Dick Knight - Bold , Brave, Big Wallet, Our Saviour

[Uncle Spielberg]

Lets have a reality check here. Some of the headline threads against Knight are an utter disgrace. Knight has been bold, brave and decisive. He has done what he thought had to be done for the good of the long term prosperity of the club. the same really as he has done for the last 11 years.

Reading some of the appaling comments Knight would be fully justified in telling us all to f*ck off and leave us in the lurch. WHERE WOULD WE BE THEN ?. What a terrible way to treat the greatest chairman we have ever had. Knight brought us back from Gillingham and certain oblivion, he got Withdean, he has fought tirelessly for 10 years to get the Falmer stadium, NEVER giving up even though some people on here called it a " pipe deam ". Setback after setback. Weaker men would have walked away. We would have sunk faster than the Titanic.

Knight has appointed a succession of top grade managers unprecedented at this club. Horton, Adams, Coppell, Taylor, McGhee. We have had 3 promotions and 2 championships, 3 seasons in the 2nd tier of English football whilst playing on a shoe string in an old athletics stadium. We have competed, punched above our weight.

Knight is working full time to get the finances in place and Falmer will start to be built within 6 months and we will be delivered our stadium in less than 2 years. Knight needed a name to get investment in, someone with passion, someone with media speak, someone with nous and gravitas, someone who could attract players, someone with a track record, that someone is Micky Adams. Have people forgotten the glorious 2 years , only 5 years ago when we swept all aside to win the league and pushed forward the season after.

Wilkins did a job in steadying the ship and has been offered an important job with the club. He has not sacked him. It was a brave decision but I have a passion and excitement now I have not had for 2 years. It has made me decide to renew my 2 tickets and I guess its added 1000 more like me.

Dick Knight has been the greatest chairman we have had and his relentless work is appreciated I hope by the vast majority of Albion fans. At 70 to still have such drive, passion and determination is an inspiration and I am disgusted at the comments on this board from certain people.

Get a grip.

 

[Jake Manthorpe]

Hear Hear

 

[skr80]

You speak some cr*p sometimes - but kind of agree with you on this one..

 

[Gareth24]

Good work.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Wilkins did a job in steadying the ship and has been offered an important job with the club. He has not sacked him.
Get a grip.

Get a grip yourself. Of course he's sacked him. I hope Wilkins screws the club for constructive dimissal - he's being shat on.

 

[shaun_rc]

re: the original message about DK.

Hear hear. Must admit to being uneasy about the way Wilkins has been treated - he deserves a lot of credit for last year and the team we have now and hope he'll still be around, but DK's part in the history of the Albion has been immense...

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Get a grip yourself. Of course he's sacked him. I hope Wilkins screws the club for constructive dimissal - he's being shat on.

The last time I read the statement it said " Wilkins has been offered the role of first team coach ".

Am I wrong ?.

 

[Gully]

I guess if we go up as Champions next season then this decision will have been vindicated, however I believe that Dean has done a remarkable job with limited resources, he must be feeling pretty hard done by when you consider that we only just missed out on the play-offs.

On another thread we mused about the end of season clear-out and how, if we sign the right players, it would be a clear statement of intent in the run up to Falmer...changing your manager is also a pretty bold one.

I am still somewhat in shock about this, we have brought back a manager who did assemble a decent squad, much of which got us promoted to our current division and then had us yo-yo-ing in and out of the Championship...a fine acheivement in anyones book. I would only temper this with caution that Mickey hardly has a Championship pedegree, both Coventry and Leicester are in an awful state...is that down to him, probably not entirely, but I am not entirely convinced that this is the right thing to do...I hope to be proven entirely wrong in my opinion.

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

I agree threads slagging Dick Knight are out of order, however the manner of this action will leave many, including me, uneasy.

It may well turn out to be a good move, and I will give the benefit of the doubt for now. I can't help thinking Wilkins should have been given the chance to get us up next year.

