| Sporting director 15:44 - Feb 17 with 27023 views | fitzochris |
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| Sporting director on 17:23 - Feb 17 with 3200 views | TVOS1907 |
| Sporting director on 16:46 - Feb 17 by Ignatius_Sancho |
I think this is an excellent idea and it looks as though the Board are really trying to give the manager every ounce of support. I think he's one of the brightest managerial prospects in the game today and I really hope he can achieve his success with RAFC.
He is totally focused and committed to the task in hand and these players have great faith in him. The spirit amongst them is massive and that's obvious during games.
I'm sure there will be many applications received for this job from some very experienced and well-qualified candidates.
A very positive move and one that gives me much encouragement. |
I see what you did there. |  |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Sporting director on 17:37 - Feb 17 with 3139 views | Newbury_Dale |
Tony Ellis could do this role. |  | | |
| Sporting director on 17:39 - Feb 17 with 3122 views | electricblue |
Somebody care to explain how this will help BBM and the first team squad.
What is required is an experienced coach to work with BBM not a director of football....
If part of the agreement to be manager was for BBM to work alone without an assistant are the board now worried about Dales tenure in lge1...
Player recruitment could have been better for a start then the current situation might be better.
Director of football is ok for a prem club or a top championship club but in lge1 its money wasted in my eyes....... |  |
| My all time favourite Dale player Mr Lyndon Symmonds |
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| Sporting director on 17:45 - Feb 17 with 3099 views | kel |
| Sporting director on 17:02 - Feb 17 by DaleiLama |
Got to say that the gushing post, SJC's general Twitter content and the choice of an abolitionist as a handle all seems to suggest those stars were aligning uncannily and forming a trail of breadcumbs to your conclusion (and mine), but looking at IS's other posts, I think it is just coincidental. |
Me too. Couple of RIP threads started and some dodgy transfer speculation.
Can’t for the life of me think who they remind me of though. |  | | |
| Sporting director on 17:50 - Feb 17 with 3068 views | TVOS1907 |
| Sporting director on 17:39 - Feb 17 by electricblue |
Somebody care to explain how this will help BBM and the first team squad.
What is required is an experienced coach to work with BBM not a director of football....
If part of the agreement to be manager was for BBM to work alone without an assistant are the board now worried about Dales tenure in lge1...
Player recruitment could have been better for a start then the current situation might be better.
Director of football is ok for a prem club or a top championship club but in lge1 its money wasted in my eyes....... |
BBM has an assistant | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Sporting director on 17:54 - Feb 17 with 3042 views | Dale92 |
Steve Parkin surely? |  |
| This is the One, I've waited for |
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| Sporting director on 18:00 - Feb 17 with 3008 views | judd |
August 2020 - a reminder as we stare bleakly into the abyss:
An update from Chairman Andrew Kilpatrick…
To the Dale family.
After five long months since we last played at the Crown Oil Arena, we welcomed the players and first team management back to training this week. I hope you will agree that it was great to see our media channels busy with football related content after a prolonged period without.
In turn, and following the EFL’s confirmation of a September 12th start date for the 2020/21 season, we have now also, this week, brought more staff back off furlough, to allow us to prepare for the start of the campaign and to gear up for the launch of our Season Cards, as well as the always highly anticipated kit launch.
It is great that we have been able to start returning to some sort of normality behind-the-scenes at the Crown Oil Arena, however, with that, the return of players and staff brings further financial pressures.
Since we last played at the Crown Oil Arena on March 7th, the only income the Club has received, outside of the regular EFL payments, is from three very generous sponsors - Crown Oil, Andrew Kelly Lettings and Smith Metals. It has been fantastic to continue our long-term partnerships with these sponsors and it is brilliant that they have shown their support for the Club during these difficult times, however the income raised from these deals only brings in one third of a month’s normal outgoings.
We have not received any extra monies from the EFL during the lockdown period, nor have we received any contributions from the Premier League.
