From Leeann

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

The clue is the bit,stf saved us,without that we wouldnt be here,its that simle.
Petrie is the issue with the club,not farmer

Nonsense!

We need new football orientated owner!

End of!

[Weststandwanab]

Indeed.......for the first time on Saturday I actually heard a few booing the team ON to the pitch........largely aimed at Robertson and Craig.

What chance do we have when folks go to a game with the sole intention of being negative before a ball is even kicked!
:confused:

Where I sat there was a cheer when Craig was subbed

Welcome back Andy.

[matty_f]

Just a few points from me having had a chance to digest the post.

The number one aim at any football club has to be footballing success. Whatever is deemed success for any individual club has to be the goal. Given Hibs relative size to other teams in Scotland I would say top 6 pushing top 4 in the Preniership and conepting in the cups until quarter finals or beyond is pretty realistic. We've always been a club to throw up the odd brilliant high tempered with the inevitable lows.

From reading the statement and observing, from an outside viewpoint, what has gone on since preseason I can't help but wonder if there has perhaps been a stubborn refusal on the part of the board to deviate from a plan that was initiated when we were a Preniership club. I absolutely understand the need for various background changes that have taken place but I can't help feel some of them could perhaps have waited and the funds directed into improving the 1st team squad to get us back up asap. At the moment it seems we have a top class training facility, an expanding and exciting community football network, excellent player recruitment infastructure, an extensive and top level backroom team and a mediocre at best football team. That doesn't work for many fans; you can't gloat to fans of other clubs about an improved website and you don't toast the superb new under 9s team with a pint post game. Every scheme or initiative the club comes up with lives or dies by the results on the park. Get that right and all, or much of, the negativity disappears, little irritants such as flat lager in Behind the Goals remain little irritants rather than becoming festering sores.

No one would decry the CEO or board for trying to sort out the mess the club is in, although many of them are responsible fot making that mess in the 1st place. However the football team has to be the priority. The club has been a bit of a basket case for years yet we have still produced decent teams in that time, the key to those decent teams? Good managers and/or good players. Good players would thrive with our facilities, as it stands you could send many of our 1st team squad to train at the best facilities in the world and they would still not be good enough. We have a, imo, promising young manager. It's time to help him put a team on the park that the fans who have stuck with the club through thin and thinner lately deserve.

I can see your point, but realistically there should have been no reason (with Stubbs' budget and resources available to him) why the two things (off-field restructuring and competitive team on-field) couldn't happen in tandem.

Personally speaking, I'd rather the groundwork happened even if it meant a short term sacrifice if that was the choice I had to make. I don't think that was the choice that Leeann had to make though, I think they looked at it and thought they could do both - there is still time for them to be right on that front as well, as much as many people don't want to concede that.

[Bad Martini]

It needed to happen after that semi final. It had to happen after that final. It had to happen after the malmo shambles and it had to happen in the summer.

Its NEEDED to happen for years so I think LD needs to appreciate although she thinks it's only been 4 months, it's actually been a lot more than that.

You think I dont know that and in some way disagree?

I remember the malmo shambles - it's the worst game of football I remember, save for that final.

You wont find me or anyone else disagreeing with you on ANY of the **** that NEEDED to happen. Not the point I was making as I've made the same point many times before.

The point I was making was in relation to the OP and the post itself.

I dont support Dempster FC or Stubbs FC. It's not lost on me though as I said, you will never get anyone in to the fix the previous **** if the new incumbent is blamed for all that went before.

The point I am now making for the avoidance of all doubt:
I believe Dempster and Stubbs are decent and appear to be honest enough...however, things NEED to improve NOW. There is no option for no improvement and hard as it may be, they NEED to find a way to make that happen.

...whilst I suggest the above is the thoughts of everyone here, I still take onboard and appreciate the point we shouldnt really and cant really blame Dempster and Stubbs for the 10 years of utter **** that we've been served up prior to their arrival. For that, we CAN and should blame Petrie, the board, Calderwood, Fenlon etc etc.

IMHO :agree:

[bingo70]

You think I dont know that and in some way disagree?

I remember the malmo shambles - it's the worst game of football I remember, save for that final.

You wont find me or anyone else disagreeing with you on ANY of the **** that NEEDED to happen. Not the point I was making as I've made the same point many times before.

The point I was making was in relation to the OP and the post itself.

I dont support Dempster FC or Stubbs FC. It's not lost on me though as I said, you will never get anyone in to the fix the previous **** if the new incumbent is blamed for all that went before.

The point I am now making for the avoidance of all doubt:
I believe Dempster and Stubbs are decent and appear to be honest enough...however, things NEED to improve NOW. There is no option for no improvement and hard as it may be, they NEED to find a way to make that happen.

...whilst I suggest the above is the thoughts of everyone here, I still take onboard and appreciate the point we shouldnt really and cant really blame Dempster and Stubbs for the 10 years of utter **** that we've been served up prior to their arrival. For that, we CAN and should blame Petrie, the board, Calderwood, Fenlon etc etc.

IMHO :agree:

I was agreeing with you. Should have put an agree smilie before my post but I was on my phone.

Agree with this post as well.

[greenlex]

First of all, welcome back Andy.

Secondly, that's a really good post (as was your first on this thread).

Watching and supporting Hibs is not fun at the moment, neither is discussing watching and supporting Hibs. I have become increasingly negative and disillusioned with what's going on - at least, what I see going on - and the frustrating thing is that the most compelling argument at the moment is the one that is highly critical of the club at this point in time.

It's been a long time coming, and I as much as anyone really, have given the benefit of the doubt and resisted the urge to only see the bleakest outcomes for the club, and it's not helped at all. It is increasingly difficult to find the positives and I guess other people posting on here feel the same.

That said, I completely agree with your assertion that at some point we as a support are going to have to take steps to stem the flow of abuse getting flung at the club - somebody posted (Meh, maybe?) a thread the other day pointing out that if you took the start of the season out of the equation, we're actually doing alright. Not good by any stretch of the imagination, but getting there. In fact, Stubbs' Manager of the Month award is testament to that theory. We need to be winning our home games but it won't just happen for us. Dumbarton gave us a good game in the cup, and got a 0-0 with the Yams (who have had a fantastic start).

We actually did enough to win the game if the ref gives the goal that we scored. As bad as Malonga's penalty was (and it was bad!) it crossed the line. That's all he needed to do. If you get the luck you deserve, he should have got a goal. Had the keeper been lucky enough for the ball to stay the right side of the line for him, he'd have deserved that. He didn't. Under normal circumstances (i.e. not after several years of decline), we'd probably cut the team a bit of slack for that. Instead folk are saying that we shouldn't even take it into consideration.

There is absolutely no quarter being given to the club at the moment. Nothing at all. In fact, going from Leeann's post, it would appear that even when we've not lost the game at the weekend, there are staff at the club (Leeann included) got it tight from a section of the support. I saw several offensive and abusive tweets aimed at the club's official twitter account after the result. And that's from its fans. The people who are supposed to back it.

I get the over-riding sense of frustration from Leeann's post at this negativity. As a result of the length of time it's taken to fall this low, very few fans are interested in the background stuff, or the fact that a decision and action taken now will improve things over the next however long. Most of us want that improvement now, on the pitch and tangibly evident with a regular 3 points. Leeann can't influence that now, she's got a manager in that she believes in, he's brought in the staff that he wants, the resources are there to train the players. That's Stubbs' job now.

The problem is that with every two step forwards, the one step back becomes a giant leap back because of the reaction to bad results etc. For each bad result there's an outpouring of anger and frustration. Then there's a willingness to only see the negatives because of that anger and frustration, so when someone says it's Petrie's fault that Griffiths never signed (it wasn't), or a fan had been approached to join the board, people believe it because why wouldn't they?

As a collective, we need to question and sense-check stories more before accepting them as fact. I also think we need to lay off abusing the club and especially the staff. We need to give them the time and backing to get it right. I'm not saying this is the fans' fault. We do have a role to play in getting the club back on an even keel again though.

That doesn't mean we need to accept things like Petrie remaining at the club, that situation needs to change asap as far as I'm concerned because that's a huge factor in the lack of willingness to give any concessions to the club when things go wrong, however we need to approach that in a coherent and constructive way. Flinging mud a the club and trying to derail things is counter-productive. We are better than that, we have to be.:agree: 100% word for word.

[Kato]

I expect Hibs to be in the top division, now we find ourselves in the 2nd division i expect us to challenge for the title.

Well that's pretty blunt. Blunt enough to lack nuance and ignore the last seven years of mis-mangement.

I'll ask again in a different way.

Given where we found ourselves last season did you think all that is wrong at Hibs was going to be sorted out no the first day Stubbs was in the door?

[Andy74]

So Leeann, you were direct with us and laid out what your thoughts were and that you need us to be supportive.

It would be good following some of the feedback and comments if you could really help move this relationship by committing to a couple of things which are quite clearly major factors in whether we can now draw the line and support those now there.

Firstly would you communicate to the board and owner that Rod Petrie's position is clearly still something where the benefits are being outweighed by the difficulty it is causing in the relationship between the owner/board and the wider club. We know you can't remove him but will you accept that you will raise and communicate this on our behalf?

Secondly, following the feedback from the consultations and the surveys instead of retrenching to the 'not for sale but could be offer is right position', could you ask the owner to please clarify what the long term plan is should ownership not change as many of us are unsure if we need to support looking at a new model or not. We don't know if we need to.

Doing these things would remove an awful lot of noise and allow the club (all of us) to just support a football team again.

I would hope you are keeping an eye on responses and would be happy to come back and deal with these key issues?

[Mikey]

So Leeann, you were direct with us and laid out what your thoughts were and that you need us to be supportive.

It would be good following some of the feedback and comments if you could really help move this relationship by committing to a couple of things which are quite clearly major factors in whether we can now draw the line and support those now there.

Firstly would you communicate to the board and owner that Rod Petrie's position is clearly still something where the benefits are being outweighed by the difficulty it is causing in the relationship between the owner/board and the wider club. We know you can't remove him but will you accept that you will raise and communicate this on our behalf?

Secondly, following the feedback from the consultations and the surveys instead of retrenching to the 'not for sale but could be offer is right position', could you ask the owner to please clarify what the long term plan is should ownership not change as many of us are unsure if we need to support looking at a new model or not. We don't know if we need to.

Doing these things would remove an awful lot of noise and allow the club (all of us) to just support a football team again.

I would hope you are keeping an eye on responses and would be happy to come back and deal with these key issues?

Most definitely. This still stands and is as pertinent as ever........

http://www.hibs.net/content.php?392-hibs-net-response-to-the-club-s-statement-of-29th-May

[Pretty Boy]

So Leeann, you were direct with us and laid out what your thoughts were and that you need us to be supportive.

It would be good following some of the feedback and comments if you could really help move this relationship by committing to a couple of things which are quite clearly major factors in whether we can now draw the line and support those now there.

Firstly would you communicate to the board and owner that Rod Petrie's position is clearly still something where the benefits are being outweighed by the difficulty it is causing in the relationship between the owner/board and the wider club. We know you can't remove him but will you accept that you will raise and communicate this on our behalf?

Secondly, following the feedback from the consultations and the surveys instead of retrenching to the 'not for sale but could be offer is right position', could you ask the owner to please clarify what the long term plan is should ownership not change as many of us are unsure if we need to support looking at a new model or not. We don't know if we need to.

Doing these things would remove an awful lot of noise and allow the club (all of us) to just support a football team again.

I would hope you are keeping an eye on responses and would be happy to come back and deal with these key issues?

Fair questions Andy.

Good to see you back.

[blackpoolhibs]

Well that's pretty blunt. Blunt enough to lack nuance and ignore the last seven years of mis-mangement.

I'll ask again in a different way.

Given where we found ourselves last season did you think all that is wrong at Hibs was going to be sorted out no the first day Stubbs was in the door?

I'd expect with our resources even after the mismanagement of the last few years to be doing a LOT better than we are. I'd expect the club to put the team first and put every effort in ensuring we got up first time of asking before any other project they think may ensure a better future in years to come.

[Lee Marvin]

First of all, welcome back Andy.

Secondly, that's a really good post (as was your first on this thread).

Watching and supporting Hibs is not fun at the moment, neither is discussing watching and supporting Hibs. I have become increasingly negative and disillusioned with what's going on - at least, what I see going on - and the frustrating thing is that the most compelling argument at the moment is the one that is highly critical of the club at this point in time.

It's been a long time coming, and I as much as anyone really, have given the benefit of the doubt and resisted the urge to only see the bleakest outcomes for the club, and it's not helped at all. It is increasingly difficult to find the positives and I guess other people posting on here feel the same.

That said, I completely agree with your assertion that at some point we as a support are going to have to take steps to stem the flow of abuse getting flung at the club - somebody posted (Meh, maybe?) a thread the other day pointing out that if you took the start of the season out of the equation, we're actually doing alright. Not good by any stretch of the imagination, but getting there. In fact, Stubbs' Manager of the Month award is testament to that theory. We need to be winning our home games but it won't just happen for us. Dumbarton gave us a good game in the cup, and got a 0-0 with the Yams (who have had a fantastic start).

We actually did enough to win the game if the ref gives the goal that we scored. As bad as Malonga's penalty was (and it was bad!) it crossed the line. That's all he needed to do. If you get the luck you deserve, he should have got a goal. Had the keeper been lucky enough for the ball to stay the right side of the line for him, he'd have deserved that. He didn't. Under normal circumstances (i.e. not after several years of decline), we'd probably cut the team a bit of slack for that. Instead folk are saying that we shouldn't even take it into consideration.

There is absolutely no quarter being given to the club at the moment. Nothing at all. In fact, going from Leeann's post, it would appear that even when we've not lost the game at the weekend, there are staff at the club (Leeann included) got it tight from a section of the support. I saw several offensive and abusive tweets aimed at the club's official twitter account after the result. And that's from its fans. The people who are supposed to back it.

I get the over-riding sense of frustration from Leeann's post at this negativity. As a result of the length of time it's taken to fall this low, very few fans are interested in the background stuff, or the fact that a decision and action taken now will improve things over the next however long. Most of us want that improvement now, on the pitch and tangibly evident with a regular 3 points. Leeann can't influence that now, she's got a manager in that she believes in, he's brought in the staff that he wants, the resources are there to train the players. That's Stubbs' job now.

The problem is that with every two step forwards, the one step back becomes a giant leap back because of the reaction to bad results etc. For each bad result there's an outpouring of anger and frustration. Then there's a willingness to only see the negatives because of that anger and frustration, so when someone says it's Petrie's fault that Griffiths never signed (it wasn't), or a fan had been approached to join the board, people believe it because why wouldn't they?

As a collective, we need to question and sense-check stories more before accepting them as fact. I also think we need to lay off abusing the club and especially the staff. We need to give them the time and backing to get it right. I'm not saying this is the fans' fault. We do have a role to play in getting the club back on an even keel again though.

That doesn't mean we need to accept things like Petrie remaining at the club, that situation needs to change asap as far as I'm concerned because that's a huge factor in the lack of willingness to give any concessions to the club when things go wrong, however we need to approach that in a coherent and constructive way. Flinging mud a the club and trying to derail things is counter-productive. We are better than that, we have to be.

Best post this forum has seen in so long. Very balanced and reasoned. Spot on.

[One Day Soon]

And if my memory serves me right you were one of the main reasons why the referendum threads went the way they did. :na na:


And here we have a perfect example of what I was referring to. Ignore the ball, play the man. What's the sound of one hand clapping?

[hibs0666]

We have the building blocks of some something quite wonderful – I’m convinced of it and I’m convinced that I am the person who can help facilitate it and deliver it for you. Tin hat on.

LD

I'm sure you are right. However I think you have two two big items to adress if you are to truly win hearts and minds:


you need to help us understand where you and the board are taking us
you need to show us some quick wins that show we are track to get wherever it is we are going.


Just saying likes.

[Purple & Green]

Well that's pretty blunt. Blunt enough to lack nuance and ignore the last seven years of mis-mangement.

I'll ask again in a different way.

Given where we found ourselves last season did you think all that is wrong at Hibs was going to be sorted out no the first day Stubbs was in the door?

I know it's not really the point, but I'd like to know what would have happened if Kevin Thomson and Jason Cummings had scored their penalties and we'd stayed up. Would Alan Stubbs still be here?

Do we really know all that is wrong at Hibs? I think that is probably the essence of the problem - we can all see how it manifests itself on the pitch, but everyone disagrees on what the real problems are. I get the impression with the constant changes in the boardroom, that the board aren't really any more aware than the fans are of what the problems are.

I think the statement is trying to buy Leeann time after a horror start to this season. Buy yourself some more Leeann, put a proper big Hibs badge on our stadium.

[AndyM_1875]

I'd expect with our resources even after the mismanagement of the last few years to be doing a LOT better than we are. I'd expect the club to put the team first and put every effort in ensuring we got up first time of asking before any other project they think may ensure a better future in years to come.

I'd agree with that completely.

With our resources we should be putting teams like QoS, Raith & Falkirk away. We should certainly be dispatching part time mobs of tradesmen like Alloa and Dumbarton with as little fuss as possible. Instead we make hopeless heavy weather of it and our play is laborious and ponderous which in this league is a non starter as players will be right on top of you to force errors.
As for those who will offer the excuse about teams playing on plastic pitches, that's simply not an excuse. We have a link up with Spartans and can train before games at Ainslie Park for the entire week if necessary to prepare ourselves for these matches.

This season it appears we will have to adjust our aims as der Hun and the Puddle Slurpers are now both too far ahead so we must aim for a play off spot. If Stubbs can't at least deliver that then he needs to take a long hard look at himself.

[Kato]

I'd expect with our resources even after the mismanagement of the last few years to be doing a LOT better than we are. I'd expect the club to put the team first and put every effort in ensuring we got up first time of asking before any other project they think may ensure a better future in years to come.

I disagree with the part of your post. I think the club has done the right in getting a professional back-room staff in and making the changes in the youth set-up.

As to the first part I'm not sure if your expectations are askign too much. Getting a club from a "loser" soft-touch mentality to a winning one isn't about money, it's about character and building a mind-set.

Saying that I'm not trying to change your mind on anything. I recognise that where Hibs are when compared to how people see where Hibs "shoud be" in their imaginations are two different things, in short reality versus fantasy.

Looking at how Hibs are playing we are in a much better place than we were although there are still huge improvements to be made. Sadly this will be a long-term thing and an instantaneous turn-around isn't going to happen which might be a good thing, to build something with foundations rather than be a flash in the pan.

[Dashing Bob S]

Patronising and sexist in my opinion.

Clucking unbelievable

[One Day Soon]

Clucking unbelievable


I see what you did there you sartorial devil you.

[johnrebus]

No mention of the elephant in the room.



:rolleyes:

[Pete]

Leeann, the match day catering is poor.

Why can't we get a deal with a decent outlet, like what Kilmarnock and Dunfermline have done?...or why can't we just rent out the space to McDonald's or some other fast food giant? A combination of the two would be ideal.

I know nobody is forced to buy it but I'd like to have the option of buying something nice at a reasonable price, especially when the kids are there.

Right now we're waiting 20 minutes minimum to pay nearly £5 for an average pie and bovril. Surely we can do better.

[Bobo]

I know it's not really the point, but I'd like to know what would have happened if Kevin Thomson and Jason Cummings had scored their penalties and we'd stayed up. Would Alan Stubbs still be here?

Do we really know all that is wrong at Hibs? I think that is probably the essence of the problem - we can all see how it manifests itself on the pitch, but everyone disagrees on what the real problems are. I get the impression with the constant changes in the boardroom, that the board aren't really any more aware than the fans are of what the problems are.

I think the statement is trying to buy Leeann time after a horror start to this season. Buy yourself some more Leeann, put a proper big Hibs badge on our stadium.

With all the ills surrounding the club at the minute, this last bit of your post may seem trivial to some but I think it's very pertinent and a point I raised with the club a couple of years back, needless to say my suggestions fell on deaf ears.

We have a fantastic stadium that has no identity, that neither our own support or visitors to the city can instantly recognise and associate with!? Why the stadium been left as a bland faceless structure for so long is a mystery, have we no pride in ourselves as it certainly looks that way!

The club name should be on the front of the staduim, emblazened in lights at night, and a real focal point within the community, instead it hides in the dark, almost unnoticed as if we're ashamed of what lies within.

