You are the 76 per cent majority shareholder in Walsall Football Club, a multi-faceted business that, by any objective measure, has been failing for many years. Risk management is central to any successful operation and the risk of the club imploding is higher than at any point in my 34 years of being an active supporter. I estimate the club has lost half of its regular patrons over the last 34 years, many of them will not return until the stadium freehold is reunited with the club, and the Saddlers are doing an awful job of attracting the next generation of fans. The future is bleak for not only the club but also your investment unless you do something revolutionary. You are almost out of time.
Leigh, if you are a puppet of Jeff Bonser, you will ignore this letter and carry on regardless. Walsall Football Club will continue dying a slow death, Football League relegation will be a matter of when, not if, and even more diehard supporters like me will give up the ghost. If COVID-19 disappeared overnight, I would be willing to bet the first home attendance would be below 3,000 people, and only the novelty of live football would keep the number respectable. Most Saddlers supporters have had a gutful of every aspect of their clubās operations. Surely you acknowledge that.
Leigh, if you are not a puppet of Jeff Bonser, now is the time to prove it. Turn Walsall Football Clubās administration upside down. If you hired a management consultancy to review the club in its current state, the report would be damning. The only reason why the club has not gone out of business is because it does not operate under normal conditions. Even bad football clubs have captive audiences, unlike bad bars, cafes and restaurants. The likes of Stefan Gamble and Daniel Mole are not going to fix it; they have presided over what feels like a never-ending deterioration in the club, which has no football identity, no commercial smarts and no communications, marketing or media capabilities.
I wrote on another thread I would be willing to help and I meant it. Drop me a private message and I will share my resume with you. Things have to change, and I would like to think I could make a positive difference. I am not a chancer; I am an experienced sports administrator with domestic, national and international experience, including in top-level club football and major competitions. But whatever you do, please do something, and do it fast. It is time to either put up or shut up. I have put up.
Fantastic letter Aussie , I think you put it forward really well but I do wonder if Leigh will take any notice as you referred to him a bonsers puppet ,It might just get his back up , Would it be worth rephrasing it? , I donāt know š¤·š¼, I wish you well in your reply,
Iād send it to the club directly too with maybe a more diplomatic tone
Clubs like ours need to lean on expertise. The impression that Iāve had over the years is that they think and no best, and any criticism is taken badly.
First, I did not say Leigh Pomlett is Jeff Bonserās puppet. Either he is or he is not, and which one he is will determine not only how he responds to my open letter but also pretty much everything else to do with Walsall Football Club.
Second, I am offering my professional expertise and, in doing so, arguing for the removal of several people from their jobs. No amount of diplomacy can sugar coat that and, frankly, I have zero interest in assisting anyone with whom I cannot speak frankly.
Mavrak, you have confused me with someone who cares what you - actually, make that the majority of people - think. My letter is what my letter is. My resume is what my resume is. And I will not lose any sleep at all if I do not hear from Leigh.
Letās not turn this post into a slagging match cause thereās been too much of that in the other posts,I like your letter Aussie I for one think pomlett is bonsers puppet , but thatās just what I think, I just thought maybe slightly rewording it would of been better, That was just my thoughts and no criticism towards you or your letter ,If your happy hope itās put good on you for doing it and sending it,Itās great thereās fans still here who cares and still fighting
@AussieSaddler this is an offer the chairman and club should at least listen to , has it actually been forwarded to the chairman , if not can it be ?
At the end of the day they should be open to anyone offering helpful advice on how to firstly save the club from this downward spiral , and to move it forward and increase its appeal to new support.
Nice one Aussie, that letter is absolutely fine, to the point and true, best of luck with a reply, you will probably get your " fan nonsense" response in our chairmans next audio address to the nation.
The chances of the club wishing to work with someone so obviously pompous and belligerent are miniscule. The aggressive and insulting tone is matched only by the pervading arrogance.
An āexperienced sports administratorā apparently (whatever that pertains to), but without the foresight or guile to craft an open letter that doesnāt make the sender come across as a complete arse.
I may not word a reply quite as strongly but pretty much what I thought. Someone with great experience and the ability to bring change in a positive way wouldnāt immediately antagonize via the tone of the letter.
I know emotions are highā¦ but mine and many others dealings with the club, in person, over email, and in focus meetings is that they think they know best, and any iota of criticism is taken badlyā¦
Dan, for example, gets his back up immediately at any criticism, whilst Stef is a bit more polished with dealing with it. I remember have a bit of back and forth with Pomlett at the infamous Whitney focus meeting - I would tend to think he is of the same ilkā¦
My own personal approach would be different - but I think the core message of Aussie Saddlerās email rings true. Those are separate things, and Iām glad there is still the passion in the fanbase to try and build a better club, if I were in chargeā¦ Iād be trying to harness that energy
So, to sum it upā¦Iād like to help and work with youā¦and now you need to āeither put up or shut upā. I can sense the start of a deep and lovely relationship
They wonāt touch him with a bargepole if they ever read that.
Pity, the sentiment is fairly accurate, the execution a dismal fiasco. āPut up or shut up?ā, references to puppetry? Horrendously misjudged and charmless garbage.
,It might just get his back up , Would it be worth rephrasing it? , I donāt know š¤·š¼, I wish you well in your reply,
