Chairman Too Many Chiefs

[cotswoldu]

I wonder how many fans are confused by the number of backroom/frontroom staff it takes to make our club function.
We have a (fulltime?) goalkeeping coach who was apparently happy for our best keeper to go on loan after giving him a contract. We had a defensive coach who has gone. Did we (do we) we have a coach for strikers?
The list of behind the scenes is endless and ineffectual.

Chairman
Grant Ferguson

CEO
Tim Williams

Chief Strategy Officer
Niall McWilliams

Finance and Operations Director
Tim Davies

How do we acquire these people do we need a CEO and a Chief Strategy Officer (ex school teacher) why are their jobs not the same? We are talking about a local football club not a multi-national. And then we have a Finance and Operations Director, probably the only position I would split because financial knowledge is not the same as operational knowledge ( perhaps he has both or neither?) Then look at the long list of other staff and wonder if the expense might be better chanelled into the team.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

F**k me. This is some mental s**t.

We're light pretty much everywhere - despite apparently aspiring to being a Top 30 club. To scale back on a few (relatively) reasonable and essential wages would be borderline madness.

Criticise the quality of jobs certain individuals do my all means - but not the need for that role within a professional and progressive football club.

"Our Right Backs are sh*t, do we really need Right Backs?"

 

[Scotchegg]

Give it a rest with the ex-school teacher B*****s! With everything that has happened over the last couple of years, Niall McWilliams is the one to have come out with most credit.

If/when we get the go ahead for the stadium, I hope his contribution to this (and ultimately the future of our club) is given far more respect than this shite.

 

[MJB]

Give it a rest with the ex-school teacher B*****s! With everything that has happened over the last couple of years, Niall McWilliams is the one to have come out with most credit.

If/when we get the go ahead for the stadium, I hope his contribution to this (and ultimately the future of our club) is given far more respect than this shite.

Yep. It’s tiresome and (ironically) childish to constantly make that jibe. It’s beneath us.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Yep. It’s tiresome and (ironically) childish to constantly make that jibe. It’s beneath us.

If anything his background is a positive, dealing with teens has tranferable skills to dealing with professional footballers - dealing with petulant, under-developed, self-centred, horny chavs.

 

[MC Yellow]

No issue with the structure at the top, but what amazed me was the fact that a business with a turnover of only £6.8 million has 183 employees…

But I guess they are including all match day steward etc, so only a few hours a month?

 

[RyanioBirdio]

"Our Right Backs are sh*t, do we really need Right Backs?"

…Karl?

 

[RyanioBirdio]

No issue with the structure at the top, but what amazed me was the fact that a business with a turnover of only £6.8 million has 183 employees…

But I guess they are including all match day steward etc, so only a few hours a month?

Our backroom staff is genuinely astronomical for this level. Honestly, the sheer number of staff we have based at the training ground would make most Championship club’s eyes water, let alone clubs in our own division. It’s borderline madness.

 

[Osleroad]

Our backroom staff is genuinely astronomical for this level. Honestly, the sheer number of staff we have based at the training ground would make most Championship club’s eyes water, let alone clubs in our own division. It’s borderline madness.

Presume that is playing and non-playing staff...premier lge clubs have on average 420 employees...as long as they are doing a worthwhile job can't see that it matters much and the most worrying was 1st team places left unfilled

 

[cotswoldu]

So some of us are happy with the structure and presumably the resultant performances?

Success in any business comes from having a goal (we don't get many!) with a tight focussed and competent (management) team to achieve it .

I note previous remarks praising ex-schoolteacher but if he stands out (and well he might, though evidence is light) maybe this proves my point when the people who are supposed to be better qualified don't measure up or aren't even necessary.
A tight lean ship is generally more efficient, yes it may cut costs a bit but the effect on direction is much more important.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Presume that is playing and non-playing staff...premier lge clubs have on average 420 employees...as long as they are doing a worthwhile job can't see that it matters much and the most worrying was 1st team places left unfilled

The non-playing staff levels at this football club are eye watering. It’s a big reason as to why I’ve been so incredulous at so many people talking the club down previously, saying we shouldn’t expect to be competing for top six and that we’ve been overachieving. We absolutely have not. Our backroom staff is enormous for this division and still large for the one above.

 

[Scotchegg]

So some of us are happy with the structure and presumably the resultant performances?

Success in any business comes from having a goal (we don't get many!) with a tight focussed and competent (management) team to achieve it .

