Our New Head Coach?

So apparently, according to The Citizen, Johan Ackermann is pretty much a shoo in for the Head Coach role vacated by Laurie Fisher.

This appears to be based on Ackermann saying Gloucester have approached him.

So how does that work then? Why would Ackermann take the poisoned chalice that is the Head Coach role at Gloucester?

Why do I call it a poisoned chalice? Simple, one has to ask why Fisher sent that tweet. It’s acknowledged that he is one of the finest rugby minds in the sport today, even Humphreys stated that. What led a man of his standing in the rugby world to say “time to make room for someone else”. Anyone that has the slightest understanding of the sport has to acknowledge that Gloucester are massively underfunded in the professional era. St Quinton appears to have done nothing to change that.

Perhaps the Altrad deal will go through on the basis of a 45% sale and perhaps money will be pouring in to the club in the near future. Who knows, not the fans, for sure. We are but mushrooms, kept in the dark and fed bullshit. (and one has to ask at what cost?)

But as things stand it is a poisoned chalice through under funding. My guess is around £2m off the pace. And, of course, forced squad selection chasing the meagre EQP bonus.

I would love the opportunity for an open media session with Fisher. One where we can ask, “why the f**k did you make that decision, honestly?”. Politics and diplomacy will prevent any truth from either side. Personally? I think he was tired of banging his head against a brick wall. He had paid a heavy price, as was shown in his further message to fans (and Laurie has always been a guy that would talk with the fans)

And talk honestly. Love him or hate him, the guy is a rugby fans dream. he will stand and talk with you all day long. There is no more down to earth Head Coach than this guy, because he is passionate about this sport that he clearly loves so much. And he knows the fans are as well.

So, Ackermann. He appears to be having a reasonable time of it at Lions (there’s a name for 2017!) But if I were he I would be asking “why the f**k did Laurie send that tweet?” And “How come StQ didn’t keep him until the end of the season?” Certainly he would have been contracted to.

Looks to me that StQ saw that tweet and threw his toys out the pram. Would you want that guy as your boss?

Just saying. Just putting it out there.

You may have a different view as to how the game should be played. But I do not believe you will find a Head Coach who is more passionate about his job and is more determined about delivering results.

I will mourn the loss of Laurie Fisher. I believe he was the best thing to happen to Gloucester for many years. Passionate, determined, committed. I sincerely hope he has more support wherever he ends up.

But Ackermann. I bet he’s asking, who the f**k are Humphreys and Bell? What real coaching expertise has Woodman got…..To be honest, the only one, to my mind, who has actually shown their worth is Taylor. A guy that has started at the bottom and done the graft.

There is one thing I do know. Humphreys is, in my opinion, not to be trusted. Replacing Muggo with Bell after one year stinks of nepotism…..almost as if Humphreys knew Bell had another year to serve before he could bring him across. Is that a case of appointing the best man for the job or appointing your mate? Just asking. Just putting it out there.

And if you were Ackermann is that who you would want as your boss?

Goodbye Laurie, and thank you.

 

 

That Tweet!

There has been a news lock down at Gloucester RUFC since Laurie Fisher posted that tweet. Hardly surprising really. I have no doubts a cat suddenly found itself among several dozen pigeons.

Mr Stoney Face himself is not known to display great passion, that kick from The Welshman being one of a very limited number. So what made him make this passionate tweet, what seemingly forced this most passionate of statements. News from Gloucester will now be tightly controlled until they decide on what they want us all to hear so Laurie’s future will not be clear until they are good and ready to tell us. So there is no point in speculating what may or may not happen. But let’s look at how we came to this sorry pass, currently 9th in the table after 3 seasons of the new team in charge.

We started with news that Richard Hibbard and James Hook were joining us in what seemed like a spending spree. Hook became our most expensive player.

David Humphrys was to become our new DoR, a role previously held by Nigel Davies. With little worldly experience in rugby, having spent the previous 16 years at a Pro 12 side, it would seem he probably fitted the budget Ryan Walkinshaw had in mind (and we’ll come back to budgets soon). He was joined by John “Muggo” Muggleton, a member of the Invincibles during the 1982 Kangaroo Tour which steamrollered through England & France winning all 22 games and had proven credentials from previous coaching roles with the Georgia national side as well as others. Laurie Fisher was brought on board as well, a coach with proven credentials at Brumbies, Canberra, Australia U21s and Munster.

