notes from Sportstalk & Matt Dean's i.v.

hugely, hugely positive. ,i'd implore all of you, as town fans, to spend 20 minutes of your time watching Matt Dean's F.B. video. Sportstalk was brilliant, but this was even better.
i've got 2 pages of things i noted that they said - it's just mind blowingly refreshing.
meetings with them and fenty must've been the equivalent of a neanderthal meeting a university lecturer.
they blow him out of the water in so many ways.

all has, and will be, financed via their personal wealth. wow.
expect to make losses in the first few seasons, given the investment they will be putting in
will only bring in external investors who have a similar ethos and want to commit to the town
repeatedly mentioned drawing a line in the sand and re engaging with fans (proof in the pudding is appointing Kristine and really bigging her up)
they want to invest in, and inspire, both the youth set up and Graham Rodgers outreach work, which they said has been neglected (another unnoticed Fenty failure)
interesting what they said about Youngs as sponsor- suspect Youngs may have met their match - an announcement in next couple of weeks
season ticket pricing announced next week or so - think we might be pleasantly surprised
repeated so often - culture is the priority and all important.this extends to the players - they want players who can develop and contribute
obviously shocked and disappointed by Shutes pulling out 40 mins before deadline, but think they're stronger for it. Shutes, they admit ,wasn't really a fan and wasn't as committed as they are
3 immediate priorities are to give PH the baking he needs to get us back in the FL, to improve the infrastructure of the club and to re engage with the fans
new ground is not top priority - will only happen if its sustainable and viable for new investors. Think Pettit with his background will be taking the lead on this. didn't rule out re developing BP
what does success look like? point of pride for the town and area. a place of belonging, identity and pride. the culture is everything
ap involved over last 18 months, met via Shutes, very complimentary skills.
they've bought  a tranche of Mike parker's shares
PLC was unnecessary and incurred unnecessary costs
not at all happy with Cheapside facilities and work has started immediately. obviously believe in PH ( he shares their outlook) and want to give him all the support he needs in terms of infrasructure and personnel. BUDGET WILL BE BETTER THAN LAST SEASON! and in top echelons of NL
THEY WILL FUND THE PRETTY BIG LOSSES THEY THINK WE WILL SUSTAIN OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF SEASONS
they have paid JF for the £200,000 of Trust shares. the silence that followed was almost the best bit of the interview!
it's not a plaything, GTFC is summat that defines them and they want it to be at the heart of the community
'CULTURE EATS PRODUCTIVITY FOR BREAKFAST' bet JSF struggled with that one! if you build the right team you can move mountains ( in tune with PH there)
their culture is at the different end of the political spectrum to fenty. JS is a socialist who became  a capitalist, but whilst makig money is fine, it's how you ake that money which is most important.
they like to be different and to make a difference.They are professional investors (this is important, as they will have a list of potential investors as long as your arm - pers. comm.)
amazed at the length and breadth of exiles and want to find out how they can involve them more
want to re engage with local business

finally they want our suggestions, our help and our support. they want a coalition of the willing with a return to civic pride
i am awestruck that we've got people of this calibre in charge
please give the your support in every way you can

UTM

Today has been a very good day for our club, and also a moving one. I watched the interview earlier this evening and was struck by the pride and passion that Mr Pettit and Mr Stockwood clearly have for the club and the area. At a moment when football has been reminded so powerfully of what it and its clubs mean to their fans, I'm sure the words of our new owners will strike a chord with supporters of other teams too.

This is not, or at least it shouldn't be, a time for settling scores or pointing fingers about what went wrong in the past. We can learn from it, but we can't change it. Instead, we should look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. We know the scale of the task, and I don't expect quick fixes, but there is now, at least, the chance of brighter days to come and for that, I am truly thankful.

What did they say about Youngs? I did listen to the interview with Matt Dean and the talksport show on Humberside but I must have missed what they said about Youngs

was at about 18.50-18.55 of Sportstalk - said they'd had discussions with Youngs and an announcement would be made in next couple of weeks.
got the distinct impression it wasn't necessarily a shoe in, but at the very least i suspect 1878 will have got something more out of Youngs

notes from the DN35 podcast, which was in a way less instructive, but much more personal. They came across very well - normal fans with a typical sense of humour. JS is the visonary whereas AP is the nuts and bolts realist
would like to do away with the board room - perhaps use it as a nice place for sponsors.reiterated that they will look into redeveloping BP, of engaging with fans & local businesses and tapping into the wealth of knowledge within the fanbase.mentioned Youngs again - i'm sure they've got  abetter deal out of them! and added want to bring in more local sponsors and to get more money out of these commercial activities
want to get more fans back in BP and spending more on quality food and rink within BP - Docks Beers will be in the fanzone.
Sam strandt and a lawyer they know have started on Bcorp immediately.
PLC was v. legalistic and expensive. Have updated the articles as they were 'old fashioned' 'LIKE SO MUCH OF WHAT WE HAVE FOUND AT THE CLUB'!!! ouch!
The Fan Experience, market leaders in the sector, will be running the fans survey which has started to go out already. (Can you imagine Fenty shelling out for a professional company? Extreme Living !)
mentioned Brailsford and the theory of continuous improvement - and they want the staff to be motivated and high performing. they will bring in new talent, but want the staff to improve - they will be given a chance to shine and go on a 'learning experience' - scarcely hidden criticism of Fenty's approach to staff management
it's obvious they will go anywhere and everywhere for advice and help - mentioned speaking to Wimbledon, FGR & Bolton and mooted the idea of a coalition of like minded clubs working together
open on having aCEO - started out with the idea they would be arms lengths investors, but got more drawn into it and realised they were ver capable of doing alot of the things that were needed

mixed story of what they found - were obviously shocked by Cheapside a major disappointment, not professional and unsustainable, which it's why its a top priority.likewise the food and drink offerings at the ground are disappointinh.
there are 'some rough diamonds to be polished' - were v. positive about Graham Rodger's department and the work they do, and couldn't believe that it's not better known

parting shot was to say that they want people back in the ground and to be backing the team and club - what we spend will go straight into the team and club,