Apologies for lengthy cut 'n' paste jobbies.

 

MANAGER MUST ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILURES AND RECOGNISE THE CLUB IS NOT MOVING FORWARD

BY PAUL THIRD

 

Published: 25/03/2009

 

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood and his coaching staff should be sacked after the club’s Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Dunfermline.

 

The Aberdeen FC Supporters’ Society has asked Dons director of football Willie Miller to act after last Wednesday’s penalty shootout defeat at Pittodrie.

 

The society, formerly the AFC Trust, wants Miller, a member of the group, to hold his manager to account for the failure to deliver in cup competitions in his five-year tenure at Pittodrie.

 

Society board member Gordon Duncan says members want a change of manager.

 

He said: “Jimmy has done well to restore respectability at the club in the league and the Uefa Cup run last year was memorable.

 

“However, the cup performances year on year show no signs of improvement.

 

“In the 10 cup campaigns we have had, Aberdeen have started as favourites on five occasions – against Dunfermline, Queen of the South, Queen’s Park, Kilmarnock and Motherwell – and lost all of them.

 

“The club can point to being in the top six every season, and rightly so, but we are not seeing signs of the club moving forward any more.â€

 

In the letter sent to Miller, the society states: “He (Calderwood) appears to be tactically inept, continually changes team layout, players and tactics, creating confusion on and off the pitch and appears to be incapable of motivating the team for crucial games. The team performs as if it has no idea how it is meant to be playing, has no passion, commitment and very little skill. This is further demonstrated by his substitutions. How can a team that swept Celtic virtually into the North Sea a few weeks ago capitulate so meekly to Dunfermline and in some of our other disasters this season?

 

“We, as long-suffering supporters have had enough, are fed up being told we have unrealistic expectations and somehow this is our fault.

 

“We do not expect to be winning the SPL, however we do expect to be beating lower division opposition in the cups rather than losing to them in successive seasons.â€

 

The society believes Calderwood’s failure to show any culpability is a major factor in supporters wanting him removed from Pittodrie.

 

“We are fed up of Jimmy’s continual blaming of players, the pitch and anything else that takes his fancy, rather than taking personal responsibility. We were collectively dismayed Jimmy and the management team were given lucrative long-term contracts, presumably based on last season’s run in Europe.

 

“We are sure you must accept this was a big mistake now. The team is no longer improving and although it will be costly to move the entire management team, we must bite the bullet and do so. Action is required now.â€

 

Dons director Miller is disappointed the society has ignored its previous approach of engaging in dialogue with the club in favour of a more public condemnation.

 

He said: “The club, myself and Duncan Fraser (managing director) have an open-door policy within Pittodrie as far as the society is concerned. We have had regular meetings with them in my five years at the club and have always been full and frank with them. We will contact the society, of which I am a member, and ask them to come in for chat about their concerns.â€

 

Dear Willie

 

Open Letter from AFC Supporters Society concerning AFC Performance

 

Since its inception all that AFC Trust (now AFC Supporters Society) has asked for is change for the better and some progress, on football matters. Largely, since you took over as Director of Football, we have left you to get on with it and trusted you to deliver. The establishment of the AFC Youth Academy was a welcome and positive step.

 

However, after a few days reflection on recent events, we can no longer tolerate what is happening on the pitch. For three years in a row, we have been dumped out of cup competitions by lower league opposition and also humbled by Kilmarnock and Dundee United. Losses to Queens Park, Queen of the South and Dunfermline, in the circumstances that they occurred are simply unacceptable, and the supporters need to see some accountability for such results. Similarly, we have flattered to deceive in the league alternating from good spells to some atrocious football.

 

There is no evidence of further progress, rather the reverse. There is very little evidence of young players coming through or being given a chance. On paper, with McDonald, Kerr, Miller, Aluko and (when fit, Smith), we have some of the best players in the league. We also have some of the worst and as a team, we are mostly ineffective.

 

Whilst we recognise that Jimmy Calderwood joined the club when it was at a low ebb, stabilised matters in the league and has ensured top six finishes in each of his seasons, it is now clear that he has taken this process as far as he can and we now need to get fresh blood to take the club to the next level – which is competing in cup finals and being credible third place challengers (and who knows, following Hearts example, perhaps higher). He appears to be tactically inept, continually changes team layout, players and tactics, creating confusion on and off the pitch and appears to be incapable of motivating the team for crucial games. The team perform as if they have no idea how they are meant to be playing, have no passion, commitment and very little skill. This is further demonstrated by his substitutions in recent matches. How can a team that swept Celtic virtually into The North Sea a few weeks ago capitulate so meekly to Dunfermline and in some of our other disasters this season?

 

Last seasons run in Europe was welcome and exciting but we have failed to capitalise on that with subsequent performances. The coffers will suffer as a consequence meaning next season will again be difficult.

 

We, as long suffering fans have had enough, we are completely fed up being told we have unrealistic expectations and somehow this is our fault. Lets be crystal clear we do not expect to be winning the SPL, however we DO expect to be beating lower division opposition in the cups rather than losing to them in successive seasons. We are also fed up of Jimmys continual blaming of players, the pitch and anything else that takes his fancy, rather than taking some personal responsibility. For a long time, we have been looking for some leadership from him, some humility and some dignity.

