Meeting with Talal

Over the last 18 hours a lot of nonsense is being written on Twitter about the meeting between Talal and a group of fans’ representatives. The very existence of that meeting has been derailed somewhat by a TV reporter’s unfortunate use of a phrase “high profile fans”. High profile in this context means purely that they have an online presence that will enable any messages to be disseminated to the rest of the fans – or at least those on social media. High profile does not mean “superfan”, or “happy clapper”, or “sponsor”, or “loyal long-term fan”. It’s about media profile.

I will at this point state that I have been invited to the meeting. I’m certainly no “superfan”, but the fact that I have social media outlets and post on Cockney Latic is shown by the fact you are reading this.

As far as I am aware, and I have no reason to think I have this wrong, the meeting is not a jolly “Talal meets the fans” event. Someone rather insultingly on Twitter said it’ll be happy clappers asking Talal how many suits he has. It has been convened so that Talal can explain what has gone wrong, we and he all know things have gone wrong, to explain where we are right now, and to clarify the road forward, both (I hope) short term (next pay day and continuing up to the end of the season), and long term. At least that’s what I will be seeking.

Looking at the list of those attending none of those have anything but a desire to see Latics prosper and progress. I may not agree at times with some of them on a variety of things, but I know they have the good of the club at heart. Not one of those attending (myself included) are happy clappers, but nor are we “get the f*** out of our club”. We are (I think) rational fans who will listen and challenge and question. It will be a “dynamic” meeting. I don’t mean we’ll all be running around, but how the meeting goes will be dictated by what is said, by people formulating questions on the hoof in response to what is being said. It isn’t per se a Q&A session where someone goes along determined to ask when the blue seats are coming. It’s about Talal explaining face-to-face with us what is going on, and us having the chance to challenge where appropriate.

Someone complained that what will happen will be that differing accounts will be posted in different places. My answer is “good”. Agreed statements tend to be bland; individual feedback will vary, but will enable a broad number of views to be expressed. We all know that if three people listen to something being said, four versions will result.

So that’s where we are. I will of course report back, probably tomorrow.

And let’s face it, we never had this opportunity under Stanley Choi