County chief will be happy to address fans’ concerns

8:00am Tuesday 8th January 2013 in Latest Football Photograph of the Author By Michael Pearlman

RELISHING CHALLENGE: Newport County’s new chief executive Dave Boddy at Rodney Parade RELISHING CHALLENGE: Newport County’s new chief executive Dave Boddy at Rodney Parade

A SECTION of Newport County fans are angry about the appointment of Newport County’s new chief executive Dave Boddy, but he insists he’s looking forward to facing his critics when he begins his new role.

The Exiles messageboard has been awash with comments about Boddy’s appointment, chiefly questioning his credentials following a slew of negative comments from Worcester City fans.

However, Boddy, who hasn’t even formally started in his new job yet after opting to leave the Football Conference – though he was in attendance for Friday’s match with Wrexham and met with manager Justin Edinburgh – believes he is better off not knowing when it comes to fans’ forums.

“I haven’t got anything to add to what I said in the press conference, I haven’t seen what has been written but I’m a positive person and I believe my reputation in non-league circles to be second to none,” he said.

“Once I’ve started in the role, I will of course welcome dialogue with supporters.”

Boddy insisted he had no problem with being asked “a fair question”, on Friday when the Argus pushed him on his critics from his time with Worcester.

He said: “You learn from every experience but I am very proud of my achievements at Worcester City.

“People can believe what they want to believe but only the people in the situation at the time know what happened. I walked away with my head held high and what people think isn’t something I can address.

“But I am still afforded a warm welcome at Worcester. I can return there to watch a game without any issues or problems.”

Boddy added that he’s looking forward to working in consultation with Newport County’s supporters’ trust and believes the Worcester posters on County’s messageboard are individuals who’ve had issues with him in the past.

However, former County director and fan Rob Santwris, the driving force behind last season’s fans’ player fund and a moderator on the Exiles messageboard, believes supporters are right to be asking questions about Boddy’s appointment.

Several Worcester City fans have taken to posting on Newport’s messageboard about their former chairman and it appears those posts have stirred the concerns of some Newport followers.

“I, for one, welcomed the appointment of a chief executive, I think it’s absolutely right and proper that the club is run on a full-time basis by people who aren’t pre-occupied by their own business interests,” he said.

“I looked up Dave’s record of where he had been and felt it was a CV well suited to where we are and said as much on the messageboard.

“But the things Worcester fans are saying are concerning to people who love the club and we just want certain questions answered.

“I don’t understand why the club didn’t advertise the position for example and a lot of people feel the same.

“But that doesn’t mean we are all necessarily opposed to Dave Boddy, we just want to know certain things.”

County director Howard Greenhaf was contacted for this story but was unavailable for comment.

Comments(20)

Kevin Ward - Editor says...
10:40am Tue 8 Jan 13

Posters should read again the terms and conditions of our site - you have all agreed to these terms and conditions when registering to comment.
If you wish to put yourself at risk of libel actions that is a matter for you, but such comments will be removed from this site.

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county mad says...
1:18pm Tue 8 Jan 13

Might be helpful to put a link to the forum so we cam see what the story is actually about

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county mad says...
1:53pm Tue 8 Jan 13

Having read their comments and the files in their local papers I am worried very worried.

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larneman says...
3:18pm Tue 8 Jan 13

I don't like the sound of all this. Why was'nt the position advertised? Why were the Worcester fans so again'st Boddy?. Like County mad I'm a bit worried about all this. It's creating a bit of a smell. Why won't Boddy answer his critics BEFORE his appointment?

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jetspotter says...
4:37pm Tue 8 Jan 13

Does his name rhyme with roadie or l
Noddy ?
He's either a toady or shoddy !
I can't write a rhyme
Till someone takes time
To tell me the facts. Anybody ?

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the dork says...
5:44pm Tue 8 Jan 13

Will he rename the team 'NEWPORT WONGA'

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barrie says...
5:52pm Tue 8 Jan 13

Someone is going to end up with egg on their face. It'll either be posters on the message board, myself included, or the people who backed and appointed him. I just hope I am proven to be in the wrong rather then the club being harmed by history repeating itself.

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netala says...
6:08pm Tue 8 Jan 13

like all the other posters before me , i am also worried. with such an important position being created, surely it should have been advertised .we all want the right man/woman for the job. . the directors hold the purse strings,but we fans hold the heart of the club.

