An Open Letter To Stewart Milne

[Arild]

Mr Stewart Milne

Chairman

Aberdeen Football Club

 

 

Dear Mr Milne,

 

It is with sadness that I write to advise you that after being a season ticket holder at Pittodrie for nearly 25 years, firstly with my father and grand-father, then with my friends and latterly with my wife, that I have taken the decision not to renew my season ticket for the 2012/13 season.

 

This decision has not been taken lightly, and is based on a multitude of factors, although predominantly sheer frustration at yet another poor season, with a real lack of quality on the park, and a lack of belief that the current management team have the vision to take us any further forward.

 

I

[V for Vendetta]

Well written Arild. Heartfelt even.

[zoltanvarga]

Mr Stewart Milne

Chairman

Aberdeen Football Club

 

 

Dear Mr Milne,

 

It is with sadness that I write to advise you that after being a season ticket holder at Pittodrie for nearly 25 years, firstly with my father and grand-father, then with my friends and latterly with my wife, that I have taken the decision not to renew my season ticket for the 2012/13 season.

 

This decision has not been taken lightly, and is based on a multitude of factors, although predominantly sheer frustration at yet another poor season, with a real lack of quality on the park, and a lack of belief that the current management team have the vision to take us any further forward.

 

I

[sheepiekev]

Good letter - sums it up pretty well.

[zoltanvarga]

Mr Stewart Milne

Chairman

Aberdeen Football Club

 

 

Dear Mr Milne,

 

It is with sadness that I write to advise you that after being a season ticket holder at Pittodrie for nearly 25 years, firstly with my father and grand-father, then with my friends and latterly with my wife, that I have taken the decision not to renew my season ticket for the 2012/13 season.

 

This decision has not been taken lightly, and is based on a multitude of factors, although predominantly sheer frustration at yet another poor season, with a real lack of quality on the park, and a lack of belief that the current management team have the vision to take us any further forward.

 

I

[Stoney]

Wasgoing to copy and paste this from your facebook min, excellent letter

[Tommy]

Wasgoing to copy and paste this from your facebook min, excellent letter

 

 

It is written very well.

 

Must have been his missus who did it.

[Stoney]

Was going to say

[Arild]

It is written very well.

 

Must have been his missus who did it.

 

Certainly wasn't her - she's not happy with my decision!

[ollie1903]

Certainly wasn't her - she's not happy with my decision!

Aye, her sex life will go downhill now yer nae gan tae the fitba

[Stoneybloke]

How many "open letters" has Milne had. Must run into the thousands now.

[Dandyesque]

How many "open letters" has Milne had. Must run into the thousands now.

 

Does "open letter" mean "stuck on the interweb" or actually sent to the recipient?

[Stoneybloke]

Does "open letter" mean "stuck on the interweb" or actually sent to the recipient?

From the famous Wikipedia, ( the place that said Mark McGhee was a good manager, Y'Know) :

 

An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally.

 

Open letters usually take the form of a letter addressed to an individual but provided to the public through newspapers and other media, such as a letter to the editor or blog. Especially common are critical open letters addressed to political leaders.

[Dandyesque]

From the famous Wikipedia, ( the place that said Mark McGhee was a good manager, Y'Know) :

 

That's pretty much what I thought.

 

Perhaps a closed letter, subsequently opened, would have more of an impact?

 

Otherwise, it's a just a standard post with a pretentious title.

[Stoneybloke]

That's pretty much what I thought.

 

Perhaps a closed letter, subsequently opened, would have more of an impact?

 

Otherwise, it's a just a standard post with a pretentious title.

Don't you think Milne gets regular updates from this forum on his Ipad?

 

Actually, I do wonder sometimes if anyone from AFC monitors what goes on in here. Just where do they get their feedback, or are they all just oblivious?

[Jazzer_Bett]

Aye, her sex life will go downhill now yer nae gan tae the fitba

 

OOOCHA

 

Arild well written and I'm sure you speak for most if not all of us. Enough is enough>we need some big fucking signings or it's curtains for a lot of people now.

 

This is last chance saloon get it right or it's over Milne.

[Dandyesque]

Don't you think Milne gets regular updates from this forum on his Ipad?

 

Actually, I do wonder sometimes if anyone from AFC monitors what goes on in here. Just where do they get their feedback, or are they all just oblivious?

