Unfriendly (Home to Reading under 21's - 25th July)

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Basically no home pre-season friendly because nobody thought to arrange opposition.

(Although I paraphrase I am not making this up.)

Sir Francis Drake wrote:

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Basically no home pre-season friendly because nobody thought to arrange opposition.

(Although I paraphrase I am not making this up.)

that pisspoor journalist needs to stop with the constant digs at sheridan. The bloke left ages ago we have a new manager so let it go ffs.
Try doing your profession credit for once and grow a spine stop hiding behind your wifes role at the club and start taking brent to task.

Would arranging friendlies be the responsibility of the manager anyway? For sure he would have some say in what level the opposition should be in order to represent a realistic standard but surely the actual arrangements should be a secretarial issue?

I would expect friendly arranging to be a routine management task.

It's incredible first to think nobody thought to bother and second that nobody realised nobody had bothered until it was too late.

FFS.

It's the manager that decides the pre season opposition, the training itinerary and whether to go away and stay at a camp/hotel.

What's it to do with a CEO!

That Sheridan hadn't arranged any matches sort of gave the game away as to his intentions.

Argyle vs ATD sounds good!

Graiser for goalie and Freathy at CB.

tigertony wrote:

Argyle vs ATD sounds good!

Graiser for goalie and Freathy at CB.

ATD v Exweb, now that would be fun

Rollo Tomasi wrote:

It's the manager that decides the pre season opposition, the training itinerary and whether to go away and stay at a camp/hotel.

What's it to do with a CEO!

That Sheridan hadn't arranged any matches sort of gave the game away as to his intentions.

Maybe it did, maybe it didn't, but seeing as Sheridan resigned on 28th May, surely someone at the club should have had the gumption in the meantime to realise the situation and try to arrange something? I would also doubt very much that under Argyle's present regime, the manager has any say in whether or not a pre season tour/breakaway takes place. If the club has to go cap in hand to the AFT for money to send the youth team to Ireland, then it would seem that financial considerations would be very much to the fore in any decision made on the issue.

Greenskin wrote:

Rollo Tomasi wrote:

It's the manager that decides the pre season opposition, the training itinerary and whether to go away and stay at a camp/hotel.

What's it to do with a CEO!

That Sheridan hadn't arranged any matches sort of gave the game away as to his intentions.

Maybe it did, maybe it didn't, but seeing as Sheridan resigned on 28th May, surely someone at the club should have had the gumption in the meantime to realise the situation and try to arrange something? I would also doubt very much that under Argyle's present regime, the manager has any say in whether or not a pre season tour/breakaway takes place. If the club has to go cap in hand to the AFT for money to send the youth team to Ireland, then it would seem that financial considerations would be very much to the fore in any decision made on the issue.

Forefooookinshore, rumour has it Del bhey wanted 3 days training at maker camp and a friendly against Torpoint but Green Jim wouldn't pay for the ferry.

Maker Camp, those were the days

Greenskin wrote:

Rollo Tomasi wrote:

It's the manager that decides the pre season opposition, the training itinerary and whether to go away and stay at a camp/hotel.

What's it to do with a CEO!

That Sheridan hadn't arranged any matches sort of gave the game away as to his intentions.

Maybe it did, maybe it didn't, but seeing as Sheridan resigned on 28th May, surely someone at the club should have had the gumption in the meantime to realise the situation and try to arrange something? I would also doubt very much that under Argyle's present regime, the manager has any say in whether or not a pre season tour/breakaway takes place. If the club has to go cap in hand to the AFT for money to send the youth team to Ireland, then it would seem that financial considerations would be very much to the fore in any decision made on the issue.

I meant that if they were to go away then the footballing management would say where. The Directors/CEO would then decide if they could afford to.

I've mentioned before that the Board have been negligent in not knowing about the lack of pre season planning. Starnes in particular.

But, on the other hand, perhaps they did know but just wanted rid of Sheridan so went along with it.

steveinspain wrote:

Maker Camp, those were the days  

Butlins must need to play somebody?

HMS Bulwark has just come back, hasn't it? Does it have a football team?

Wouldn't have thought it was the manager's job to literally arrange friendlies.

I see this more of a behind the scenes secretarial/CEO f*** up myself.

Surely from a revenue perspective, the board should be discussing who they could get to pack out Home Park and maximise revenue. If the board are not discussing that, then why not? Derek Adams doesn't care if we play Elburton away or Exeter, or if we play at home and get a few through the turnstiles or play away to Saltash. Why would he? That is not on his mind right now especially when he's squad building.

Snag is even crappy clubs like reading go on tour to far east so difficult to get reasonable opponentswho wont pistol whip us.

Dick Trickle wrote:

steveinspain wrote:

Maker Camp, those were the days  

When did Maker Camp finish for Plymouth schools? Us Stoke for Boys were in the main building and  a girl school were in the huts, mum brought a home made pastie on Wednesday afternoon and a class mate anutie made us crabs sandwiches from spider crabs we caught. Great days.

ejh wrote:

Wouldn't have thought it was the manager's job to literally arrange friendlies.

I see this more of a behind the scenes secretarial/CEO f*** up myself.

Surely from a revenue perspective, the board should be discussing who they could get to pack out Home Park and maximise revenue. If the board are not discussing that, then why not? Derek Adams doesn't care if we play Elburton away or Exeter, or if we play at home and get a few through the turnstiles or play away to Saltash. Why would he? That is not on his mind right now especially when he's squad building.

Historically Argyle start with a few gentle away matches ie, St Blazey, Truro, Tiverton in which they are the big club and then finish with a couple of home matches in which they are the lesser club.

Fitness and team shape would improve game by game. What they won't do is play teams from the same league.


So to say its more of a CEO decision is baffling. Of course he'll make the arrangements but the manager would/should be the chooser so to speak.


Gate receipts are normally split.

Sheridan's non planning should have sent alarms bells ringing. This is where the board/CEO were at best naive or at worst, negligent.

Tgwu wrote:

Dick Trickle wrote:

steveinspain wrote:

Maker Camp, those were the days  

When did Maker Camp finish for Plymouth schools? Us Stoke for Boys were in the main building and  a girl school were in the huts, mum brought a home made pastie  on Wednesday afternoon and a class mate anutie made us crabs sandwiches from spider crabs we caught. Great days.

Went in 1973 right larf it was from memory.

As for Argyle Friendlies I think we can put this down to the Management change/disruption more than anything else. More about getting match fit than anything else. If anything local sides like Elburton Bideford Saltash etc are likely to give Argyle a tougher physical game.

All of the teams below appointed managers in June

Oldham Athletic - 2 home friendlies
Brentford - 1
Stevenage - 3

By definition, a club secretaries role is to liaise, arrange and organise. I think in the absence of a manager to liaise with, the secretary should have taken the lead in conjunction with the Board. Did Jason Turner perform the Secretaries role? Or was that Starnes?

Either way, it's Keystone Cops blundering in terms of organisation - and is anyone really surprised?

Derek Adams is quoted as saying that it should have been done by April or before. This is where favours are returned between managers. It is not the CEO's responsibility to select the teams. However he should have enquired as to what , if any, progress had been made and some serious questions should have been asked.

I think it's pretty clear that in the absence of any commitment from Sheridan as regards him staying or going, Starnes should have taken the active lead. He didn't.

Would it cost the club money to put on a home pre season friendly? Just a thought.

It would as you have to open up the ground, stewards, club staff etc. You would also possibly have to share gate receipts or even pay the costs for the away team.