Foxes Trust Board comment on relegation and the message from the Club’s Chairman

[Foxes_Trust]

Passion about the club’s relegation is understandable and each individual fan will voice that in their own way.  Foxes Trust Board members are as frustrated as any other supporter that relegation has occurred.

 

The club’s Annual Report & Accounts for 2021/22 note that a “severe but plausible scenario” had been considered by the Club’s directors, sacking the manager and then getting relegated comes close to this.

 

The club needs to learns lessons from this season’s failings, we are going to submit a series of questions that we expect the club to be open and honest in their response to us.

 

We will be asking Trust members for their views and would also welcome any fans thoughts via e-mailing any of the Trust board members Foxes Trust Board – Foxes Trust

[MPH]

1 hour ago, Foxes_Trust said:

Passion about the club’s relegation is understandable and each individual fan will voice that in their own way.  Foxes Trust Board members are as frustrated as any other supporter that relegation has occurred.

 

The club’s Annual Report & Accounts for 2021/22 note that a “severe but plausible scenario” had been considered by the Club’s directors, sacking the manager and then getting relegated comes close to this.

 

The club needs to learns lessons from this season’s failings, we are going to submit a series of questions that we expect the club to be open and honest in their response to us.

 

We will be asking Trust members for their views and would also welcome any fans thoughts via e-mailing any of the Trust board members Foxes Trust Board – Foxes Trust

 

so you’ve decided to ask the club some questions. That’s fantastic.

[Gamble92]

On 31/05/2023 at 08:38, AKCJ said:

There's a section of Leicester fans that just refuse to be ambitious.

 

Gary Lineker's little speech on MOTD shows he's part of that mob as well.

 

Sick of people telling me that it's okay that we've gone down because we won the league 7 years ago or that we're not historically big enough to compete in the Premier League with *checks notes* AFC Bournemouth, Luton Town, Burnley, Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Crystal Palace etc etc

Great post

[Bluearmyfox28]

2 hours ago, Foxes_Trust said:

Passion about the club’s relegation is understandable and each individual fan will voice that in their own way.  Foxes Trust Board members are as frustrated as any other supporter that relegation has occurred.

 

The club’s Annual Report & Accounts for 2021/22 note that a “severe but plausible scenario” had been considered by the Club’s directors, sacking the manager and then getting relegated comes close to this.

 

The club needs to learns lessons from this season’s failings, we are going to submit a series of questions that we expect the club to be open and honest in their response to us.

 

We will be asking Trust members for their views and would also welcome any fans thoughts via e-mailing any of the Trust board members Foxes Trust Board – Foxes Trust

I think what we all want/deserve to know is, with the poor recruitment and ridiculous contracts that have been given out what consequences the likes of Rudkin etc are going to face considering that’s one of the huge reasons we are in the mess we are today.

[Daggers]

2 hours ago, Foxes_Trust said:

 

We will be asking Trust members for their views 

You’re asking both of them? This could take forever. 

[Skid_1884]

8 hours ago, Foxes_Trust said:

Passion about the club’s relegation is understandable and each individual fan will voice that in their own way.  Foxes Trust Board members are as frustrated as any other supporter that relegation has occurred.

 

The club’s Annual Report & Accounts for 2021/22 note that a “severe but plausible scenario” had been considered by the Club’s directors, sacking the manager and then getting relegated comes close to this.

 

The club needs to learns lessons from this season’s failings, we are going to submit a series of questions that we expect the club to be open and honest in their response to us.

 

We will be asking Trust members for their views and would also welcome any fans thoughts via e-mailing any of the Trust board members Foxes Trust Board – Foxes Trust

Seriously you need to ask the club  why the failings are being reviewed by Rudkin and Whelan, it’s like Boris Johnson doing his own investigation into his parties during covid restrictions.

[Chelmofox]

9 hours ago, Foxes_Trust said:

Passion about the club’s relegation is understandable and each individual fan will voice that in their own way.  Foxes Trust Board members are as frustrated as any other supporter that relegation has occurred.

 

The club’s Annual Report & Accounts for 2021/22 note that a “severe but plausible scenario” had been considered by the Club’s directors, sacking the manager and then getting relegated comes close to this.

 

The club needs to learns lessons from this season’s failings, we are going to submit a series of questions that we expect the club to be open and honest in their response to us.