 

We were collectively dismayed that Jimmy and the management team were given lucrative long term contracts, presumably based on last seasons run in Europe. I am sure you must accept this was a big mistake now. The team is no longer improving and although it will be costly to move the entire management team, we must bite the bullet and do so. To stand by and hope things get better is not an option.

 

Action is required now.

 

Yours sincerely

 

AFC Trust Society Board

 

I wonder if Milne, Miller and Calderwood are starting to get the message?

Quite a strong message which will hopefully be listened to (I'd sack him asap for the good of the club and to increase our chances of qualifying for Europe).

 

As an aside (and a whole different can of worms) I wouldn't mind the trust clarifying exactly what Chris Gavin does on the board!

Good strong message, I just hope the club actually take it seriously. Something needs to be done, but i'm not too sure if it should be now or at the end of the season 

As an aside (and a whole different can of worms) I wouldn't mind the trust clarifying exactly what Chris Gavin does on the board!

 

He's a busy man.

 

He's a flying instructor for pigs, tends to the hanging gardens of Babylon, writes the weekly fanzone for the Illuminati and is Lord Lucan's righthand man.

 

Give him a break. 

He's a flying instructor for pigs, tends to the hanging gardens of Babylon, writes the weekly fanzone for the Illuminati and is Lord Lucan's righthand man.

 

:lolabove:

 

Miller must now realise that this is the feelings of a good amount of the supporters now as opposes to trotting out "the vocal few" lines.

 

Club have stated they will not be making a public response so we will probably not get any info on this.

Club have stated they will not be making a public response so we will probably not get any info on this.

 

I can only presume that this is because the only possible public response to this is: "Er... Yes, but... Um... Top 6... Ahhh... UEFA... Ehhhh... Hold on; you're right; this guy has exhausted the patience of the fans, who are an infinitely more valuable resource to this club than Jimmy Calderwood ever has been or ever will be to anyone other than his own ego".

 

Or something along those lines.

Story was on Reporting Scotland, apparently the club have asked the society to come in and talk to them. They then went to see what the fans on the street though, found two Irish guys and some bonny quine comin oot of an office - hardly representative 

fuck me, the Trust actually speaking up!!

Being the only group representing all fans, especially since the Supporters' Club Association was disbanded, good to hear them articulating what most of us feel

some bonny quine comin oot of an office - hardly representative 

 

Totally!!! Must admit, if she was representative of our support I for one would be going to many more games! 

They don't though - they represent shareholders who consent to being represented and who agree to sign across the voting rights on their shares.

 

 

true, although that includes a huge range of folk from rich folk with loads of shares (Willie Miller) to folk who paid £10 to join the Trust and got a share in the club (like me) and alot in between.

 

As we have no other Supporters Association the Trust is all we have.

Story was on Reporting Scotland, apparently the club have asked the society to come in and talk to them. They then went to see what the fans on the street though, found two Irish guys and some bonny quine comin oot of an office - hardly representative 

 

I remember speaking to her in Munich, as we were at the same hotel. Nice lass.

The story has reached the BBC now.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aberdeen/7963266.stm

 

"We're not selfish. We know where we were under Alex Miller, Ebbe Skovdahl and Steve Paterson and this is a lot better, but nothing is happening just now."

 

Duncan believes many fans' choice as a potential replacement for Calderwood would be Pittodrie legend and current Motherwell manager Mark McGhee.

 

"On a lot of the fans' forums it's almost a forgone conclusion that Jimmy is going and there's more discussion on who will replace him," he said.

 

"Mark McGhee will be somewhere up people's preferred list and would probably be the one who would come out as favourite if Jimmy was to leave.

 

I'm not convinced Mark McGhee is the man for the job, so I'm not sure the Trust should be bandying his name around.  It's the same Trust that galvanised support for Paterson getting the job.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/aberdeen/2009/03/26/i-ll-fight-for-my-pittodrie-hot-seat-insists-underfire-aberdeen-boss-calderwood-as-fans-call-for-axe-86908-21228691/

 

I'll fight for my Pittodrie hot-seat, insists underfire Aberdeen boss Calderwood as fans call for axe

 

Mar 26 2009 By Hugh Keevins

 

ABERDEEN boss Jimmy Calderwood last night vowed to fight on at Pittodrie despite fans' demands to club bosses for him to be sacked.

 

The AFC Supporters Society wrote to Aberdeen chief executive Willie Miller to slam Calderwood and his under-achieving team.

 

The manager was accused of taking the club as far as he could and being tactically inept.

 

Calderwood was also said to be incapable of motivating his players for crucial matches while the players were dismissed as having no passion, commitment or skill.

 

Aletter to Miller said:"We, the long suffering fans, have had enough. To stand by and hope things get better is not an option."

 

But Calderwood, who spoke to Miller about the contents of the letter yesterday, has no intention of bowing to fan pressure.

