PLEASING ALL IS IMPOSSIBLE
YOU can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” Or so said the fifteenth-century monk and poet, John Lydgate.
He was obviously never chairman of a football club, or maybe just never Chelmsford City Football Club, because I can guarantee there are fans we can never please.
We had two outstanding results over the bank holiday, firstly winning away at Bath City, always a really competitive side with some great players, and then managed a 0-0 draw against an incredibly talented Ebbsfleet side with the game described by fans
on our fans’ forum as: “One of the performances in the 15 years since we’ve been at Melbourne,” and, “I ended up cheering a 0-0 result. It did feel like a win, and was probably a best no-scoring, one-sided game I’ve ever
seen in over 60 years.”
Colourful
Others, however, felt differently and as I walked towards the tunnel, I was accosted by one of our own fans shouting at me and calling me a disgrace, an embarrassment to the club, though the language was more colourful and many other things were said that are unrepeatable here. What had I done to incur his wrath? – I have no idea or at least my brain was unable to comprehend it at the time or since.
It felt a very lonely place and the euphoria was gone. A team myself and the manager
had spent 18 months pulling together, delivering an outstanding performance, and a credit to the club, to be undone for me in one moment by a fan.
I have to say it’s really tough when you get attacked like this, particularly when on a high, and you start to say to yourself, why do I bother?
I cannot be unique in this experience; it was the second time it had happened to me. The previous occasion we had lost to a lower-league team in the FA Trophy, so I just took it. I had been responsible for the change of management not long before the game and therefore understood the rationale for the outburst so took the responsibility, but not this time.
I, like I am sure most chairmen, care passionately about the club I am part of and put hours of unpaid effort into doing what I believe are the right things for the club. Now I am sure there are some chairmen who want the ego trip of owning a club, their vanity project, and when the success doesn’t come, they walk away and leave the club and the fans with increased debt and a hefty wage commitment, but I think these clubs are now in
the minority.
Academies
The majority of chairmen are therefore working hard to preserve the club for the fans and future generations of fans and to do good in the community in which they play with community programmes, academies to develop talent and so much more; particularly those in our leagues.
I have spoken to others about how they cope with the abuse, which they all tell
me they have received. Most have said they are used to it and they just ignore it but I’m not sure that’s the answer either. We all want our clubs to do well and succeed but to do that we all need to work together for the good of our clubs.
One answer has to be better communication. Since we shared our vision for Chelmsford City Football Club and engaged more with fans, the support has increased and the understanding, which really helps. So, I would really encourage everyone to share and understand their club strategy and the aspirations for the club to ensure expectations are managed.
But you can get it wrong there too. As someone said to me last week: “Everyone wants you to be open and honest, right up to the point where you say something
they don’t want to hear.”