CroJack
Key Player
It's perfectly legal.
Leeds
- Thread starter ivoralljack
- Start date
Desperate times require desperate measures. Why is Sumbler doing nothing? A mass demonstration is needed,we have reached a stage now were every day Jenkins is involved in the clubs finances is critical. It's a sad state of affairs when your own supporters Trust stand by and watch their club chairman not only sell the club from under them, but now sell the very heart of the club. It's now pretty obvious that all sales money is going to be one way traffic.
I think there should also be a demonstration against the Trust and their handling of affairs since the sale of the club. Time for the fanbase to take matters into their own hands.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
because it's who he is ... he was either inane and asleep at the wheel before or he was a facilitator. Nothing has changed. His re-election was either a ballot stuffing exercise or people really were not thinking.
KVetch
Key Player
And not a word from the owners yet. Most likely they will reprint the same message to supporters from the last transfer window. I like how they wait until the last minute on deadline day to unload all the players. It's pretty criminal, I feel sorry for Oli and Van der Hoorn and everyone else who's still there. How can you motivate a team to play when your teammates are all being sent off for good. I don't imagine any player will want to sign with Swansea. Kiss Van deHoorn goodbye, Oli will be gone in the summer. National League here we come. If Kaplan and Levien really want to save face they should show the true finances of the club and why they have to sell all these players just to make ends meet. How can they be in such dire straights?
lliwt yr lavac
Key Player
Even though three left, the intent was to get rid of five players.
Already sixteen have left including loans since we were relegated.
It’s clear that they want to recover their money with a nice profit at any cost, no matter what happens to the club, and then dump us when there’s nothing left to filter out.
The players who are left, especially the ones who recently signed new contracts, will feel cheated and want to move on in the summer, before they get caught in the next fire sale.
We were in a good position just outside the play offs, and in the last 16 in the FA Cup. Obviously they’ve ignored this and continued with their money grabbing ways regardless.
I hope Potter can boost moral for tomorrow’s match otherwise we’ll fail. I’ll be there to witness it.
Already sixteen have left including loans since we were relegated.
It’s clear that they want to recover their money with a nice profit at any cost, no matter what happens to the club, and then dump us when there’s nothing left to filter out.
The players who are left, especially the ones who recently signed new contracts, will feel cheated and want to move on in the summer, before they get caught in the next fire sale.
We were in a good position just outside the play offs, and in the last 16 in the FA Cup. Obviously they’ve ignored this and continued with their money grabbing ways regardless.
I hope Potter can boost moral for tomorrow’s match otherwise we’ll fail. I’ll be there to witness it.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
@lliwt yr lavac ... give them a boost for me too. Wave into the camera for us poor buggers stuck here in -15C
lliwt yr lavac
Key Player
YJ, it’s pretty cold here too!
We have fantastic away support and our players really appreciate it.
The players will turn up and give BCity a good game, no doubt about it.
I’ve been to every PL ground in all the time we were in the top flight and the players always appreciated our support.
The local lads in the team will give their all as its personal.
Fer I can believe he wanted to stay, the change in him the last few games has been a joy to watch and I’m glad he’s still here. Is he injured for tomorrow or will they rest him?
James has been on a high and now on a low, he needs to play to get rid of his frustrations.
We’ll miss Montero, he only needed a few mins on the pitch to change a game.
We have fantastic away support and our players really appreciate it.
The players will turn up and give BCity a good game, no doubt about it.
I’ve been to every PL ground in all the time we were in the top flight and the players always appreciated our support.
The local lads in the team will give their all as its personal.
Fer I can believe he wanted to stay, the change in him the last few games has been a joy to watch and I’m glad he’s still here. Is he injured for tomorrow or will they rest him?
James has been on a high and now on a low, he needs to play to get rid of his frustrations.
We’ll miss Montero, he only needed a few mins on the pitch to change a game.
Two communications from The Trust. There's a hint of optimism vis a vis action against the takeover but we'll see. (My highlights.) Part one.
Welcome to the AGM of the Swans Trust at the end of what has been, once again, a long year of change for the Trust with some long-standing members standing down in the summer allowing for some new blood to be elected through the annual election process.
