Win, Lose or Draw Today! Q&A follows on Wednesday

There will be an open Q&A session in the 1919 Bar on Wednesday evening commencing at 8pm to reflect on some of the issues raised by Supporters over the last 2 weeks.
This session is open to all Harrogate Town Supporters and both Irving and Simon will be in attendance to answer any questions as best they can.

Should be interesting...will I need to wear disguise Ged? To be serious , good that the club are 'fronting up', should be a lively evening.

hello ged, decided to come out of your bunker then I see? !

Really hope to make it along to this one and give it both barrels. My only objection is buying a pint and lining the weavers pockets right now.

Will a representative of Charlie's be there? Not really interested in attending otherwise.

Yes Both Charlie's parents will be there ,to hear
Htfc view of this .

Town fans want one thing?  a new manager!!!  Irving needs to listen to the supporters who have been there for years and following their club, not yours, even though you do own it!!!!  The  best thing is Irving to walk away or appoint a manager who could turn it around ie John Deacey ( other managers are also upto the job )

V' wrote:Town fans want one thing?  a new manager!!!  Irving needs to listen to the supporters who have been there for years and following their club, not yours, even though you do own it!!!!  The  best thing is Irving to walk away or appoint a manager who could turn it around ie John Deacey ( other managers are also upto the job )

The frightening thing is I've just been looking back through the forum right from the beginning and some of the posts from 4 years ago are remarkably similar to the things being said now.

trevdee did you get my message?

yep responded.

town supporter wrote:hello ged,  decided to come out of your bunker then I see? !

Thanks for the concern TS - returned from holiday on Wednesday evening - strangely enough I visited Bunker Hill in Boston.
Bit of advice - don't mistake lack of presence on the forum with lack of action in other areas.

Look forward to seeing you on Wednesday - will bring the holiday photos for you to have a look at and I'll buy you a half  

With reference to a suggestion by trevdee on a separate forum topic, anyone wishing to ask a question will have the option to place a question in a box on entry and it will be asked by yours truly.

I am aware from the presentation evening that some people feel a little reticent about standing up and asking questions.

Just for information questions which include personal abuse will not get through but a member of the management team will answer all other questions as best they can.

why hasn't this session been publicised?

Who's going along on weds?

forgive me, something has finally been added!

First up, let’s give credit to the club for organising the Q and A..they didn’t have to.

And let’s hope that some pertinent questions can be asked …and answered.

I remember the last one was a pretty tame affair, especially after Irving/Simon must have been expecting some earache.

I was as much to blame..I’m not comfortable standing up in a meeting and trying to get my point across, but I will be putting a couple of questions in the box…that’s a very good idea.

Let’s be realistic though, we aren’t going to get an answer as to whether Charlie jumped or was pushed, or how they went about it…was she in tears because she lost her job, or the way in which it was done.….. that’s between the employee and employer – I wouldn’t expect my personal circumstances to be debated about by all and sundry, and I do consider I’ve been treated like sh*t unfairly in the past, so I do know what it’s like. It will make Charlie a stronger person.

We also aren’t going to find out how much more the club are paying for the new, much more experienced, secretary. Was it necessary though to say, on the website, that he ‘will bring a disciplined approach to this important role’? Is that implying something about Charlie’s approach, or am I reading too much in to it?…I just don’t think it needed saying.

I also noticed that the caption under Charlie’s photo had her position as Admin Assistant right up to the end.

So are the club really saying that they left the duties of this important role down to an Admin Assistant, to be checked by a volunteer (I don’t mean that as a slight on Charlie…I started as office tea boy….. and look at me now, ma!), but that they thought it would look a bit amateur to say that, or had she been promoted to secretary?

We can ask what measures have been put in place to ensure that nothing like that happens again. Irving said that there was a fail safe mechanism in place…well, there obviously wasn’t. And mistakes can happen…the question is…when does a mistake become a sackable offence, or deserve such treatment that an employee feels they have to resign?

See you Wednesday.

just hope we get some on the field answers from the manager on why we have lost 4 games in a row, and why he did not get a proven goalscorer in the summer like NFU the village team, i think we got one good player in Franks the rest are just not performing to a standing to get us near the top of the league, there are many issues that need answers, Joe Bloggs will only pay his money to see a winning team something we don't have or look like having at the moment

Also, we would like answers as to why is he playing players in the wrong positions? The only consistent players in the squad are the ones who are playing in their preferred positions i.e Merris, Franks, Killock etc.. He is messing around too much with players and their positions i.e Rowe, Nelthrope, Nowakowski, Taylor, Worsfold, Hardy and Woods. He can't decide what to do with these 7. Nowakowski should be a Central Defender, Nelthorpe should be left wing, Taylor should be right wing, Rowe as an impact substitute (unsure about his best position tbh), Hardy is a Striker (impact substitute). Worsfold is a Striker and Woods is an attacking midfielder. He should have set positions for them all, and not toy around unless absolutely necessary.