For too long now the club has lacked belief and pride in itself, weighed down by years of underachievement, it's time for all concerned to stand up and be noticed.

Little differences can have a big impact on everyones demeanour so lets raise our heads and show everyone else who we really are .... the famous Edinburgh HIBERNIAN

:flag:

[Hibeesmad]

I just want to see my football club win matches against teams who have a much lower budget and expectations than us. That's all I ask for

[Bobby's Cinema]

Watching and supporting Hibs is not fun at the moment, neither is discussing watching and supporting Hibs. I have become increasingly negative and disillusioned with what's going on - at least, what I see going on - and the frustrating thing is that the most compelling argument at the moment is the one that is highly critical of the club at this point in time.

It's been a long time coming, and I as much as anyone really, have given the benefit of the doubt and resisted the urge to only see the bleakest outcomes for the club, and it's not helped at all. It is increasingly difficult to find the positives and I guess other people posting on here feel the same.

That said, I completely agree with your assertion that at some point we as a support are going to have to take steps to stem the flow of abuse getting flung at the club - somebody posted (Meh, maybe?) a thread the other day pointing out that if you took the start of the season out of the equation, we're actually doing alright. Not good by any stretch of the imagination, but getting there. In fact, Stubbs' Manager of the Month award is testament to that theory. We need to be winning our home games but it won't just happen for us. Dumbarton gave us a good game in the cup, and got a 0-0 with the Yams (who have had a fantastic start).

We actually did enough to win the game if the ref gives the goal that we scored. As bad as Malonga's penalty was (and it was bad!) it crossed the line. That's all he needed to do. If you get the luck you deserve, he should have got a goal. Had the keeper been lucky enough for the ball to stay the right side of the line for him, he'd have deserved that. He didn't. Under normal circumstances (i.e. not after several years of decline), we'd probably cut the team a bit of slack for that. Instead folk are saying that we shouldn't even take it into consideration.

There is absolutely no quarter being given to the club at the moment. Nothing at all. In fact, going from Leeann's post, it would appear that even when we've not lost the game at the weekend, there are staff at the club (Leeann included) got it tight from a section of the support. I saw several offensive and abusive tweets aimed at the club's official twitter account after the result. And that's from its fans. The people who are supposed to back it.

I get the over-riding sense of frustration from Leeann's post at this negativity. As a result of the length of time it's taken to fall this low, very few fans are interested in the background stuff, or the fact that a decision and action taken now will improve things over the next however long. Most of us want that improvement now, on the pitch and tangibly evident with a regular 3 points. Leeann can't influence that now, she's got a manager in that she believes in, he's brought in the staff that he wants, the resources are there to train the players. That's Stubbs' job now.

The problem is that with every two step forwards, the one step back becomes a giant leap back because of the reaction to bad results etc. For each bad result there's an outpouring of anger and frustration. Then there's a willingness to only see the negatives because of that anger and frustration, so when someone says it's Petrie's fault that Griffiths never signed (it wasn't), or a fan had been approached to join the board, people believe it because why wouldn't they?

As a collective, we need to question and sense-check stories more before accepting them as fact. I also think we need to lay off abusing the club and especially the staff. We need to give them the time and backing to get it right. I'm not saying this is the fans' fault. We do have a role to play in getting the club back on an even keel again though.

That doesn't mean we need to accept things like Petrie remaining at the club, that situation needs to change asap as far as I'm concerned because that's a huge factor in the lack of willingness to give any concessions to the club when things go wrong, however we need to approach that in a coherent and constructive way. Flinging mud a the club and trying to derail things is counter-productive. We are better than that, we have to be.
:agree: It's a viscous circle as we have all seen. The negativity can't be stopped at the moment because for me the pride has been taken out of supporting Hibs. And that stems from the actions of the board, It would be unfair to blame Leeann for much of that. Leeann possibly couldn't win when stating our aim was to win the league, but when that isn't reflected in our transfer dealings you only increase that sense of anger, injustice and mistrust. Not good to hear of the personal abuse.

It's some mess to sort out. Good luck Leeann

[hhibs]

After reading some of the posts and some of the emails and tweets I received from yesterday, I thought it probably time that I come on to .net and answer a few things and perhaps put right or at least give you my perspective on some of the accusations that are out there.

I did ask for a membership on net and bounce as I thought it would be a decent way to keep in contact with supporters but more over to get a sense check of the issues and opportunities that exist. I should probably have resisted doing so and resisted the temptation to use the boards in a positive way. If the truth were told, I find the constant criticism of the club, the general picking to pieces of everything we do quite counter productive and demotivating in a way. It is the same with the torrent or emails, some time text message and twitter messages received post match – you would think that we collectively come to work every day and say ‘what could we possibly do today that will upset and annoy the support at large?’

I’m not looking for you to feel sorry for us but there has to be recognition that the constant negativity can’t be productive for anyone. The club is going through a period of major change – and yet again I am sure that will be jumped on as same old, same old but I know differently. Almost every element of the club is being shaped, changed and reengineered and because those at the club are involved and can see the changes taking effect, the opps these will bring and ultimately where I believe we can achieve, we are excited and motivated to work on, work hard and make the sacrifices needed to give supporters what they want.

I understand that what supporters mainly see is the performances on the pitch and therefore because ours have been stop start this season, the obvious fall back of people when they are frustrated and disappointed is to lash out and to claim that nothing has changed and that it is business as usual. Well it is not.

We are as frustrated as any of you when we don’t manage the win, we all are and I mean every person who works at the club and who is dedicating above and beyond to try and make you all happy and proud of the club and our contributions. I see the progress of the club day by day but even so, a defeat or a draw has the same effect on me / us as it does on you as a support and sometimes it can be very difficult. I can give you my word that we have changed, we are changing and we are planning to change a great deal more – I also understand though that your benchmark for this won’t be when the ticketing system works they way it should, or the comms coming out of the club are improved, when there are a 1000 more youngsters in the stadium being converted to supporters for the future or when the foundation starts to properly change the community and those who live within it and when income moves positively to allow us to do more blah blah blah. Your benchmark is the results on the pitch .

I have absolute faith in our football people and the team that sits behind all of them and who are supporting them which is why I will continue to do the same and why we need to keep our ‘cool’, keep our commitment and shape of the club and make sure Alan and the team know that they have my backing and the backing of everyone else to turn our season around and importantly to give us a platform to make the seasons beyond even better.

Again, I understand though that you guys only see us once a week, maybe a one off U20’s game or come to a meeting so you only have those things to judge the current progress on. We are not immune to criticism and I am happy to have a take it when it is due, not every decision we make is perfect but there is at least always thought and consideration on the ones we make.

Onto a few things that others have reported to me have been doing the rounds on the boards. Apparently I am tentatively sounding people out to become board members of the club. Absolute rubbish, it is not true and in fact I have contacted the Electoral Reform Society to ascertain if they can help and advise on the up coming elections for supporter board members. I feel that strongly about this and the independence of the process that I won’t allow anyone to claim anyone at the club is ‘fixing’ or trying to fix the result.

Sales and Marketing and the fact that I am ignoring a certain ‘Hibby’ – I have not had numerous calls, contacts, texts or emails from anyone – I don’t even know who you are but I have not been ignoring numerous emails or texts from anyone on this subject. I have had 3 texts from one individual that falls into this category and I’ve responded to 2 of them……not sure if related but then I can only guess! If there were emails then its fair to say they never reached me but the easiest thing to do then is perhaps speak to one of the team at the club, leave details, perhaps even drop in on a non match day and I’d have been happy to see meet.

The Drum yesterday – we did not ask for this to be stopped, we did ask for flags to be searched as there have been numerous complaints from supporters who don’t like the effects of the smoke bombs etc so we’ve significantly stepped up security to try and eliminate these. You may like the colour but others don’t and others don’t enjoy the experience, they find it frightening and dangerous, these are also not allowed under any rules and cause the club constant issues. I’d ask that those involved with section 43 get in touch with me and we can come up with a plan that makes the match day experience better, that makes those who want to get involved happier with the outcome. I am all for match day noise, colour and atmosphere and I will help you as much as possible, home and away to achieve this but we need to do it in a way that works for everyone.

Two seats sold as ST and then removed – complete own goal from us, should have ben easy to fix and totally unnecessary. A classic example of people not speaking to each other and things falling through the gaps.

Hibs TV – again another own goal, we invested heavily in every aspect to deliver a better TV product alongside a new website. On the face of both, they should have delivered significantly more than they have. It’s not a supplier thing or issue, it was planning at our end – again an own goal that requires to be fixed quickly but to be fair to all concerned, it was a curve ball that derailed it right at the last minute – even so, still majorly disappointing but if it is any consolation, the whole exec team including myself and Jamie are involved to fix this.

Website and emails – look better, good functionality but needs constant attention, communications on every front is changing from staff and kit to plans and delivery. We have a strong volunteer team who want to do more and who can help us – we will be accepting their offer but more importantly, we will be offering new ways to get the messages out there.

Complaints/customer service/ supporter files are all being reengineered with the introduction of a new supporter dynamic system, in short, we should and will stop asking you to continually prove your details, DOB etc and we will all have access onscreen to a new system which hopefully means we are able to speak to you in a more personal and relevant way. It will mean a better service and a more productive executive team - has to be good.

Emails – I can’t answer every email that comes into the club addressed to me, there are too many. If you have a complaint about the stadium, tickets, smoke bomb etc etc then please use the contact us part of the website. Every department is now listed and available. Is it helpful to offload after a game directly to my email or twitter or is it better to get involved and speak directly – again, with respect, I won’t answer these emails as they usually don’t request a response.

I am sure there is a good deal more that I’ve missed and many more questions that you have not only for me but for Alan, George and the rest of the team. I am really happy to hear suggestions as to how we can make this whole transition more positive – I know it comes back to football on the day and I am under no illusions as to the power of this but in order to be a good CEO, I also need to future proof the club and that means I need to worry about the whole package, the football is my number 1 but I also have another 100 considerations that all feed into the overall success of our Club.

I will sign off with a few last thought, I won’t be on this board constantly and I won’t be replying to every angry tweet or every angry text or post – that does not mean however that I am oblivious to the issues but it also does not make me a poor CEO or one who is not interested in opinion. It means that I need to focus my time and energy into the bigger plan, I have the benefit of seeing the direction of travel and the changes first hand and I am confident that we will build a club together.

I am also keen to meet you rather than have my character given to me online so if you can think of ways that this can happen, I’m all ears. Maybe we have a social night in the FF – perhaps on the euro nights, we could have a chat / debate with myself and the team and then we could watch a match together.

We have the building blocks of some something quite wonderful – I’m convinced of it and I’m convinced that I am the person who can help facilitate it and deliver it for you. Tin hat on.

LD
Sorry,this is same old message from an organisation that has completely lost its way, only the names change.The club is in terminal decline and God help us we go from bad to worse.The owner and Chairman as well as the board are culpable ,it will only get better when these people are gone.Over 50 years a Hibs supporter and there has never been ,for me,a more depressing and worse ,apathetic mood in the Hibs support.

[Steve20]

Good to see this post. Seems to me now it's been too much to ask for promotion straight away(even though it could still happen).there just simply wasn't enough time to get it all together. Reckon we must bite the bullet and give the club some slack for a time.

If it was too much to ask to get promotion, then there's no way season tickets should have been at Premier League prices.

[Cinntwamob]

:agree: Certainly calls into question some of the stuff posted on here!

Are you the certain Hibby JC?

[Sammy7nil]

I think it is very welcome that Leeann chose to post on here, I also think it would be a good idea for “fans” to post their responses, perhaps Leeann could review the responses and reply to the top 4 or 5 points or most repeated questions by way of a monthly update? I think fans would welcome that commitment to on-going communication and may greatly reduce the e-mails, texts and tweets she currently receives.

After discussing Leeann’s post with a couple of work colleagues one who said “I read Leeann’s piece with some surprise – surely after the last 5 – 6 years of steep decline in Hibs fortunes and blatant bad management she really couldn’t expect the paying punters not to raise valid concerns. Leeann must accept certainly in the short-term results on the park are the be all and end all. Tinkering about the edges with revamped web sites or other such p*sh is akin to Nero fiddling while Rome was burning.”

In short EVERYTHING except absolutely essential work must take a back seat until Hibs have the playing the squad that is competing and winning games that will hopefully be enough win promotion back to the SPFL if not this this season certainly the next.

What Tom Farmer did when he stepped in to save Hibs was fantastic and we will always be grateful to him and his family however his legacy is in danger of being wiped out. The Hibs he currently presides over is a laughing stock with no genuine signs of a revival. Tom may have saved Hibs but there is a real danger he will with his perceived or direct lack of action ultimately destroy the Hibs we know and love.

Petrie has to go end of no debate he must leave for the good of the club. It matters not what he has done or can do ALL goodwill towards him from the fans has long gone. Petrie can very quickly give the club a huge boost at this very difficult and challenging time by resigning NOW. We are told he cares about the club well if that is true he now has to prove it by resigning. Leeann it is your job to make that point to Rod loud, clear and often until he goes.

Just over 8 years ago I used to go to the game with 22 season ticket holders this included about 9 children, today only 5 of that 22 have a season ticket. If this slide is not halted NOW Hibs are in real danger of becoming a slightly bigger version of Dunfermline or Ayr.

[nickwhibs]

Good on LD for the honesty of her post - that in itself goes a long way to bridging the gap between club and fans. However, I think we are over-complicating the running of a football club. For me the 3 most important things for fans, and in this order, are:

1. Results/entertainment (Needs to improve dramatically - mainly for Stubbs, coaching staff and players, who really need to up their game. Hopefully there is more demand from board level to have a WINNING mentality, and not an acceptance of mediocrity.)

2. Ticket prices (I'm disgusted at how high the prices are for season tickets/walk-ups. I know this has been going on for years, but the board really should be looking to encourage people back to matches - £15 for adluts, £5 for concessions would be my suggestion, and obviously much cheaper/fairer season ticket prices - look at German clubs if you don't think this is financially viable.)

3. Supporter involvement with the running of the club (This is one area I think we are finally seeing some progress in. The more consultation etc the better, hopefully leading to fan ownership in the near future. Another suggestion I have is opening up Easter Road/ having open days etc. We really need this community feel to come back to Hibs, who are really a community club. Obviously results on the pitch will help this.)

[silverhibee]

Another own goal from Leeann was to not post that thread on all Hibs Messageboards, not everyone reads .net so surely the right thing to do was post it on all Hibs MB to get her message over to as many Hibs fans as possible.

How hard could that have been, and now you see the bickering over only posting it on here.

[marinello59]

Another own goal from Leeann was to not post that thread on all Hibs Messageboards, not everyone reads .net so surely the right thing to do was post it on all Hibs MB to get her message over to as many Hibs fans as possible.

Maybe she found the criticism from this place worse than on other sites. She was certainly addressing issues and accusations which had specifically been made on here. It was copied on to the Bounce in double quick time anyway.

[emerald green]

Absolutely spot on.

At the end of the day we are a football club and it's the product on the park that is priority rather than all these off field projects.

Start winning games and as someone said, all this negativity and off the field issues will soon dissappear.

There is absolutely no issues with the infrastructure of the club, we have a superb stadium, fantastic training facilities, brilliant youth set up and no issues with finances but all our problems are with regards to the performances and results of the team.

The disappointment on the pitch has been ongoing far too long, fans are paying top dollar ticket prices to fund a full time team that are being out performed by part timers being run on significantly smaller budgets.

:agree:

[silverhibee]

Maybe she found the criticism from this place worse than on other sites. She was certainly addressing issues and accusations which had specifically been made on here. It was copied on to the Bounce in double quick time anyway.


I doubt that really as she is hardly flavour of the month over on the Bounce, all I'm saying is if she wants to reach out to as many Hibs supporters out there then surely posting it on all Hibs MB would have been the right thing to do and not just .net, yes she addressed some issues from here but her post wasn't all about that, it was about reaching out to all Hibs supporters to stop bitching and moaning and sending her emails texts twitter, is it all folk from .net that are sending these messages to her after games, i doubt that very much so she should have posted her message on all Hibs MB and not just .net.

[WestCoastHibby]

Twang!!!

Fair points raised. While you are upping your smoke bomb security don't forget to stop the toilet smokers and their illegal antics.

The yellow jacket posse are indifferent when I complain...

[Just Alf]

Another own goal from Leeann was to not post that thread on all Hibs Messageboards, not everyone reads .net so surely the right thing to do was post it on all Hibs MB to get her message over to as many Hibs fans as possible.

How hard could that have been, and now you see the bickering over only posting it on here.

sort of agree with this, but i seem to remember some grief on here because she'd been "seen" on the Bounce but not here? ..... I remember the thread but never bothered to check personally so don't know if that was accurate or all pi** and wind. :confused:


Edit: Regardless of the whys and wherefores.... it's not hard to type a post then cut and paste it onto the key boards?

Edit 2: maybe we're "nicer" :thumbsup:

[marinello59]

I doubt that really as she is hardly flavour of the month over on the Bounce, all I'm saying is if she wants to reach out to as many Hibs supporters out there then surely posting it on all Hibs MB would have been the right thing to do and not just .net, yes she addressed some issues from here but her post wasn't all about that, it was about reaching out to all Hibs supporters to stop bitching and moaning and sending her emails texts twitter, is it all folk from .net that are sending these messages to her after games, i doubt that very much so she should have posted her message on all Hibs MB and not just .net.

Aye, you might be right. I don't really care where it was posted. If it had been posted on the Bounce it would have been linked to here within minutes so I would have seen it anyway. Maybe you could email LD to find out why she chose to only post here. Actually maybe that's not a good idea.:greengrin

[Scottie]

And here we have a perfect example of what I was referring to. Ignore the ball, play the man. What's the sound of one hand clapping?

Depends where 'the one hand is clapping' dosent it ? :rolleyes:

Like in all your post's 'Your always correct mate' If you don't agree with others you shout them down.

Leave the patronising to them along the road as all on Hibs.net want the best for our club which is a successful team on and off the pitch.

[emerald green]

With all the ills surrounding the club at the minute, this last bit of your post may seem trivial to some but I think it's very pertinent and a point I raised with the club a couple of years back, needless to say my suggestions fell on deaf ears.

We have a fantastic stadium that has no identity, that neither our own support or visitors to the city can instantly recognise and associate with!? Why the stadium been left as a bland faceless structure for so long is a mystery, have we no pride in ourselves as it certainly looks that way!

The club name should be on the front of the staduim, emblazened in lights at night, and a real focal point within the community, instead it hides in the dark, almost unnoticed as if we're ashamed of what lies within.

For too long now the club has lacked belief and pride in itself, weighed down by years of underachievement, it's time for all concerned to stand up and be noticed.

Little differences can have a big impact on everyones demeanour so lets raise our heads and show everyone else who we really are .... the famous Edinburgh HIBERNIAN

:flag:

:agree: Well said. Also, and I'm not saying this is LD's top priority by any stretch of the imagination (obviously getting a winning team is) but what about erecting a statue of The Famous Five outside the main entrance? Maybe this is something the fans could contribute towards?

[silverhibee]

Aye, you might be right. I don't really care where it was posted. If it had been posted on the Bounce it would have been linked to here within minutes so I would have seen it anyway. Maybe you could email LD to find out why she chose to only post here. Actually maybe that's not a good idea.:greengrin

I'll just drop by and have a cuppa and a chat. :greengrin

[bigwheel]

Leeann, the match day catering is poor.

Why can't we get a deal with a decent outlet, like what Kilmarnock and Dunfermline have done?...or why can't we just rent out the space to McDonald's or some other fast food giant? A combination of the two would be ideal.

I know nobody is forced to buy it but I'd like to have the option of buying something nice at a reasonable price, especially when the kids are there.

Right now we're waiting 20 minutes minimum to pay nearly £5 for an average pie and bovril. Surely we can do better.


I agree the catering is poor but no thanks to your suggestion- the last thing we need is a massive global chain who have almost nothing nutritious on their menu's taking over our catering.... give it to a local business, keep the money in our community, get someone who cares about good food and some healthier options too.....

[Pretty Boy]

sort of agree with this, but i seem to remember some grief on here because she'd been "seen" on the Bounce but not here? ..... I remember the thread but never bothered to check personally so don't know if that was accurate or all pi** and wind. :confused:


Edit: Regardless of the whys and wherefores.... it's not hard to type a post then cut and paste it onto the key boards?

