Just for the Record

[Smiths Way]

I have to say I have always done my best for this club since I came on board as stand in Secretary on 24th January 1992.

I have continued to serve the club in numerous roles. I have asked for example over the last 12 months could someone come forward to take over the PA on a match day because of other things I have to do now. Someone has now done this and hopefully Terry Pascoe will fit in well when he is up to speed.

Since the start of Janaury I have been dealing with an horrendus list of matters to do with the club and have been asked by the BoD to take on the role of Vice Chair of the Newco to oversee the inugrual meeting of shareholders. The Chairman has not been in the country for seven weeks now and there are major matters neede an hands on approach at this time. This has also combined with two other directors being out the country for three weeks.

This new role is in itself a major task and involves meetings with accountants and solicitors. During this time I have had to deal with arrangements for an FA Cup tie involving issues of not being paid our share of the gate by Notts County. Then there are rearranged fixtures, player movement and working hours trying to get a player into the club who we had targetted. Unfortunately due to wild press reports other clubs seem to think because of Mangan we have loads of dosh to throw around.

Then on top of that we sadly had the death of two supporters and it was my duty to ensure the club honoured their memories, including me having to collect a flag for one of the coffin's because no one else in Stroud could do it and deliver it to the undertakers, so I had to waster two hours driving from Gloucester to Stroud on Thursday evening.

Also in relation to the Newco I have had to grab the time to meet up with people as and when possible. This has meant working 12 hours a day, including Sundays.

The trouble with this forum is that the majority have nothing to do other than sit behind a PC and criticise and some of that criticism comes from people who ought to know better. Whys is it ALWAYS me that gets slagged off if I am doing something which I believe is more important for the club at this time. Why is it always assumed that it is down to me to ring everyone for everything that happens. Do other people not have a telephone!!

On Friday I spent the whole day at two club funerals (with the Manager) and passing on condolences to the families and making arrangements for them to attend matches. (With the Manager being with me until after 6.30pm I wonder where and when he was supposed to have had an argument with Paul Stonehouse!!).

Saturday I was like those who travelled to London, on the road with the team and catching up with possible investors. I got back home at 9pm.

Sunday I did all my match returns from Saturday and caught up with my emails from Friday and Saturday. This was followed by attending a two hour meeting of the Youth committee in the evening.

Today I was in my office at 8am contacting Coventry City to complete paperwork for a 'keeper to be able to play for us at Southampton tonight, so we could run the rule over him. I then went to the club for a four hour meeting and then met up with three directors, followed by meeting the groundstaff over issues affecting them.

Tonight I am at my PC completing all the documents required for tomorrows match as well as sending out things the Youth committee asked if I could fit in for them.

My wife who is also helping out at the club has just entered my office to ask will I ever come out and leave it alone.

Oh and three days last week I was involved in legal proceedings which has nothing to do with the club and by the time I got over to Mangotsfield the battery had gone down on my mobile. That was my fault I seem to recall.

I am not employed by the club and I just wish people would support the club by supporting those who work their nuts off so a few of you can come to a match and just be critical if everything is not there when you want it.

I am now switching off from using the forum now until after the inaugural shareholders meeting. If you do not want to turn up to support the team (whatever your views of certain players and management) then that is your choice BUT it does the club no good at all.

I am not happy. I am sure some have got the message.

[smertens07929]

I'm sorry but I have to say this.....

Losing you as the commentator is going to be like when the F1 lost Murray Walker...... It just won't be the same

[Sparky]

Colin, I for one, know how much time and effort, 24/7, you have given the Club recently, not many will have seen that. I know it's tough at the top and today was no exception for you. I would like to assure you that both you and Geraldine have my full support in your commitment to progress the Club.
Mark.

[Podgers]

been asked by the BoD to take on the role of Vice Chair

Asked, or the only one with enough spare time to take it on?

Although probably not in many people’s eyes I believe you're a sensible appointment as vice chairman as ultimately you don't have a business to run which keeps the club afloat financially and have the capacity to take the role on.

If you look at the paid up board members, many aren't retired like your good self; they are hard at work 6/7 days a week, working 15+ hour days to earn a living. On top of this they then all have to fulfil their roles at the football club - attending meetings, sorting out staff, liaising with the police etc etc

Then rather than benefit from the financial rewards of their businesses, they rob the profits from them and sink them into the football club.

At the end of the day the directors who contribute financially to the club have a work load as tough as you have, if not tougher, in their own businesses, then have additional duties at the club AND they still don't come on the forum and moan about it when they are getting criticised (probably as they don’t have any spare time).

The role you do and your abrupt nature with responses on the forum is always going to lead to criticism and you’ll have to accept that. You love to criticise the fans, so you’ve got to be willing to take some back. Don’t do to others what you do not want done to you.

I wish you luck in your new role.

[candy]

Hi colin, The club needs people like you working behind the scenes, forever giving your time to Forest Green without payment.
We all know you are Forest Green Fan through and through. Please don't take any notice of want a few fans say on the forum.
Because all the true fans are 100% behind you. I personally think you deserve a big thank you from all the Forest Green fans,
and you are very much appreciated.The club would be lost without you .

