It's not about being secretive and it's not true that the other club always have the news before ours. What some clubs do, like Southend did with James Walker, is run the story BEFORE the deal is done but more than a few times our OS has had the confirmed news first. I think that was the case with Hudson and Fleetwood.
It's potentially damaging to announce a game or signing before the contracts are signed (yes, friendly games have contracts) due to the damage if it goes wrong as well as it being rather rude to make an announcement before the other club IMHO.
No one is really losing out but not hearing some speculation.
So maybe you learn we are playing LA Galaxy or whoever on 2 Aug tomorrow rather than today but it avoids the embarrassment of getting it wrong (see above) and then having complaints that we have mislead fans or lied to them or that the club is inefficient or incompetent.
You may not say that but there will always be some who are ready to jump on any mistake, real or imagined, by the club. I don't know why that it but it is.
It's not me just sticking up for the club right or wrong but trying to explain why things happen in a certain way. People may disagree and maybe even the press guys would like to run stories before they are confirmed rather than being scooped but that's club policy.
As it happens in the football league fans survey 2008 the club with the Official Site that came 2nd for Club news and 1st for Ticket Information was...............
Actually I can't say. You'll have to wait for the official announcement from whichever club it is.
fair point Henry, but to echo most other feelings on here its a bit galling to find that currently on 3 (THREE) seperate OFFICIAL sites ( Iran, Bilboa & colchester) we are led to believe that a team from Charlton Athletic are playing a football match somewhere but OFFICIALLY we aren't
I'm sure a small piece on the OS stating "we are trying to organise" or " we are currently negotiating with" would go a long way in pleasing us fans. Remember, this is 2008 Britain, not 1950's Russia.
[cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]
As it happens in the football league fans survey 2008 the club with the Official Site that came 2nd for Club news and 1st for Ticket Information was...............
Actually I can't say. You'll have to wait for the official announcement from whichever club it is.
You see that is just what I meant about some fans looking for something to attack the club with.
We don't announce a friendly game before contracts have been exchanged and that males us like Stalinist Russia where people were killed or sent to Gulags for speaking out of line.
No over reaction to having to wait a few hours there then Golfie or until all the facts are in.
And you said that "officially" were not playing Bilbao. No one at CAFC has said that. You just made that up.
[cite]Posted By: guinnessaddick[/cite]
[cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]
As it happens in the football league fans survey 2008 the club with the Official Site that came 2nd for Club news and 1st for Ticket Information was...............
Actually I can't say. You'll have to wait for the official announcement from whichever club it is.
How good, must other clubs be? ;-0
Not as good as which ever club that might be obviously but then maybe some fans of whichever club it was that came 1st and 2nd don't want to hear that.
It might challenge their preconceptions and give them one less thing to moan about. : - (
The Colchester site says "subject to the final agreements for the game being signed, Bilbao will be the guests for the U's second ramp-up event at the new 10,000 all-seater stadium at the start of August."
Just to clarify, I'm not having a go at the club. I think friendlies are a totally waste of time from a spectators point of view so couldn’t care less if we play Althetic Bilbao, Dynamo Kiev or any other ‘big’ name club who will more than likely field their reserves.
And while I’m ‘on’, I actually think the OS is pretty good. Certainly much better than those Premier TV sites that a few people (on other CAFC forums) are calling for. The same people no doubt who would then moan at the club for charging supporters a subscription fee to listen to interviews etc...
.....but I still think the kit is an abomination (sorry Henry).
I have occasionally had a pop at the OS but I have to say that I prefer it greatly from the stereo-typical Premium.TV sites that predominate in the FL/Championship. The clubs sub-contract their sites to these people and you get alot of guff alot of the time.
It seems to me there are three main ways information can be diseminated:-
the first is to break news which is far from confirmed based on the "scoop" method - thats what independant web-sites do - unfortunately much of what is claimed is just wrong
the second is to go on official leaks before deals are actually completed - thats what the Premium TV sites do - unfortunately they still get it wrong like the case Henry quotes of James Walker to Southend
the third is to wait for official confirmation and then announce it at the earliest opportunity - thats what our OS does - unfortunately it sometimes frustrates fans who have heard unconfirmed details from other sites
On balance I prefer the way the OS does it. There is occasionally a case where perhaps the OS could give an advanced warning of something that is being finalised, by saying "the club is hopeful of securing an agreement etc". The only problem is where there is some delicate negotiation going on and going public too early might scupper the deal. All in all though I'd rather hear it as confirmed official news as at present. (It's a similar issue that used to pertain with the BBC, most people would only believe something was true if the Beeb reported it. Sadly I'm not sure you can rely on that now.)
