Still thinking of voting NO?

[Ooh aah Paskin]

Originally Posted by Old Paddock Man

Serious question. Who do you think is qualified to make football decisions? There’s no mythical cohort of football decision makers out there who are qualified to get it right. Our board have made one obvious howler on the managerial front. The rest were at least debatable. Barrow got promoted after taking a risk with a rookie manager and Harrogate's owner appointed his own son. Be interesting to see who the new guys bring in. And who amongst them is qualified to spot a bound to be successful non league manager.

You're right, no one person is perfectly qualified. And mistakes are made at all levels, or sometimes managers etc just don't click at different clubs.

However, i disagree that the Board haven't made many howlers or dubious decisions.

Keates in the first instance i could agree with. His return, however, was nothing short of desperation. IMO it just smacks of the easy or cheap option, probably because we had used all the money up on getting rid of Hughes.

Ah, Hughes. I'm all for taking a chance on a rookie if there are obvious signs as to the reasons. The only reason i could see was that he was an ex player.

Ricketts looked like the right decision and we were unfortunate his head was turned (though rumours abound of a spat with the board over Darlington)...but to replace him with a man who didn't really want the job, and then sanction the appointment of Newell as assistant!!

The majority of fans could see the trainwreck about to happen with these appointments, why couldn't they?

[Redpensioner]

I can't believe some people are contemplating voting NO I really can't. Do people just want to jog along in this league because we just have our heads above water, if it's a no vote we are definitely going to drown as a football club?
We haven't seen the vision of these lads yet.

[Willywill]

I don’t do social media, so I can only guess at what Wrexham Fans United is. Nice thought, but they are going to feature just like the end of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Right at the end they hold hands and jump off a cliff into oblivion. This vote is the biggest “no brainier” that I have ever entertained.

[Redpensioner]

I like it Willywill. I couldn't have put it better.

[Hamilton Pathetic]

Originally Posted by Willywill

I don’t do social media, so I can only guess at what Wrexham Fans United is. Nice thought, but they are going to feature just like the end of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Right at the end they hold hands and jump off a cliff into oblivion. This vote is the biggest “no brainier” that I have ever entertained.

Assumptions are misleading. There are very few people posting on Wrexham Fans United who are considering voting No, possibly less than half a dozen. P.S. Red Passion is social media too.

[Willywill]

Well bugger me, I didn’t know that RP is a form of social media. That’s upset me. I won’t sleep tonight, knowing that!

[Prodigal Dragon]

Originally Posted by -luke

I think survival is possible

I think continuance at this level or lower is the expectation that all fans should have if deal doesn't get through. The numbers just don't support growth.

True, depending how you define ‘survival’.

However, the Board did not qualify this opinion, leaving fans to imagine what level of ‘survival’ we could maintain, both with and without some extra ‘football fortune’.

If — God forbid — we somehow manage to steal hope from this deal by voting NO, what is likely to happen under continued WST ownership? My guesses would be:

1. More of Keates’ dire and unsuccessful football. Hence, mid-table would be the most we could expect, with the continuing possibility of another battle against relegation.

2. A resultant reduction in WST membership as many fans lose patience with the WST for not outwardly supporting a deal with R&R that ensures the club’s survival and probable path back into the EFL pyramid.

3. A further loss of interest by many fans in our club, which initially means fewer video-streaming uptake, followed by lower gates whenever the COVID-19 threat permits fans to return.

4. An issue maintaining current commercial activity and gaining new activity.

5. A £100k per annum rent to Glyndŵr University, with no guarantee the rescheduled concert will go ahead.

6. A continuing lack of support to our junior and youth development due to the reducing cash-flow being directed at the first-team.

Our club’s continuity looks very bleak to me if we maintain the status quo. Wary fans are correct that not everything can be guaranteed under new ownership; however, in comparison to the highly likely continuing depreciation of our club, the risks under R&R’s ownership seem like trivia, whilst the potential opportunities are enormous.

We seem to be arguing between salvation and eternal damnation. It’s as simple as that!

[northwalian dragon]

Originally Posted by Dooze

Out of interest has anyone been able to confirm why we're in such bad shape financially?

One of the main highlighted benefits of being owned by WST has been that they've been able to keep us sound financially, turn us into a profit generating club (or at least not making mad losses), with player sales/cup runs seen as a bonus rather than a lifeline we rely on.

Obviously covid hit and has messed things up but it seems like this runs deeper - how has it gone so wrong?

The board decided to give Keates a ridiculous budget that we couldn't afford. They chose to try and mask their mistakes and they thought everything would magically start working when there was no evidence that it would. Surprise surprise we're still god awful because despite having months to make changes, the board didn't do a thing

[northwalian dragon]

Originally Posted by Old Paddock Man

Serious question. Who do you think is qualified to make football decisions? There’s no mythical cohort of football decision makers out there who are qualified to get it right. Our board have made one obvious howler on the managerial front. The rest were at least debatable. Barrow got promoted after taking a risk with a rookie manager and Harrogate's owner appointed his own son. Be interesting to see who the new guys bring in. And who amongst them is qualified to spot a bound to be successful non league manager.

The same Graham Barrow that publicly declared he didn't want the job? What a way to inspire the players and lead the club. This coming after previously promoting an assistant to the management positions (Andy Davies). How well did that go?

Barrows last employment as manager was 13 years before we hired him. This is coming after sacking Gary Mills who it was claimed had outdated methods

Add in that Barrows CV as a manager is dire. Very unsuccessful throughout. He managed to bounce back from relegation back in 1994 but that's it for success

How is that not a poor appointment? A man close to retirement that doesn't want the job, that hasn't worked in the position for 13 years and who's only achievement amongst a managerial career of failure was 24 years prior to his appointment. That's not adding in all the lessons the board should have learnt. Also Mike Newel was his assistant, just reminding everyone of that fiasco too.

As for Hughes everyone acknowledges it was a stupid decision. I've not seen a single person defend that decision. I think even the JCP voiced concerns about that one.

Keates' time at the club seems to be hyped up as more than it was. He didn't come in and save us from relegation after Mills left. When he took over we were mid table. Then Keates got a wave of support, £100k raised for build the budget, first pre season in Portugal, a real feel good factor about the club. We rode that wave for 3 months. Then Keates had won just 3 games from his last 14 by the time he agreed to join Walsall. A spectacular failure at Walsall. Incredibly poor. Then we take him back despite the majority not being keen and a huge section of the fanbase outright against it. At a time when unity and stability was needed it was arguably a more stupid decision than hiring Hughes.