So it seems only right that I start tonight with a thank you to those people who stood down in the summer. That includes the names of two former Trust Chairmen in Ron Knuszka and Alan Lewis. Ron was largely responsible for many of the good things that we did in the early days of the Trust which would include the season ticket “piggy-back” scheme and the Ivor Allchurch statue that stands outside the Liberty. Both excellent achievements and, in reference to the latter, a lasting memory of one of Swansea’s greatest sons.
Alan was Chairman for the first seven months of 2018 but offered so much more to the Trust over the years during his time as Media Officer, where he worked to raise the Trust profile in the media and was responsible for many presentations both in this country and abroad. He took the Trust forward in the mediation process regards our share position that I will touch on shortly and is a well-known face amongst many Swans fans both for his time at the Pod on matchdays and particularly at away trips where he is usually in attendance.
Finally, Viv Williams put in many hours for the Trust, particularly around the commercial side of our operation. He was instrumental in the Robbie James Wall of Fame, International Honours boards and the displays that can be seen in the Riverside Lounge. Viv is a great believer in recognising our club’s past and did a superb job to bring that to the fore for both old fans and the next generation.
I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of me, the Trust Board and all our members to thank Ron, Alan and Viv for, what is close to, 30 years of combined service to the Trust and know that they will continue to be supportive of what we do.
It is also appropriate to thank the rest of the Trust board for their work over the past 12 months which is wide and varied whether you look at the Schools Initiative, Membership drive, involvement with the Disabled Supporters Association or the burning issue that still hangs over us in regards the share sale of 2016. All that work, and more, is invaluable to us as a Trust and as a collective I thank you for your work towards the organisation.
A special mention must go to Stuart MacDonald who is our representative in the boardroom. Stuart spends many hours of, what I am sure he thought would be, a peaceful retirement working on behalf of our members, and all fans, within the club and, whilst this is often a thankless task, I am sure his efforts are appreciated by everyone in this room.
I would also like to thank our affiliate board members – Finance affiliate Lisa Clement and Legal affiliate Dai Little for their tireless work in helping us make progress in resolving the issues around the 2016 share sale. That issue is something we will come back to in a moment.
Finally, I have one special thank you that I must bring to the fore this evening because it will likely be the only official chance that I get to do so. Nigel Hamer, our long-standing Trust secretary has informed the board that, after 18 years involved with the group stretching back to our formation, he will be standing down as secretary to the board at the end of this current Trust year. It is safe to say that without Nigel’s input over the years we would be nowhere near the organisation we are. He will be sorely missed by all of us on the board and has left us with very large shoes to fill. The search for Nigel’s replacement will begin in earnest very shortly but I thought it only right to take the chance this evening in front of you all here to thank him for his work over the years and to wish him a very happy ‘Trust retirement’ – Thank You Nigel.
Now for the update that I have been promising regarding the issues relating back to the share sale in in 2016 which saw ownership of the club transfer from local ownership to that of an American hedge fund headed by Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien. TBC
Welcome to the AGM of the Swans Trust at the end of what has been, once again, a long year of change for the Trust with some long-standing members standing down in the summer allowing for some new blood to be elected through the annual election process.
So it seems only right that I start tonight with a thank you to those people who stood down in the summer. That includes the names of two former Trust Chairmen in Ron Knuszka and Alan Lewis. Ron was largely responsible for many of the good things that we did in the early days of the Trust which would include the season ticket “piggy-back” scheme and the Ivor Allchurch statue that stands outside the Liberty. Both excellent achievements and, in reference to the latter, a lasting memory of one of Swansea’s greatest sons.
Alan was Chairman for the first seven months of 2018 but offered so much more to the Trust over the years during his time as Media Officer, where he worked to raise the Trust profile in the media and was responsible for many presentations both in this country and abroad. He took the Trust forward in the mediation process regards our share position that I will touch on shortly and is a well-known face amongst many Swans fans both for his time at the Pod on matchdays and particularly at away trips where he is usually in attendance.
Finally, Viv Williams put in many hours for the Trust, particularly around the commercial side of our operation. He was instrumental in the Robbie James Wall of Fame, International Honours boards and the displays that can be seen in the Riverside Lounge. Viv is a great believer in recognising our club’s past and did a superb job to bring that to the fore for both old fans and the next generation.
