Video: Highlights of Nicholas Randall’s letter in two minutes
New Nottingham Forest Chairman Nicholas Randall has written an open letter to supporters, outlining how the new Greek-led regime hopes to turn the club around.
Nicholas Randall’s 3,782-word letter rejects allegations put to new owner Evangelis Marinakis in his home country over match-fixing, aims to reassure supporters about his long-term plans for the club and outlines how a passing style will be employed to get the Reds moving in the right direction – towards the Premier League.
Mr Randall’s appointment was announced as Mr Marinakis completed his long-awaited takeover of the club last month.
Mr Randall’s open letter is reproduced below in full.
Dear Supporter
As you may be aware I have accepted an offer to become the Chairman of
Nottingham Forest Football Club. I am both honoured and delighted to take up this
offer and I will be formally taking up the position at the end of June. However, before
I do so, I wanted to write to you and all your fellow supporters, to give you some
insight into how we propose to run your Club moving forward.
Mr Marinakis
The new owners of the Club are Mr Marinakis and Mr Kominakis. As you will be
aware there has already been some very positive coverage regarding Mr Marinakis
and his suitability to be an owner of the Club. The background issues regarding the
new owners are well documented and Mr Marinakis gave an interview to the BBC at
the time of the takeover in which he spoke directly to you about a number of those
matters himself. However, I would like to add some further considerations from my
personal perspective regarding the new owners which I hope may assist you.
First of all I would like to state that if I had any doubts at all about the suitability of Mr
Marinakis to be the owner of your Club I would not have accepted the offer to be
Chairman. It is clear that Mr Marinakis has never been convicted of any crime in any
jurisdiction of the world. That is a fact. All but one of the allegations made against
him in the past have already been dismissed or not even proceeded with. Many, if
not all of those allegations, have been made against him by his competitors in
football. Furthermore, there is cogent evidence that there has been nefarious intent
behind many of those allegations. Notwithstanding this, I recognise that one case
remains extant and that his suitability is an issue that supporters and the press are
entitled to ask questions about.
My independent view on the material I have seen is that this one outstanding charge
is, like the remainder, also unsustainable and will ultimately be dismissed. This is not
just my own view based on my own legal experience and expertise. It is a view that
is also shared by eminent lawyers and Professors of Law in Greece, who have
impeccable credentials in the global legal community.
So, as a matter of record, I do not believe that there are any sustainable fears
regarding Mr Marinakis. However, I would like to take the matter further and make
some additional comments as to why I am sure that Mr Marinakis is not only a fit and
proper person to be the owner of this outstanding football Club, but that he and Mr
Kominakis are the perfect owners at this moment in the Club’s history. There are a
number of issues that strike me as being important and which had a big impact on
me personally.
First of all, when I was approached about being on the Board of the Club after a
prospective takeover, I met Mr Marinakis in person. I said to him that I only wished to
be a part of the project if we were going to build something special in English football
and to establish a Club which puts supporter and community engagement at its
heart. I said that this should not simply be a matter of words but also be carried
through in deeds and be reflected in the structures that we put in place at the Club. I
can assure the supporters that it immediately became apparent that my proposals
were entirely in line with the philosophy of both Mr Marinakis and Mr Kominakis. The
ideas were embraced by them with passion. It was therefore clear from the outset
that we shared the same vision as to how a football club should be run. If you, as a
supporter, want further reassurance you can look at the work that Olympiacos does
within its local community. In particular the work of that Club during the refugee crisis
in Greece is outstanding and beyond anything an English Club has done. As the
owner of a continental sports Club Mr Marinakis is at ease with the views of
supporters being not only encouraged but heard at the highest level. As the recent
Club announcements make clear, we are committed to building structures at the
Club which give the fans and the community a voice and the opportunity to
participate with action. We will do this through the structure of an Advisory Board and
observers at Board Meetings: fans and young people will play a crucial part in our
project.
