Gavin, Thank you for your e mail, the contents of which are noted. You have little concept of just how much effort is being made to turn things around and your ongoing support would help with that process and quicken it. Simon Simon Clegg CBE Chief Executive Ipswich Town Football Club Tel: 01473 400 746 Well that explained evrything and put me straight!!
Did he honestly say you have little concept ? He has LITTLE concept in how to talk to people, arrogant idiot. Do 1 Clegg.
Westy Yes he did say that, copied and pasted the letter. Some may say he is correct in saying i have little concept, have to say i was a tad put out!!
Here is the reply to my letter Thank you for your e mail. I can assure you that our Academy is far from becoming obsolete as you suggest and for the record I have no intention of standing down, I intend to turn this Club around and help lead it back to where we all want it to be. I did not use the Bobby Robson connection to strengthen my case, simply to demonstrate that the Club has been in not dissimilar situations before and it has a good track record of giving its managers ample opportunities to turn difficult situations around. Simon Simon Clegg CBE Chief Executive Ipswich Town Football Club
Great public relations Cleggy, the press would have a field day with that one spanish! Also i wonder what ME would think of that response?
is anyone else really starting to like simon clegg...? he certainly seems a funny character. those replies are comedy gold!
i still think you guys are going about this in entirely the wrong way. all these letters are designed to do what exactly? basically, all clegg is getting is a few hate emails and a few which try to be constructive but end up slagging him off or asking him to leave. he isn't going to be affected by these in any way, shape or form. if you want change, you have to demand change by protesting, en mass, outside your ground. you are all wasting your time at the moment and his, and you're all getting yourselves more worked up whilst he probably started by laughing at some of your emails, although he is probably getting rather fed up with responding to the petty emails by now. you're not really doing yourselves, as fans, any favours at all by winding up your CEO. however, if there is a grand-scale demonstration, then and only then you will start to get somewhere. the question is, is he really that useless that its worth a protest? only you lot can answer that...
If the negotiations to bring in new players go tits up and we don't sort the problems in the squad (right back and centre backs) I think you can expect relegation and protests Protests now may cause more harm than good if they affect players performances during a relegation battle.
I dont like a lot of things that have happened during the ME era but in many ways the guy is in a no win situation. Dont offer new contracts then fans moan but if we reward the likes of Edwards and Leadbitter with a new contract to stay beyond the end of the season I, for one, will be annoyed and I know a lot on these pages alone dont want them here. Ticket pricing - lower prices and season ticket holders will want a refund. Do it at the end of the season and have a better pricing policy but the club loses more money if the fans dont turn up and the club is even further in the debt. Spending money on the academy is great but you need talent available to improve and we are also looking for instant results so the cost of running the academy could eat into the first team budget and we may not be able to bring in who we want. I think the letters/ emails are a good idea to show the club that fans are not happy but I cant see the club acting on anyone of them unless, as Superman says, a large percentage of fans join forces with 1 common message. The problem at present is that we have many fans with points to make but they are all slightly different due to the large variety of areas that are seen as problems We have to be careful that a disillusioned year on the pitch doesnt turn into calls for seismic changes in all aspects of the club for no real reason (ie a lack of real understanding of the behind the scenes activities)
I have to say guys that I totally agree with Superman and Sven on this hot topic. I knew the Cobbold family well - even went out with a daughter...yes...and met David Sheepshanks several times and called/txt him the odd occasion with my thoughts. Believe me ranting letters wont achieve a thing apart from venting your spleens, although they do give a much needed laugh on here. The right thing now is to rally behind the team...they are playing well for goodness sake, even one two unlikely characters who we previously slated! Then, at end of season, or just before last ominous game, if we are going down, that is the time to organise a mass protest outside the ground, letters to the press etc. And I shall drive up and be the first in line! Til then, lets see what transpires, give itpfc all our support, and, yes perhaps enjoy the odd game of football!
South Coast I have no wish to quibble but how can you say we are playing well? We have LOST 11 out of the last 15 games for heavan's sake! We have only collected 8 points out of the last 45 which in any ones book is relegation form! Its all very well waiting and hoping but I would much rather prefer that action was taken now before we head into League 1.
Have to agree with JWM in a way. We are playing ok for 60 minutes of a game, but that is all no good if you let things slip for the other 30. As to the emails doing no good, Well it did come from cleggs own lips that he didn't realise there was any negative feelings towards him, well we are just giving him an insight to how the fans rate his performance. If he cares not to take notice, well lets just say he has had plenty of warning to pull his socks up or face the wrath of us the fans.
Clegg brings it on himself with the things he says. He does himself no further good with his limp-wristed replies either. One common theme throughout all the replies to our letters is the fact that not once does he really give any solution to a highlighted problem. He basically brushes us aside without any attempt to confront the problems or offer answers.
I have to say I'm with superman and tractorbhoy on this one. I really don't know how you guys expected any different from his responses. Anyone in a position of authority would have similar replies when you question their ability or judgement and particularly with what football is like I don't think writing letters will have any weight behind them, it only probably helps you vent your frustration and then justifies your belief of what an idiot he is with his response. I can only see mass protest being the answer but only after games, not during or perhaps a petition.
The one thing we can ask for realistically is a bit of interaction between the club and the supporters. I think if we could add that then it would be helpful in understanding some of the clubs more questionable decisions
Supers the point of these letters wasnt to make him walk out, course not. He said a week or two ago that he's not heard any negative feedback on his own position, so we're just making sure he knows how we feel on the situation The knives are out though and it looks as though Shane O'Connor will be yet another young talent wasted. I don't think Clegg understands what's needed - a five to ten year plan bringing quality youngsters through - his replies tell us that he can't think outside the box to make good things happen and it's all about spreadsheets to him.
