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With all the issues that have taken place this year, Dale fans have never associated yourself with any of that. You can see that with your re-election vote at the AGM where 95% of supporters voted in favour of you. You are not seen in the same light as Bottomley and Rawlinson. Dale supporters know you for what you are — a proper Rochdale bloke who loves both the Club and the town.
Arguably, you’ve been the one constant at the Club in the past twenty years, the one constant through the most successful time in our 114 year history and from my dealings with you, I am well aware of all the work you have done that doesn’t reach the public domain — whether that be your work with the academy, or your work with both Hilly and Flicker throughout that time. This club would not be what it is had you not been involved.
We’re Rochdale, we’ve always been different. We’ve never had an owner in modern history. The likes of Cannon have tried but there’s been a Rochdale way that has seen us shine since the dark days of the 80’s where we almost dropped into non league. That Rochdale way has led to a succession of hard working individuals acting in the best interests of the Club — you as much as any of them — and that has seen us survive and prosper.
We’ve not had the debts of other clubs, we’ve not gone into admin unlike every other EFL club in the area. We’ve had the stadium rebuilt into what it is today, we’ve had the most successful time on the field in our entire history, and we’ve been a benchmark for every other club to follow. That’s come on your watch.
This weekend is the most important weekend in the history of the Club.
By the end of this weekend, we might be in a position where we have a single owner or pair of owners. That fantastic video that the club put out about “This is my club” that got me all emotional might need remaking.
What do we know about them? Practically nothing — one comes from Essex seems to have no trail whatsoever which carries it own set of red flags and the other comes from Worksop with a history in housing developments.
But we are at the stage where they are close to getting the keys to the club.
What else do we know? Well I believe that they’d already shown an interest and you’d knocked it back. They weren’t good enough for the club a few months ago, so why now?
We know we disagreed about MH and whether that was in the best interests of the club, but if MH wasn’t the answer, why are we going with people who were dismissed as tyre kickers previously?
You can understand the others for selling to them. They’ve not got the history you have, despite their claims. They’ve never been here for most of their lives, they’ve never put their own money in year after year. They are not what we would call proper Rochdale people. You are. You’ve always been “What can I do for this club?” rather than “What’s in it for me” and that is why you are so respected within the town/
I implore you not to sell your shares in the Club, and if you do there are alternatives that protect the best interests of the Football Club and give you the legacy that you richly deserve. You’ve done your time and nobody can blame you for wanting to enjoy your retirement. You’ve done far more than any of the rest of us would do, but there’s one thing left to do that will protect the Club you love and have done so much for.
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An open letter to Andrew Kelly on 21:12 - Jul 6 with 4726 views
An open letter to Andrew Kelly (n/t) on 08:08 - Jul 16 by foreverhopefulDale
Is it definitely the case he didn't sell his shares?
If thats the case that he refused to sell to these charlatans and he continues with that stance then I take back my previous criticism of AK and apologise for any offense caused.
An open letter to Andrew Kelly (n/t) on 11:53 - Jul 16 by 100notout
If thats the case that he refused to sell to these charlatans and he continues with that stance then I take back my previous criticism of AK and apologise for any offense caused.
I've waited till now to comment on this thread .
If the news tonight is accurate , then heartfelt thanks to AK for the marvellous gesture to protect our club into the immediate future . It demonstrates an ongoing love of the club that guarantees his long term recognition as a true guardian of the history and future , and , as a fan of more than 50 years , he has my undying gratitude for the commitment he has shown in these difficult times . Thank you , sir !
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An open letter to Andrew Kelly on 01:18 - Jul 20 with 2924 views
Great news. Without wishing to exaggerate it might well be the case that this open letter to AK ranks as one, if not the, most significant pieces of correspondence in the history of our club. Massive thanks to all concerned.
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An open letter to Andrew Kelly (n/t) on 05:59 - Jul 20 with 2866 views
An open letter to Andrew Kelly (n/t) on 00:10 - Jul 20 by springfieldparka
I've waited till now to comment on this thread .
If the news tonight is accurate , then heartfelt thanks to AK for the marvellous gesture to protect our club into the immediate future . It demonstrates an ongoing love of the club that guarantees his long term recognition as a true guardian of the history and future , and , as a fan of more than 50 years , he has my undying gratitude for the commitment he has shown in these difficult times . Thank you , sir !