I can tell you that we are currently operating with a deficit of £625k since March alone. Whilst we have been, and still are, very grateful for the assistance of the Government’s furlough scheme, it has only helped cover part of our wage bill. Our wage bill is around 250k per month and the furlough scheme has brought in £125k per month, so over the last five months, we have a deficit of around £625k.
Following the players’ return to training, they have now been taken off furlough and we will no longer be able to receive Government help so the financial gap is only going to get bigger. In addition, each player will be tested for Coronavirus on a weekly basis. The cost of this is not subsidised by the EFL.
I hope that all of us can take some encouragement from the signing of Alex Newby but the stark reality of the Covid-related hole in not just the Club’s, but football in general’s, finances mean that, of necessity, we are going to have to operate on a significantly reduced Playing Budget than in previous seasons. The Manager is fully bought into this reality and has been planning accordingly. We hope to be making a small number of additions to the squad in due course and, of course, these will be announced as soon as is practicable.
Our finances will be impacted further by starting the season behind-closed-doors. We know that the 2020/21 campaign will kick-off behind-closed-doors before moving to a reduced capacity inside the stadium from October 1st onwards. We will be limited to just 2170 fans inside the Crown Oil Arena and if that limit is to be in place for the entire season, then we face a loss of revenue of £650k, as well as a loss of £450k from Executive Boxes and hospitality, resulting in a further £1m hole in our finances.
It is for this reason we have been extremely grateful and humbled by the generosity of fans who have supported the Club in any way they can in recent weeks. It was wonderful to see the queues of supporters lining up outside the Club Shop when it re-opened last week. Thanks, also, to those who have signed up to our newly revamped Dale Lotto, and to those who have decided not to claim a Season Ticket refund for the remaining six unplayed games of the 2019/20 season. Your actions are very much appreciated, and I want to take this opportunity to thank you all on behalf of the Board of Directors.
Best,
Andrew |  |
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| Sporting director on 18:04 - Feb 17 with 2990 views | IOMDale |
| Sporting director on 18:00 - Feb 17 by judd |
August 2020 - a reminder as we stare bleakly into the abyss:
An update from Chairman Andrew Kilpatrick…
To the Dale family.
After five long months since we last played at the Crown Oil Arena, we welcomed the players and first team management back to training this week. I hope you will agree that it was great to see our media channels busy with football related content after a prolonged period without.
In turn, and following the EFL’s confirmation of a September 12th start date for the 2020/21 season, we have now also, this week, brought more staff back off furlough, to allow us to prepare for the start of the campaign and to gear up for the launch of our Season Cards, as well as the always highly anticipated kit launch.
It is great that we have been able to start returning to some sort of normality behind-the-scenes at the Crown Oil Arena, however, with that, the return of players and staff brings further financial pressures.
Since we last played at the Crown Oil Arena on March 7th, the only income the Club has received, outside of the regular EFL payments, is from three very generous sponsors - Crown Oil, Andrew Kelly Lettings and Smith Metals. It has been fantastic to continue our long-term partnerships with these sponsors and it is brilliant that they have shown their support for the Club during these difficult times, however the income raised from these deals only brings in one third of a month’s normal outgoings.
We have not received any extra monies from the EFL during the lockdown period, nor have we received any contributions from the Premier League.
I can tell you that we are currently operating with a deficit of £625k since March alone. Whilst we have been, and still are, very grateful for the assistance of the Government’s furlough scheme, it has only helped cover part of our wage bill. Our wage bill is around 250k per month and the furlough scheme has brought in £125k per month, so over the last five months, we have a deficit of around £625k.
Following the players’ return to training, they have now been taken off furlough and we will no longer be able to receive Government help so the financial gap is only going to get bigger. In addition, each player will be tested for Coronavirus on a weekly basis. The cost of this is not subsidised by the EFL.
I hope that all of us can take some encouragement from the signing of Alex Newby but the stark reality of the Covid-related hole in not just the Club’s, but football in general’s, finances mean that, of necessity, we are going to have to operate on a significantly reduced Playing Budget than in previous seasons. The Manager is fully bought into this reality and has been planning accordingly. We hope to be making a small number of additions to the squad in due course and, of course, these will be announced as soon as is practicable.
