The Chronicles Doug O’Kane on the recent events, pt2

There are still unanswered questions.

Will Lee, who still owns nearly a third of the club, and Conway, who has a much smaller number of shares, now look to sell?

Who are the three other investors in new director Julie Anne Quay’s group, what are their intentions for the club and how much will they, as a group, want to be involved in the running of the club?

Is the legal case between the Cryne family and BFC Investment Company still ongoing?

Will the council now be more amenable to selling their half of Oakwell to the club or are all parties happy for the council and the Crynes to remain joint owners?

What is the explanation for the £750,000 paid to the Cryne family from the club rather than Lee and Conway’s group?

Then there are the more basic issues of appointing a head coach, filling a £7-8million post relegation gap while building a squad that can collect the roughly 80 points needed to compete for promotion in League One, and winning back the trust of supporters still wary after the Lee and Conway years.

Some of those questions may be answered later this month during interviews. Others will only be answered over the next months and years. But it is the kind of change behind the scenes which the club needed as they look to make a fresh start after a horrific season.

It is unlikely to herald a total change in the strategy of recruiting mainly young players in order to develop them, which is a major opinion-splitter, particularly after the club got the balance badly wrong this season and lacked experience.

It was Patrick and James Cryne who introduced that philosophy after a previous relegation in 2014. But hopefully the new board – including chief executive Khaled El-Ahmad – will learn lessons from recent events and have a more blended squad of youth and experience, with the focus on winning games not just developing players for big sales.

There is certainly a chance for a fresh start, with a much more joined-up approach between the board, recruitment department and coaches than last summer when Conway ‘went rogue’ for which he later apologised.

If they can navigate the tricky next few months, with a big turnover of players expected, and get the majority of decisions right, then Reds could start to move forward again, united with the fans.

More details on the supporters' trust survey are due to be posted on: https://bfcst.co.uk.

A still can't get mi eeard rarnd this separation of the owners and Board. The Board, as Kane states are responsible for the day to day running of the club whereas the owners set the general vision and policies of the club. If the owners want one direction developing but the Board implement another direction who has the final say ?

The situation of Lee owning 31% of the club, Conway and Hung 8% means the balance of power rests with these unknown "Investors" owning 20%. We are told nothing about the approach/ views of Quay and her husband and the three other mystery investors she represents who comprise the "Investors Group", previously represented by Conway.

It could be a volatile situation and more information is required about this "Investors Group".

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Originally Posted by SBRed48

A still can't get mi eeard rarnd this separation of the owners and Board. The Board, as Kane states are responsible for the day to day running of the club whereas the owners set the general vision and policies of the club. If the owners want one direction developing but the Board implement another direction who has the final say ?

The situation of Lee owning 31% of the club, Conway and Hung 8% means the balance of power rests with these unknown "Investors" owning 20%. We are told nothing about the approach/ views of Quay and her husband and the three other mystery investors she represents who comprise the "Investors Group", previously represented by Conway.

It could be a volatile situation and more information is required about this "Investors Group".

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Exactly SB. But it looks like we're going to have to wait a while to find out these answers. If I were the 61percent, I'd be wanting to buy Lee and Conway out if I could afford it, before I put the hard work and finance into making the club and consequently increasing its value

The accountants on bbs who I consider to be very credible posters and clearly know their stuff about such matters have concluded it's a highly irregular situation .

I'm going to see what gets said at the Press Conference on May 27th and see how it works out in reality .

I'm keeping an open mind at the moment but whether I sign up to an ST will depend on actions this summer rather than what's said at a Press Conference .

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Originally Posted by POGGYWELL

More details on the supporters' trust survey are due to be posted on: https://bfcst.co.uk.

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I would like to record my thanks to Loko and Gally who led the successful campaign by the Supporters Trust to remove Conway. The answers and exposures revealed at the Q&A's by Ahmad about issues at the club plus the fear at the club at what surprising findings the Survey was about to reveal were clearly the prime factors driving the club to take action.
A vast proportion of the credit must go to the Supporters Trust, particularly Loko, but I know both him and Gally will be too modest to take the plaudits for their achievements.

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Originally Posted by SBRed48

I would like to record my thanks to Loko and Gally who led the successful campaign by the Supporters Trust to remove Conway. The answers and exposures revealed at the Q&A's by Ahmad about issues at the club plus the fear at the club at what surprising findings the Survey was about to reveal were clearly the prime factors driving the club to take action.
A vast proportion of the credit must go to the Supporters Trust, particularly Loko, but I know both him and Gally will be too modest to take the plaudits for their achievements.

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You can't beat a good survey for triggering action.

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Originally Posted by Arblasterfromthepast

You can't beat a good survey for triggering action.

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Aye a good survey defiantly beats fans not handing over their hard earned .

Oh aye .............

I’ve supported this club for 60 years and it’s stuck there in the back of my mind jus how much Neerav Parekh and James Cryne fought their corner regarding the West Stand fiasco even though they were minority stake holders.

I guess we will never know.

Sad to say I’m still in the armchair.

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Originally Posted by POGGYWELL

I’ve supported this club for 60 years and it’s stuck there in the back of my mind jus how much Neerav Parekh and James Cryne fought their corner regarding the West Stand fiasco even though they were minority stake holders.

I guess we will never know.

Sad to say I’m still in the armchair.

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The Statto Brothers actually concern me more than Julie Ann to be honest or at least concern me in the recruitment department .

The most important thing at every club in the entire world of football is recruitment .

Get the recruitment right and everything else falls in to place in my opinion .

I’d try to keep these - all the rest can go:

Mads Andersen
Devante Cole
Bradley Collins - probably go
Michał Helik - probably go
Jack Walton
Josh Benson
Herbie Kane
Clarke Oduor
Jason Sraha
Callum Styles - probably go
Luke Thomas
Jordan Williams
Matthew Wolfe

I’ve dropped young players off that list that I don’t know anything about.
Which others might know more about.

Take away those that will probably go - and it’s a squad of only 10 players.
Then there’s those with a question mark hanging over them such as Kane, Oduor, Thomas, Williams.

Consequently - nearly a total rebuild required.