Reader gives up the fight

11 November 2000

It seems that wannabe Director Bob Reader has withdrawn his application for consideration at the AGM and will no longer be standing for election to the Board at Wednesday's meeting. Reader's reason for standing down is that the team is currently doing well, and the last thing the club needs is another boardroom battle which may have a disruptive influence. Richie Woodhall, in his weekly assault in the Sports Argus, quotes Reader as telling him "I am a genuine supporter who only wants what's best for the club and to create friction running for the board at the AGM may have a knock-on effect on the pitch which I do not want."

In his column, Woodhall claims to have spoken to several Albion supporters all in favour of Bob Reader joining the board in a "voice for the fans" role. He's done well, then, because I've had a lot of trouble finding anyone who's had anything but praise for the current Board and the achievements made since Paul Thompson took over as Chairman on Christmas Eve. For the benefit of those with short memories - or those with selective perception - we've gone from "certainties for relegation" to "promotion hopefuls" (not my words - but those of most of the national media), appointed a first rate manager who has got the best out of the existing players and made some excellent signings), turned a £30,000 a week loss into a break-even situation despite smashing the transfer record for one of the best strikers in the division, bought the training ground we've been lacking for two decades and put plans in place to finish the redevelopment of the ground without taking funds away from the playing side. All inside eleven months.

Not suprisingly, then, it hasn't been easy to find anyone who had planned to support the boardroom unrest that Reader was so determined to create. Quite what a "fans voice" could do to improve on the progress made so far under Thompson is hard to see - even if a millionaire businessman could be considered to be an "ordinary" fan. All of which leads me to speculate on the real reason for his withdrawal from the election to the Board. Unable to stir up the support for his antagonistic approach, he's given up rather than face a humiliating defeat. How does the old saying go... "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day" ?

Previous Stories:

  10 November 2000:  Shareholders back the Rights Issue

  05 November 2000:  Hale attempts to block Rights Issue

  03 November 2000:  They don't like it up 'em!

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