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Time for action - An open letter to Preston North End FC (Meeting & responses added).

Time for action - An open letter to Preston North End FC (Meeting & responses added).

Mod & Admin Team

Mod & Admin Team

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November 2024

Dear Mr. Hemmings,

Two years ago, Preston North End supporters raised concerns about the club’s management, from transfer strategy to youth development. Despite this, little has changed.

It’s time for action.

PNE has been labelled the "most boring club in the EFL"¹, a title that is becoming harder to dispute. While we appreciate the Hemmings family’s financial support, the club’s leadership raises serious questions. Why is one person allowed to control key areas of the club’s operations, including player recruitment, media relations, and questionable fan interactions, without proper oversight?

Following the "unacceptable"² end to the 2023/24 EFL Championship season and a lack of decisive summer action, the club’s direction is unclear. We fully support Paul Heckingbottom and Stuart McCall, but they need adequate resources to succeed. Despite calls for reinforcements, the squad remains unbalanced. Our recent high-profile signing—made without a manager in place—highlights the need for better strategic planning, especially given the club’s limited budget.

With half the starting squad out of contract this summer and a history of players leaving for free, the transfer strategy urgently needs a radical overhaul. Financial Fair Play regulations may pose challenges, but creative solutions are achievable with the right leadership.

Supporter groups like PNE Online and PSC collaborate with dedicated club staff to improve the matchday experience. However, this enthusiasm needs to be reflected at the top. The matchday experience continues to decline, and off-field issues—such as outsourced facility contracts and inadequate maintenance of Deepdale—exacerbate the situation.

The current leadership structure requires a new approach. Recruitment, contract management, and the club’s vision need immediate reform. We advocate for fresh ideas and a renewed commitment to Premier League aspirations.

As proud supporters, we stand ready to assist in any capacity.

It’s time to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps to revitalise the club.

The future of Preston North End depends on it.

PNE Online, on behalf of our members
Associate Member, Football Supporters’ Association

Preston Supporters Collective Steering Group

Associate Member, Football Supporters’ Association

1 Second Tier - The Championship Football Podcast, 20/11/24;

Director’s Box, 14/03/24

2 An End Of Season Update From The Chairman, 14/05/24​
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Visit
Our PNE

You can find a copy of the letter attached below alongside some key points.

Please share and support as far and wide across social media as you can.​
 

Attachments

Last edited by a moderator:
Wasting your time.

Nothing will change until you hit the club in the pocket and stop lapping up the ‘cheaper’ season tickets. A big drop in numbers in the summer and you can guarantee the club will then want to engage the fan’s.

But what will really happen is folk will moan on here that they’re done etc, then as the deadline approaches that softens to ‘I’m still undecided’, before going on to eventually renew with a ‘this is my club, they won’t drive me out’ summary.

Hit them in the pocket, and send a message far stronger then a letter which will most likely just be ignored anyway.
 
Its a good letter and every credit to JK and anyone else involved. However I suspect that they will be happy with the title of most boring club in the EFL seeing as that was given to us mainly due to our constant mid table finishes with no hint of promotion but more importantly also no chance of relegation. Until this season of course.

Ridsfail will undoubtedly claim we have constantly over achieved given our budget, when of course we all know its not that simple and have watched numerous teams with smaller budgets sail past us.
 
keasden said:
Its a good letter and every credit to JK and anyone else involved. However I suspect that they will be happy with the title of most boring club in the EFL seeing as that was given to us mainly due to our constant mid table finishes with no hint of promotion but more importantly also no chance of relegation. Until this season of course.

Ridsfail will undoubtedly claim we have constantly over achieved given our budget, when of course we all know its not that simple and have watched numerous teams with smaller budgets sail past us.
Click to expand...

Of course it is a small budget but the management of it has been appalling.
I agree the letter is a good one.
 
Well done guys and thank you.

My only grips is the line “the clubs direction is unclear”. If things remain as they are I think it’s pretty clear which direction the club is going in.

Fingers crossed the powers that be take the message on board.
 
MrBoomBoom said:
Wasting your time.

Nothing will change until you hit the club in the pocket and stop lapping up the ‘cheaper’ season tickets. A big drop in numbers in the summer and you can guarantee the club will then want to engage the fan’s.

But what will really happen is folk will moan on here that they’re done etc, then as the deadline approaches that softens to ‘I’m still undecided’, before going on to eventually renew with a ‘this is my club, they won’t drive me out’ summary.

Hit them in the pocket, and send a message far stronger then a letter which will most likely just be ignored anyway.
Click to expand...

The drop off will no doubt drop off anyway but I do not believe the letter is a waste of time.
I have had a season ticket for decades and I do not want to be driven away but would sooner that the points highlighted in the letter were addressed in short order.
Relegation would be a disaster.
 
MrBoomBoom said:
Wasting your time.

Nothing will change until you hit the club in the pocket and stop lapping up the ‘cheaper’ season tickets. A big drop in numbers in the summer and you can guarantee the club will then want to engage the fan’s.

But what will really happen is folk will moan on here that they’re done etc, then as the deadline approaches that softens to ‘I’m still undecided’, before going on to eventually renew with a ‘this is my club, they won’t drive me out’ summary.

Hit them in the pocket, and send a message far stronger then a letter which will most likely just be ignored anyway.
Click to expand...

I did exactly that at the end of the 22-23 season. I got a call from Peter Ridsdale and I was talked into renewing (to be fair with a message from Alan Browne one of my favourite players at the time). It had nowt to do with being driven out, I already been, much more to do with Alan Browne and his absolute loyalty to the club so I showed loyalty back too. Both of us were let down badly.
 
wow, talk about letting Ridsdale off the hook, few specifics, no real mention of the complete lack of Commercial income thus the continued reliance on the IOM to keep us afloat, and how TH relied on the fans to get Ingol through, a major coup for you JK and the fans.

I was afraid this would be quite "general" and so it has turned out, if you are pandering to the whim of others I think you have scored an own goal, these are just my personal thoughts but it is what it is.
 
MrBoomBoom said:
Wasting your time.

Nothing will change until you hit the club in the pocket and stop lapping up the ‘cheaper’ season tickets. A big drop in numbers in the summer and you can guarantee the club will then want to engage the fan’s.

But what will really happen is folk will moan on here that they’re done etc, then as the deadline approaches that softens to ‘I’m still undecided’, before going on to eventually renew with a ‘this is my club, they won’t drive me out’ summary.

Hit them in the pocket, and send a message far stronger then a letter which will most likely just be ignored anyway.
Click to expand...

May very well be the case, but it's a starting point - and I think that is how it is intended. A "heads up" if you like.
 
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