[clarevoyant.]

spireitenag, on 17 March 2017 - 03:57 PM, said:

Well said Rob !

Sadly there's probably so much more to come.

Exactly

Can't wait for the sequel



Been watching some re runs of Auf Wiedersehen Pet. Anyone else see a likeness (in more ways than one) with Ally Fraser?

This post has been edited by clarevoyant.: 17 March 2017 - 04:05 PM

[Sammy Spireite]

Bravo!

[Benno Spire]

Excellent post Rob and sentiments shard by many

[The Earl of Chesterfield]

hilly81, on 17 March 2017 - 03:18 PM, said:

Couple of updates before I set off to Bristol. Been a steady week. I have had a very good meeting with Mark Smith to discuss the Academy. Just to confirm that there is absolutely no worries that we will not be able to satisfy the EFL for funding. They accept things now, but there are a few things that need sharpening up and the budget needs looking at more closely. I do need help and support as I am no expert on the workings of the Academy. To that, I have asked Steve Coe of SBK Computers to assist me. He will have access to all the finances and operating costs of the Academy and in effect auditing the workings of the Academy and then provide an independant report back to me and the board. Steve is very qualified in this area and I thank him for offerring his time to help. I want to ensure that we tick every box for the EFL with confidence and have an academy to be proud of.

AshleyC

Interesting.

Putting aside his 'fifteen years of expertise/I'll show you my badges' ego masturbations, Coe was recently forced to admit lacking anything like the 'expertise' or 'badges' required to run an academy like Mark Smith's.

Yet he's suddenly being allowed 'access to all finances and operating costs? Somehow 'auditing' it to provide an 'independent report'? How 'independent' can that report be given his association with and reluctance to discuss Sutcliffe's disaster, not to mention being one of the few remaining CFC sponsors?

Then Coe's 'very qualified in this area'? Hold on - isn't 'SBK' an IT rather than accounting business? And again, by his own admission, he's merely one of many amateurs running local junior outfits - so how do his 'qualifications' stack-up against theirs?

We can only wonder what a hugely experienced professional possessing 'expertise' and 'badges' Coe can only dream of thinks of being investigated by a jumped-up nobody like him.

Something else, too: why such focus upon the Academy when a blind eye was turned to Sutcliffe's disaster for so long? Infact Carson supposedly loaned it money despite the chaos created by someone he dubbed a liar! Why such scrutiny when Carson's insisted other areas are somehow off limits? When, according to Carson at least, we've Dave Allen's son in law receiving a salary for a job know one can quite pin down? Meanwhile it's still unclear just how much of the funding MS should receive actually goes to his academy. Or even if it does it's spent on, say, bewilderingly high pitch hire, cleaning or accommodation costs.

With the spectre of CFCFDS continuing to hang over the whole scenario.

My interpretation?

Steve Coe is being used to drive Mark Smith out. In a similar way to how it might be argued Gary Cook, Ant Haywood and others were driven out. Remember Mark's an honest, straightforward bloke who I guess will've witnessed much of what's happened on Sheff Road at first hand. Unfortunately Coe seems far too self important to get all that. It wouldn't surprise me if MS quits, the Club losing a successful coach. It also wouldn't surprise me if a replacement has already been lined up, a Town legend who's status will deflect attention from the nature of his arrival.

'An academy to be proud of'?

The whole thing stinks.

[dim view]

Zorro, on 17 March 2017 - 03:41 PM, said:

You talk about the current board, what exactly do Mike Warner and John Croot do on your board? What say do they have? Nodding dogs spring to mind.

A proposal to appoint Andy Morris to any position at CFC would not survive a vote by a show of hands at a Board meeting. Not that this would concern Ashley greatly.
As I said a couple of weeks ago, these matters must worry JC and MW immensely. They should consider their positions very carefully and be prepared to leave Carson to himself in his murky world.

[Sammy Spireite]

A friend of a afriend informs me one of the parents at the football tournament arranged by Andy (in his DCFC guise) earlier today at St Mary's school asked him directly if he was taking over from Mark Smith at the academy.

What do you call it when some looks sheepish and refuses to answer a simple question??

