The Cup exploits of our initially-scheduled opponents made for a rare empty weekend just gone, but certainly not a quiet one coming off the announcement that our American owners are putting their shares on the market with immediate effect.
A statement by the consortium's Executive Chairman and main spokesperson Peter Freund was published on the club website, explaining the decision which was initially revealed externally by news corporation the Athletic. He mentioned immense regret at failing the supporters, in not being able to deliver promotion, and feels the time is right to pass the reigns to another entity who can fare better on that front. While somewhat sudden in its timing, this news does not come as a complete surprise given how their investment has scaled back since the latter segment of last season when higher earners began being offloaded from the wage bill, allowing for a reset in the playing budget this time around. They were entirely justified doing so to their business, especially having previously funded a budget easily within the division's top seven, though performances on the pitch were never anywhere near good enough in proportion to take us there. Indeed, the season where we went from the early frontrunners - and third as far as the new year - to missing out on the play-offs altogether was by far the closest we came to success, which really speaks volumes. As for the rest... 18th, 17th, 12th, 10th - all a long way off where we should have been. Though not for the want of trying or extensive investment along the way, on the pitch where the success of a club fundamentally hinges, we have gone in complete circles to eventually end up no closer to our Football League ambition than when they first came into the club. While acknowledging this brutal if undeniable truth, the Americans cited infrastructural improvements as evidence of a positive legacy besides, as would be remiss not to mention. These have certainly given the place a more polished aesthetic which may well enhance the image through the eyes of any prospective buyers, but it's the football which anchors everything, in determining supporter satisfaction and consequently how many turn up. While ultimately just peaks and troughs in a directionless cycle, two distinct periods stand out as positive memories under them, the first being the final two months of 2018. Seven wins from eight, including consecutive against the top (and eventually promoted) two Salford City then Leyton Orient within half a week, not to forget that surreal stoppage time turnaround at Hartlepool United as well - things really couldn't have got much better. That felt like something of a honeymoon period which was always going to level out, but two years later came genuine belief that we had finally found the formula that would yield long-term success, as a stunning victory over title favourites Stockport County commenced to an electric spell atop the division while scoring goals for fun. However, this also preluded the impulsive mistake which arguably set the wheels in motion towards this very situation, as the prematurely-awarded new contract to Daryl McMahon had to be paid up early, while many of his expensive recruits still had running deals we either had to terminate at further cost or fulfil to the detriment of current resources. Who knows how different everything would have been otherwise? Maybe not at all, but either way that was a reckless call and I remember everyone thinking so even when all was still going well. Perhaps, then, the biggest flaw was naïvety. That word also comes to mind, bordering on negligence infact, when considering that there was never a trusted representative of the consortium itself, based permanently at Victoria Road to actively implement their visions on a daily basis. While there would certainly have been correspondence, I think we would have benefitted from a that hands-on, frontline authority. Whatever happened, or didn't, one thing for sure is that nobody wanted it to go this way. Now, what next? Freund has indicated he will continue funding the club, presumably not leaving us in the lurch with significant outlay like his predecessor, until a suitable replacement is found. Whether there will be further cuts to the budget throughout that time, however long it turns out to be, is as yet unknown. Certainly, we're entering an unknown period on which the future may just be shaped - possibilities and great apprehension. To summarise this chapter: these are very successful businessmen in the field of franchise sports, but in the volatile and unforgiving cauldron of English football where underperformance can jeopardise everything, merely having money was just not enough.
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WRITERArchives
January 2024
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