Andrew Coleman the very recently appointed Chairman of Swansea City has taken to Twitter to post a bizarre message on the clubs ‘official’ Twitter account with over a million followers. In the message it seems he is taking a swipe at a variety of news outlets who have reported the departure of Josh Marsh the ‘ Head Of Football Operations’ The rest of his message it seems was making reference to current CEO Julian Winter.
The first indication of this being a pretty nomadic post by the Chairman is that this was made on the eve of the final game of the season. There is a sell out crowd at the Swansea.Com stadium and it’s a time for celebration and thanks, not crazy outbursts and attacks. What we do know is that an agreement was in place for a type of press release on current internal matters to be released on Thursday around midday, that didn’t happen for whatever reason. Last nights tweet by Coleman we are certain wasn’t in the format the club intended. It just smacks of a spur of the moment decision. Any press communications by the club are done far more professionally and thoughtful.
However, an hour or so after Coleman took to Twitter the club responded by putting out the same text on the official website. Really, on reflection they had little choice.
The Twitter post was met with a barrage of very negative responses by Swans followers from accusing the new Chairmen of being a weirdo, to questioning why a person in such a valued and highly respected position would do this on a Bank Holiday weekend. The position of club Chairman is one which carries a lot of responsibility and posts like this to the wider world are completely irresponsible.
We’ve made a few phone calls.
It seems that certain people within the club were not aware that this outburst was on the horizon. In fact information of this nature is generally circulated via a team meeting and agreed by the majority ownership in the USA. Then the media team manage the information, as was planned last week. We have been told that to most peoples knowledge at the club no extra curricular meetings have been held. Unless they were hastily arranged this evening and Coleman has taken it upon himself to take to social media. That is wholly disproportionate to the very clear guidelines for official Swansea City news and press releases.
Coleman is a part of an alleged three man investment group who are friendly socially and in business with majority owners Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien. Speculation on a ten million pound plus investment was reported by us on April 28th. That was an exclusive report by this website, and we made it clear it would be a bigger investment than ten million pounds, and there was no takeover planned.
That’s here’s–> The Investment Examined
Now this odd and very ill planned outburst has been posted on social media we have a few questions. After all we are a website that collects in excess of thirty thousand views a day on its news reporting alone. Our reports over the past two years have featured on hundreds of websites who have referenced Swansea Independent as their source.
1. Why is Andrew Coleman all of a sudden the new Swansea City Chairman ?
We think we know the answer. He is of course a part of the investment group, no problems there. However this investment group we are now being told isn’t just these three of Coleman, Nigel Morris and Brett Cravatt. What it now looks like is a smaller version of the collective put together by Kaplan and Levien when they took majority control of the club in 2016. Nearly thirty investors were involved. Speculation that has reached us is that he is in the Chairman role to ‘oversee’ and ‘control’ the investment he is a part of, and to ‘ensure’ the money is placed appropriately to the clubs needs.
Well, yes we can get that. But his appointment came when Julian Winter was on planned leave, and of course he may well have known of this occurring, but at no point has he been quoted, referenced or did he give any clues this was to happen. So, what does that tell us ? It’s either that he didn’t know, or he did know but for some reason was asked or chose not to say anything. This is all very underhand and bizarre and doesn’t give the club any kudos.
Our final point is this.
2. It seems Jason Levien is very much now calling the shots and of course was quoted in the welcoming of Coleman to Swansea. Last week it seemed a well motivated appointment. This week it feels like a roughshod ride through our club without a care for the fall out. So, who is paying for Mr Coleman and his family to move from the USA so he can take up his post ? What is he being paid and where does he sit with his new best mates Julian Winter and Josh Marsh ? Moving across the world with all that comes with it isn’t cheap, not cheap at all. Especially for a club who couldn’t entice a young defender from Exeter City a few months ago, or even sign anyone who could have proven this last two months a bigger success.
Questions will need to be answered.
Coleman’s reference to reporting of matters involving his ‘community’ goes with the territory. Swansea City FC have a proud 111 year history to preserve and maintain. Everything that happens that is verified or fact will be reported. And we all have a duty to protect the club from unprofessional and questionable behaviour by its gatekeepers. Currently the club is owned by people with a capitalist intent, again that’s no problem, but money clouds matters at times. That’s why we exist to keep an eye on our club. I go back many years and recall Kevin Cullis, Silver Shield, Mike Lewis, Peter Day, Tony Petty and numerous others. And played my part with many others, face to face as well. And I would bet today they still remember me and my close friends who ran them ragged when matters like this occurred. Many others did the same, well, when they weren’t being massaged with free tickets and hospitality. And no matter the owner, and no matter their wealth we will stand up and do it again and again at the drop of a pin.
These new investors may well have the wealth and the wherewithal, but they don’t have the experience of a lifetime of devotion to one club for one reason. And they don’t have the experience of how British football works. They are only here to make money, that’s a fact. And as I’ve said there’s no issue there. However, when a bizarre rant of the type we saw last evening occurs we have to take note and draw our own line in the sand.
So this website, and as the owner of this website, I’ve drawn it. All comers welcome.