[dim view]

hilly81, on 17 March 2017 - 03:18 PM, said:

Carson:


To that, I have asked Steve Coe of SBK Computers to assist me. He will have access to all the finances and operating costs of the Academy and in effect auditing the workings of the Academy and then provide an independant report back to me and the board. Steve is very qualified in this area and I thank him for offerring his time to help. I want to ensure that we tick every box for the EFL with confidence and have an academy to be proud of.

A cynic might ask how an individual who has just won the contract to supply CFC with IT support in a very secretive move which ousted Highlander Ltd could be deemed to be independent.

[The Earl of Chesterfield]

dim view, on 17 March 2017 - 04:52 PM, said:

A cynic might ask how an individual who has just won the contract to supply CFC with IT support in a very secretive move which ousted Highlander Ltd could be deemed to be independent.

A realist might bandy the term 'crony' and shake their head at the brazen arrogance of those yet again thinking we're all just an ignorant mob.

But hey, at least Steve 'I'll show you my badges' Coe gets to sit next to Ash...

[Guest_freelander2_*]

Perhaps Ashley could confirm if SWFC's academy / youth teams had any trustees linked to them, who they were and whether or not those involved controlled their own P&L?

This post has been edited by freelander2: 17 March 2017 - 05:16 PM

[Mr Mercury]

Sammy Spireite, on 17 March 2017 - 04:47 PM, said:

A friend of a afriend informs me one of the parents at the football tournament arranged by Andy (in his DCFC guise) earlier today at St Mary's school asked him directly if he was taking over from Mark Smith at the academy.

What do you call it when some looks sheepish and refuses to answer a simple question??

Doing an Ashley?

[Mr Mercury]

itsc, on 17 March 2017 - 05:47 PM, said:

Bob

I have already had a battering from LA today but there is no way on this earth that i will be running the academy, i am not sure where these rumours are coming from they are incorrect.

It is not just Accounts, What i will do is look at the costs and the structure and see if it can be improved, and if i can help Mark Smith and the people at the academy then I will.

And I can assure you I am nobody's YES man.

I thought Better of you.

If you had to apply for such a post would it be fair to ask what are your skills in looking at the costing and structure of a proffesional football clubs academy?

[60s 70s Spireite]

itsc, on 17 March 2017 - 05:57 PM, said:

Ah Snell

You are correct about the running the academy and that is how i see it, i will help them though but not in a "coaching" capacity (I thought we agreed it wasnt fifteen years)

We are not just an IT provider we supply financial solutions too

I am not being used to get to MS at all, in fact i am meeting him next week to work with him

Bruno is at Derby County and i think he is as alarmed as me at the rumours he is taking over, again not true

Will the financial solutions include finding new sponsors for the Academy to replace all the local ones who won't be renewing next year?

[Guest_freelander2_*]

itsc, on 17 March 2017 - 05:47 PM, said:

Bob

I have already had a battering from LA today but there is no way on this earth that i will be running the academy, i am not sure where these rumours are coming from they are incorrect.

It is not just Accounts, What i will do is look at the costs and the structure and see if it can be improved, and if i can help Mark Smith and the people at the academy then I will.

And I can assure you I am nobody's YES man.

I thought Better of you.

Steve,

I fully understand the appeal and synergy of being associated with a well-run, professional football club but I am struggling to understand why anyone, not just you, would want to get involved now and be associated with this lot.

On 25th January, you sat at the side of me in a meeting involving Dimview, Moondog & Ashley Carson and listened to eleven allegations which had been made by former employees of CFC Football Development School Ltd. Now either those allegations are true or they are false, either way they require further investigation.

There was a clear reluctance to take ownership of the allegations on the night and given that two months have nearly passed without further comment, I can only conclude that F' all has been done. Why?

Over the past 12 months, I have often asked myself, if these allegations are true, who is the driver behind it all?

Your involvement gives them credibility, they are not worthy.

