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David Bruce leaving SAFC


Remember how shit it was on the business/retail side before he came in? That was a Sunderland fan running it also. It's all about competence and commitment. The worry is we end up with another without one or the other or worse than that, both. Bruce has done a tremendous job and it's a worry.
 
FulwellViaLeeds said:
Our history is littered with people not from the area who have connected with the club. On the flip side, we've had plenty of locals who haven't seemed to fully grasp what the club means.

I don't think you have to be a 'proper' Sunderland fan to do any of what you listed. In fact, most of the things you listed have been tried one way or another previously, it's just Bruce has been better at implementing, aided undoubtedly by our on-field stability and success.

He's done an excellent job, he's a real loss (although I think I can see the logic behind the restructure). But, I'd expect any decent appointment to do their homework and connect with the area.
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Too true and that goes for us Geordies who support Safc ...we have more passion than those from the Sunderland area
 
Cack Stottie said:
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Beat you to it...


What % of fans gave a shite about the concourse redevelopment, with the murals of former players?

What % of fans gave a shite about the naming of the Jimmy Montgomery stand?

What % of fans gave a shite about the hummel kits and time capsule drops?

What % of fans gave a shite about the new state of the art audio/video system we have in the SOL?

What % of fans gave a shite about Legends Way?

What % of fans gave a shite about having a proper flag/banner group who are backed by the club (well, Bruce) to do whatever they want to do?

Etc etc etc. David Bruce's fingerprints are all over lots of the good stuff that we've done in the last few years - those are just a few examples of the top of my head.

Founders Week was very important in my view as not enough is done to make people aware of the people that brought this football club to Sunderland. Founders Bar - another Bruce idea - is there now and when you walk in the place there are signs all over about the formation of the club. Likewise, Heroes Week is tremendously important to a lot of fans who feel it's appropriate that we mark the occasion properly with a fitting tribute each November to the fallen. Sunderland's display this year was probably the greatest in the country and got loads of really positive attention from outside of the club.

All of these things matter and make our experience as fans better, in my view.

My concern is that only a proper Sunderland fan, who has the power to make these decisions, would get this stuff done. I'm not sure I'm looking forward to a more 'corporate' Sunderland.
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Great article.
I doubt very much the next CEO will know Andy Melville is
 
not spavin said:
He spent about a year on LinkedIn posting ChatGPT-y screeds about how the worst thing about the genocide in Gaza were the people protesting about it. Think he was told to pack it in but for a while he was posting some pretty vile stuff on there.

Not a great person to have associated with our club.
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Share some vile stuff please. I follow him on linked in, never seen a post that I would describe as vile.
He provides for Food for thought for sure, he is pro Israeli and most of his utterances are related to fighting antisemitism and the media representation of Jews. …but vile ? ….. its nasty to misrepresent what people say and particularly when their main thrust is to counter racism.
It’s also concerning that you would not do your homework before making such claims as the lad is a born and bred Mackem …. More Mackem than 90% on here.
 
Cack Stottie said:
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Beat you to it...


What % of fans gave a shite about the concourse redevelopment, with the murals of former players?

What % of fans gave a shite about the naming of the Jimmy Montgomery stand?

What % of fans gave a shite about the hummel kits and time capsule drops?

What % of fans gave a shite about the new state of the art audio/video system we have in the SOL?

What % of fans gave a shite about Legends Way?

What % of fans gave a shite about having a proper flag/banner group who are backed by the club (well, Bruce) to do whatever they want to do?

Etc etc etc. David Bruce's fingerprints are all over lots of the good stuff that we've done in the last few years - those are just a few examples of the top of my head.

Founders Week was very important in my view as not enough is done to make people aware of the people that brought this football club to Sunderland. Founders Bar - another Bruce idea - is there now and when you walk in the place there are signs all over about the formation of the club. Likewise, Heroes Week is tremendously important to a lot of fans who feel it's appropriate that we mark the occasion properly with a fitting tribute each November to the fallen. Sunderland's display this year was probably the greatest in the country and got loads of really positive attention from outside of the club.

All of these things matter and make our experience as fans better, in my view.

My concern is that only a proper Sunderland fan, who has the power to make these decisions, would get this stuff done. I'm not sure I'm looking forward to a more 'corporate' Sunderland.
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It’s all brilliant stuff and important to me, but the owners will be basing decisions on commercial success. What is judged successful you and I don’t know
 
Can’t wait for the this wouldn’t happen under Bruce threads for next 48 years. Although I’ll probably be dead in 20.
 
Chewit said:
It’s all brilliant stuff and important to me, but the owners will be basing decisions on commercial success. What is judged successful you and I don’t know
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Correct and I say as much in the piece I wrote - I can only come at this purely from the perspective as a fan.

