Luther Blissett - Jubilee Honours List

Hopefully sorted soon. Will be great when feels he can accept after a discussion. But again why did the club announce before it was accepted and why only agree to cover the murial on matchday (assuming I'm interpretting his post correctly). Bizarre behaviour.

 

I can only speak from personal experience - but Andrew French is 100% far too switched on for that and would spot that approach coming a mile off.

 

It is a bizarre situation. But I need to understand what Luther's issue is with being given the Honorary LP. I'll always side with Luther, but I don't get what the problem is. Both Elton and GT accepted the honour instantly. It's an honorary title, so doesn't really come with a lot of teeth in terms of how the club is run. It's a title to show that person how much they are valued by the club. He would be getting 30 tickets per game for charitable organisations to distribute where he sees fit. Now a large mural has been created in his honour with his title above it.

Ok, I get maybe the club has jumped the gun with that, but I need to know why Luther is so against being made a HLP. It seems only good can come from it.

I'm really split on it. Had it been anyone else, other than Luther, EJ or GT then I'd have a very different opinion on the matter and would be against the person who is dragging his heals over accepting. But because it's Luther, and I know how much he loves the club. It means everything to him. So for him to refuse, or rather delay, I really need to know what his reasons are.

 

You can never be too cynical. Question everything, especially if it doesn't feel right.

The hardest part about the last few years is that I've lost trust in the club and it gets to the point where you can't believe anything that is said. The "rule of 11" being the latest party line to explain selling Cucho and then we sign only non-HG players. We were relegated, we need to raise funds - all that needed to be said - but now we simply operate in the sale of premium bullsh1t.

 

I think the club are trying to do the right thing on a number of fronts now but are just scoring a few own goals along the way. I too would like to know if Luther has major issues too or is just irritated that the club have announced it and put up the murial suggesting he'd accepted it, without even having the conversation with him about it, just assuming he'd be delighted to accept. As I say, trying to do good, but making mistakes along the way.

 

Working theory that Luther wanted a coaching role that he was under-qualified for, was refused, and seems bitter about it, even now.

Agree with HB1, it's a title, a huge honour, but it's not a director's role, so don't expect to be having a say in the day to day running of the club.

Interested to know if there's more behind the scenes to it that for whatever reason LB isn't sharing, and of course happy to give benefit of the doubt to him due to his status, and the belief that he does have the club's best interest at heart.

 

I think it’s telling that he’s using the words ‘legacy’ etc.

I too think it would be a bit strange if LB was angling for a role that allows him influence over what happens on the pitch etc. That comes with a place on the board at the very least and that requires a level of financial investment in most cases.

It’s purely my opinion and could be wildly wrong - but I’ve wondered if LB has misgivings over our dealings with Bayat, player turnover and the active lack of investment into the academy. These are all things I think GT wouldn’t have accepted so I feel like these may be at the forefront of Luther’s issues.

I think the club just need to prioritise sorting it once and for all and not score any own-goals that comes across as pressuring the man into things.

I hope it can be sorted - but I personally think Luther just doesn’t like the people running things so wants a rigid structure of how he will deal with them so they can’t mess him around. And they don’t seem to be showing that is something they are capable of.

 

Couldn't agree more. He's certainly an outlier amongst his peers from that era. The drip drip of insinuations by the man himself on social media or people reporting things Luther has said to them is not healthy. Either he has a legitimate grievance and explains it - and can be sure the fanbase will listen - or not. Hopefully Andrew French is already on the blower to him proposing an interview.

 

You are probably in a much better position to judge than myself because of your contact(s) within the club and the fact that you are acquainted with Andrew French. I also realize that Andrew French has had considerable experience of working within football first as Communications Manager for Watford and then later for Charlton so that he understands how football clubs operate when putting out PR.

Does that mean that we can trust everything which Duxbury and Giaretta have told Andrew French in his articles?

 

He must have *at least* FA Level 4 (UEFA A) to have coached at the Vic' and York City?

 

Perhaps I have misunderstood Luther's tweets, but I thought that he was unhappy because the new mural of him (which will be on display this evening) contains a title naming him an Honorary Life President of Watford when he has not yet accepted the position.

 

Have spoken to Andrew already this morning - doesn’t feel like there’s a story whilst Luther isn’t saying definitively that he’s not taking the role. So wouldn’t expect a story - certainly not one that puts ‘meat on the bones’.

