Speaking up for Mr Eric Whalley

expatriate · 02-06-2009, 20:21

Reading through the comments of the past few days, I feel awkward at times when people have mentioned Eric Whalley in the context of the Club's current problems.

I have had to think hard about whether to post this message - but in the spirit of transparency and open-ness that this forum seems to encourage, and also in the hope that my email is not misunderstood, I would like to speak up for Mr Whalley, or at least say something that might explain his position. I certainly dont wish to defend or vindicate him, but given my rather unique perspective over many many years as a co-shareholder and Stanley fan, I do think I can add some balance to the debate.

Let me say first off that when ASFC was sold by John Alty, we (that is all true fans) should be thankful that Eric Whalley (EW) stepped up to the plate when I was not able to do so. I often think back to that pivotal time and wonder if I could have achieved the success that Mr Whalley was to attain, and in all fairness, I have to say that I believe Eric was better positioned, and in the end achieved exactly what we all craved - a return to the football league.

We all clearly owe a huge debt of gratitude to EW for getting us there.

At this point I have to make an admission. I was very negative about the way in which Eric ran the club at that point (by which I mean the time of the promotion to the conference). He made no allowances to other stake holders, he ignored shareholders, and in my view, did not differentiate between the club's money and his own pockets. I made these feelings clear, and in fact had a public spat with EW. However, equally, very shortly thereafter, I made a very conscious decision to move on and accept that despite EW's faults, he had delivered the holy grail, and therefore deserved some respect.

In the years that followed I was an active contributor in financial terms to the club. These donations were made entirely gratis. I never made them as a loan, and I never asked EW if the cash was used in the way that the club had committed. In fact you are all aware (or at least those with a good memory will be aware) of the time when the cash for the sophia khan stand and renovations and roof somehow got mislaid. Even then I kept quiet, and never challenged EW - despite being told that my money ended up at times in his pocket. I could never prove that allegation, nor do I wish to make it, but I use the episode to explain that I felt that EW on balance was doing more good than harm to the club, and to be perfectly honest, I just loved the way our club was being taken seriously in football terms. I remember with great joy that FA Cup game against Huddersfield that seemed to mark the apex of that time.

The worm turned, as they say, about two years ago when I became, shall we say, disenchanted with EW's continuing lack of accountability, and my growing suspicions about his true ability and willingness to support the club in its new environment. When it became clear that EW was actually trying to sell his shares, and cared more about the cash he would pocket, I stopped making donations. I would also say that a contributing factor was my experiences at the club, when EW was, in all honesty, a less than welcoming host. I started to feel as if I was being taken advantage of. And that is not a pleasant feeling, even if it might be untrue.

So, turning to the present, what do I make of the man and how should we, in my view, treat him ? I actually feel quite sorry for him as I believe he is acting (or trying to act) in his own best interests, and that sadly, for him, these interests have slowly but surely become different from the interests of the club. However, I do urge all of us to try and remember that its very easy to criticise someone from the outside. I do believe EW tried very hard to walk away from the club by selling his shares, and that a confluence of unfortunate circumstances conspired against him. In this regard he is the victim of an awful business situation, and in my honest opinion, I believe he truly loves and adores the club.

Notwithstanding the above, it is clear that some of you will be wondering just what the hell I am trying to say here by defending, or appearing to defend EW. I myself wonder if this message is worth the effort - but the fact you are reading it means that I decided to go ahead. And the reason, as best I can articulate, is that in my view Eric was right for the job, and was equipped (financially and in other ways) when ASFC was a different proposition. Even though at times I question EW's good faith, I still think the club should thank him for his efforts. For the past year or two, however, EW is clearly, in my view, not equipped to take the club forward. His way of dealing with and recognising this situation, was to try and sell his shares, and when I refused to buy them at the price he offered, he scrambled and found someone else (Mr O neil). The rest, as they say, is history, and not worth repeating.

Going forward therefore, I hope that we can avoid personalising the situation against Mr Whalley. I believe he is simply trying to protect his interests, and its just sad that those interests now work against the club. As noted above, in his own way EW has actually realised this truth.

I will close by repeating that I am an optimist, and by nature a very positive person. I believe that the current situation will be sorted out, and we will all end up with a smile on our face. Our club will survive. and this episode too will be history. Please come along on Friday to Stanhill Hall if you want to continue the discussion about how to constructively move forward. I look forward to seeing as many fans as possible.

with my good wishes, and my hope that I did not end up confusing you !!

fatgaz182 · 02-06-2009, 20:39

VALAIRIAN · 02-06-2009, 20:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by expatriate

Reading through the comments of the past few days, I feel awkward at times when people have mentioned Eric Whalley in the context of the Club's current problems.

