Open Letter to CT

[anderlechtterrier]

Chris,

I completely understand the reasoning behind your posting of the open letter. My father had a severe limp as a result of an accident and when i was a young man, someone thought it would be funny to call him a cripple. So I pummeled him into the ground. Of course I’m not suggesting for one minute that you arrange a rendezvous with all those who have insulted your old man and have a toe to toe with them. Your open letter is of course another way of dealing with it and fair play to you.

I'll be honest with you. I did not want your father as Manager of the club I love. Not for any other reason than I thought he had been out of the loop and that the game had moved on since his days of success at Bury and Burnley. The characters at HTAFC were different to those he had worked with previously. Dare I say "Softer" and needed a different managerial approach.

That said, the first thing I did was listen to my peers various opinions and purchase a copy of your fathers book and from that I’d form my own opinion. Now, having read his book, one thing hit home like a lump hammer. How similar this mans character is to my own and I knew that for some players his approach would work, and would be the making of them. For others his approach would have the opposite effect. I perceive your father to be brash, abrasive, forthright and direct.

He is old school, he would rather stand toe to toe, go 3 rounds and then share a beer at the end of it all. He doesn’t suffer fools gladly, he loathes weakness and has little time for those who don’t show the same kind of mental strength that he shows. May I suggest K.Parker is a prime example of this? Let me explain, in a former life I would encounter the odd character that would come into "work" with various "issues". To me it was just life and you dusted yourself down, picked yourself up and got on with it. To the individual they were "issues" and because society has changed so dramatically we are now forced to be more accommodating, show more compassion and Counsel them. Id have rather give them a kick up the arse and tell them to get some marrow in their bones.

It was once said of me that I was able to command intense and undying loyalty of those I "worked" with but conversely I was able to generate real hatred. More often than not the hatred came from those who I regarded as weak and I hated having weak people around me. There was no room for weak people in my line of work.

I suggest your father courts the kind of reactions that he has had, by his very character, much as I did. I’m not saying its right, but if he is going to be bullish and abrasive then people are going to feel that they can respond in kind. The difference being your father has the media at his disposal to vent his frustrations, we have only this message board.

Your father has a fiery personality, as do I, exemplified by his own actions with a crutch.

I’ve had to learn that my character doesn’t work out here. I’ve had to curtail, change a lot of the real me in my new life. It worked in my former life, as the character traits I share with your father were an essential tool, but not out here. People are, less tolerant of being told of their shortcomings, dare I say, bloody soft. The toughness I speak of isn’t the toughness that sees a man able to beat a man to the ground with one blow. I think we both know the toughness I speak of, the inner strength, the drive, determination, the will to secure the objective at all costs. The sides of your father’s character I admire.

I have absolutely NO issue with the way he is with the players, (although I do wish he would pick Andy Holdsworth in the midfield), they are his soldiers and he needs to lick them into shape for the battle ahead. Train hard, fight easy and all that.

What I do have an issue with what I perceive to be the contempt he treats us fans with. For example, telling us to lower our expectations. Telling us we want the taste of champagne for the cost of a beer etc etc.

We all know the history, we are the club that produced the likes of Denis Law, Frank Worthington, Ray Wilson. We saw the departure of Shankly only to witness him make Liverpool a truly great team, a club of missed opportunities. It seems the destiny of a Huddersfield Town fan is to be that of missed opportunities.

As a LONG SUFFERING fan of HTAFC I will not lower my expectations. I know your father is a proud man, I know he craves the things we as fans crave. But as fans of HTAFC, We have suffered longer than most of those clubs we once rubbed shoulders with. Having felt the pain and hurt for more often and for longer periods than the other clubs we once looked down on I want champagne. I want success, I am tired of being one of the few Yorkshire clubs not have tasted the Premiership. If I had expectations that didn’t match what the club was able to achieve then I wouldn’t have been watching Town for the last 30 years.

I know what we CAN achieve, I know we are as big as any of the clubs in the Championship, and potentially as big as many of those teams that currently grace the Premiership.

I’m tired of waiting, I’m tired of being the club with potential and being the club of missed opportunities.

Right now it is your father who is charged with realising my expectations, mine and 16,000 others like me. If emotions run high then it’s only to be expected.

He carries the burden of a club that has for too long been the club with an illustrious past and future potential and delivering on that potential.

I wish him well, for my sake, for the sake of 16,000 like me and for himself and the realisation of his own ambition, managing in the Premiership.

I don’t want to be the club of missed opportunities anymore. This season is a season of opportunity and I don’t want to be here in May asking myself "what if...." again.

[rage_of_ed]

Outstanding response Anderlecht, my head was nodding all the way through.

Have a positive mate

[Admin]

Great post Daz

[philex]

That is an absolutely cracking post Anderlecht, I agree with you completely, now bring on Hartlepool!

[TomTheTerrier]

I agree to a point with what you're saying, and I can definitely see where you're coming from, but I don't think Stan Ternent treats the fans with contempt.

When the fans have been superb, against Leicester for instance, he has said so, and when the fans have booed, this Saturday, he has said he understands why.

I thought the 'champagne' quote was more in reference to the general culture among all football fans, of wanting everything for nothing, rather than a reference to our own fans.
As Huddersfield Town fans we have all had to support through the tough times at our club, but we must never think we are the only fans to be suffering. Look at Rochdale, 30+ years in the same division, we popped down and said Hi for a year, but we left pretty sharpish too.

We used to be one of the biggest clubs in England, but we aren't anymore, and the reason we aren't is that we don't yet deserve to be, no more than any other club. Yes, this season is one of opportunity, but so is the next, and the one after that. I would rather see us consolidate a squad this season, and go up next season, than go for broke this season.

As Take That said, maybe we need to have a little more patience.

Great personal post, even though I may not agree with every point

[Deleted]

Great post anderlecht, get your coaches badges and apply for the job next time the opportunity arrises!

[Deleted]

That's the first time a long post has had me on the edge of my seat since the forum started. Anderlecht Terrier reminds me of BBB.

How the forum misses his sensible and well structured comments

[rage_of_ed]

Hmmm yes, strange that his posts are reminiscent of BBB isn't it?

[Davey Monroe]

Blimey, anderlechtterrier! I can just imagine you in your 'former life' bravely leading your men into battle on the fields of Stirling..."You can take our lives, but you'll never take our freedom"

[pling]

Excellent post, anderlecht.

[Captainslapper]

Oct 21, 2008 12:48:06 GMT 1 rage_of_ed said:

Hmmm yes, strange that his posts are reminiscent of BBB isn't it?

It's uncanny

[ksne]

Oct 21, 2008 12:48:06 GMT 1 rage_of_ed said:

Hmmm yes, strange that his posts are reminiscent of BBB isn't it?

Well if it is our much missed BBB then all I have to say is thankyou for such an excellent post

[jackosgal]

Absolutely stunning post - another positive for you AT