Nobody else has said so yet, so I will say that it is a bit unfair to take a swipe at Brian Flynn for having a "free seat in the gantry"......Most, if not all those in the gantry, are doing 'media' work for the club and its supporters i.e Radio Robins and Alty TV.
Mick,
Some people will no doubt disagree with my thoughts on this issue but here goes....
I would make a notable exception regarding Mark from Alty TV (whose laudable work editing and producing highlights goes on well after the final whistle has sounded), however, I would expect the likes of Brian Flynn and John Edwards to have purchased season tickets regardless of their media work for the club.
If that is, indeed, the case, then I apologise for my use of the term 'free' in a previous post.
It has, of course, since been established that Flynny does not have access to an armchair in the gantry.
This is without question one of the saddest posts I have read on this forum in all the years I have taken part in it.
I don't know John Edwards very well, however my meetings with him have always been pleasant and he seems to be getting more and more involved as I believe he has taken early retirement. I know he is a well respected journalist and just the kind of person we need to assist with the growing press demands of the Conference.
However I do know Brian very well as a friend of 20 years and a business partner of the last 3-4. I have personally seen the 20-30 hours a week he puts into our football club, from driving on his own to away games to get there early and stay late for after match interviews, to TASC chairman stuff, organising press requests, being the MC for club events and programme articles, getting to the ground at 11:30 for home games to other stuff that seems to fall in his lap.
You know this Cult and you do good stuff yourself so you know how the whole volunteer thing works. There are many more like Brian, without them our club would not even have a chance of staying in this league.
You'll allow Mark Bennett to get in free (rightly, absolutely different class with the Alty TV stuff) but "the likes of Brian Flynn" should pay?
Salt of the earth is Flynny, I never ever thought I would hear anyone speak of him in that manner. If someone had just told me you wrote that, I wouldn't have believed it.
Ecky,
Sorry for upsetting you, however, I do believe that you have missed my point spectacularly.
All of which, I accept, may well be my fault due to how I wrote that previous post.
By using the term "the likes of Brian Flynn and John Edwards", I was intending to signify Radio Robins people who still get to watch the match uninterrupted.
It was in no way meant to come across as being derogatory.
There was no criticism implied or expressed in my aforementioned post regarding either the capabilities or endeavour of John Edwards or Brian Flynn and I'm genuinely surprised that you would think that I would go down that road.
I've known Brian for many years and have spoken with John Edwards on several occasions and I am fully aware that they both carry out excellent media work on behalf of the club and comprise assets to Altrincham FC.
However, as to my point regarding whether they still ought to be season ticket holders, then yes, I do think that they should be.
In the highly unlikely event of me ascending to any sort of official position within the club, I would continue to believe that, as a supporter first and foremost, I should still invest in a season ticket for the financial benefit of the club.
That's just a personal view.
I sincerely hope that helps to clarify my reasoning (even if you still think that I am talking balderdash).
If it still doesn't make sense, please hunt me down on Saturday and we can have a chat.
You could even buy me a G&T like that nice man Bryan Ford.....
Apologies for dredging up this thread once again, however, I would like to dispel the myth that Ecky and I have endured some sort of spectacular falling-out à la Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi (although I'm not quite sure which one of us is Nigella there).
For the record, I enjoyed a perfectly amiable and constructive chat with Ecky prior to last Saturday's home match against Kidderminster Harriers, during which we were both able to clarify a few of the points discussed within this thread.
Ecky acknowledged that he had misinterpreted some aspects of my original post and he now accepts that I was not calling into question or disparaging the work, commitment, abilities or character of either Brian Flynn or John Edwards.
We agree to disagree regarding that entire season tickets tangent and that is absolutely fine with me, as I never claimed that mine was the definitive answer.
Ecky: I hope that represents a fair account of things.
Once again, sorry for regurgitating this episode but I just wanted to clear matters up.