[Podgers]

giving your time to Forest Green without payment

I believe for some of his roles Colin did actually receive payment. I'm sure now he is vice chariman this will cease though.

[scarecrow]

did i read the west terrace is shut because of a broken toilet?....................or is it because colin had kicked the door off the hinges after writing the first post on this thread
seriously though colin, you do do a stearling job which is appreciated by a lot of people, and granted, like katie price, you do have your knockers, but thats life I'm afraid.
as the great man winston churchill once said "However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results"

[SimonC]

I don't doubt the sheer amount of hard work and time you put to this club and I hugely appreciate it.

We all have our crosses to bear in the current economic climate. I left home in Stroud before 8 this morning to drive to Essex and won't be back until 8:00PM Friday evening. I've been doing this every week for the best part of 5 years, it's no picnic believe me but the mortgage has to be paid as do the admission prices at TNL. I'd love to have some time free in Glos, so that I could help the club more than paying my gate money.

At the end of the day though, you don't *have* to do it, no-one's holding a gun to your head and if you were to walk away, no-one could blame you. I'm sure the club would muddle through without you as it always has done. Nothing is worth risking health and happiness for.

[Silver Surfer]

I'm sure the club would muddle through without you as it always has done. Nothing is worth risking health and happiness for.

I'm not sure that it would. The world of BSqPrem is vastly more complicated than when FGR was in the Southern league. Without someone with the knowledge, attention to detail, stamina and commitment that CP brings to the club we would sink wthout trace. Have no doubt that CP is the driving force behind the day to day running of the club and should receive our gratitude and support for this. I know that some of his postings come across as tetchy, but anyone who put in the amount of time and effort that he did would get tetchy at times.

[Tommo]

I'm sure the club would muddle through without you as it always has done. Nothing is worth risking health and happiness for.

I'm not sure that it would. The world of BSqPrem is vastly more complicated than when FGR was in the Southern league. Without someone with the knowledge, attention to detail, stamina and commitment that CP brings to the club we would sink wthout trace. Have no doubt that CP is the driving force behind the day to day running of the club and should receive our gratitude and support for this. I know that some of his postings come across as tetchy, but anyone who put in the amount of time and effort that he did would get tetchy at times.

I agree with that - muddling through leads to pooints deductions and worse. Without CP at the helm of all the adminstration and management that he does we probably would have folded in a lower league and in a mess some time ago. We can't all share the same views as CP - what a boring forum this would be and what a dull world it would be if we all had the same views - but I think we can all appreciate that CP has and continues to do a huge amount for the Club.

As ever, the problem is that we are a small club with a small fan base at this level of operation and so there is huge reliance on a few individuals. The most important thing is to try to spread that voluntary load so that no one individual - CP, Brian F and a few others - don't have to carry it all themselves. That is why the recent revitalisation of the Supporters Club and the establishment of the Trust a couple of years ago was important to me. But commitment both of these will need to be constantly renewed and more generally the voluntary support needs to be widened if we are not to see burn out of the few who do most.

That is easier said than done given, as Podgers says, some are already working long hours in employment - sometimes a long way from Gloucestershire. But we do need to try to offer support when we can. Keep up the good work Colin and good luck in the new role.

[andywhiting]

just READING some of above posts and i tend to agree to silver surfers message , without cp i feel we would be in a mess with his paperwork alone , it takes an awful lot of hard work for just a football match to take place , colin works his guts out for fgr , why ?
i myself worked countless hours when chairman of supporters club , i remember writing hundreds of letters by hand , didnt have computor in those days , to raise money etc for the club .spent hours of my time running clubshop along with a small band of us . why ?
we never recieved a penny for all of our hard work except a pass matchdays
i loved every minute , but that his history now .
i support my team the best i can matchdays through the turnstile , but i have to admit at times this season the football witnessed is awful and i can quite believe many of us fans are getting a bit cheesed off .
keep up the fantastic work you do colin
i for one find your work on the tannoy very entertaining for the public creating a good atmosphere
best wishes andy

[chopsy]

Colin, most if not all fans appreciate your dedication. Unfortunately it takes a rant for us to thank-you for the hard work you put in.

However I and other fans would love the communication from the club to be a little better, it is little things that can make fans disillusioned. Little things like informing us why the west terrace is closed, why Stonehouse wasn't playing -these could all of been announced on match days.

I'm not saying the lack of communication is your fault, intact what information we do get does normally come from you, but because we are used to getting quick responses on the forum people aren't happy (and get suspicious) when they don't come.

[Smiths Way]

Thank you to those who have sent personal messages and it is as a result, that I have taken time to read the above posts and respond to some of the comments passed.