 

[FamilyGuy]

I guess if we go up as Champions next season then this decision will have been vindicated, however I believe that Dean has done a remarkable job with limited resources, he must be feeling pretty hard done by when you consider that we only just missed out on the play-offs.

On another thread we mused about the end of season clear-out and how, if we sign the right players, it would be a clear statement of intent in the run up to Falmer...changing your manager is also a pretty bold one.

I am still somewhat in shock about this, we have brought back a manager who did assemble a decent squad, much of which got us promoted to our current division and then had us yo-yo-ing in and out of the Championship...a fine acheivement in anyones book. I would only temper this with caution that Mickey hardly has a Championship pedegree, both Coventry and Leicester are in an awful state...is that down to him, probably not entirely, but I am not entirely convinced that this is the right thing to do...I hope to be proven entirely wrong in my opinion.

What he said.

Onward and upwards

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

DK has been part of not just saving our club but keeping it alive.

I will be sad when he goes, thank you DK the round of aplause he got at the Falmer Forum by a packed Hove Town hall spoke volumes and shows he has support of the fans and community.

 

[itszamora]

So US and others... if I'm reading this correctly - if you'd done your job and performed BETTER THAN EXPECTED (how many predicted top 10 this time last year, let alone 7th) and then got demoted in favour of the guy who did your job pretty well 7 years ago but since then has pretty much failed wherever he's been, you'd be cool with that? Because that's the impression you seem to be giving out. I think a lot of people (me included) probably prefer Adams as manager over Wilkins, but can't help but think the way Wilkins has been knifed in the back is a disgrace.

 

[butchy]

excellent post US...i think as usual some people on NSC are getting a little carried away with things

 

[itszamora]

excellent post US...i think as usual some people on NSC are getting a little carried away with things

And the people instantly creaming themselves before Adams has done a thing aren't?!!

 

[Gully]

Exactly, what if we finish in 15th place next season...who will look silly then and who will be entitled to wear a slightly smug grin on his face?

 

[steward 433]

Top post Gareth

Bold move, Whether it's the right one i guess we will know in 12 months until then we must ALL get behind the team and Manager

 

[Mendoza]

is there not a chance, that Knight didnt sanction this move, and he is stepping aside to a new chairman that put the money in and appointed Adams?

Just a theory like

 

[withdeanwombat]

It's lucky that NSC is only a minority of Albion fans comprised of big mouths like me with more hot air than money.

Mr Knight will know what's said on this board,but will take more notice of the one of which he is chairman.

I'm a 100% Mr Knight man,and regard the changes made as excellent,if tardy.

Keep up the good work you do for the club and all its supporters,even twormlessgats like me!

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

So US and others... if I'm reading this correctly - if you'd done your job and performed BETTER THAN EXPECTED (how many predicted top 10 this time last year, let alone 7th) and then got demoted in favour of the guy who did your job pretty well 7 years ago but since then has pretty much failed wherever he's been, you'd be cool with that? Because that's the impression you seem to be giving out. I think a lot of people (me included) probably prefer Adams as manager over Wilkins, but can't help but think the way Wilkins has been knifed in the back is a disgrace.

Sam

I wasn't crowing about 7th. 7th is meaninless it is as usefull as 20th. The first season and 18th was in my book a disaster, the football we played at home turned off huge swathes of supporters. I dod not believe Wilkins would have taken us forward and I think we would have been a mid table club next season. The club need promotion in the next 2 years and I do not believe Wilkins would have delivered this. Season ticket renewals must be woeful under 2000 ?. Really Wilkins should have been relieved of his services when we finished 18th.

 

[itszamora]

is there not a chance, that Knight didnt sanction this move, and he is stepping aside to a new chairman that put the money in and appointed Adams?

Just a theory like

So basically Wilkins was Knight's/Adams' puppet over the 10 players.... but in turn Knight is someone else's puppet over this? Intriguing...