Could he not have worked under a CEO so we don’t lose the qualities he brings?

Again I have no idea, I just think that it’s such a shame.
 
Grumpy Old Man said:
Bruce's most identifiable skills given his job history so far, and his performance here, are in marketing. And he's been unquestionably good at it. However, the skillset for a CEO who could be involved in noegoatiations with multinationals re sponsorship deals. handling large svale finance/treasury issue in conjunction with a CFO (especially where there potentially major construction projects in the pipeline), etc, is significantly wider. Put simply, the size and complexity of a PL club may have outgrown Bruce's skillset.
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It’s surprised me for a while that the club doesn’t have a CEO, it’s been an outlier amongst clubs (including Championship and even League One) in not having one. However any CEO needs good Heads of/Directors of/Chief of in marketing, finance, football and possibly comms, and a Chief Operating Officer for the back office stuff. I’m not surprised they’re appointing a CEO at last but my reading of Bruce is that he’s a future CEO and/or could have worked under one, handling the marketing and partnerships. His background and experience are not untypical for future football club CEOs. His work at Sunderland has had huge impact including within the sports industry where many initiatives have got Sunderland noticed.

An incoming CEO will often want to make their own decisions re senior staff, they’re not made by the shareholders before the permanent CEO recruitment has even started. Which may suggest that the permanent appointment has already happened, can’t be announced yet, but decisions are being made behind the scenes.

Or it can be a personality thing eg someone might be told there’s a CEO incoming but it’s not them, and if they’d wanted it to be them they might decide that it’s time to move on. I’m not ITK so I’m speculating.
Father Jack Hackett said:
He was CMO for an entire national league. I reckon there were some heavy-duty sponsorship and financial deals going-on there
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Exactly this.
Or of course Bruce may have got a better job and is currently working notice.
 
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Pantomime Mackem said:
It’s surprised me for a while that the club doesn’t have a CEO, it’s been an outlier amongst clubs (including Championship and even League One) in not having one. However any CEO needs good Heads of/Directors of/Chief of in marketing, finance, football and possibly comms, and a Chief Operating Officer for the back office stuff. I’m not surprised they’re appointing a CEO at last but my reading of Bruce is that he’s a future CEO and/or could have worked under one, handling the marketing and partnerships. His background and experience are not untypical for future football club CEOs. His work at Sunderland has had huge impact including within the sports industry where many initiatives have got Sunderland noticed.

An incoming CEO will often want to make their own decisions re senior staff, they’re not made by the shareholders before the permanent CEO recruitment has even started. Which may suggest that the permanent appointment has already happened, can’t be announced yet, but decisions are being made behind the scenes.

Or it can be a personality thing eg someone might be told there’s a CEO incoming but it’s not them, and if they’d wanted it to be them they might decide that it’s time to move on. I’m not ITK so I’m speculating.

Exactly this.
Or of course Bruce may have got a better job and is currently working notice.
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Its been said he has had a pay off and Phil Smith I think mentioned it even came as a surprise to Bruce. I think its disappointing and naive to be honest. Clearly Kyril wants to streamline everything with the Bia Sports Group clique but I hope he doesn't regret not keeping more Sunderland folk involved in the project.
 
dancingradio said:
Its been said he has had a pay off and Phil Smith I think mentioned it even came as a surprise to Bruce. I think its disappointing and naive to be honest. Clearly Kyril wants to streamline everything with the Bia Sports Group clique but I hope he doesn't regret not keeping more Sunderland folk involved in the project.
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Interesting, thanks.
 
Cack Stottie said:
Correct and I say as much in the piece I wrote - I can only come at this purely from the perspective as a fan.

Could he not have worked under a CEO so we don’t lose the qualities he brings?

Again I have no idea, I just think that it’s such a shame.
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He may not have wanted to, seeing it as an effective demotion.
 
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dancingradio said:
Its been said he has had a pay off and Phil Smith I think mentioned it even came as a surprise to Bruce. I think its disappointing and naive to be honest. Clearly Kyril wants to streamline everything with the Bia Sports Group clique but I hope he doesn't regret not keeping more Sunderland folk involved in the project.
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Your post signposted me to this
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which I suspect is as accurate info as we'll get. I was particularly struck by this:
- Hummel may not be delivering the revenues Sunderland now hope to achieve
- "power is moving towards Louis-Dreyfus and
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", which feels like standard operating procedure for your typical Swiss billionaire century-old private family firm.
 
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Wonder what this Kingsmore fella is like? Since he’s come in Speakman, Bruce and Ashley Peden have all fell on their sword. He doesn’t get too much of a good rep from people on here who’ve had dealings with him.
 
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