Perhaps I would have been better off saying that she was raising her voice. She wasn't aggressive, just sticking up for herself. I think she'll think twice before getting the train again though.
So to get this right eye witness is now saying KM was the aggressor, picking drunken fights with Charlton Rainbows?
Don't think anyone is suggesting personal abuse would be ok. Public confrontations after such a week are bound to end in disaster.
Good post @micks1950. An accurate summary of the issue (and what is not the issue)
I'm in the camp of those ready to cut Katrien some slack, in the belief that she may have been placed in an impossible position by her boss. And some of the vitriolic comments have been right over the top. Individuals might feel they could withdraw some comments. But a mass apology on behalf of the fan base? I don't think so. And I doubt my colleagues on the Trust board think so either. I cannot think of another business where the customers would apologise to the management.
But maybe when she's back from Watford Fanny will have time to reflect on it all too.
Yes, as always, PA, I was at Watford. Where else would I be ?
Having speedily looked through the posts made since we left home at 11.30am, I have come to the conclusion that I am the victim of my own honesty and loyalty.
Unfortunately for me, I also wear my heart on my sleeve - that same heart that has a certain football club "engraved" on it.
It would appear that these so called ( maybe outdated) qualities are best kept hidden away, securely under lock & key.
I listen, I form my own conclusions & should they differ from those of others, I argue my case....BUT I am prepared to admit I'm wrong. Unfortunately, that is a quality that has been severely lacking in this thread.
Maybe the truth will out regarding the management appointment issue , maybe it will always be clouded in controversy.
I have formed my own conclusion and am weary of defending it so that's me done here.
Have I reconsidered my stance regarding an apology to our CEO ?
I have decided to take a leaf out of a former Club employee's book and pretend that question wasn't asked.
So if KM was a man would anyone complain about it?
She's not a man; she's a woman on a train a load of frustrated, angry men with only her to blame and she's close to tears, apparently.
You work it out.
She's Chief Exec and responsible for a farce of a "company" in chaos that "customers" care passionately about.
Gender doesn't come into it.
Nor do manners by the sound of it. Gender may or may not come into it but shouting at anyone is not reasonable way to behave if you expect to be given an answer to your concerns.
Is it really worth digging out Katrien for her decision to catch a blimmin train? like all who set out today she didn't travel by train up to Watford expecting or hoping for that. I bet she was gutted by the display, but having travelled by train what was she supposed to do, wait under a flyover until the coast was clear? Perhaps Katrien set out for Watford today hoping that the journey home would be a merry one after a Charlton win, something she would enjoy experiencing. Katrien can be criticised for a number of things I suppose, but not for travelling on a train surely?
Shameful by those fans to do that to anyone on the train man or woman but it will hopefully not be used now as an excuse to deflect from her involvement with recent goings on at the club, as puppet or not she is still CEO of our club.
I wasn't on this infamous train, but I suspect the image of a group of crazed animals screaming in a woman's face is well wide of the mark. If I'd been sitting opposite Katrien I'd have wanted some answers, I would have been fairly passionate and I might well have ended up raising my voice. Anyway, I'm sure this will quickly enter into mythology and that will be that.
I hate it when people constantly misuse the term "embarrassing" on this site and elsewhere to describe anger, frustration, disappointment etc over a football result.
But I tell you what is embarrassing is grown men bringing a women close to tears on a train and other grown men defending that.
Sorry Henry, l have to disagree. As someone who used the term embarrassing to describe that 'performance' in the post-match thread, l stand by it - because when you have mates taking the mick because they've seen your result and the opposition fans are saying we're worse than Millwall etc, that is embarrassing as far as l'm concerned.
However, if what has been described here on the train is accurate - with a number of people apparently bullying someone to the point of tears - then embarrassing is absolutely not the right word. Despicable would be closer, in my view. I'm not embarrassed by that behaviour, l'm disgusted.
