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russell_anderson wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 11:02 am
I agree. Probably a very nice chap but a waste of a salary as far as I was concerned.

Really?!!!! It appears from the list below every EFL club in Division 2 has a media manager / press officer. ATM we don’t
https://www.efl.com/clubs-and-competiti ... e-details/

Main Stand SeasonTct wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 11:13 am

russell_anderson wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 11:02 am
I agree. Probably a very nice chap but a waste of a salary as far as I was concerned.

Really?!!!! It appears from the list below every EFL club in Division 2 has a media manager / press officer. ATM we don’t
https://www.efl.com/clubs-and-competiti ... e-details/

And now we have have made ours redundant..surplus to requirements!

Interesting that this thread has generated this much genuine debate. Probably a healthy thing on a forum.

The issue is whether at this stage of our development we need a dedicated media function given constraints and the need to fulfil other functions. Or whether those duties can - at this time be performed by a combination of a nominated club representative and local media.

Interpreting his comments i suspect that PH genuinely sees this appointment as premature and as one of the mistakes made by the BoD that he has referred to. What makes this really unfortunate is that the incumbent was popular generally speaking.

The issue is also wrapped up in the debate about how much media exposure you want and how you want that media content to be communicated. In effect this function these days is more about social media content and website development than it is about communication with the team.

So as far as I see the club have dipped their toe in the water and have concluded that the water is not quite warm enough. It’s a mistake but an understandable one.

Not sure of the structure of the club but reviewing and changing roles / consolidating roles is normal in any business and it happens to suit whatever is needed.

The one role I’m not sure we have or have ever had is a “stadium manager”- someone who is responsible for the upkeep of the ground, making sure it’s ready for matchday, post matchday clean up and keeping it compliant. It obviously happens because people make sure it happens but never known it to be an officially appointed / titled role.

Jonty wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 12:49 pm Not sure of the structure of the club but reviewing and changing roles / consolidating roles is normal in any business and it happens to suit whatever is needed.

The one role I’m not sure we have or have ever had is a “stadium manager”- someone who is responsible for the upkeep of the ground, making sure it’s ready for matchday, post matchday clean up and keeping it compliant. It obviously happens because people make sure it happens but never known it to be an officially appointed / titled role.

According to the clubs official website we do have a stadium manager that I presume is a paid post. It’s Mike Forsyth

Main Stand SeasonTct wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 12:56 pm

Jonty wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 12:49 pm Not sure of the structure of the club but reviewing and changing roles / consolidating roles is normal in any business and it happens to suit whatever is needed.

The one role I’m not sure we have or have ever had is a “stadium manager”- someone who is responsible for the upkeep of the ground, making sure it’s ready for matchday, post matchday clean up and keeping it compliant. It obviously happens because people make sure it happens but never known it to be an officially appointed / titled role.

According to the clubs official website we do have a stadium manager that I presume is a paid post. It’s Mike Forsyth

"It’s Mike Forsyth". may as well be Bruce Forsyth for what good 'he' is!.

There was also a stadium manager (a former Police officer?) some years ago who was very good to deal with as a user of the facilities with a "can do" attitude that, at the time, wasn't replicated by another member of staff.

A media manager is surely a role which involves liaison with others in similar roles at other clubs, broadcasters and press, both in advance and 'on the day' as well as being a source of news on the website, social media and website reporter.

I found Mark Simpson to be a very good ambassador for the club and responsive both to suggestions and queries and when problems arose.

One thing that did puzzle me was the use of a north-east photo agency (MI News & Sport of Stockton-on-Tees) for some of the photo coverage (although it seemed to have reduced by the end of the season?) alongside the excellent work by Ian Allington and Brian Moxham.

Jonty wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 12:49 pm Not sure of the structure of the club but reviewing and changing roles / consolidating roles is normal in any business and it happens to suit whatever is needed.