Edit 2: maybe we're "nicer" :thumbsup:

I think this place is anything but nicer. There's a hell of a lot of criticism of the club on here and much of it justified. The reaction to the post shows that, whilst many have accepted it there has been a lot of criticisms and questions as well.

The idea of .net being 'nicer' or 'friendlier' with the club is a bit of a myth perpetuated by people with agendas on the Bounce based on events and personalities from so long ago I can't see how they are at all relevant to hibs.net today.

I agree it should have been posted on both forums simultaneously but it was always going to find it's way on to both in double quick time anyway (and not disappear for nearly an hour for whatever reason).

Anyway the internet can do without another Bounce and .net war of words so I'm out.

Edit: I know your post was toungue in cheek so not meant as a dig at you btw.

[Just Alf]

I think this place is anything but nicer. There's a hell of a lot of criticism of the club on here and much of it justified. The reaction to the post shows that, whilst many have accepted it there has been a lot of criticisms and questions as well.

The idea of .net being 'nicer' or 'friendlier' with the club is a bit of a myth perpetuated by people with agendas on the Bounce based on events and personalities from so long ago I can't see how they are at all relevant to hibs.net today.

I agree it should have been posted on both forums simultaneously but it was always going to find it's way on to both in double quick time anyway (and not disappear for nearly an hour for whatever reason).

Anyway the internet can do without another Bounce and .net war of words so I'm out.

Edit: I know your post was toungue in cheek so not meant as a dig at you btw.

Should've put in a smiley but was on phone :-(



FWIW nothing you've typed is wrong


Edit: just spotted your edit ... No worries <insert agree smiley here>!

[silverhibee]

I think this place is anything but nicer. There's a hell of a lot of criticism of the club on here and much of it justified. The reaction to the post shows that, whilst many have accepted it there has been a lot of criticisms and questions as well.

The idea of .net being 'nicer' or 'friendlier' with the club is a bit of a myth perpetuated by people with agendas on the Bounce based on events and personalities from so long ago I can't see how they are at all relevant to hibs.net today.

I agree it should have been posted on both forums simultaneously but it was always going to find it's way on to both in double quick time anyway (and not disappear for nearly an hour for whatever reason).

Anyway the internet can do without another Bounce and .net war of words so I'm out.

Edit: I know your post was toungue in cheek so not meant as a dig at you btw.

Seems it has been reignited again by the looks of some posts on the bounce about posters on here, as i say PB how hard was it to copy & paste it and stick it on the bounce as well, she is not a daft woman, so why make a silly mistake like this, as i said, another own goal from her to add to the other own goals she spoke about.

[Pretty Boy]

Seems it has been reignited again by the looks of some posts on the bounce about posters on here, as i say PB how hard was it to copy & paste it and stick it on the bounce as well, she is not a daft woman, so why make a silly mistake like this, as i said, another own goal from her to add to the other own goals she spoke about.

I don't disagree, it should have went on both forums.

As for some of the posts, that's up to them. It's disappointing at least one regular poster on here felt the need to join in though.

[bookert]

I agree the catering is poor but no thanks to your suggestion- the last thing we need is a massive global chain who have almost nothing nutritious on their menu's taking over our catering.... give it to a local business, keep the money in our community, get someone who cares about good food and some healthier options too.....

Agree absolutely with this, food is unimaginative, unhealthy, expensive and dire.

[MWHIBBIES]

You don't happen to sit in section 39 of the East Stand do you as we have one too and the vile abuse he shouts at the management & players is absolutely disgusting and what makes it more disgusting is the fact that he has young kids with him who in all fairness seem to be embarrassed by his behaviour.

He is spoiling mine & my family's enjoyment week in and week out so much so I am considering moving seat but unfortunately there is no guarantee that I won't end up sitting next to another 'supporter' with the same attitude No actually, FF Upper but I feel your pain, it is very annoying and certainly makes it difficult to enjoy games.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Wow ... that was a long 10 pages :greengrin


Well done Leeann for having your say. I agree, personal abuse on Twitter or by Text and E Mail is out of order.

You could feel the frustration oozing out of every paragraph of your post though and by the end of it I felt like I should go and sit on the naughty step for 15 minutes :greengrin

I understand that after only 5 months in the job, with a brand new manager and backroom staff, you feel that the fans are being overly negative at poor results and what appears to be slow on field progress. The problem you face Leeann is that for us it hasn't been 5 months, its been 6 years. You have been in football long enough to appreciate the nature of the beast, a season of 'patience' is a lifetime for your average football fan .... 6 years is heading for geological proportions.

You have another problem in this regard. People in any country who support a club of our stature will get frustrated when their club fails to live up to its potential over such a lengthy period. In Hibs case this has been magnified ten fold by the fact that far from under achieving in that time the club has accumulated a list of disasters that would be hard to live down in the lifetime of your average football supporter, never mind 6 years.

I'm sure I don't have to list the individual results .... they are bad enough, but chuck in an utterly appalling derby record and a relegation and its not hard to see why more and more fans are choosing to be patient at the pictures, on the Golf course, at the Megabowl or in front of the X box or Sky Sports .... check out the other threads, some folk are even going to bloody Rugby.

All of this ( like it or not ) is exacerbated by the lingering presence of Rod Petrie. His bloody minded and self serving refusal to step aside as chairman / board member has caused, and will continue to cause, huge damage to the clubs relationship with its supporters. That's a hell of a price to pay for a conduit ... I hope he's worth it.

This is not a criticism of you, I really think you are extremely committed to your task and I wish you every success .... I wonder though if the joint owners of the club are backing you ... not in the way they want ... but in the way they should.

Finally ........... If you want a feel for what it means to support this club, don't look at our historic glories, don't You Tube 3 - 0 wins at Ibrox. Dig out a copy of the 2007 CIS cup final, but skip the game, skip 35,000 Hibbies singing Sunshine on Leith at full time and go to the very end of the DVD ... there you will find a small montage of photographs taken by Hibs fans of their friends and family before, during and after the match. I find it extremely moving and for me it sums up exactly what it means to be a supporter of this ( in spite of everything ) brilliant football club.

All the best.

[Beefster]

Seems it has been reignited again by the looks of some posts on the bounce about posters on here, as i say PB how hard was it to copy & paste it and stick it on the bounce as well, she is not a daft woman, so why make a silly mistake like this, as i said, another own goal from her to add to the other own goals she spoke about.

It might be a bit of an own goal but it's an unbelievably trivial one.

[Keith_M]

It might be a bit of an own goal but it's an unbelievably trivial one.


:agree:


But one heartily jumped on by those willing to stick the boot in to Hibs at every opportunity.

[ancient hibee]

It might be a bit of an own goal but it's an unbelievably trivial one.

:top marks

[Dalkeith Hibee]

Sorry,this is same old message from an organisation that has completely lost its way, only the names change.The club is in terminal decline and God help us we go from bad to worse.The owner and Chairman as well as the board are culpable ,it will only get better when these people are gone.Over 50 years a Hibs supporter and there has never been ,for me,a more depressing and worse ,apathetic mood in the Hibs support.


Absolutely spot on mate. Nail on the head.

Come on Leeann whats your response to that post??

[I'm_cabbaged]

Here we are sitting 5th in the "CHAMPIONSHIP" and what do we get? Folk greeting about the ****ing catering. I sometimes wonder if we as fans in general deserve a ***** team.
Over and out.

[Peevemor]

Absolutely spot on mate. Nail on the head.

Come on Leeann whats your response to that post??

It's not spot on at all. It's more of the same moaning pish.

What would LD's response be to that post? She would probably invite you to consider the wholesale changes that have been made behind the scenes at ER & EM, changes that were made to benefit the club in the long term.

She's been in the job just over 4 months and cannot be blamed for the playing staff or budget that she inherited.

No wonder she's pissed off with the inane crap posted by some.

[One Day Soon]

Depends where 'the one hand is clapping' dosent it ? :rolleyes:

Like in all your post's 'Your always correct mate' If you don't agree with others you shout them down.

Leave the patronising to them along the road as all on Hibs.net want the best for our club which is a successful team on and off the pitch.


1. How exactly is it possible for me as one poster to 'shout them down' if I disagree with others?

2. I have always welcomed robust debate, but just because I don't agree with you on something doesn't mean I have to keep silent. I am allowed to express my opinion am I not?

[Pete]

Here we are sitting 5th in the "CHAMPIONSHIP" and what do we get? Folk greeting about the ****ing catering. I sometimes wonder if we as fans in general deserve a ***** team.
Over and out.

I'm sorry. I'll not mention that again as it's not as if anyone has ever been unhappy with it before.
I'll just stick to ranting hysterically and repeating what around 40 people have said before.

[hhibs]

It's not spot on at all. It's more of the same moaning pish.

What would LD's response be to that post? She would probably invite you to consider the wholesale changes that have been made behind the scenes at ER & EM, changes that were made to benefit the club in the long term.

She's been in the job just over 4 months and cannot be blamed for the playing staff or budget that she inherited.

No wonder she's pissed off with the inane crap posted by some.

If you really cannot see what is really killing this club after this length of time then you must be in complete denial.Though I could not possibly comment as to your posts being in any way inane or for that matter crap.

[Scottie]

1. How exactly is it possible for me as one poster to 'shout them down' if I disagree with others?

2. I have always welcomed robust debate, but just because I don't agree with you on something doesn't mean I have to keep silent. I am allowed to express my opinion am I not?

No getting into an arguement wi you and No ones asking you to keep quiet have they ? Of course YOU are allowed your opinion but some of us are clearly not as your referendum posting quite clearly shows.

Spend a little time on the Referendum thread and look at you comments and how they could be construde. Your opinion was the only one that counted. People in glass houses and all that.

Anyway back on topic GGTTH. :wink:

[Peevemor]

If you really cannot see what is really killing this club after this length of time then you must be in complete denial.Though I could not possibly comment as to your posts being in any way inane or for that matter crap.

So is Leeann Dempster killing our club? Or put another way, is she in any way responsible for our decline? Or maybe she's putting together and implementing a long term plan to put the club back where it should be? I'm not in denial at all, it's just that I can take my blinkers off now and again.

[davym7062]

While it's good to hear the club are working hard behind the scenes the bottom line is we are crap at football and until that's sorted it doesn't matter about the rest

[southsider]

The "wind of change" that was to sweep through ER has turned into a damp squib with fans turning their back on the club in their droves. Is the football any better than last season ? I very much have my doubts on that. We still have no real drive from midfield and everything is far too slow and predictable. We really are in a bad way at the moment and for the life of me i cant really see things improving whilst Petrie/Farmer remain.

[Jonnyboy]

Are you the certain Hibby JC?

Not guilty K

[silverhibee]

Agree absolutely with this, food is unimaginative, unhealthy, expensive and dire.

£8 for two cheeseburgers, I'm the mug for buying them i suppose, and they ain't the best either.

[Phil D. Rolls]

No getting into an arguement wi you and No ones asking you to keep quiet have they ? Of course YOU are allowed your opinion but some of us are clearly not as your referendum posting quite clearly shows.

Spend a little time on the Referendum thread and look at you comments and how they could be construde. Your opinion was the only one that counted. People in glass houses and all that.

Anyway back on topic GGTTH. :wink:

Reminds me of the woman watching a junior marching band. She turns to the lady beside her and says "my little boy is the only one who is marching in step". :greengrin

[hhibs]

So is Leeann Dempster killing our club? Or put another way, is she in any way responsible for our decline? Or maybe she's putting together and implementing a long term plan to put the club back where it should be? I'm not in denial at all, it's just that I can take my blinkers off now and again.

Nope,she is not to blame,but she is representing the failed Board and Owner and sounding awfully like lines we have heard time and again, and as such is subject to comment

For what it is worth IMHO she may have realized that she has made a monumentally bad career move going to Hibs under the present ownership and may well look for a suitable exit route in the not too distant future.

[Lee]

It's not spot on at all. It's more of the same moaning pish.

What would LD's response be to that post? She would probably invite you to consider the wholesale changes that have been made behind the scenes at ER & EM, changes that were made to benefit the club in the long term.

She's been in the job just over 4 months and cannot be blamed for the playing staff or budget that she inherited.

No wonder she's pissed off with the inane crap posted by some.

I was going to reply to this post with the same sentiment, but you've done a better job that I planned to :)

How can she be blamed for the 6 and a half years of decline before this summer when she wasn't even at the club??

I'll be honest, I'm at a low ebb with hibs just now because any improvements on the pitch so far have been marginal and we continue to have the wrong mindset ON the park imao, but falling short of having a time machine, what exactly is Leeann, George Craig et all meant to do about the state of the club prior to her reign?

It's all this "let's jump on everything and anything" nonsense that's becoming almost as unbearable as our actual results! So what if it wasn't posted on bounce or elsewhere (even though it was shared to most sites / fb pages within minutes) the fact it WAS posted is a small step forward....we need more of them.

Someone earlier in the thread mentioned having a monthly update or similar, I think this would be a great idea....another small step, maybe. It would only work with an honest agenda and comments / discussion points being well constructed and relevant (and dare I say measurable!)

Biggest step would be results on the park (we all agree on that one) but - longer term - the club needs to adapt and grow if we want any sustainable improvements though.

As I said before though, a post like this is still a baby step forward....let's build on it and not view it (or treat it) like another backwards step.

[I'm_cabbaged]

I'm sorry. I'll not mention that again as it's not as if anyone has ever been unhappy with it before.
I'll just stick to ranting hysterically and repeating what around 40 people have said before.

Folk were sitting back (myself included) and watching us slowly go on a downward spiral, too interested in the demise of our neighbours. Anybody who saw it coming was shot down as a bed wetter, even one of the admins on here (pretty positive anyways :)) had a thread about it.
If we don't stand up now united to show this is unacceptable I fear we're screwed.
Once we're riding high in the SPL moan about pies ;)

[Scottie]

Reminds me of the woman watching a junior marching band. She turns to the lady beside her and says "my little boy is the only one who is marching in step". :greengrin

:agree: :top marks

[Peevemor]

Nope,she is not to blame,but she is representing the failed Board and Owner and sounding awfully like lines we have heard time and again, and as such is subject to comment

For what it is worth IMHO she may have realized that she has made a monumentally bad career move going to Hibs under the present ownership and may well look for a suitable exit route in the not too distant future.

But the board have given her carte blanche to try to turn things around. Yes there are obvious financial restrictions, but LD has confirmed that the board has budgeted to make a loss this season. There will also be changes made in the boardroom.

Nobody with any sense will judge LD based on the first year in the job, let alone the first 4 months.

So you're coming out with the 'same old same old', "lost direction" stuff is as ignorant as it's incorrect.

[Jimk]

But the board have given her carte blanche to try to turn things around.

LOL !! She's Petrie's sock puppet. She might not have cottoned on to it yet but Petrie and Farmer still rule the roost.

[Peevemor]

LOL !! She's Petrie's sock puppet. She might not have cottoned on to it yet but Petrie and Farmer still rule the roost.

Yeah you're right.

[bigwheel]

Absolutely spot on mate. Nail on the head.

Come on Leeann whats your response to that post??

Spot on??? Not in my book - it's emotional , from the heart , but not recognising the amount of things that need addressed. We could all ramble away like that . The reality is we are at last making deep changes to the football and non footballing side of this club - and if we had a few more points on the board people would be starting to believe it - as of now , it's going to take more time ...

[southsider]

LOL !! She's Petrie's sock puppet. She might not have cottoned on to it yet but Petrie and Farmer still rule the roost.
Not sure that she does not have some good ideas and could well be a fine CEO (under new owners !) but she was almost certainly employed to take the flak and give Petrie the chance to pass the buck.

[Kato]

For what it is worth IMHO she may have realized that she has made a monumentally bad career move going to Hibs under the present ownership and may well look for a suitable exit route in the not too distant future.

What a rotten opinion.

[Peevemor]

Not sure that she does not have some good ideas and could well be a fine CEO (under new owners !) but she was almost certainly employed to take the flak and give Petrie the chance to pass the buck.

She was appointed when relegation still seemed unlikely. She was employed to rebuild the club due to her track record at Motherwell. And RP's still getting flack even though nobody knows how much control, if any, he exercises over LD's work.

[silverhibee]

It might be a bit of an own goal but it's an unbelievably trivial one.

She has banged on about communicating better with the fans since she came to the club, and the first time she decides to communicate with fans through fans forums she only decides to post on one forum, it would only have taken a couple of minutes to copy and paste it on to the bounce and other forums, particularly the forum where the drummer and that group who were given problems on Saturday, you may think it trivial but not everyone reads .net, some fans post on other forums and she could have posted on all Hibs forums to get her message over to a bigger audience if she had posted on all and not just one.

[silverhibee]

:agree:


But one heartily jumped on by those willing to stick the boot in to Hibs at every opportunity.

Is that directed at me.?

[MontrealHibs]

Good post. However, while two Hibs TV is an issue while we keep failing to win at home it's not a big loss if their is no service.

I for one would rather hear the whole exec team were focused on finding us a goal scorer, ways to fund a goalscorer etc. etc.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

She has banged on about communicating better with the fans since she came to the club, and the first time she decides to communicate with fans through fans forums she only decides to post on one forum, it would only have taken a couple of minutes to copy and paste it on to the bounce and other forums, particularly the forum where the drummer and that group who were given problems on Saturday, you may think it trivial but not everyone reads .net, some fans post on other forums and she could have posted on all Hibs forums to get her message over to a bigger audience if she had posted on all and not just one.

Did she not get barred from the bounce?

[Jimk]

She was appointed when relegation still seemed unlikely.

Every Saturday since December 2013 relegation was looking more and more likely. By April it was just a formality. If anybody thought otherwise they just don't know Hibs or football.


She was employed to rebuild the club due to her track record at Motherwell. And RP's still getting flack even though nobody knows how much control, if any, he exercises over LD's work.

Petrie is the puppet master pulling the strings.

[Forza Fred]

We all seem to be tying ourselves in knots and flailing our arms about at any challenge to what we say.....if that is physically possible!

However, I think what everyone is agreed on is that our current position in the second tier of what is probably the poorest level of Scottish club football in living memory, and our inability to defeat part time clubs regularly and convincingly is the problem.

If everyone at the club concentrated their full attention on rapidly and drastically changing that and it happened, then concerns about, communications, supporters forums, seats that should not have been sol, the price of pies etc would hardly be given air time.

I'd also suggest that even R Ps tenure at the club and associated issues would be dampened down....

On the flip side, I'd think that all at the club DO or SHOULD have realised this by now, and by any yardstick are not succeeding in the delivery of it.

Patience IS exhaustible, and many have reached that point.

I do not, and will not accept our current position as being acceptable and transitionary, and quite simply those at the club need to lift their game, now.

[Peevemor]

Every Saturday since December 2013 relegation was looking more and more likely. By April it was just a formality. If anybody thought otherwise they just don't know Hibs or football.



Petrie is the puppet master pulling the strings.

So even when we took a 2-0 advantage into the second leg of the play-off, relegation was a formality? Wow, I can't compete with your superior knowledge of football.

And I'm not sure if you know this, but RP doesn't actually own Hibs.

[Phil D. Rolls]

If Hibs.net was a film it would look like this.

[Peevemor]

Did she not get barred from the bounce?

I heard she got bounced from the bar.

[Beefster]

She has banged on about communicating better with the fans since she came to the club, and the first time she decides to communicate with fans through fans forums she only decides to post on one forum, it would only have taken a couple of minutes to copy and paste it on to the bounce and other forums, particularly the forum where the drummer and that group who were given problems on Saturday, you may think it trivial but not everyone reads .net, some fans post on other forums and she could have posted on all Hibs forums to get her message over to a bigger audience if she had posted on all and not just one.

Most Hibs fans don't read either website. My old man probably isn't going to get arsey (not you, btw) because the CEO posted on Hibs.net without posting him a paper copy.

Dempster responded to claims made on this website by posting her reply on this website. The target audience is presumably the folk who read the original claims.

[silverhibee]

Did she not get barred from the bounce?


Not got a clue about that.

[Beefster]

Petrie is the puppet master pulling the strings.

I read on the Internet that everyone in America is fat and loves guns but I know not to believe everything that I read on the Internet.


If Hibs.net was a film it would look like this.

I'm McMurphy. M59 is Nurse Ratched. You're probably the guy that looks like a disheveled Einstein.

