YTFC Forum

Yeokel · Joined: 08 Jan 2006 Posts: 10

An open letter from David Webb, Chief Executive at Yeovil Town Football Club to The Western Gazette

Dear Sirs

Whilst you may not have had any success in contacting me of late, I also have had no joy in replying to your reporter, who it seems has had his phone on answerphone.

Firstly my apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused your paper. I find it rather arrogant that you believe the staff at this club, who have their own jobs to get on with, have the time to be chasing me on your paper's behalf, and how you state that you represent many of the club's supporters

This football club has had a continued success over recent years with a good relationship with both yourselves and more importantly the supporters

It has been based on the principle of either the manager or the Chairman being responsible for making any statements with regard to the club's business

Having recently joined the club I have no intention to interfere or complicate that policy and therefore any information regarding the football side will still come from Steve Thompson and all other comments will come from Chairman John Fry

David Webb

Durham Uni Glover · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 6

So we are still just as much in the dark! All he is saying is that anything that happens will be relayed through Thommo or JF. He won't say anything about his plans and we still are left hanging on.
I know that it is now his club and he can do what he wants but I think he should at least give the fans some idea of what he envisages.

I'm sorry but that has actually really wound me up. What a tw*t.

macphisto · Joined: 08 Jan 2006 Posts: 440

I can't see anything wrong with what he's said.

Why, as the owner of the club, does he need to make regular comments on club policy? He owns the club and employs a chairman and manager to do this for him. How often do you see interviews on Chelsea club policy from Mr Abramovich?

I personally thought it was very petty of the Gazette to take the approach they did and the way the story was written was just a bit of typical journalistic sensationalism.

McYeo · Joined: 08 Jan 2006 Posts: 53

Both of the open letters show the arrogance of both parties IMO. The Western Gusset has a fine record of sh*t stirring and in a way I'm quite pleased that Webb has told them to basically p*ss off. On the flip side this now means that we are less likely to find out the truth about Webb's plans.

Elkel · Joined: 13 Jan 2006 Posts: 1

Totally agree with McYeo, complete arrogance from both parties, just at a time when the club is in transition and the supporters need some reassurance that we are going to consolidate or build for the future.

Unlikely that we will hear anything now, one positive from Gary Johnson, he always ensured the fans were kept in the picture.

Wayne Deranged · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 22

Elkel wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")
Totally agree with McYeo, complete arrogance from both parties, just at a time when the club is in transition and the supporters need some reassurance that we are going to consolidate or build for the future.

Unlikely that we will hear anything now, one positive from Gary Johnson, he always ensured the fans were kept in the picture.

Did he? Certainly not when it came to his own departure. Anyway, he was the manager not the owner. When was the last time JGW let us know of his plans for the club?

G&W_Jester · Joined: 08 Jan 2006 Posts: 57

Slight difference in so far that DW is the Chief Executive as well as the majority shareholder. It is not uncommon for individual CE's to make statements to the press about their particular club.

He does make a couple fair points, but I would now like JF to put some information in the public domain that might ease tensions all round.

Wiltshire Phil · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 5

Quite honestly I think that there is quite a bit of arrogance from some supporters here as well!! We do not have the bloody right to demand statements from DW at this stage. If I were DW I would be pretty hacked off with some of the supporters.

Just give the guy a break and wait and see what develops over the rest of the season. He did IMHO opinion give a good interview with the press shortly after his arrival (WDP, I think) - perhaps someone could dig that out and reproduce on these site again. No it didn't tell me how much he paid for the club and how much he's got in his bank account to further invest but I wouldn't expect to hear that him.

He's already told us he only wants those at the club who want to be here. Skivo said a week or so ago that he loves the place and lo and behold he signs a new contract. Jonno says he sees his future elsewhere and goes - yes I'm gutted by our best player and my personal favourite going but hey, that's football, and nothing I'm sure to do with Mr.Webb! Same applies to Gally. Same even applies to Jevo but from what he has said recently I think he's enjoying himself with us so will (fingers crossed!) stay here.

He's told us not to expect any big money signings and not to expect anymore from overseas. Fine by me - we have never had the former and certainly IMO won't miss the latter.

I'm looking forward to seeing a few free signings along the lines of when DW was with us before. He's told us to expect a similar policy of looking at "rejects" from bigger clubs who are hungry to prove their former employers wrong. We haven't done badly with Darren Way have we? And I have a feeling that the Manure reject, David Poole, will play a big part in our future and become a firm fans favourite if he carries on the way he is.

DW also told us that he was not happy with things off the pitch and that he wanted us to catch up with the success on the pitch. Music to my ears!!!

We were all told that Mr Goddard Watts wanted out but don't insult the guy by implying that he just took the money and ran. He obviously knows DW better than any of us and would want the club to remain in good hands. John Fry was delighted with DW coming back and described it as a "masterstroke". I have no reason to doubt that comment from a man who has safely guided this club from near bankruptcy to unbelievable success.

Please, please, please get behind the team and the whole club including DW.

Wayne Deranged · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 22

Hear! Hear!

wurzelini · Joined: 08 Jan 2006 Posts: 10

I like your common sense Phil, but fear it will fall on deaf ears. Hopefully DW will take us to the next step of this dream like ascension.

Yorkshire Glover · Joined: 08 Jan 2006 Posts: 284

If the Gazette had wanted an interview, they could have sent a reporter to Tiverton. They could have replied to the answer machine messages and they could have used the radio piece on the Official site (if they have a ptv subscription) to make up a piece. I think they placed their letter in order to offend and DW quite rightly told them where to get off.

AMAZED · Joined: 08 Jan 2006 Posts: 67

I think the WG are struggling with the fact that in these days of electronic news, internet and immediate information, they are more and more out of date when they go to press and less and less important to us the fans and consequently to the club as a means of communication.

Until they realise that, take it on board and move forward making the WG useful again, well they are going to struggle to ever regain the respect and authority they may have once had.

It saddens me somewhat really, but where do you turn to for your YTFC news, do you wait for the Gazette on a Thursday or do you just read daily updates from several sources on the net?

I know what i do. :shock: