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An open letter to the custodians of Preston North End Football Club, from fan groups and supporters.

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I don't think we'll be going in there banging heads together but if we come away from the meeting with with answers to our questions and a strategy from the club on its plans for the future plus an ability to move forwards and communicate with the club in an honest and open way, I don't think anyone will complain.
Bloody hell mark that sounds sensible for you
 
I know some people have dismissed this as 'moaning' whilst completely missing every point in the letter, but it was the right thing to do and I don't think you'd be able to get a better constructive letter than that.

It's much better than chucking tennis balls on the pitch and purposely getting matches abandoned....
 
😃😉 morning Mapping
Morning pal 😁 , not sure what I committed to last night but I have emails flooding in from strictly dancers ready to train me and @Flippin_lump lol 🤷‍♂️

Let’s not derail this thread we will get in “big trouble “ 🤣
Why are you two posting on here to each other? After last night I'd have thought you've both woken up in the same bed 😂
 
Why are you two posting on here to each other? After last night I'd have thought you've both woken up in the same bed 😂
Can’t rember last night bud , 🙈 lol , on a serious note when you get to the meeting can you ask from me why the steps in the town end are made of concrete 👍
 
I know some people have dismissed this as 'moaning' whilst completely missing every point in the letter, but it was the right thing to do and I don't think you'd be able to get a better constructive letter than that.

It's much better than chucking tennis balls on the pitch and purposely getting matches abandoned....
Aye and someone on a mobility chair as well.
 
Think this should have been approved by followers on PNE Online before it was sent in tbf. I don‘t think its fully representative of all our followers. Most folk I know just go to watch PNE.

You say “most folk you know just go to watch PNE” but you yourself come on here presumably to find out what is going on at the club, and presumably talk about the goings on with all the people you know.

In this electronic age forums and podcast etc are the way to go to exchange info and ideas.

The club forum thing is not the way to go as they often just break down into 100 people discussing “hooped socks”

If the club could identify 15/20 bona fide groups who could show proof of membership and could register with the club, they could nominate 2 from each group as this meeting will be, and more constructive work could be done.

This would allow the club to address the concerns of their fan base in a reasonably calm atmosphere and information that can be common knowledge can be displayed in several different locations.

I guess that anyone who “just wants to go to the game” (and I hope there are plenty of them) don’t have to read about it but I guess they don’t anyway and wouldn’t attend the Deepdale forum anytime soon.
 
I think it should be made clear that the vast majority of fans see that Lowe and the coaching staff are achieving great results in spite of the directors, and that we have seen this cycle before where talented managers aren't backed when we are in good positions.

In the past, fans have turned their frustrations on the players and on the management team when we fade away from play-off contention. This time we are 100% behind them and won't be fooled. We know who is holding the club back.

We played our part. The management team are playing theirs. The players are going above and beyond. Yet the directors and owners seem to have pulled the rug from under everyone by not sanctioning the modest (by Championship standards) outlay for the two players we needed.

Luton have a lower income stream than us yet could afford a £2million striker, as well as other good forward signings.

Why could we not suddenly afford Christie when a deal was on the table all Summer, and also when a loan RWB was lined up and agreed how come KR apparently refused to match the slightly increased terms from a rival?

It's not about signing £10million strikers. It's about the promised "frenzy of activity" and "being smart" with our signings. Being smart isn't leaving gaping holes in the squad because quality players cost money, even though we've slashed upwards of £7million off the wage bill, stopped paying the previous TWO managers, received early Season ticket money from the fans and banked various sums from transfer add-ons and insurance pay-outs for injury retirement etc.
 
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Not listened but we have a mention on the POF podcast

Presuming it’s about this letter ?
 