[erskine-hibby]

'IF' she is truly in charge at ER then yes she is responsible, maybe not for what has happened over the last 7 years, but certainly responsible for what is happening now. Like it or not, whatever backroom changes have been made, the product is, very much, same old. I'm all for giving her a chance, but the crap that is served up and blaming the fans is, quite frankly, not on and unbecoming of a CEO.

[wills]

Great post but the team on the park is what we see. We need a feel good factor back at ER, something to bring the fans back through the doors. I for one would love to see the Aek Athens lineup the
likes of Latapy, O,Neil, Jack, Luna etc invited back to ER as guests for one game,

[silverhibee]

Most Hibs fans don't read either website. My old man probably isn't going to get arsey (not you, btw) because the CEO posted on Hibs.net without posting him a paper copy.

Dempster responded to claims made on this website by posting her reply on this website. The target audience is presumably the folk who read the original claims.

Fair do's. :aok:

[Hibernia&Alba]

If Hibs.net was a film it would look like this.

That's the Hibs boardroom during a meeting, Phil :-D

[The Green Goblin]

She was appointed when relegation still seemed unlikely. She was employed to rebuild the club due to her track record at Motherwell. And RP's still getting flack even though nobody knows how much control, if any, he exercises over LD's work.

He`s still there though PM, and that, after everything that has happened, is the issue for many people. If he`s still there, the he must be involved in some shape or form. To what extent that is is largely irrelevant; it`s the fact that he is still there at all that is the issue.

[marinello59]

'IF' she is truly in charge at ER then yes she is responsible, maybe not for what has happened over the last 7 years, but certainly responsible for what is happening now. Like it or not, whatever backroom changes have been made, the product is, very much, same old. I'm all for giving her a chance, but the crap that is served up and blaming the fans is, quite frankly, not on and unbecoming of a CEO.

Where did she blame the fans?

[Pretty Boy]

He`s still there though PM, and that, after everything that has happened, is the issue for many people. If he`s still there, the he must be involved in some shape or form. To what extent that is is largely irrelevant; it`s the fact that he is still there at all that is the issue.

This is it in a nutshell.

He may well be cleaning the discarded fag ends out the bogs in the East but as long as he is at the club in some capacity then, what appears to be, a sizeable number of people will not fully buy into the new regime.

LD has said on numerous occasions that she is sick of answering questiond about Rod, as long as he's here then the questions won't stop so she either accepts they will continue or the other solution is considered.

Personally I'm not convinced RP is too involved but he's a tainted presence and needs to go for the good of the club.

[Peevemor]

He`s still there though PM, and that, after everything that has happened, is the issue for many people. If he`s still there, the he must be involved in some shape or form. To what extent that is is largely irrelevant; it`s the fact that he is still there at all that is the issue.

And even if he left the board, he'd still be accused of pulling strings because of his 10% shareholding. And if he sold his shares, he'd still get stick because he has the ear of STF.

When LD says that she's responsible for all aspects of the running of the club, why don't people believe her. When she says that she'd never have quit her position at Motherwell to become a yes (wo)man at ER, why do people effectively accuse her of lying?

[percy veer]

Great post but the team on the park is what we see. We need a feel good factor back at ER, something to bring the fans back through the doors. I for one would love to see the Aek Athens lineup the
likes of Latapy, O,Neil, Jack, Luna etc invited back to ER as guests for one game,


Guests for 1 game!! I'm sure they would do a better job than the current lot are

[erskine-hibby]

Where did she blame the fans?
Paragraph 3 And certainly hints throughout. If there is negativity then it has started at the club itself and not from the fans, Sure it has spread, but it didn't start with the fans.

[Phil D. Rolls]

I read on the Internet that everyone in America is fat and loves guns but I know not to believe everything that I read on the Internet.



I'm McMurphy. M59 is Nurse Ratched. You're probably the guy that looks like a disheveled Einstein.

I took the picture. :greengrin



That's the Hibs boardroom during a meeting, Phil :-D

It will be next year once some of the "candidates" for fan membership get their discharge.

I have a leaked copy of the agenda for a fan led board meeting.

1) Should we screen the World Series in Behind the Goals. (Survey results awaited).
2) How come there's no free pies when the World Series is on?
3) Can we bring banners to the screening of the World Series. (Email evidence to be provided).
4) How come Petries getting to watch the World Series?
5) Why is Leanne wearing a support collar round her neck?
6) Who's getting to be manager this week?
7) Dress code for Hibs Kids sea fishing trip.
8) When does the World Series start?
9) Cam Boabys wee brother get a shot at being physio this week - he's done first aid.
10) How much longer can we hold the players prisoner at East Mains before someone notices that they aren't in the World Series?
11) Petrie Out.
12) AOCB

Last weeks minutes (approved by 95% of supporters).

[Eyrie]

I read on the Internet that everyone in America is fat and loves guns but I know not to believe everything that I read on the Internet.
Now I'm confused - do I believe what you've just posted or not? :confused:
.
.
.
There have been some very valid points raised in the replies to the OP, most notably about getting it right on the pitch before anything else, and also some disappointingly unrealistic ones about expecting the woes of the last seven years to be fixed in four months.

For me, the structural changes needed to be made and doing so has not hindered our ability to compete on the pitch. That inability is down to the players and coaching staff, and the sooner they get it fixed the happier we will all be.

[marinello59]

Paragraph 3 And certainly hints throughout. If there is negativity then it has started at the club itself and not from the fans, Sure it has spread, but it didn't start with the fans.

Nope, she doesn't blame the fans anywhere. Pointing out that constant negativity helps nobody is simply stating a truth that applies to every walk of life isn't it? Of course the negativity comes from the non-performance of our football team, nobody could possibly blame the fans for the shambles we see on the pitch. And she isn't.

[The Green Goblin]

And even if he left the board, he'd still be accused of pulling strings because of his 10% shareholding. And if he sold his shares, he'd still get stick because he has the ear of STF.

When LD says that she's responsible for all aspects of the running of the club, why don't people believe her. When she says that she'd never have quit her position at Motherwell to become a yes (wo)man at ER, why do people effectively accuse her of lying?

The bit in bold: I am not accusing her of that, nor have I ever done so. Just to be clear. That`s not what you are implying, is it?

I don`t agree that if RP sold his shares, he would still get stick for possibly being involved. He might still get stick for what some people see as his leadership of the club leading to some of the worst years on the park ever, but that`s another matter.

With respect, you have answered with what-ifs, and I am only concerned with the fact (not even a .net fact, but a real fact:wink:) that if RP is still on the board at Hibs, then he is by default still involved in some capacity. What that capacity is doesn`t matter one bit.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Another own goal from Leeann was to not post that thread on all Hibs Messageboards, not everyone reads .net so surely the right thing to do was post it on all Hibs MB to get her message over to as many Hibs fans as possible.

How hard could that have been, and now you see the bickering over only posting it on here.

Had a wee look at the thread over on The Bounce only to see this board being referred to by one poster as Taliban.net, what the **** is that all about? :confused:

[marinello59]

Had a wee look at the thread over on The Bounce only to see this board being referred to by one poster as Taliban.net, what the **** is that all about? :confused:

Probably best you ask that over there rather than here.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Probably best you ask that over there rather than here.

I was hoping someone would copy and paste it over there for me! :greengrin

[Pretty Boy]

Had a wee look at the thread over on The Bounce only to see this board being referred to by one poster as Taliban.net, what the **** is that all about? :confused:

Some people are still living in 2002 it seems.

Best to ask them what the issue is as I don't think any of us really know any more.

[Peevemor]

The bit in bold: I am not accusing her of that, nor have I ever done so. Just to be clear. That`s not what you are implying, is it?

I don`t agree that if RP sold his shares, he would still get stick for possibly being involved. He might still get stick for what some people see as his leadership of the club leading to some of the worst years on the park ever, but that`s another matter.

With respect, you have answered with what-ifs, and I am only concerned with the fact (not even a .net fact, but a real fact:wink:) that if RP is still on the board at Hibs, then he is by default still involved in some capacity. What that capacity is doesn`t matter one bit.

No GG, I'm not accusing you of any such thing. In fact I agree that RP should go due to the amount of ill feeling toward him that exists.

However, if his presence is a condition of STF's continued support (which we need now more than any other time since he bought the club) then why can't we just get on with it?

We're all disappointed with our current results, and there'll always be differing opinions on who should get a game, whether we should play 1 or 2 up front, etc. - that's football. But why can't we simply take what LD says at face value? We want more communication from the club, but one post from LD on here and the pitchforks get dusted off in record time.

I find it very tedious TBH.

[Mikey]

Had a wee look at the thread over on The Bounce only to see this board being referred to by one poster as Taliban.net, what the **** is that all about? :confused:

It's because we don't allow freedom of speech and ban anyone who speaks out against the club.

[Hibernia&Alba]

Had a wee look at the thread over on The Bounce only to see this board being referred to by one poster as Taliban.net, what the **** is that all about? :confused:

Taliban? Now there's a word I haven't heard in years. Whatever happened to them? Surely after being deposed in Afghanistan they didn't turn their sights to Hibs! Though if it's a choice between them and Petrie........

[weonlywon6-2]

Ld has been brought in to drive the club forward in all areas,imo we need to just let her do that and hopefully things will improve on the park,albeit i think that has a few hurdles yet

[Pete]

Had a wee look at the thread over on The Bounce only to see this board being referred to by one poster as Taliban.net, what the **** is that all about? :confused:

The taliban wear really dull suits.

[ronaldo7]

Glad you've made it round to posting on the board Leeann. I know you've had a lot to do in these last 5 months, but to have asked early in your tenure to register here, and the bounce, and not to have bothered until now when some things needed sorted was another own goal IMO.

I have seen first hand what you're trying to achieve through the shaping of the club with the initiatives with WT, and others, but as you've said in your post our benchmark is results on the pitch.

I know you've been working flat out to bring about success in the short period of time you've had here, but maybe you've let the off field initiatives rule over the on field ones.

There are only two things which spring from your OP.

1. You've said you'd heard that you're apparently tentatively sounding people out to become board members of the club, and have said this is rubbish, which I fully accept.

My question is, do you think it's possible for someone else at the club to have done this without your knowledge?

The second area of concern is by way of the Supporters Survey, in which most responses were for getting a team on the park to bring back some passion and start winning again. The supporter survey http://www.hibernianfc.co.uk/news/4851 doesn't mention this but we get lots of this.

- Democratically elected Supporter Board Members

- Changing and improving the way the club communicates

- The development of a membership scheme

2. Do you think you may have misread the survey results somewhat?

I wish you all the success in the world in your work to get Hibernian back to where we belong.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

It's because we don't allow freedom of speech and ban anyone who speaks out against the club.

Oh right, I see what he means now. ;-)

[silverhibee]

Had a wee look at the thread over on The Bounce only to see this board being referred to by one poster as Taliban.net, what the **** is that all about? :confused:


That :confused: me too.

[One Day Soon]

No getting into an arguement wi you and No ones asking you to keep quiet have they ? Of course YOU are allowed your opinion but some of us are clearly not as your referendum posting quite clearly shows.
I'd still like you to explain how my one opinion shouted other people's down, since that is what you asserted.

Spend a little time on the Referendum thread and look at you comments and how they could be construde. Your opinion was the only one that counted. People in glass houses and all that.

While I don't want to rehearse the arguments on the Referendum thread perhaps you could advise me as to what you think I should have done when I held a view different to those of other posters? Simply not express my view?

Anyway back on topic GGTTH. :wink:

GGTTH. We can agree on that much. Though these days Glory Glory to the Hibees does seem pretty ridiculous. I don't think we ask for much, just something to cling on to. Its been a bit too long since this club did something to allow us all to stand tall.

[One Day Soon]

Had a wee look at the thread over on The Bounce only to see this board being referred to by one poster as Taliban.net, what the **** is that all about? :confused:

Does that mean the admin pricks have ground to air missiles? Surely the power to ban was sufficient?

[One Day Soon]

I read on the Internet that everyone in America is fat and loves guns but I know not to believe everything that I read on the Internet.



I'm McMurphy. M59 is Nurse Ratched. You're probably the guy that looks like a disheveled Einstein.


I'm the fire extinguisher and the closing credits.

[One Day Soon]

And even if he left the board, he'd still be accused of pulling strings because of his 10% shareholding. And if he sold his shares, he'd still get stick because he has the ear of STF.

When LD says that she's responsible for all aspects of the running of the club, why don't people believe her. When she says that she'd never have quit her position at Motherwell to become a yes (wo)man at ER, why do people effectively accuse her of lying?


Because as in politics (Referendums, elections and debates for example) people believe what they want to believe. They just find it easier that way.

[Jimk]

So even when we took a 2-0 advantage into the second leg of the play-off, relegation was a formality? Wow, I can't compete with your superior knowledge of football.

More to do with knowledge of history than football. But in any event, relegation was inevitable.


And I'm not sure if you know this, but RP doesn't actually own Hibs.

I am aware that RP does not own the club.

[Scottie]

GGTTH. We can agree on that much. Though these days Glory Glory to the Hibees does seem pretty ridiculous. I don't think we ask for much, just something to cling on to. Its been a bit too long since this club did something to allow us all to stand tall.
You campaigned very strongly for the NO cause and i felt everytime someone with a different view to your own posted you were the one who felt compelled to put them in their place regardless that they had a right to have a different view from yourself. (maybe shouting down was in the wrong context)
On your second point YES you should have given your opinion on the debate. (just wish you and the other 55% had voted the other way ) :greengrin


Because as in politics (Referendums, elections and debates for example) people believe what they want to believe. They just find it easier that way.

Sometimes it is ok to believe in what they want to believe in and it is easier. :wink:

Hopefully One Day Soon we can catch up and have a beer and put our differering opinions aside. :cheers: Walk tall like you say we are all passionate supporters of the CABBAGE. :aok:

[One Day Soon]

You campaigned very strongly for the NO cause and i felt everytime someone with a different view to your own posted you were the one who felt compelled to put them in their place regardless that they had a right to have a different view from yourself. (maybe shouting down was in the wrong context)
On your second point YES you should have given your opinion on the debate. (just wish you and the other 55% had voted the other way ) :greengrin



Sometimes it is ok to believe in what they want to believe in and it is easier. :wink:

Hopefully One Day Soon we can catch up and have a beer and put our differering opinions aside. :cheers: Walk tall like you say we are all passionate supporters of the CABBAGE. :aok:


Fair enough brother.

[silverhibee]

It's because we don't allow freedom of speech and ban anyone who speaks out against the club.

Is this a .net Fact or a .net Myth. :cb

[hhibs]

What a rotten opinion.

rotten opinion?

Time will tell.

[erskine-hibby]

Nope, she doesn't blame the fans anywhere. Pointing out that constant negativity helps nobody is simply stating a truth that applies to every walk of life isn't it? Of course the negativity comes from the non-performance of our football team, nobody could possibly blame the fans for the shambles we see on the pitch. And she isn't.

Well you read into it what you wish. For me it looks like a thinly veiled attack on the fans, fans that pay her wages, wages that, so far, she hasn't earned...after all the talk and backroom changes we're still crap!

[erskine-hibby]

It's because we don't allow freedom of speech and ban anyone who speaks out against the club.

Nah! all you have to do is say that someone is a sycophant ( yes man or happy clapper) and your posts are deleted, but say anything REALLY personal you're OK.

[boab1875]

Sorry,this is same old message from an organisation that has completely lost its way, only the names change.The club is in terminal decline and God help us we go from bad to worse.The owner and Chairman as well as the board are culpable ,it will only get better when these people are gone.Over 50 years a Hibs supporter and there has never been ,for me,a more depressing and worse ,apathetic mood in the Hibs support.

Have to agree with this to be honest. How many times are we going to hear this nonsense. One statement from the CEO isn't going to change anything. We have been sliding for some time now, and whilst I appreciate that LD clearly cares about what is going on, the club and most of the fans have still failed to address the outstanding issue. We need to press for change at the highest level but this will never happen as long as we keep backing the idiots in charge. Radical action needed to happen a long time ago and if it did we wouldn't be in this mess now. We are a total shambles and I don't care what the clowns say or how many times they acknowledge the club is rotten, I for one amen't any happier about the situation. From some people's reaction on here you would think that everything if fine now. I decided to stop going this season because last season was the final straw for me. I will happily return once the clear issues have been addressed and the club can move forward. I just worry that it may take a second relegation or a number of years in this league for everyone to wake up and smell the coffee. Because at the moment we are being same old Hibs and just taking more and more crap from the club with no reply. It scares me how much we are underachieving for a club our size.

[Cropley10]

Wow ... that was a long 10 pages :greengrin


Well done Leeann for having your say. I agree, personal abuse on Twitter or by Text and E Mail is out of order.

You could feel the frustration oozing out of every paragraph of your post though and by the end of it I felt like I should go and sit on the naughty step for 15 minutes :greengrin

I understand that after only 5 months in the job, with a brand new manager and backroom staff, you feel that the fans are being overly negative at poor results and what appears to be slow on field progress. The problem you face Leeann is that for us it hasn't been 5 months, its been 6 years. You have been in football long enough to appreciate the nature of the beast, a season of 'patience' is a lifetime for your average football fan .... 6 years is heading for geological proportions.

You have another problem in this regard. People in any country who support a club of our stature will get frustrated when their club fails to live up to its potential over such a lengthy period. In Hibs case this has been magnified ten fold by the fact that far from under achieving in that time the club has accumulated a list of disasters that would be hard to live down in the lifetime of your average football supporter, never mind 6 years.

I'm sure I don't have to list the individual results .... they are bad enough, but chuck in an utterly appalling derby record and a relegation and its not hard to see why more and more fans are choosing to be patient at the pictures, on the Golf course, at the Megabowl or in front of the X box or Sky Sports .... check out the other threads, some folk are even going to bloody Rugby.

All of this ( like it or not ) is exacerbated by the lingering presence of Rod Petrie. His bloody minded and self serving refusal to step aside as chairman / board member has caused, and will continue to cause, huge damage to the clubs relationship with its supporters. That's a hell of a price to pay for a conduit ... I hope he's worth it.

This is not a criticism of you, I really think you are extremely committed to your task and I wish you every success .... I wonder though if the joint owners of the club are backing you ... not in the way they want ... but in the way they should.

Finally ........... If you want a feel for what it means to support this club, don't look at our historic glories, don't You Tube 3 - 0 wins at Ibrox. Dig out a copy of the 2007 CIS cup final, but skip the game, skip 35,000 Hibbies singing Sunshine on Leith at full time and go to the very end of the DVD ... there you will find a small montage of photographs taken by Hibs fans of their friends and family before, during and after the match. I find it extremely moving and for me it sums up exactly what it means to be a supporter of this ( in spite of everything ) brilliant football club.

All the best.

Brilliant post. I agree with every word. Well done.

[erskine-hibby]

Have to agree with this to be honest. How many times are we going to hear this nonsense. One statement from the CEO isn't going to change anything. We have been sliding for some time now, and whilst I appreciate that LD clearly cares about what is going on, the club and most of the fans have still failed to address the outstanding issue. We need to press for change at the highest level but this will never happen as long as we keep backing the idiots in charge. Radical action needed to happen a long time ago and if it did we wouldn't be in this mess now. We are a total shambles and I don't care what the clowns say or how many times they acknowledge the club is rotten, I for one amen't any happier about the situation. From some people's reaction on here you would think that everything if fine now. I decided to stop going this season because last season was the final straw for me. I will happily return once the clear issues have been addressed and the club can move forward. I just worry that it may take a second relegation or a number of years in this league for everyone to wake up and smell the coffee. Because at the moment we are being same old Hibs and just taking more and more crap from the club with no reply. It scares me how much we are underachieving for a club our size.

Hear,hear!!!

[Dashing Bob S]

I really can't see what else LD/Hibs can do at the moment, except continue to make those solid incremental changes required to put the club on a strong footing on and off the park. There isn't a great deal of money to invest in the team, and while results have been patchy, I think we're slowly moving in the right direction.

So while its very frustrating, I can't see what else they can do other than what they are currently doing.

Does anybody really think we should sack the manager?

I don't like the idea of more 'transitional' years, in fact I'm absolutely fed up with them, but I'm prepared to bite the bullet as at least I'm sensing some kind of game plan in place for sustained, long-term improvement.