I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of me, the Trust Board and all our members to thank Ron, Alan and Viv for, what is close to, 30 years of combined service to the Trust and know that they will continue to be supportive of what we do.
It is also appropriate to thank the rest of the Trust board for their work over the past 12 months which is wide and varied whether you look at the Schools Initiative, Membership drive, involvement with the Disabled Supporters Association or the burning issue that still hangs over us in regards the share sale of 2016. All that work, and more, is invaluable to us as a Trust and as a collective I thank you for your work towards the organisation.
A special mention must go to Stuart MacDonald who is our representative in the boardroom. Stuart spends many hours of, what I am sure he thought would be, a peaceful retirement working on behalf of our members, and all fans, within the club and, whilst this is often a thankless task, I am sure his efforts are appreciated by everyone in this room.
I would also like to thank our affiliate board members – Finance affiliate Lisa Clement and Legal affiliate Dai Little for their tireless work in helping us make progress in resolving the issues around the 2016 share sale. That issue is something we will come back to in a moment.
Finally, I have one special thank you that I must bring to the fore this evening because it will likely be the only official chance that I get to do so. Nigel Hamer, our long-standing Trust secretary has informed the board that, after 18 years involved with the group stretching back to our formation, he will be standing down as secretary to the board at the end of this current Trust year. It is safe to say that without Nigel’s input over the years we would be nowhere near the organisation we are. He will be sorely missed by all of us on the board and has left us with very large shoes to fill. The search for Nigel’s replacement will begin in earnest very shortly but I thought it only right to take the chance this evening in front of you all here to thank him for his work over the years and to wish him a very happy ‘Trust retirement’ – Thank You Nigel.
Now for the update that I have been promising regarding the issues relating back to the share sale in in 2016 which saw ownership of the club transfer from local ownership to that of an American hedge fund headed by Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien. TBC
PART TWO.
MEDIATION UPDATE
I think it is fair to say that the road to mediation is long and fraught and that is probably an underestimate. Indeed, it is hard to believe that it was October that we provided the last meaningful update which, frankly, is unacceptable despite all the reasons for the ‘radio silence’ being valid.
I don’t think any of us involved in these discussions underestimated the amount of work involved but I think it is fair to say we probably underestimated just how much things can be derailed from what is a reasonably clear plan towards progress, especially when not all parties have been willing to fully participate in that process.
I do appreciate, and understand, the repeated calls to get this towards a courtroom however it is clear – from advice we have been given – that we, like the defendant parties, must attempt the mediation process to get it to that stage or risk costs sanctions by the High Court down the line.
Whether the mediation process will get us to the stage where we have a palatable solution to present to you as our membership is a matter for debate and I am sure that as members we all have viewpoints on that. That aside, it is a process that the Trust must go through. What I would hope will come out of that process is a third option to present to you all in the upcoming consultation which will stand alongside the two options we currently have, which are “Do nothing and carry on as we are” or “See you in court”. Both options have pros and cons that need to be carefully considered when you make your decisions.
Firstly, let me say that we have a confirmed available date for mediation of 28th February to 1st March. These dates have been confirmed with the American owners and Huw Jenkins, though the other selling shareholders have yet to confirm their availability.
We can confirm that, in November, we received a response letter from the legal representatives of the majority owners setting out their defence to our claims. It is worth noting that this response did not cause our legal representatives to reduce their view on the merits of the Trust’s case.
However, we are yet to receive a similar response from Chris Farnell (the solicitor operating on behalf of Huw Jenkins and other selling shareholders). It is clearly critical that the selling shareholders explain their position if mediation is to have any chance of success. It has been eight months since the Trust issued a detailed claim letter outlining our issues and it is extremely disappointing that the selling shareholders, who have long claimed to have the interests of the football club at heart, have not sought to engage fully in this process during that time.
In the meantime, we will continue to prepare for mediation in the hope that it can go ahead at the end of February. Outside this formal mediation process, we have held several separate discussions with the American ownership in order to seek to bring about a solution. These discussions will continue up until those mediation dates, however we are not yet able to present a proposal to our members in that regard.