Cheers,

Mike

[The Earl of Chesterfield]

itsc, on 17 March 2017 - 05:57 PM, said:

Ah Snell

You are correct about the running the academy and that is how i see it, i will help them though but not in a "coaching" capacity (I thought we agreed it wasnt fifteen years)

We are not just an IT provider we supply financial solutions too

I am not being used to get to MS at all, in fact i am meeting him next week to work with him

Bruno is at Derby County and i think he is as alarmed as me at the rumours he is taking over, again not true

Well first of all I've checked your website and other than a reference to supplying 'Pegasus' accountancy software there's absolutely nothing stating you, personally, possess the qualifications or experience to perform the tasks outlined by Carson.

So can you confirm your accountancy qualifications now? Perhaps explaining why you were given this role when other, possibly genuine accountants were snubbed after offering to review the books free of charge?

Then can you explain why someone who's merely one of many amateur, though no doubt committed people running local junior outfits has suddenly been allowed access to otherwise private details of players, coaches and finances relating to a professional academy?

And exactly how 'independent' can any review be when you were a 'partner' to Sutcliffe's disaster, still remaining evasive on events over the road, and have now replaced 'Highlander' in supplying the Club's IT?

You can also take the opportunity to confirm, publicly and categorically, that you've not asked MS to find a role for Andy Morris at his Academy and he won't be given such a role in the future.

Are you 'auditing' any other areas of the Club, too? If not, why just the Academy? Why not, say, the commercial dept? Or restaurants, perhaps? Have you at any point stopped for a minute to ask yourself these questions?

Seriously, as one Town fan to another, Carson and Co will one day be gone and you may be left tarred by your current behaviour.

This post has been edited by MDCCCLXVI: 17 March 2017 - 06:50 PM

[Zorro]

itsc, on 17 March 2017 - 05:47 PM, said:

Bob

I have already had a battering from LA today but there is no way on this earth that i will be running the academy, i am not sure where these rumours are coming from they are incorrect.

It is not just Accounts, What i will do is look at the costs and the structure and see if it can be improved, and if i can help Mark Smith and the people at the academy then I will.

And I can assure you I am nobody's YES man.

I thought Better of you.

Steve, I honestly can't see how you would be the one to be brought in by AC to look at the structure and costings. I am sure Mark Smith is more than capable of mapping out his own structure but everyone can see on the outside that there are anomalies within the accounting. I have no idea of your accounting skills or qualifications but my problem is that I know of several very wise and knowledgeable accountants that have offered their services free of charge, yet AC has declined all of their offers and chosen you. It just doesn't stack up.

As for thinking better of me, I wasn't the one who gossiped to a friend that I had broken into the PPP and stolen accounts, what a stupid comment to make, you've seen the size of me and know I couldn't climb through any windows, in fact I haven't stepped foot in the place since it was the Aquarius

We are both businessmen and I can't for the life of me think why you would want to get involved with what is going on and what has gone on in the past, unless your rewards were very good.

As for SBK, I was annoyed just the same when the original contract for the B2Net was awarded away from you as you are a fan and have always supported the club. Remember how peed off you were and cancelled your families VP tickets as a result?

It is not going to end good and if I was you I would be very worried with which camp you are in.

If you are drilling the accounts, find out how many CFC members of staff have been paid for by the academy, find out how many invoices have been invoiced from the PPP to the academy, check out how 36 weeks of kit wash for the senior academy players cost £16,000 as the juniors sorted out their own washing. Check out the fees charged for the pitches which I believe is in excess of £70,000

Cross check invoices from CFC & the PPP and see where the huge deficit has come? The academy was running at losses of £40,000 - £60,000 a few years ago, why the jump? Does the academy have its own account? Does the money from the EFL go into the academy pot or does it end up in the CFC coffers?

If any of the academy players came through and were sold, where does the money go? Is there a % that goes back into their funding of the academy? Let's use Ricky German as an example, 'if' there was an offer on the table from a Championship side, say £200,000 at the end of this season, where would that money go?

You of all people should understand the importance of scrutiny which the fans will dig into with what has gone on over the past years.

