Norman Baker suck my lozenge
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As wrong as the way Knight got rid of Wilkins for thickey Adams?
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Dick Knight in today's Argus
- Thread starter Brighton Breezy
- Start date
As wrong as the way Knight got rid of Wilkins for thickey Adams?
Anything to do with his son ?!?
Postman Pat
Well-known member
For those that cannot see The Argus site:
Knight voices concerns over 'corporate' Albion
10:05am Thursday 27th June 2013 in Sport By Andy Naylor
Dick Knight has stepped down as supremo of Albion In The Community amid concerns about the club's growing corporate image.
Knight, who launched the Seagulls' award-winning charitable arm eight years ago, has reservations about the direction the club is heading in under his successor as chairman Tony Bloom and chief executive Paul Barber.
Knight told The Argus: "We keep hearing the club has to change and that the brand is all-important. But you have to understand what the brand is all about. I know about brands.
"You have to be careful that you don't lose your identity. With the Albion, that means keeping the right balance between community and corporate.
"The way they want to take AITC now is to be more like a corporate arm of the club. That is why this is the time for me to stand down."
Knight has also criticised Albion's handling of Gus Poyet's departure as manager and has urged them to resolve the future of first team coach Charlie Oatway, who remains suspended and under investigation for alleged breach of contract.
He said: "With Gus and the club, ‘It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this?’I’ve told Tony that I think it was unfortunate the club made the decision to publicly suspend the man that brought us the best football we have seen in years.
"The turmoil created has been damaging, both to the club and Gus, and I'm not sure it needed to happen like that. The club should have dealt with it in house. But at the end of the day, Tony is running the show now and he makes the decisions."
Knight added: "We still have the unanswered issue of Charlie Oatway, whose suspension is still in the air. It has been over six weeks. To deal with a true servant of the club in that way is absolutely wrong.
"It's his testimonial this year and he pledged to give 50 per cent of his takings to Albion In The Community. He has already given us several thousands of pounds, but the big one would have been the Liverpool friendly match.
"That would probably have attracted a crowd of around 20,000 and AITC would have received something like £60,000 from that, which highlights Charlie’s very generous offer, and that match has now been cancelled.
"They need to resolve the Charlie issue now and resolve it positively for him."
Knight voices concerns over 'corporate' Albion
10:05am Thursday 27th June 2013 in Sport By Andy Naylor
Dick Knight has stepped down as supremo of Albion In The Community amid concerns about the club's growing corporate image.
Knight, who launched the Seagulls' award-winning charitable arm eight years ago, has reservations about the direction the club is heading in under his successor as chairman Tony Bloom and chief executive Paul Barber.
Knight told The Argus: "We keep hearing the club has to change and that the brand is all-important. But you have to understand what the brand is all about. I know about brands.
"You have to be careful that you don't lose your identity. With the Albion, that means keeping the right balance between community and corporate.
"The way they want to take AITC now is to be more like a corporate arm of the club. That is why this is the time for me to stand down."
Knight has also criticised Albion's handling of Gus Poyet's departure as manager and has urged them to resolve the future of first team coach Charlie Oatway, who remains suspended and under investigation for alleged breach of contract.
He said: "With Gus and the club, ‘It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this?’I’ve told Tony that I think it was unfortunate the club made the decision to publicly suspend the man that brought us the best football we have seen in years.
"The turmoil created has been damaging, both to the club and Gus, and I'm not sure it needed to happen like that. The club should have dealt with it in house. But at the end of the day, Tony is running the show now and he makes the decisions."
Knight added: "We still have the unanswered issue of Charlie Oatway, whose suspension is still in the air. It has been over six weeks. To deal with a true servant of the club in that way is absolutely wrong.
"It's his testimonial this year and he pledged to give 50 per cent of his takings to Albion In The Community. He has already given us several thousands of pounds, but the big one would have been the Liverpool friendly match.
"That would probably have attracted a crowd of around 20,000 and AITC would have received something like £60,000 from that, which highlights Charlie’s very generous offer, and that match has now been cancelled.
"They need to resolve the Charlie issue now and resolve it positively for him."
Lincoln Imp
Well-known member
- Feb 2, 2009
- 5,964
And as a brief historical postscript to this, Martin Perry was prepared to sit alongside the chairman of the club on the evening when the decision was enacted in spite of his personal views. We must all applaud him for that. At times like these we need to remind ourselves that standing together in unity is as great an attribute for a football club as it is for a political party.