I find Kieran Maguire is reliably sympathetic to the Hemmings/Ridsdale POV whenever we come up on POF, and (having now listened to the item) I find his opening remark - "welcome to our world" - pretty flippant and inappropriate. Brighton's world (he's a Brighton fan, his co-host Kevin Day is a Palace fan) is the Prem, which is a world we won't be welcomed to for the foreseeable future - which is rather the point.

His basic prognosis - we had (pre-Covid) a bottom 6 wage bill and a bottom 2 turnover, so bottom 6 is realistically the best we can ever expect to achieve - is likewise rather dismissive. Other clubs with low-end, non-parachute-fuelled budgets have managed to competently build a squad, reach the play-offs and then the Prem, including Brentford and - with a willingness to push the FFP limits to breaking point - Brighton itself.

But I'd expect Ridsdale to adopt the same sort of tone as Maguire at the meeting tbh - "we're 8th [11th/15th/safe for another season], what are you moaning about?"
 
I find Kieran Maguire is reliably sympathetic to the Hemmings/Ridsdale POV whenever we come up on POF, and (having now listened to the item) I find his opening remark - "welcome to our world" - pretty flippant and inappropriate. Brighton's world (he's a Brighton fan, his co-host Kevin Day is a Palace fan) is the Prem, which is a world we won't be welcomed to for the foreseeable future - which is rather the point.

His basic prognosis - we had (pre-Covid) a bottom 6 wage bill and a bottom 2 turnover, so bottom 6 is realistically the best we can ever expect to achieve - is likewise rather dismissive. Other clubs with low-end, non-parachute-fuelled budgets have managed to competently build a squad, reach the play-offs and then the Prem, including Brentford and - with a willingness to push the FFP limits to breaking point - Brighton itself.

But I'd expect Ridsdale to adopt the same sort of tone as Maguire at the meeting tbh - "we're 8th [11th/15th/safe for another season], what are you moaning about?"


I just listened and I think he's missed a lot of the actual points in the letter and just lumped it all in as being some complaint about money as opposed to a discussion about plans and strategy. Fairly poor analysis from him when he's normally more astute. like you say was fairly dismissive from the off, but I think they either didn't read the original letter properly or have just read the response from the club along with the previously released statement
 
It is - from about 36:00 (after the ad):


For anyone who can't listen (from approx. 34:00):

- Kieran essentially says he understands fans' position
- Says our pre-Covid expenditure on wages was 143% of income (Hemmings' family putting in £7m per season to bridge the gap)
- Our estimated average wage is circa 9k p/w; Championship average is 15k
- Football is a talent industry, and talent follows the money
- Says, without meaning to be facetious, 'Welcome to our (Crystal Palace's) world' Re: perennially mid-table
 
I just listened and I think he's missed a lot of the actual points in the letter and just lumped it all in as being some complaint about money as opposed to a discussion about plans and strategy. Fairly poor analysis from him when he's normally more astute. like you say was fairly dismissive from the off, but I think they either didn't read the original letter properly or have just read the response from the club along with the previously released statement
Strongly agree with this.

It's easy to think we're complaining about not having Harland up top, when in fact there are many points raised in the letter regarding non-footballing issues, the management of resources, and strategic direction of the club.

Again, not that this needs saying, but no one is expecting us to sign a £10m striker.
 
It's frustrating because they tell fans that we need to pay attention to our club's finances and ask questions of our owners but now that we've done that, he's basically suggested we're too idealistic and should just accept our position
 
Also Palace fans should ask more questions considering this table I saw the other day. Every club in their division (bar two) have managed to achieve a higher finish in the table than Palace have within the past 20 years. It’s a bit arbitrary as a table but does at least reflect how boring it must be to be a Palace fan
 

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It is - from about 36:00 (after the ad):


“Welcome to our world” and mentions his club’s expectations is 17th every season.

I wonder if he’d still be happy with that target after 20 seasons which included being in or around the European spots in January a few times but because the owners didn’t back his manager they fell off every time. I’m sure he’d be frustrated to find the clubs target was still finishing 17th.
 
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