Are Carlisle fans treat like mugs?

We've had 10 years or whatever of "the custodians" being in charge and probably every year there's been something to piss off the fans in a big way from these lot - giving a manager a contract extension when most wanted him not get one (Abbott & now Pressley) billionaire gate, Jenks saying support the club you [censored]*, the current EWM secret service, cost cutting and there's loads more I can't remember at the moment.

Season after season the loyal fans buy season tickets and match tickets because it's their club and they'll support the team no matter what which is fair enough and should be applauded but are these "custodians" not just making mugs of these loyal hardworking fans who spend a lot of money supporting the blues? When have they ever thanked the fans for their support and hard earned money?

I used to love going to BP especially during the Story era, there was a buzz about the place, good players were bought, football was exciting, you felt part of something but now what does it feel like for most? A slog is what I hear a lot.

Come on "Custodians" your times up give someone who can move the club forward a chance please. Or anyone in fact!

I could write a long list but I need my thumb for tomorrow!

I’ll just say yes

I feel like I have been hanging on the mug rack for years and can't see an end to it yet.
However come about October we will have uncovered a pair of real [censored] in SP and DH.

Which SP?

Think he's meaning the manager, most people know what the other one's about.

Pressley. We have all known for years what the other SP is.

Croydonblue wrote: I feel like I have been hanging on the mug rack for years and can't see an end to it yet.
However come about October we will have uncovered a pair of real [censored] in SP and DH.

I should of added Holdsworth to my list of crap..

In some respects things have become clearer, so I suppose you could argue the club are acting in a more transparent way.
Are we mugs? Probably but we cannot at the moment say we don’t know what’s going on.
Perhaps EWMs involvement is the only thing that has people scratching their heads.

We get told things to keep us happy I'd say, it's all so predictable.

The owners ( and now EWM) employee people to bullshit us!
We are nothing to them where as the fans should be everything to a football club.

Year on year the deterioration and rot gradually takes place. League position and expectations reduce. General interest in the club wains. ‘Shorter of breath and one day closer to death’. That’s Carlisle United under this regime.

Just in the cup.

ParcelPete wrote: Just in the cup.

* Tumble weed *

Yes

Some people take it far too serious. It's only football at the end of the day.

Although some of the football has been very average over recent seasons, we have generally been in with a shout of the play-offs which keeps the interest going.
When you are down near the bottom that's when he fans will really drift away.
Football supporting wouldn't really be viable as a thing if you only went when doing well.
We can all support Man U and Liverpool but the tradition of following your local team is still one I am clinging on to. Doesn't make me a mug, personal choice.

Aye you're right. I like to think of Nixon & Co as the mugs.

We're no different to most clubs in this respect.

I don't like the way we're being run at all but we're nowhere near the worst run club in the football league.

My take on it is that there's more than just the custodians involved here.

We aren't the worst run club in the league that's true, but we have suffered from a serious lack of engagement, lack of vision and a terminal lack of ambition for decades.
Knighton was the last owner to set out an idea of where we were, where he wanted us and how he wanted to achieve his vision.
Ok most of it was nuts and total fantasy but, at least he had the brain to drag us, the fans onboard with the dream...there was an aim, a place we were going and it certainly was an exiting ride until he set fire to it all.

With this board we have no idea what they want, how they aim to achieve it, what they're satisfied with? Christ, we don't even know who actually runs the club. David Holdsworth is currently a massive point of aggro for me, he's an absolute snake oil salesman you can't trust a word from his mouth.
The confusion just adds fuel to the feeling of mistrust.
The lack of engagement sees us hire and fire people nobody wants, giving people extended contracts the majority can see is a mistake and nobody hangs around to be ignored which eventually hurts the club.
In the time these lot have had the club, football has marched on at a pace and we've been left in the 1980's struggling to figure out how it all happened.
The bit that galls most of us is that every offer of help, investment or new ideas is rejected out of hand.
We pretend we're for sale yet every offer or enquiry is treated with contempt and eventually receives the same in return.
We're a box of contradictions.

The biggest problem is that football has changed to the point we now need huge investment to rebuild into a championship club, that's not realistically going to happen. There are better prospects to buy and rebuild than us and probably at less cost.
That makes it harder and harder for the custodians to sell the club, it also makes it harder and harder for them and their shallow pockets to keep it running too.
SKY are to blame for a lot of our issues, they've ruined the football league with their greed but the board do us no favours either. It's a great cocktail that's seeing most lower league clubs in it up to their necks but maybe their owners engage more and people accept their reasoning for the mess their in. Ours stay quiet and insult anyone who asks!!

Well said especially the comment on Holdsworth. I've always referred him to as a second hand car salesman. I think I prefer yours

It doesn't help when you see the likes of Boston and Fleetwood leaving us behind.

pacirv wrote: It doesn't help when you see the likes of Boston and Fleetwood leaving us behind.

Fleetwood yeah, but not Boston. We are in a way better position than them. I even had to google what league they are in these days.

