Re: AP : Mon Nov 17, 2014 11:04 pm  

ccs wrote:

If I were AP or LR, I would probably find his posts offensive and abusive, but being a mere supporter of Hull FC, I just find his posts offensive and abusive.

And as another mere supporter (for almost 30 years) I find them neither offensive nor abusive. He clearly has strong feelings. He is entitled to express them and as Kosh says to be challenged about them, but he should not be shouted down for his genuinely held beliefs.

Re: AP : Tue Nov 18, 2014 8:42 am  

Adam Pearson did not take the Club on thinking it would make him millions of pounds,he promised he would invest and he has,what he is guilty of is listening to poor advice from Gentle and McRea whom IMO have done the club great harm not Pearson or Radford.Pearson has improved the youth system to a level that it is one of the best set ups in RL and thats down to his foresight and backing.He has improved the training and players welfare ect to a level never seen at the club again down to his backing.We all know last season was not the best by any stretch but up to then we did ok. I f anyone thought last years squad was good enough to do great things were kidding themselves but like others have said we should have made the eight....just. I am either a fan or a hater of Radford ,to judge on one season with the staff he had is nor realistic or right.Some say we have made excuses I say those excuses were a reason why we did not do well. Some really poor decisions cost us and the reality is if in three game we had had the bounce of th eball ect we would have scraped the eight.Losing Lynch and O'Meley did not help ,any coach good or bad needs players on the field who can not only perform but help the coach on the field .The biggest of all was the continuing saga of the half backs. Miller was never going to be a leader on the pitch and the amount of time we had to swop through injuries would have harmed any side.Having to play many home game on the bounce was not ideal either. This coming season we have a far better side and Radford IMO has the tools to do far better but we need to be realistic.So next season will obviously be make or break for Radford and we can make it it a little easier by backing the club

Re: AP : Tue Nov 18, 2014 9:36 am  

hokeydokey wrote:

Adam Pearson did not take the Club on thinking it would make him millions of pounds,he promised he would invest and he has,what he is guilty of is listening to poor advice from Gentle and McRea whom IMO have done the club great harm not Pearson or Radford.Pearson has improved the youth system to a level that it is one of the best set ups in RL and thats down to his foresight and backing.He has improved the training and players welfare ect to a level never seen at the club again down to his backing.We all know last season was not the best by any stretch but up to then we did ok. I f anyone thought last years squad was good enough to do great things were kidding themselves but like others have said we should have made the eight....just. I am either a fan or a hater of Radford ,to judge on one season with the staff he had is nor realistic or right.Some say we have made excuses I say those excuses were a reason why we did not do well. Some really poor decisions cost us and the reality is if in three game we had had the bounce of th eball ect we would have scraped the eight.Losing Lynch and O'Meley did not help ,any coach good or bad needs players on the field who can not only perform but help the coach on the field .The biggest of all was the continuing saga of the half backs. Miller was never going to be a leader on the pitch and the amount of time we had to swop through injuries would have harmed any side.Having to play many home game on the bounce was not ideal either. This coming season we have a far better side and Radford IMO has the tools to do far better but we need to be realistic.So next season will obviously be make or break for Radford and we can make it it a little easier by backing the club

A very realistiic view of things. I believe we are better placed to have a decent season and make the eight.

Re: AP : Tue Nov 18, 2014 10:43 am  

hokeydokey wrote:

Adam Pearson did not take the Club on thinking it would make him millions of pounds,he promised he would invest and he has,what he is guilty of is listening to poor advice from Gentle and McRea whom IMO have done the club great harm not Pearson or Radford.Pearson has improved the youth system to a level that it is one of the best set ups in RL and thats down to his foresight and backing.He has improved the training and players welfare ect to a level never seen at the club again down to his backing.We all know last season was not the best by any stretch but up to then we did ok. I f anyone thought last years squad was good enough to do great things were kidding themselves but like others have said we should have made the eight....just. I am either a fan or a hater of Radford ,to judge on one season with the staff he had is nor realistic or right.Some say we have made excuses I say those excuses were a reason why we did not do well. Some really poor decisions cost us and the reality is if in three game we had had the bounce of th eball ect we would have scraped the eight.Losing Lynch and O'Meley did not help ,any coach good or bad needs players on the field who can not only perform but help the coach on the field .The biggest of all was the continuing saga of the half backs. Miller was never going to be a leader on the pitch and the amount of time we had to swop through injuries would have harmed any side.Having to play many home game on the bounce was not ideal either. This coming season we have a far better side and Radford IMO has the tools to do far better but we need to be realistic.So next season will obviously be make or break for Radford and we can make it it a little easier by backing the club

Adam Pearson is first and foremost a businessman rather than a rugby league fan. in Hull FC he saw a potentially good business being badly run by the previous owners. It was - and still is - his plan to turn it round, make it successful and sell it for more than he paid for it.

He has invested substantially in the youth system, training and infrastructure.

He has made mistakes, primarily appointing McRae and giving him free rein and also repeatedly making unrealistic promises to the supporters.

I don't think appointing Gentle was a mistake but sacking him and appointing Radford was. However he is fully behind Radford and so must we be - at least for the first 8-10 matches of next season.

I'm sure Pearson thnks that the club would and should have made more progress on the pitch by now than it actually has. We all know attendances are lower than when he took over and are unsustainable at last season's level. As you say next season is make or break. Pearson does not have a bottomless pit of cash and we need success on the field and increased attendances if his - and our - ambitions are to be realised.

You have to admire the man for pumping so much of his own money into the club and as you say we need to back him. What's the alternative?

Re: AP : Thu Nov 20, 2014 7:41 am  

Pass sales have now hit 5K, so not unrealistic to sell as many as last year with 1.5 weeks to the deadline, and the Junior tickets being cheaper for a bit longer.

Re: AP : Thu Nov 20, 2014 9:26 am  

UllFC wrote:

Pass sales have now hit 5K, so not unrealistic to sell as many as last year with 1.5 weeks to the deadline, and the Junior tickets being cheaper for a bit longer.

How many did we sell last year?

Re: AP : Thu Nov 20, 2014 9:29 am  

fcandy wrote:

How many did we sell last year?

Somewhere between 7-8000 IIRC.

Re: AP : Thu Nov 20, 2014 1:06 pm  

fcandy wrote:

How many did we sell last year?

Almost 8,000 just before Christmas according to the clubs 'indicator'

Re: AP : Thu Nov 20, 2014 6:22 pm  

We announced 5,000 sales last year on 9th November.

Re: AP : Thu Nov 20, 2014 7:06 pm  

its the under achievement of this club that bothers me. in the first half of the 00's we were pretty consistent riding the back of the move to the new stadium, and finishing high in the league most seasons (4 top 4 finishes between 2001 and 2007). after 2007 it has gone downhill, when sharp was sacked. since then we haven't finished in the top 4 in 7 seasons of trying, and have only looked like doing once.

we have good crowds (which would be bigger if we were top 4), excellent merchandise sales, a top stadium and large catchment area. we should be matching the results of wigan, saints, leeds, wire etc. its frustrating for me as a fan that we don't look like getting into the top 4 again any time soon. its now at the stage where fans main hopes for us is to simply make the 8. AP is investing so where are we falling short? coach, club culture, dodgy contracts, player complacency, lack of experience in RL, having the wrong staff under him?

ask supporters of any other club who the underachievers of the sport are, and they would all say its us. ask them the same question 7 years ago and it would be anyone but us