Post by dave1 on Jan 21, 2015 8:45:21 GMT
I hope that the club will - if not now but in due course - reconsider the position that it has taken over this forum.
I have only had limited dealings with both Bruce and Dave - but based on that limited engagement and from what I have seen and been advised by others, I have the utmost respect for them both. I have had even less engagement with Paul Doswell - but I similarly have massive respect for him also. I have followed Sutton for 50 years - and there is no question in my mind that Paul is the best thing ever to happen to this football club - Bruce/Dave probably being a close second - and the current crop of volunteers running them all close in third.
I totally understand why Paul (and members of his family) was bitterly upset by some of the recent comments on this forum - particularly those that called into question his 'commitment' (by taking a holiday) - even before recent disclosures about the extent to which Paul has financially invested in the club (which I think most of us already realised must have been the case) his commitment and passion for the club was evident to all. If there is a more commited man in football, at any level, I'm not aware of him.
Similarly, I totally understand why Bruce and Dave felt it appropriate to take the action they have done - in part as a show of support for Paul. The senior officials at Sutton (Bruce and Dave) clearly have a great 'partnership' relationship with Paul - and it is on the back of the strength of this partnership that Sutton United's fortunes have been transformed since Paul arrived at the club and the team has been able to punch above its weight for a number of years (when one considers the size of our average home gate).
However, one of the club's other great strengths is the bond that it has with its supporters - and vice versa. For a club that operates on such relatively small average home attendances, the size and consistency of the away support is exceptional.I understand that in 2011, a Sutton fan was named National Fan of the Year. This bond needs to be nurtured and maintained.
In my professional capacity I was once the 'victim' of untrue/inappropriate criticism by faceless individuals via the internet. It wasn't nice - but I and those whose opinions really mattered to me knew the truth - and in time so did others (including some of those responsible for the criticism). As bad as it may have seemed at the time, I realised that the best thing to do was to try and rise above it - which was more easilly said than done.
I think that deep down Paul, Bruce and Dave all know that most Sutton supporters are (more than) fully behind them - and we are still in it together. While I certainly won't defend some of the inappropriate comments made on this forum, I suspect that they were made by people who are (in their way) passionate about the club - and that passion led to them, in the heat of the moment, making comments that in hindsight (or if they were better informed) they probably wouldn't have made. In the internet age, it is inevitable that this will sometimes happen.
Newcastle United, a club probably more famous for its passionate and loyal support than for winning trophies, has also taken steps to sever some communication channels with its supporters. Even, Alan Pardew, until recently one of the primary targets of attack by some fans, has said that in the medium to long term this is probably not the best way forward. Ultimately the fans are the club - and some of them may let their passion boil over at times and in inappropriate ways - but in their own way they too love the club. Every club needs its supporters - and the best way to ensure that the supporters understand and appreciate the realities of running a club like Sutton is through open and transparent communication. Paul holding his 'meet the manager' evenings has been a prime example of this.
Fully undertand why the club has taken the stance it has - and no criticism of that - but hopefully soon - with point made - steps can be taken to heal any rift and to rebuild bridges.
I have only had limited dealings with both Bruce and Dave - but based on that limited engagement and from what I have seen and been advised by others, I have the utmost respect for them both. I have had even less engagement with Paul Doswell - but I similarly have massive respect for him also. I have followed Sutton for 50 years - and there is no question in my mind that Paul is the best thing ever to happen to this football club - Bruce/Dave probably being a close second - and the current crop of volunteers running them all close in third.
I totally understand why Paul (and members of his family) was bitterly upset by some of the recent comments on this forum - particularly those that called into question his 'commitment' (by taking a holiday) - even before recent disclosures about the extent to which Paul has financially invested in the club (which I think most of us already realised must have been the case) his commitment and passion for the club was evident to all. If there is a more commited man in football, at any level, I'm not aware of him.
Similarly, I totally understand why Bruce and Dave felt it appropriate to take the action they have done - in part as a show of support for Paul. The senior officials at Sutton (Bruce and Dave) clearly have a great 'partnership' relationship with Paul - and it is on the back of the strength of this partnership that Sutton United's fortunes have been transformed since Paul arrived at the club and the team has been able to punch above its weight for a number of years (when one considers the size of our average home gate).
However, one of the club's other great strengths is the bond that it has with its supporters - and vice versa. For a club that operates on such relatively small average home attendances, the size and consistency of the away support is exceptional.I understand that in 2011, a Sutton fan was named National Fan of the Year. This bond needs to be nurtured and maintained.
In my professional capacity I was once the 'victim' of untrue/inappropriate criticism by faceless individuals via the internet. It wasn't nice - but I and those whose opinions really mattered to me knew the truth - and in time so did others (including some of those responsible for the criticism). As bad as it may have seemed at the time, I realised that the best thing to do was to try and rise above it - which was more easilly said than done.
I think that deep down Paul, Bruce and Dave all know that most Sutton supporters are (more than) fully behind them - and we are still in it together. While I certainly won't defend some of the inappropriate comments made on this forum, I suspect that they were made by people who are (in their way) passionate about the club - and that passion led to them, in the heat of the moment, making comments that in hindsight (or if they were better informed) they probably wouldn't have made. In the internet age, it is inevitable that this will sometimes happen.
Newcastle United, a club probably more famous for its passionate and loyal support than for winning trophies, has also taken steps to sever some communication channels with its supporters. Even, Alan Pardew, until recently one of the primary targets of attack by some fans, has said that in the medium to long term this is probably not the best way forward. Ultimately the fans are the club - and some of them may let their passion boil over at times and in inappropriate ways - but in their own way they too love the club. Every club needs its supporters - and the best way to ensure that the supporters understand and appreciate the realities of running a club like Sutton is through open and transparent communication. Paul holding his 'meet the manager' evenings has been a prime example of this.
Fully undertand why the club has taken the stance it has - and no criticism of that - but hopefully soon - with point made - steps can be taken to heal any rift and to rebuild bridges.