Our finances will be impacted further by starting the season behind-closed-doors. We know that the 2020/21 campaign will kick-off behind-closed-doors before moving to a reduced capacity inside the stadium from October 1st onwards. We will be limited to just 2170 fans inside the Crown Oil Arena and if that limit is to be in place for the entire season, then we face a loss of revenue of £650k, as well as a loss of £450k from Executive Boxes and hospitality, resulting in a further £1m hole in our finances.
It is for this reason we have been extremely grateful and humbled by the generosity of fans who have supported the Club in any way they can in recent weeks. It was wonderful to see the queues of supporters lining up outside the Club Shop when it re-opened last week. Thanks, also, to those who have signed up to our newly revamped Dale Lotto, and to those who have decided not to claim a Season Ticket refund for the remaining six unplayed games of the 2019/20 season. Your actions are very much appreciated, and I want to take this opportunity to thank you all on behalf of the Board of Directors.
Best,
Andrew |
‘It is for this reason we have been extremely grateful and humbled by the generosity of fans who have supported the Club in any way they can in recent weeks’... in order to support the unnecessary bloating of administrative staff, he didn’t add. |  | | |
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| Sporting director on 18:09 - Feb 17 with 2953 views | kel |
Does anyone know if the new HR person is in post yet and if they are then why are we using the services of a recruitment agency? | | | |
| Sporting director on 18:10 - Feb 17 with 2942 views | boromat |
I might be wrong but I feel like it was mentioned by someone on the board or BBM himself at some point that there was a plan that the club would move with the times in the background staff area and mentioned looking at bringing in a director of football? My memory is pretty terrible but I'm sure I've heard this at a forum or interview.
If we are going to have a director of football now's the perfect time to bring one in if they are going to have an impact on next season. Obviously it's unlikely they'll have any impact this season. | |
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| Sporting director on 18:19 - Feb 17 with 2901 views | judd |
| Sporting director on 18:10 - Feb 17 by boromat |
I might be wrong but I feel like it was mentioned by someone on the board or BBM himself at some point that there was a plan that the club would move with the times in the background staff area and mentioned looking at bringing in a director of football? My memory is pretty terrible but I'm sure I've heard this at a forum or interview.
If we are going to have a director of football now's the perfect time to bring one in if they are going to have an impact on next season. Obviously it's unlikely they'll have any impact this season. |
No problem moving forward ,but we do not appear to have any sizeable income to support a top-heavy cost base, never mind a left back.
Supporting the first team on the pitch should be the priority right now, in having a serious shot at maintaining league 1 status and the interest of the fan base.
Timing is nonsense,in my opinion. | |
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| Sporting director on 18:21 - Feb 17 with 2889 views | judd |
| Sporting director on 18:04 - Feb 17 by IOMDale |
‘It is for this reason we have been extremely grateful and humbled by the generosity of fans who have supported the Club in any way they can in recent weeks’... in order to support the unnecessary bloating of administrative staff, he didn’t add. |
Forbes magazine interview, published September 2020.
"Rochdale, based on the outskirts of Manchester, are one such club. Last season, they managed to sell a youth player, Luke Matheson, to Wolves for £1m, which has insulated them a little against the worst of the COVID-19 financial scares so far. However, they do not need to look far to see the potential problems facing them: Bury, their near neighbors and greatest rivals, went bust pre-COVID and were expelled from the Football League, while Macclesfield Town, also near Manchester, were wound up at the High Court last week after 146 years.
“It was going to be a severe impact under the regulations that had been set out anyway,” said David Bottomley, CEO of Rochdale. “Under the regulations that we had been working towards for the last eight weeks, which have already cost us money to implement, we were looking at a loss of income from hospitality and reduced crowds of around £2m for a club that turns over between £6 and 7 million. That’s a third of our income.”