Shameful by those fans to do that to anyone on the train man or woman but it will hopefully not be used now as an excuse to deflect from her involvement with recent goings on at the club, as puppet or not she is still CEO of our club.
Of course it will. St Joan of Arc on the 5.32 from Watford Junction.
Katrien travelling back on a train with disgruntled supporters. Surely Roly should have had a chauffeur driven car to take her back to her London residence. I blame our penny pinching owner!
So if KM was a man would anyone complain about it?
She's not a man; she's a woman on a train a load of frustrated, angry men with only her to blame and she's close to tears, apparently.
You work it out.
What does she expect? Whilst I would hope there was no intimidating/threatening/abusive behaviour towards her, if fans are showing their passion and indeed frustration, they have every right to do so. If she doesn't like it then maybe she shouldn't put herself in such positions. Maybe under the circumstances she should have made other travel arrangements. I can't help feeling that by her jumping on the train, she is showing that she maybe doesn't completely understand how many of the fans feel. If she did, and chose to travel anyway, then she should have been fully aware that she might be the brunt of people's frustration.
I have ZERO sympathy for the woman. If she is going to continue to be the mouthpiece for RD and the executor of his biddings then she will continue to come under pressure from the fans if things are not going right. She has a choice in this, if she doesn't like it, she can resign and let someone else take on the responsibility. Otherwise she needs to suck it up and accept it's part of the job.
Nobody deserves abuse but it will do her no harm to hear how the fans are really feeling about this whole debacle
CEJ says she was being 'grilled'. I would imagine most of us finding ourselves opposite KM on the way home from that game would have asked questions.
CEJ says she was close to tears but also that two chaps with her did not help, seems unlikely to me. We were all a little close to tears after that game.
No comments of abuse or even of people shouting at her or raising their voices. Nothing to see here IMO. Move on.
So if KM was a man would anyone complain about it?
She's not a man; she's a woman on a train a load of frustrated, angry men with only her to blame and she's close to tears, apparently.
You work it out.
What does she expect? Whilst I would hope there was no intimidating/threatening/abusive behaviour towards her, if fans are showing their passion and indeed frustration, they have every right to do so. If she doesn't like it then maybe she shouldn't put herself in such positions. Maybe under the circumstances she should have made other travel arrangements. I can't help feeling that by her jumping on the train, she is showing that she maybe doesn't completely understand how many of the fans feel. If she did, and chose to travel anyway, then she should have been fully aware that she might be the brunt of people's frustration.
I have ZERO sympathy for the woman. If she is going to continue to be the mouthpiece for RD and the executor of his biddings then she will continue to come under pressure from the fans if things are not going right. She has a choice in this, if she doesn't like it, she can resign and let someone else take on the responsibility. Otherwise she needs to suck it up and accept it's part of the job.
What a heartless prick u seem to be. Its not her fault, that lies with the faceless Roland. She has been hung out to drying by him.
Imagine the abuse she took being directed at your wife or daughter.
So if KM was a man would anyone complain about it?
She's not a man; she's a woman on a train a load of frustrated, angry men with only her to blame and she's close to tears, apparently.
You work it out.
What does she expect? Whilst I would hope there was no intimidating/threatening/abusive behaviour towards her, if fans are showing their passion and indeed frustration, they have every right to do so. If she doesn't like it then maybe she shouldn't put herself in such positions. Maybe under the circumstances she should have made other travel arrangements. I can't help feeling that by her jumping on the train, she is showing that she maybe doesn't completely understand how many of the fans feel. If she did, and chose to travel anyway, then she should have been fully aware that she might be the brunt of people's frustration.
I have ZERO sympathy for the woman. If she is going to continue to be the mouthpiece for RD and the executor of his biddings then she will continue to come under pressure from the fans if things are not going right. She has a choice in this, if she doesn't like it, she can resign and let someone else take on the responsibility. Otherwise she needs to suck it up and accept it's part of the job.