Secondly, I can assure the supporters that Mr Marinakis is a football man. His
knowledge of English football, players and Clubs is truly impressive and stretches
back 35 years to the time when he came to the UK to conclude his studies in school
and University. The passion of Mr Marinakis and Mr Kominakis for the Club is clear
from the fact that they were committed to the takeover regardless of whether or not
the Club survived the relegation battle. Their input has already been crucial to the
survival of the Club. It is difficult to envisage a clearer example of the football
essence of the takeover. Their record of success at Olympiacos is truly outstanding
– we are talking about an established Champions League Club – so, as I say, this is
not an example of foreign owners coming to football for the first time as they have
vast experience in European football.
I should also add for good measure that the EFL has been extremely diligent in
following its processes and rules regarding the takeover. This is entirely proper. It
should also be noted that the EFL has had to satisfy itself that the takeover is
financially viable not just for the short term but also for the long term. The nature of
the takeover has been scrutinised and has also met this very stringent test. Mr
Marinakis has made sure that the structures are in place to protect the Club
regardless of his individual fortunes. Once again I believe his conduct in this regard
illustrates not only his absolute and justified confidence in his innocence but is also a
great credit to him and shows his commitment to the Club.
It is also worth finally mentioning that Mr Marinakis is a substantial businessman with
a presence on the New York Stock Exchange. Anybody with knowledge of regulatory
issues will tell you that this is the most stringent test in the world of finance and Mr
Marinakis has met it and continues to meet it without question.
What are our proposals for the Club?
There are three particular areas that I would like to emphasise as to how we want to
run the Club. The first is the playing side; then the administration; finally the
proposals for structural reform. To a certain extent they are interlinked because the
Club will be dysfunctional unless all three elements are in place.
So what about the playing side?
On the playing side I want to make it clear that we believe that Nottingham Forest is
a very, very special football Club. Unlike the vast majority of Clubs it already has a
clear philosophy and identity. By way of summary we believe that there are two sides
to this philosophy. The first is that there is a commitment to not just getting results
but also the style of play which is adopted to get those results. In short we want to
encourage the passing game. We want you, all of the Club’s supporters and neutrals
to be entertained and to see attacking football played in a manner that excites and
enthuses and which sends the supporters home happy. We know that this is difficult
to achieve but we will strive to play in this way.
The second element of the philosophy is the way in which the game is played. Forest
has a reputation for playing the game “in the right way”. We want to ensure that, as
far as possible, this approach is retained within the context of the modern game. We
want to play the game clean and with honour.
So that deals with the two cornerstones of what we understand to be the Forest
football philosophy. We plan to honour and follow them.
So how will we aim to deliver the Forest football philosophy?
That leads us on to administration and the proposals for structural reform.
We believe that the Club in its current state is not fit for purpose. We are not alone in
that view. I have been regularly monitoring the Forest Fan’s Forums with interest.
Many wise words have been said. We believe that the vast majority of supporters
know what is needed to reinvigorate the Club.
The first requirement is stability. Stability is one of the most precious commodities in
football and it has been more or less entirely lacking at the Club for far too long. We
are fundamentally committed to ensuring that the Club enjoys a period of stability.
We believe that stability means two important things. First of all the owners and the
senior management team are all committed to the project for the long term. Although
we all believe in miracles we also know that Rome was not built in a day (although,
as he famously said, Brian Clough was not on that particular job). We want to assure
the supporters that we are here for the long term.
Secondly, we believe that in Mark Warburton we have not just a good fit but the
perfect fit for the role of Manager of the Club. He is a man of great courage who
turned around the Club’s playing style in the heat of a relegation battle. In the course
of so doing he has created some truly inspiring periods of play from the team. We
can assure you as a supporter and everyone else who cares about Nottingham
Forest that Mark will be given the precious commodity of time to tum matters around
and to build something special at the Club again.
Of course it is not just Mark’s outstanding talent that gives us our focus for the future.
It is also the superb team he has built around him including Frank McParland and
David Weir. We also know that we have an outstanding Academy which we want to
improve on and develop. We want to give the right individuals in these roles the time
and space in which to do their work.