Yes, let's criticise the club when its warranted on specific issues, but the general moaning from the stands and on the forums has now become even more tedious than the team's performances on the park.

[PeeJay]

Seems I'll have to retract my initial claim that the OP's post can only be an Internet spoof as I have been officially assured that is it without doubt a genuine posting – my mistake - apologies all round.

Having read it again (and again) I can only say it is in fact just like our football team: full of bluster, no proper style, no strategy, no discernible tactic, no form - it simply takes lots of pot shots in the general direction of where the goalposts are assumed to be, but nothing actually hits the back of the net. Genuinely surprised that the CEO of a "major club" - having taken the bold move to address a part of the fan base directly - is then unable to address the major issues affecting the club in a concise, focussed and purposeful manner: too much waffle, too little substance. This sort of post will not placate fans (well not this one at least!). Our "constant criticism" as the CEO puts it, did not bring about the Club's dismal record of late on the park: it is in fact the other way round. Dempster's intentions may have been good, but the Hibs CEO has missed her mark badly and she has - in my opinion - shot another one of those own goals.

It's quite simple really: on the park performances are the key to success - everything else is peripheral, fix the former then the latter can be attended to ...

[FitbaFolkKen]

Seems I'll have to retract my initial claim that the OP's post can only be an Internet spoof as I have been officially assured that is it without doubt a genuine posting – my mistake - apologies all round.

Having read it again (and again) I can only say it is in fact just like our football team: full of bluster, no proper style, no strategy, no discernible tactic, no form - it simply takes lots of pot shots in the general direction of where the goalposts are assumed to be, but nothing actually hits the back of the net. Genuinely surprised that the CEO of a "major club" - having taken the bold move to address a part of the fan base directly - is then unable to address the major issues affecting the club in a concise, focussed and purposeful manner: too much waffle, too little substance. This sort of post will not placate fans (well not this one at least!). Our "constant criticism" as the CEO puts it, did not bring about the Club's dismal record of late on the park: it is in fact the other way round. Dempster's intentions may have been good, but the Hibs CEO has missed her mark badly and she has - in my opinion - shot another one of those own goals.

It's quite simple really: on the park performances are the key to success - everything else is peripheral, fix the former then the latter can be attended to ...




I don't think there is anything wrong with the message. It comes across as she is frustrated and that the team are working hard to put foundations in place for future success. It isn't her job to tell you why the football team isn't winning so there is no own goal here. She is simply defending our club and the people tasked with turning this around.

The atmosphere on here and in the stands has been negative for years. The manner I take this message is a request to bear with the team and support the initiatives they are trying to put in place. Absolutely nothing wrong with asking for a bit of solidarity from the fan base, after all it wasn't Stubbs and Dempster that put us here.

[gordieboy]

Will you be speaking with G4S regards there heavy handed approach to a bunch of kids in the East stand yesterday, they done nothing wrong but stewards were trying to snatch young kids from the crowd at the back, this is no way to be treating the Hibernian support who have been great through these difficult times, as you will no there was no smoke bombs set off at the game yesterday so why were the stewards acting like thugs towards Hibs supporters up in section 43.

I spoke to security guard who i no as i left the club, and asked him about what took place, he said that it came from the club to not allow the drummer and flag wavers anywhere near section 43 yesterday.


Because thats exactly what G4s is,Bullies in hi vis jackets,as soon as you talk back to them they surround you with back up and huckle you out the ground.

[marinello59]

Nah! all you have to do is say that someone is a sycophant ( yes man or happy clapper) and your posts are deleted, but say anything REALLY personal you're OK.

You were given an explanation yesterday by PM as requested as to why your post was deleted so a bit unfair of you to twist it a bit and have another dig at us , no? As I said yesterday please report any personal abuse that you feel has been aimed at yourself or others and we will deal with it. We all have real paying jobs taking up a wee bit of our time so we do miss stuff on here.

[erskine-hibby]

You were given an explanation yesterday by PM as requested as to why your post was deleted so a bit unfair of you to twist it a bit and have another dig at us , no? As I said yesterday please report any personal abuse that you feel has been aimed at yourself or others and we will deal with it. We all have real paying jobs taking up a wee bit of our time so we do miss stuff on here.
Yeah I suppose it is, but then again if I were to report everything that people post that are equal to, or worse than my post, It would be a full time job.

[Hibernia&Alba]

Brilliant post. I agree with every word. Well done.

Seconded, and there have a been a number of excellent contributions in this thread.

[erin-go-bragh87]

Nah! all you have to do is say that someone is a sycophant ( yes man or happy clapper) and your posts are deleted, but say anything REALLY personal you're OK.

Don't forget if you have enough posts you can say whatever you like to folk....

[Beefster]

Don't forget if you have enough posts you can say whatever you like to folk....

Given how many long-term posters with large post counts have been binned in the last six months, I'd respectfully and politely suggest that that is pish.

[Pretty Boy]

Don't forget if you have enough posts you can say whatever you like to folk....

Simply not true.

At least 2 long term posters with high post counts have been banned in recent weeks.

Again if there is a post you feel breaks any of the forum rules then report it and, contrary to popular belief, it will be dealt with.

[spike220]

Simply not true.

At least 2 long term posters with high post counts have been banned in recent weeks.

Again if there is a post you feel breaks any of the forum rules then report it and, contrary to popular belief, it will be dealt with.

This is true, even I got an infraction not too long ago!

[GreenArmyyy!]

Have to agree with this to be honest. How many times are we going to hear this nonsense. One statement from the CEO isn't going to change anything. We have been sliding for some time now, and whilst I appreciate that LD clearly cares about what is going on, the club and most of the fans have still failed to address the outstanding issue. We need to press for change at the highest level but this will never happen as long as we keep backing the idiots in charge. Radical action needed to happen a long time ago and if it did we wouldn't be in this mess now. We are a total shambles and I don't care what the clowns say or how many times they acknowledge the club is rotten, I for one amen't any happier about the situation. From some people's reaction on here you would think that everything if fine now. I decided to stop going this season because last season was the final straw for me. I will happily return once the clear issues have been addressed and the club can move forward. I just worry that it may take a second relegation or a number of years in this league for everyone to wake up and smell the coffee. Because at the moment we are being same old Hibs and just taking more and more crap from the club with no reply. It scares me how much we are underachieving for a club our size.

As much as I want to there is nothing in this post I can disagree with. It really is a sad state of affairs. Ibrox reminded me for the first time in a good while why I love this club but going to Easter Road nowadays I know I am going to walk out disheartened in 2 hours. So hard to watch.

[sleeping giant]

This is true, even I got an infraction not too long ago!

Even you ?
Good grief :greengrin

[Borderhibbie76]

Have to agree with this to be honest. How many times are we going to hear this nonsense. One statement from the CEO isn't going to change anything. We have been sliding for some time now, and whilst I appreciate that LD clearly cares about what is going on, the club and most of the fans have still failed to address the outstanding issue. We need to press for change at the highest level but this will never happen as long as we keep backing the idiots in charge. Radical action needed to happen a long time ago and if it did we wouldn't be in this mess now. We are a total shambles and I don't care what the clowns say or how many times they acknowledge the club is rotten, I for one amen't any happier about the situation. From some people's reaction on here you would think that everything if fine now. I decided to stop going this season because last season was the final straw for me. I will happily return once the clear issues have been addressed and the club can move forward. I just worry that it may take a second relegation or a number of years in this league for everyone to wake up and smell the coffee. Because at the moment we are being same old Hibs and just taking more and more crap from the club with no reply. It scares me how much we are underachieving for a club our size.
100% agree with this mate. I was conned into buying a ST at SPL prices this year as I was told by our new CEO our aim was promotion at first time of asking. Granted this could still happen, but nothing from the first quarter of the season suggests this is a real possibility. Leeann yes you communicate better than Petrie ever did...thats no big deal tbh. The state our club is currently in is nothing short of a disgrace, yes you inherited most of this mess but you also waited 2 weeks after relegation to sack that poor excuse for a manager in Butcher. Ultimately that lead to poor and delayed playera recruitment over the summer while Hearts stole a march on us...and look how they are performing. How can they turn things around quickly yet once again we are asked for patience? ? Do you know how often this has been asked of us in recent years?? Im slowly reaching the end of my bling loyalty im afraid and it will take a massive turnaround in fortunes over the next 6 months for me to consider once again renewing my ST as currently the standard is nowhere near acceptable on the field, regardless of your infrastructure changes. I wish u every luck in turning our fortunes around...but u really need to speed things up for the prices you are charging us!!

[Borderhibbie76]

Apologies for spelling errors im on my phone...I meant Blind loyalty is running out

[malagahibby]

Spot on Leann
Negativity is the one thing that Hibs fans thrive on.
Meanwhile over at Tynecastle ....

[Bleeds green]

Terrific post LD all the moaners and whiners won't stop but I'm convinced you have the club going in the right direction now we see some communication


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gegs70]

Spot on Leann
Negativity is the one thing that Hibs fans thrive on.
Meanwhile over at Tynecastle ....

I don't thrive on negativity but perhaps more information from board level and management on what is happening to achieve success on the park would be a start. Did they need a survey to work that one out?

[SaulGoodman]

Spot on Leann
Negativity is the one thing that Hibs fans thrive on.
Meanwhile over at Tynecastle ....

Meanwhile over at Tynecastle they're top of the league and unbeaten. So they've not got much to be negative about.

Did you look at JKB when they drew with Dumbarton? They're just as negative as us if given the chance.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Spot on Leann
Negativity is the one thing that Hibs fans thrive on.
Meanwhile over at Tynecastle ....

Aye its the same situation right enough, they have rallied round their club to give it further existance. They've had the best part of a season to put plans in place to get out of this division whilst our club just buried its head in the sands and refused to even accept relegation as a possibility hence the staggering about during the close season re the employment of a new manager/players.

[HH81]

Terrific post LD all the moaners and whiners won't stop but I'm convinced you have the club going in the right direction now we see some communication


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The right direction is the one the club informed us about at the start of the season and was the reason why the prices had to remain the same.

Are you honestly saying the club are heading that way at present? Lets not get too carried away by one post.

[gegs70]

Meanwhile over at Tynecastle they're top of the league and unbeaten. So they've not got much to be negative about.

Did you look at JKB when they drew with Dumbarton? They're just as negative as us if given the chance.

Hibs so far bar the Rangers game has be disappointing we still don't score enough goals was a problem before and still is......Who will be our top scorer this season Malonga or Cummings?

[cmcd]

Well you read into it what you wish. For me it looks like a thinly veiled attack on the fans, fans that pay her wages, wages that, so far, she hasn't earned...after all the talk and backroom changes we're still crap!
Sorry but a load of absolute BULL LD has only been at the club for a short period of time working hard to try and improve all aspects of our club Im sure the last thing she needs is people on here giving her a hard time QUESTION When was the last time anyone from within the club had the bottle to post on a fans forum and try and explain what plans they had for the future We all want whats best for Hibernian and im sure that includes LD Let her get on with her job

[gegs70]

Sorry but a load of absolute BULL LD has only been at the club for a short period of time working hard to try and improve all aspects of our club Im sure the last thing she needs is people on here giving her a hard time QUESTION When was the last time anyone from within the club had the bottle to post on a fans forum and try and explain what plans they had for the future We all want whats best for Hibernian and im sure that includes LD Let her get on with her job

Being honest I like Ld but it's a fans forum we let off steam debate the game etc here but most of us still go to the game. if we feel there is a need to ask questions then perhaps there is not enough answers being given or information supplied. What are they doing at boardroom level to get things right on the park? They don't need a survey for that?

[One Day Soon]

Simply not true.

At least 2 long term posters with high post counts have been banned in recent weeks.

Again if there is a post you feel breaks any of the forum rules then report it and, contrary to popular belief, it will be dealt with.


Not exactly on topic but is there a list somewhere of banned posters?

[Keith_M]

Not exactly on topic but is there a list somewhere of banned posters?


More importantly, can we nominate other posters to get banned?

:wink:




p.s. I realise I may be near the top of any list....

[JimBHibees]

I really can't see what else LD/Hibs can do at the moment, except continue to make those solid incremental changes required to put the club on a strong footing on and off the park. There isn't a great deal of money to invest in the team, and while results have been patchy, I think we're slowly moving in the right direction.

So while its very frustrating, I can't see what else they can do other than what they are currently doing.

Does anybody really think we should sack the manager?

I don't like the idea of more 'transitional' years, in fact I'm absolutely fed up with them, but I'm prepared to bite the bullet as at least I'm sensing some kind of game plan in place for sustained, long-term improvement.

Yes, let's criticise the club when its warranted on specific issues, but the general moaning from the stands and on the forums has now become even more tedious than the team's performances on the park.

Absolutely spot on. The club deserves criticism for where we now are however there needs to be an awareness that new people in important jobs need to be given some time to do their jobs properly. The hysterical at times criticism at games and on here helps no one and is totally counter productive.

[Pretty Boy]

Not exactly on topic but is there a list somewhere of banned posters?

I'm honestly not sure.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Spot on Leann
Negativity is the one thing that Hibs fans thrive on.
Meanwhile over at Tynecastle ....

Sorry mate. Comparisons between the two clubs is utterly pointless. The Yams sold a pile of STs on the back of a drive to save the club and had time to plan for what was coming.

You could look at it like this:

The Yams are the Heart disease victim who was diagnosed early. He has 6 months to lose some weight, give up the fags and tell his employer he will need time of work .. the scheduled operation takes place and his family and friends have time to be there for him, there is no real panic, but his family are all at the hospital just in case.

Hibs are the guy who suddenly collapses in TESCO and gets rushed to hospital. Frantic efforts need to be made to find his relatives, who get told the emergency operation would have a better chance of success if he was fitter and the specialist cardiac surgeon wasn't on holiday.

I agee we should give nurse Dempster a chance to do her job. But lets keep visiting the patient, its the best thing we can do.

Beep ! ..... Beep ! ..... Beep ! .... Beep !

[Big Frank]

Sorry mate. Comparisons between the two clubs is utterly pointless. The Yams sold a pile of STs on the back of a drive to save the club and had time to plan for what was coming.

You could look at it like this:

The Yams are the Heart disease victim who was diagnosed early. He has 6 months to lose some weight, give up the fags and tell his employer he will need time of work .. the scheduled operation takes place and his family and friends have time to be there for him, there is no real panic, but his family are all at the hospital just in case.

Hibs are the guy who suddenly collapses in TESCO and gets rushed to hospital. Frantic efforts need to be made to find his relatives, who get told the emergency operation would have a better chance of success if he was fitter and the specialist cardiac surgeon wasn't on holiday.


You could have saved yourself the time and posted ; Hearts are cheats, and we arnae :wink:

[One Day Soon]

More importantly, can we nominate other posters to get banned?

:wink:




p.s. I realise I may be near the top of any list....


That's a great idea. We should have two leagues - best posters and worst posters on .net. Everyone gets one vote in each league at the end of each month. If you finish bottom of the worst posters league you get banned. Second bottom goes into a play off with their equivalent from the Bounce. Lose that and you're relegated to the Scotsman's comments section.

[Big Frank]

That's a great idea. We should have two leagues - best posters and worst posters on .net. Everyone gets one vote in each league at the end of each month. If you finish bottom of the worst posters league you get banned. Second bottom goes into a play off with their equivalent from the Bounce. Lose that and you're relegated to the Scotsman's comments section.

Great idea :thumbsup:


Im in :agree:

[Beefster]

Not exactly on topic but is there a list somewhere of banned posters?

I think they show on the members list. Not sure if they stay on there forever but there's a few on there at the moment.

[NAE NOOKIE]

You could have saved yourself the time and posted ; Hearts are cheats, and we arnae :wink:

Geeze time to edit mate :greengrin

I agree though.

[Col2]

It's really simple. We live and die by our results on the park. Everything else is a distant, very distant second. To add to this, the presence of Rod Petrie at the club means when results are mixed it is magnified significantly.

1st point - It's been said 1000 times. Rod Petrie must leave, no debate and no arguments. He can keep his10% investment but should have zero involvement with the club. I am still absolutely astonished this has not yet happened. Add in the credible rumours about his involvement (eg Griffiths non deal) and the sight of him at EVERY Hibs game makes me conclude that the board of HFC STILL do not understand the feeling of the vast majority of Hibs supporters.

2nd point - we invested a huge amount in the coaching set up, very much playing the long game. Yet we were promised quality over quantity and had to pay full SPL prices for this luxury. We were told that we were doing everything to win championship which inhindsight is either wishful thinking or just another false promise.

Leanne Dempster has to face into the above points and tell us the plan she references as it looks like we are setting ourselves up for 2-3 years in championship and kidding on us supporters yet again.

It's incredible. ALL that had to really happen was Petrie goes (like any self respecting person would), sack Butcher day after relegation, invest more (just 3 more) quality players and sign Sparky to galvanise the club, along with a decent central midfielder and a centre half leader.

How difficult would that have been? We might be only a few points away front the top. Yet what did we do? The absolute minimum on the park, lots on long term back room stuff (granted it's importanct), improve communications but zero change at board room level. Just incredible, even by Hibs standards.

Or to put in one sentence. We didn't invest in quality on the park and we didn't see any change in the boardroom, both fundementals and while its a tough business, Leanne your report card is a 3/10 at best (for now).

[jacomo]

Top post Col2.

[BT58]

WOW !!!!
Thats some post Col
Well said
Mind you we do have some quality ( ON LOAN )
Not much tho

[Golden Bear]

It's really simple. We live and die by our results on the park. Everything else is a distant, very distant second. To add to this, the presence of Rod Petrie at the club means when results are mixed it is magnified significantly.

1st point - It's been said 1000 times. Rod Petrie must leave, no debate and no arguments. He can keep his10% investment but should have zero involvement with the club. I am still absolutely astonished this has not yet happened. Add in the credible rumours about his involvement (eg Griffiths non deal) and the sight of him at EVERY Hibs game makes me conclude that the board of HFC STILL do not understand the feeling of the vast majority of Hibs supporters.

2nd point - we invested a huge amount in the coaching set up, very much playing the long game. Yet we were promised quality over quantity and had to pay full SPL prices for this luxury. We were told that we were doing everything to win championship which inhindsight is either wishful thinking or just another false promise.

Leanne Dempster has to face into the above points and tell us the plan she references as it looks like we are setting ourselves up for 2-3 years in championship and kidding on us supporters yet again.

It's incredible. ALL that had to really happen was Petrie goes (like any self respecting person would), sack Butcher day after relegation, invest more (just 3 more) quality players and sign Sparky to galvanise the club, along with a decent central midfielder and a centre half leader.

How difficult would that have been? We might be only a few points away front the top. Yet what did we do? The absolute minimum on the park, lots on long term back room stuff (granted it's importanct), improve communications but zero change at board room level. Just incredible, even by Hibs standards.

Or to put in one sentence. We didn't invest in quality on the park and we didn't see any change in the boardroom, both fundementals and while its a tough business, Leanne your report card is a 3/10 at best (for now).

A few home truths in there Col but I think your 3/10 rating is more than a bit savage! Rome wasn't built in a day and among other things, the whole structure of the Club is in need of radical overhaul and I still live in hope that LD is just the person to deliver the goods.

It's particularly disappointing to me that so few Hibernian players are involved in the under age national teams and this can only be a throw back to the absence of effective coaching and scouting networks - hopefully this is being currently addressed.

I've never attended the Club's AGM before but I fully intend to this year ------------------- it could be "interesting"!

[silverhibee]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the message. It comes across as she is frustrated and that the team are working hard to put foundations in place for future success. It isn't her job to tell you why the football team isn't winning so there is no own goal here. She is simply defending our club and the people tasked with turning this around.

The atmosphere on here and in the stands has been negative for years. The manner I take this message is a request to bear with the team and support the initiatives they are trying to put in place. Absolutely nothing wrong with asking for a bit of solidarity from the fan base, after all it wasn't Stubbs and Dempster that put us here.

It has been a lot better this season, i feel the team are getting plenty backing from the support this season but we can only do so much to help the team get a victory.

[silverhibee]

Given how many long-term posters with large post counts have been binned in the last six months, I'd respectfully and politely suggest that that is pish.

:agree:

[Gatecrasher]

It has been a lot better this season, i feel the team are getting plenty backing from the support this season but we can only do so much to help the team get a victory.