One thing I should make it clear here is that, as your representatives, we have always made it clear that none of us have the authority to ‘sign a deal’. Any decision regarding agreeing a deal, or not, will be one for our members. I see the role of the Trust board as one where we will seek to negotiate with the other parties and then present the various options via a consultation with our membership as we did in 2017, with the pros and cons around each option, so that you can make an informed decision on the best route you think we should take.
It is fair to say that every one of us will have differing viewpoints on what will be the right approach to take. However, we are a democratic organisation and the Trust board will follow the results of that consultation when it happens. Given the dates I have outlined above then I would anticipate this consultation taking place during March. We should note that if mediation does not happen on these dates, due to further delays from the other parties, then the Trust Board is not prepared to extend the timeline for consultation with our members.
As mentioned, there are various possible paths we can take as a Trust. In order to provide our members with the option of taking legal action, we have also entered into discussions in order to provide litigation funding and/or legal costs insurance to both enable the Trust to take legal action but also protect the Trust in case a case is not won. Another thing that has become abundantly clear is that litigation funding and/or insurance is another of those things that is a long drawn out process to obtain. It is very easy to think that this can be achieved through a simple phone call (and maybe I believed it was much simpler than it was) but it is a complex undertaking requiring a significant amount of paperwork and legal documentation, including an update from our QC. However, our solicitors are optimistic about the outcome, as are the brokers they are using to find the best package for the Trust.
For commercial and legal reasons, we have been advised not to state more on this at this time, however when it comes to a members’ consultation, we will outline the full details surrounding this option.
As you can see, we have some critical dates coming up and the focus of the Trust Board right now is on those two mediation dates of 28th February and 1st March and events leading up to them. After that, we will fully prepare for a consultation with our members which, as in 2017, will involve the preparation of a comprehensive pack detailing the pros and cons of each option. It is difficult to know the exact timeline for that activity, which will depend on the options we have available, although clearly we are aware that the clock is ticking from 1st March onwards.
In the meantime, we will keep open the lines of communication between us and the other parties, as advised to do so by the legal team. While we would like this to be resolved as soon as possible, even before mediation if possible, what is important is that the discussions are timebound and our members can decide regarding the path we take.
I hope from this update that you can see your Trust board is making every effort to bring this issue to a conclusion and, whilst it is not as easy or as quick as most of us would like, we are gaining clarity on the various paths we can take and progressing various options.
At this point I would like to thank every member of the sub group that have worked countless hours on this. I would estimate that each of us spend in excess of 10 hours per week working through endless pages of legal updates, discussion, meetings and calls to get to this stage and, as volunteers, I do believe that this should be commended given the minefield we are trying to wade through.
We will of course revert at the end of this evening for questions around this process of which I am sure there are many so look forward to taking your views at that point.
Now before I hand over to Stuart to give his treasurer’s report it would be amiss of me not to mention the football club following our relegation back in May from the Premier League. It is fair to say that I don’t think any of us wanted to be relegated but we should applaud the job that Graham Potter has done with the team, which sees us sat in the top half of the division within touching distance of the playoffs and progressing to the 5th Round of the FA Cup. Given the decimation, and there is no other word, of the squad back in the summer it has been nothing short of remarkable that we are where we are. It has also been very pleasing to see a return to the footballing style of play that we enjoyed for many years, after the last few seasons of trying to avoid defeat and relegation.
That said, the summer transfer window was a direct result of the poor transfer dealings of the past few years and that is an area of the club that has still not been fully resolved despite requests – both privately and publicly – from the Trust for that to happen. We continue to take the stance that changes need to be made to continue the transition of getting the football club completely back on track and to ensure that some of the dreadful decisions of the past three years cannot be repeated.
I thank you all for your ongoing support of the Trust and hope that I have given you some food for thought in terms of where we are and what the short-term future is going to include for you all. We are about to reach a very large crossroads as an organisation, and it is my intention that we will present you with all the options, facts and knowledge you need to make the right decisions as Trust members as to the way forward.
I look forward to receiving your questions later this evening.
Phil Sumbler
Chairman, Swansea City Supporters Trust
MEDIATION UPDATE
I think it is fair to say that the road to mediation is long and fraught and that is probably an underestimate. Indeed, it is hard to believe that it was October that we provided the last meaningful update which, frankly, is unacceptable despite all the reasons for the ‘radio silence’ being valid.