I confirm I am not employed by the club and the small amount I receive from the club does not even pay for my landline or mobile, nor my own computer (which I had to recently change at a cost of £400), electricity costs etc etc. If the club had to pay for me full time like most other BSP clubs the average going rate is around £25k pa. I am well out of pocket and until only 9 months ago I was in full time employment. In fact now after certain legal issues were resolved last week I can seek other employment. Therefore to put the record straight I am not retired. What I receive is a basic token for the experience I give to the club over rules and regualtions and attending meetings. One slip by me could cost the club thousands of pounds and therefore the BoD recognise I should be financially rewarded for that knowledge, albeit it is a pittance. I was asked recently to return to the Board and as explained I have been asked to assume the role of Vice Chair to see the BoD through the inugrual meeting of shareholders. Until that meeting I do not even have a vote.

If someone would like to take over the task of Press Officer (Football only and not Ltd Company) then they can, Please step forward as Terry has done with the PA on match days.

Paul Stonehouse - I was not aware until I got to Wimbledon that he had an injury problem and I am told he wanted to play but was advised not too because he is a vital cog in the rest of the season as opposed to a couple of matches. As I have already stated I had what I thought was more important things to resolve on Saturday at Wimbledon than who was playing. Therefore another Press Officer or someone who will be at ALL away matches would be useful to liaise with the web-site.

I have continually over the years in my role supported the Team Manager, backroom staff and the players. Why? Because it is part of my duty. Yes some may have lost the plot, are in a learning curve, struggling against a backdrop of other issues which always affect any management team. Having said that I know the present encumbent David Hockaday is working hard and I will continue to support him, like I did all those before. In my opinion he is doing a difficult job at this time and he really needs a blank canvas to work with before I or anyone else should be too critical of him. Yes he gets some things wrong but hey who in management doesn't. At least he does not whinge like others before him. I see Mark Cooper didn't last long at his new club. Already we have postings about how he would make a good manager at FGR. He couldn't cut it at the Posh and no doubt he had issues to contend with. Whether supporting him longer than they did would be great in hindsight we will never know. Why anyone wishes to be a Manager is personally beyond me at times because of its precarious nature.

It has already been stated by someone about the poor take up of shares and of course this impacts right across all we try to do within the Ltd Company. This needs addressing at the meeting of shareholders. At this time WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. It is not just the Manager the players or the BoD. It is about us ALL. If you wish to know the true picture then become a shareholder and all will be revealed on 25th. I will not shirk from the responsibilities being placed on me to chair that meeting.

The main thing which bugs me constantly is comment from those who ought to know better, those who hold some capacity in the club, yet fail to recognise the hard work which a lot of people are doing. This is not just about me. The ordinary fan who pays his money and thinks this entitles him to slag off anyone where and when they want will never bother me. It is those who have a collective voice within the club and still think they can say what they like. This can be damaging and there is always two sides to any story. Just think before you say what you want and consider what damage am I causing to the club I profess to support.

Give me the likes of Sam Reid who dropped what he was doing yesterday to come and give me a hand over the issue of making the West Terrace accesible. Of course I recognise that every supporter cannot for various reasons do as was the case with snow clearing but EVERYONE can be a genuine supporter. Would man have ever reached the moon, would we have stormed the beaches on D-Day to liberate Europe. I am sure you get my drift. Let me repeat we are in this TOGETHER. Unity does not cost anything and despite being 2 - 0 down on Saturday I was heartened to hear a number of supporters still chanting for the team. Others came up and expressed an honest view about the result but realistically knew this was not a match which we had targetted to win. Had we got soemthing from it then good. Of course we should all be trying our best to win every match but it will not happen, so we need to make sure our efforts are focused. If the wheel does come off the proverbial wagon then I want to know we have the resilience to mend it and get it back on the road for the next trip.

I am not happy where we are at this time in the league but one thing is certain we will not survive unless we all stick togther. Those with long memories will know we have been here before and we should know what is required. Not turning up tonight to support the team because of this, that or something else is not doing anyone any good. It is negative and does no good in times of adversity. The only thing it does is kill us financially when we can least afford it.

[Havelock]

Football survives in this country, not because of the millionaire stars at the high echolons, but by the work of the likes of our PO

Without which, many would not be entertained on a cold wet windy night in February.

[Phil_mitchell]

i love you colin

[Timb]

I'm sure Colin loves you too Phil, hes just too shy to say so.

[doggy]

******** TO THE KNOCKERS C.P. YOUR A LEGEND!!
SIMPLE..

[giraffe]

I don't think anyone is knocking the hard work you do Colin. However, comments suggesting the manager needs a blank canvas (just look at how many of the squad are his signings!) probably don't do you favours. If people don't like what they are watching they will stay away and that is the bottom line.

[supersi7]

Well said giraffe, nothing like sticking your neck out.......

[michael]

I appreciate the oblique (and not so oblique) references to the failings of previous encumbents-particularly in the above post to DH predecessors whinging all the time-i wonder who that can be-thats one of the reasons i could not abide harvey-and in a previous post a few months ago-the lack of previous managerial workrate-again-does that cap also fit harvey ?

That aside-as probably a less committed supporter of FGR than many-i also appreciate Mr Peakes all round efforts