Neil was joined in the tower by Gareth Roberts, John Gibbons, Kevin Sampson and James McKenna with Deborah Glass on the phone as they talked supporter representation, club leadership and IPCC leafleting.
Music this week from Dominic Dunn (@Dominic_Dunn22) and The Phoenix Experiment (@TPEonline).
DIRECT LINK TO CITYTALK: INTERFACE THIS
Apologies, I wasn’t going to comment on here for a while to avoid ‘overkill’ but I think no comments on the thread is even worse than me commenting too much.
As I’m of the belief that Liverpool FC is now doing what it has to do to become a competitive force again, I’ve tried to like Ian Ayre. Truth is though, if he was MD of any other club I’d despise him. I feel he’s now the weak link in the club. I’m not concerned about his private life but in his role at LFC he’s the worst example of a ‘yes’ man. He knows he’s punching above his weight.
No disrespect to the Supporters Committee, I too think they’ve got good intentions. It’s clear they’re patsies, though. Listening to this podcast has made it clear in my mind what the purpose of them is – a voice for the fans that can be steered by the club. Liverpool has a well organised supporters voice in SOS. They may not speak for everyone but they’ve got the best intentions of the club at heart and have a proven track record as the voice of the fans. I think the reason is obvious. They’re at odds with the running of a capitalist venture such as Liverpool is. Imagine someone like Sky entertaining a fan group such as SOS. It wouldn’t happen.
LFC has a difficult job balancing it’s commercialisation and its identity. There will have to be give and take on both sides. We’re not in the 80’s anymore. I think Liverpool’s identity will have to be shaped on the pitch and by its fans. I think Liverpool is the one club that can be a global brand yet keep an identity. That said, I can’t understand the original decision about the leaflets. Appalling decision really. I’m glad John Henry has intervened. I think he’s a decent man.
So, to get to my reason for writing. As an outsider looking in, I feel the reason SOS divide Liverpool fans opinion about them is down to the level they feel they should get involved in club affairs. I’m sure all fans agree they do a great job and support them over the ticket prices, the leaflets (and other related Hillsborough issues), their exposing the truth of H&G and their campaign to drive them out but it does feel to me that they wanted Liverpool to be owned by fans and so took an immediate dislike to FSG. It doesn’t feel like that so much now but in the early days it did. They weren’t alone though. Tony Evans came across similarly and even Andy Heaton in the early days of the Anfield Wrap podcasts. Evans seems to be less vocal now and Heaton seems to appreciate aspects of them since TAW were given access to the club, as part of the building bridges between the club and the fans.
It’s horrible but Liverpool need to exploit their global brand. It’s the only way forward. SOS has in the past felt (to me) a bit like the unions of the late 70’s, as in, unions are brilliant but they abused their power and lost their way a bit. There has to be a middle ground. The custodians vision has to be respected with SOS watching over them. Although I’m not claiming they have – they shouldn’t be getting involved in how much transfer funds have been made available for example. It just feels to me that over the past 3 years they’ve been vocal in so many LFC issues that the club almost sees them as the enemy now or more accurately as a menace, and as a result has lost sway within the club. That’s only my opinion based on my intuition from reading this and that.
In saying that, for me personally I’m considering joining them as I’ve been impressed with their actions of late and I see them as the only credible opposition to some of the issues I don’t like in being a Liverpool fan.
The email read out in this weeks pod encapsulates everything that is wrong with the management and running of LFC. At a time when it looks like things are going in the right direction on the pitch it seems there is a great determination off the pitch to wage war against the very people the club should be embracing.
I am not a member of the SOS but i appreciate the job they do and while ultimately they may want to buy the club or at least have a say in how the club is run then this does not make them the devil incarnate, all it means is they have a voice and they want it to be heard. The hypocrisy of the club is unbelievable, on the one hand the club markets the kop, and the support of the ‘twelfth man’ and on the other asks for £50 a week and tells you to fuck off.
Is ian ayre so insecure in his job that he has sleepless nights over John Henry deciding to make Jay McKenna the new MD.
If you don’t like gobby fans that have a bit of attitude and can collectively spot a dickhead from the kop to the directors box then you are at the wrong club.
I have no problem with the club wanting to expand and I would prefer the MD to spend time on bringing in sponsorship, advancing the redevelopment of Anfield and increasing revenue rather tha pick stupid arguments with fan groups that are basically on your side.
I know that FSG are not the super fans like owners of the past, however, I expected them to employ people in senior positions that had enough belief in their own abilities that they could work with different fan groups and take on board the numerous good suggestions and opinions these groups have without feeling threatened by them,
I thought the idea was that everyone pulled in the same direction, It’s 3 years since H & G were run out of town yet the flames of civil war seem to be constantly fanned from within.
Have they not got anything better to do?
You may well be right mate. Who knows! My feeling is that’s a bit harsh. I look at it more like a millionaire who’s addicted to making money. He comes home at night, pats his children on the head in a show of affection and then gets some sleep ready to start again. Every now and then they’ll be a grand gesture to appease his guilt at having no time for them. After all, he understands the symbiotic relationship between them all and it’s just unfortunate that he’s so busy. As a result, when he comes home he wants his kids quiet so he can pat them on the head and get on with his stuff. Certainly doesn’t want to hear they’re issues.