[Archived] John Williams to be Chief Exec at Southampton

[Willie Eckerslike]

Strong rumours that John Williams will be announced as the new chief Executive at Southampton this week

http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/01/20/ca-john-williams-expected-to-be-named-chief-executive-at-southam/

Good luck to the guy.

[jim mk2]

Going back home - he comes from Hampshire doesn't he ? I gave him some stick especially over the failure to sack Souness and the Ince appointment but he's been a big loss for Rovers.

[thenodrog]

Wow! Not like you to concede that you were ever wrong. Well done.

[den]

John Williams = Venky's biggest mistake.

[DE.]

Their biggest mistake was buying us in the first place... getting rid of JW and trusting Kean and JA instead is certainly right behind that, though.

[broadsword]

venky.'s ARE a mistake.

good luck john

hope you don't orchestrate any fan protests

[John]

Anderson and Kean knew they had to get rid of JW and TF to ensure they could maximise the control they had - even though both were sidelined early on in the Venkys reign.

[FGS5635]

Always hoped he would return at some point. We certainly miss him bigtime

[AggyBlue]

He's a Southampton fan so he's landed his dream job.

Good luck to him.

[thenodrog]

I've a feeling he'll be needing all the luck he can get. Stormy waters around the Solent these days down to dodgy foreign ownership yet again.

[Neal]

What i'd give...

2nd best person Blackburn Rovers ever had. I've been burying Venkys hatred deep inside whilst they've been quiet but this just brings it all back.

Top bloke.

[RevidgeBlue]

I'm not going to attempt any spellings off the top of my head but.... ..

Bit harsh that Gordon, they're 9th in the Premiership, the original chap who saved them who died was head of one of the biggest Companies in rhe world supposedly and the Chief Executive who came in did exceptionally well, they've been churning out young talent for fun under him and the Argentinian manager. Seems to me to be a clash of personalities which the media are blowing out of all proportuon.

Perhaps however having seen the job JW did under the Walker Trust the original bloke's daughter who reportedly has little interest in football, (sound familiar?) wants a yes man in who will sit back and say nothing while the family silver is sold off but who will nevertheless be astute enough to keep them aoat at the same time.

[Jimmy612]

I'm not going to attempt any spellings off the top of my head but.... ..

Bit harsh that Gordon, they're 9th in the Premiership, the original chap who saved them who died was head of one of the biggest Companies in rhe world supposedly and the Chief Executive who came in did exceptionally well, they've been churning out young talent for fun under him and the Argentinian manager. Seems to me to be a clash of personalities which the media are blowing out of all proportuon.

Perhaps however having seen the job JW did under the Walker Trust the original bloke's daughter who reportedly has little interest in football, (sound familiar?) wants a yes man in who will sit back and say nothing while the family silver is sold off but who will nevertheless be astute enough to keep them aoat at the same time.

Clearly

[Jimmy612]

What i'd give...

2nd best person Blackburn Rovers ever had. I've been burying Venkys hatred deep inside whilst they've been quiet but this just brings it all back.

Top bloke.

Completely agree - Can't have enough credit for what he did for our club. One major decision he got wrong was appointing Ince. Fortunately he made the correct decision in sacking him and bringing in Allardyce.

The way he was treated was scandalous and should have been enough to show every Rovers fan that Venkys were completely clueless. Unfortunately some were still under the impression that the changes taking place could somehow benefit the club.... Comments below this article

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/8835527.Mrs_Desai__Why_John_Williams_left_Blackburn_Rovers/

[perthblue02]

Anderson and Kean knew they had to get rid of JW and TF to ensure they could maximise the control they had - even though both were sidelined early on in the Venkys reign.

Certainly makes you wonder why lifelong Rovers supporter Agnew and Burnley(the silence) Bob didn't kick up a fuss or put a good word in for him doesn't it.

[RevidgeBlue]

Point of order about Williams,, Finn, Goodman, etc. none of them were sacked, they all engineered their own departures in their own time under their own terms with big pay offs.

Good luck to them as tbey did a good job while they were here, (especially Tom Finn imo) but any of them could still be here if they wanted to be.

[Stuart]

Point of order about Williams,, Finn, Goodman, etc. none of them were sacked, they all engineered their own departures in their own time under their own terms with big pay offs.

Good luck to them as tbey did a good job while they were here, (especially Tom Finn imo) but any of them could still be here if they wanted to be.

Extremely unfair post.

You forget who was pulling the strings at that time. Tantamount to constructive dismissal. I don't blame them one bit.

[Jimmy612]

Certainly makes you wonder why lifelong Rovers supporter Agnew and Burnley(the silence) Bob didn't kick up a fuss or put a good word in for him doesn't it.

He'd been long since taken in by the agent and his little buddy. Let's not forget, when Williams was in charge, Agnew was not particularly important - did he do a bit of press or something? Organise the programmes? All of a sudden he was catapulted into the position of Kean's PR heavy, and then next into GM of the club.