I don’t think any of us involved in these discussions underestimated the amount of work involved but I think it is fair to say we probably underestimated just how much things can be derailed from what is a reasonably clear plan towards progress, especially when not all parties have been willing to fully participate in that process.
I do appreciate, and understand, the repeated calls to get this towards a courtroom however it is clear – from advice we have been given – that we, like the defendant parties, must attempt the mediation process to get it to that stage or risk costs sanctions by the High Court down the line.
Whether the mediation process will get us to the stage where we have a palatable solution to present to you as our membership is a matter for debate and I am sure that as members we all have viewpoints on that. That aside, it is a process that the Trust must go through. What I would hope will come out of that process is a third option to present to you all in the upcoming consultation which will stand alongside the two options we currently have, which are “Do nothing and carry on as we are” or “See you in court”. Both options have pros and cons that need to be carefully considered when you make your decisions.
Firstly, let me say that we have a confirmed available date for mediation of 28th February to 1st March. These dates have been confirmed with the American owners and Huw Jenkins, though the other selling shareholders have yet to confirm their availability.
We can confirm that, in November, we received a response letter from the legal representatives of the majority owners setting out their defence to our claims. It is worth noting that this response did not cause our legal representatives to reduce their view on the merits of the Trust’s case.
However, we are yet to receive a similar response from Chris Farnell (the solicitor operating on behalf of Huw Jenkins and other selling shareholders). It is clearly critical that the selling shareholders explain their position if mediation is to have any chance of success. It has been eight months since the Trust issued a detailed claim letter outlining our issues and it is extremely disappointing that the selling shareholders, who have long claimed to have the interests of the football club at heart, have not sought to engage fully in this process during that time.
In the meantime, we will continue to prepare for mediation in the hope that it can go ahead at the end of February. Outside this formal mediation process, we have held several separate discussions with the American ownership in order to seek to bring about a solution. These discussions will continue up until those mediation dates, however we are not yet able to present a proposal to our members in that regard.
One thing I should make it clear here is that, as your representatives, we have always made it clear that none of us have the authority to ‘sign a deal’. Any decision regarding agreeing a deal, or not, will be one for our members. I see the role of the Trust board as one where we will seek to negotiate with the other parties and then present the various options via a consultation with our membership as we did in 2017, with the pros and cons around each option, so that you can make an informed decision on the best route you think we should take.
It is fair to say that every one of us will have differing viewpoints on what will be the right approach to take. However, we are a democratic organisation and the Trust board will follow the results of that consultation when it happens. Given the dates I have outlined above then I would anticipate this consultation taking place during March. We should note that if mediation does not happen on these dates, due to further delays from the other parties, then the Trust Board is not prepared to extend the timeline for consultation with our members.
As mentioned, there are various possible paths we can take as a Trust. In order to provide our members with the option of taking legal action, we have also entered into discussions in order to provide litigation funding and/or legal costs insurance to both enable the Trust to take legal action but also protect the Trust in case a case is not won. Another thing that has become abundantly clear is that litigation funding and/or insurance is another of those things that is a long drawn out process to obtain. It is very easy to think that this can be achieved through a simple phone call (and maybe I believed it was much simpler than it was) but it is a complex undertaking requiring a significant amount of paperwork and legal documentation, including an update from our QC. However, our solicitors are optimistic about the outcome, as are the brokers they are using to find the best package for the Trust.
For commercial and legal reasons, we have been advised not to state more on this at this time, however when it comes to a members’ consultation, we will outline the full details surrounding this option.
As you can see, we have some critical dates coming up and the focus of the Trust Board right now is on those two mediation dates of 28th February and 1st March and events leading up to them. After that, we will fully prepare for a consultation with our members which, as in 2017, will involve the preparation of a comprehensive pack detailing the pros and cons of each option. It is difficult to know the exact timeline for that activity, which will depend on the options we have available, although clearly we are aware that the clock is ticking from 1st March onwards.
In the meantime, we will keep open the lines of communication between us and the other parties, as advised to do so by the legal team. While we would like this to be resolved as soon as possible, even before mediation if possible, what is important is that the discussions are timebound and our members can decide regarding the path we take.
I hope from this update that you can see your Trust board is making every effort to bring this issue to a conclusion and, whilst it is not as easy or as quick as most of us would like, we are gaining clarity on the various paths we can take and progressing various options.
