An Open post to Phoenix

[mrinde]

Guys, I am writing this, because I feel that some people may be misunderstanding the message of Phoenix. This is an open and honest attempt to bring him back onto the same hymn sheet.


Phoenix,

I'm not sure what you are trying to achieve here on the forum of late. I've said it b4 here, u know me better than just about anyone on this forum. Brother, I am at a complete loss with you and your aims.

Despite your words, I know what SOFC means to you and I understand where you would like it to be, but I have seen very little positive action from you recently. If you have the time to be on this forum, take the time to advise those who have taken up the baton how to achieve the dream.

You and your Family have had a fucked up experience recently with people in SOFC and people who want to associate themselves with SOFC.

The jersey and spirit of SOFC hold you, your family and every other true supporter within the heart of the club. No-one but those who harm the club get excluded unless you choose to excluded yourself.

What you have forgotten in all of this is that SOFC is what we make it and if enough of us want change then it is up to us.

Forget about the past....Do you want the revenge? Then there is no better revenge than success. Get on the page and start to act positively. If this means campaigning against elements within the club? Then educate the people at large, make a case for your point of view, keep it simple and succinct, sell the substance.

I don't want to read another manifesto, I don't want to read about shifting responsibility to board members or Football NSW. I want to read about how the people that love and care for SOFC can take control and dictate the future.

Now get writing, I look forward to the read, I know you have some great ideas and plans. Let's set a game plan to build SOFC to the Giant it deserves to be.

Here's something to get you started.....

1. About 10 years ago there was a core element of supporters that I would regard as passionate and highly educated in their careers and the politics of football and football clubs...hold this thought.

2. You and your brother have unique and valuable knowledge of what it takes to get SOFC through season by season (I'm talking dollars and sense here now).

Can you propose what it would take to mold together point 1 with their passion, knowledge and corporate contacts along with the real life dollars and sense and propose an alternate ticket/board with necessary funding to return control of the club back to its rightful heirs and not to an interest group?

Let's keep it positive and work toward solutions.....I don't want to hear whinge f'n whinge.

Mr Inde

[phoenix]

Oct 4, 2010 18:13:24 GMT 10 mrinde said:

No-one but those who harm the club get excluded unless you choose to excluded yourself.

Not correct. My brother was asked/forced to resign from the Board. What Board at State League level asks for a board member to resign. And on top of that for his family to be treated like the way it's been treated. A family of volunteers being ousted and rubbished by the very board the family helped. Where have you heard such a fiasco? NOWHERE until now.

[phoenix]

Oct 4, 2010 18:13:24 GMT 10 mrinde said:

Then educate the people at large, make a case for your point of view, keep it simple and succinct, sell the substance.

The simple facts of what happened to me and my family should be enough to send alarm bells ringing amongst the Olympic fans that care - to alert them that the fish is stinking extremely badly at the top and it's festering throughout the administration of the club.

[phoenix]

Oct 4, 2010 18:13:24 GMT 10 mrinde said:

1. About 10 years ago there was a core element of supporters that I would regard as passionate and highly educated in their careers and the politics of football and football clubs...hold this thought.

Most of these core element are very close to us and are fully aware of what has happened. There is very very little chance that they are going to get themselves involved.. not only because of what happened but because they've already been burnt themselves through volunteering at board and administration and match day operation level.

[phoenix]

Oct 4, 2010 18:13:24 GMT 10 mrinde said:

2. You and your brother have unique and valuable knowledge of what it takes to get SOFC through season by season (I'm talking dollars and sense here now).

I thank you for your kind words about our knowledge about the club. But doesn't it concern you that the club would disregard this knowledge and rather listen to the views of other people who run their own personal agendas rather than people who put Olympic's interests at the top of their agenda?

Big hint here: Why do you think the Vice President recently resigned? Because he had too much on his plate in his personal life? If you believe that then you believe in the tooth fairy.

He was disgusted in how some people (not only my family) have been treated and how some people have taken over the club.

[mrinde]

You don't have to be on the board....

You don't have to be receiving recognition..

In fact you don't even have to be going to games...

to help the club.

Your brother was asked/forced to resign....I accept that. But a question for him, does he still want to give to the club? If so, why not act on points 1 and 2 above and make it happen.

A family being ousted? I accept that too.

It seems like you have resigned yourself to accept the whim of a person and number of people and are missing the bigger picture.

Stop setting yourself up for matyrdom and propose a solution to stop and reverse the rot.

You can't move forward whilst looking in the rearview mirror.

Start proposing solutions, start assisting or just sit quietly and let those who want to do something act.

You know I have no agenda other than having the best people possible providing the best solutions possible to my SOFC.

I asking you to help provide these solutions.