Don't forget Accrington

I'm not really arsed about teams like Fleetwood passing us by; they've ploughed a lot of money into the club so it is to be expected that they'll be better than us.

Accrington on the other hand are just a well run club that engages with fans really well. They show what you can be achieved if you do things properly.

nobbyblue wrote: Aye you're right. I like to think of Nixon & Co as the mugs.

They couldn't care less about the fans though was one of my points.

Course we are mugs, or at least those that go feel like it anyways. The match day experience is predominantly crap, we're in a crap league with bang average players and the top corridor is shambles most of the time.

Yet do we still turn up? Course we do. We will whatever happens, and we're our own worst enemies for it. We all love going with our mates, parents, kids etc and until we stop then nothing will really change - an endless cycle.

There'll be 4,000 home fans there on the opening day even if we can't even field a full squad, the club know that, we know that. Get beat 4-0 and 300 will still go to Swindon for a day out, can't imagine it any different.

crunchblue wrote:

pacirv wrote: It doesn't help when you see the likes of Boston and Fleetwood leaving us behind.

Fleetwood yeah, but not Boston. We are in a way better position than them. I even had to google what league they are in these days.

Maybe he meant Burton?

You said the name Knighton. The biggest parasite that has ever latched onto a club. Vision! ambition ! . Only vision Knighton had was all talk. Ambition to take as much money out of Carlisle United fc and put it into one of his own companies. I couldn’t even read the rest of your message. Don’t ever say that fat walrus name on this site ever. That’s better i’ve got that off my chest. Big breaths and calm......i’m Ok now

the Fox wrote: You said the name Knighton. The biggest parasite that has ever latched onto a club. Vision! ambition ! . Only vision Knighton had was all talk. Ambition to take as much money out of Carlisle United fc and put it into one of his own companies. I couldn’t even read the rest of your message. Don’t ever say that fat walrus name on this site ever. That’s better i’ve got that off my chest. Big breaths and calm......i’m Ok now[/quote

Nothing quite like missing the point.....and conveniently ignoring the first few years, and the promotions and decent squads we had....you were clearly the only person in Brunton Park that saw through him from day one. My apologies.
You were obviously the only one stood in the ground with Knighton out signs and protesting too....

Here’s some crayons....stick to colouring in

All football fans are treated as mugs.

Chelsea/Arsenal having to travel to Baku.

Newcastle fans with Ashley.

Loads of EFL teams down to dubious owners.


Problem being they all know they have a captive audience.

For all the disgruntled Newcastle fans, there will be loads hoping the current situation will push them up the ladder for getting a season ticket.

For the majority of fans, for example, years ago I fell out with Asda and now shop at Sainsburys.

If I fell out with CUFC the only option is to stop going.

There's been so much negativity around the club the last ten owners. A new owner wouldn't half get the buzz back, we can only dream

Mr Quint wrote: Year on year the deterioration and rot gradually takes place. League position and expectations reduce. General interest in the club wains. ‘Shorter of breath and one day closer to death’. That’s Carlisle United under this regime.

The lack of communication is the big killer I think. It feels like there is a culture of secrecy with the board, that they withhold information from the fans and only provide answers when they really have to. That just makes fans feel disrespected. Why should they spend money at a club whose owners don't seem to think they are answerable to the supporters? Plenty of other places you can go on a Saturday to spend your money that won't treat you with contempt.

Still a way to go obviously but I do think communication has improved over the last 12 months or so.

Communication from the club has definitely improved over the last 12 months.

However, in that time, communication from the board has become none existent..

the Fox wrote: You said the name Knighton. The biggest parasite that has ever latched onto a club. Vision! ambition ! . Only vision Knighton had was all talk. Ambition to take as much money out of Carlisle United fc and put it into one of his own companies. I couldn’t even read the rest of your message. Don’t ever say that fat walrus name on this site ever. That’s better i’ve got that off my chest. Big breaths and calm......i’m Ok now

Say what you like about Knighton but he certainly knew how to create interest and market the football club, even if it was with a view to bleed it dry in the end. The man’s a rogue of the highest order but in his first few years he did everything the current owners haven't; he had a plan to build the club, a vision, created interest and got people on board and gave the fans hope. His first 3-4 years in charge were undoubtedly my best years supporting Carlisle.

Kessler wrote:

Mr Quint wrote: Year on year the deterioration and rot gradually takes place. League position and expectations reduce. General interest in the club wains. ‘Shorter of breath and one day closer to death’. That’s Carlisle United under this regime.

The lack of communication is the big killer I think. It feels like there is a culture of secrecy with the board, that they withhold information from the fans and only provide answers when they really have to. That just makes fans feel disrespected. Why should they spend money at a club whose owners don't seem to think they are answerable to the supporters? Plenty of other places you can go on a Saturday to spend your money that won't treat you with contempt.

