Brewster's comments in The Herald

[Guest birdog]

Everyone's favourite Glasgow rag has been interviewing our glorious leader. One of the points I have picked up on from the article is that Brewster in his arrogance believes that there are only 20 of us fans who are unhappy with his continued employment at the club. Brewster has been quoted, in the past, as saying he does not look at internet forums as it would "drive him mad" but I just cannot get over the guile of this man thinking that only 20 out of "over 3000" fans are unhappy with him.

"The chairman came out and said what he felt he had to say," said Brewster, ambivalently but with undertones of disappointment at the need for the often ominous vote of confidence from George Fraser after a fans' meeting. "There was a meeting of around 60 people and hardly any made any comments, so all the talk and all the stories are based on 20 fans at a club that has an average attendance at home of 3000. Some people forget how far this club has come in a short period of time. They just take it for granted that we are supposed to be a mid-table SPL club. Well, the SPL doesn't work like that."

I also don't believe that he realises that it is not entirely our league position which has brought the anger upon him, it is the manner in which his lack of tactical acumen has lead to dire performances and a poor product which has brought (my) anger.

FULL ARTICLE

[stevico1]

Everyone's favourite Glasgow rag has been interviewing our glorious leader. One of the points I have picked up on from the article is that Brewster in his arrogance believes that there are only 20 of us fans who are unhappy with his continued employment at the club. Brewster has been quoted, in the past, as saying he does not look at internet forums as it would "drive him mad" but I just cannot get over the guile of this man thinking that only 20 out of "over 3000" fans are unhappy with him.

"The chairman came out and said what he felt he had to say," said Brewster, ambivalently but with undertones of disappointment at the need for the often ominous vote of confidence from George Fraser after a fans' meeting. "There was a meeting of around 60 people and hardly any made any comments, so all the talk and all the stories are based on 20 fans at a club that has an average attendance at home of 3000. Some people forget how far this club has come in a short period of time. They just take it for granted that we are supposed to be a mid-table SPL club. Well, the SPL doesn't work like that."

I also don't believe that he realises that it is not entirely our league position which has brought the anger upon him, it is the manner in which his lack of tactical acumen has lead to dire performances and a poor product which has brought (my) anger.

FULL ARTICLE

Articles like this will not help his cause either, if he thinks it is only 20 fans that are unhappy with him he is kiding himself

[Council Juice]

Great, not only is he tactically inept, but he can't count it seems either!

Has he not noticed the average home attendance of over 3000 has been dwindling during his tenure?

[SMEE]

He really is a **** of the highest order. I have been amazed how ONE win against a lower league team seems to have gotten people off his back. lest we forget!

[Scotty]

Yes, I saw that article and picked up on the "20 fans" comment. If he believes its only 20 fans at the meeting who doubt his ability then - to use a Bush-ism - I think he "mis-underestimates" the strength of feeling.

Because we routinely delete unused accounts (monthly), we can honestly say that we have around 1550 "active" members on this site (as opposed to registered members) and of those accounts, considerably more than 50% of them login at least once a week, with somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of our account holders logging in either daily or every couple of days. The strength of feeling is certainly coming from more than 20 people whether it is at a meeting or not.

I also picked up on another part of the article and I dont know if it was a veiled reference to this site or not. The comment said "He has been caught up in a deeply unpleasant, intrusive and internet-driven debate on his sexual orientation".

Not sure if they mean us or not, but personally I take heart from the fact that any so-called "internet driven debate" on this has not involved this site. We allow criticism of the manager, we encourage opinion from whatever end of the scale and although the odd comment has/had been made on this subject we have - and will continue to - remove postings about this as it crosses our own line into the personal lives of players/officials. (just in case anyone needed clarification now that it has been mentioned in the papers).

[RiG]

I can tell Brewster that there was a damn sight more than 20 chanting "Brewster - Get to f'ck!" at recent Home games.

[Guest birdog]

Scotty reading the article he does not say 20 fans at the meeting but "20 fans at the club" which shows that this man is living in fantasy land.

Edited January 17, 2009 by birdog

[Scotty]

so it does.

Anyhoo - off back to the matchday thread now to give my 90 minutes support to the team.

[rinomac]

He not only doesn't have a clue about tactics, but now has no clue about what he is talking about. He needs to understand that the fans are important to football clubs and we pay our money and have a right to our own opinions, just as much as he does. He is another one burying his head in the sand if he thinks that it is just "20 fans at the club" that want him out.

[RednBlackComeback]

We don't like him. He doesn't like us. Fair enough I say.

[caleyboy]

We don't like him. He doesn't like us. Fair enough I say.

Register him for care in the "Kingsmills" Nursing Home - he will be next door to Grassa and the Heathmount.

[stevico1]

We don't like him. He doesn't like us. Fair enough I say.

The difference is the fans pay his wages

[hislopsoffsideagain]

I can't believe that he has such poor PR ability that he has done this.

He even comments on how sacking a manager involves paying them off - which suggests, between the lines, a whiff of "I'm not resigning, I want my money if I leave".