Twinkle Toes
Growing old disgracefully
I've finally got round to reading today's DK article. It certainly was an interesting read & a refreshing change from all the corperate/on-message/cloak & dagger stuff we're becoming accustomed to. Unfortunately it's come about as he's been removed from his AITC baby, but I guess that's gonna be the time when he can comment more openly about his thoughts on the club's current strategies. I thoroughly agree with his observation about the delicate balance that needs to be struck between the corporate & community aspects of our club, but I can't help but think the former is in danger of becoming all-consuming. Perhaps many supporters feel this is the way The Albion need to be in these days of FFP & accessing the riches of the Premier League, but I'm unashamedly 'old school' in my preferences concerning the game I love. I had a horrible realisation when I first saw the the the prominence of AMERICAN EXPRESS compared to that of the accompanying COMMUNITY STADIUM that's emblazoned on the outside of our new home, and I certainly think those initial fears are being hammered home now. I recognise we couldn't continue in this brave new world without implementing the necessary changes to the way the club functions, but I feel there is a real danger of them throwing the community baby out with the old bathwater (if it hasn't already done so). I guess I'll just have to wait and see how things pan out...
Perhaps .........
But there has always been grievances at all clubs, this is nothing new, maybe just a different gripe.
Oscar
Well-known member
- Nov 10, 2003
- 3,852
I think the issue Knight raises is not so much the change in the club, it's more the change football has gone through in the last few years. Like it or not, the club has to evolve into something quite different to what it was to compete at the top level or at least hope to get there.
That said, it does worry me that we might slowly lose the community we built in dragging the club away from its past troubles and getting the Amex.
That said, it does worry me that we might slowly lose the community we built in dragging the club away from its past troubles and getting the Amex.
Barrel of Fun
Abort, retry, fail
How did Knight propose to deal with Gus in house if the club and the manager could not come to an agreement in the severance package?
ROSM
Well-known member
I think there's an irony that on the day of this change and all the discussion it causes, that one of our rivals, millwall up the road, has given free advertising on their shirts to a charity, agreed to help raise 100k for charity and turned down sponsorship from a payday loan company.
So perhaps its not all gone corporate.
So perhaps its not all gone corporate.
ROSM
Well-known member
Agreement was reached with wood, gritt, hinshelwood, mm, Wilkins and Adams who were all fired under his tenure. We managed to reach an agreement with tanno too.
Barrel of Fun
Abort, retry, fail
Absolutely. But you are providing examples of people we were able to reach an agreement with. Tanno and Slade whilst under the watchful eye of Bloom. It seems Poyet is a different kettle of fish.
ROSM
Well-known member
I think the different kettle is that we didn't want to pay him to leave. There may have been an element of wanting to put him in his place too
Isnt the difference that the club didnt want him to leave, he was walking.
Wholly different dynamics.
ROSM
Well-known member
If its a case of not wanting him to leave, then suspending him before sacking him is a very strange way to go about it.
pork pie
New member
No it isn't he is full of shite.
Winging that the Club are no linger run like a village hall committee as it was under him.
He should remember that he only has any shares, and is not a laughing stock, becuase Tony Bloom came up with the cash to keep the club afloat for his final years "in charge", and build Falmer. Tight never had the money to build Falmer sorted, as we now know.
Maybe he will also resign his title of President, if he does not like what is going on!
The Large One
Who's Next?
What do you think of our new managerial appointment?
Dick Knight will ALWAYS be BHAFC's greatest ever Chairman for me and that is all I want to add to the debate.
Surely it needs to be resolved fairly and justly, regardless of whether it is positive for the club, Charlie, both or neither.
cattlin'srockshop
New member
I thought that a laudable ambition, especially given the budget restraints at the time. As a Brighton boy watching the Albion since the early 70s, I very much enjoyed and was proud of us playing lots of local and Sussex lads (a novelty for us in my years watching) and almost making the play offs in div 3 (old money). I'm not saying I prefer that to where we are now, or that I have any beef with Dick Knight, indeed I hold him in very high esteem, but it had a real value in its own right and in terms of Albion supporting and watching for me, and Wilkins deserves high praise for that imo.
I'd have kept Wilkins rather than bring Adams back at the time, though whether we could have reached where we are today with Dean is impossible to say. I would think he would have used the Bloom budget to cast his net wider rather than him being wed to the idea of playing Sussex lads.
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