Steve Gibson's fmttm Q and A - Thursday

I really really hope this is a big success, that Steve Gibson takes the criticism on the chin, and he decides to and has the courage to do this more often.

I hope fans won't turn up with an axe to grind about things that are likely going to be out of Gibson's control (because that will be a waste of everyone's evening). I hope the fans attending can recognise that after such a long time of poor comms from the top, this is going to be a process, not a solution.

If Gibson learns one thing this season it should be that no matter who you are, it takes years to build up a positive reputation and 'love for the brand' and five minutes to rip it all up and need to start again. That was the season ticket price announcement farrago. So he's recognised there needs to be a change.

In his defence, I suspect the time since the 2006 glory season hasn't been his favourite at the club with one thing after another - financial crisis affecting his businesses, banks putting pressure on the club, having to go back to brass tacks following years of spending big, getting back to the PL and messing up royally, Monk spending a fortune and taking him for a mug, COVID-19 pushing football as a whole to the brink. It's going to knock your belief and passion from time to time. I'm not surprised he's decided to keep schtum.

But the pieces can fall into place again for another great period for the club. There is good stuff happening throughout the club, and it is still such an important part of Teesside community, and its easy to forget or diminish that after a 1-0 home defeat to some cloggers.

Sometimes you need to completely mess up to see the error of your ways.
 
- Just a quick note to everyone food is going to be served from 6.45pm.
We are looking to get the evening on the way as soon as everyone has been served and eaten their food.
So, don't be late and miss your scran.

Robert
 
jonny_greenings_sock said:
Great that itā€™s happening and well done for organising Rob (y) Shame itā€™s not streaming, Iā€™d happily kick in a fiver to watch.

I donā€™t quite understand what you mean by we all know how these things work? Unless you mean heā€™ll be less guarded if itā€™s not being recorded? For me, I think itā€™s more engaging to hear what he actually says, rather than other peopleā€™s interpretations of or what they vaguely remember he said. If I was the presenter Iā€™d rather have my actual words out there too rather than leaving it up to others to interpret. God, weā€™ve all argued for a decade about ā€œSmash the leagueā€ and that was literally broadcast live on BBC radio.
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Yep, 2024 and we live in times of unprecedented selfishness and hypocrisy. If youā€™re genuine in saying ā€œI donā€™t quite understand what you meanā€ then you canā€™t have ever been to a concert, comedy, work meeting, in fact had any off the record conversation where you know itā€™s completely different and more candid than if it was on the record.
The ā€œsmash the leagueā€ comment is probably the reason he would be more guarded if recorded. It was used as a stick to beat him with to the point he likely thought ā€œf*** thisā€ and withdrew for all those years, something the people constantly quoting him then complained about.
You can criticise him if you like, but itā€™s his club and heā€™s doing something he doesnā€™t have to do which heā€™s been asked for. Maybe his motive is more sales, but itā€™s something the fans want.
 
I really hope for everyoneā€™s sake, that this is a success this evening. I would have loved to be there but surgery on Tuesday has prevented that. However, Iā€™m confident that there is balanced and honest reporting and feedback given and that people donā€™t spin it for their own agendas. Hope it goes well, Rob.
 
I hope if anyone asks about ticket prices it is about why our prices are so high as a baseline compared to everyone else and not why there had to be an increase this season. This season's increase is reasonably explained away with inflation but already being the most expensive in the league really needs justifying. Gibson might have that justification but if the wrong question is asked (about this season's increase) then it's an easy one to fob off.
 
Nano said:
I hope if anyone asks about ticket prices it is about why our prices are so high as a baseline compared to everyone else and not why there had to be an increase this season. This season's increase is reasonably explained away with inflation but already being the most expensive in the league really needs justifying. Gibson might have that justification but if the wrong question is asked (about this season's increase) then it's an easy one to fob off.
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The much more difficult question is why non SC prices are so obscenely high and why new SC's are so much more expensive than EB.
 
indeedido said:
The much more difficult question is why non SC prices are so obscenely high and why new SC's are so much more expensive than EB.
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Add to that the ridiculous children's (non) banding.

Many clubs have U5s free then U10s / U16s / U18s etc varying prices.

Ā£20 for a 6 yr old takes the p*ss.

Appreciate there is the GRFZ but it's not always available.
 
indeedido said:
The much more difficult question is why non SC prices are so obscenely high and why new SC's are so much more expensive than EB.
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Be interesting to see how this plays out.
SG ought to be well advised.
If so, he may hit this head on without the question being needed.

If not, someone needs to be brave and probe it.
 
Nano said:
Categorising juniors is something that makes sense as a concept but when you actually think about it then I'm not sure it does. Juniors don't pay for their tickets, an adult pays for them. A 5, 9 or 12 year old are contributing the same amount to the price of a ticket. You could argue that teenagers could contribute because they can start working a paper round or part-time etc but not massively. I would say categories for U16, 16-18, 18-21 makes the most sense. You wouldn't want kids to stop going at teenage age because the prices became too much for them.
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Forgot to reply to this post the other day but yes, having an U16, 16-18 and 18-21 category would be good.

Charge Ā£5 for U16's - they're going to have to be accompanied by an adult, so if a father took his young son to the game the club would still end up making Ā£37.
 
Gains said:
Yep, 2024 and we live in times of unprecedented selfishness and hypocrisy. If youā€™re genuine in saying ā€œI donā€™t quite understand what you meanā€ then you canā€™t have ever been to a concert, comedy, work meeting, in fact had any off the record conversation where you know itā€™s completely different and more candid than if it was on the record.
The ā€œsmash the leagueā€ comment is probably the reason he would be more guarded if recorded. It was used as a stick to beat him with to the point he likely thought ā€œf*** thisā€ and withdrew for all those years, something the people constantly quoting him then complained about.
You can criticise him if you like, but itā€™s his club and heā€™s doing something he doesnā€™t have to do which heā€™s been asked for. Maybe his motive is more sales, but itā€™s something the fans want.
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Above all, we hope everyone attending enjoys the evening.
 
I see someone recorded part of it on their phone and has shared it on twitter, clipping Gibson saying something about having a soft spot for Boris and he and others managed to stop Houchen from ā€˜some atrocious decisionsā€™.
 
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