Good post. I haven’t been slow to criticise AK in the past neither but i’m starting to think that his time in the Boardroom has worn him down a bit, he’s now advancing in years and working with some of the recently departed must have been soul destroying, impossible probably. I suspect that he took a back seat during Bottomley’s reign because he was busy in his own life and probably didn’t have the backing to intervene even if he wanted to do. I also reckon that he underestimated the love that the fans had for the Club and thought that the only way the Club could survive would be to sell to a outside investor, everybody in the Boardroom thought that i think ( some outside investment is needed though) and that seemed the only option considered.
The selling of his shares and donating that money back to the Club puts Andrew Kelly alongside the Overcoat Men now i think, it’s a fantastic gesture to just basically hand over £100K of your own money. Going forward I would like him to remain a Director if he wants and take a back seat role, he deserves the plaudits he is now going to get. Had he done what the ex Chairman and Bottomley/ Rawlinson are now trying to do and sold his shares to Curran/ Rose we would have no football club. Soon a opportunity will arise for every supporter to own a piece of the Club and keep it safe forever from these potental con men, according to Swindon fans and also there’s. .. even just fifty quids worth of shares would help so much. Thank you Andrew Kelly.
I think we should all be grateful for both the work AK has done over the past 20 years and his gesture just now. I was disappointed that some people turned on him on here without the evidence. Hopefully we can put this to bed and he deserves all the credit he gets. A lifetime President role for him at some point maybe?
But we must turn our focus on where the "sellers" shares will go. They seemed to agree to sell in principle and if the Currans etc now walk away, they will still want an exit. The club needs new capital and we hoped the supporters would buy into a new share issue rather than buy other peoples shares. Still a lot of work to do on this I think. Fans will need to think long and hard about how much they want to own
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An open letter to Andrew Kelly on 10:46 - Jul 20 with 2373 views
An open letter to Andrew Kelly on 08:14 - Jul 20 by Dalenet
I think we should all be grateful for both the work AK has done over the past 20 years and his gesture just now. I was disappointed that some people turned on him on here without the evidence. Hopefully we can put this to bed and he deserves all the credit he gets. A lifetime President role for him at some point maybe?
But we must turn our focus on where the "sellers" shares will go. They seemed to agree to sell in principle and if the Currans etc now walk away, they will still want an exit. The club needs new capital and we hoped the supporters would buy into a new share issue rather than buy other peoples shares. Still a lot of work to do on this I think. Fans will need to think long and hard about how much they want to own
No need to be disappointed
It's a wonderful gesture for him to have around 85% of his shares reinvested in our club via the Trust, and he deserves all the plaudits. I agree about a Life Presidency, which would also reflect upon the work he's put in over the years. Perhaps the Youth Team POTS award could be named after him
At the stage where the ownership of our club seemed about to fall into the hands of financial vampires, a simple announcement would've helped settle everyone's nerves and fans have a perfect right to express concerns. As i've said elsewhere, its a time to rejoice now, not take unnecessary umbrage
An open letter to Andrew Kelly on 13:15 - Jul 3 by ChaffRAFC
Andrew,
As a supporter for nearly three decades, this football club isn't just a football club to me, it's one of the biggest things in my life. Me and my Dad spent many, many years travelling the country watching our team, right up until his death. His ashes were buried under the pitch at Spotland.
Without this football club, I wouldn't have my son, my partner, my friends or my job. All of that links back to Rochdale AFC. My son doesn't pretend to be Messi, Ronaldo, Aguero or Salah when he's playing football, he pretends he's Joe Thompson, Stephen Humphrys, Ollie Rathbone and Ian Henderson.
I am just one person, there will be countless others whose life revolves around Rochdale and for the work and years of service, and money you've put in, I would assume this goes for you too.
The club is in danger, grave danger of falling into the wrong hands and the effect this will have on the community, the supporters, local sports teams, local kids football could be devastating.
Your statement last year after Dan Altman and Emre Marcelli aquired their shares said, very clearly, that your shares were not for sale. I appreciate that circumstances change but as someone who the supporters have always seen as one of the good guys, I would sincerely hope you do what is best for this football club.
Selling your shares to people who don't hold this football club in their hearts like me, like my Dad, like my son, like the fans in the recent season ticket video, like the guys in the Trust, like YOU, poses a threat to everything that has been worked for in our 114 year history.
This is my club.
This is your club.
It's not theirs.
Up The Dale!
Andrew,
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
This is my club
This is your club
IT'S NOT THEIRS!
If I hadn't seen such riches, I could live with being poor
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An open letter to Andrew Kelly on 11:57 - Jul 20 with 2187 views
A statement from Andrew Kelly — Academy Director, Rochdale AFC
Introduction:
Recent events have prompted me to put pen to paper, I apologise in advance to anyone who finds this rather long winded.