Bob

[Westbars Spireite]

Zorro, on 17 March 2017 - 03:41 PM, said:

I'm getting a worrying feeling that anyone who is not in the 'clique' of AC should be concerned about their jobs. I have heard that a change in the academy has been on the cards for a long time, I have a feeling that MS was a result of CT so his face won't fit now with AC. Bruno was a guest of AC's for last Saturdays game, coincidence that it was before the EFL meeting. I think there could also be grounds for constructive dismissal if the rumours that are going around are true. Steve Coe to take over the complete control of the academy and above Mark Smith? Andy Morris to be given a role? Is this a ploy to appoint a fans favourite to appease the fans if Mark Smith was to be removed? I understand that you have now made an announcement regarding Steve Coe. I know of several fans who volunteered free of charge to assist in the accounts, why wasn't one of them looked at to helping out? Drilling into accounts and reporting back to you for you to then issue a statement is not necessary transparent drilling. You stated that CFC would maintain the Cat 3 status but we are so close to losing it. £16k on kit wash coincidentally matches the wage of the old kit man. How many CFC employers were paid from the academy? How and why does it cost our academy £500,000 to run?
We have more funding coming into our academy than most other clubs, Mark Smith has done a fantastic job of bringing players through, what is it now? 6 current fringe players? Doesn't that alone generate £60k through funding? Isn't the figure £10k per player?

I know Ashley, let's get rid of anybody who might talk to the fans and replace them all with YES men and then you can go on Facebook and say what you want to your adorning fans. I'm sure a few of the ladies on there are wanting your babies!!! If you are going to speak or give information, then please give the truth and not more bullsh*t. A good liar has to have a very good memory and I'm now at the point where I am sick and tired of your spin!!

Let's start speaking truthfully. Carol was replaced by you with CT because Carol was recruited by BH. You appointed CT as a figurehead and a patsy for your needs. You have been acting as the CEO since day 1 and you were not happy with the amount of information that was being leaked from within. You got rid of Alan Walters because he asked too many questions, you got rid of Alan Stevenson & Gary Cook because they were not yes men. Paul Watts? Anthony Heywood? Be honest, who appointed Fitgerald? I think you have cleverly used Chris Turner and made him out to be the bad guy. Fitgerald took the fall for Rafflegate but why was the issue of Fitzgerald swept under the carpet for placing a bet on PNE to beat us in Cooky's last game? The man wasn't very bright as he used a CFC credit card to place his bet. Why did the owner only want to give him a written warning for Rafflegate? What was the strategy of replacing the printers with a new printer where it was going to cost us loads of money? Why would the club give the new coach company the itinerary of away fixtures and the prices from Slacks? Surely there should have been a price saving and not a like for like cost?

Why don't the club release the video and recording of Paul Cook when he was on his way out? Why don't you show his passion and tears when he was leaving somewhere he didn't want to but actually forced out?

You talk about the current board, what exactly do Mike Warner and John Croot do on your board? What say do they have? Nodding dogs spring to mind.

You had earmarked Richard Herrick before RN was released and you had given him the nod way before any due diligence was carried out.
You had earmarked your new kit man as soon as Steve had announced his retirement and dismissed any other applications. You even went as far to say that Steve or the club couldn't contact the guy from Leicester. Well, I heard that an interview had been arranged and you directed someone to message him and tell him sorry but the role has been filled.
An accountant doesn't fit well as a guy who should be responsible for kits, a guy with plenty of experience at Leicester City and who lives in Sheffield would surely have been a better choice even on paper as an ideal replacement for Steve.

I hope the players and GC are happy with your appointment, I hope nobody sees him as a spy!!

I know you read this board and you will clearly see that I am well and truly peed off. Why do you go out of your way so much to alienate so many fans and sponsors?
I don't think you will ever know what being a supporter of this club really means. Being a Spireite is something special and I'm afraid you will never be a Spireite. Dave Allen came here and we are all truly grateful but he saw it as a business and a way to make a quick buck over 5 years but he did not account for the fact that further investment was needed to bring the success and 'chickened out' at the 11th hour when the Championship was more possible than he had imagined. To you, it is merely an ego trip of being in charge of a football club, it's probably a good hobby for you to have. Do you fancy racing pigeons instead?

Bob

Tremendous post. I'll buy you a pint when I see you in the lounge next (won't be this season though).

Not heard the betting on Town to lose using a club credit card. That's absolute gold. I regularly bet on us to lose by the way so that angle doesn't concern me, more how anyone could think it acceptable and that no controls were in place.