Peace and success at Albion
ON Sunday, at around 6pm, Jeremy Peace was finally vindicated.
Around the time that the now former West Ham boss Avram Grant was getting asked to pop into a room at the DW Stadium for a 'quiet word', Peace was going through the final draft of an address he would be delivering to fans later that night.
His speech was delivered to supporters, sponsors, corporate guests at the club's end-of-season dinner.
Sunday was indeed the first time many had seen Peace for a while.
It would be fair to say that the West Bromwich Albion chairman has become more withdrawn during the last two years or so.
Those of us in the press box at The Hawthorns see him at every home game, as do opposition directors.
Supporters less so.
When Peace made the decision to pack Roberto Di Matteo off for garden leave, questions were asked both within and outside the West Midlands.
Supporters - not all, but many - were confused, surprised, even shocked at the announcement.
The media outside of the Midlands threw their pens into the air. Some of the columnists, a few of whom I'd barely seen in 10 years of covering the club, were frantically typing away in their haste to tell us why it was such a bad decision - in all cases being completely ignorant to increasingly worrying problems behind the scenes.
Where was the logic in sacking the pleasant and charming Di Matteo, they asked.
At West Ham, meanwhile, the board stuck by Grant - despite undermining his position many times.
Albion turned to Roy Hodgson.
A smart move.
Three months on Albion are preparing for the final game of the season knowing a victory could feasibly see them jump up to eighth spot.
West Ham, meanwhile, are re-setting their satnav for Brighton, Doncaster and Southampton.
Peace, probably by his own admission, isn't the most pro-active of chairmen when it comes to supporters or the media.
And getting just a few minutes of his time is becoming increasingly difficult despite the growing appetite for interaction between fans and clubs.
He didn't even attend the unveiling of Hodgson. Nor did he elaborate on why he had sacked Di Matteo, apart from within a carefully worded statement. Luckily for him he had a media network who supported his decision and were sufficiently in the loop to address many of the questions that were being asked of him. With hindsight the change was correct.
Three months on he was stood on the podium at the ICC able to look people in the eye and tell them that his decision had been vindicated.
For once managerial continuity was not the correct decision. And Peace was right, even though the input of Dan Ashworth was crucial to bringing Hodgson to the club in the first place.
It's been an ideal fit so far.
Yet, away from all of this, Albion must not leave behind the qualities and traits which make them such a likeable club.
Sunday's event was successful. But as lavish and slick as the ICC party was, it's with a heavy heart that this Thursday's Supporters Club event will be devoid of any first-team players or management staff.
The usual ex-players will be there, but fans want to give Peter Odemwingie a pat on the back, shake hands with Youssouf Mulumbu and point at Paul Scharner's glasses.
And they don't, shouldn't have to pay £90 for the privilege.
Albion have done so much correctly this season both on and off the pitch.
And Sunday night's event tapped into the feel-good factor around the club and between fans.
But moods can change and, on a night where the club announced plans to expand the Hawthorns, it would have cost nothing to be more accommodating towards the Supporters' Club.
Irrespective of whether the SC are representative of the club's fanbase, until another body puts itself forward to challenge their status, then they should be treated with more respect by the club.
The hand of friendship when things are going well can smooth the pain when times are hard.
Allowing a few players to attend Thursday's event - even for half an hour - would have been a kind and appreciated gesture.
In the meantime, Jeremy Peace must be praised for correctly calling the managerial landscape earlier this season.
While he was addressing the Albion nation on Sunday, West Ham were heading back to London from Wigan asking themselves why they had dithered over Avram Grant earlier in the season.
In that respect, Albion got it spot on.
Older/Newer
« 2010-11: The good, the bad and the rest | Albion diligence puts them ahead of Midlands rivals »
1 Comments
Leave a comment
Profile
Chris Lepkowski - Mail man Chris LepkowskiâÂÂs view of whatâÂÂs going on at West Bromwich Albion FC.
Sponsored By:
The man has been evolving over a period of time and whilst he is still in need of a PR turnaround amongst many, noisy Forum agenda setters - the arguments against his tenure are at least now becoming somewhat silly. The club under his tenure has grown steadily and has itself evolved, based upon certain principles of Financial common sense in the way it does its business and firm principles about the way we do our business on the pitch. It is (or has been) frustrating to see managers and players expected to hold back the inevitable tide of relegation as a consequence of the club refusing to play ball with the financial madmen with whom they have had to compete in the era which in the future will surely be laughed at by the majority of sensible people - Our great club will be lauded for its good sense, great football and patient fans, for we have been patient, and now, we can emerge blinking into the sunlight of a new dawn of (lets hope) consolidation. Look at some of those with whom we have battled to survive in recent years, Pompy are obviously the most extreme example, though West Ham and Blues if the tom tom drums are top be believed may wish that their board had had a JP at the wheel rather than the spend now, spend tomorrow eejits that will like as not have destroyed two "Big" clubs for a generation or so. No, JP is not a media darling, he doesn't go for the machievelian Glory claiming that many of his counterparts do, and maybe he is due some adulation, no, he just gets on with the job of running his football club to the very best of his ability and the fans reward surely, is for that to continue, not a fanatical clique like the SC, if they want to pat the players on the back, turn up for pre-season at the Harriers or such like, I sat next to Luke Moore (Who?!!) last year, and that was plenty close enough for me!!! Well done JP, long may you reign - though if you were to finally get that big offer (which surely you will soon enough now) please agree to stay on for a while, so we don't do a Brum!!