At this point I would like to thank every member of the sub group that have worked countless hours on this. I would estimate that each of us spend in excess of 10 hours per week working through endless pages of legal updates, discussion, meetings and calls to get to this stage and, as volunteers, I do believe that this should be commended given the minefield we are trying to wade through.
We will of course revert at the end of this evening for questions around this process of which I am sure there are many so look forward to taking your views at that point.
Now before I hand over to Stuart to give his treasurer’s report it would be amiss of me not to mention the football club following our relegation back in May from the Premier League. It is fair to say that I don’t think any of us wanted to be relegated but we should applaud the job that Graham Potter has done with the team, which sees us sat in the top half of the division within touching distance of the playoffs and progressing to the 5th Round of the FA Cup. Given the decimation, and there is no other word, of the squad back in the summer it has been nothing short of remarkable that we are where we are. It has also been very pleasing to see a return to the footballing style of play that we enjoyed for many years, after the last few seasons of trying to avoid defeat and relegation.
That said, the summer transfer window was a direct result of the poor transfer dealings of the past few years and that is an area of the club that has still not been fully resolved despite requests – both privately and publicly – from the Trust for that to happen. We continue to take the stance that changes need to be made to continue the transition of getting the football club completely back on track and to ensure that some of the dreadful decisions of the past three years cannot be repeated.
I thank you all for your ongoing support of the Trust and hope that I have given you some food for thought in terms of where we are and what the short-term future is going to include for you all. We are about to reach a very large crossroads as an organisation, and it is my intention that we will present you with all the options, facts and knowledge you need to make the right decisions as Trust members as to the way forward.
I look forward to receiving your questions later this evening.
Phil Sumbler
Chairman, Swansea City Supporters Trust
Here is the other communication.
TRUST STATEMENT FOLLOWING CLOSURE OF TRANSFER WINDOW
Now that the transfer window has closed, the Trust notes with disappointment the fact that three players, Wilfried Bony, Jefferson Montero and Tom Carroll, have left with no replacements coming the other way to strengthen Graham Potter’s squad. It seems though that it could have been much worse, with the clear desire within the club to also move on Dan James and Leroy Fer. The Trust is relieved and pleased that both James and Fer are still Swansea City players, at least for now.
The Trust’s frustration is not that players have been allowed to leave but that there has been no effort to bring in any replacements and that both Montero and Carroll left for clubs in direct competition with the Swans, as would have been the case it seems for James and Fer.
Once again those in charge of overseeing the club’s transfer dealings have allowed last minute departures to weaken our squad significantly without seemingly have any plans to bring any players in. The final day of the transfer window proved once again that the club seemingly has little interest in ensuring we are competitive on the pitch and is prepared to leave Graham Potter with a significantly reduced squad. Graham Potter had previously said that if players leave, players would be brought in. He presumably made this comment based on assurances he had been given and yet again, he has been let down.
To say that the club’s current transfer policy, such as it is, is short sighted is an understatement and highlights the inept way the club appears to be run now. It is not unreasonable to expect a professional football club to have a plan in place for a transfer window and contingency plans to replace any players who leave. It is also unclear who in the club is responsible for making decisions, allowing confusion to reign. While yesterday could have been much worse had James and Fer left as the club wanted, it does highlight a clear desire by the club to reduce costs at the expense of on field matters.
As a Trust, we fully support the need to run the club on a financially prudent basis and understand that changes are needed to reflect our reduced income in the Championship. However, in the continued absence of detailed financial information, the Trust is unable to confirm whether the desire to move players on is the result of that financial prudence or simply a lack of ambition by our majority owners and those afforded the privilege of running the club on a day to day basis.
It is clear that the club has not learned the lessons from the disasters of previous transfer windows, nor have the desperately needed changes been made to rid the club of the individuals responsible for the mistakes which led to our relegation from the Premier League. This is despite repeated requests over the past two and a half years for the majority owners to create succession plans for the changes needed and of course comments from those in situ, including the chairman, that their own roles would become untenable in the event of relegation. To be prepared to allow five players to leave the club on the final day of a month long transfer window with no replacements lined up is gross negligence on the part of those running the club.