Trevor Woodman completed the set up in 2014 with a move from Cheltenham Ladies College having previously tried his hand at coaching….which probably says a great deal of his acknowledged coaching accomplishments in the rugby world. Hero worship runs long and deep at The ‘Holm, though, so our Trev could never do any wrong.

Humphreys moved as quick as he was able to replace the experienced Muggo with the less experienced Bell.

So what we had, I have no doubts, is something akin to a package. A package to be presented as a “going concern”. A package ready to be sold. Because any fool could see that Boy Walkinshaw wasn’t that fussed about rugby, certainly not as much as his revered father, Tom. Racing was always the Boy’s game, and with Sean Walkinshaw Racing showing a net worth of minus half a million pounds some funds would surely be necessary to stave off problems and keep the investments coming.

So Gloucester RUFC needed to be unloaded from the portfolio because I have no doubts he knew, as any businessman knows, professional rugby is not a game that makes it’s owners millions; Sarries & Bath are testament to that. But he couldn’t just flog it. It had to be made pretty to find the right groom for the bride. So the Boy spent as little as he could get away with and flogged it to St Q for as much as he could get away with.

And St Q made all the right noises when he brought it but has effectively done 3/4 of f**k all apart from selling a bit of the club to his mate just a few short months after he brought it. Gloucester’s net worth, it has to be pointed out, is shown as £4.3m.

Barely weeks after this announcement St Q is looking to unload more than half the clubs value to a Syrian born businessman based in France…….So that’s how committed he was to Gloucester Rugby. In other forms of business there is a name for this.

So let’s be honest, since Tom left there has been inadequate spending. My guess is that we are up to £2m off the pace when it comes to the salary cap. Taking into account 2 marquee players and having now unloaded Hook. The current cap is £6.5 million. We are spending no where near that. Clubs that are include Wasps, Sarries and Bath, clubs at the top of the table. And that is what rugby has come to, it has joined the ranks of all professional sports in that the more you spend on your squad the better you will be. Certainly other factors will have an effect but that’s the primary key. Money buys the best players and we are not spending anywhere close to the limit.

For me, though, one of the most laughable aspects of what is affecting Gloucester is the EQP bonus. Why are we chasing an £800k bonus when it means we do not field our strongest team week in, week out? There should only ever be one thing Gloucester RUFC aim for each week and that is a win on the pitch.

Gloucester’s average home crowd for Aviva games this season has been 14,020, over 2000 short of capacity. When people spend their hard earned cash on a ticket they want to see their team win. If we averaged out the ticket price at £25 and then said there was a possible average spend of £10 in the ground on food, beverages and merchandise then you are looking at lost revenue of near £75k per game. If Gloucester were putting their strongest team on the pitch every game and turned Kingsholm into a Fortress once more then I would expect higher crowds. Apart from the higher income from gate receipts and on-site sales you would then be able to increase your advertising income. £800k would easily be achieved and that is without the additional revenue from Champions Cup Rugby. Our single home game against Munster generated more revenue than all the subsequent Challenge Cup games the following season.

But our Head Coach has one hand tied behind his back chasing that pittance.

So let’s see what we have. Inadequate investment in the squad; significantly below both the cap and other teams. Chasing a pittance of a bonus which prevents us fielding our strongest team. A DoR inexperienced at his current level. An inexperienced Defence Coach who joined to “expand his coaching experience” (meaning I’m not currently good enough) and a Scrum/Forwards coach who was teaching at a girls school because that’s how highly valued his coaching was viewed in the rugby world. With this we have an experienced head coach with the qualifications and titles to prove his pedigree.

Which of these is likely to be able to leave with their head held high knowing they have made a difference? Had an impact but can do no more under the current, restrictive regime?

Others, I have no doubt, will cling on by their finger nails knowing there wont be a great rush of decent job offers coming their way. They’ll need to see their contracts out before skulking away to sniff at a few crumbs thrown from the table.

Of all of them one man became a Gloucester Man and will leave, at some point, with a large chunk of Gloucester in his heart. And his memory will live long in The Shed’s history while the others will quickly be forgotten, their names added to those of Davies & Redpath.