 

We will be asking Trust members for their views and would also welcome any fans thoughts via e-mailing any of the Trust board members Foxes Trust Board – Foxes Trust

Any chance of knowing what questions you have got so far? Would help to know how you expect to frame these as its obvious to me that the club are unlikely to interact with certain types or styles of questions.

 

When are you submitting these and when (and how) do you expect to hear back?

[Footballwipe]

9 hours ago, Foxes_Trust said:

Passion about the club’s relegation is understandable and each individual fan will voice that in their own way.  Foxes Trust Board members are as frustrated as any other supporter that relegation has occurred.

 

The club’s Annual Report & Accounts for 2021/22 note that a “severe but plausible scenario” had been considered by the Club’s directors, sacking the manager and then getting relegated comes close to this.

 

The club needs to learns lessons from this season’s failings, we are going to submit a series of questions that we expect the club to be open and honest in their response to us.

 

We will be asking Trust members for their views and would also welcome any fans thoughts via e-mailing any of the Trust board members Foxes Trust Board – Foxes Trust

Another pathetic statement that once again says nothing and shows not one iota of passion that any of us have highlighted on the many, many threads about our downfall. I'm genuinely baffled as to why you're putting out these corporate-style responses as if you have some power. Again whilst conveniently ignoring all and any questions people have legitimately raised about your structure and setup. It's like you've been taking tips from LCFC's senior leadership.

 

The fact you say "expect" the club to be open and honest says a lot about your relationship with the club. You're basically hoping the hierarchy actually give a shit about what you've had to ask and will reply with honest responses. We know with how locked down they are that this won't be the case, and I suspect anything even remotely confidential will be told to remain as such, or keep within your cult.

 

You know full well that no-one is convinced by your mealy mouthed follow-up statement, and we look forward to the non-answers you receive in the coming weeks from the club about the situation as they swat you away.

 

If we as a collective sent you, Foxes Trust, a "series of questions" we wouldn't expect you to be open and honest, we would demand that you were honest. I think it might be time to look at your own house first.

[mozartfox]

The key question has to be how can individuals that, on the face of it, appear to have contributed massively to the rapid demise of our Club, be the ones that carry out the alleged Review?    

 

It is extremely unlikely that the results of this review will be accepted by many fans unless it brings about transparent and fundamental changes in relation to how the Club is going to run going forward. 

 

In a business sense, the Fans of LCFC are the Shareholders of this Club and in most walks of business life, the Shareholders would be given answers as to how the mismanagement of the past 18 months (with all the massive financial losses it has created) was allowed to happen and more importantly what steps will now be taken to stop any repeat.  Change is needed to get us back on to the front-foot. No real Changes = No real Progress.

 

I sincerely hope that Top and King Power will now use their obvious excellent business skills outside of Football, to give the fans of this Club the chance to feel pride once more.

[StanSP]

11 hours ago, Foxes_Trust said:

Passion about the club’s relegation is understandable and each individual fan will voice that in their own way.  Foxes Trust Board members are as frustrated as any other supporter that relegation has occurred.

 

The club’s Annual Report & Accounts for 2021/22 note that a “severe but plausible scenario” had been considered by the Club’s directors, sacking the manager and then getting relegated comes close to this.

 

The club needs to learns lessons from this season’s failings, we are going to submit a series of questions that we expect the club to be open and honest in their response to us.

 

We will be asking Trust members for their views and would also welcome any fans thoughts via e-mailing any of the Trust board members Foxes Trust Board – Foxes Trust

Can't you just summise all the comments from here about how several fans feel? 

 

Why do we have to email? It's quite clear fans are upset and angered. 

 

It's great you want the club to be open and honest - but you can be open and honest with us. What questions will you be asking the club? 

[Daggers]

Prove you’re up for being open and honest.

 

It’s very, very simple:

• How many members do you have?

[Phil Bowman]

2 hours ago, mozartfox said:

In a business sense, the Fans of LCFC are the Shareholders of this Club

Unfortunately not. In a moral sense, the fans are the shareholders.

In a business sense, the fans are customers. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Winstonthedog]

On 03/06/2023 at 00:32, Foxes_Trust said:

This is the first visit we have made to this message board since posting the original link, so we are not ignoring comments made to date but have just read through them all and while we can't answer so many viewpoints, we will post again within the next few days

Obviously waiting for permission from KP board and approval of wording 

[HitchinFox]

@Foxes_Trust Emotions following our relegation are undeniably raw, which I'm sure have added spice to some of the comments you have received. I'm sure all fans – including those involved with the trust – want the best possible future for LCFC. 