I have had to think hard about whether to post this message - but in the spirit of transparency and open-ness that this forum seems to encourage, and also in the hope that my email is not misunderstood, I would like to speak up for Mr Whalley, or at least say something that might explain his position. I certainly dont wish to defend or vindicate him, but given my rather unique perspective over many many years as a co-shareholder and Stanley fan, I do think I can add some balance to the debate.

Let me say first off that when ASFC was sold by John Alty, we (that is all true fans) should be thankful that Eric Whalley (EW) stepped up to the plate when I was not able to do so. I often think back to that pivotal time and wonder if I could have achieved the success that Mr Whalley was to attain, and in all fairness, I have to say that I believe Eric was better positioned, and in the end achieved exactly what we all craved - a return to the football league.

We all clearly owe a huge debt of gratitude to EW for getting us there.

At this point I have to make an admission. I was very negative about the way in which Eric ran the club at that point (by which I mean the time of the promotion to the conference). He made no allowances to other stake holders, he ignored shareholders, and in my view, did not differentiate between the club's money and his own pockets. I made these feelings clear, and in fact had a public spat with EW. However, equally, very shortly thereafter, I made a very conscious decision to move on and accept that despite EW's faults, he had delivered the holy grail, and therefore deserved some respect.

In the years that followed I was an active contributor in financial terms to the club. These donations were made entirely gratis. I never made them as a loan, and I never asked EW if the cash was used in the way that the club had committed. In fact you are all aware (or at least those with a good memory will be aware) of the time when the cash for the sophia khan stand and renovations and roof somehow got mislaid. Even then I kept quiet, and never challenged EW - despite being told that my money ended up at times in his pocket. I could never prove that allegation, nor do I wish to make it, but I use the episode to explain that I felt that EW on balance was doing more good than harm to the club, and to be perfectly honest, I just loved the way our club was being taken seriously in football terms. I remember with great joy that FA Cup game against Huddersfield that seemed to mark the apex of that time.

The worm turned, as they say, about two years ago when I became, shall we say, disenchanted with EW's continuing lack of accountability, and my growing suspicions about his true ability and willingness to support the club in its new environment. When it became clear that EW was actually trying to sell his shares, and cared more about the cash he would pocket, I stopped making donations. I would also say that a contributing factor was my experiences at the club, when EW was, in all honesty, a less than welcoming host. I started to feel as if I was being taken advantage of. And that is not a pleasant feeling, even if it might be untrue.

So, turning to the present, what do I make of the man and how should we, in my view, treat him ? I actually feel quite sorry for him as I believe he is acting (or trying to act) in his own best interests, and that sadly, for him, these interests have slowly but surely become different from the interests of the club. However, I do urge all of us to try and remember that its very easy to criticise someone from the outside. I do believe EW tried very hard to walk away from the club by selling his shares, and that a confluence of unfortunate circumstances conspired against him. In this regard he is the victim of an awful business situation, and in my honest opinion, I believe he truly loves and adores the club.

Notwithstanding the above, it is clear that some of you will be wondering just what the hell I am trying to say here by defending, or appearing to defend EW. I myself wonder if this message is worth the effort - but the fact you are reading it means that I decided to go ahead. And the reason, as best I can articulate, is that in my view Eric was right for the job, and was equipped (financially and in other ways) when ASFC was a different proposition. Even though at times I question EW's good faith, I still think the club should thank him for his efforts. For the past year or two, however, EW is clearly, in my view, not equipped to take the club forward. His way of dealing with and recognising this situation, was to try and sell his shares, and when I refused to buy them at the price he offered, he scrambled and found someone else (Mr O neil). The rest, as they say, is history, and not worth repeating.

Going forward therefore, I hope that we can avoid personalising the situation against Mr Whalley. I believe he is simply trying to protect his interests, and its just sad that those interests now work against the club. As noted above, in his own way EW has actually realised this truth.

I will close by repeating that I am an optimist, and by nature a very positive person. I believe that the current situation will be sorted out, and we will all end up with a smile on our face. Our club will survive. and this episode too will be history. Please come along on Friday to Stanhill Hall if you want to continue the discussion about how to constructively move forward. I look forward to seeing as many fans as possible.

with my good wishes, and my hope that I did not end up confusing you !!

Frank, forthright and honest post, we could do with more of this at the moment, from club, director's chairman Etc.

Tin Monkey · 02-06-2009, 21:07

I think you've accurately summarised my own views here Ilyas, and the views of many long time supporters. As you say, it is very easy to criticise individuals from afar, especially on an internet forum.
It is a shame Eric didn't manage to sell his shares 2 years ago, as I believe that if he had, then he'd have always been seen as a true heroic figure. As it stands, his legacy is crumbling and I truly feel sad about that.