There has been change in atmosphere, I think it's gone from fear, anger and frustration to apathy and acceptance. The S43 guys have been doing their best but it's been very flat at ER so far this season IMO.

[macca70]

Sorry mate. Comparisons between the two clubs is utterly pointless. The Yams sold a pile of STs on the back of a drive to save the club and had time to plan for what was coming.

You could look at it like this:

The Yams are the Heart disease victim who was diagnosed early. He has 6 months to lose some weight, give up the fags and tell his employer he will need time of work .. the scheduled operation takes place and his family and friends have time to be there for him, there is no real panic, but his family are all at the hospital just in case.

Hibs are the guy who suddenly collapses in TESCO and gets rushed to hospital. Frantic efforts need to be made to find his relatives, who get told the emergency operation would have a better chance of success if he was fitter and the specialist cardiac surgeon wasn't on holiday.

I agee we should give nurse Dempster a chance to do her job. But lets keep visiting the patient, its the best thing we can do.

Beep ! ..... Beep ! ..... Beep ! .... Beep !

Don't get this at all, relegation never sneeked up on us, we were slipping down that league last season at a significant rate. Regardless of what league we were going to be in, we were going to need a better team for this season.

We didn't bring in enough quality in the summer and why wait til the season began to bring players in, LD must hold some responsibility for this. We should have had significant new signings in the summer.

Did hearts not make something like 10 new signings, I'm sure the majority of these were brought in earlier rather than later to get them gelling and working as a team.

Our main issue seems to have been the number of loan deals we had, it's argueable that these players may not be as committed as a perm signing.

As soon as last season finished we should have been working relentless to get a team ready for pre season. Everyone seemed to be too busy on there holidays or watching World Cup then it was August before we started doing any business.

How anyone can say we are making 'Progress' is ridiculous.

We can't beat Part timers who are working on a significantly lower budget, we have been relegated and battling to stay mid table in the Championship. The catering provided on match days is over priced rubbish, We cant even stream games at the moment to our overseas fans via Hibs TV, the players Golf Day was cancelled, the dinner on the pitch event was cancelled. oir own fans were treated shockingly at the last home game due to over zealous stewarding/instructions from the club. We have a 10% owner/silent Chairman that the vast majority of fans don't want near the club.

How can anyone say this is progress?

Fair play to LD for coming on here to the front line and confronting the fans, as I said in my previous post, start turning things round on the pitch and all this negativity goes away. Personal abuse is absolutely unacceptable and that should be dealt with by banning the culprits from ER, that's if they even attend which I very much doubt.

I fully agree that LD does need time but in the meantime, just like any CEO of any failing organisation, she is going to come under scrutiny for every thing she does.

You can be positive just for the sake of it because your told negativity gets us nowhere and we can all continue to be happy clappers whilst we continue to underperform.

Or we can criticise constructively and suggest changes.

We keep hearing we need to give time and we're in transition, I've been hearing this since Mowbray left.

Here's my constructive request for change: Get Petrie away from the club, bring in a Director of football (has worked for hearts).

LD can run the club off field and finances
DoF responsible for building a squad liasing closely with Stubbs linking 1st team with youth, making signings and ensure we're not scrambling about at end of transfer windows panicking about signings.
Stubbs can coach and manage his 1st team to ensure we get the best possible results on the pitch.

[steakbake]

I think we'd do better at not being so negative if there wasn't this feeling that the club has been taking the piss over several years. There were various bold statements of 'never again' after the 5-1 cup disaster, successive years of "this time, we'll get it right" and ultimately not, concluding now with "we're in the process of putting things right" post relegation.

Simply put, we've been let down too often in the past and been issued with promises that things were on the way to fix it.

Leeann - I totally appreciate the response from the club and I realise you have a difficult job to do under these circumstances, but many of the problems that make Hibs fans generally negatively disposed towards the club management predate your appointment. The club has cried wolf too often in the past, so you could possibly excuse some from being very skeptical.Equally, we should not be struggling in this league - with the facilities we have apparently got, to be serially "unlucky" against far less well resourced outfits is galling in the extreme.

I want Hibs to succeed - I want to be able to return to ER with my head held high - but the on-pitch omens (of which we've only got to judge how the club is doing) are not good at the moment. I'd be infinitely more positive if we were clearly challenging the top end of the league and also were sorting things out off-field as well.

[Cropley10]

Seems I'll have to retract my initial claim that the OP's post can only be an Internet spoof as I have been officially assured that is it without doubt a genuine posting – my mistake - apologies all round.

Having read it again (and again) I can only say it is in fact just like our football team: full of bluster, no proper style, no strategy, no discernible tactic, no form - it simply takes lots of pot shots in the general direction of where the goalposts are assumed to be, but nothing actually hits the back of the net. Genuinely surprised that the CEO of a "major club" - having taken the bold move to address a part of the fan base directly - is then unable to address the major issues affecting the club in a concise, focussed and purposeful manner: too much waffle, too little substance. This sort of post will not placate fans (well not this one at least!). Our "constant criticism" as the CEO puts it, did not bring about the Club's dismal record of late on the park: it is in fact the other way round. Dempster's intentions may have been good, but the Hibs CEO has missed her mark badly and she has - in my opinion - shot another one of those own goals.

It's quite simple really: on the park performances are the key to success - everything else is peripheral, fix the former then the latter can be attended to ...




I agree it was long on words, short on content and somewhat hastily constructed.

I think the point LD is trying to make (badly) is that much is going on behind the scenes to make the team successful...


Sent from a phone

[southsider]

I agree it was long on words, short on content and somewhat hastily constructed.

I think the point LD is trying to make (badly) is that much is going on behind the scenes to make the team successful...


Sent from a phone

Aye, more coaches than Parks of Hamilton but STILL cany take a shy.

[JimBHibees]

Aye, more coaches than Parks of Hamilton but STILL cany take a shy.

Boom, boom. :greengrin

[Ray_]

I read the statement by LD and not the 14 pages that followed. To be honest Hibs KPI are dreadful and without doubt caused mainly by the inept on park displays that still continue. You mentioned stop start performances on the park, well 14 points behind at this early stage, indicates, as we are all aware, there has been far more stopping than starting.

Apart from the displays, the biggest negative factor surrounding Hibs is RP, which is very much in Hibs ownerships hands to solve. Instead of doing this, LD gives us a lecture on negativity!

LD mentioned the drum and how "we" didn't ask for this to be done, which contradicts some of the stuff on here, source unnamed Stewarts, but if "we" didn't ask for it to be done, LD didn't say what has been/or is to be done, about the incident. The comments would carry far more weight, if "we" didn't ask for it, if they were backed up by what is being done to prevent a repeat.

Leeann, the amount of money the fans have put in to the club over the recent years, they should have far better, therefore what else do you expect from the support other than the negativity created by the grim reality of what they are watching. Listening the Hibs manager issuing statements, which are basically clutching at straws, after yet another dismal display againsta regular lower tier club, doesn't help anybody, if anything, it reeks of desperation.

Over to you LD, I am asking for a response.

[gegs70]

I want to know is there funds available to strengthen now and in January?

Other than the funds available from season tickets and sponsorship how else does the board propose to increase the managers player fund.

Other than giving away tickets what else are hibs doing to get fans to the games? Any other questions....

These are the things I want to hear...positive messages.

[PeeJay]

I agree it was long on words, short on content and somewhat hastily constructed.

I think the point LD is trying to make (badly) is that much is going on behind the scenes to make the team successful...


Sent from a phone

Yeah, twigged that: but "much is going on" doesn't really fill me with much hope to be honest ...:greengrin

[Dashing Bob S]

I agree it was long on words, short on content and somewhat hastily constructed.

I think the point LD is trying to make (badly) is that much is going on behind the scenes to make the team successful...


Sent from a phone


To me this proves, more than anything, that she is one of own.

[Lucius Apuleius]

100% agree with this mate. I was conned into buying a ST at SPL prices this year as I was told by our new CEO our aim was promotion at first time of asking. Granted this could still happen, but nothing from the first quarter of the season suggests this is a real possibility. Leeann yes you communicate better than Petrie ever did...thats no big deal tbh. The state our club is currently in is nothing short of a disgrace, yes you inherited most of this mess but you also waited 2 weeks after relegation to sack that poor excuse for a manager in Butcher. Ultimately that lead to poor and delayed playera recruitment over the summer while Hearts stole a march on us...and look how they are performing. How can they turn things around quickly yet once again we are asked for patience? ? Do you know how often this has been asked of us in recent years?? Im slowly reaching the end of my bling loyalty im afraid and it will take a massive turnaround in fortunes over the next 6 months for me to consider once again renewing my ST as currently the standard is nowhere near acceptable on the field, regardless of your infrastructure changes. I wish u every luck in turning our fortunes around...but u really need to speed things up for the prices you are charging us!!

Really?

Wanna buy a car?

[yogi_campfire]

Judging by some of the comments instead of arranging trips to East Mains arranging some seminars in the reality of business change would be much more useful and beneficial for all.

Do people really think LD had had to time to carry out a proper root-and-branch overhaul of the entir club and it's working practices, put the changes in place, reviews and analyse them and them make subsequent changes in response to how the plan has been carried out?

The way I see it is there is basically two reasonable, acceptable positions to take on the business side of the club:

1. Give LD time to make the changes. In no other Multi million pound company would this aort of overhaul been completed in 4 1/2 months, try 18.

2. The club was fine and no change was required.

Any view that mass business related changes shou have been imemented and all been succesful already are ridiculous and farcical in the real world. Just think about an entire overhaul of your workplace and how log that would take and try and give some perspective.

To an extent I don't believe you can also put blame on her directly for the playing staff this year as the timing of getting new process etc in place to improve the situation was far from ideal (ie start of the summer). I agree the start to the season has been crap but like we have been used to saying with our almost-annual new manager in October, give her a chance in the next window, and realistically the summer window, to see if the new mechanisms identify the players we need.

[JimBHibees]

Judging by some of the comments instead of arranging trips to East Mains arranging some seminars in the reality of business change would be much more useful and beneficial for all.

Do people really think LD had had to time to carry out a proper root-and-branch overhaul of the entir club and it's working practices, put the changes in place, reviews and analyse them and them make subsequent changes in response to how the plan has been carried out?

The way I see it is there is basically two reasonable, acceptable positions to take on the business side of the club:

1. Give LD time to make the changes. In no other Multi million pound company would this aort of overhaul been completed in 4 1/2 months, try 18.

2. The club was fine and no change was required.

Any view that mass business related changes shou have been imemented and all been succesful already are ridiculous and farcical in the real world. Just think about an entire overhaul of your workplace and how log that would take and try and give some perspective.

To an extent I don't believe you can also put blame on her directly for the playing staff this year as the timing of getting new process etc in place to improve the situation was far from ideal (ie start of the summer). I agree the start to the season has been crap but like we have been used to saying with our almost-annual new manager in October, give her a chance in the next window, and realistically the summer window, to see if the new mechanisms identify the players we need.

Very good post and I agree any significant change needs time to take stock and work. Given the very nature of football also there will have been players also that we may have wanted to move on however wouldnt have got a better deal elsewhere so in that regard it can be difficult. Give her a decent chance to do her job without blaming her for the ills of the past.

[Baldy Foghorn]

Very good post and I agree any significant change needs time to take stock and work. Given the very nature of football also there will have been players also that we may have wanted to move on however wouldnt have got a better deal elsewhere so in that regard it can be difficult. Give her a decent chance to do her job without blaming her for the ills of the past.

Can't see many blaming LD for our ills of the past, it is the Board members who remain in situ, while they were as equally culpable, as Butcher and Player's.....Maybe LD with a new Board would be better?

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Quite right Steven. People are venting at 7 years of pretty much constant pish, not just the 4 months of pretty much constant pish since LD arrived. She feels frustrated, what about us?

[Baldy Foghorn]

Quite right Steven. People are venting at 7 years of pretty much constant pish, not just the 4 months of pretty much constant pish since LD arrived. She feels frustrated, what about us?

Indeed......It's OK though, the Board are hurting as much as us......:cb

[Cropley10]

Judging by some of the comments instead of arranging trips to East Mains arranging some seminars in the reality of business change would be much more useful and beneficial for all.

Do people really think LD had had to time to carry out a proper root-and-branch overhaul of the entir club and it's working practices, put the changes in place, reviews and analyse them and them make subsequent changes in response to how the plan has been carried out?

The way I see it is there is basically two reasonable, acceptable positions to take on the business side of the club:

1. Give LD time to make the changes. In no other Multi million pound company would this aort of overhaul been completed in 4 1/2 months, try 18.

2. The club was fine and no change was required.

Any view that mass business related changes shou have been imemented and all been succesful already are ridiculous and farcical in the real world. Just think about an entire overhaul of your workplace and how log that would take and try and give some perspective.

To an extent I don't believe you can also put blame on her directly for the playing staff this year as the timing of getting new process etc in place to improve the situation was far from ideal (ie start of the summer). I agree the start to the season has been crap but like we have been used to saying with our almost-annual new manager in October, give her a chance in the next window, and realistically the summer window, to see if the new mechanisms identify the players we need.

Hibs is, in relative terms, a tiny little business measured by turnover, it doesn't employee very many people either and it's income is generated in several simple ways. Apologies, but I think you're trying to over-complicate things.

When you write, 'mass business related changes' I'm not sure what you're referring to exactly? We get income from the SPFL/SFA, Season Ticket holders, Sponsors, Walk-ups and TV subscriptions. We've outsourced the catering and the Club shop too, so we get a fee but we don't get the additional profit (or loss). And this is the problem that football clubs have, there aren't many ways to generate more money IF, and I emphasise IF, the team on the park is Tom Kite.

No amount of business change, or examination of it's working practices will make up for this. No root and branch this that and the other is going to mask the fact that success breeds success, and with that success comes additional new income, from additional new people paying to watch the team every other week.

For many years Rod Petrie ran Hibs as a little business - using his skills as an accountant to do this. He invested windfall income from generous transfer fees in bricks and mortar, simultaneously increasing our overheads. This was neither difficult nor complicated.

What was difficult and complicated was balancing the off-field with the on-field, so this was avoided altogether and a policy of hiring very poor players, Riordan, Stokes and Sparky apart, was embarked on, and ultimately this saw us relegated last season.

So, IF LD has to do anything it's to review who isn't worth a wage, across the business, and work on what our hiring policies are across the business to prevent us from hiring weak, ineffective people.

Of course she has to do all of this with the non-Exec Chairman and "conduit" in place AND a hastily-assembled playing staff and rookie manager learning his trade. I don't envy her and she has my complete support.

But, please spare us the management consultant speak - her task is simple, because the business is simple.

GGTTH

[JimBHibees]

Can't see many blaming LD for our ills of the past, it is the Board members who remain in situ, while they were as equally culpable, as Butcher and Player's.....Maybe LD with a new Board would be better?

Just look at the Leanne Dempster thread after the Dumbarton game down the board. She is indicating she is getting personal abuse after poor results also. Agree about the Board particularly RP needs to go amazed this hasnt happened already.

[Baldy Foghorn]

Just look at the Leanne Dempster thread after the Dumbarton game down the board. She is indicating she is getting personal abuse after poor results also. Agree about the Board particularly RP needs to go amazed this hasnt happened already.

Never saw that thread Jim, will have a look......:aok:

[Peevemor]

Judging by some of the comments instead of arranging trips to East Mains arranging some seminars in the reality of business change would be much more useful and beneficial for all.

Do people really think LD had had to time to carry out a proper root-and-branch overhaul of the entir club and it's working practices, put the changes in place, reviews and analyse them and them make subsequent changes in response to how the plan has been carried out?

The way I see it is there is basically two reasonable, acceptable positions to take on the business side of the club:

1. Give LD time to make the changes. In no other Multi million pound company would this aort of overhaul been completed in 4 1/2 months, try 18.

2. The club was fine and no change was required.

Any view that mass business related changes shou have been imemented and all been succesful already are ridiculous and farcical in the real world. Just think about an entire overhaul of your workplace and how log that would take and try and give some perspective.

To an extent I don't believe you can also put blame on her directly for the playing staff this year as the timing of getting new process etc in place to improve the situation was far from ideal (ie start of the summer). I agree the start to the season has been crap but like we have been used to saying with our almost-annual new manager in October, give her a chance in the next window, and realistically the summer window, to see if the new mechanisms identify the players we need.

Good shout. It should also be remembered that Alan Stubbs said that he wouldn't sign players unless they'd been watched 6-8 times - pretty difficult in July!

[IanFaeClerrie]

Will you be speaking with G4S regards there heavy handed approach to a bunch of kids in the East stand yesterday, they done nothing wrong but stewards were trying to snatch young kids from the crowd at the back, this is no way to be treating the Hibernian support who have been great through these difficult times, as you will no there was no smoke bombs set off at the game yesterday so why were the stewards acting like thugs towards Hibs supporters up in section 43.
.

I'll explain this as I got involved and got it wrong. When I saw them trying to grab a guy (adult) and take him out, I saw his wee laddie greetin' so I went up and told all the stewards to 'bujjer off' and kept yelling until they agreed to. The wee laddies, sensing victory, then enjoyed this more than the game and jumped about in the aisle, refusing to go back to their seats.

What had actually happened is that the two stewards who were clearly told to come and look for smoke grenades, caused a lot of hassle and people yelled at them to leave. The guy they eventually tried to lift pushed one of the stewards in the head shoving him down the stairs - it was after that he went down to get backup. I didn't see this, may daughter and her cousin did so I got it totally wrong. My daughter said he should have been ejected and there were people warning the stewards in advance, of his behaviour.

[HFC 0-7]

Judging by some of the comments instead of arranging trips to East Mains arranging some seminars in the reality of business change would be much more useful and beneficial for all.

Do people really think LD had had to time to carry out a proper root-and-branch overhaul of the entir club and it's working practices, put the changes in place, reviews and analyse them and them make subsequent changes in response to how the plan has been carried out?

The way I see it is there is basically two reasonable, acceptable positions to take on the business side of the club:

1. Give LD time to make the changes. In no other Multi million pound company would this aort of overhaul been completed in 4 1/2 months, try 18.

2. The club was fine and no change was required.

Any view that mass business related changes shou have been imemented and all been succesful already are ridiculous and farcical in the real world. Just think about an entire overhaul of your workplace and how log that would take and try and give some perspective.

To an extent I don't believe you can also put blame on her directly for the playing staff this year as the timing of getting new process etc in place to improve the situation was far from ideal (ie start of the summer). I agree the start to the season has been crap but like we have been used to saying with our almost-annual new manager in October, give her a chance in the next window, and realistically the summer window, to see if the new mechanisms identify the players we need.

I dont think anyone would have expected her by now to have completely fixed things, I think everyone would have expected her to have stopped the decline. Hibs are still in decline at the moment, the 'ship' hasnt been steadied, if anything its worse. We are struggling like previous seasons but in a lower division. We were led to believe we would be in a position to challenge for the title - we are miles off. We had a problem with the constant re building job that 'takes time'. Loan signings do not help here, in fact our new CEO agrees, branding loans as not good value for money, yet we got a lot of them.

Over the last few seasons its been nothing but disappointment, but we have all fell back into line bought tickets, asked little in the way of questions, mostly because we have got to cup finals etc but this time it was Petrie stepping down and us hand picking a CEO. Petrie is still there, still wandering around behind the goals as if nothing has changed.

What exactly are we building for? What are these changes that we are told about that go on behind the scenes designed for? The championship this season for us probably offers the most in the way of income as come next season there is a huge chance we will still be here but without 2 large supports coming to ER. Next seasons income will be down again, will they ask us again to pay full price for season tickets? If they do I would imagine less people would buy them, income down again!

I dont doubt that changes are needed in the background but surely, the number 1 priority this season should have been winning the league - guaranteed promotion! Instead we have invested off field again, backroom staff galore! They are probably great appointments but they wont have much to work with should they be working in the championship again next season.

Hibs seem to be trying to operate like a large successful business when in actual fact its a small business with a piss poor product to flog, over priced with a shrinking customer base. Scale back everything apart from the product!!!!

[ancient hibee]

So do you think there should be no background staff-do you think players just kind of turn up and play?Pat Fenlon said at an AGM that the reason the standard of player at Hibs was poor was because of the complete failure to bring in the 10-12 year old players and get started on them.This is what the background staff is for and it's going to take 5 or 6 years to implement a proper system of player recruitment through the academy set up.