What a heartless prick u seem to be. Its not her fault, that lies with the faceless Roland. She has been hung out to drying by him.
Imagine the abuse she took being directed at your wife or daughter.
Agree. It's Roland who should be apologising to her.
So if KM was a man would anyone complain about it?
She's not a man; she's a woman on a train a load of frustrated, angry men with only her to blame and she's close to tears, apparently.
You work it out.
What does she expect? Whilst I would hope there was no intimidating/threatening/abusive behaviour towards her, if fans are showing their passion and indeed frustration, they have every right to do so. If she doesn't like it then maybe she shouldn't put herself in such positions. Maybe under the circumstances she should have made other travel arrangements. I can't help feeling that by her jumping on the train, she is showing that she maybe doesn't completely understand how many of the fans feel. If she did, and chose to travel anyway, then she should have been fully aware that she might be the brunt of people's frustration.
I have ZERO sympathy for the woman. If she is going to continue to be the mouthpiece for RD and the executor of his biddings then she will continue to come under pressure from the fans if things are not going right. She has a choice in this, if she doesn't like it, she can resign and let someone else take on the responsibility. Otherwise she needs to suck it up and accept it's part of the job.
What a heartless prick u seem to be. Its not her fault, that lies with the faceless Roland. She has been hung out to drying by him.
Imagine the abuse she took being directed at your wife or daughter.
What abuse did she take then? Details please, based on your own ears and eyes or credible primary sources.
Seeing Katrien get off the train at 10 past one at Watford high street station, and my first thought was your brave after the last week, and hoping she wouldn't be traveling with the fans after the game because she would get verbals as i expected us to lose by a few.
Does the CEO of the oppos not get invited in to the boardroom any more for drinks ?
Talking to fans young and old today, the concenus wasn't just that another coach came from the network but that there was a chance of anyone else even being considered.
Once fans don't trust you it will be difficult for katrien to gain some respect.
a crowded train even after a trashing is no time to get on your soapbox and let off stream to a young woman traveling home.
Was she brave or foolish ? a bit of both if you think about it.
Can't imagine Karen Brady doing that last season when wet spam wanted Big Sam out.
Pay for a taxi, Roland you tight git, she your CEO who is taking flax for you.
So if KM was a man would anyone complain about it?
She's not a man; she's a woman on a train a load of frustrated, angry men with only her to blame and she's close to tears, apparently.
You work it out.
What does she expect? Whilst I would hope there was no intimidating/threatening/abusive behaviour towards her, if fans are showing their passion and indeed frustration, they have every right to do so. If she doesn't like it then maybe she shouldn't put herself in such positions. Maybe under the circumstances she should have made other travel arrangements. I can't help feeling that by her jumping on the train, she is showing that she maybe doesn't completely understand how many of the fans feel. If she did, and chose to travel anyway, then she should have been fully aware that she might be the brunt of people's frustration.
I have ZERO sympathy for the woman. If she is going to continue to be the mouthpiece for RD and the executor of his biddings then she will continue to come under pressure from the fans if things are not going right. She has a choice in this, if she doesn't like it, she can resign and let someone else take on the responsibility. Otherwise she needs to suck it up and accept it's part of the job.
What a heartless prick u seem to be. Its not her fault, that lies with the faceless Roland. She has been hung out to drying by him.
Imagine the abuse she took being directed at your wife or daughter.
Listen, whatever you think I seem to be is fine by me, these are my opinions and I'm happy with the way I feel about it. I'm not bothered what other people think of me. The point that you are missing is that although it may be RD pulling the strings, she is happy to collect a tidy sum of money to be his puppet. Nobody is forcing that on her. She has a choice of taking it or walking away with her head held high after telling Roland to do his own dirty work.
For info, my wife is a highly skilled psychiatric practitioner. Some days are terrible, verbal abuse and even physical attacks are not uncommon. But you know what, she loves her job, obviously not on those bad days, but I couldn't talk her out of changing careers even if I wanted to. The bad stuff just goes with the job. she accepts that and just gets on with it. Nobody forces her to go to that place every day. Nobody is forcing Meire either.