The one role I’m not sure we have or have ever had is a “stadium manager”- someone who is responsible for the upkeep of the ground, making sure it’s ready for matchday, post matchday clean up and keeping it compliant. It obviously happens because people make sure it happens but never known it to be an officially appointed / titled role.

??????? Forrest comes up after every home game and clears the ground of litter FOC, so that's one job sorted.

spirit of 1990 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 10:48 am

Hitthebar22 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 08, 2022 11:58 pm Wondering how much of an essential a “media manager” is? As far as I could see “Simmo” attempted a few jocular interviews with new and existing players, and also his remit appeared to be to conduct post match interviews with the incumbent manager (some being painfully contrived and embarrassing, particularly after a bad result); unless I missed something, there wasn’t a lot more. He came across as an ok bloke, but his role didn’t really appear as essential/meaningful within the structure of the club. Adam’s post match interviews were much more telling (long may they continue), and RC interactions weren’t generally that bad either. Think we can easily make do without a replacement for “Simmo”. All his work seemed to be limited to output on the club website and nowhere else, which is ok, but only up to a point, when the cost is factored in. PW’s regular blog, and the expectation of plentiful interviews on radio, and even TV, should suffice. Matt Dodd doesn’t do a bad job when called upon either.

Pretty much agree with all of that.

I have to say that I’m a bit surprised at the outpouring of support for MS when I never saw anything remotely like that when he was in the job, even to the point of him getting slated for some of his interviews and his questions to the manager after games. Personally I thought he did “ok” but equally some of the stuff put up was a bit….cringy.
Also, some people seem to have very odd agendas concerning people who have left or had their contracts terminated - for whatever reason. Behind the scenes a football club has to be run like a business and in any business people come and go.

They just like to moan and bitch about anything

Main Stand SeasonTct wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 11:13 am

russell_anderson wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 11:02 am
I agree. Probably a very nice chap but a waste of a salary as far as I was concerned.

Really?!!!! It appears from the list below every EFL club in Division 2 has a media manager / press officer. ATM we don’t
https://www.efl.com/clubs-and-competiti ... e-details/

Think this is worthy of consideration. The link very clearly sets out all the media contacts at every club. I wonder if it’s a league rule that every club has to have one, and what is their remit? I really don’t know the answer. If so, maybe Mark Simpson can feel hard done by if he has been sacked, rather than made redundant.

Simpson based in the North East.
Was costing the club a small fortune on fuel and overnight stays.
He has been released. Let's get over it and move on

AFC Blue wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 3:38 pm Simpson based in the North East.
Was costing the club a small fortune on fuel and overnight stays.
He has been released. Let's get over it and move on

Hmm same part of the country our chief operating officer is based

Main Stand SeasonTct wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 12:56 pm
According to the clubs official website we do have a stadium manager that I presume is a paid post. It’s Mike Forsyth

That's a job I wouldn't like, because if something goes wrong within the ground it's the stadium manager who gets the blame.

AFC Blue wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 3:38 pm Simpson based in the North East.
Was costing the club a small fortune on fuel and overnight stays.
He has been released. Let's get over it and move on

+1.
7 pages on this, can’t arf tell it’s off season. The question was answered at the QnA about the “jolly geordie” as he got labelled and slated week in , week out for weak interviews when it looked like we were going down. Ppl might make the excuse that they couldn’t make the QnA, but emailed questions were read out at the start

Bombadel wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 5:56 pm

AFC Blue wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 3:38 pm Simpson based in the North East.
Was costing the club a small fortune on fuel and overnight stays.
He has been released. Let's get over it and move on

+1.
7 pages on this, can’t arf tell it’s off season. The question was answered at the QnA about the “jolly geordie” as he got labelled and slated week in , week out for weak interviews when it looked like we were going down. Ppl might make the excuse that they couldn’t make the QnA, but emailed questions were read out at the start

Aye those of us that couldn’t make it are still waiting for the video of the Q&A the club promised