Don't Panic! Don't Panic!


There’s a storm brewing. And it’s mainly one in a tea cup. Fans are getting agitated that there isn’t almost constant feed of information coming out the club about the latest on the takeover.

Quite what or why they demand this is a bit unclear to me. They just demand UPDATES!

The club are not going to start dealing out updates as to all intents and purposes it’s not them to deal with. This is a deal between one man and another man (or group of men) buying a company. Things like this are usually almost clandestine behind the scenes stuff till it’s all agreed and then it can be announced that the second party has bought the first party’s product.

If Forest had started updates as some fans demanded, then this creates a rod for their own back. For one, how often do you provide updates on something that might not have moved? Do you do a set periodic one based on a timeframe, or every time someone does something and to what degree do they want updating. And what if they said things look hopeful or optimistic? Then a host of fans read everything into that comment and get angry when something changes.

Some of them I swear want the whole negotiation being dictated live over Twitter.

We live in era when many things do evolve almost live, but that depends on the people involved. Fans over 4 years have grown accustomed to Fawaz living his life over twitter, but the new owners don’t have that presence, so will these fans get angry that some things are kept more secret.

The club could greatly improve its social media management. Having a more active Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and one where the fans could feel they are responded to. You see many clubs with quite an interactive social media presence and that connects fans to the club. Under Fawaz it was very much, that interaction comes from him and the club acts as only a medium of news, (But not exciting shiny news, that may only come from Fawaz to maximise the Fawaz-love)

Barry Bloom, like Antonis Oikonimidis before him,  became an unwitting centre of attention by simply being able to relate some news. With connections to the people involved in the deal they could at least relate that yes, it was on, and whether things were moving in a certain direction. They then get bombarded by inpatient, at times ridiculous, fans demanding information about the deal because they happened to know a few details. Again, it’s the information age we live in,  everything has to be almost live broadcast, no slow drip feeds, but NOW NOW NOW!

Then you get some people who treat this all as if it’s high drama, rather than very slow careful business transaction. “Why isn’t it done yet” well because people don’t want like rushing into multi million pound/dollar investments. Due diligence and careful negotiation are key. Yes we need to be done sooner, but I’m also sure JJ Mores doesn’t want to rush things and inadvertently find he’s now responsible for something he could have avoid through careful diligence.

People are so desperate for updates they will literally believe anything before actually considering if this source is credible, is it real, is it realistic, or if they are being duped. Some accounts have been borderline crazed during the period of time since JJ Moores apparently landed in the UK.

So when things have been a bit stale or stationary for a number of days in come conspiracy theories. In come crazed ideas, or wild speculation. Or plain straight made up stuff for attention. You know who you are if you are reading this.


People are crazily refreshing twitter for news. Maybe just maybe relax. It won’t change anything. This deal will or won’t happen without or without your ramblings on Twitter. Go outside, or make a cup of tea. Just don’t get obsessed with the ‘will they/won’t they’ element of it, because you won’t change a thing. Other than make a few hairs go grey.

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