We are disappointed to note the apparent lack of support by the board and owners for Graham Potter, who has steered his team to within sight of the play off places and with a very realistic chance of a second successive FA Cup quarter final. Given the words of the chairman just a few short weeks ago where he stated that a promotion challenge was there for the taking, the events of the transfer window suggest that this is very far from the club’s minds.
That the club was prepared to allow Dan James, a player just breaking into the first team, to leave at the first opportunity highlights a very real lack of ambition for the club and zero support for the manager. While we support the removal of some of the club’s top earners, to consider allowing young talent like Dan to leave goes against many of the principles on which we, and our manager, would like to pride ourselves.
There are two clear things that need to happen as a direct result of this transfer window. First and once again the Trust finds itself calling for the immediate removal of Huw Jenkins as chairman. Despite the excellent job that Mr Jenkins did in supporting the Swans’ rise to the Premier League he is also largely responsible for the horrendous transfer dealings of the past few years that resulted in both our relegation and the dire situation in which we now find ourselves, where the club is prepared to offload prized assets to our immediate rivals. We have long since suggested that the club’s majority owners should have considered succession planning to replace Mr Jenkins but these words have fallen on deaf ears and the result is the current situation. The club has to stop repeating the same mistakes and the removal of the chairman is the first step towards that happening. We should not forget that our inability to move on the high earners has been a hindrance to us in the last two windows. This is a direct result of the transfer deals struck in previous windows where we have overpaid both in fees and wages for players who have failed to deliver on the pitch.
Secondly, we call on the club’s majority owners to be totally transparent and communicate to the fans the reasons for taking the decisions they have taken and were prepared to take. If the reasons are purely financial then why haven’t the significant cuts being made on the playing side been reflected off the pitch? The club has a number of highly-paid executives strongly rumoured to be paid in line with Premier League income rather than that of a financially prudent Championship club. It is time for those who made great play when they arrived of being so keen on the ownership model and close community club that they saw in Swansea City to stand true to those beliefs and be present in Swansea and accountable for the poor decisions they are making. Our wage bill off the pitch is as unsustainable in this division as we were told our on the pitch outgoings are, yet the people who made and continue to make those decisions are still being paid as though they’re somehow considered to be doing an acceptable job. They clearly aren’t.
It is therefore well overdue that the club undertakes a full review of the off the field staff, overall costs and budgets and ensures these are in line with a club in the Championship with a vastly reduced income.
The continued reduction in numbers of the first team squad and the continued presence of the former shareholders and their extended families enjoying the hospitality of the football club are a smack in the face of the club’s supporters. For these reasons, the club is as far detached from its fan base now as it has ever have been in the club’s history.
Changes simply need to be made and the events of the most recent transfer window serve to highlight that beyond all doubt yet again.
The Swans Trust Team
It's good to see that The Trust shares our concerns and have gone public with them. Our owners and the Board have got away with far too much for far too long and it's about time they were reined in. I'd like to think that if life at the Liberty was made too uncomfortable for them, they'd look to sell the club and BUGGER OFF!! Next week would suit me fine.
TRUST STATEMENT FOLLOWING CLOSURE OF TRANSFER WINDOW
Now that the transfer window has closed, the Trust notes with disappointment the fact that three players, Wilfried Bony, Jefferson Montero and Tom Carroll, have left with no replacements coming the other way to strengthen Graham Potter’s squad. It seems though that it could have been much worse, with the clear desire within the club to also move on Dan James and Leroy Fer. The Trust is relieved and pleased that both James and Fer are still Swansea City players, at least for now.
The Trust’s frustration is not that players have been allowed to leave but that there has been no effort to bring in any replacements and that both Montero and Carroll left for clubs in direct competition with the Swans, as would have been the case it seems for James and Fer.
Once again those in charge of overseeing the club’s transfer dealings have allowed last minute departures to weaken our squad significantly without seemingly have any plans to bring any players in. The final day of the transfer window proved once again that the club seemingly has little interest in ensuring we are competitive on the pitch and is prepared to leave Graham Potter with a significantly reduced squad. Graham Potter had previously said that if players leave, players would be brought in. He presumably made this comment based on assurances he had been given and yet again, he has been let down.