However, your recent statements and (in)actions do, unfortunately, come across a bit like you and your leadership have trouble adjusting between good times and bad times. 

You're all volunteers, of course. I'm sure everyone gets that. 

The thing is, though, that in the past you've been happy to be interviewed by members of media as the "voice of the fans" and have your spot in the sun when the club is winning unexpected trophies – and then happy to pose on websites with said trophies. 

 

That's the easy bit. We could all do that.

 

When it is time to do what the trust was actually set up to do – by your own stated aims – then you've been found more than slightly wanting and, I'm afraid, seem a bit out of your depth.

For one, your messaging doesn't seem to be resonating with the fanbase on this forum. And let's be honest, FoxesTalk is many things, but one of the things it definitely is, is a wide representation of that fanbase. 

If you want to be an organisation that represents the views and concerns of the LCFC fanbase (in good times and bad), then I think you could, and probably should, do a bit better. Maybe this relegation is a good time to not only put the club to task, but also review your own operations and approach? Perhaps identify some priority areas you need to focus on?

I would humbly suggest that increased efforts to engage with the fanbase could be one of those priority areas? It doesn't need to be time-consuming, either. 

For example, on your website, all the posts from the past 2-3 months seem to be match reports? But yet, your diary shows that on 29th May there was a Foxes Trust Board Meeting. What was discussed? What were the topics? Any resolutions? 

Even if some aspects of the board meeting were confidential/members-only (which is absolutely fair enough) then would it be an idea to at least inform the fans (that you say you represent) what the trust is currently working on? Give everyone a flavour of what was said? Could be a great chance to publish a statement on the board meeting and to promote and highlight the stuff you are doing and to perhaps win some people over – or even get people to join the trust? 
 

[Foxxed]

What hard-hitting questions will you be submitting to the club?

You could do multiple choice to make thing easier

 

1) Where are we now?

a) Where we are or b) Not where we are

 

2) Where will be next season?

a) Where we will be b) Not where we will be

3) What responsibility has the club placed on Jon Rudkin?
a) The responsibility that he has or b) Not the responsibility that he has

 

4) Will you at some point make some decisions that will move the club forwards?

a) Yes or b) Yes

 

5) Are you aware that you have our full support regardless of the situation and decision?

a) Yes or b) Yes

 

6) Can we keep coach 1 status?

a) Yes or b) Yes

[BenTheFox]

15 hours ago, Foxes_Trust said:

Passion about the club’s relegation is understandable and each individual fan will voice that in their own way.  Foxes Trust Board members are as frustrated as any other supporter that relegation has occurred.

 

The club’s Annual Report & Accounts for 2021/22 note that a “severe but plausible scenario” had been considered by the Club’s directors, sacking the manager and then getting relegated comes close to this.

 

The club needs to learns lessons from this season’s failings, we are going to submit a series of questions that we expect the club to be open and honest in their response to us.

 

We will be asking Trust members for their views and would also welcome any fans thoughts via e-mailing any of the Trust board members Foxes Trust Board – Foxes Trust

Will one of these probing questions be asking Top what his favourite film is? 

[BenTheFox]

6 hours ago, Skid_1884 said:

Seriously you need to ask the club  why the failings are being reviewed by Rudkin and Whelan, it’s like Boris Johnson doing his own investigation into his parties during covid restrictions.

That's a really valid point. 

 

When Leicester Tigers were really struggling a few years ago they brought in Pat Howard as a trouble shooter to carry out an inquiry as to what was going wrong at the club. Despite being a former player and a coach at the club at a time when they were successful, he was no longer affiliated with the club. Essentially he concluded that the then Director of Rugby Geordan Murphy was not fit for purpose and that the recruitment policy needed a complete overhaul. Shortly afterwards Murphy's contract wasn't renewed and the recruitment policy had changed drastically. 

 

It needs a fresh pair of eyes and things seem to have been far too comfortable for too long. 

Edited 5 June 2023 by BenTheFox

[Chelmofox]

6 hours ago, Skid_1884 said:

Seriously you need to ask the club  why the failings are being reviewed by Rudkin and Whelan, it’s like Boris Johnson doing his own investigation into his parties during covid restrictions.

As valid as the point is, in all reality they have no obligation to even acknowledge it, as the news of the review didn't come directly from the club but from a media tweet (and likely a leak). The best you will get out of them is that they will handle any reviews internally how they see fit. 