Thirdly, we know that the necessary infrastructure is not in place to take the Club
forward. I do not want to dwell on the past but it is clear to any outsider that the Club
has not been run as it should have been. We can only pay testament to the vast
majority of the skeleton staff who have kept the Club functioning during such difficult
circumstances. Our first task is to re-assure the existing staff that everyone will be
treated fairly. Our second task is to ensure that the Club is re-structured in a way
which provides the focus for success throughout the Club. This means a proper
management structure with a first class CEO and an experienced and talented
senior management team. We want all staff to come to work feeling a part of an
exciting new project with a clear focus on their responsibilities and goals. We want
everyone to share in the success of the Club when it is delivered. This does not
mean that difficult decisions will not have to be made in some areas. The vacuum in
leadership that has existed at the Club has inevitably led to some practices being
followed which are hostile to the long term success of the Club. We need to ensure
that these practices are eliminated so we can all move forward together with a unity
of purpose.
The final issue is structural reform. As became apparent from my first meeting with
the new owners we are agreed that the only way that a football club can truly be
considered a success is if it is in tune with its supporters and its community. As
mentioned previously we are committed to giving supporters and the community a
say at the highest level of the Club. We believe that you are entitled to this as of right
and this should not depend on you owning shares in the Club. You deserve to be
heard because Forest is your team and because of your loyal and unstinting support.
We propose to anchor supporter and community engagement with the Club through
the mechanism of a formal Advisory Board which will· have as its task the job of
reflecting the views of the supporters and the community. We will consult on
precisely how this will be achieved and we will put in place arrangements by which representatives can attend as observers to the Board to ensure that the views are
expressed at the highest level within the Club.
We will also pay particular attention to individuals within the younger age groups who
are so often overlooked in our society and in football more generally. Young
supporters are the lifeblood of the Club and deserve to have their say. A Club’s
future is determined by the young people who are its followers today and who will be
in the future. As such we will establish a Nottingham Forest Youth Council to help
achieve these objectives.
I also want to stress that we are committed to equal opportunities and we want
people to participate in the Club from all walks of life and backgrounds regardless of
their individual characteristics. Diversity can only make us stronger. The one defining
requirement, of course, is a desire to rebuild this great football Club. To this end we
will also seek to build links with the women’s game in Nottingham something which
has incredibly not been done previously. That, too, will change.
The Club’s role in the wider community
As previously mentioned our philosophy is that the Club must be a focal point for the
local community as a whole. We know that there are already some excellent people
associated with the Club who work for Forest in the Community. Their work is
outstanding and we want to build on that.
However, there is much more that can be done as a Club. The Club should be a
positive driver for local jobs and businesses. We believe that we can best honour the
great tradition of the Club by striving to achieve excellence in all areas. We want to
try and tum the Club into a focal point for the community as a whole: to use its
power, resources and influence to provide a link between other voluntary groups in
the community and to build on the social solidarity that was epitomised by Brian
Clough and which is also a unique part of what may be called ”the Forest way”.
The supporters
It is clear that your support for the Club is passionate and deep rooted. It is not just
the incredible support seen on the last match of the season but the consistent loyalty
that has been shown over a number of years in which the Club has been gradually
spiralling downwards. We know that supporters are the lifeblood of any Club and that
the supporters of Forest are magnificent. We are also keenly aware that the
supporters have been taken for granted. We want to end that. Obviously much of
what I have said above is relevant to you as a supporter. We hope that the proposals
regarding the Advisory Board will show our commitment to the supporters of the Club
is not just a matter of words but will be backed by action in a very practical sense.
We are keen to look at ways in which the match day experience can be improved. In
particular we know that the City Ground needs updating. We can make a start on this
but we want you to be involved in this process moving forward. It is, after all, your
matchday experience that counts.
One further but very important issue is that we want to make sure that, in so far as
possible, there are no empty seats on match days. We want the City Ground to be
bouncing again and to become a fortress for the team. We can achieve this through
the reduction in season ticket process already implemented and through flexible
pricing. And as we have started that initiative, the Club has had well over 6,000
tickets sold within a matter of days. We want to thank you for that and we want you
to know how much we value your contribution. We also want to ensure that children
and families are valued and provided with opportunities to watch Forest along with
some of the disadvantaged members of society so that all of the community can
enjoy a great day out at the City Ground.
