William Henry Foulkes
Big Member
Listen here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03k5n6p
Good interview by Rob Staton. Took place this morning I think.
McCabe generally answers directly, but is surprisingly prickly, and takes the questions personally. Seemingly has little or no concept that Staton (who might personally already know some/many of the answers) is doing his job, acting "naive", and relaying questions that fans want the answers to. It's basic journalism.
RS: Baxter? (who's he?)
KM: No further comment to add to the statement.
RS: Distracting?
KM: There are lots of distractions running a football club.
RS: Will it be drawn out?
KM: We want it to move quickly but there are other organisations involved
RS: Some supporters are a little bit fed up (a little bit!) with the situation
KM: (First prickly response when he asks for clarification of the question - "Situation about what?") Fans are as frustrated as we are. Shared by everyone at the club. Promotion is the expectation.
RS: Why no JTW signings?
KM: We couldn't find anyone we wanted to sign, not for lack of effort - same for loans now - need to add to first team. Mistakes made in the past.
RS: So if Adkins says he wants a player and the financial situation is right he can sign him?
KM: Yes - The crux of one very significant matter - but the Q&A won't really help as different people will interpret the right financial situation differently
RS: Why haven't you shown ambition to get into the Championship and put more money into the club?
KM: You know how to respond Rob bc you know the facts and figures - really strange answer RS has by now explicitly pointed out he's asking on behalf of the fans - enormous amounts of money put into the stadium, the pitch, the academy, the playing squad
RS: Has enough been spent on the playing squad?
KM: Transfer fees of today's squad ~£4m but also Bosman means wages, contracts are a very significant expense. Wages are second only to Wigan. Talk of taking money out of the club is ridiculous. Brought in not 5 or 6, 50 or 60 players in total. - sounds like hyperbole: 50 or 60? - Brought in too many. Recruitment not been good. There's been pressure on managers to spend money bc we're in League One. Level of funding provided should have brought success. Mentions three close calls esp the Ched season. Anybody who says we're not putting money in to support a manager, it's a silly statement
RS: "Game changing investment" - not been the case?
KM: It's been planned to be the case - promotion to the Championship would have been game changing, we've come close
RS: How much have you put in?
KM: My family has put in ~£90m over a very long time. The Prince - a wonderful guy just as frustrated as any supporter - has put in £15m so far. This season we've put in £8m [combined]. We're not a selling club. Only sell players who want to leave. Our aim is promotion back to the Championship, then on to the Premiership - it's a written statement between the Prince and myself, fact. - Side note: If we only sell players who want to leave then a few will stick around as it's a cushy number. Why leave if you don't have to. Might account for the bloated squad? Maybe we need to sell more players not fewer
RS: Murphy? Maguire?
KM: Eg Murphy Brighton can offer far far more
RS: Has the Murphy money been spent?
KM: Of course it has - This is poor all round. Reinvested in the first team can only reasonably be interpreted as sell for £1.5m then buy for £1.5m not sell for £1.5m and then invest £1.5m in wages even though technically, professionally even, that might be correct. At the very least this is poor communication. There should have been understanding of this at the time of Jim's (?) statement and acknowledgement of it by KM here. No understanding of a fan's experience, expectations, and frustrations around a key issue.
RS: Second biggest wage budget means you're failing?
KM: Take away frustrations and support the club, aim for promotion
RS: Is Adkins safe? Promotion or not? - best listening to this yourself if you can
KM: The support continues. I believe in Nigel.
RS: Not a ringing endorsement - the exact wording initially at any rate isn't but I'm not sure how you can answer this question fairly
KM: (To and fro concluding in) I expect Nigel to be with us next season without any shadow of a doubt, yes.
RS: Eight in 8½ years
KM: All managers chosen with good judgement - but there have been pressures - not been willy nilly
RS: Do you share his long term vision
KM: It's a written statement - not quite clear exactly what is written but presumably PL
RS: Fallout with Prince
KM: No fall out. No drama.
RS: Who runs it day to day - you're out the country?
KM: I've built corporations for many decades - don't know why the fans should be concerned - mentions the technical board process - will be sharing a cup of tea with Adkins after this interview - the fans should not be concerned is a bit Marie Antoinette
RS: Do you [the club] have recruitment know how?
KM: Of course we do
RS: Willing to sell up? Had enough of the criticism?
KM: I'm not hard to get hold of. If you've got credentials then pick the phone up - I'm not a difficult man to talk to - if you've got proposals come and talk. Will I give in? No. No reason for real despair.
RS: What are the costs given support of 20 000?
KM: We will lose £8m plus this year. We're too big a club. Mentions installing cold showers to be a bit hungrier. I don't know what the answer is but we employ people to give us the answer and Nigel Adkins and his team are a top class manager and top class team.
Some of the very key issues eg game changing investment, Murphy money reinvested in the first team, were and are poorly handled - but to me it looks more like (sometimes enormous) cock-up rather than conspiracy.