[buktapurple79]

Quite right Steven. People are venting at 7 years of pretty much constant pish, not just the 4 months of pretty much constant pish since LD arrived. She feels frustrated, what about us?

That's summed up how I'm feeling about her bud

[macca70]

So do you think there should be no background staff-do you think players just kind of turn up and play?Pat Fenlon said at an AGM that the reason the standard of player at Hibs was poor was because of the complete failure to bring in the 10-12 year old players and get started on them.This is what the background staff is for and it's going to take 5 or 6 years to implement a proper system of player recruitment through the academy set up.

Considering our youth teams have been winning leagues/cups and we've got not too bad a record of bring through youngsters, 5-6 years?! This is Hibs, not Real Madrid we're talking about.

Hearts seem to have a decent job of blending youth with experience through a season of rebuilding.

[ancient hibee]

Considering our youth teams have been winning leagues/cups and we've got not too bad a record of bring through youngsters, 5-6 years?! This is Hibs, not Real Madrid we're talking about.

Hearts seem to have a decent job of blending youth with experience through a season of rebuilding.

I think our youth team won 1 league and cup which may have been that they were older than the players they played against.Youth teams are there to provide first team players and I don't think we've been very good at that recently.There are no players left from the trophy winning team-doesn't that tell you something?

[HFC 0-7]

So do you think there should be no background staff-do you think players just kind of turn up and play?Pat Fenlon said at an AGM that the reason the standard of player at Hibs was poor was because of the complete failure to bring in the 10-12 year old players and get started on them.This is what the background staff is for and it's going to take 5 or 6 years to implement a proper system of player recruitment through the academy set up.

I assume that was directed at me? I am not saying we shouldnt have backroom staff, my point is that we have tried to tackle everything at once, we seem to have made better signings off field than we have on field. All of these changes could have happened next season in the top flight. We are in danger of reducing income further, creating problems for these back room staff members, to implement what they want. Whats easier, getting fans that have been led a merry dance for the last 7 seasons or so, to buy into more talk of change for the better etc etc or bought into a winning team?

As you say, its going to take 5 or 6 seasons for these backroom people to implement things. Why not put every available penny into getting back to the top flight which would boost ST sales, more income in general etc then implement the back room changes. Remember, there are many teams, without the backroom structure we are trying to implement doing fine right now! We are creating structures for a bigger business than we currently have or will have for a long time.

Only 1 thing is going to get fans back on side - results! Doesnt matter how much 'Honest, we are changing things just keep paying your money, have faith in us, its a 5 year plan, we will be challenging for cups and european spots'.

We have gone from trying to get a top 3 finish, to a top 6 finish, to avoiding relegation, to winning the championship, to getting into the play offs.

[ancient hibee]

I agree with a lot of what you say but I feel that if we pile everything into just getting out of this league without proper foundations we'll come straight back down-a bit like Stirling Albion known as the yo-yo club if that's not before your time:greengrin

[HFC 0-7]

I agree with a lot of what you say but I feel that if we pile everything into just getting out of this league without proper foundations we'll come straight back down-a bit like Stirling Albion known as the yo-yo club if that's not before your time:greengrin

It is before my time, I will ask my Dad! I know what you mean about the foundations, its plain to see there are issues. I just worry that if we are struggling now budget wise, how much will we struggle if we have another season in the championship with reduced income. I think we will be paying more than any club in this league, apart from Rangers, for non playing staff. Its also a worry that our playing staff budget will still be more than all the teams apart from Rangers and Hearts. The team as it stands, IMO, isnt good enough for promotion and its likely we will have another season in the championship. How are we going to improve if we need to improve the playing staff but with a smaller budget?

[familyman]

Seems the opening up of communication brings brick bats as well as roses...I applaud CEO for making herself more available and also the details we do now get which previously we never found out about. Being positive is what we want ,and expect in fact ,but I feel still though there are people who remain from previous season who remain a real issue....It is perhaps what we have NOT changed rather than what we have that is bearing fruit just now, e.g. expectations from certain players seem to suggest play offs will be ok, that already is a change in aspiration ...We need to invest in quality players first and foremost(we have yet to do that despite all the fine words) ,the rest is all very well but what good is that if there is no team on the park worth supporting?Players talk well enough but some of the old guard still do not carry that on to the park,this is where we came in.
Hibs are sorting out a real mess it seems and appears rather like an aircraft carrier trying to surge forward while keeping the same old anchor deep in the mud..
On an nautical theme, we perhaps are more like a submarine now sunk in real depths , it is the LEVEL we have sunk to ON THE PARK that is causing the frustration ,failing yet again to beat part time clubs ,remove that and the waters will clear a little at least.
The clock is ticking with Hearts due anytime soon and yes we have been there before .

Keep the channels of communication open but accept paying punters have their priorities too...Team first.

[Swedish hibee]

A member of my family told me in the FF upper at exactly 8 minutes gone in the Livingstone game in August someone along from her had a go at the players with obscene language. Everyone told him to shut up and an argument started.

Can we just have a "jakey" section for all the nutters who can all be together. Hope Leanne reads this on here!

[Holmesdale Hibs]

Does anyone else on here think they could fix our club in the time LD had had to date? I doubt it. LD must have the most difficult job in Scottish football.

I've been impressed with her so far and agree with what she wrote. She's certainy a big improvement from RP. Yes, RP needs to go, yes we've put up with years of **** football but neither of these are LD's fault. We were all pleased when she was appointed so let's give her a chance. A lot of angry people supporting Hibs at the moment and IMO that's as big problem as the brutal football

[HappyAsHellas]

I'm on holiday right now and can't believe some of the posts on here. Leeann has come on and stamped out some of the harmful posters in one felling swoop and yet few people seem to want to realise this. Some people had to read her post again and again to try and twist her words round to their own negativity towards the club. Really? Why can't some of the people on this site sit down for a minute and think about what is really happening?
We are where we are, a place where none of us want to be.
We were promised winds of change.
Did some people really imagine that these winds would occur in a couple of months?
The common consensus would seem to be that we have been mismanaged for many years now, a sentiment I would never disagree with.
With Leeann's vision, I believe that our club is being turned round for the better. She has saw where the problems lie, and is addressing them one by one. This has to start at the very roots - connecting youth with the first team and the right coaches and trainers to accomplish this.
Does this mean a totally new and revitalised first team? Sadly, no it doesn't, not instantly.
I will continue to support our team, in the vain hope that we have a successful season.
I am not a happy clapper, rather a pragmatist, who can see that for the first time in years our foundations are being rebuilt, in an effort to bring our once glorious club back to where it belongs. This is a simple vision, as some have pointed out, how hard can it be to succeed?
I want success, I want people like Leeann. If you don't, or cannot envisage this, then I feel truly sorry for you.
I'm on holiday and now going to raise a glass to the greatest football club on planet earth - Hibernian F.C. cheers my man.........

[WestStandMoaner]

I'm on holiday right now and can't believe some of the posts on here. Leeann has come on and stamped out some of the harmful posters in one felling swoop and yet few people seem to want to realise this. Some people had to read her post again and again to try and twist her words round to their own negativity towards the club. Really? Why can't some of the people on this site sit down for a minute and think about what is really happening?
We are where we are, a place where none of us want to be.
We were promised winds of change.
Did some people really imagine that these winds would occur in a couple of months?
The common consensus would seem to be that we have been mismanaged for many years now, a sentiment I would never disagree with.
With Leeann's vision, I believe that our club is being turned round for the better. She has saw where the problems lie, and is addressing them one by one. This has to start at the very roots - connecting youth with the first team and the right coaches and trainers to accomplish this.
Does this mean a totally new and revitalised first team? Sadly, no it doesn't, not instantly.
I will continue to support our team, in the vain hope that we have a successful season.
I am not a happy clapper, rather a pragmatist, who can see that for the first time in years our foundations are being rebuilt, in an effort to bring our once glorious club back to where it belongs. This is a simple vision, as some have pointed out, how hard can it be to succeed?
I want success, I want people like Leeann. If you don't, or cannot envisage this, then I feel truly sorry for you.
I'm on holiday and now going to raise a glass to the greatest football club on planet earth - Hibernian F.C. cheers my man.........

Everyone wants success but hibs come out with the same old, same old, we are always rebuilding, by the time the problems are fixed we could well be playing in front of record low crowds. Fans are turning their backs by the thousands, kids don't want to go and see hibs, in fact, we can't give away tickets. Its ok backing LD which I think is the correct thing to do. However, there is no way the fans should accept the results we have experienced this season and if you think they are ok, then I feel sorry for you because you are definitely a Happy Clapper

[HappyAsHellas]

I would urge you to read my original post - I am not a happy clapper. If all you can see is pestilence, famine and disease, then as I said, I feel sorry for you. GGTTH

[hhibs]

I would urge you to read my original post - I am not a happy clapper. If all you can see is pestilence, famine and disease, then as I said, I feel sorry for you. GGTTH

Yeah right,if only things were that good !

[boab1875]

Really?

Wanna buy a car?

I would feel conned into buying a season ticket had I bought one this season as should everyone. have you missed the entire summer transfer window where we had ample time to sort our **** out or indeed this entire season thus far where we have been nothing short of a disgrace on the park by anyone's standards?

Have a word seriously. I followed us home and away for years and poured hard earned cash into the club for nothing. it has now become a mismanaged shambles with nothing to show for it. If you are happy to accept mediocrity that's up to you. I for one think that it is totally unacceptable and refuse to line the pockets of the clowns in charge for them to constantly make decisions that are to none of our benefit as fans

[macd123]

Leeann i think you wrote this partly out of frustration but you need to accept supporters are angry just now after last year's fiasco. Despite that most supporters are reasonable as you saw in the meetings. Just don't make the mistake of thinking all supporters are relentlessly negative because some send you messages venting after games.

It's part of the job you are in. It's no different at rangers or bolton wanderers or wherever else where clubs have done badly. You might need broad shoulders for the next while.

I think you are doing a good job with the things you can control. We will hopefully start to see the benefits from sorting out the fitness \ nutrition and the scouting system soon. It's good you are communicating with us a bit more but if i were you i would maybe get my head down a bit until we start getting out of this mess.

[HH81]

Value for money or rip off Hibs?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29527838

[marinello59]

Value for money or rip off Hibs?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29527838

Looks like you have posted this on the wrong thread. There's one specifically discussing it already.

[Phil D. Rolls]

Leeann i think you wrote this partly out of frustration but you need to accept supporters are angry just now after last year's fiasco. Despite that most supporters are reasonable as you saw in the meetings. Just don't make the mistake of thinking all supporters are relentlessly negative because some send you messages venting after games.

It's part of the job you are in. It's no different at rangers or bolton wanderers or wherever else where clubs have done badly. You might need broad shoulders for the next while.

I think you are doing a good job with the things you can control. We will hopefully start to see the benefits from sorting out the fitness \ nutrition and the scouting system soon. It's good you are communicating with us a bit more but if i were you i would maybe get my head down a bit until we start getting out of this mess.

95% of supporters agree - she can't win. Is it any wonder Petrie didn't waste his time trying to communicate with the supporters? Who would put their head above the parapet to be patronised like this?

[HH81]

Looks like you have posted this on the wrong thread. There's one specifically discussing it already.

So there is, leeann if your reading this don't waste your time clicking the link, nothing to see :aok:

[DC_Hibs]

So there is, leeann if your reading this don't waste your time clicking the link, nothing to see :aok:

I'm sure she will get that info from elsewhere rather than logging in here for it.

The response will already be (forsyth) prepared as they have said before that it's not comparing like for like, doesn't take into account this and that discounted ticket, etc etc

[marinello59]

So there is, leeann if your reading this don't waste your time clicking the link, nothing to see :aok:

Maybe we could just close all the other threads then and discuss everything on this one. :thumbsup:

[HH81]

Maybe we could just close all the other threads then and discuss everything on this one. :thumbsup:

Can do but we don't want anymore stress for Leanne so best keep it as it is. :hnet:

[marinello59]

Can do but we don't want anymore stress for Leanne so best keep it as it is. :hnet:

Don't know what your point is but keep making it, it might sink in when I fully wake up.
Love that you think the club and LD will only hear about that survey via your post on this thread though.

[Lucius Apuleius]

I would feel conned into buying a season ticket had I bought one this season as should everyone. have you missed the entire summer transfer window where we had ample time to sort our **** out or indeed this entire season thus far where we have been nothing short of a disgrace on the park by anyone's standards?

Have a word seriously. I followed us home and away for years and poured hard earned cash into the club for nothing. it has now become a mismanaged shambles with nothing to show for it. If you are happy to accept mediocrity that's up to you. I for one think that it is totally unacceptable and refuse to line the pockets of the clowns in charge for them to constantly make decisions that are to none of our benefit as fans

I missed a fair bit of the summer for various reasons, yep. However Stubbs did not have the whole summer to look at and sign players. I have had a right good word with myself and despite the fact I am probably going to be lucky to attend 50% of home games, I do not feel conned. I am a big boy and more than capable of spending my pennies where I think I want to. I chose to buy my season ticket long before we were relegated so as the club had my money. I personally do not give a flying from what people think, but despite the results being unacceptable, the football we are playing now is night and day compared to last season.

[smurf]

Really?

Wanna buy a car?

I too feel conned into buying a season ticket. And I wouldn't underestimate the extent to which many others do too. Unless we see huge improvement in results we are facing a complete collapse in season ticket sales next season. Very few will buy into the promise of us buying in order to be competitive on the park.

[HH81]

Don't know what your point is but keep making it, it might sink in when I fully wake up.
Love that you think the club and LD will only hear about that survey via your post on this thread though.

Do I think that? No way but I still feel the prices at Hibs are a rip off and a massive mistake was made by leeann when she did not reduce them.

[marinello59]

Do I think that? No way but I still feel the prices at Hibs are a rip off and a massive mistake was made by leeann when she did not reduce them.

A discussion point that is well worthy of a separate thread rather than being fragmented and lost in here don't you think?

[HH81]

A discussion point that is well worthy of a separate thread rather than being fragmented and lost in here don't you think?

Yes and it is been discussed on the other thread. I was hoping Leeann may pick up on a few topics raised by her post (I know she poss won't) so thought I would add prices to the growing list.

[Nutmegged]

I'm not knocking Leeann, she clearly has her way if doing things but have a read at this from Borussia Dortmund's marketing director

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/29624410

This quote from Carsten Cramer says it all...
"If the football doesn't run properly, the rest of the business would not work. The business is part of a train, but not the engine."

That's the difference for me, while Leeann has the very best of intentions for our club I feel her priorities might possibly be misplaced, look at Dortmund, they nearly went out the game altogether just over a decade ago but they've rebuilt themselves by focusing on the fans needs, fans are a huge part of any clubs success, while I'm positive Leeann strives to improve, sometimes it feels like shes trying to change everything and possibly focusing more time and effort on other things that would naturally fall into place if we had a team worth watching on the pitch.

Just an observation

[Brightside]

The tyre kicker? :wtf:

Exactly. This kind of stuff disturbs me. I honestly think out club is going backwards due in large part to some of our fans. Unreal how much we slag off our own club whilst others go out of their way to stick up for their club even after administration and relegation.

[silverhibee]

Exactly. This kind of stuff disturbs me. I honestly think out club is going backwards due in large part to some of our fans. Unreal how much we slag off our own club whilst others go out of their way to stick up for their club even after administration and relegation.


Nonsense, unless you are talking about Petrie and Farmer, but they are hardly fans.

But you crack on and blame the fans for everything that is wrong at ER.

[PatHead]

I'm not knocking Leeann, she clearly has her way if doing things but have a read at this from Borussia Dortmund's marketing director

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/29624410

This quote from Carsten Cramer says it all...
"If the football doesn't run properly, the rest of the business would not work. The business is part of a train, but not the engine."

That's the difference for me, while Leeann has the very best of intentions for our club I feel her priorities might possibly be misplaced, look at Dortmund, they nearly went out the game altogether just over a decade ago but they've rebuilt themselves by focusing on the fans needs, fans are a huge part of any clubs success, while I'm positive Leeann strives to improve, sometimes it feels like shes trying to change everything and possibly focusing more time and effort on other things that would naturally fall into place if we had a team worth watching on the pitch.

Just an observation

Bet it took Dortmund more than 4 months to sort out their problems.

What do you want her to do about results on the pitch? She has sacked a manager, cleared out the backroom team, created a different culture with a new youth set up and chosen a manager with a good style of football. I am sure things will improve on the pitch

What more do you expect her to do?

[Sammy7nil]

Hibs is, in relative terms, a tiny little business measured by turnover, it doesn't employee very many people either and it's income is generated in several simple ways. Apologies, but I think you're trying to over-complicate things.

When you write, 'mass business related changes' I'm not sure what you're referring to exactly? We get income from the SPFL/SFA, Season Ticket holders, Sponsors, Walk-ups and TV subscriptions. We've outsourced the catering and the Club shop too, so we get a fee but we don't get the additional profit (or loss). And this is the problem that football clubs have, there aren't many ways to generate more money IF, and I emphasise IF, the team on the park is Tom Kite.

No amount of business change, or examination of it's working practices will make up for this. No root and branch this that and the other is going to mask the fact that success breeds success, and with that success comes additional new income, from additional new people paying to watch the team every other week.

For many years Rod Petrie ran Hibs as a little business - using his skills as an accountant to do this. He invested windfall income from generous transfer fees in bricks and mortar, simultaneously increasing our overheads. This was neither difficult nor complicated.

What was difficult and complicated was balancing the off-field with the on-field, so this was avoided altogether and a policy of hiring very poor players, Riordan, Stokes and Sparky apart, was embarked on, and ultimately this saw us relegated last season.

So, IF LD has to do anything it's to review who isn't worth a wage, across the business, and work on what our hiring policies are across the business to prevent us from hiring weak, ineffective people.

Of course she has to do all of this with the non-Exec Chairman and "conduit" in place AND a hastily-assembled playing staff and rookie manager learning his trade. I don't envy her and she has my complete support.

But, please spare us the management consultant speak - her task is simple, because the business is simple.

GGTTH

Very good post, however the main point like so many others have said is sort out the first team and 70% of your problems disappear.

[Nutmegged]

Bet it took Dortmund more than 4 months to sort out their problems.

What do you want her to do about results on the pitch? She has sacked a manager, cleared out the backroom team, created a different culture with a new youth set up and chosen a manager with a good style of football. I am sure things will improve on the pitch

What more do you expect her to do?

Flipping the question, are you satisfied that Hibernian this season are doing as well as could possibly be expected?

[PatHead]

Flipping the question, are you satisfied that Hibernian this season are doing as well as could possibly be expected?

On the pitch we are not where I would like it to be.

The football is better than last season but not enough goals or wins.

How about answering my question rather than not commenting?

[Nutmegged]

On the pitch we are not where I would like it to be.

The football is better than last season but not enough goals or wins.

How about answering my question rather than not commenting?

Im not entirely sure I have the answers Pat, what I wqs commenting on was the stark contrast in outlooks, in Dortmund the onus very early on was on the standard on the pitch and the relationship between the club and its fans, its intertwined with each other, their belief seems to be that everything else, while still important is secondary, at Hibs it feels like those very same aspects are held in the same regard as every other aspect of the club

[Ronniekirk]

I too feel conned into buying a season ticket. And I wouldn't underestimate the extent to which many others do too. Unless we see huge improvement in results we are facing a complete collapse in season ticket sales next season. Very few will buy into the promise of us buying in order to be competitive on the park.

While I am sure there are plenty people that would share your concern about season ticket sales next season ,there is a long way to go yet before we need to consider that dilemma . .However I am sure if the worst scenario is the outcome ,then The Club would need to consult with supporters on pricing . My bigger worry would be about how we attract players and pay competitive salary to do that ,and how we retain the likes of gray who may have an opt out clause in contract if we don't come up in one season . But as I say that's for next year ,and I just want to focus on us getting into the top four as soon as we can and going on a winning run ,as that is only way at present we can increase attendances and therfore income for the January Transfer Window

[blackpoolhibs]

Im not entirely sure I have the answers Pat, what I wqs commenting on was the stark contrast in outlooks, in Dortmund the onus very early on was on the standard on the pitch and the relationship between the club and its fans, its intertwined with each other, their belief seems to be that everything else, while still important is secondary, at Hibs it feels like those very same aspects are held in the same regard as every other aspect of the club

Great points, at Hibs the priority has always been to build the best thing they could off the park. The new stands were top quality, even with ****in chandeleers in them ffs. The training ground at East Mains is top of the range with every machine available capable of extracting the last ounce of effort from the players and a number of quality pitches to enable them to re enact every scenario of the match day experience and get things right.

