Blinded by a Dapper Suit

Please post here any ringing endorsement that people have made about how nice people are and how good their intentions are which are made, foolishly, on the basis of them having met them face-to-face.

Quote :

The difference this time is that many fans have seen the whites of JB's eyes and have talked enough with him to trust him.
The previous suits seduced us through the media and the official website, no-one got close to Stapleton, Todd and the rest of the mob.

It's different this time.

Have you met James Brent?

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I'm not going to bite as it's very obvious that I'm pro Brent, suffice to say if you knew the man, you wouldn't talk about him in that manner, and those of that do know him, consider you a buffoon.

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I will never hear anyone say ANYTHING bad about that man.

Mock Cuncher wrote:

Please post here any ringing endorsement that people have made about how nice people are and how good their intentions are which are made, foolishly, on the basis of them having met them face-to-face.

Quote :

The difference this time is that many fans have seen the whites of JB's eyes and have talked enough with him to trust him.
The previous suits seduced us through the media and the official website, no-one got close to Stapleton, Todd and the rest of the mob.

It's different this time.

Have you met James Brent?

Quote :

I'm not going to bite as it's very obvious that I'm pro Brent, suffice to say if you knew the man, you wouldn't talk about him in that manner, and those of that do know him, consider you a buffoon.

Quote :

I will never hear anyone say ANYTHING bad about that man.

The man is clearly more clever than the average suit. He's conned the dynamic duo into doing his work, offering them a taste of position. In return, they provide a compliant fanbase and more importantly , plenty of fund raising to save him a few quid.
The only way I could fall into line, is if Brent gifted the club to a democratically elected Trust and the fans/community really did own PAFC .
Brent will have been advised by the likes of PJ that it won't take much to get the club on a roll again playing wise. The potential fanbase is amongst the very best in the lower leagues and sooner or later,with the right manager and if enough people can be persuaded to come through the gates and spend their money at the club, Brent personally will have a club he can sell on for a nice profit, having invested little himself.

I can't remember who it was, but I do remember someone saying some extremely complimentary things about Keith Todd, on the basis of a brief conversation held outside Shearer's Bar at the real SJP when we played Newcastle away in the Championship. It's online somewhere, if anyone can be bothered to look it up. I'd be interested to know who the fool was who gave such a ringing endorsement to Toddy boy purely on the basis of a 5 minute chat.

Andy_Symons wrote:

I can't remember who it was, but I do remember someone saying some extremely complimentary things about Keith Todd, on the basis of a brief conversation held outside Shearer's Bar at the real SJP when we played Newcastle away in the Championship. It's online somewhere, if anyone can be bothered to look it up. I'd be interested to know who the fool was who gave such a ringing endorsement to Toddy boy purely on the basis of a 5 minute chat.

Same bloke as in MC's OP I believe.

He also would never hear a bad word said about Stapleton and his lovely family

The question is whether he is a bad judge of character, is not very bright, has an agenda of personal advancement, or maybe all three ?

Whatever the answer, those who have seen through him for a long time are vile scum.

Tringreen wrote:

Andy_Symons wrote:

I can't remember who it was, but I do remember someone saying some extremely complimentary things about Keith Todd, on the basis of a brief conversation held outside Shearer's Bar at the real SJP when we played Newcastle away in the Championship. It's online somewhere, if anyone can be bothered to look it up. I'd be interested to know who the fool was who gave such a ringing endorsement to Toddy boy purely on the basis of a 5 minute chat.

Same bloke as in MC's OP I believe.

He also would never hear a bad word said about Stapleton and his lovely family

The question is whether he is a bad judge of character, is not very bright, has an agenda of personal advancement, or maybe all three ?

Whatever the answer, those who have seen through him for a long time are vile scum.

Oh right. Hmm. Judgement questionable then, to say the least.

As far as the Brent love-in goes, what people tend to forget is that every Chairman/new owner coming into the club, certainly in my lifetime, has been welcomed as a saviour, the answer to our problems, and is generally welcomed and adored by the Green Army. Even Macauley was greeted as such. But every single one of them has left with their tails between their legs - Bloom, Macauley, Stapleton, Gardner, and I'm sure others from before my time.

Why should Brent be any different? He may well come across as a perfectly affable chap (he does) and he may well be quite at ease chatting to members of the Green Army (he is) but why should we, bearing in mind our past experiences with owners, just accept everything he says as gospel?

We did that with Stapleton; that went well, didn't it?