And chucking £90m(!) of your own money at the club should perhaps entitle you to some degree of patience and understanding
Good interview by Rob Staton. Took place this morning I think.
McCabe generally answers directly, but is surprisingly prickly, and takes the questions personally. Seemingly has little or no concept that Staton (who might personally already know some/many of the answers) is doing his job, acting "naive", and relaying questions that fans want the answers to. It's basic journalism.
RS: Baxter? (who's he?)
KM: No further comment to add to the statement.
RS: Distracting?
KM: There are lots of distractions running a football club.
RS: Will it be drawn out?
KM: We want it to move quickly but there are other organisations involved
RS: Some supporters are a little bit fed up (a little bit!) with the situation
KM: (First prickly response when he asks for clarification of the question - "Situation about what?") Fans are as frustrated as we are. Shared by everyone at the club. Promotion is the expectation.
RS: Why no JTW signings?
KM: We couldn't find anyone we wanted to sign, not for lack of effort - same for loans now - need to add to first team. Mistakes made in the past.
RS: So if Adkins says he wants a player and the financial situation is right he can sign him?
KM: Yes - The crux of one very significant matter - but the Q&A won't really help as different people will interpret the right financial situation differently
RS: Why haven't you shown ambition to get into the Championship and put more money into the club?
KM: You know how to respond Rob bc you know the facts and figures - really strange answer RS has by now explicitly pointed out he's asking on behalf of the fans - enormous amounts of money put into the stadium, the pitch, the academy, the playing squad
RS: Has enough been spent on the playing squad?
KM: Transfer fees of today's squad ~£4m but also Bosman means wages, contracts are a very significant expense. Wages are second only to Wigan. Talk of taking money out of the club is ridiculous. Brought in not 5 or 6, 50 or 60 players in total. - sounds like hyperbole: 50 or 60? - Brought in too many. Recruitment not been good. There's been pressure on managers to spend money bc we're in League One. Level of funding provided should have brought success. Mentions three close calls esp the Ched season. Anybody who says we're not putting money in to support a manager, it's a silly statement
RS: "Game changing investment" - not been the case?
KM: It's been planned to be the case - promotion to the Championship would have been game changing, we've come close
RS: How much have you put in?
KM: My family has put in ~£90m over a very long time. The Prince - a wonderful guy just as frustrated as any supporter - has put in £15m so far. This season we've put in £8m [combined]. We're not a selling club. Only sell players who want to leave. Our aim is promotion back to the Championship, then on to the Premiership - it's a written statement between the Prince and myself, fact. - Side note: If we only sell players who want to leave then a few will stick around as it's a cushy number. Why leave if you don't have to. Might account for the bloated squad? Maybe we need to sell more players not fewer
RS: Murphy? Maguire?
KM: Eg Murphy Brighton can offer far far more
RS: Has the Murphy money been spent?
KM: Of course it has - This is poor all round. Reinvested in the first team can only reasonably be interpreted as sell for £1.5m then buy for £1.5m not sell for £1.5m and then invest £1.5m in wages even though technically, professionally even, that might be correct. At the very least this is poor communication. There should have been understanding of this at the time of Jim's (?) statement and acknowledgement of it by KM here. No understanding of a fan's experience, expectations, and frustrations around a key issue.
RS: Second biggest wage budget means you're failing?
KM: Take away frustrations and support the club, aim for promotion
RS: Is Adkins safe? Promotion or not? - best listening to this yourself if you can
KM: The support continues. I believe in Nigel.
RS: Not a ringing endorsement - the exact wording initially at any rate isn't but I'm not sure how you can answer this question fairly
KM: (To and fro concluding in) I expect Nigel to be with us next season without any shadow of a doubt, yes.
RS: Eight in 8½ years
KM: All managers chosen with good judgement - but there have been pressures - not been willy nilly
RS: Do you share his long term vision
KM: It's a written statement - not quite clear exactly what is written but presumably PL
RS: Fallout with Prince
KM: No fall out. No drama.
RS: Who runs it day to day - you're out the country?
KM: I've built corporations for many decades - don't know why the fans should be concerned - mentions the technical board process - will be sharing a cup of tea with Adkins after this interview - the fans should not be concerned is a bit Marie Antoinette
RS: Do you [the club] have recruitment know how?
KM: Of course we do
RS: Willing to sell up? Had enough of the criticism?
KM: I'm not hard to get hold of. If you've got credentials then pick the phone up - I'm not a difficult man to talk to - if you've got proposals come and talk. Will I give in? No. No reason for real despair.
RS: What are the costs given support of 20 000?
KM: We will lose £8m plus this year. We're too big a club. Mentions installing cold showers to be a bit hungrier. I don't know what the answer is but we employ people to give us the answer and Nigel Adkins and his team are a top class manager and top class team.
Some of the very key issues eg game changing investment, Murphy money reinvested in the first team, were and are poorly handled - but to me it looks more like (sometimes enormous) cock-up rather than conspiracy.
And chucking £90m(!) of your own money at the club should perhaps entitle you to some degree of patience and understanding
