pilgrimmike1 wrote:Graham Clark wrote: Circumstances ahve dicated that I have been closer to Peter Ridsdale during this extraordinary perion in the club's history than most. For much of that time he challenged my thoughts as to what is right and proper for this football club and like many others I am very relieved that he is not in sole control of the destiny of our club. That he isn't is tribute to the marshalled forces of our great and unified supporter base and the sacrices of the staff and players.
That he has a continued role in the immediate future of the football club will be uncomfortable to some. However, we are in a 'needs must' position. We have three or so weeks before the loan window closes and with only three loanee places available to us we need to be sure that we recruit the best available within our new financial resources. Peter Ridsdale is a persuasive operator and I do accept that right at this moment he is probably better placed to recruit the best available than anyone in his self created role as Chairman of Football Operations. The same applies to any out of contract players.
Being closer than many to what has gone on over the last year or so I have witnessed events and been privy to conversations that have left me deeply uncomfortable. Whilst we rightly continue to bask in the justified euphoria of the fact that this club was rescued against the odds we equally need to have a concentration on the immediate needs of the club and the importance of having a proper corporate governance structure and clear lines of responsibility.
A concern that I have is that the title of Chairman of Football Operations is one unknown and unparalleled in football circles. I undertand the word 'Chairman' was incorporated at Peter Ridsdale's insistence. I am very grateful that we appear to have a hardball Financial Director in control of the purse strings which will curtail any expansive activities of the newly created Football Operatins role. That is reassuring. What I will observe with interest and from a distance, is whether the 'Chairman' title will give an opportunity for Peter Ridsdale to expand his field oinoperations into other areas in this important and embryonic period of Green Pilgrim. Many have fought long and hard for this club to survive and the best of them has stood down today. Don't think, Peter, it will give you a free reign to mould the club as you think fit because it won't you can be sure of that.
That made me smile and sums up the size of the mans ego, that said I believe that for the time being we have little choice (given time constraints) to nothing else but to let him continue in his new role and hope for the best. Like most on here I can't say it sits very easy but prepared to have an open mind, the staff obviously did so should we.
It is a strange title given that there will be no board, committee, group or assembly of people to chair in this instance.
Why insist on this meaningless title for an autonomous role sorting out loan and transfer deals at the request of the manager presumably. Will we also have a Chairman of Retail Operations and a Chairman of Pitch Operations now?