I often see on Facebook and twitter lots of updates. In May alone - community day, women's team, charlton friendly, new friendlies, season tickets, how we support charities, women's team, business club, discounts for NHS, academy news, footgolf world cup, the limited player news and so on. All great stuff and what we've been lacking on social media over the years.
But what about the bigger picture? We seem to have gone backwards.
Our chairman stepped down weeks ago - nothing said, not even a thank you for his time at the club. Who is or will be our next chairman (or woman), rumours of a takeover, manager speaking to other clubs, redevelopment latest, changing rooms & the E&B relationship, the marquee bar, the outdoor bar, behavior of everyone (fans, players, staff). The list goes on, as we all know, and I guess some things can't be said but what can be said is at least something.
I find it strange the club doesn't comment at all i.e. we are actively looking for a new chairman and will update fans in due course, we are reviewing a variety of issue internally including the marquee bar, following last season we are aware of disciplinary issues which we are addressing ahead of the new season, talks are ongoing with Erith & Belvedere, we are in talks with several players.
We don't have to employ a PR guru but even a freelance comms professional who can put out the stuff that the club can elaborate on every week or so. Just keep us in the loop. They say no news is good news - really?
All those things you listed are great, but our social media is run like a league club and look at us look what we're doing, nothing is wrong at all etc etc. Basically aimed at kids and the community in trying to attract new fans.
The people running the club now seem have no idea how to run a non league club or about how the fan base at a club like ours works in terms of how to communicate, it really is becoming pathetic now how long everything is dragging on compared to what other clubs are doing.
The comms approach from the club is like how communist countries very carefully control what they want people to think, so hide lots of things from the public they don't want people to know. This comes from a contempt the authorities feel towards the public, which Warren shows when he says fans are just noise, and board members also clearly feel the same way as there is silence from the board on the legitimate concerns raised by fans. The dreadful behaviour on the bench is ignored by the club, who falsely pretend nothing bad ever happens with Welling.
As an arrival to Welling just before Peter Taylor went I only have that limited experience to see the clubs very poor engagement with the fans, but someone authoritative with much longer experience told me this has been a problem in the club for much longer than that. The problem is the fans can see the problems, and discuss them, but the board does not. So bad things can never get better, just keep repeating, while other clubs with better connections with their fans succeed. At the moment this has all the makings of a disastrous season, a team of players thrown together at the last minute, with insufficient time to prepare for the new season.
The big problem with all the board's stupid secrecy is that it creates problems and uncertainty. For example, it is season ticket renewal time, yet I am looking at what info is available, on the manager, squad, financial strength etc, and the picture is so hidden I am starting to wonder if the rumours of financial problems are accurate, maybe we are not attracting players if we aren't able to pay much, and even if we'll play next season, which would make a season ticket a risky purchase. Comms and a vision for the club would remove the doubts, but the club doesn't care about the fans doubts.
The coming season will be a copy and past if not worse than last. Que the same old it's a new team, rome wasn't built in a day rubbish if feeney does stay.
I'd say it's pretty evident the current ownership doesn't get it as jameson alludes and or doesn't care. Paul whitehead was making so much progress in the beginning for that to come to an abrupt halt and then him walk away. There are so many alarm bells.
I had a helpful chat with someone at the club, and asked about comms as it seems we don't always give good news stories like the pitch relaying this coming season, or details on the ground development that once they are publicised will be very positive and eye opening about club ambitions. I got the enlightening reply that the club gave news stories early in the past that then turned out to have been given out too early, like news on the pitch relay last year that then went wrong so home pre-season friendlies had to be cancelled. The club learned from that and now don't give info out too early. I am not saying this new approach is right or wrong, but it is useful to know it is the case as it explains lots of the silence.
And this Warren managerial change is an example, there was nothing from the club to suggest a change, and the only indirect news on that was external news stories on him being associated with some Irish jobs, but the lack of transfer activity suggested to me at least something big about the manager was going on behind the scenes.