Before I start, I would like to thank the following four people for their extremely hard work behind the scenes even though there is no football being played: David Bottomley, John Smallwood, Frances Fielding and Nick Grindrod.
Any group of people watching a game of football or witnesses a car accident, would come away with varying opinions as to what they had seen or watched. No doubt, there will be difference of opinions when people read this article.
Background:
Apart from two years when my job took me out of town, I have lived in the area for 74 years. I therefore consider myself to be a Rochdalian. As a youngster I grew up on the Greave estate and started watching the Dale in the early 1950s. In my mid / late teens I was a registered Amateur player with the club. Tony Collins was the Manager with Albert Emptage and Joe Duff the Trainer and Groundsman. Norman Bodell was our Coach and he trained us at Redbrook School which is now the Cricket Club. Our home games were played on Dunlop Sports Ground and Tommy Nichols was our Youth Manager.
I was not considered good enough to become a full time professional and therefore went to play in the Amateur League with Sacred Heart. The only club in Rochdale which owns its own ground. I have been associated with this club for 55 years and I’m very proud to be their current President. I was responsible for the purchase of the ground from Robinsons Engineering in 1988. It continues to be a very successful club with three senior teams in the Manchester League.
In 2005 Graham Morris who was my Company Accountant said he had heard from another client (a former team mate of mine) about my experience in amateur sport (which included football, rugby league and cricket), and suggested I might be able to contribute to Rochdale AFC by joining their Board. I accepted the invitation and joined in 2006. I append below, a memo I sent to all Academy Staff at the beginning of 2007:
“I am honoured and privileged to be appointed as Director of Youth Development. It is a fantastic opportunity to continue to improve the existing facility which exists at the club. Our Centre of Excellence currently caters for U10 - U16’s after which there is an opportunity to be rewarded with Scholarships and to play in the Youth Team. The ultimate aim is to be offered professional contracts at Rochdale AFC. It is intended to have in place a well structured Youth Development Plan prior to the start of the pre-season training for the 2007/08 season - our centenary year.
When I joined the Board in August 2006 there were discussions taking place as to whether this Department should be scrapped. I understand this was not the first time this thought had been expressed. In the intervening period, I have persuaded the Board to change direction subject to certain conditions. I think it is important before we move on that there is a full understanding of the club’s financial situation, the annual budget shows a predicted deficit of £250K. Anyone who is in business or even people budgeting their personal finances must realise this situation cannot continue. It is the road to bankruptcy. So what are we going to do about it?
My appointment as Youth Director is part of the wider brief which I have undertaken. I will also be involved in the Commercial arm of the business. We need to increase our incoming revenue and instead of reducing our expenditure, we need to ensure that we get exceptional value for the money we spend. How do we achieve that?
It is achieved by careful planning and proper investment. The monies currently generated for the Youth Department, fall short of the actual costs. This has obviously led to certain fractions within the club, suggesting closure. My view is totally the opposite. We need to put more investment in to create the wealth at the other end. I now want to share the family tree that is being created. You will see that in conjunction with the Senior Management Team, Keith Hill and Dave Flitcroft, we plan to have fill three key posts:
Sports Science - Paul Conway Physical Education - Guy Proctor Physio / Masseur - Andy Thorpe / Jimmy Barrow
End.”
With the passing of time, I don’t think anyone will disagree when I say this Department at the club has been extremely successful, not only in bringing in revenue to the club, but also providing young boys with a pathway into various disciplines in sport and business.
Between the years of 2006 - 2016 I could be seen at the club most days working alongside the CEO Colin Garlick and others to try and improve the running of the club. During 2014-2016 some changes took place. Colin left the club and Russ Green joined. I became disillusioned with a number of aspects including how the Football In The Community was being run. As a result of my feelings, I decided to take a break and leave the Board. I received a letter from Chris Dunphy thanking me for my services to the club and offering me a position of Vice President, which I accepted. Towards the end of 2018, I was very surprised to hear that Bill Goodwin had resigned and CD will be doing the same at the of 2018. Neither of these individuals have ever confided in me their reasons for leaving.
At the beginning of 2019, I received a call from our current Chairman asking me to return to the Board. During my absence I understand BG took responsibility for the Academy. As he had now left, I decided to return to ensure the Academy continued to have a voice at Board level.
After returning, 2019 proved to be a very difficult year. The Accounts showed losses in excess of £1.2m in the last year of CD’s stewardship. The Board in an effort to steady the ship reverted to the well worn path of player sales. I was personally very worried up until our cup run and the Craig Dawson deal, which between them in view of the previous losses, steadied the ship.