 

I honestly do not believe for one minute that he does.

 

And calling a thread the above is hardly going to result in an EGM.

[Stoneybloke]

I honestly do not believe for one minute that he does.

 

And calling a thread the above is hardly going to result in an EGM.

 

Doubt if anything would. Wasn't there a guy at one time a few years ago who had a fanzine thing and got open letter type stuff published in the local press which was highly critical. If I'm not imagining it, what happened to him?

[Stoneybloke]

Double post

[Arild]

That's pretty much what I thought.

 

Perhaps a closed letter, subsequently opened, would have more of an impact?

 

Otherwise, it's a just a standard post with a pretentious title.

 

I have sent it to him, with copies to Duncan Fraser and Craig Brown. Can't say I am expecting a reply but you never know. I found it therapeutic if nothing else.

[Redstar]

Good letter bud...covers much of what is discussed almost daily on here...here's hoping the de-wigged one actually reads it... :thumbs:

[Mikeyboy1903]

Well done Sir .....

 

If anything next season will be the time to invest if we want 2nd place.... Oh wait we don't do knocking on doors do we.

[Sonoftherock]

I have sent it to him, with copies to Duncan Fraser and Craig Brown. Can't say I am expecting a reply but you never know. I found it therapeutic if nothing else.

 

Great post mate & ignore the cat calls from the zoomers! I feel the same sometimes... often it helps just to get your thoughts down on paper/print.

[RTYD]

Mr Stewart Milne

Chairman

Aberdeen Football Club

 

 

Dear Mr Milne,

 

It is with sadness that I write to advise you that after being a season ticket holder at Pittodrie for nearly 25 years, firstly with my father and grand-father, then with my friends and latterly with my wife, that I have taken the decision not to renew my season ticket for the 2012/13 season.

 

This decision has not been taken lightly, and is based on a multitude of factors, although predominantly sheer frustration at yet another poor season, with a real lack of quality on the park, and a lack of belief that the current management team have the vision to take us any further forward.

 

I've endured a lot of dross at Pittodrie over the years - I'm sure you won't need me to remind you of the abject failure that so many managers have overseen. I have nothing against Craig Brown personally, I'm sure he's a nice man but for me this season has been the straw that's broken the camel's back. So many false dawns, so many broken promises, so many pleas for the fans to stick with the team - and where has it got us? Absolutely nowhere.

 

The line is constantly pedalled 'we've got the fourth biggest football budget in the SPL' - is it therefore acceptable for us to have had three consecutive seasons in the bottom six and no cup finals in 12 years?

 

I don't think I have unrealistic expectations, a club our size should consistently be finishing in the top six, pushing for European qualification most seasons, and certainly getting to cup finals with more regularity than we have.

 

Since we lost in the two cup finals in the 1999/2000 season, 16 different clubs have appeared in at least one of the two national finals, these being - Ayr United, Celtic, Dundee, Dundee United, Dunfermline, Falkirk, Gretna, Hearts, Hibs, Kilmarnock, Livingston, Motherwell, Queen of the South, Rangers, Ross County and St Mirren. How depressing.

 

I can count on one hand the number of games I've actually enjoyed attending at Pittodrie this season, the rest have been insipid at best. Going to Pittodrie has become a chore, and regrettably a chore I no longer want to pay

[barassie_afc]

Decent, but expect the following platitudinal responses

 

 

i) I believe the new structure with Duncan and the new directors has the club heading the correct direction

 

ii) Our youth policy is working, we have sold Grimmer and Maguire and will sell Fyvie

 

iii) We have a 5 year plan

 

iv) Our scouting network is second to none with world class jaikie, scout Craig Robertson

 

v) Once we move to the new stadium everything will be fixed

[Karl Fletcher]

Very good letter and certainly sums up my feelings perfectly.

 

I sent an e-mail to Duncan Fraser on the potentialy Newco Hun situation on April 12th. Still waiting on thoughts and feedback from Pittodrie on that one.

 

A friend of mine got in touch with the Club before the Motherwell cup game suggesting that they perhaps put on free buses for the fans as a token of appreciation for the support and the money that we spend following this team.

 

You know, a gesture that dozens of Clubs have implemented at minimal outlay.

