Apology accepted, but…
11/05/05 | by Alex Walker

In the past week, since our relegation was confirmed, we’ve been treated to a charm offensive from the club on par with that of the general election campaigns. Mark Arthur, various players and even the manager have been in the papers offering up repentance their own part in our downfall. However, the most significant apology came from Nigel Doughty himself. The question is, is the comparison with the election valid – has this latest spurt of PR been just as cynical and insincere as Mr Blair and Mr Howard’s electioneering?

It certainly appears to have been a deliberate effort to put the club’s management back into a positive light, timed nicely to coincide with the release of next year’s season ticket prices (which, for the record, were diabolic in the Championship, let alone League 1!). But, on the other hand, the club have acted very quickly in starting the rebuilding process, releasing or transfer listing an assortment of players that very few will be sad to see leave.

However, it’s easy to sack players. The difficult part will come when we need to replace them. I’m all in favour of the club restoring a bit of much-needed hope for the fans to savour, but we all know what their kind of ‘hope’ entails. This time they really need to act. No more false promises.

As I said, the most significant apology was from Doughty himself in Sunday’s matchday programme. He said: “On behalf of the club let me apologise unreservedly for our performances this season.” This is great and only what was due. I’ll happily accept his apology and put this season behind us, but only on the condition that it never happens again.

Unfortunately, my confidence in this happening was dented when he followed the apology by repeating his claims that “our salary budget remains one of the highest in the division” and “no manager has been refused transfer funds in my time as chairman” – despite first-hand evidence from numerous managers to suggest otherwise – and again attempting to justify the club’s strategy in recent years. There is simply no point in trying to justify the way the club has been managed at board level because it is clear for all to see that this strategy has failed with spectacular consequences.

If Doughty tries to take the club ‘forward’ by cutting the wage bill again, it will only lead to another relegation – that is no exaggeration. He needs to completely rethink his outlook as far as getting Forest back on track goes.

He has promised to pay off a chunk of the short-term debts, which is kind, but it is only as a £9m loan, which we can add to the £10m we already owe him from last season. What we really need from him is some investment in new players to get us back into the Championship as soon as possible. If he ignores the performances on the pitch in favour of the financial side of the club this time around, well, it will be a familiarly-painful story.

It was continually repeating mistakes of the past that eventually landed us in this mess in the first place, so to continue on the same path would be pure lunacy and I really do hope the recent noises being made for the club about rebuilding and rethinking are not just rhetoric. Another part of the charm offensive has been to call a ‘fans forum’ next month at which Doughty, Arthur and director of finance John Pelling will talk to fans and answer questions. I will be there and asking if this time we have reason to be genuinely optimistic about Forest’s future. If they are able to reassure me about this then it will mean a whole lot more than a simple apology.