Not the one I'm sure that many of you were hoping for and I'm sure that quite a few of you won't care! But after seeing some comments on WUSA in the other threads, and getting lots of messages over the last couple of days, I can confirm that this evening I told the rest of the committee that I would be standing down as Vice-Chairman at the end of the season.
While I have a feeling Saturday at PVR could be quite toxic, I hope everyone can try and get behind the team as we badly need a win on the board! If we concede early, then sadly I think Tuesday could be mild in comparison.
Up the Wings, it's still in our hands (just!).
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Welling United FC. Banging on the walls of Woking dressing rooms since 1963..
I don't know you polo, but see you at lots of games home and away, and from the comments you make I think this is a big loss for WUSA. Thank you for all you've done.
Hi Polo, as I have mentioned, I am a great believer in "if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem".
I am totally independent, so have the freedom to say what I think, whereas people directly connected with the club are restricted in what they can say.
But you are always very informative, and I would really recommend you sleep on this decision, and take it back, as for you the problem would be you would lose your influencing position. Looking at your following views you gave back in November, which are sadly still as relevant as ever, if not more so, you can see what has been going on, so I say reconsider, and withdraw the resignation, as things managerial may change at the end of the season, and then it would be sad if you thought (as I would if I were in your shoes) ****, I acted impulsively, I shouldn't have stepped down.
"Awful today apart from the first 20 minutes. Second to most things through a lack of desire and work rate. How the player wasn't taken out for the winner is a disgrace.
What a difference from last week, no pressing, lack of workrate etc
You could almost play Feeney bingo at this point. "Look where we were last year" "Part of the project" its very different to last year, with a very different squad, full of "better" players and a much higher budget.
I would like to know if the board would be happy with a mid table finish that Warren states on the money we are allegedly spending, half of that should easily achieve a mid table finish. The players should be better than that and we should have competed better this season.
I am not one for constantly chopping and changing managers but as I said a few weeks ago, something needs to change. Whether that's the manager, or players. I believe it's now just 1 win in 11 league games? Mid-table may be a dream if nothing changes over the next couple of months, as we could be dragged into the wrong end of the table."
I am sorry you feel the need to resign from WUSA this whole situation is getting out of hand. Nothing that is happening on or off the field is your fault nor any of supporters who haven't taken to physically fighting. I echo your message to get behind the team Saturday as we do badly need a win.
If you've made the decision because your support has been abused by the owners and management of the club, then I support your decision 100%, as I don't believe they deserve the unswerving support that you and a handful of others have given to the club
In my view, the role of WUSA needs to just be more clear. I think the hope would be like the German football model where there is genuine fan representation and influence, but to be honest that can only come if the owners allow that to be the case. If they don't and it effectively becomes more of a social club then that's fine too, but it would mean that the influence of any sort of representative on the board would be somewhat toothless, regardless of whether that was you, Matt or anyone else. Ultimately the owners need to decide how much they want fan representation and what it's limits are. I think that needs to be made clear so that everyone knows what the expectations are. For example, has someone from WUSA been able to have a meaningful conversation with the owners about what happened the other night and express the views of the fans in a way that was listened too and understood? Has WUSA urged the club to come out with a PR statement and response? If the answers to those questions is 'no', then I think it just needs to then be understood that its purpose really is just a social club with benefits such as cheap drinks, discounted away trips etc (all of which is perfectly honourable by the way!). When Matt positioned it earlier in the season on one of the interviews it was held up as more than that - essentially "have your voice heard" - but as I say, if the club don't want to hear it then it means its role is somewhat diminished regardless of who holds the post
I concur 100% with Treacle to be honest with you Polo. In some respects it actually annoys me how your unwavering support and those like you is actually taken for granted, is kind of abused in a way as they know no matter what they do, or dont do as the case may be you and those like you will always come back for more and support the team come what may.
The WUSA representation on the board is just a Red Herring though and not fit for purpose, it does no favour to any supporters and merely serves and suits Matty which I understand. He loves being on the board of the club its like a dream come true for him so he wont ruffle any feathers in fear of being removed. Though in fairness thats not what the role should be, if the club have a seat on the board for a WUSA rep then that person should be answerable to WUSA and do things in the interest of WUSA members in regard to asking difficult questions and making demands on behalf of the members and supporters.
This hasnt really happened at all at any stage, it has been a cosy jolly up and a bum licking exercise on behalf of himself generally over years and years under numerous regimes with zero benefits for the average fan or WUSA member apart from sometimes being asked to be part of a work party doing manual voluntary work for people with enough money to have paid a proper workforce to do the jobshameful and exploitative of certain peoples love for the club..an embarrassment.
You for years have done a sterling job organising away travel when nobody else would do it, spending your own time for the benefit of others as well as the quiz nights that many people enjoy at the club I am reliably informed.
The club should appreciate people like you, people like Gary Leman also who was treated in a disgraceful way when he was no longer needed after the ex Bromley jobs for the boys influx started where jobs were given to people despite having zero qualifications or experiences of doing them.