"Plenty of other places you can go on a Saturday to spend your money"

Unfortunately not for yourself

munchymagic wrote:

Kessler wrote:

Mr Quint wrote: Year on year the deterioration and rot gradually takes place. League position and expectations reduce. General interest in the club wains. ‘Shorter of breath and one day closer to death’. That’s Carlisle United under this regime.

The lack of communication is the big killer I think. It feels like there is a culture of secrecy with the board, that they withhold information from the fans and only provide answers when they really have to. That just makes fans feel disrespected. Why should they spend money at a club whose owners don't seem to think they are answerable to the supporters? Plenty of other places you can go on a Saturday to spend your money that won't treat you with contempt.

"Plenty of other places you can go on a Saturday to spend your money"

Unfortunately not for yourself

It's a bit different for me as I get paid for being at matches. But for fans who pay money for a ticket, if they are spending their money at the club they deserve to be treated well. They don't deserve to be treated like an inconvenience which is how the board seems to view them. If they keep feeling badly treated, then eventually they will go and spend their weekends and their money somewhere else where they are treated well. The club need to acknowledge this threat, and convince fans why they should keep coming to BP. Otherwise the club will die a slow death by a thousand cuts, a few fans here and there, gradually over time until they eventually fizzle out in non league obscurity. It's a depressing prediction but I honestly think that's where the club is headed unless there are serious changes at the top levels.

Somebody said on here a while ago that the board seem to be thinking as they were 30 years ago when Jenkins was first in charge, that for many blokes Saturday meant football day as there were very few alternatives. Unfortunately for the board times have dramatically changed and there are now many alternatives and they haven’t seemed to grasp this concept.

This hit the nail on the head for me, they’re still operating as if it were the 80’s. Football and social habits have moved on and left Jenkins and Co behind.

SP - no truth to the rumour he is on his arse. Can't see what the chucker brings to CUFC

franksidebottom wrote: Somebody said on here a while ago that the board seem to be thinking as they were 30 years ago when Jenkins was first in charge, that for many blokes Saturday meant football day as there were very few alternatives. Unfortunately for the board times have dramatically changed and there are now many alternatives and they haven’t seemed to grasp this concept.

This hit the nail on the head for me, they’re still operating as if it were the 80’s. Football and social habits have moved on and left Jenkins and Co behind.

What else can you do on a Saturday but go to the match?

Blustone wrote: SP - no truth to the rumour he is on his arse. Can't see what the chucker brings to CUFC

You mean he is Potless? Stands in the car park on a Saturday, with his chest puffed out, loads of attitude, oh and a bit of paint and a few slotted screws over the years. He has helped make the club what it is today. Crap.

BlueAl wrote: He has helped make the club what it is today

Well I'm glad someone has finally owned up

Fans forum coming up next month, isn't it just a tick box exercise for them? Bet when they're planning it they're saying we best put one on to keep them lot happy, but don't give anything away!

Mush wrote: Fans forum coming up next month, isn't it just a tick box exercise for them?

Pretty much. They say all the right things about listening to the fans, getting feedback, but their attitude when faced with criticism or a question they don't like shows what they truly think of us.

Are you people who paid for a season ticket a bit worried about what you've signed up for currently?
The season hasn't started yet I know but unless the owners have a drastic change of heart and get their hands in their pockets and buy a few players the signs for next season don't look promising.

Mush wrote: Are you mugs who paid for a season ticket a bit worried about what you've signed up for currently?
The season hasn't started yet I know but unless the owners have a drastic change of heart and get their hands in their pockets and buy a few players the signs for next season don't look promising.

Corrected that for you

I've signed up (again) for getting out of the house on a Saturday after the monotony of another week at work, having a few pints with my mates, having a yarn, watching the televised Premier League games with a pint either side of our match, going down to Brunton Park to watch a live game of football and hoping my home town team win.

That's enough of a reason isn't it?

Doesn't mean I have to like the way the board run the club by doing all of the above.

It's not right how folks shopping in places where the clothes are made by 7 year old slaves, or going to fast food restaurants that fund terrorism are called into question for supporting q badly run local team. The fans aren't the problem.

And Laffy supposedly planning on turning Brunton Park into a modern day shopping centre is an OUTRAGE

At a fans forum a few years ago, the one at which it was revealed that we hadn't negotiated a bonus payment for Paddy Madden should Yeovil be promoted, JN said, and I'm paraphrasing, that if you were a Carlisle fan, you'd turn up and support the team regardless of the team's prospects, because that is what real supporters do.

It seemed like an ill-advised, complacent comment at the time. But since then it has proved to be incorrect as attendances have dwindled.

Bluedazblue wrote: It seemed like an ill-advised, complacent comment at the time

I think it shows just how out of touch they are. This isn't a case of fans leaving because of some bad results, which it was Nixon seems to be implying with that comment. It's fans at the end of their tether who are sick of being treated with utter contempt by a BOD who don't seem capable of running a modern football club.

If only we have a supporters group with a shareholding in the club and representatives sitting on the board, they would be in a great position to put these concerns to the BOD and hold them accountable...