 

Its why i asked @Foxes_Trust what they have put together so far. If they have experience dealing with the club they know what type of questions can be asked, who will be responding and how. Clear to me there will be certain questions that won't get much of a response. Without giving us any context all you are likely going to get from us is very emotional stuff. 

[mozartfox]

1 hour ago, Chelmofox said:

As valid as the point is, in all reality they have no obligation to even acknowledge it, as the news of the review didn't come directly from the club but from a media tweet (and likely a leak). The best you will get out of them is that they will handle any reviews internally how they see fit. 

 

Its why i asked @Foxes_Trust what they have put together so far. If they have experience dealing with the club they know what type of questions can be asked, who will be responding and how. Clear to me there will be certain questions that won't get much of a response. Without giving us any context all you are likely going to get from us is very emotional stuff. 

You are most probably correct.  So basically, we can expect this farce review to be a non-event, leaving those responsible to carry on regardless and with the 2022-23 season brushed under the carpet in Rudder´s office.  I am sure many Fans of LCFC will be delighted with such an outcome.

[Strokes]

6 hours ago, Daggers said:

Prove you’re up for being open and honest.

 

It’s very, very simple:

• How many members do you have?

They can’t say as they are both in a meeting right now.

[CosbehFox]

5 hours ago, BenTheFox said:

That's a really valid point. 

 

When Leicester Tigers were really struggling a few years ago they brought in Pat Howard as a trouble shooter to carry out an inquiry as to what was going wrong at the club. Despite being a former player and a coach at the club at a time when they were successful, he was no longer affiliated with the club. Essentially he concluded that the then Director of Rugby Geordan Murphy was not fit for purpose and that the recruitment policy needed a complete overhaul. Shortly afterwards Murphy's contract wasn't renewed and the recruitment policy had changed drastically. 

 

It needs a fresh pair of eyes and things seem to have been far too comfortable for too long. 

Steve Walsh is your man who could do that role. He wouldn’t want a full DoF role but he’s a consultant to Charlotte FC. A review of the situation with someone who knows the foundations of the club at its greatest peak. 

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

9 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

Steve Walsh is your man who could do that role. He wouldn’t want a full DoF role but he’s a consultant to Charlotte FC. A review of the situation with someone who knows the foundations of the club at its greatest peak. 

Robert Huth potentially too.

[StanSP]

On 04/06/2023 at 22:47, Foxes_Trust said:

Passion about the club’s relegation is understandable and each individual fan will voice that in their own way.  Foxes Trust Board members are as frustrated as any other supporter that relegation has occurred.

 

The club’s Annual Report & Accounts for 2021/22 note that a “severe but plausible scenario” had been considered by the Club’s directors, sacking the manager and then getting relegated comes close to this.

 

The club needs to learns lessons from this season’s failings, we are going to submit a series of questions that we expect the club to be open and honest in their response to us.

 

We will be asking Trust members for their views and would also welcome any fans thoughts via e-mailing any of the Trust board members Foxes Trust Board – Foxes Trust

Any update on this? Next steps, plans, next time you're speaking to the club? 

 

What questions have you prepared so far? 

 

How many emails have you received? Are any of the points, valid ones at that, on here being taken into consideration? 

[The Horse's Mouth]

What’s the actual point of these fellas 

[The Fox Covert]

On 05/06/2023 at 08:43, Footballwipe said:

Another pathetic statement that once again says nothing and shows not one iota of passion that any of us have highlighted on the many, many threads about our downfall. I'm genuinely baffled as to why you're putting out these corporate-style responses as if you have some power. Again whilst conveniently ignoring all and any questions people have legitimately raised about your structure and setup. It's like you've been taking tips from LCFC's senior leadership.

 

The fact you say "expect" the club to be open and honest says a lot about your relationship with the club. You're basically hoping the hierarchy actually give a shit about what you've had to ask and will reply with honest responses. We know with how locked down they are that this won't be the case, and I suspect anything even remotely confidential will be told to remain as such, or keep within your cult.

 

You know full well that no-one is convinced by your mealy mouthed follow-up statement, and we look forward to the non-answers you receive in the coming weeks from the club about the situation as they swat you away.

 

If we as a collective sent you, Foxes Trust, a "series of questions" we wouldn't expect you to be open and honest, we would demand that you were honest. I think it might be time to look at your own house first.

So Foxes Trust need to be put in the bin along with all senior management and coaching / /physio / medical staff who are not doing their job. The statement from Foxes Trust was beyond pathetic, given the circumstances.