Another Noades Interview
Noades hits back at Bees critics
By Tony Flood
Comment
Former Brentford chairman Ron Noades has hit back at people who have criticised him for leaving the club with a £4.1million overdraft and claimed that, had he not been hounded out as manager, he would have taken the Bees into the Championship.
Noades, who says he won't watch a match at Griffin Park again, also alleges that the club have made a string of mistakes since he left by: l Not securing a suitable site for a new stadium, without which they will go bust.
l Wasting time trying to move to Lionel Road, as it is unsuitable.
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l Having no players who can command big transfer fees, apart from two he signed in Kevin O'Connor and Andy Frampton.
l Failing to implement his recommen-dation to appoint Dave Bassett as manager instead of Leroy Rosenior in the summer.
l Making other poor management decisions, including missing out on promotion by selling DJ Campbell.
l Not being strong enough to handle former manager Martin Allen.
Noades told the Times: "I have received nothing but criticism from a small group of fanatical supporters yet, if I hadn't taken over in 1998, the club would have gone out of the Football League within a year.
"And, if I hadn't quit as manager, I believe I could have taken Brentford to promotion again into the Championship.
"I got them out of a real mess following the David Webb era and won them promotion to League One in 1999.
"Unfortunately, when we had an off day and went out of the FA Cup to Kingstonian, there was a massive over-reaction from a section of the fans.
"The players were ridiculed - yet look what they have achieved since. Hermann Hreidarsson, Gavin Mahon and Ivar Ingimarsson are in the Premiership with Charlton, Watford and Reading respect-ively, while Darren Powell was sold to Crystal Palace for £400,000.
"A group of no more than 200 Brentford fans shouted abuse at us and some tried to force their way into the boardroom.
"So I quit as manager and concentrated on the chairman's job. But still the fans hounded me and even made abusive phone calls to my wife and I."
Noades added: "Since I left, debts have virtually doubled and there are no players at the club now who would fetch a decent transfer fee, apart from O'Connor and Frampton, who I signed.
"I have had all this stick for leaving a £4.1million overdraft yet it was no more than most clubs have - and several of the players I left behind were sold for reasonable fees, with the club making £1.8million on Hreidarsson.
"While I was at Brentford, we made a profit of more than £1million in the transfer market and players I signed have been sold for almost another £1million since I left.
"Those who criticise me claim I took over the club when it was debt-free in 1998. They conveniently forget that £500,000 was owed to two directors and £300,000 to £400,000 to creditors.
"The cash-flow forecast when I succeeded David Webb was a £750,000 loss.
"And I guaranteed the overdraft until supporter Matthew Benham bought out my £1.25million loan last month.
"Even then I wrote off £310,000, £250,000 of which the club had been due to pay me by January 20. But, of course, I didn't get any thanks for that.
"What upsets me about all the flak is I could have kept the freehold of the club and made a fortune on it.
"Instead, I gave it to the fans' trust Bees United for £1.
"The critics also overlook the fact that I obtained planning consent for Griffin Park, which increased the ground's value from £4million to £19million."
Another criticism of Noades was he tried to take the club out of the borough of Hounslow by doing a deal to groundshare with Woking.
He said: "The fans didn't understand my stragedy.
"The club had to get a new stadium to achieve long-term survival because of the limited facilities at Griffin Park, where putting in things such as executive boxes was out of the question.
"Hounslow Council came up with four sites then withdrew them one after the other.
"My intention was to move to Woking on a short-term basis to force the council to finally help us, but again the fans misunderstood and rebelled. Six years later, the club is still looking for a new stadium because the bid for Lionel Road remains in the balance and, typically, the council has still to deliver."
Noades reckons the current situation is a lot grimmer than when he left, pointing out: "The club are next-to-bottom of League One and looked certain to be relegated until Scott Fitzgerald signed six players recently.
"That has given them a chance of avoiding the drop.
"But they must get a new ground to stop operating at the loss - otherwise they will go bust.