I had a helpful chat with someone at the club, and asked about comms as it seems we don't always give good news stories like the pitch relaying this coming season, or details on the ground development that once they are publicised will be very positive and eye opening about club ambitions. I got the enlightening reply that the club gave news stories early in the past that then turned out to have been given out too early, like news on the pitch relay last year that then went wrong so home pre-season friendlies had to be cancelled. The club learned from that and now don't give info out too early. I am not saying this new approach is right or wrong, but it is useful to know it is the case as it explains lots of the silence.
And this Warren managerial change is an example, there was nothing from the club to suggest a change, and the only indirect news on that was external news stories on him being associated with some Irish jobs, but the lack of transfer activity suggested to me at least something big about the manager was going on behind the scenes.
I have never known a club website to say 'our manager is having interviews elsewhere and, if successful, will leave'. I'm sure that the club is talking to players, some already at the club and others who are being targeted. Until they have signed on, why alert other clubs on their availability?
I had a helpful chat with someone at the club, and asked about comms as it seems we don't always give good news stories like the pitch relaying this coming season, or details on the ground development that once they are publicised will be very positive and eye opening about club ambitions. I got the enlightening reply that the club gave news stories early in the past that then turned out to have been given out too early, like news on the pitch relay last year that then went wrong so home pre-season friendlies had to be cancelled. The club learned from that and now don't give info out too early. I am not saying this new approach is right or wrong, but it is useful to know it is the case as it explains lots of the silence.
And this Warren managerial change is an example, there was nothing from the club to suggest a change, and the only indirect news on that was external news stories on him being associated with some Irish jobs, but the lack of transfer activity suggested to me at least something big about the manager was going on behind the scenes.
I have never known a club website to say 'our manager is having interviews elsewhere and, if successful, will leave'. I'm sure that the club is talking to players, some already at the club and others who are being targeted. Until they have signed on, why alert other clubs on their availability?
I hope that 'the club' will concentrate on finding a manager and leave recruitment down to him. Directors getting involved in that has seemingly been going on ever since Goldberg took over the club and it has got to stop.
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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh When the Wingssssss
The club doesn't have to just put stuff on the website - talk to the local press, offer to go on the podcast, radio interviews, press releases. We do well at social media but not everyone follows it. I have had an email address for 25 years. I don't think the club have it, asked for it or tried to sign me up to a newsletter. Might be an idea?
I am still learning how things operate here, I (naively?) asked about when our retained players list was going to be issued, and was told we are not going to do one soon, as our players, like most other clubs players, are only contracted season to season, so in effect nearly everyone is up for grabs. So I guess it is only worth issuing a retained list once ones squad is virtually full. Some lucky/ better run clubs have already done their business and retained most players, I get a feeling our players from last season will have been waiting for it to be clear if Warren was managing or not before committing to another season, so now that is clear I hope we keep a lot from last season.
Something that affects things is that least year the pool of players we had to choose from was comparatively smaller than other clubs as we trained 3 times a week in the mornings, and not all players could make that commitment to join us. Now we are shifting to evening training I reckon we will have a bigger pool of players to choose from, as more players will find it fits in with other commitments to train in the evening.
The club doesn't have to just put stuff on the website - talk to the local press, offer to go on the podcast, radio interviews, press releases. We do well at social media but not everyone follows it. I have had an email address for 25 years. I don't think the club have it, asked for it or tried to sign me up to a newsletter. Might be an idea?
I'm hoping to get a podcast out very soon once a new appointment and some other issues gave been resolved
The club doesn't have to just put stuff on the website - talk to the local press, offer to go on the podcast, radio interviews, press releases. We do well at social media but not everyone follows it. I have had an email address for 25 years. I don't think the club have it, asked for it or tried to sign me up to a newsletter. Might be an idea?
If given any information, I'd be happy to write it up for News Shopper who will put it in the printed version, and Kent Sports News but if there is nothing to report, then there is nothing that I can write about. I know that Kent Online and South London Press would also be happy to publish news.
Imagine if we had someone on the board who was supposed to represent the fans and would ask questions and keep the owners honest or at least bring supporters issues, worries or legitimate views to the attention of the powers that be!!!!
Our social media is well presented but in terms of info and general fan engagement around bigger ticket items we're behind against other clubs of similar stature.
The club don't have to make explicit promises but rough, or vague indications about changes , personnel, the business objectives would be much appreciated and if a business or club strategy doesn't exist that's an issue imo.