The only way we are going to start getting results is playing the players in their correct position, and only using players out of position when necessary. I'm not a football manager, but even I think I could do a better job than Simon lately. To me, the problems are obvious, but he seems oblivious to them!

So Irving has made an apology...of sorts. Littered with caveats of course.

"Well I said those things because people were being nasty about us"

"I didn't mean our fans...I just meant certain fans"

Terrific.

I mean the guy just can't help himself. "Genuine" supporters? What does that even mean? Supporters who conform like good little sheep and don't show any dissent?

And if it's only a "handful" of supporters that have been a nuisance then why even bother having a Q&A if it's all so hunky dory?

BB wrote:
Let’s be realistic though, we aren’t going to get an answer as to whether Charlie jumped or was pushed, or how they went about it…was she in tears because she lost her job, or the way in which it was done.….. that’s between the employee and employer – I wouldn’t expect my personal circumstances to be debated about by all and sundry

Of course, that goes without saying. However, and I cannot stress this enough, whatever went on is irrelevant, who did what is irrelevant. How the club have dealt with it is the issue. How the club deals with people is the issue. The club's contempt for anyone it sees as below them is the issue. The club's failure to accept responsibility, show remorse and give reassurances about the future is the issue.

I never thought I'd say this but I feel like I'm through with them.

I suspect Wednesday will be a complete and utter waste of time.

I'm busy moving house, so wont be going. And to be honest, I will be so busy with this, work and family life. I will be lucky to get down in the next few months

And plus, i'm so frustrated with the situation, it might be a good idea that I dont go and steer clear for a while.

Is that apology of sorts on the website? If so:

WHICH FANS ARE YOU REFERRING TO WEAVER???

Regarding BB post above. I couldn't have put better myself.
All I'm interested in is ,the treatment Charlie recived .
To be fair though ,people have listened and the club are
trying to do something.Her side of events have been discussed
And I hope the management will do the right thing by her .
We will see .thanks again for genuine concerns.
Mick.

Irving, I like the statement, and I'm not anonymous, and a lot of people know who I am and what I look like on the forum. Ged, Martin L, Trevdee and Dan Gleebitz to mention just 4. But I will always tell it how it is, and I say how I feel, straight up. I've been supporting the club before you came, and I will still be supporting them after you and Simon go.

Some of my comments may border on the unacceptable side and may offend people, I am the first to admit, but I will say what is on my mind and be totally blunt about it.

I am a loyal fan to the club, and have been for the past 6 years. I have been following home and away, in all weathers when my time permits. I attend at least 20-25 games a season, as well as juggling family life and a demanding job, but I still find time to come to the games, and there are fans who a lot more fierce, passionate and attend more than I do!

You and your team have made us a success off the pitch. Now it's time for your son to produce the goods on the pitch, more than ever.

I certainly expect better performances on the pitch and for us to climb the table as the current position is totally unacceptable. And you know yourself it is also.

Well it is obviously referring to a handful of supporters including myself who continue to say it how it is, rather than look at the situation from the clouds......I mean, who would walk up to them in the street or phone the club to air their views.

I now have to travel down south on Wed for a meeting, so would have been scraping time to get back. I may as well not bother to even rush back because lets be honest, the great sales act of Irving and Simon will skittle around answering the questions truthfully.

Supporter - " So Irving, at what point do you concede that your son isn't cut out for football management?"

Irving - " Sorry son, you are one of the many menaces that dare to speak out, can you please remove yourself from this ground - next please"

Supporter - "Why do we continue to play players out of position?"

Irving - " Well you see if you look at the formula for escape velocity (vesc) = (2GM / R)1/2 you can see that universal gravitation will at some point allow the central mass to combust therefore according to newton and the formula (Fg =Gm1m2) the squad should reach maximum projectile motion
r2 erm anytime about now.

Supporter living on cloud - " err ok, I guess so, yeah one in all in!!!"

Like BB says, no questions will be answered properly, is he really going to tell us that when Simon gets bored, he will upsticks anyhow, I doubt it. This is a hand forced upon them by recent situation, just like the first Irving statement and just like his follow up statement, they will be as defensive as the Graham Arsenal.

after initially looking forward to this, its become increasingly clear that its just one big PR exercise. I wouldn't be surprised if charlie's family are contacted before the event in an attempt to smooth things over and make the event as successful as possible.

I have no reason for not attending other than some skirting boards to paint but at the moment the skirting boards are a more appealing prospect.

Popped over to see Knaresborough on Saturday - ok so the skill levels were different but it was great to see all the players offering each other encouragement, keeping spirits up, etc. Reminded me of one of the key things missing at town games.

TheNeil29 wrote: and I'm not anonymous,

Is it any wonder people want to remain anonymous though if Mr Chairman and Director Plod hunt down folk just for speaking their mind?

They won't need to hunt me down.

So who is going? and who is not? as a matter of interest