"Lionel Road is not a suitable site - it is right next to Kew Bridge and the traffic problems would be unacceptable.
"The clock is ticking, but fortunately Matthew Benham's guesture to take over almost £3million of loans without asking for any interest for the next five years has bought Brentford extra time."
The straight-talking Noades claimed several mistakes have been made.
He declared: "There has been mis-management.
"Selling Campbell to Birmingham at the wrong time was one mistake.
"He was on a scoring streak and, if Brentford had kept him, he would have won them automatic promotion.
"The success enjoyed under Martin Allen gave the club a boost, but I don't think the directors were strong enough to handle his budget demands.
"I understand that virtually all of the £600,000 made in the FA Cup run went to the players in bonuses.
"If I had been in charge, the players would have received 25 per cent of the gate receipts and the rest would have gone to the club.
"When Allen left, Brentford consulted me about who should succeed him.
"I advised them to take Dave Bassett, who told me he fancied the job.
"I had him at Wimbledon and Palace and assured Brentford he would sort out their finances and the playing side. But they went for Leroy.
"They also made a mistake about appointing someone to succeed Rosenior.
"Darren Patterson wouldn't have been a bad choice, but they told the other candidates the job had been filled before trying - and failing - to agree terms with him.
"The best thing was to give either Patterson or Fitzgerald the job straight away instead of interviewing the other candidates.
"If Fitzgerald had been appointed earlier, he would have stood a better chance of saving Brentford from relegation.
"But he can still do it with the signings he has made and I hope he does."
So how does Noades see the future for Brentford?
"It's going to be difficult for them.
"Most of the fans are behind the club, but the minority who just want to abuse someone are not helping at all.
"Chairman Greg Dyke has already come in for his share of criticism, and the club will never keep any good people if the agro merchants' keep putting the boot in.
"One thing is for sure - I won't be going to any more matches at Griffin Park."
By Tony Flood
Comment
Former Brentford chairman Ron Noades has hit back at people who have criticised him for leaving the club with a £4.1million overdraft and claimed that, had he not been hounded out as manager, he would have taken the Bees into the Championship.
Noades, who says he won't watch a match at Griffin Park again, also alleges that the club have made a string of mistakes since he left by: l Not securing a suitable site for a new stadium, without which they will go bust.
l Wasting time trying to move to Lionel Road, as it is unsuitable.
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l Having no players who can command big transfer fees, apart from two he signed in Kevin O'Connor and Andy Frampton.
l Failing to implement his recommen-dation to appoint Dave Bassett as manager instead of Leroy Rosenior in the summer.
l Making other poor management decisions, including missing out on promotion by selling DJ Campbell.
l Not being strong enough to handle former manager Martin Allen.
Noades told the Times: "I have received nothing but criticism from a small group of fanatical supporters yet, if I hadn't taken over in 1998, the club would have gone out of the Football League within a year.
"And, if I hadn't quit as manager, I believe I could have taken Brentford to promotion again into the Championship.
"I got them out of a real mess following the David Webb era and won them promotion to League One in 1999.
"Unfortunately, when we had an off day and went out of the FA Cup to Kingstonian, there was a massive over-reaction from a section of the fans.
"The players were ridiculed - yet look what they have achieved since. Hermann Hreidarsson, Gavin Mahon and Ivar Ingimarsson are in the Premiership with Charlton, Watford and Reading respect-ively, while Darren Powell was sold to Crystal Palace for £400,000.
"A group of no more than 200 Brentford fans shouted abuse at us and some tried to force their way into the boardroom.
"So I quit as manager and concentrated on the chairman's job. But still the fans hounded me and even made abusive phone calls to my wife and I."
Noades added: "Since I left, debts have virtually doubled and there are no players at the club now who would fetch a decent transfer fee, apart from O'Connor and Frampton, who I signed.
"I have had all this stick for leaving a £4.1million overdraft yet it was no more than most clubs have - and several of the players I left behind were sold for reasonable fees, with the club making £1.8million on Hreidarsson.