To say that the club’s current transfer policy, such as it is, is short sighted is an understatement and highlights the inept way the club appears to be run now. It is not unreasonable to expect a professional football club to have a plan in place for a transfer window and contingency plans to replace any players who leave. It is also unclear who in the club is responsible for making decisions, allowing confusion to reign. While yesterday could have been much worse had James and Fer left as the club wanted, it does highlight a clear desire by the club to reduce costs at the expense of on field matters.
As a Trust, we fully support the need to run the club on a financially prudent basis and understand that changes are needed to reflect our reduced income in the Championship. However, in the continued absence of detailed financial information, the Trust is unable to confirm whether the desire to move players on is the result of that financial prudence or simply a lack of ambition by our majority owners and those afforded the privilege of running the club on a day to day basis.
It is clear that the club has not learned the lessons from the disasters of previous transfer windows, nor have the desperately needed changes been made to rid the club of the individuals responsible for the mistakes which led to our relegation from the Premier League. This is despite repeated requests over the past two and a half years for the majority owners to create succession plans for the changes needed and of course comments from those in situ, including the chairman, that their own roles would become untenable in the event of relegation. To be prepared to allow five players to leave the club on the final day of a month long transfer window with no replacements lined up is gross negligence on the part of those running the club.
We are disappointed to note the apparent lack of support by the board and owners for Graham Potter, who has steered his team to within sight of the play off places and with a very realistic chance of a second successive FA Cup quarter final. Given the words of the chairman just a few short weeks ago where he stated that a promotion challenge was there for the taking, the events of the transfer window suggest that this is very far from the club’s minds.
That the club was prepared to allow Dan James, a player just breaking into the first team, to leave at the first opportunity highlights a very real lack of ambition for the club and zero support for the manager. While we support the removal of some of the club’s top earners, to consider allowing young talent like Dan to leave goes against many of the principles on which we, and our manager, would like to pride ourselves.
There are two clear things that need to happen as a direct result of this transfer window. First and once again the Trust finds itself calling for the immediate removal of Huw Jenkins as chairman. Despite the excellent job that Mr Jenkins did in supporting the Swans’ rise to the Premier League he is also largely responsible for the horrendous transfer dealings of the past few years that resulted in both our relegation and the dire situation in which we now find ourselves, where the club is prepared to offload prized assets to our immediate rivals. We have long since suggested that the club’s majority owners should have considered succession planning to replace Mr Jenkins but these words have fallen on deaf ears and the result is the current situation. The club has to stop repeating the same mistakes and the removal of the chairman is the first step towards that happening. We should not forget that our inability to move on the high earners has been a hindrance to us in the last two windows. This is a direct result of the transfer deals struck in previous windows where we have overpaid both in fees and wages for players who have failed to deliver on the pitch.
Secondly, we call on the club’s majority owners to be totally transparent and communicate to the fans the reasons for taking the decisions they have taken and were prepared to take. If the reasons are purely financial then why haven’t the significant cuts being made on the playing side been reflected off the pitch? The club has a number of highly-paid executives strongly rumoured to be paid in line with Premier League income rather than that of a financially prudent Championship club. It is time for those who made great play when they arrived of being so keen on the ownership model and close community club that they saw in Swansea City to stand true to those beliefs and be present in Swansea and accountable for the poor decisions they are making. Our wage bill off the pitch is as unsustainable in this division as we were told our on the pitch outgoings are, yet the people who made and continue to make those decisions are still being paid as though they’re somehow considered to be doing an acceptable job. They clearly aren’t.
It is therefore well overdue that the club undertakes a full review of the off the field staff, overall costs and budgets and ensures these are in line with a club in the Championship with a vastly reduced income.
The continued reduction in numbers of the first team squad and the continued presence of the former shareholders and their extended families enjoying the hospitality of the football club are a smack in the face of the club’s supporters. For these reasons, the club is as far detached from its fan base now as it has ever have been in the club’s history.
Changes simply need to be made and the events of the most recent transfer window serve to highlight that beyond all doubt yet again.
The Swans Trust Team
It's good to see that The Trust shares our concerns and have gone public with them. Our owners and the Board have got away with far too much for far too long and it's about time they were reined in. I'd like to think that if life at the Liberty was made too uncomfortable for them, they'd look to sell the club and BUGGER OFF!! Next week would suit me fine.