could not survive without a loyal fanbase.

I believe Blackpool FC’s future is in it’s best position ever. Simon Sadler has demonstrated his commitment to the club’s future. We, the genuine fans appreciate all his plans and achievements to date.

To those who can’t cope with any defeat, I say, move on and join the masses of the so called ‘big 6’ supporters.​
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Yep. Why Blackpool people support Man U Man City Arsenal etc is beyond me .

Not being critical as you can do what you want but I will never understand it .
 
voyeur said:
Absolutely, it takes time. I think when Critch quit it was a critical moment cos it wasnt expected and the team SS had built didnt seem to function for whatever reasons, and Sadler seemed to take over at that point. If he hadn't already. Maybe he'd never let go of the reins. It does take tome to build a good management team but he didn't need to recruit Appleton (or McCarthy) the way he did. He decided to trust nobody except himself, it would seem, and he made crucial errors. A wiser person would have consulted a Jimmy equivalent or two and maybe have taken longer. Taking longer is not ideal but it's better than a bad appointment.

Yes that is part of his learning curve but maybe an unnecessary one. Created by fear and panic and lack of trust, and lack of consultation. A big step backwards. We were only a few points off survival, or one home win over Cardiff. Slightly smarter and less neurotic thinking could have kept us up.
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We’re heavily reliant on the ‘Rumour Mill’ to try and draw any kind of conclusions regarding the process and level of consultation that led to the Appointment of Appleton and McCarthy.

I don’t think either could be considered a terrible appointment really, though I think the McCarthy appointment in particular lacked some joined up ‘football thinking’. I’d hope we’ve plugged that gap moving forward.

Obviously both turned out badly, but these things happen.

The important thing for me is that he seems prepared to do something about it and ring the changes, when things don’t go to plan and that suggests that he certainly shares our ambition for the club….
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
We’re heavily reliant on the ‘Rumour Mill’ to try and draw any kind of conclusions regarding the process and level of consultation that led to the Appointment of Appleton and McCarthy.

I don’t think either could be considered a terrible appointment really, though I think the McCarthy appointment in particular lacked some joined up ‘football thinking’. I’d hope we’ve plugged that gap moving forward.

Obviously both turned out badly, but these things happen.

The important thing for me is that he seems prepared to do something about it and ring the changes, when things don’t go to plan and that suggests that he certainly shares our ambition for the club….
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Theg were both very poor appointments. No point claiming otherwise. Better to name it, think about why they were bad and how they were arrived at, and improve future decision making.
 
voyeur said:
Theg were both very poor appointments. No point claiming otherwise. Better to name it, think about why they were bad and how they were arrived at, and improve future decision making.
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They turned out very badly, that’s for certain.

I did say (before Appleton was appointed and the rumours were circulating) that I felt he was the wrong appointment, for a lot of the reasons that saw his demise. On that basis it would be hypocritical of me to suggest it wasn’t a poor choice. It was also a great example of how that one bad decision can lead to problems being compounded.

I think you’re right though… As long as we learn and improve that’s the main thing… (and it’s better to get these harsh lessons out of the way early).
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
So then @Theoneandonly maybe you could enlighten the rest of us perhaps and answer a few questions….

Firstly, what was the purchase price?

How does that compare to the price of other similar Clubs?

How much has he subsequently spent?

Who are ‘his peers’ (presumably you mean the Teams who were in L1, at the point when he took over?) and how much has each of them spent (maybe you could do a League table of their expenditure and achievements ?)

What is the Clubs ‘earning potential’ and how much does it currently earn?
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Around £7 million is the figure I have seen and the cost of getting it out of the dustbin, then upgrading it to a proper club inside and out from top to bottom I would say he has overpaid myself.
 
Somerset Seasider said:
In my opinion, all genuine Blackpool FC have an affiliation with the town and or the football club. As a 'sand grown' supporter since 1959, I have never wavered in my support for BFC, suffered the many disappointments but remember and enjoyed the numerous successes.

Whilst we all crave success and would like to win every game, the reality is that isn’t going to happen.

A lot of so called football fans choose to support a team with whom they have no affinity, live miles away, probably never been to the town/city or even seen then play live! I cannot understand why any football supporter does not choose to support their home town team. Clubs in the lower leagues and non league teams could not survive without a loyal fanbase.

I believe Blackpool FC’s future is in it’s best position ever. Simon Sadler has demonstrated his commitment to the club’s future. We, the genuine fans appreciate all his plans and achievements to date.

To those who can’t cope with any defeat, I say, move on and join the masses of the so called ‘big 6’ supporters.​
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So if you don't unconditionally support the owner you aren't a genuine fan

Nice one
 
voyeur said:
Sadler had the balls to bid for the club when everyone knew that buying off the Oystons was a minefield. The cost was not just the purchase price, it was also the cost of sorting everything out, legals, huge amounts of time, rectifying things. If Sadler has put in 18m since he bought it then he's spent about 26m in total I think? Of his own money.

A club of Blackpool's size really should be grateful for that surely (esp as he is clearly not on the make, quite the opposite) and simply urge him to find a better recruitment process for key jobs and admit he's not best placed to select football people. Find people you trust to make good recruitment decisions. That's the hard bit.

Maybe Julian Winter is that guy now. But maybe a Jimmy, or several Jimmys, would also be a good idea. Wise old football heads to have a chat with occasionally and canvas opinion. Even then, you have to find the smart people. Plenty of duffers in football. Whose judgement can you trust? That's what SS is wrestling with I think.
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The 18 million includes the 9 million purchase price
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
The 18 million includes the 9 million purchase price
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I did wonder. It's still a lot for one bloke and he was unlucky with Covid but he knew he'd have to spend post Oyston. I'm ok with the money side tbh, we are what we are and we don't attract big investors and there's a risk even if we did. I just like to see good management of resources, good decisions, good football.
 
According to Owen wasn't the stadium alone worth £25m?
Last time I heard Owen / his company were still suing the CAR for selling at an undervalue !
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