 

I think it means that Andrew will report the words exactly as they are said to him - and he will allow the readers to make up their minds. He’s alluded at times to feeling like those speaking to him are being genuine - but he’s been clear that only time will tell on that front.

But I highly doubt he would spin something in a manner asked by the club.

 

Would a man with that level of qualification, who has been out the professional game for 15-20 years, be expected to get a first team coaching role at a Premier League club?

 

Thanks for your input, Burnsy. I never intended to suggest that Andrew French would spin something in a manner asked by the club. It was just that sometimes I get the impression that Duxbury and Giaretta may be putting out spin through their comments to him.

 

Isn't it bad form to reply to a question with another question?

 

So Luther hasn't rejected the role. He just wants to discuss it with the relevant people first and get certain assurances before accepting, a completely natural and understandable response, particularly given his history with the hierarchy and the way that they treat people and use them to boost their own image and credibility. The club appear to have not only dragged their feet over this discussion but have also gone ahead with a mural confirming that he has taken the role, putting Luther in a difficult position where he either has to speak out or allow himself to be railroaded into something.

It's clearly not Luther being unreasonable here and he is not the one who needs to explain himself. Yet another easily-avoidable PR f**k up from the club - thoughtless and incompetent at best, manipulative and bullying at worst.

 

I don't know, is it?

 

I imagine he would find the terms COG's and Bedwetters equally embarrassing

 

These people don't seem to understand that it is NOT the right of any owner to change the culture of a club to such an extent that it ceases to be the same club in its essence. There is a big gulf between 'change by degree' (which any owner has the right to pursue) and 'change in kind' which goes to the very heart & soul of the club that owner originally acquired.

Too many drastic changes to the in-built culture of a club & the risk is run of destroying that very club itself.

This is a point such as @Jumbolina has been attempting to get across for quite a while now.

 

What is a CoG?

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Maybe things that are happening now were not happening when SEJ & GT accepted? Maybe Luther has more 'grassroots' connections within & around the club that inform him of things happening that he is uncomfortable with?

 

Someone who can control their bladder whilst asleep it would seem.

 

"Critic of Gino"

 

It IS there right, as they own the club, but it's a pretty foolish thing to deliberately set out to do, to alienate their "customers".

 

My point is they MAY own the current 'physical incarnation' of the club, but they do not own the right to wilfully go against what had hitherto been the ethos, soul, culture, dna or whatever term you wish to use to describe the more metaphysical nature of a club and its position and role within the lives of its supporters who pre-date and, hopefully, will post-date the short-term interlude of their physical ownership. Going too far down that road will not simply alienate 'customers' it will also destroy the very heart of the club until it becomes a different entity altogether; an entity that many of the original 'customers' will no longer 'patronise'.

Forget the cash-flow/P&L terminology; to me, and I'd venture, many others, I will never be a 'customer' of WFC, and if the physical reality moves too far from the culture I initially 'adopted' as my own, then the club will no longer be WFC in any form that is recognisable to me, and at that time, I will no longer be a supporter.

Due to the personal complex reasons why WFC became so important to me as a 6 year old, then such an outcome would be devastating.

 

I dunno, is it?

 

Really bizarre circumstances. I recall the article about Luther being invited to be Honourary Life President. Surely it would have been better etiquette to have published this upon acceptance?

Also bizarre that the mural was commissioned without his agreement/acceptance with the title on it (he seems to imply this). Very bizarre all round by the club and as people have already pointed out, a bit of an own goal PR-wise.

 

Morally maybe, but as the owners they do of course "own the right" to do whatever they want with the club though as I have said they would be foolish in the extreme to go out of their way to alienate the fans.

 

I take your point, but we are now verging into the realm of more philosophical discussions as to the variegated meanings of 'own' and 'right', so best we leave it there! And I'd better start getting ready for the drive down the M1.

 

No wonder I didn't know

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Its clear the club felt they could pressure Blissett into accepting the position by announcing both the offer publicly and commissioning the mural without him having yet accepted the title

To any sane person it does indeed look like a 'bizarre own goal', sadly to our club/owners its just the usual manipulative and disrespectful way of operating however

 

Wonder what Andre Gray thinks of it all

 

I heard he was offended at being compared to Luther Blissett who used to miss more than his fair share of chances.