-- Edited by Jimmy on Tuesday 6th of June 2023 08:45:54 PM
That's a very encouraging statement by the club. Hopefully they pick the right appointment and back him/her 100%.
Unfortunately the part where it says a recruitment process for players is underway is very worrying.
Just find a manager and leave it to them.
-- Edited by Chris on Thursday 8th of June 2023 11:30:27 AM
Yeah, agreed. The suggestion there would be that the manager is just a puppet and not responsible for the players the club signs. At this level I reckon that's a crazy approach and would rule out some of the top managers like Steve King who simply wouldn't be prepared to accept someone else's signings
That's a very encouraging statement by the club. Hopefully they pick the right appointment and back him/her 100%.
Unfortunately the part where it says a recruitment process for players is underway is very worrying.
Just find a manager and leave it to them.
-- Edited by Chris on Thursday 8th of June 2023 11:30:27 AM
More and more clubs are doing it this way now. I don't think that it's a problem if they are saying to the players with whom they are speaking that the signing is pending the agreement of the new manager. They can't sit on their hands and watch all the available good players get snapped up elsewhere. It would have been worse had Warren signed a load of players that the new manager doesn't want. Managing players out who are on contract brings its own challenges.
The Club statement says all the things you would it to say at the stage of the season. However, it is a eureka moment because they have said something at last!
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In three words I can sum up everything i've learnt in life; it goes on.
Those comms are great, just what is needed, in a strange limbo time of the season, still trying to build a squad with no manager to help that process. Instead of the "ignore the fans, keep them in the dark" approach this update keeps us all informed and included, covering the areas fans were unsure about, and that is great, it stops possible disinformation or misunderstandings, an important step forward in connecting with the fans again.
Warren's gone, communications are improving, cool!
The reason I am so impressed with these comms is I didn't know nearly all of this, it is (enviably!) clear concise information needed to know what is happening when the manager ever so helpfully disappears a few weeks before the start of the pre-season, well done and thanks to whoever wrote it. Higher up the divisions players have 2 - 5 year contracts, so there will only be around 5 ending each season, whereas at our level everything is just 1 year at a time, so long term advance planning is impossible, and annual rebuilding keeps happening. In the same way James Dunne's interview finally showed recognition of the on the pitch problems, this comms shows recognition of the off the pitch problems between club and fans, and shows they are finally being addressed constructively.
1. The club will endeavour to have a new Manager in place by the end of next week.
2. Plans surrounding a change to the organisational structure of the club, including the board of directors, have been progressing and the members of the proposed board are involved with the process to recruit a new Manager.
3. Sadik Balarabe and Antony Papadopoulos have both re-signed with the club for 2023/24, while Will Wood and Lewis White have both been welcomed as new additions.
4. Discussions are continuing to take place with players regarding their retainment for the 2023/24 campaign.
5. The club would like to thank supporters for their continued loyalty and are excited to work together as we approach a new season.
There was a lot of toxicity last season, and lots of common sense seemed to go out of the window temporarily during that troubled time.
One of the craziest decisions made during that messy time was Paul Whitehead stepping down as Chairman. His experience of the club and his independent balanced view commitment to transparent comms was fantastic, and so important for the club to keep. It is important for a Chairman not to be a yes man, but to be able to have an independent mind, and challenge the other board members. It is equally important for the other board members to be open to listening and acting on that independent advice. I am just guessing, but I assume some issues were disagreed about, particularly quite likely on the manager, but with the passing of time and the impact the new manager is making, the rights and wrongs of any past disagreements will be clearer, and actually disagreement need not have been bad, as all sides would have been wanting Welling to succeed, just not always seeing the same how to do that.
Paul Whitehead and his comms at the meet the manager last season was outstanding, helping the fans understand the complexities we are navigating, and ensuring it was a civilised conversation that helped everyone there understand things better. That is all too important to be lost.
His stepping down has never formally been stated, so it should not be too hard for all involved to quietly agree to put the past fall outs behind them, now the toxicity has left the club, and to work together for the benefit of the club. I saw there is a statement due about who is running the club, and I hope that Paul Whitehead is still Chairman