No, if people want to question what's going on, if people want to demand answers on finance, governance, development, the squad, management, marketing, whatever - let them. if we'd been more demanding and less compliant during the Stapleton Years maybe, just maybe, the Board wouldn't have been left to get away with the grotesque mismanagement that led to Administration.

Some of us did try Andy. We were told to stop upsetting so many Pasoti members with our predictions of doom under the year on year progress, organic model and to trust in stapes and enjoy the ride !
Did you know that those hard pressed mods were inundated with complaints from the nodding faithful and the 'one trick ponies' were gleefully dismissed to the naughty step ?

What continues to concern me and is the reason I will not cease my questioning and criticism, is the clear fact that lessons have not been learnt and the lunatics have now taken over the asylum.

Being starstruck is a flaw of the weak minded. Stronger minded types look far beyond the whites of the eyes and are not so easily impressed by those that the weaker mined ones are in such awe of.

Quite simply we should all be allowed to ask difficult questions without being labelled as trouble makers. But as Tring says, the lessons of the past have clearly not been learnt.

I hope Brent turns out to be the greatest owner that Argyle has ever had. But until we see some success on the pitch and some investment off it, I will continue to be suspicious of this multi millionaire property developer who has had no previous interest in football.

And without wanting to be unpleasant or controversial, I don't yet trust the judgement of some of the people who are close to him. I don't think I need to travel down to Plymouth to look at the whites of his eyes......I will just stick to results on the pitch if thats ok.

Tringreen wrote:

What continues to concern me and is the reason I will not cease my questioning and criticism, is the clear fact that lessons have not been learnt and the lunatics have now taken over the asylum.

Do you mean Pasoti or PAFC?

If it's Pasoti, why would that concern you?

If it's PAFC, who do you mean? I'd hardly class James Brent as a lunatic taking over the asylum, yet anyway!

I do think the average Janner wants to know his team are going to be successful, and want transparency - which, if not actually promised, was strongly hinted at for all to see what is happening.

The sad fact is, that PAFC is not a public company and there is no obligation for Brent to release any figures if he doesn't want to - does that sound familiar?

Cerbera wrote:

Tringreen wrote:

What continues to concern me and is the reason I will not cease my questioning and criticism, is the clear fact that lessons have not been learnt and the lunatics have now taken over the asylum.

Do you mean Pasoti or PAFC?

If it's Pasoti, why would that concern you?

If it's PAFC, who do you mean? I'd hardly class James Brent as a lunatic taking over the asylum, yet anyway!

I do think the average Janner wants to know his team are going to be successful, and want transparency - which, if not actually promised, was strongly hinted at for all to see what is happening.

The sad fact is, that PAFC is not a public company and there is no obligation for Brent to release any figures if he doesn't want to - does that sound familiar?

I wasn't sure 'exactly' what I meant either but we have and are likely to have in future, persons in positions of influence at the club with whom I hold little trust to represent my standpoint.
I'm yet to be convinced that these representatives are going to be any more than a talking shop and to encourage the appearance of fans' representation, when in reality they will have little or no influence .

Didn't mean the farm. They're a hopeless case .

Surely it is now the job of the Trust to make sure the club is run properly and our interests are represented?

Cerbera wrote:

Surely it is now the job of the Trust to make sure the club is run properly and our interests are represented?

I think that the inner circle will all rally round to get "their" man in place (whoever that may be) and then all the questions can be about the buses and the pasties.

Who are "the persons of influence" at the club?

Iggy wrote:

Cerbera wrote:

Surely it is now the job of the Trust to make sure the club is run properly and our interests are represented?

I think that the inner circle will all rally round to get "their" man in place (whoever that may be) and then all the questions can be about the buses and the pasties.

I think Brent has sussed the Janner mentality perfectly. He definitely 'gets it'.

Where his plan falls down is that far fewer than he imagines are thus afflicted and will blindly follow.

Tringreen wrote:

Iggy wrote:

Cerbera wrote:

Surely it is now the job of the Trust to make sure the club is run properly and our interests are represented?

I think that the inner circle will all rally round to get "their" man in place (whoever that may be) and then all the questions can be about the buses and the pasties.

I think Brent has sussed the Janner mentality perfectly. He definitely 'gets it'.

Where his plan falls down is that far fewer than he imagines are thus afflicted and will blindly follow.

And my answer to why I won't get involved? It's all a load of meaningless bollocks.

knecht wrote:

Who are "the persons of influence" at the club?