The Board decided in early 2019 that the cycle of cup runs and player sales, although historically had been a system that worked, was not a route we should continue to rely on, and so we started to look at potential investments. The name of Dan Altman came up as having been interested in 2018. I therefore trawled through previous board minutes and found the following extract from board minutes:
Board Extract 10.09.2018
CD to reply to investment proposal from Dan Altman and provide feedback at the next meeting.
Board Extract 18.10.2018
CD confirmed that he had turned down an approach from Dan Altman with regard to investment in the club. The matter was closed.
As a new Board, we made further contacts and re-opened negotiations with Dan in an effort to possibly improve any offer that had been made to CD. As a result, Dan and Emre came to England for a tour of the club and to meet the Board. I found Dan and Emre to be very likeable people and I enjoyed their company when they visited the club. We also signed a Non Disclosure Agreement and they went home and subsequently submitted their proposals, which were declined by the Board as not acceptable.
As they have now gone public, I can tell you they wanted 51% of the club and the promise of what was contained in their press release. I will not divulge numbers at this stage due to the NDA. Let it suffice to say, their cash injection would not have met our expectations. The loan agreements and their repayment conditions, along with potential exit agreement were not acceptable. At the point where legal advice allows, we will release further information. Had we accepted their offers, we would in my opinion have been ridiculed for giving the club away.
And so, to more recent events, SHARES. As previously stated during 2018, I had left the Board and CD rejected outright the American bid and signed the board minutes to that effect. One year later, he sold his private shares to the same people and only CD can explain the rationale behind his decision. He is not obliged to do so, it is entirely his personal and private affair. I have heard anecdotally that he made the Board aware of his intentions to sell. I will swear on a Bible I was not aware of his intentions and as far as I know, no other member of the Board knew either.
As a result of the Americans share purchase, I became worried whether the result of the alleged price they had paid, they may attempt a Glazer Manchester Utd style takeover bid. Many of my friends sold to the Glazers and have since deeply regretted their decision. At Christmas 2019 I decided to test my fears. I contacted Dan and Emre via email and said my shares had become available due to a family situation.
Dan thanked me for my email and replied as follows:
Email extract: 24.12.2019
“Emre and I have today placed negotiations with the Board on hold since we are far apart on a price for the authorised shares. As such we are not increasing our investment right now. If however we are in a position to go forward in the future, we will likely to make an offer to the club’s significant shareholders, naturally including yourself.”
This reply left me very unsure about their future strategy or intentions. I scoured the shareholder list to try and establish where the club may be vulnerable. As a result of my actions, I purchased Leods Construction shares (22,500). I am now the second largest individual shareholder in the club owning approximately 12% (58,250). Our Chairman has 110,000 shares (approximately 22%).
My shares have all been bought with my personal money, not company money. My sponsorship over the past 5/6 years ie. Back of Shirt, Match Day Sponsorship, Box Holder, Christmas Draw, Stadium Hire, Lottery etc has cost me and my Associates around £100,000. Had I been a share grabber, I would have re-directed that money into shares and that would have meant I would have been the largest shareholder.
No other individual in my opinion, including CD has committed the time and effort (free of charge) along with sponsorship and share purchase that I have done. I sit very comfortably when I describe myself as FAN, SUPPORTER and DIRECTOR of Rochdale Football Club.
I am prepared to meet, speak or correspond with any individual or group of fans provided that they come forward with their true identity and not a message board /social media alias.
Assuming A Kilpatrick, G Morris, D Kilpatrick, The Dale Supporters Trust, A Kelly and other current Board members were in agreement with any proposal, there would be sufficient shares to vote it through if appropriate. I do not believe any of the afore mentioned individuals would do anything to harm or put the club in jeopardy.
Any future share issue will dilute their voting power. We need to be 100% clear at reducing it does not allow an influx of money today which could signal problems for future fans. My ambition is very simple, when I leave the club, I want it to be a better state than when I joined, and I look forward to a continued long-term existence in the Football League.
In conclusion, let me make it clear, my shares are NOT FOR SALE.
I hope that all you and your families stay safe from this horrible pandemic and that we can all get back to watching live football as soon as possible.
Andrew Kelly Academy Director, Rochdale AFC Up The Dale!
This is what Andrew penned on 8/6/20. Over a year later, it has not only stood the test of time, but the integrity and passion with which it was written has now been proven beyond any shadow of doubt.
"when I leave the club, I want it to be (in) a better state than when I joined". Job done sir. you have earned the right to hold your head up high every time RAFC is mentioned. Others, sadly, have not.
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