 

He said: "It's just my turn to get it in the neck. Gordon Strachan gets this treatment after winning Celtic three league titles in a row.

 

"Walter Smith gets abuse after all he's done for Rangers. Mixu Paatelainen was on the receiving end at Hibs a few weeks ago.

 

"And Billy Reid might get it in the neck at Hamilton if his next two games don't go so well at the foot of the table.

 

"Inconsistency has been the common denominator for most SPL teams this season but I'm not going to deny we've let a lot of fans down with our results this season.

 

"We can do well enough in the league but the cups appear to be a different matter."

 

Losing to Dunfermline in a Scottish Cup quarter-final replay at Pittodrie was the final straw for the Dons fans.

 

The letter said: "For three years in a row we've been dumped out of cup competitions by lower-league opposition.

 

"The supporters need to see accountability for such results. "There is no evidence of progress, rather the reverse."

 

But if the fans want a change of manager, Miller and Calderwood are not going along with that idea.

 

Miller said: "Supporters are entitled to express their opinions but we have made our position clear.

 

"We are all focused on supporting the manager and his team in their bid to secure a top-six place and qualify for Europe."

 

Miller is actually a member of the AFC Supporters Society, having joined when they were called the AFC Trust.

 

The fans' group is mainly made up of Aberdeen shareholders and hold six per cent of the club's total shareholding. They are the first Aberdeen fans' group to have broken ranks and spoken out against Calderwood.

 

Aberdeen's next game after the break for the World Cup qualifiers is against Motherwell, whose manager, Mark McGhee, is frequently mentioned as a possible success sort o Calderwood.

 

But Calderwood insists he is staying in his role and has a defiant message for the fans who have turned their back on him.

 

He said: "The letter has only made me more determined to carry on and do the job I was brought to Pittodrie to do.

 

"Defiance is the nature of the beast for Scottish people and that's why we are as successful as we are in so many different fields.

 

"The Cup defeat is in the past, it's gone and I can't bring it back. But we're still in the mix where the top six and Europe are concerned.

 

"I haven't read this letter but I'll examine its contents soon.

 

"I would hope that if the fans who wrote the letter met me in the street they would have the courage of their convictions to say the same things to my face."

 

Do you think Calderwood should go? Or are the Dons fans overreacting? Have your say on our forum

 

Is it really be possible for one man to be so ignorant?

 

Why are Dons fans reading the Daily Record? 

 

I got as far as "By Hugh Keevins".  Its a completely scummy newspaper. 

 

Is it really be possible for one man to be so ignorant?

 

 

The things that they want to say are only the truth behind their worries.  These worries are all plain to see week in week out but he seems to be blind to them.

 

I really do think this will be his downfall if he doesn't open his eyes to them and stop being so pigheaded.

"I haven't read this letter but I'll examine its contents soon.

 

"I would hope that if the fans who wrote the letter met me in the street they would have the courage of their convictions to say the same things to my face."

 

Jesus wept.  The fact someone doesn't say it to your face, Jimmy, doesn't make it any less the truth.

They don't though - they represent shareholders who consent to being represented and who agree to sign across the voting rights on their shares.  They also accept members who will buy a share.

 

 

 

The Society, formerly the AFC Trust, has seen its membership decrease from 600 to around 200 over the last five years, but Ellis believes they are speaking on behalf of the majority of Aberdeen FC fans.

 

 

"I haven't read this letter but I'll examine its contents soon.

 

"I would hope that if the fans who wrote the letter met me in the street they would have the courage of their convictions to say the same things to my face."

 

Who the fuck does he think he is?

On a side note, why the fuck are we represented by a group who's acronym is ASS. Fucking clowns.

On a side note, why the fuck are we represented by a group who's acronym is ASS. Fucking clowns.

 

Do ASS represent us?

On a side note, why the fuck are we represented by a group who's acronym is ASS. Fucking clowns.

 

Assclowns?

As a shareholder - I never signed my votes across - they do not represent me.

 

Bunch of spoilt kiddies wanting to up their membership next season. I think the drop in membership might have more to do with this latest action of theirs.

 

I still think we shouldn't make rash decisions that may cost the club money long term and may put us in a difficult situation with the bank during recession.

 

I've yet to hear a good argument put forward of a name for a replacement - someone who isn't just change for changes sake. If we bottle getting top 6 or miss Europe - the board will act.

 

(of course - that's because Jimmy is God and I have my JIG heid on  )

What they have lost 400 members overnight because of their statement? Really?

I see Craig Levein is backing JC and saying the club should ignore the fans calling for his head!

No, they lost the members over the space of about 4 years. Releasing a statment is a good way to look radical and get new members - just my thoughts.

 

 

Edit - just re-read my post and realised how it could be misinterpreted. What I meant was that because they had lost the members they are looking for ways to increase the membership.

ok, fair point

although I would disagree.  I don't think that those involved in the Trust would make such a statement with the thought of their membership in their minds.

I see Craig Levein is backing JC and saying the club should ignore the fans calling for his head!

Harry Potter is a cunt