I note previous remarks praising ex-schoolteacher but if he stands out (and well he might, though evidence is light) maybe this proves my point when the people who are supposed to be better qualified don't measure up or aren't even necessary.
A tight lean ship is generally more efficient, yes it may cut costs a bit but the effect on direction is much more important.

Why keep referencing NMcW's previous job? He has been at the club for several years now and has been instrumental in getting the stadium project as far as it is, and was also the one that insisted that the training ground was a asset of Oxford United rather than the owners.

Evidence of the work he has done, and continues to do is only light if you're too lazy or ignorant to look for it yourself. The man may not seek personal attention, and can sometimes appear a little dour in his interviews, but NMcW deserves so much more recognition than many offer, let alone your pathetic name calling.

 

[Oxford57]

Years ago we had a preseason friendly against Bournemouth, the amount of match day staff would have filled a coach, my only concern is that over the years loads of back office staff have come and gone without really make much difference, the club communication remains poor ,and all the comments/complaints never seen to be resolved

 

[LowerSouth]

I wonder how many fans are confused by the number of backroom/frontroom staff it takes to make our club function.
We have a (fulltime?) goalkeeping coach who was apparently happy for our best keeper to go on loan after giving him a contract. We had a defensive coach who has gone. Did we (do we) we have a coach for strikers?
The list of behind the scenes is endless and ineffectual.

Chairman
Grant Ferguson

CEO
Tim Williams

Chief Strategy Officer
Niall McWilliams

Finance and Operations Director
Tim Davies

How do we acquire these people do we need a CEO and a Chief Strategy Officer (ex school teacher) why are their jobs not the same? We are talking about a local football club not a multi-national. And then we have a Finance and Operations Director, probably the only position I would split because financial knowledge is not the same as operational knowledge ( perhaps he has both or neither?) Then look at the long list of other staff and wonder if the expense might be better chanelled into the team.

In particular-Your point regarding TW and NM is somewhat obtuse.
NM is the figurehead and driver of the new stadium project- a task I would say that needed 100% focus and not something to be shared whilst carrying out another role at the club.

 

[cotswoldu]

Scotchegg, please get the gist of my rare posts and tone down your obsession with McWilliams. I'm sure that he's a decent well intentioned chap trying to do his best but my remarks were aimed at securing a slimmed down, efficient and successful board and management structure. I am not lazy or ignorant. I have supported OUFC for more years than your IQ (sorry, I've stooped to your level and trust it's more than 70!)

 

[Scotchegg]

I would also add that my defence of NMcW isn't a defence of everything at the club. There are some really amateurish processes in place and 6 months on from the arrival of TW, we're still not operating anywhere near how we should as a club that so desperately needs to look after its existing supporters whilst trying to recruit many more new ones. Communication, marketing, fan engagement, developing our younger fanbase etc - all need much more work just to repair the last 12 months or so, let alone to start making improvements.

But give our stadium man a break, he's good but he's not a fricking magician and others need to step up to the plate too!

 

[Scotchegg]

Scotchegg, please get the gist of my rare posts and tone down your obsession with McWilliams. I'm sure that he's a decent well intentioned chap trying to do his best but my remarks were aimed at securing a slimmed down, efficient and successful board and management structure. I am not lazy or ignorant. I have supported OUFC for more years than your IQ (sorry, I've stooped to your level and trust it's more than 70!)

I actually did an IQ test many years ago and scored 153 which put me in the highly gifted category!!! (Admittedly, I was one of many that questioned the validity of the test!!!)

So I apologise as it appears that you've been supporting the club for longer than its existed, well done you!

 

[cotswoldu]

Yes, it seems to me that I have supported the team that long, have you?

It would also seem that your replies invalidate IQ tests. .

Time to sign off, main points missed.

My two sons and I clock up 150 years of HUFC/OUFC support, some may care more but I doubt it..

 

[werthersoriginal]

The non-playing staff levels at this football club are eye watering. It’s a big reason as to why I’ve been so incredulous at so many people talking the club down previously, saying we shouldn’t expect to be competing for top six and that we’ve been overachieving. We absolutely have not. Our backroom staff is enormous for this division and still large for the one above.

Is that right? I had the impression it was quite slim and that we didn’t have that many coaches, HR, or marketing people. Where would you say we are over staffed?

 

[greatunclekip]

It does amaze me the criticism Niall gets..largely due to his past role. It's ludicrous.

Out of pretty much all the senior staff, including first team staff, he is the only one who has earned his wages over the last 18 months.

His hard work has given us a fighting chance of escaping this shitty situation.

The rest of them, we might as well have had Dean Gaffney, Joey Essex and Michael from Alan Partridge running the show for all the value add.