The lack of fans goes far further than just tickets and pies, says Bottomley. “With no crowds at all, particularly with hospitality, you’re looking at a vast part of our income being wiped out because everything relies on us playing football in front of crowds: all the sponsorship, all the advertising boards around the pitch. It’s almost academic that our gate receipts are only 15% of turnover, in terms of purely people coming through turnstiles. Even with restricted numbers it was going to be bad, but it’s horrific without any numbers at all. On Saturday, we made about £15,000 from iFollow (the Football League’s streaming service) but we would have normally taken over £100,000 for a game against Portsmouth.”
Given these new restrictions, all financial plans are out of the window. “You can’t budget at all,” says Bottomley. “We’re only surviving at all because of the fact that, for 113 years, Rochdale have been solvent and we’re coming off a financial year up to 2020 that should show a profit of around £1.5m. A couple of fortuitous things have happened on the transfer front in the calendar year 2020: one is the sale of Luke Matheson to Wolves, another is a deal that was done 12 months ago on a former player, Craig Dawson, going from West Brom to Watford (which incurred sell-on fees as Rochdale developed the player). That all helps, because there’s around £300,000 going out each month in wages and overheads.”
Bottomley is clear that collective action and assistance from the government is needed to stave off widespread financial issues in English football. “In common with every member of the EFL, including the Championship, we can’t survive unless some fundamental things happen,” he said. “The football industry cannot continue without crowds. The Premier League might be able to in the short term because of the TV deal, but if the economic situation worsens, it means that people cancel Sky TV subscriptions which means that Sky will reduce the monies that are going to the Premier League.”
“A lot of our sponsors have also faced tough times like everyone else, and Rochdale isn’t exactly the wealthiest town in the UK. Lots of clubs in Leagues One and Two face the same issues. There’s a huge elephant in the room, which is player salaries, and players have not taken pay cuts during the pandemic: even when they were furloughed, we were topping up massively. We had to put an announcement out to our fans, because many of them thought that our players were furloughed and that the furlough scheme was covering their salaries: it was absolutely not. In the period from March to July, we added nearly £700,000 on top of the government’s furlough scheme to top up wages.”
A longer term problem may also be a severance in the tradition of going to watch local football clubs, especially for clubs like Rochdale that sit in the shadows of clubs like Manchester United and Manchester City. “For our TV product, you’re relying entirely on goodwill from supporters,” says David Bottomley. “Rochdale v Fleetwood next Saturday is not a game that can be marketed like Manchester United v Brighton can be marketed by Sky. You’re not going to get many people outside of Rochdale and Fleetwood fans subscribing in to watch our game on TV. I think that a lot of people will get out of that habit of matchgoing, especially our older generation.”
“If I’m being brutally honest, that was one of the issues that was facing the club anyway. A lot of our white, male, over-70-years old fans will probably not come back to football. We’re already seeing that in season ticket renewals, as many of the 65+ age group have not renewed season tickets because they were concerned anyhow (about the pandemic). In the long term, it’s interesting because my goal is to make us a family club and the best family club at whatever level of football we’re playing at, but for now, I think a lot of people will have got out of the habit.” | |
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| Sporting director on 18:31 - Feb 17 with 2853 views | 442Dale |
| Sporting director on 18:09 - Feb 17 by kel |
Does anyone know if the new HR person is in post yet and if they are then why are we using the services of a recruitment agency? |
Good point. Presumably there are associated costs involved doing it this way, ones where surely savings can be made at this time by using those in place in the organisation at present? |  |
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| Sporting director on 18:48 - Feb 17 with 2764 views | electricblue |
| Sporting director on 17:50 - Feb 17 by TVOS1907 |
BBM has an assistant |
Are you are on about Riley ! | |
| My all time favourite Dale player Mr Lyndon Symmonds |
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| Sporting director on 20:08 - Feb 17 with 2539 views | TVOS1907 |
| Sporting director on 18:48 - Feb 17 by electricblue |
Are you are on about Riley ! |
Yes. First team coach in title, but he's the one assisting on a matchday, is he not? [Post edited 17 Feb 2021 21:30]
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| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Sporting director on 21:20 - Feb 17 with 2403 views | Hopwoodblue |
Has a new post been created for Brian so they don’t have to sack him ?