WUSA needs to be structured, needs to have a defined purpose. It needs to be for the fans by the fans and any rep of WUSA on the board needs to answer to those fans and should perhaps have to be voted into those roles by fellow members on a yearly or bi-yearly basis to ensure they are doing something productive instead of having a brown nosed free ride.
Its not your resignation that was required, it is an overhaul of the process, a restructuring of the supporters club and a defining reasoning or reasonings for having one.
It is a very long time since I last posted on this forum but feel that I can't let this news go by without passing comment. I first visited PVR in 1978 shortly after moving to the area and for countless seasons I attended every home game and a good number of away and must have been one of Welling's most loyal fans. I was one of the "42" who assisted the club in 2010 (I believe it was) when the club appeared to be on the point of folding and we were all so impressed with Eric Brackstone's rendition of Mr. Taxman. It used to spoil my weekend when Welling lost on a Saturday and I would have been absolutely gutted had the club ceased to exist at that time.
Unfortunately how things have changed in recent years. A succession of broken promises by the last owner lef to me becoming disenchanted with the club and I have returned after many years to going to, and enjoying, Football League matches. I have seen just a handful of games in the last two seasons and have to say the standard of the football has been awful.
Nevertheless I have kept up my WUSA membership and have always believed it possible that one day I might return regularly.
However to hear now of Wings fans fighting each other over happenings at the club and now hearing that things have got so toxic that Dean is resigning his position I think that my return is a long way off,if ever. I have known Dean for many years and know how hard he has worked over that time and has always done his best for his fellow fans. It is incredibly sad that he feels things are now so bad that he cannot continue.
I really hope that the current problems can be resolved by either the current or future owners and that one day all the fans will feel they can pull in the same direction again
Just as a practical example of what Dean does, I was thinking he does the invaluable coach travel planning, and organising roughly 40 bookings must be a really big time commitment to get right.
This fans forum is viewed by the club as separate to the club, its site has a link to this forum, but it has no editorial control over it. That separation is important as it prevents the owners turning this forum into just more of the endless ridiculous self protective spin that everything is going really well and we are progressing exactly as we planned.
The view of the fans here in this site is very clear, yet none of that is acknowledged by the manager, owner or board. There is a total disconnect, and WUSA does not seem to be building bridges between fans and club. So knowledgeable fans, often with decades of experience from watching football and Welling, can see what is going wrong and what the solutions are. And a manager and owner with a tiny fraction of that football intelligence make the mistake of arrogantly dismissing the collective knowledge of the supporters.
I think Dean should stay with WUSA and help WUSA have a real deep consideration over what it is actually here for and what changes it needs to make. As a typical fan, it has no real relevance to me, it doesn't represent what I think as it keeps quiet over all the problems that need to be fixed and I would guess most fans think the same way.
I have mixed views on Matt's role. I have spoken with him twice, once just a quick hello in the bar, then next time when he was great, talking with me before a match for maybe 40 minutes, helping me understand lots of things about the set up of the club, the way they had rejected dodgy potential owners, and said I could have a word with him any time. I appreciated the time and the welcome to a new fan.
But on the representing the views of the fans side, there are massive problems going on, and WUSA seems like the manager in burying ones head in the sand about them, leaving nothing ever changing or improving. In fact nothing seems to be said publicly by WUSA about anything, so there isn't much visible leadership. I am sure there will be lots of talks behind the scenes, but it feels to me at least that the November Polo talk I quoted earlier openly needs to be given to the board, and their response openly shared with the fans.
The manager is very toxic, and that spreads through other areas of the club. Dean shouldnt let the toxicity infect his decision making, as hopefully this toxicity will end by the end of the season.
So I say rather than stepping down Dean and other key WUSA figures should have a think over what WUSA is actually here for, as that can clearly be improved, and how it can be more open and influential about views of its fans, so it is transparent what their views are.
Oh no thats a massive blow. Your match reports/analysis are the most insightful and on point on here and will be sorely missed-echo all the other posts to reconsider
Totally concur with you & Treacle. Now i've not been to a game for a few years now, but been watching from a far & its heart breaking in a way to see its come to this that Dean has been forced to resign from WUSA
Also the fact that Dean & all of the Shuler family have such a long history with the club & there wouldn't be a club now if it wasn't for the likes of Dean. God i hate to think of what Sir Eric Brackstone is thinking looking down at what's happen to the family fans friendly club we all love ?
Well god willing i will be back for the away game at H&W. Next season i will only go to away games...
Not the one I'm sure that many of you were hoping for and I'm sure that quite a few of you won't care! But after seeing some comments on WUSA in the other threads, and getting lots of messages over the last couple of days, I can confirm that this evening I told the rest of the committee that I would be standing down as Vice-Chairman at the end of the season.
While I have a feeling Saturday at PVR could be quite toxic, I hope everyone can try and get behind the team as we badly need a win on the board! If we concede early, then sadly I think Tuesday could be mild in comparison.
Up the Wings, it's still in our hands (just!).
Very sad to read this. Just shows that people posting derogatory comments about other peoples efforts has its consequences. Polo cares about this club far more than most of WUSAs critics. A big loss.