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COUNTYVOICE says...
6:45pm Tue 8 Jan 13

COMMUNICATION

as usual there is a lack of clarity over an important issue.

its left to drag on fuelling bad feeling among the supporters.

county management , be open and explain the reasons behind boddy's appointment, what boddy hopes to achieve, how boddy's success will be measured, and payments linked to success.

be transparent , and stop this huge mole hill that is growing into the new snowdonia.

the man has a dodgy past, let him be heard on why that was and what he intends to do differently at county

LET BODDY SHOW THE FAITHFUL COUNTY FOLLOWING HIS VISION OF THE FUTURE.......... i await his response.

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larneman says...
8:18pm Tue 8 Jan 13

Countyvoice. Boddy says he will answer all queries AFTER his appointment. Too late then perhaps, why not answer them now. He may be the man for the job he might do a great job who knows. The fact is that we don't know much about him. It looks as though everything was done behind closed doors. There are doubts in my mind. I like a club that is open and honest with its supporters,somehow I think I will be moving on.

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COUNTYVOICE says...
8:42pm Tue 8 Jan 13

i meant before his appointment i agree too late once appointment made

not a good way to start a job with the supporters against you

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foxy3rd says...
9:49pm Tue 8 Jan 13

Where fans have had a financial input of sorts as in counties case last year I think there should be some sort of liaison with the supporters reps. in cases like this.

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D Taylor says...
12:00am Wed 9 Jan 13

So far as we know the supporter directors (supporter trust representatives) were involved n this decision. But they haven't said anything to enlighten us.

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brooksider says...
10:26am Wed 9 Jan 13

Unfortunately Dave Boddy consigned Worcester City to a slow death when he signed the contracts with Careys and St Modwens.

He was out of his depth, or acting on very poor advice from the 'Project Leader', throughout the negotiations and he is still unable to admit or apologise for the consequences of his actions.

Many people offered assistance to him and the club, but were labeled troublemakers when they told unpalatable truths and even Club Directors resigned over concerns about the handling of finances.

He even accused the owner of Worcester Warriors of going back on an agreement of a 50-50 share in the Sixways Stadium.

Plus the only reason he was allowed back at St Georges Lane was because he was an employee of the Football Conference, 'welcome' is an exaggeration.

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LliswerryLlanc says...
7:03pm Wed 9 Jan 13

It is not libellous to quote a comment which appears on the website of your sister newspaper, The Worcester News, which states that Mr Boddy is “a deluded fool who can't be trusted.” (http://www.worceste
rnews.co.uk/sport/84
67894.Boddy_s_Sixway
s_claim_disputed/) nor to point to other statements in the public domain made about his character and previous failures (http://bit.ly/VmK6f
c), none of which have resulted in legal action. Despite Mr Pearlman's apparent endorsement, it is clear on the available evidence that this individual should not be allowed, metaphorically speaking, within a hundred miles of any football club, especially ours. It is baffling that the Argus appears so sanguine about this cuckoo in the County nest. Perhaps investigative journalism is no longer part of this paper's remit.

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chasvaughn says...
7:13pm Wed 9 Jan 13

Mr Pearlman can only write what he is allowed to write. We had the same situation at the Worcester News at the time.

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brooksider says...
10:20pm Wed 9 Jan 13

chasvaughn wrote:
Mr Pearlman can only write what he is allowed to write. We had the same situation at the Worcester News at the time.
Is Kevin Ward the Editor of the South Wales Argus the same Kevin Ward who was Editor of the Worcester News during the period of Dave Boddy's reign at Worcester City?

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Kevin Ward - Editor says...
10:48pm Wed 9 Jan 13

It's not exactly a secret.

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LliswerryLlanc says...
11:36pm Wed 9 Jan 13

Then either a wilfull blindness or a dereliction of journalistic duty. It is inconceivable that any ordinary supporter or local citizen after even just a cursory investigation of Mr Boddy's past record would have greeted this appointment with equanimity. It is the press' responsibility to raise concerns when local institutions are threatened – you are failing in your duty.

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toofaraway says...
6:46pm Fri 11 Jan 13

I am sure Mr. Brookside would happily pose some very awkward questions to Mr. Boddy, the very same questions that he has never yet found an answer to when asked by the Worcester City supporters and Supporters' Trust.

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