 

This was the reply:

 

****

 

Thanks for your input. I understand where you are coming from and I am in discussions with Motherwell FC regarding the fixture. Rest assured my desire is to ensure we have a large AFC support at the game as they will be vital to us getting through, however hard it is to attract supporters to games our away support is the best in the country (others will argue the case but take our average home and away support and I am sure you will agree)

 

Hopefully over the next couple of days I will be able to announce something positive on this.

 

Cheers

Duncan

 

Nothing more than a fob off.

 

Didn't even address the 'free bus' idea.

 

Just a pish generic reply.

[RTYD]

How many "open letters" has Milne had. Must run into the thousands now.

 

Here's a wee supplement Stewart:

 

 

The SPL leader, Neil Doncaster ( a man looking more stupid every time he opens his mouth, in my opinion) states that by not letting NewHun into the SPL will cost each team

[ridaligo]

Arild that is an excellent letter, which I think captures the consensus view among fans about how poorly our team has been managed this season.

 

The fact that we are solidly a bottom 6 team nowadays is unforgivable and unacceptable to many fans, myself included - especially given the lack of resources at other teams around us in the league, which has never been weaker.

 

That the problems with the team seem so glaringly obvious to us is the most frustrating part. That decision-making borders on the bizarre is hard to take - would explanations about why we are not offering McCardle a contract or why we are trying to convert Magennis to a right back help? I'd love to hear the reasoning if only to prove there is some.

 

Your decision not to renew your season ticket continues the gradual erosion of interest among our core support, which is a worrying trend that I fear will not be reversed any time soon, unless Brown surprises us all suddenly starts delivering with half a dozen "quality" players brought in for pre-season - I'm not holding my breath ... maybe one player we've heard of (well past his prime, no doubt), a couple of journeyman pros and a few bonus balls from the lower / non leagues abroad would be my prediction. Sound familiar?

 

It's clear the current regime have no ambition to be successful on the football pitch and instead view moving stadium as their main "corporate" goal. Brown's appointment as a "safe pair of hands" all but confirms that the extent of our footballing ambition is the avoidance of relegation while we move to a new ground.

 

Depressingly, a continued gradual reduction season ticket sales and lower gates will not cause the board any undue concern (as has been proved by their inaction in recent seasons) - if anything it will make the argument for allowing NewCo Huns back into the SPL even more compelling from their point of view. And that brings me to the point of my post - I'm convinced the the only thing that will make the board sit up and take notice is a "strike" by fans; a sudden dramatic drop in season ticket sales / attendances. The question is, when (not if) NewCo Huns are confirmed in the SPL for next season, what will the fans do? AFC and the other GoT clubs are gambling that the fans are bluffing and I think they are right - at worst there may be a token protest for a game or two but then it will be business as usual and the decline in our team (and the Scottish game in general) will continue.

 

We have an opportunity as a club to stop it happening but that would take ambition, courage, foresight and strategic thinking ... never going to happen.

[AKRedz]

And that brings me to the point of my post - I'm convinced the the only thing that will make the board sit up and take notice is a "strike" by fans; a sudden dramatic drop in season ticket sales / attendances. The question is, when (not if) NewCo Huns are confirmed in the SPL for next season, what will the fans do? AFC and the other GoT clubs are gambling that the fans are bluffing and I think they are right - at worst there may be a token protest for a game or two but then it will be business as usual and the decline in our team (and the Scottish game in general) will continue.

 

We have an opportunity as a club to stop it happening but that would take ambition, courage, foresight and strategic thinking ... never going to happen.

 

I'm guessing that AFC will notice a sudden dramatic drop in both ST sales and walk-ins very soon. And it will have very little to do with the Huns situation.

In all honesty, other than a general loathing of both of the bigot brothers, I will not be unduly surprised if somehow the SPL contrive to keep the status quo going.

 

Where the AFC fans protest will come from, is a continuous growing disappointment in the management of our club,a lack of foresight and planning and a seeming acceptance from the Board that doing nothing is a perfectly good business plan.

[Dandyesque]

I have sent it to him, with copies to Duncan Fraser and Craig Brown. Can't say I am expecting a reply but you never know. I found it therapeutic if nothing else.

 

 

Good stuff- think your letter is a good one- was only the value of not sending it direct that I was questioniny