If we ever succumb to Premium TV (or Football League Interactive as it's now called), it'll be a sad day.
Trouble is, the speed of communication these days means that people tend to be less patient. People just have to accept that it's part of the business of football that sometimes news has to be held back - increasingly, it's not just on the field that we compete.
Comments
It's potentially damaging to announce a game or signing before the contracts are signed (yes, friendly games have contracts) due to the damage if it goes wrong as well as it being rather rude to make an announcement before the other club IMHO.
No one is really losing out but not hearing some speculation.
So maybe you learn we are playing LA Galaxy or whoever on 2 Aug tomorrow rather than today but it avoids the embarrassment of getting it wrong (see above) and then having complaints that we have mislead fans or lied to them or that the club is inefficient or incompetent.
You may not say that but there will always be some who are ready to jump on any mistake, real or imagined, by the club. I don't know why that it but it is.
It's not me just sticking up for the club right or wrong but trying to explain why things happen in a certain way. People may disagree and maybe even the press guys would like to run stories before they are confirmed rather than being scooped but that's club policy.
As it happens in the football league fans survey 2008 the club with the Official Site that came 2nd for Club news and 1st for Ticket Information was...............
Actually I can't say. You'll have to wait for the official announcement from whichever club it is.
I'm sure a small piece on the OS stating "we are trying to organise" or " we are currently negotiating with" would go a long way in pleasing us fans. Remember, this is 2008 Britain, not 1950's Russia.
How good, must other clubs be? ;-0
We don't announce a friendly game before contracts have been exchanged and that males us like Stalinist Russia where people were killed or sent to Gulags for speaking out of line.
No over reaction to having to wait a few hours there then Golfie or until all the facts are in.
And you said that "officially" were not playing Bilbao. No one at CAFC has said that. You just made that up.
Not as good as which ever club that might be obviously but then maybe some fans of whichever club it was that came 1st and 2nd don't want to hear that.
It might challenge their preconceptions and give them one less thing to moan about. : - (
so it might not happen.
Only if you've signed the contract first, DA9.
And not until it's on the OS.
;o)
I think friendlies are a totally waste of time from a spectators point of view so couldn’t care less if we play Althetic Bilbao, Dynamo Kiev or any other ‘big’ name club who will more than likely field their reserves.
And while I’m ‘on’, I actually think the OS is pretty good. Certainly much better than those Premier TV sites that a few people (on other CAFC forums) are calling for. The same people no doubt who would then moan at the club for charging supporters a subscription fee to listen to interviews etc...
.....but I still think the kit is an abomination (sorry Henry).
Have we signed anyone yet?!
;o)
It seems to me there are three main ways information can be diseminated:-
the first is to break news which is far from confirmed based on the "scoop" method - thats what independant web-sites do - unfortunately much of what is claimed is just wrong
the second is to go on official leaks before deals are actually completed - thats what the Premium TV sites do - unfortunately they still get it wrong like the case Henry quotes of James Walker to Southend
the third is to wait for official confirmation and then announce it at the earliest opportunity - thats what our OS does - unfortunately it sometimes frustrates fans who have heard unconfirmed details from other sites
On balance I prefer the way the OS does it. There is occasionally a case where perhaps the OS could give an advanced warning of something that is being finalised, by saying "the club is hopeful of securing an agreement etc". The only problem is where there is some delicate negotiation going on and going public too early might scupper the deal. All in all though I'd rather hear it as confirmed official news as at present. (It's a similar issue that used to pertain with the BBC, most people would only believe something was true if the Beeb reported it. Sadly I'm not sure you can rely on that now.)
Trouble is, the speed of communication these days means that people tend to be less patient. People just have to accept that it's part of the business of football that sometimes news has to be held back - increasingly, it's not just on the field that we compete.
Do you know if this game is still down as a testimonial for Colin Powell?
Thanks
No, it's not as far as I know. Paddy's testimonial will be next year I hear