Webb and Newell are obvious emissaries of Brent, or hadn't you noticed ? They might not have that much influence but he clearly has given them the seal of approval.

Who else is he listening to, Ridsdale ? Jones ?

Tringreen wrote:

knecht wrote:

Who are "the persons of influence" at the club?

Webb and Newell are obvious emissaries of Brent, or hadn't you noticed ? They might not have that much influence but he clearly has given them the seal of approval.

Who else is he listening to, Ridsdale ? Jones ?

So these " persons of influence" actually "might not have that much influence".

knecht wrote:

Tringreen wrote:

knecht wrote:

Who are "the persons of influence" at the club?

Webb and Newell are obvious emissaries of Brent, or hadn't you noticed ? They might not have that much influence but he clearly has given them the seal of approval.

Who else is he listening to, Ridsdale ? Jones ?

So these " persons of influence" actually "might not have that much influence".

Well that is the puzzling thing . Does he listen to them or just use them, or both ? They certainly have his Hogwarts Seal of Approval and didn't I hear someone say that he was 'driven' to a recent match ? Imagine all those hours in a motor listening to that diction !

Your guess is as good as mine. One thing for sure is that there are more questions than answers concerning the latest real gent in a suit.

Hansel and Gretel syndrome.

I genuinely believe IJN is convinced he's now a part of the actual club because his "mate", James Brent, has spoken to him. IJN reminds me of Alan Partridge in this clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2D3-FkoXNU

IJN is currently acting as Brent's bodyguard on Pasoti. It's hilarious.

wiki-leaker wrote:

Hansel and Gretel syndrome.

I genuinely believe IJN is convinced he's now a part of the actual club because his "mate", James Brent, has spoken to him. IJN reminds me of Alan Partridge in this clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2D3-FkoXNU

IJN is currently acting as Brent's bodyguard on Pasoti. It's hilarious.

Spot on. He even has a PAF registration plate for his motor I believe.

I have been well and truly put down and told off this morning, it really is pathetic, they hate it when you suggest that debate isn't welcome on pasoti yet call you a troll when you ask a question, it's getting really bad again. And no I won't shut up or go away.

Downbeat post alert.

It's become clear to me in recent years that, particularly in football circles, character judgements and assessments formed even over long periods of time aren't worth much in the long run.

Ultimately, personal interest and financial exposure will always trump previously stated principles and positions.

Paul Stapleton was one of us, an ordinary fan, before ascending to power - he steered the ship to the best of his abilities, but then he lost his way and foundered.

Despite his considerable achievements in setting up the old Trust and the great work that was done by that organisation to support Argyle's youth development for over a decade, his decision first to allow Gordon Bennett to butcher that relationship and then, later, to encourage the Trust to lend financial support to a failing regime meant that his legacy is forever reduced.

That's just one example.

Any figure that comes to the fore in the running of a football club nowadays is subject to a predictable cycle of initial expectation and, in the light of our recent experience, subsequent suspicion.

I'm loath to quote Enoch Powell, but this is a truism:-

"All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs."

As it is in politics, so it is in football. Arsene Wenger couldn't disagree with that, for example.

I've met James Brent on one occasion and he struck me as a straightforward, clear-minded and trustworthy. People whose judgement I've trusted in recent years have formed the same opinion as well.

Counter to that, however, is the repetitive cycle of being impressed by, and then let down by any number of public figures - Clinton, Blair and Obama at the upper end of the echelon, and the likes of Paul Stapleton in our own smaller environment.

The single conclusion I have come to in recent times is to judge people on actions, not words.

How a person conducts themselves in meetings or presentations is nowhere near as important as how they follow through on their promises and commitments.

We've learnt through bitter experience that it's necessary for others to supervise and speak "truth to power", whether it's on Wall Street or at Home Park.

The test of the new regime will be how much supervision and oversight will be tolerated over time.

Dapper suits count for nothing.

Eloquently put JL you boring troll.

The trouble is, it's been a while and we still haven't had too much evidence of any real action, and are assured that it will all be alright because IJN has looked him in the eye?

If there were a bit more transparency, then we would have more evidence to go on but as yet any requests for evidence are dismissed and the usual lines like "Without him there would be no Argyle" and " I've met him, you haven't" are trotted out to anyone even mildly inquisitive about future plans, financial details etc.

All this "i've met him" bollox is quite funny.

Do they really expect him to say anything different to what they want to hear?

He's a clever businessman, he isn't going to turn round and say "i've got no money for you" now is he!