Sharp wrote:Spireite Uk - I have a question that has been intriguing me for a while and you may be able to help. Where has been the efforts/ protests ot backlash from the fans around this whole situation.
It's quite shocking how our 2 clubs situation have almost paralleled each other - but at least during the dark days of Haslam our fans can stand up and say they tried to get rid of him from the club, tried to get the story out both locally and nationally and put a lot of hours into various endeavors. I've seen nothing from your fans at all.
This isn't a dig I'm just genuinely interested in how everyone just seems so apathetic to the whole situation?
I think that's a big question, with a lot of answers. Firstly is probably that Allen is the owner, and has apparently consistently put his hand his pocket to keep the club ls finances stable when needed. He's not a nice man, but he's not bleeding the club dry like Darren Brown was. He's not a criminal. He's also up in this with an obscene amount of money. The fans of Chesterfield have clubbed together to buy the club in the past, but that was a drop in the ocean in terms of what we owe Dave Allen. £10m+ and growing. He's the type of man that will want the vast majority of his investment back too, hence why he's still here when he clearly doesn't want to be. If there was someone known and reliable ready to step in and take up the financial burden, I think there'd be protests and signs, but there isn't. Carson is the bigger problem to be honest. Allen really is just the money man, but it's Carson horrific mismanagement that has led to the awful situation we find ourselves in. But again, Allen is a stubborn man and I don't think there's any way on God's green earth he's going to sack his mate just because the fans want it.
I don't think there's any easy answer really like I say, but there's definitely an element of 'better the devil you know', because some of the names being put out as potential buyers of the club in recent past have made us worry even more. Reg Brearley? A wanted man for crimes in other countries? Nameless Chinese consortium's? No blinking thanks.
I think the only thread we're holding onto at the moment is that we might magically start getting better on the pitch. If not, we'll just have to see what Allen decides to do with his investment. Will he eventually lower the price to allow a fan buyout? What happens to servicing the debt the club has after that? It's just a mess, and not one that protesting is easily going to fix