Directors

Quote taken from Graham Clark question on the Farm


The Directors of Plymouth Argyle Foot ball Club Ltd. not only have responsibilities to ensure the football club is a going concern and is able to trade solvently and meet all of its liabilities but they also, uniquely, act as temporary guardians of the club on behalf of its supporters and the wider community generally.

Up until now the immediate parent company of the football club company has made available or been able to procure sufficient funds to enable the company to continue trading. If, as Martyn Starnes, as Chief Executive and Director reported cat the Senior Greens meeting yesterday, each of the Directors were asked to contribute financially, possibly to cover a temporary cash flow short fall. That it was reported by Martyn that not one was willing to do so, notwithstanding, no doubt, the possibility of securing that financial contribution either as s shareholding or short term loan then one has to genuinely question the value each of those Directors bring to the football club and the company.

I would be most interested to learn of the attendance record at games (home and away) of each of them this season. I would be most interested to know what financial reward, if any, they have drawn, not as legitimate expenses but for services to the football club. For example, the accounts up until December 2012 included one Director who had claimed a sum of £22,506 for expenses incurred and consultancy fees. That obviously, does not cover the period of 1st January 2013 to 31st January 2013. Another Director received a net interest payment, quitter legitimately, of £11,520 which was payable on convertible loan notes to a pension scheme of which he was a beneficiary. That Director is also understood to be an investor in the HHP project and a potential future beneficiary of the development rewards..

In my view, it is time the Directors (and I excuse Martyn Starnes from this) were properly held to account, not only for their actions but also for the services and benefits they bring to the football club. For now, the PASB is the only recognised route by the club for holding these Board members to account and demanding answers. Fortuitously, there is a meeting tomorrow where these issues can be raised. If only any of the Directors had 'stepped up to the plate', on the same basis that Tony Wrathall was prepared to do then none of the furore of the last couple of days would have been necessary and we could have all concentrated on the on-field matters of supporting the team in their quest for a play off place.Directors

Good - and about time these awkward and pertinent questions were asked and answered.

Can you imagine any other "job" where a boss asks somebody to do something and is refused?

Boss: "Hey Peej! Can you drive this double decker bus around the #42 route today for me?"
Peej: "No. I'm not doing that."
Boss: "Are you quite sure, Peej?"
Peej: "Yes."
Boss: "Here's your P45, Peej, Tony is going to do it instead. Don't come in on Monday."

I have always understood that directors are in place to provide whatever support the club might need whether that is financial or in terms of expertise. Fundamentally that is their role; that is why they are there. If they are not meeting the requirements of being a director then what point is there of them being there?

So when asked to do something, whether it is control a PR blitz, sort out some tricky human resources issue or whatever then that is what they do because that is their duty. Equally if asked to make a financial contribution then they step forward and stump up some cash. It all comes with the territory. It's in the "job spec", if you like.

Failure to meet such a request must be a resigning issue, surely?