He'd have known about Venkys/Anderson/Kean long before the deal was complete

[arbitro]

Completely agree - Can't have enough credit for what he did for our club. One major decision he got wrong was appointing Ince. Fortunately he made the correct decision in sacking him and bringing in Allardyce.

The way he was treated was scandalous and should have been enough to show every Rovers fan that Venkys were completely clueless. Unfortunately some were still under the impression that the changes taking place could somehow benefit the club.... Comments below this article

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/8835527.Mrs_Desai__Why_John_Williams_left_Blackburn_Rovers/

I feel nauseated reading that woman's comments again. How I wish they had never darkened our door.

Point of order about Williams,, Finn, Goodman, etc. none of them were sacked, they all engineered their own departures in their own time under their own terms with big pay offs.

Good luck to them as tbey did a good job while they were here, (especially Tom Finn imo) but any of them could still be here if they wanted to be.

Their positions were effectively untenable. Resigning was the only real option they were left with. Do you not remember the leaked letter about being undermined by Anderson?

[Jimmy612]

Point of order about Williams,, Finn, Goodman, etc. none of them were sacked, they all engineered their own departures in their own time under their own terms with big pay offs.

Good luck to them as tbey did a good job while they were here, (especially Tom Finn imo) but any of them could still be here if they wanted to be.

Doing what exactly Simon? Being completely ignored and humiliated whilst the club went into meltdown? All three of them left because any influence they had within the club had evaporated. Why should they stay with a sinking ship that they are no longer responsible for?

Their hard earned reputations tarnished by 3 Indians, a slimy agent and a two-faced puppet - No chance.

Please also be reminded, Williams didn't walk without trying...

EDIT: Sorry, all three of them tried. Scandalous reading that over again - desperate pleas from three men with BRFCs best interests at heart. What a sham. The FA should hang their heads in shame that they just let things like this go on within English Football.

http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2012/01/15/revealed-the-letter-that-exposes-the-history-of-blackburn-rovers-crisis-150102/

[John]

Yeah, clearly JW couldn't have any influence with the Kentaro crew running the show....

Desai, chairman of puoltry giants Venkys, also suggested John Williams did not see eye-to-eye with ousted Allardyces replacement Steve Kean.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Really does bring back a lot of animosity towards our hapless owners...Williams and Finn were doing a fine job and seemed to have their finger on the pulse of both club and community.

It's been a massive loss.

[RevidgeBlue]

Extremely unfair post.

You forget who was pulling the strings at that time. Tantamount to constructive dismissal. I don't blame them one bit.

I spoke to Tom Finn shortly before he left and he said it was a case of "educating" the owners who had no previous experience of running a sports franchise. The Club appears to have been running on remarkably conventional lines this season compared to the ones preceding it so all could have been a part of that ongoing process if they wished. They didn't and I can't blame them for making that choice either.

[thenodrog]

I'm not going to attempt any spellings off the top of my head but.... ..

Bit harsh that Gordon, they're 9th in the Premiership, the original chap who saved them who died was head of one of the biggest Companies in rhe world supposedly and the Chief Executive who came in did exceptionally well, they've been churning out young talent for fun under him and the Argentinian manager. Seems to me to be a clash of personalities which the media are blowing out of all proportuon.

Perhaps however having seen the job JW did under the Walker Trust the original bloke's daughter who reportedly has little interest in football, (sound familiar?) wants a yes man in who will sit back and say nothing while the family silver is sold off but who will nevertheless be astute enough to keep them aoat at the same time.

Thats as maybe and Liebbher are a very solid business BUT he couldn't buy a club in the Bundesliga outright could he? After he died his daughter predictably and quite forgivably wants to bale out pdq, and the new man sniffing around is a Chinese multi billionaire who I doubt could find Southampton with a satnav. Sooner or later all these clubs 9us included) will have their heads in their hands.

[Jimmy612]

(1) I spoke to Tom Finn shortly before he left and he said it was a case of "educating" the owners who had no previous experience of running a sports franchise. (2) The Club appears to have been running on remarkably conventional lines this season compared to the ones preceding it so all could have been a part of that ongoing process if they wished. They didn't and I can't blame them for making that choice either.

How well did you know Tom? Obviously if you didn't know him well he isn't going to start spouting off what a mess everything was to any Tom, Dick or Harry. I can not think of one reason why they should have stuck around to be treated like something Desai had trodden in whilst their reputation was shredded in the process.

How were they supposed to see the future? As far as they were concerned information was bypassing them and heading straight to the mailbox of JA or SK - The power battle was lost, and the club was unrecognisable.

They were right to walk, and the only people who we can ever be blamed for this whole mess is those stupid @#/? Indians and one greedy agent who saw an opportunity to line his pockets.