Michael Dunford returns as CEO

[dunlop]

Good choice an experienced football guy what the club needs, it will be interesting how he and DA work together the two most important post in any football club.

 

[Army green]

I’m not sure about this, I was hoping for a more younger CE, the blokes a dinosaur, football has moved on, has he? I have my doubts. We will see.

 

[Isondil]

My major concerns about this guy are that he always seems to be associated to clubs that are either already or quickly become financially insecure.

His time at Everton, when he began, they were in a bad way. With us, we became in such a bad shape (which was not seen until Ridsdale came in to help)and from the outside looking in, he did little to aid the situation. He was at Birmingham and they ended up in the financial mire. When he went in the Chesterfield they were already in the mire. His time at Crawley didn’t go well either. I guess a career of negative performance experience is still experience?!

I know people are saying under different bosses he may prove successful, but with that many bites at the cherry and to not really ever have altered any of the clubs fortunes for the positive, nor in recent years it seems has been capable of holding a job down...I just have so many reservations.

I really hope he proves me wrong, of course. I bet his first interview will say, a review will be undertaken of current and possible future streams, followed by him saying the club needs to strengthen its connection with fans and the City alike. Again, hope he proves me wrong.

 

[gaspargomez]

He does seem to have had a lot of previous employers. Although this gives him experience, it also makes me wonder why he keeps leaving his CEO positions.

 

[djg145]

Well I am sure IF he doesn't do a decent job, he will hear about it on here

 

[MarkMatthews]

Can someone confirm is this the guy who opened the shop in Drake’s Circus that cost the club a lot of money just prior to our dark days or am I misremembering?

I thought it was opened a while before that but I may be wrong. Its demise was certainly lamented as for many it was easier to get at than HP. I think they sold match tickets there too which again gave easier access to some.

Believe it or not, He first joined Argyle as CEO two years before the “new”, (as in American style mall version of,) Drake Circus even opened! We had not long said goodbye to weigh n save, Purple Haze and outside escalators! Now I feel old.

It was possibly him but I reckon it would have been at the fag end of his time here, if not after!

 

[thunderboltharrison]

Never have so many innacuracies been contained within one post. Well done Isondil. Just about wrong on every aspect.

 

[Tugboat]

Can only be a positive move.

We had no CE. We know have a new CE who has vast experience, contacts and knowledge in his subject. He also has a viable connection with the club from previous.

Win win

 

[Isondil]

Okay Duncan, please elaborate on the inaccuracies?

When Dunford was CEO at Birmingham, the club were on the wrong end of a court order demanding the club pay £2.2m and having been in job for only 6 months. He tendered his resignation the week the after the court decision.

When Kenwright came in at Everton, he couldn’t believe how bad the club was run “...recalls how the theatre impresario has “begged and borrowed” since buying the club and, as a consequence, “has not invested in the ground because every single penny has gone into the team”. Shortly after Dunford left his role as CEO at Everton while they were warned about their unusual spending by Beardwood who was saying unless you sell youngsters you’ll go bankrupt. The club soon sold young talent. Colin Fitzpatrick at the time campaigning for Toffees fans said that while the clubs directors didn’t invest the club was only just meeting it’s obligations through commercial revenues.

When he was in charge of us as CEO he didn’t exactly leave us in good shape and my memory isn’t like he was making waves publicly to let fans know how bad things were. The club were utterly in the dark over the financial crisis until Peter Ridsdale came in to facilitate a sale.

At Crawley Pottinger then chairman said: “Of course, Michael Dunford was within a couple of cup wins of achieving our goal of becoming a financially self-sufficient club.

“That didn’t happen so once again we have to offer our gratitude to our benefactor Paul Hayward for his generosity, to the extent that none of the past five years could have happened without his financial support.”

I do not want to be in a position that we rely on cup competitions to make us financially self sufficient and unlike Crawley our board will not bankroll the club. When the outgoing chairman of an independent club says that Dunford didn’t achieve his job, I believe him and so should you.

To be fair Chesterfield were already in financial difficulties so it is hard to say much of his performance at the club because of the legacy issues he may have inherited.

 

[Lousy Pint]

Disappointed with this. I'm sure the guy will try his best, but I was hoping for a more dynamic and approachable figure in the role. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[dunlop]

Disappointed with this. I'm sure the guy will try his best, but I was hoping for a more dynamic and approachable figure in the role. Hope I'm wrong.

I think you may have the wrong guy Dunford is very approachable.

 

[Lousy Pint]

Disappointed with this. I'm sure the guy will try his best, but I was hoping for a more dynamic and approachable figure in the role. Hope I'm wrong.

I think you may have the wrong guy Dunford is very approachable.

Fair enough Dunlop... I'm pleased to be wrong already!

 

[Fergy]

A backwards step.

 

[Balham Green]

Never have so many innacuracies been contained within one post. Well done Isondil. Just about wrong on every aspect.

Unusual for Isondil to get his 'facts' wrong.

 

[Green Matt]

I’m not sure about this, I was hoping for a more younger CE, the blokes a dinosaur, football has moved on, has he? I have my doubts. We will see.

What would youth offer over vast experience in a role such as CEO? The modern obsession with youth is worrying. I would say that we have (or had) a deficit of football experience so this is a step in the right direction.