"While I was at Brentford, we made a profit of more than £1million in the transfer market and players I signed have been sold for almost another £1million since I left.
"Those who criticise me claim I took over the club when it was debt-free in 1998. They conveniently forget that £500,000 was owed to two directors and £300,000 to £400,000 to creditors.
"The cash-flow forecast when I succeeded David Webb was a £750,000 loss.
"And I guaranteed the overdraft until supporter Matthew Benham bought out my £1.25million loan last month.
"Even then I wrote off £310,000, £250,000 of which the club had been due to pay me by January 20. But, of course, I didn't get any thanks for that.
"What upsets me about all the flak is I could have kept the freehold of the club and made a fortune on it.
"Instead, I gave it to the fans' trust Bees United for £1.
"The critics also overlook the fact that I obtained planning consent for Griffin Park, which increased the ground's value from £4million to £19million."
Another criticism of Noades was he tried to take the club out of the borough of Hounslow by doing a deal to groundshare with Woking.
He said: "The fans didn't understand my stragedy.
"The club had to get a new stadium to achieve long-term survival because of the limited facilities at Griffin Park, where putting in things such as executive boxes was out of the question.
"Hounslow Council came up with four sites then withdrew them one after the other.
"My intention was to move to Woking on a short-term basis to force the council to finally help us, but again the fans misunderstood and rebelled. Six years later, the club is still looking for a new stadium because the bid for Lionel Road remains in the balance and, typically, the council has still to deliver."
Noades reckons the current situation is a lot grimmer than when he left, pointing out: "The club are next-to-bottom of League One and looked certain to be relegated until Scott Fitzgerald signed six players recently.
"That has given them a chance of avoiding the drop.
"But they must get a new ground to stop operating at the loss - otherwise they will go bust.
"Lionel Road is not a suitable site - it is right next to Kew Bridge and the traffic problems would be unacceptable.
"The clock is ticking, but fortunately Matthew Benham's guesture to take over almost £3million of loans without asking for any interest for the next five years has bought Brentford extra time."
The straight-talking Noades claimed several mistakes have been made.
He declared: "There has been mis-management.
"Selling Campbell to Birmingham at the wrong time was one mistake.
"He was on a scoring streak and, if Brentford had kept him, he would have won them automatic promotion.
"The success enjoyed under Martin Allen gave the club a boost, but I don't think the directors were strong enough to handle his budget demands.
"I understand that virtually all of the £600,000 made in the FA Cup run went to the players in bonuses.
"If I had been in charge, the players would have received 25 per cent of the gate receipts and the rest would have gone to the club.
"When Allen left, Brentford consulted me about who should succeed him.
"I advised them to take Dave Bassett, who told me he fancied the job.
"I had him at Wimbledon and Palace and assured Brentford he would sort out their finances and the playing side. But they went for Leroy.
"They also made a mistake about appointing someone to succeed Rosenior.
"Darren Patterson wouldn't have been a bad choice, but they told the other candidates the job had been filled before trying - and failing - to agree terms with him.
"The best thing was to give either Patterson or Fitzgerald the job straight away instead of interviewing the other candidates.
"If Fitzgerald had been appointed earlier, he would have stood a better chance of saving Brentford from relegation.
"But he can still do it with the signings he has made and I hope he does."
So how does Noades see the future for Brentford?
"It's going to be difficult for them.
"Most of the fans are behind the club, but the minority who just want to abuse someone are not helping at all.
"Chairman Greg Dyke has already come in for his share of criticism, and the club will never keep any good people if the agro merchants' keep putting the boot in.
"One thing is for sure - I won't be going to any more matches at Griffin Park."
) you were completely ignored as Dave Bassett is one of the most ignorant, unintelligent Managers ( ring any bells, ding dong ) who likes "Route One" football and has been Manager of too many relegated teams, we are in a mess but you would have got us deeper,Noadesy, the club is done with you, thanks and all that..........