Then they bring in an experienced manager ? |  |
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| Sporting director on 21:41 - Feb 17 with 2348 views | nordenblue |
| Sporting director on 20:08 - Feb 17 by TVOS1907 |
Yes. First team coach in title, but he's the one assisting on a matchday, is he not? [Post edited 17 Feb 2021 21:30]
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Forgive my ignorance, even more than usual... what has he done previously this Riley fella to warrant his current role? | | | |
| Sporting director on 21:50 - Feb 17 with 2315 views | judd |
| Sporting director on 21:41 - Feb 17 by nordenblue |
Forgive my ignorance, even more than usual... what has he done previously this Riley fella to warrant his current role? |
He's got the phone number of a left back. | |
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| Sporting director on 21:51 - Feb 17 with 2312 views | BillyRudd |
I think I have made the mistake here of initially assuming that this is a response to our present predicament. Having read the job description I don,t believe it is related at all with addressing the pressing issue of League 1 survival.
Games are coming thick and fast, clubs below us have wielded the axe and subsequently started picking up points and we are now being overhauled. This forum is (almost uniquely) agreed on the problems at hand and have been for a large part of the season. It does,nt need another cook around the broth pot with grandiose concepts to suddenly discover what has been self evident for months. At the end of the day it just needs a single person be it BBM or someone else to galvanise the team, organise the defence, adapt to the opposition and make the decisions of team selection et al that will give us the best chance of survival. If that is done and we go down then so be it but I don,t believe that this appointment has anything to do with that.
I am beginning to get nagging doubt s in my mind that something is afoot in this club that the ordinary fan on this forum has no awareness of. The biggest question in my mind as raised by Judd is the simple one of economics. How have we gone from a constant refrain of economic stress and austerity just a few weeks ago to the position now where backroom posts are being filled on almost a weekly basis. Put simply what has changed to justify this? Either wolf was being called last year, money has been found or more worryingly we are living beyond our ability to sustain it long term. Are the Americans somehow playing a part in this?
I would have thought it was the Boards remit to dictate the Rochdale football philosophy and relay that to the manager of the day. I fail to understand why a third party has to be involved especially at our level and budget.
We can have all the backroom staff in the world, football ethos and visions, but unless the team selection, defence, in play match decisions, Lund back in midfield etc etc are addressed then it will be the same outcome come Saturday. Here,s hoping. | | | |
| Sporting director on 21:58 - Feb 17 with 2290 views | nordenblue |
| Sporting director on 21:50 - Feb 17 by judd |
He's got the phone number of a left back. |
It seems nobody at the club holds that particular key, maybe our super CEO should employ a left sided defence consultant, moving forward | | | |
| Sporting director on 22:00 - Feb 17 with 2278 views | TVOS1907 |
| Sporting director on 21:41 - Feb 17 by nordenblue |
Forgive my ignorance, even more than usual... what has he done previously this Riley fella to warrant his current role? |
Wasn't he in the team that beat Coventry in 1971? | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Sporting director on 22:02 - Feb 17 with 2272 views | judd |
| Sporting director on 21:51 - Feb 17 by BillyRudd |
I think I have made the mistake here of initially assuming that this is a response to our present predicament. Having read the job description I don,t believe it is related at all with addressing the pressing issue of League 1 survival.
Games are coming thick and fast, clubs below us have wielded the axe and subsequently started picking up points and we are now being overhauled. This forum is (almost uniquely) agreed on the problems at hand and have been for a large part of the season. It does,nt need another cook around the broth pot with grandiose concepts to suddenly discover what has been self evident for months. At the end of the day it just needs a single person be it BBM or someone else to galvanise the team, organise the defence, adapt to the opposition and make the decisions of team selection et al that will give us the best chance of survival. If that is done and we go down then so be it but I don,t believe that this appointment has anything to do with that.
