New CEO?

Could we announce Baldwin with Sparks as an interim until his gardening leave is complete?

 

Just get behind Ryan Collins FFS!

 

Totally agree on Baldwin. CEO at Premier League Burnley, took the poison chalice at EFL and was smart enough to leave once he understood what a shit show clown car that was/is behind the scenes.

 

And lest we forget, Baldwin runs RAISA with Mark Ellis. Re the gardening leave - that's all 'stuff'. It could be worked around.

 

Don't think he's been involved with RAISA for some time.

 

Happy for the fact check there. Thanks for putting me straight.

 

Whoever takes over has a job to prevent the club falling out of the league. It’s not a job for a novice.

 

What’s this “interview” you talk of?

 

If it is Ryan Sparks then I hope the club don't announce him tomorrow. Give the lad a fighting chance at least.

I think he'd do a decent job to be honest. He's shadowed JR for a while so knows the ropes. He could bring his own identity to it too. He's clearly ambitious. People are talking about a proven CEO but can we as a L2 club in this climate compete on salary terms with other organisations? I doubt it. Short of a Huw Jenkins type takeover then Ryan might be the best current option.

It would certainly be a baptism of fire for the lad and he'd sink or swim. I've got a strange confidence that he'd be ok actually, I don't think he's the yes man that some make him out to be.

 

he's not involved with RIASA at all anymore.. who was at RIASA (as a player) is Sunderland's new 22 year old owner worth a staggering £2bn and a family wealth of £10bn.

 

Not at Bradford City who are in deep deep trouble.

 

The current incumbent was chairman at 35ish which isn't too far from Sparky's age. He's young but so what.

 

It's too soon.

Had I been hired and promoted by a professional sports organisation in such a short time, I'd be over the moon. I'd be a sponge, I'd be looking to learn literally everything I could, from the ground up.

If I was in Sparks' position when a massive opportunity as the CEO of that same organisation came up, yes I would want to take it. I'd want to show real ambition and grab the brass ring and other silly metaphors, and I'd certainly go for it, 100%. But I'd also be incredibly relieved if someone came in above me, with more knowledge, more experience, and showed me something different to what I'd learned from their predecessor. That way, I'd know more, and be even better equipped in the future. I would personally and professionally improve, whether I agreed with their methods or not.

Hiring Sparks as CEO now basically keeps the backroom staff paper thin, and it's already well below where it needs to be. It reduces the level of experience at the club, even if Rhodes continues to mentor him in an unofficial capacity, or whatever. It leaves the club at the mercy of a guy with very little experience suddenly expected to hire and fire manager and oversee contracts and new signings of players. Even if he had done that while shadowing Rhodes, even if he'd been responsible for the last managerial change, or any of the most recent signings, that does not bode well.

For me, it's a strong, strong no.

Keep this guy on the team, but let him develop. We have to fortify this club, not weaken it - and frankly, if JR leaves and Sparks is promoted, we're gaining nothing. We're simply losing a ton of experience. It has to be replaced somewhere, and realistically, the only place we're filling that gap is with the CEO position.

 

Be just our luck that McCall wins it and buys the club.

 

Well that's me sold!

Current incumbent isn't very good, but HE took the job early!

 

He's been hammered recently yet no one knows if he's even in the running for the job. Personally, if he does get it i wish nothing but good luck. It certainly won't be without effort, the lad is already doing 2 or 3 roles at the club due to a lack of staff numbers. And there seems to be a few calling him out recently, talk of a lack of communication. Nah, thats one thing you can't accuse him of. Problem is, if he throws comments around on social media at this moment he's damned if he does damned if he doesn't.

 

Still doesn't make him suitable for a CEO job.

Utter nonsense mate.

 

Only in your opinion thank goodness. I'd prefer a Dave Baldwin type character who's been there and seen it but if it is a young ambitious tyoe then I'll wait and see what plan he or she has.