Mr Inde

[phoenix]

Oct 4, 2010 18:13:24 GMT 10 mrinde said:

Can you propose what it would take to mold together point 1 with their passion, knowledge and corporate contacts along with the real life dollars and sense and propose an alternate ticket/board with necessary funding to return control of the club back to its rightful heirs and not to an interest group?

Let's keep it positive and work toward solutions.....
Mr Inde

Just as I ended my lengthy piece on a positive note for Olympic's future.. I'll do the same here.

For Olympic to make any progress whatsoever in the future, and for any new blood to join the ranks.. the President has to either resign or someone from left field (like a Con Constantine) take over.

This would drastically shift the balance of power back to people who care about Olympic.

Only then will new fresh people get involved at a voluntary basis and at a financial basis, ie: sponsorship or tipping money into the club.

To prove my point: How many people on this forum are prepared to help the club on a voluntary basis ie: help out at match days and work close to the club.. and I don't mean what some of the guys were doing as Ultras..

Why did the Supporters Club of 2009 that swelled over ten people be cut down to a mere 3. Why did everyone leave all of a sudden..which made the directors have to roll their sleeves up and run matchday operations themselves?

Do you guys think I get pleasure in exposing what is going on at the club? In a way I do because I know I am helping to 'cleanse' the club.. but the very big problem is that not many people are listening... and why aren't they listening?? because there's no one who's prepared to stand up and join the board and take over.

In years gone by we had people battling elections to get onto the board. Nowadays all you have to do is go to a meeting.. say "I want to join the Board" and you are in.

It's very hard work being a director. These current directors are doing it extremely tough. They are working extremely hard. I commend them for this. (kon12.. you know what commend means now). But they have sown the seeds of their hard work by treating volunteers like they were staff members.. You can hire and fire staff but you can't 'hire' volunteers...

The whole history of Olympic, all the hard work, the club houses, the offices... it's all been thanks to the hard passionate work of volunteers...

Without volunteers Olympic will not survive... Even the white knights needed volunteers to help the club - something that Rasko respected to the n'th degree. Some of the arguments Rasko had with the white knights in defending the volunteers were a true testament of how much Rasko cared for Olympic.

I predict that the current president will resign once he realises that he can't carry the weight of the great financial and labour burden on his shoulders.. He might even realise that he's been listening to the wrong people. I then believe that the former Vice President will get involved again, backed by his family and his father in law (in particular). New people will come into the club and there's a chance some of the old volunteers will come and help. Then, and only then, will things really improve for the club. The atmosphere, the culture, the aura of the club will be positive.

Right now, the club is not a happy club. Finished second last, dwindling support, directors leaving all the time...

The club boasts that they secured a long term deal for Belmore Sports Ground.. but even that appears to be a false positive. I have learned from very reliable sources that the lease of Belmore for the 25 whatever years it's for, is between Canterbury Council and Canterbury Bulldogs. Olympic didn't sign a lease with the council. It appears Olympic is a sub-tenant..

And there are dark clouds on the horizon concerning Olympic's tenure at Belmore. When the deal was done for Olympic to be a long term occupant at Belmore, it was based on a ground-share with the Bulldogs but based on Olympic only playing first grade and Under 20's at the ground, plus training.

Now that Olympic has managed to get the Youth playing at Belmore and add to this a Womens team (don't get me wrong, I fully support the youth and the womens team playing at belmore) , well, this has thrown a spanner in the works.

There are a series of meetings coming up very shortly between Olympic, the bulldogs and council about the sudden change in usage of the ground. The Bulldogs will be seeking a 're-negotiation of rent to be paid' based on a user pays basis. I don't think the bulldogs will want to pay the majority of the rent only for Olympic to use the ground most of the time.

But now it seems that Olympic will be compelled to pay a much much higher amount in yearly rent... adding to the crippling operational costs in running the club.

It's a herculian task for the club to be taken to a new direction. I know that I can't be part of this effort - I've done more than my fair share for the club and I'd rather some fresh faces get involved.. fresh people who have plenty of energy and without baggage from the past. I've got far too much baggage and besides, the current regime wouldn't have any part of me anyway..

That's not to say that some people on here can't pull it off. If my above prediction comes true then I see a very very bright future for the club. This would put a big smile on my face, knowing that the future of the club is being controlled by people who are working for the club and not for their own personal self interest.

[phoenix]

Oct 4, 2010 18:32:24 GMT 10 mrinde said:

Your brother was asked/forced to resign....I accept that. But a question for him, does he still want to give to the club?

If I have given more than my fair share for the club, then my brother has given a million times more than me.

Does he still want to give to the club? I doubt it. He's been extremely hurt by what has happened (and is still happening, believe it or not).

I know for a fact that both my father and I would be outraged if my brother got himself involved in the club with the current board in place and certain elements heavily influencing the board. Mr Inde, you know that for me to say such a thing shows how angry I really am. How hurt I really am. It's hard for me to propose detailed positive things about an organisation that has heaped so much hurt on my family.