As for the 20 fans comment, it suggests a man who is living in an alternate reality.

If the man showed some sort of humility, some acknowledgement that he has made errors, then fine. But there is no sign of any willingness to take responsibility.

Is Craig Brewster the footballing equivalent of George Bush? Or are we "mis-underestimating" him?

[Guest birdog]

It would look as though the fans voices have been heard in response to Brewster's piece in the Herald.

No one would have begrudged the Highland club a point, but their seventh SPL defeat in a row left the visiting fans unhappy and their chants of 'we want Brewster out' showed their increasing displeasure with boss Craig Brewster.

From The Scotsman

[Guest Kaffy]

Has anyone bothered to email Darryl Broadfoot (The Herald Sports Writer) and put him straight??

[Lady Madonna]

Why does he talk in the third person? "Craig Brewster is a professional."

[davie]

Interesting article that, and the first time I've seen it. Curiously, I think that it achieved its main aim of increasing sympathy for the man ahead of a "difficult" fixture at Hamilton (impossibly difficult as it turned out) There are points of accuracy here though:

• There are more than 20 people not happy with you Craig. You know that. 20 people cannot be heard in your dugout from the North Stand, but you have acknowledged the chants from there. You have your supporters, but they are becoming fewer by the week.
  
• It was interesting to hear that you were "tactically naive and indecisive" at DUFC. The fans at ICT are of the same opinion. Worryingly, it infers that you have learned nothing from that experience.
  
• There is nothing wrong with posting anti CB sentiments on the internet, writing them or broadcasting them. If CB speaks in the papers, so can the fans.
  
• The reference to pay offs is odious. ICT took CB back when he was at his lowest stock and a bit of humility would not go amiss here.
  
• I agree that the questioning of CB's sexuality is irrelevant, offensive and does the movement to rid ICT of the man no good. It needs cut out, now. I did not, however realise that this required CB to explain his orientation to his "sheepish" dressing room (curious choice of words) and his father, and nor did I need to know. The questions are bad enough, the defensive replies worse.
  

There is a time where CB has to rise above this crap, realistically appraise his situation and go. That time is now.

[tokelyisvictorious]

EVERYONE is unhappy with the way the club is going. Not everyone is anti-brew, i'd say right now its roughly half and half.

[Kingsmills]

I'd be very surprised indeed if as many as half the fans of our club are supportive of Brewster.

[Caley Stan]

I cannot understand how he could decide to make these comments now, in an interview printed on the day that fans were ready to get behind the team in great numbers.

I really wanted yesterday to be about ICT staying up and about fans coming together to improve our chances of doing that, NOT about Craig Brewster. But when word started to circulate about these comments people the anger that i feel about what this guy is doing to our club returned.

He got what he deserved at the end of yesterday's game - a hell of a lot more than 20 people screaming for his head.

Edited January 18, 2009 by Caley Stan

[Guest birdog]

And I think you may have hit upon one of Brewster's biggest problems, he is more interested in Brewster and his personal battles than ICT and all of our battles.

Someone else picked up on Brewster referring to himself in the third person during this article I think that doing so is testament to his over inflated ego, as is the constant want to play strikers in the way that was successful during his playing career, sorry Brew but there is a world outside of your own head, learn from it.

[crownjaggie]

The chairman came out and said what he felt he had to say," said Brewster, ambivalently but with undertones of disappointment at the need for the often ominous vote of confidence from George Fraser after a fans' meeting. "There was a meeting of around 60 people and hardly any made any comments, so all the talk and all the stories are based on 20 fans at a club that has an average attendance at home of 3000. Some people forget how far this club has come in a short period of time. They just take it for granted that we are supposed to be a mid-table SPL club. Well, the SPL doesn't work like that."

If the Chairman is prepared to make comments like the above it proves that his memory is also very short. Anybody remember how far Gretna came and went in an even shorter period of time than our club has been in existence.

No we don't have the right to a place in the SPL, but to give up our place that was hard won, without so much as a whimper from those in positions of power.

I don't believe that Brewster will fall on his sword because that would require him firstly to acknowledge that decent players don't always crack management, and secondly the integrity to realise that he is responsible for performances and inspiring his team.

[+Wanderer]

"When you look at our budget, the lowest in the SPL along with Hamilton, and look at our league position, you could argue we are where we should be."

"20fansgate" aside I think the above unnerves me most.

So every time we lose to a club with a bigger budget than ours that's to be accepted as just the natural order of things?

Get ready for Division One folks, our manager is looking for opposition with smaller budgets than ours.

Good f****** grief!

[starchief]

If Brew fell on his sword, he would struggle to get a job in football management ever again. I've no doubt why he's clinging on here. His entire career is at stake. I doubt the board are doing it for financial reasons either. I think they just don't want to admit a mistake. Not even to themselves.

[Pele_Is_God]

Where's the enthusiasm? Where's the confidence? Brewster GTF, get Robbo and Shearer in before it's too late!