We have all this but have filled it with low standard footballers since its opening. I personally dont see the point in most of what we have done, especially with all the expense it costs and the future expense it will continue to keep costing us.

I look at other clubs who continue to out perform us with much less income, but spend theirs better. How many players does the training centre bring us through that we have sold on? How many will it have to bring through for it to be profitable?

Why are all the other clubs not doing the same?

I understand that bringing through your own players is supposed to be the cheap way of producing players, well Booth Hanlon Forster Stevenson Harris Stanton and Cummings have all featured quite a lot recently, this should mean more money for the manager to bring in better quality to supplement them.

Who can honestly say thats happened?

As others have said, fix the team and your other problems disappear.

[PatHead]

Great points, at Hibs the priority has always been to build the best thing they could off the park. The new stands were top quality, even with ****in chandeleers in them ffs. The training ground at East Mains is top of the range with every machine available capable of extracting the last ounce of effort from the players and a number of quality pitches to enable them to re enact every scenario of the match day experience and get things right.

We have all this but have filled it with low standard footballers since its opening. I personally dont see the point in most of what we have done, especially with all the expense it costs and the future expense it will continue to keep costing us. No sense in going over past mistakes but should we just shut it down or make the most of It?

I look at other clubs who continue to out perform us with much less income, but spend theirs better. How many players does the training centre bring us through that we have sold on? How many will it have to bring through for it to be profitable? None so far, depends on whether we find a Ryan Gould?

Why are all the other clubs not doing the same? Dundee Utd are doing it with some of the Gould and Robertson money.

I understand that bringing through your own players is supposed to be the cheap way of producing players, well Booth Hanlon Forster Stevenson Harris Stanton and Cummings have all featured quite a lot recently, this should mean more money for the manager to bring in better quality to supplement them.

Who can honestly say thats happened? We did take on players like Tudor Jones, McPake, Robertson, Craig, Nelson, Thompson, Collins etc but they were all crap not to mention manager and coaches

As others have said, fix the team and your other problems disappear. Couldn't disagree with that last comment.

[Waxy]

Maybe we shouldn't have built such a big training complex, maybe we should have built a slightly smaller stadium.How do you define how big a club is?

[ahibby]

I don't feel conned at all having bought a season ticket. I don't understand why people do but maybe that's just me. I think Hearts supporters have pumped more cash as individuals in to their club than we have in the past year or two, and maybe for that they deserve to reap the benefits. On the other hand some might say that because they went in to administration and bumped creditors in the process every penny they raise should go to bumped creditors. Of course if that was the case they wouldn't be able to raise any from their fans. Bottom line is their fans are paying for the success they had in the Scottish Cup and so far in our league. I am only paying for a ST, so I don't feel ripped off/conned at all. We are were we are and yes it is due to both club and fans getting the previous manager(s) wrong. That's football (the Hibernian way anyway).

[Keith_M]

I'm not sure it's entirely fair to use the Infrastructure as a rod (ahem) to beat the Club's back with. Even after spending money on these projects, we probably still had a much bigger budget than the likes of St Johnstone, Dundee, Hamilton, et al, who are all currently in a higher league than we are. The problem wasn't the budget, it was how it was spent.

As for the specifics...


The Good

The East Stand was built for a fraction of what it would now cost, because the Club took advantage of the situation in the Building Trade and the prices of Raw Materials at the time. I can't remember many complaining at the time about it being built. The biggest complaint is that the stadium is mostly only filled to around 40% of capacity. That's because of the dire fare on the park for so long and now having been relegated. IMHO, the Club took the correct long-term decision to build the Stand. I'm quite happy, in this instance, that they didn't have the same short-term approach some Fans do.

The Bad(?)

The Training Centre: I'm not convinced this has actually been value for money. The benefits should be seen in both the First Team and the number of Saleable Assets coming through from the Youth Teams. I've seen no evidence of either. There is an argument that it could be good in the long term as well but I personally think we could have done without it and just entered a Leasing Agreement elsewhere. Personally, I'd be happy if it was sold off, as long as we had some alternative in place.

The Ugly

A succession of failed Managers and a number of very poor Players, along with a very poor culture in the Club where the Product on the Park has not been given the priority it deserves.

[Peevemor]

I'm not sure entirely fair to use the Infrastructure as a rod (ahem) to beat the Club's back with. Even after spending money on these projects, we probably still had a much bigger budget than the likes of St Johnstone, Dundee, Hamilton, et al, who are all currently in a higher league than we are. The problem wasn't the budget, it was how it was spent.

As for the specifics...


The Good

The East Stand was built for a fraction of what it would now cost, because the Club took advantage of the situation in the Building Trade and the prices of Raw Materials at the time. I can't remember many complaining at the time about it being built. The biggest complaint is that the stadium is mostly only filled to around 40% of capacity. That's because of the dire fare on the park for so long and now having been relegated. IMHO, the Club took the correct long-term decision to build the Stand. I'm quite happy, in this instance, that they didn't have the same short-term approach some Fans do.

The Bad(?)

The Training Centre: I'm not convinced this has actually been value for money. The benefits should be seen in both the First Team and the number of Saleable Assets coming through from the Youth Teams. I've seen no evidence of either. There is an argument that it could be good in the long term as well but I personally think we could have done without it and just entered a Leasing Agreement elsewhere. Personally, I'd be happy if it was sold off, as long as we had some alternative in place.

The Ugly

A succession of failed Managers and a number of very poor Players, along with a very poor culture in the Club where the Product on the Park has not been given the priority it deserves.

Agree with most of that, although I hope that the new set-up that LD has put in place will see a better return from East Mains.

[HFC 0-7]

Bet it took Dortmund more than 4 months to sort out their problems.

What do you want her to do about results on the pitch? She has sacked a manager, cleared out the backroom team, created a different culture with a new youth set up and chosen a manager with a good style of football. I am sure things will improve on the pitch

What more do you expect her to do?

She hasnt sacked the manager, he and is staff are still being paid, the club took to long in relieving him of his duties, the backroom staff wasnt as much a priority as the first team yet we have probably made more changes in that area. She made us believe that by paying full whack there was a great chance of us winning or challenging for the title. Turns out that it not the case. We have a large back room staff, we are probably paying our backroom staff more than what the other teams are paying their playing staff. Leann is setting up for the future as if we are a top club, income will only be reducing, another season in the championship without rangers and hearts will see to that. Come season ticket renewal time if we are still in the championship? Pay full whack again or reduce the prices, either way income will be down but our large backroom staff will still need to be paid.

All the things she is trying to sort out that isnt to do with the first team could have waited until we are back in the top flight. What has she done with the money? Is too much of it going to the non playing staff because our first team cant beat part time footballers.

[blackpoolhibs]

Couldn't disagree with that last comment.

I'd love to know what the total cost is that we pay out for East Mains to keep it running, not just the maintenance but the cost of the coaches too.

I was speaking to a scout from an English Championship club who reckons clubs in England have spent Millions on their training centres and they get virtually no real return or value for money. Its more of a case of being seen to be doing the right thing, because they get certain grants and stuff from the FA.

Its not right or wrong in my opinion, its just one way to go. We are doing it this way and St Johnstone spend their money on the first team.

We have sold nobody since the training centre was finished and have been relegated, St Johnstone have been in Europe a couple of times i think and won the Scottish Cup.

Who's doing things right?

[Pete]

I don't feel conned at all having bought a season ticket. I don't understand why people do but maybe that's just me. I think Hearts supporters have pumped more cash as individuals in to their club than we have in the past year or two, and maybe for that they deserve to reap the benefits. On the other hand some might say that because they went in to administration and bumped creditors in the process every penny they raise should go to bumped creditors. Of course if that was the case they wouldn't be able to raise any from their fans. Bottom line is their fans are paying for the success they had in the Scottish Cup and so far in our league. I am only paying for a ST, so I don't feel ripped off/conned at all. We are were we are and yes it is due to both club and fans getting the previous manager(s) wrong. That's football (the Hibernian way anyway).

I disagree with your comments about hearts now paying for their success. As far as I'm concerned they should be paying back tens of millions of pounds to their former creditors, not sweeties to Ann Budge. They've basically cheated and we shouldn't be giving them any credit whatsoever for what they're doing. They'll never pay for that Scottish cup.

[Craig_HFC]

Yet more talk with no tangible action or results where it matters.

Yet again the club are patronising us and treating us with contempt.

Some of the ar$elicking posts on this thread are cringe-worthy too; 'what a brilliant post', 'thanks for posting' etc: total nonsense!

[Andy74]

She hasnt sacked the manager, he and is staff are still being paid, the club took to long in relieving him of his duties, the backroom staff wasnt as much a priority as the first team yet we have probably made more changes in that area. She made us believe that by paying full whack there was a great chance of us winning or challenging for the title. Turns out that it not the case. We have a large back room staff, we are probably paying our backroom staff more than what the other teams are paying their playing staff. Leann is setting up for the future as if we are a top club, income will only be reducing, another season in the championship without rangers and hearts will see to that. Come season ticket renewal time if we are still in the championship? Pay full whack again or reduce the prices, either way income will be down but our large backroom staff will still need to be paid.

All the things she is trying to sort out that isnt to do with the first team could have waited until we are back in the top flight. What has she done with the money? Is too much of it going to the non playing staff because our first team cant beat part time footballers.

Leeann addressed this at the consultation meetings. She said that the staff all needed to be hired to replace either outgoing positions or to fill positions that should have been in place. She suggested we would end up with a total of 2 additional background staff to what we had been running with.

It is also absolutely correct to build the club properly from the offset. We've heard it before of course but we have to give it some time - the changes are not going to drastically improve players we already have in a few weeks.

If the extra 2 are a head of player recruitment and a sports scientists that's a pretty decent investment isn't it?

I'm not sure when these plans were all being put in place that the unexpected results of games still to come would have been factored in.

[PatHead]

She hasnt sacked the manager, he and is staff are still being paid, the club took to long in relieving him of his duties, the backroom staff wasnt as much a priority as the first team yet we have probably made more changes in that area. She made us believe that by paying full whack there was a great chance of us winning or challenging for the title. Turns out that it not the case. We have a large back room staff, we are probably paying our backroom staff more than what the other teams are paying their playing staff. Leann is setting up for the future as if we are a top club, income will only be reducing, another season in the championship without rangers and hearts will see to that. Come season ticket renewal time if we are still in the championship? Pay full whack again or reduce the prices, either way income will be down but our large backroom staff will still need to be paid.

All the things she is trying to sort out that isnt to do with the first team could have waited until we are back in the top flight. What has she done with the money? Is too much of it going to the non playing staff because our first team cant beat part time footballers.

Not sure if I agree with the main thrust of your post.

If we waited the culture of failure, the missing out on young players for another 2 years, the lack of scouts and professionalism would have hurt us in the medium term. The background had to be sorted.

It is just a shame the first team haven't got the results as that is the most important part of any club. I do believe we will comfortably qualify for the playoffs, whether we can get through them is another matter - though we may if we have momentum at that time.

[flash]

Yet more talk with no tangible action or results where it matters.

Yet again the club are patronising us and treating us with contempt.

Some of the ar$elicking posts on this thread are cringe-worthy too; 'what a brilliant post', 'thanks for posting' etc: total nonsense!

Aye how dare people disagree with you.

[Craig_HFC]

Aye how dare people disagree with you.

So I'm meant to not post unless I agree with the majority?

Makes sense.

:aok:

[Lucius Apuleius]

So I'm meant to not post unless I agree with the majority?

Makes sense.

:aok:

That's not what he said mate but calling people ass lickers coz they disagree with you is not good.

[Glasgow Hibee]

That's not what he said mate but calling people ass lickers coz they disagree with you is not good.

Perhaps Craig's use of that word was ill advised but I felt the same reading the first couple of pages of this thread. I wish I was still optimistic enough to swallow Leanne's lines hook line and sinker like some people obviously do. But frankly it made me annoyed to hear so many people patting her on the back when there is absolutely no evidence of the team on the pitch progressing and that is All that matters. If infrastructure and back room staff make the team better then I'm all for investing in them, but until the team improves on the park I think we should all be sceptical. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

In my long and unillustrious working life I've had so many new senior managers come in and explain all the things that were wrong previously and how they will put it all right if we give them our support and time. And I've been that happy clapper working extra hours and buying into the new direction the company has been going. Two years later, another one with the same message... I have no doubt that Leanne and all the managers I've talked about had the best intentions and did their best but from bitter experience most of them do sod all good. So I don't think after our last 10yrs it's unreasonable to be at least sceptical of whatever good intentions we are now being asked to swallow.

While I'm at it, if the all the supporting elements for the team were so dreadful previously then why the **** is the guy who was responsible for it still involved with the club !

Rant over.

[HFC 0-7]

Not sure if I agree with the main thrust of your post.

If we waited the culture of failure, the missing out on young players for another 2 years, the lack of scouts and professionalism would have hurt us in the medium term. The background had to be sorted.

It is just a shame the first team haven't got the results as that is the most important part of any club. I do believe we will comfortably qualify for the playoffs, whether we can get through them is another matter - though we may if we have momentum at that time.

I agree that the background needed sorted, no doubt about it, however we seem to have an awful lot of non playing staff. The fact is, we will struggle to attract any young players if we are struggling in the championship. We are going to be working to a loss this year, a year when there is income from Hearts and Rangers. next season they will more than likely be gone and we will be in the championship with less income. If we are struggling with the budget we have now, it wont be any easier if we are in the championship next season. Its like hibs are trying to be a massive club with the stadium, training facilities, youth setup, scouting network etc etc but the reality is, the budget wont stretch enough and its showing in the playing staff.

IMO, priorities should have been set, number 1 being promotion. Instead they are taking a blanket approach and trying to fix everything at the same time meaning we are not seeing any results, things are still wrong off the pitch and they definately are not right on it. Personally, bearing in mind we are in the championship I am not seeing anything changing, we are still not winning enough games, still being shown up by 'lesser' teams and there is no more and no less 'professionalism' than previous seasons. How does Leann plan on bridging the funding gap with another season in the championship where there will be less gate money because of the teams in the league and most probably less ST money. We seem to be building and preparing for life in the top flight but have failed to address the issue of getting to the top flight.

[Glasgow Hibee]

I agree that the background needed sorted, no doubt about it, however we seem to have an awful lot of non playing staff. The fact is, we will struggle to attract any young players if we are struggling in the championship. We are going to be working to a loss this year, a year when there is income from Hearts and Rangers. next season they will more than likely be gone and we will be in the championship with less income. If we are struggling with the budget we have now, it wont be any easier if we are in the championship next season. Its like hibs are trying to be a massive club with the stadium, training facilities, youth setup, scouting network etc etc but the reality is, the budget wont stretch enough and its showing in the playing staff.

IMO, priorities should have been set, number 1 being promotion. Instead they are taking a blanket approach and trying to fix everything at the same time meaning we are not seeing any results, things are still wrong off the pitch and they definately are not right on it. Personally, bearing in mind we are in the championship I am not seeing anything changing, we are still not winning enough games, still being shown up by 'lesser' teams and there is no more and no less 'professionalism' than previous seasons. How does Leann plan on bridging the funding gap with another season in the championship where there will be less gate money because of the teams in the league and most probably less ST money. We seem to be building and preparing for life in the top flight but have failed to address the issue of getting to the top flight.

Very well put Dave. I agree completely.

[John_the_angus_hibby]

I'm not sure it's entirely fair to use the Infrastructure as a rod (ahem) to beat the Club's back with. Even after spending money on these projects, we probably still had a much bigger budget than the likes of St Johnstone, Dundee, Hamilton, et al, who are all currently in a higher league than we are. The problem wasn't the budget, it was how it was spent.

As for the specifics...


The Good

The East Stand was built for a fraction of what it would now cost, because the Club took advantage of the situation in the Building Trade and the prices of Raw Materials at the time. I can't remember many complaining at the time about it being built. The biggest complaint is that the stadium is mostly only filled to around 40% of capacity. That's because of the dire fare on the park for so long and now having been relegated. IMHO, the Club took the correct long-term decision to build the Stand. I'm quite happy, in this instance, that they didn't have the same short-term approach some Fans do.

The Bad(?)

The Training Centre: I'm not convinced this has actually been value for money. The benefits should be seen in both the First Team and the number of Saleable Assets coming through from the Youth Teams. I've seen no evidence of either. There is an argument that it could be good in the long term as well but I personally think we could have done without it and just entered a Leasing Agreement elsewhere. Personally, I'd be happy if it was sold off, as long as we had some alternative in place.

The Ugly

A succession of failed Managers and a number of very poor Players, along with a very poor culture in the Club where the Product on the Park has not been given the priority it deserves.

Agree with most if that except the training ground. In itself it's only an physical asset. What we get from the asset is actually down to how management uses it. We have a great tool to be used and obviously have mismanaged it's use terribly. I suspect we have appointed managers not used to having such a facility. I am hoping that Stubbs will be better equipped at using it. But the evidence will take time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Andy74]

I agree that the background needed sorted, no doubt about it, however we seem to have an awful lot of non playing staff. The fact is, we will struggle to attract any young players if we are struggling in the championship. We are going to be working to a loss this year, a year when there is income from Hearts and Rangers. next season they will more than likely be gone and we will be in the championship with less income. If we are struggling with the budget we have now, it wont be any easier if we are in the championship next season. Its like hibs are trying to be a massive club with the stadium, training facilities, youth setup, scouting network etc etc but the reality is, the budget wont stretch enough and its showing in the playing staff.

IMO, priorities should have been set, number 1 being promotion. Instead they are taking a blanket approach and trying to fix everything at the same time meaning we are not seeing any results, things are still wrong off the pitch and they definately are not right on it. Personally, bearing in mind we are in the championship I am not seeing anything changing, we are still not winning enough games, still being shown up by 'lesser' teams and there is no more and no less 'professionalism' than previous seasons. How does Leann plan on bridging the funding gap with another season in the championship where there will be less gate money because of the teams in the league and most probably less ST money. We seem to be building and preparing for life in the top flight but have failed to address the issue of getting to the top flight.

A strong backroom set up is for the benefit of the team though which is part of supporting a push for promotion. As noted above it needed to be put in place to replace leavers and to address gaps that should have been covered. We have 2 extra according to Leeann.

Other stuff like communication and community stuff can be worked on at the same time by non football staff so everyone can't just focus on winning football games.

Would you think we could beat Alloa if maybe we hadn't improved the website?

[GreenLake]

A strong backroom set up is for the benefit of the team though which is part of supporting a push for promotion. As noted above it needed to be put in place to replace leavers and to address gaps that should have been covered. We have 2 extra according to Leeann.

Other stuff like communication and community stuff can be worked on at the same time by non football staff so everyone can't just focus on winning football games.

Would you think we could beat Alloa if maybe we hadn't improved the website?

I can't see us beating anyone until they get a video stream out of ER.:greengrin

[The Harp Awakes]

Like most supporters I'm totally gutted by the way the Club has been run together with the associated performances on the pitch which seems to have been ongoing since John Collins walked out. We took in millions of pounds in transfer fees during JC's time and have failed to invest meaningfully in the playing squad ever since. That has been a huge factor in our downfall together with a failure to maximise the benefit of East Mains.

It is simply unacceptable for Hibs to be languishing in the middle of the Championship when they should, IMO never be out with the top 4 in the SPFL.

We have a long, long way to go to turn around the mis-management of the Club which we all love, but for one Leeann, I admire your guts to come on here and tell it how it is. You are obviously determined to sort things out and I think we need to give you every backing to do that. It won't happen overnight but I think you have the strength of character and determination to succeed.

Everyone with a Hibs connection is hurting just now and you can see that from the heat which is being vented on this thread. However, do not let that deflect you from the task in hand.

[Cropley10]

Personally, I'd be happy if it was sold off, as long as we had some alternative in place.


What is the value of a second-hand football training centre these days? :devil:

We've got it, it's here to stay - we need to make more of it IMHO.

[southsider]

We have not produced a player of any class since John Park (then head of coaching) left for Celtic. The last one was Fletch and he has improved no end and was superb last night.