Without being funny, with all that is going on with the club, the lies she has spouted. Add in men who after a few beers who are going to be fuming with the result (when it comes to your own football club it's an emotional game, we've all shouted or done silly stuff post-match I'm sure), a trip to a ground spending your hard earned watch your team lose 5-0 is icing on the cake..... She's the CEO of our club, she essentially has the biggest say in the club bar Roly who won't be seen around our club publicly for a while.
She's not going to get hugs and selfies... just hope nothing too bad was said.
Comments
Don't think anyone is suggesting personal abuse would be ok. Public confrontations after such a week are bound to end in disaster.
Having speedily looked through the posts made since we left home at 11.30am, I have come to the conclusion that I am the victim of my own honesty and loyalty.
Unfortunately for me, I also wear my heart on my sleeve - that same heart that has a certain football club "engraved" on it.
It would appear that these so called ( maybe outdated) qualities are best kept hidden away, securely under lock & key.
I listen, I form my own conclusions & should they differ from those of others, I argue my case....BUT I am prepared to admit I'm wrong. Unfortunately, that is a quality that has been severely lacking in this thread.
Maybe the truth will out regarding the management appointment issue , maybe it will always be clouded in controversy.
I have formed my own conclusion and am weary of defending it so that's me done here.
Have I reconsidered my stance regarding an apology to our CEO ?
I have decided to take a leaf out of a former Club employee's book and pretend that question wasn't asked.
It would appear that's the way forward.
Gender may or may not come into it but shouting at anyone is not reasonable way to behave if you expect to be given an answer to your concerns.
Perhaps Katrien set out for Watford today hoping that the journey home would be a merry one after a Charlton win, something she would enjoy experiencing.
Katrien can be criticised for a number of things I suppose, but not for travelling on a train surely?
Anyway, I'm sure this will quickly enter into mythology and that will be that.
However, if what has been described here on the train is accurate - with a number of people apparently bullying someone to the point of tears - then embarrassing is absolutely not the right word. Despicable would be closer, in my view. I'm not embarrassed by that behaviour, l'm disgusted.
Surely Roly should have had a chauffeur driven car to take her
back to her London residence. I blame our penny pinching owner!
CEJ says she was being 'grilled'. I would imagine most of us finding ourselves opposite KM on the way home from that game would have asked questions.
CEJ says she was close to tears but also that two chaps with her did not help, seems unlikely to me. We were all a little close to tears after that game.
No comments of abuse or even of people shouting at her or raising their voices. Nothing to see here IMO. Move on.
Imagine the abuse she took being directed at your wife or daughter.
It's Roland who should be apologising to her.
and my first thought was your brave after the last week, and hoping she wouldn't be traveling with the fans after the game because she would get verbals as i expected us to lose by a few.
Does the CEO of the oppos not get invited in to the boardroom any more for drinks ?
Talking to fans young and old today, the concenus wasn't just that another coach came from the network but
that there was a chance of anyone else even being considered.
Once fans don't trust you it will be difficult for katrien to gain some respect.
a crowded train even after a trashing is no time to get on your soapbox and let off stream to a young woman
traveling home.
Was she brave or foolish ? a bit of both if you think about it.
Can't imagine Karen Brady doing that last season when wet spam wanted Big Sam out.
Pay for a taxi, Roland you tight git, she your CEO who is taking flax for you.
For info, my wife is a highly skilled psychiatric practitioner. Some days are terrible, verbal abuse and even physical attacks are not uncommon. But you know what, she loves her job, obviously not on those bad days, but I couldn't talk her out of changing careers even if I wanted to. The bad stuff just goes with the job. she accepts that and just gets on with it. Nobody forces her to go to that place every day. Nobody is forcing Meire either.
She's not going to get hugs and selfies... just hope nothing too bad was said.