Thanks for your forthright and insightful post.

maccawozzagod · 02-06-2009, 21:48

I echo TM's view that it is unfortunate that for many Eric will be remembered for things other than what he has acheivedboth as a manager for the club (saved us from relegation twice) and as a chairman (promoted us three times)

The ideal situation for all would be that enough money can be acquired to buy his shares and solve the debt problem. Some people have intimated that Eric is out to line his own pockets but he has quite clearly put in hundreds of thousands of his own money over the years and DESERVES to recoup at least some of it. But the club is not worth the reputed numbers that have been quoted.

Oggy · 02-06-2009, 21:50

Ilyas, thanks for taking the time to post, it's certainly a change from the usual polarised posts; "It's all Eric's fault" vs "How can you blame Eric, after all he's done for the club". It certainly fits with my views over the last few years.

Thanks, too, for the optimistic ending, hope the meeting goes well on Friday.

Doug · 02-06-2009, 21:59

I think many of us agree with the last three posts. Mr. Khan I have no doubt that you have the best interests of the Club at heart and those who support it without seeking undue reward. I really hope that you can spearhead a new age at Accrington Stanley. I won't be able to attend on Friday, although I would much prefer to be there, perhaps there will be chance again. In respect of Mr. Whalley, I hope that a resolution can be found that meets all our aims and leaves no one wanting, I fear only working together can achieve that.

ukcowboy · 02-06-2009, 22:12

An amazingly open and honest post from a Man that genuinley has ASFC's best interest at heart.

I will admit to being one of the people on here that has been very anti EW, and I will remain so untill He eventually steps down, however I will not take away from the man the hard work and dedication He has shown to the club, but that is PAST history, the club has to move forward and EW HAS to accept that graciously (SP) and do the right thing for ASFC. Yes Eric does deserve to get 'something' out of this,but it has to be realistic surely?

Finally, Ilyas, I would dearly love to be able to make it to 'yours' to both meet you and talk over ideas for our beloved club, however as most people on here know I am somewhat disposed at the moment! I do hope that fans from here can and do make it because change can only happen if enough people are singing from the same hymn sheet.

Bagpuss · 02-06-2009, 22:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tin Monkey

I think you've accurately summarised my own views here Ilyas, and the views of many long time supporters. As you say, it is very easy to criticise individuals from afar, especially on an internet forum.
It is a shame Eric didn't manage to sell his shares 2 years ago, as I believe that if he had, then he'd have always been seen as a true heroic figure. As it stands, his legacy is crumbling and I truly feel sad about that.

Thanks for your forthright and insightful post.

Absolutely, Eric always said if we got back in the FL he would go because he didn't have the clout (cash) needed, why didn't he keep his word, all the missed opportunities do annoy me and I would love to enjoy the Stanley experience once again, cheers for the memories Eric but please step aside.

shakermaker · 03-06-2009, 00:26

It's all been said in the replies above. Thanks for the post Ilyas.

harwood red · 03-06-2009, 12:02

great post Ilyas

I am unsure of whether |I can make friday as I don't finish my day job till after 5 and I will then be working again Friday evening. But I will def try

lindsay ormerod · 03-06-2009, 20:34

"We can survive without anybody's money" is the quote attributed to Eric in the Telegraph tonight. Twaddle, wake up and smell the coffee Eric !

Bagpuss · 03-06-2009, 20:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by lindsay ormerod

"We can survive without anybody's money" is the quote attributed to Eric in the Telegraph tonight. Twaddle, wake up and smell the coffee Eric !

Very strange, he was desperate enough to get his hands on a few pounds from David Lloyd but he won't even look at a wad from Ilyas Khan, the difference is Lloyds money would have gone in Whalleys pocket, Khans would go to the club.

Shurm · 03-06-2009, 20:46

Been reading all the threads for a while now but not posted. The thing I feel is so important is that without Ilyas and some alternative view just where would the club end up ? I'm sure Ilyas has a busy life already without actually having to get involved with a football club which to me proves he must certainly care a great deal about Accrington Stanley.

Good luck to him and others trying to sort the situation.

Bagpuss · 03-06-2009, 21:45

Been a few days since any of the Ultras have posted (come on Willie Miller you were quick enough to slag me off when the story broke) defending Eric Whalley maybe even they have now realised he may not be the way forward for the club. I'd like to know what their views are but I suspect they've had a meeting in a pub and decided not to post as we are far too negative on accyweb.