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Paul Nicholas is a bank manager who is best known on this site for his frequent missives to the press - usually pulling them up on one point or another.
Like many Swans fans, Paul caught the fever in the First Division 70's and after a prolonged spell with no symptoms, thought he was cured.
But then along came Molby and the disease resurfaced.
In his own words ... "and now I got it bad again doctor."
Tuesday 17th September 2002One of American comedian Steven Wright's famous lines is 'Someone broke into my house last night and replaced everything I had with an exact replica'. Anyone relate to this from watching the games this year, and reflecting back on last season? Indeed from reading the messages that are being thrown around the mailing list and Guestbook at the moment, many fans are no doubt feeling the sense of déjà vu that we all hoped would pass us by. Whatever the magnetic power of unrest and disenchantment, we as a club are certainly drawn towards it, and with performances on the field, particularly away from home, at least matching some of the worse seen in recent years, you surely have to start to question exactly what the root problems are at the club. We have new owners, a new board, a new management team (several in fact), and ten new players, but the problems on the field that threw the club so close to the recycling bin last year (and avoided only by Addison and Nicholas' short but future saving stay at the club) are there for us all to enjoy once again. Also, it seems, are the backroom personality clashes that can have such an effect on any team, sporting or otherwise. When, last season, regular fans questioned the passion of the players and their desire to play and perform for the club, the end of term clear out was greeted with much enthusiasm, and even though the incoming players were unfamiliar names (except of course James Thomas), the expectation of new for old being more for better than for worse, was high. So what has gone wrong, and more to the point, what is happening at the club when previously respected players such as Andrew Mumford (rewarded for loyalty and performance with a new two year contract) and Jason Smith (a well paid but more recently an all to often injured squad member), are rumoured at being at odds with the board and management, and totally uninterested in giving anything in return for their employers' faith. One thing that seems to have been lost on most footballers in recent years, even those at lower division clubs, is that first and foremost they are club employees, remunerated for doing a job. Far too often they appear to be of the opinion (with a few exceptions) that they are due their Andy Warhol Fifteen Minutes of Fame and intend to take it, and all that goes with it, whether they deserve it or not. A sense of reality and responsibility wouldn't go amiss with some of these people. The options available to the board as to how they will resolve the critical issues that are now before them maybe limited, but hopefully they will not be further constrained by anyone's fear of humiliation over reversing decisions that were seen as sound at the time they were initially made. Surely it is better to act assertively now, either with a vote of confidence in Cusack, or by replacing him. Financially the prospect of buying out his contract at this early stage of proceedings may not hold much attraction, or even potential, but a vote of confidence at this juncture given his poor record after eighteen games would only be a gesture I am sure. We cannot afford any more such gestures of loyalty; we have a crisis that we have to address now. Only those sitting around the long table will know how they hope to address this. So what of the fans, and perhaps even, what of the role of the Trust in situations like this? Born out of a galvanising campaign against previous rogue owners, the Trust now finds itself deeply involved in this latest crisis, from within. Where or how is the voice of the fan being taken into any discussions? We can't have much of a say in the appointment of officials, that is accepted, but surely we can make honest representations through the Trust director of our feelings and expect a response. Is it acceptable for a Trust to simply reflect the views of the board; a point that has been raised many times in the past? There seems to be very little comment surfacing from the Trust Board itself at the moment, and as fan representatives, do they intend to seek the views of the people who support them to add agenda items to main board discussions. Having a say in what kit we should wear, is fine, but there are a lot of Trust members, and even more non-members, paying good money each week to watch a club that seems to be hurtling towards the centre of the earth at an ever increasing speed, and everything does not automatically fall into safe hands just because we have a fan representative on the board, and the owners are local. So what of the immediate problems, and particularly the game at Boston on Wednesday night? What would the fans' reaction be to any of the possible results? A loss on Wednesday, and us occupying bottom place in the League would surely be the death knell for Cusack and Curtis' reign as the management team, provided the board have a plausible alternative lined up stage right. If there is no alternative, then does a reaction to the results matter at all as regards the future? If we were to draw, or even win, on Wednesday, would fans suddenly see that as the light, no matter how distant, at the end of the tunnel? Would this signal a respite for Messrs Cusack and Curtis, from fans and board, and give them the chance to prove that they can sustain this recovery over say, the next 3 games initially. For many fans, they thought they had seen that little candle last Wednesday, so may not be fooled by some ghostly apparition for a second time, especially if they witnessed the horrors of last Saturday at the Racecourse. I believe that Wednesday's result is almost irrelevant to our current problems, which lie much deeper within the club than our position in the league. The three points would be invaluable naturally, but it will not eliminate the festering roots of discontent that are alive and well; that will take a little more than a mild injection of relief. So much good work has been done, but the realisation of just how far this has brought us, and how much progress we have actually made, is now clear. Financial, personnel and performance issues are deeply intertwined; with the CVA constraints on spend against budget a constant reminder on a day-to-day basis of how delicate a situation we are in. Performances and results dictate the weekly income through the gates, and the weekly income will determine the ability of the club to emerge from this straight jacket to some semblance of freedom in eighteen months time or sooner of the coffers allow. The board has constantly assured us that whilst the position is far from healthy, the finances are balanced, and the club will survive, even in the absence of the ITV Digital television income. This reminds me of two other people, when relating stories of their financial circumstances. Jackie Mason once said 'I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I have to buy something', and Henry Youngman, who is credited with the quote 'I've got all the money I'll ever need, if I die by 4 o'clock this afternoon'. Let's hope that the assurances we have been given are a little more substantial and comforting than either of these, and that whatever cash resources are available, whether generated through club activities, or from investment offers, are used wisely, and situations reacted to quickly once all options have been considered, to steer us away from what at present appears to be more painful and likely death than last year threatened. Is this an over-reaction? Well that will depend on how prepared the fans are to accept that things will turn around, and how much time they are prepared to allow before the crisis becomes a real crisis. It will also depend on how long the board are prepared to allow matters to continue unabated, and whether they have any real alternative plans to drive forward. Hopefully the next few days may reveal something of their vision, and trigger another line of debate for the long-suffering fans. If anyone has any feedback to give me, I'd love to hear from you at pauly@scfc.co.uk You can comment on this article by visiting the guestbook Previous articles:
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