2000/1 review

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survey 1, january 1998

by Martin Baker:

To give this some context, we should explain that the questions were set when the Portsmouth manager's job was up for grabs, and (then) Yeovil boss Graham Roberts was widely reported to be "desperate" to land that post.

The results were generally fairly supportive of Roberts, though obviously one or two people reacted badly to his publicly stated passion to be elsewhere.

We later conducted a new poll following the sacking of Graham Roberts as Yeovil manager.

Analysis of the results

Based on the information given, here is a description of a typical Yeovil Town mailing list member:

You believed that the idea of Roberts leaving the club was bad news but nothing that we couldn't live with, but that you were in little doubt that the board would not stop him going, largely due to Portsmouth being such a big club, but in part cos you couldn't ever see him being offered a new contract. You figured that the players would stay loyal as long as a good manager was brought in as a replacement.

If Roberts stayed you seemed certain that he would be a success, with the possibility of the Conference title, provided he didn't get the boot first. If he left, then you just about favoured Brian McDermott as your manager with Geoff Chapple as a close second best.

If this is all representative of a typical YTFC supporter, the board have an interesting dilemma: They appear to have a fan base that are mainly pro-Roberts but don't believe the board are backing him at all. The fact that few people believed that Roberts would have been offered a contract to stay with Yeovil (if had he got the Portsmouth job) and that a significant number believe he will be sacked before he brings us glory are perhaps rather damning of our perception of our board.

Is this a fair view? Are the board right to delay their decision on Roberts until nearer to the end of the season to see if he is making adequate progress? Or should they dive in now and sort things out to stop Roberts and his players taking their CV's elsewhere before their contracts run out?

Those results in full

Would you see the potential departure of Roberts as:
	5%	A complete disaster for the club and our ambitions of league football
	68%	Bad news but we've had it before and we'll get through it again
	5%	Couldn't care less if he stayed or went
	21%	A chance to get him out of the door without the embarrassment of sacking him later
	0%	A total relief - we are best shot of him now
Would you expect the board in such circumstances to:
	0%	Try and match Roberts terms and conditions at Portsmouth and break the bank
	11%	Offer him a new improved contract and hope that his loyalty holds
	26%	Tell him that its his decision and not theirs and do nothing
	58%	Wish him good luck - you know you can't compete with a first division club
	5%	Heave a sigh of relief that you didn't have to sack him
Who would you be looking at for a replacement manager if Roberts left?
	29%	Geoff Chapple (Kingstonian/Woking - lets re-unite him with Lippiatt)
	5%	Tony Ricketts (ex-Bath/Yeovil - lets get a local man in)
	8%	Colin Fielder/Terry Cotton (or similar current staff)
	34%	Brian McDermott (Slough Town and ex-Yeovil assistant manager)
	3%	George Borg (ex-Enfailed and currently at Aldershot)
See note below.		Other - Please state
If Roberts left the club would the players:
	5%	All heave a sigh of relief and welcome the new manager with open arms
	32%	Be disappointed but still remain loyal to the club
	29%	Not really care less as long as the new manager was a good choice
	16%	Show that they were miffed by under-performing
	13%	Head en-masse to join Roberts or go back to former clubs etc.
If Roberts stayed with Yeovil could you see him as having in 3-5 years time having:
	30%	Guided us to the Conference title
	22%	Narrowly missed out on the league but still looking strong for it
	21%	Got us stuck in an upper mid-table rut but still sticking with it
	4%	Having resigned cos he knew he was going nowhere
	22%	Having been sacked cos the board knew he was going nowhere

Notes for Question 3:

Tony Ricketts (B) did actually get two votes but I had to discount one of them when someone else voted for anyone *except* Tony Ricketts!! Amongst other votes in the (F) category, at one vote only each were Steve Cotterill (Cheltenham), David Rocastle, Gerry Francis, Alan Ball, Stuart Morgan, and Martin Rodgers. Two list members voted for themselves on account that they rarely visited Huish Park and knew nearly nothing about football and therefore were perfectly qualified!