Our immediate targets for the Club
Although we believe in aiming high we also need to be realistic. The League table
does not lie and, whether we like it or not, the Club only just escaped relegation this
season. To use the medical analogy the Club is in intensive care. It is our job to
ensure that we nurse the Club back to health. It is rare in life for anything of value to
come easily. So although we are all excited about the prospects for the Club we
must make sure that each step taken is based on strong foundations. Furthermore,
as with any journey in life, there will be mistakes made and some setbacks are also
inevitable. We will no doubt stumble and occasionally fall, but we promise you that
we will keep getting up again until the job is done.
Many of the issues at the Club have existed for years and are incapable of being
fixed overnight. When that is the case we will be looking to achieve positive change
within the fastest realistic timetable. In the final analysis, it is impossible to put a
specific time limit on many of these issues. Judging by the comments on the Fans’
Forums for many supporters avoiding another last day relegation battle is the
immediate desired outcome. Of course we all hope very much to do more than that
but we agree that our first task must be to stop the Club’s slide down the football
pyramid. To this end we can only assure the fans and the community that we will all
be striving to ensure that we get more decisions right than wrong; that we work hard
and aim for excellence in all that we do; and that we build this Club together, with the
input of magnificent supporters and the local community.
We have no doubt that Nottingham Forest is a Club that should be in the elite of the
Premier League and that is our target. However, that is a task that will take time. Put
bluntly we will be hampered by Financial Fair Play in the short to medium term. This
means that we do not have a free hand on the financial side to simply invest sums
when we see fit. There are financial holes that already need to be filled and on
occasions we may have to shuffle the pack of cards we have been given in order to
remain within the rules. This may require some tough choices to be made. We are prepared for that and we believe that our methodology and approach is the only
sustainable way of achieving the goals that we all share. Anyone who pretends
otherwise is either dishonest or a fool. We may not have a magic wand but we can
promise that we all have the desire and commitment to get this Club back to where it
belongs.
Former Players and Colleagues
We want to make sure that all former players and people associated with the Club
feel an affinity with the Club. To this end we will re-connect with the Forest players of
the past. We want them to know that Forest is their Club and their home. We will
establish a trust fund to ensure that all profits from events to celebrate them and their
achievements will be available to support them. In particular we want to honour the
40th anniversaries of the teams that enjoyed such extraordinary success in the period
of 1978 to 1980 not only in the history of the Club but in World football. We propose
to mark these occasions with the style and class that they deserve. As such I am
excited to report that we have already had discussions with Matt Forde (“Matt Forde
Unspun”) and Jonny Owen (“I believe in Miracles”) about how we should celebrate
the 40th anniversary of those iconic events and to place them in the unique narrative
of Forest’s history. I am delighted to say that Matt and Jonny have agreed to give up
their time and will advise us on how best to mark these special events. Matt is a
lifelong Forest fan. Jonny, whilst being a lifelong Cardiff City fan, has a deep respect
for the Club and a unique relationship with the supporters after making the film. I
cannot say too much at this stage but hope that more detailed announcements can
be made soon regarding the specifics which we hope will make you proud of Forest
as a Club and provide a rallying call for us all to move forward in the coming
seasons. We can use this as the springboard to honour the Players from other eras
at the Club as well as former managers and others connected with the Club.
Conclusion
I hope that this letter has provided you with some helpful insights into how we want
to rebuild Nottingham Forest. We know that some people on the sidelines are
already telling us that we will fail. Let them. They tell us that supporters cannot be
trusted to participate in the management of a Club. They say that the fans will be
negative and critical. They also say that we will not fill the stadium by reducing
prices. We disagree with them. We believe that you, the supporters, love your Club
and when given the opportunity to do so will participate in a spirit of brilliant positive
engagement and not that of negative fractious criticism. So let us all prove these
critics wrong together.
I am honoured to be your Chairman and I look forward to commencing work for the
pre-season.
Kind Regards
Nicholas Randall QC