I am beginning to get nagging doubt s in my mind that something is afoot in this club that the ordinary fan on this forum has no awareness of. The biggest question in my mind as raised by Judd is the simple one of economics. How have we gone from a constant refrain of economic stress and austerity just a few weeks ago to the position now where backroom posts are being filled on almost a weekly basis. Put simply what has changed to justify this? Either wolf was being called last year, money has been found or more worryingly we are living beyond our ability to sustain it long term. Are the Americans somehow playing a part in this?
I would have thought it was the Boards remit to dictate the Rochdale football philosophy and relay that to the manager of the day. I fail to understand why a third party has to be involved especially at our level and budget.
We can have all the backroom staff in the world, football ethos and visions, but unless the team selection, defence, in play match decisions, Lund back in midfield etc etc are addressed then it will be the same outcome come Saturday. Here,s hoping. |
Thank you, Billy. You absolutely get where I am.
This appointment is months away.
But the other ones? | |
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| Sporting director on 22:09 - Feb 17 with 2251 views | DaleiLama |
| Sporting director on 21:58 - Feb 17 by nordenblue |
It seems nobody at the club holds that particular key, maybe our super CEO should employ a left sided defence consultant, moving forward |
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| Sporting director on 22:15 - Feb 17 with 2229 views | D_Alien |
| Sporting director on 21:51 - Feb 17 by BillyRudd |
I think I have made the mistake here of initially assuming that this is a response to our present predicament. Having read the job description I don,t believe it is related at all with addressing the pressing issue of League 1 survival.
Games are coming thick and fast, clubs below us have wielded the axe and subsequently started picking up points and we are now being overhauled. This forum is (almost uniquely) agreed on the problems at hand and have been for a large part of the season. It does,nt need another cook around the broth pot with grandiose concepts to suddenly discover what has been self evident for months. At the end of the day it just needs a single person be it BBM or someone else to galvanise the team, organise the defence, adapt to the opposition and make the decisions of team selection et al that will give us the best chance of survival. If that is done and we go down then so be it but I don,t believe that this appointment has anything to do with that.
I am beginning to get nagging doubt s in my mind that something is afoot in this club that the ordinary fan on this forum has no awareness of. The biggest question in my mind as raised by Judd is the simple one of economics. How have we gone from a constant refrain of economic stress and austerity just a few weeks ago to the position now where backroom posts are being filled on almost a weekly basis. Put simply what has changed to justify this? Either wolf was being called last year, money has been found or more worryingly we are living beyond our ability to sustain it long term. Are the Americans somehow playing a part in this?
I would have thought it was the Boards remit to dictate the Rochdale football philosophy and relay that to the manager of the day. I fail to understand why a third party has to be involved especially at our level and budget.
We can have all the backroom staff in the world, football ethos and visions, but unless the team selection, defence, in play match decisions, Lund back in midfield etc etc are addressed then it will be the same outcome come Saturday. Here,s hoping. |
I think you're right about this appointment being unrelated to our current predicament
I'll simply repeat what i posted in another thread - it's total bollox
The club is no longer the club we expect it to be, it's a vehicle for remunerating people who don't have fans interests at heart
Family club? Don't make me laugh. Its an empty concept; an attempt to manipulate the gullible; a charade
BBM is a mere pawn in the game. The Dale Trust, despite valiant attempts, is being taken for a ride
There's only one solution. The person at whose behest all this is happening, the CEO David Bottomley, must go. Imo it's more vital than whether BBM stays or goes, or gets shifted sideways, or who might replace him. The soul of our club is at stake, nothing less
[Post edited 17 Feb 2021 22:18]
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| Sporting director on 22:17 - Feb 17 with 2219 views | judd |
| Sporting director on 21:58 - Feb 17 by nordenblue |
It seems nobody at the club holds that particular key, maybe our super CEO should employ a left sided defence consultant, moving forward |
The number was called - without permission remember - and the caller got through to Shergar. | |
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