Chesterfield at Top Field tonight

[MichaelD]

The trouble is if you take away Jackie's contributions to the forum you are left with almost no critical analysis of the team or the club as a whole. Many of you let your dislike of the woman obscure the possibility that some of her questions and points have merit. Is that the image the club wants to project?

Some of the now deceased volunteers at the club during the last 50 years had strong opinions they weren't afraid to express. The difference being that they would do things face-to-face - often over a pint in the Canary Club after the game. No manager or player was ever harmed by the experience.

[Mr Refreshment]

Hi Freddie and Marac.

You both do a great job and I listen in regularly as you know. Of course it’s right to praise the team when they do well and as a fan of course you’re going to be naturally biased and go wild when Hitchin score, as you do.

But sometimes it just sounds like you’re walking on eggshells when you need to criticise Hitchin for conceding unnecessary goals or making needless errors elsewhere in the game. You do try to be objective Freddie but it sometimes sounds like you’re a bit weary of saying the wrong thing for fear of upsetting the club or the team. Don’t be, within reason. Look how well they react to my criticism here on the forum, as they do read it and usually react with a better score line following a defeat. Honesty is the best policy.

You’re both doing a great commentary and it’s very much appreciated.

What undisguised condescending sarcastic and belittling
arrogance!

[MarkC]

Just catching up on the forum. I don’t tend to post now because of the toxicity created by JM but just can’t believe how bad that has become with the attack on the commentary team. Can’t believe how low JM will go. And JM wonders why we might not want to engage with you on match day.

[MichaelD]

Please read Jackie's comments again, it was not an attack on the excellent commentary team. She just expressed an opinion, as it seems other people have done directly on the subject. What is toxic is people only reading what they want to see in posts.
Please take a look at the fan forums of some clubs in the National League South and North. Some of the forums are unofficial, but the standard of analysis and debate is in a different league. And, being critical is allowed.

[DarrenW]

Please read Jackie's comments again, it was not an attack on the excellent commentary team. She just expressed an opinion, as it seems other people have done directly on the subject. What is toxic is people only reading what they want to see in posts.
Please take a look at the fan forums of some clubs in the National League South and North. Some of the forums are unofficial, but the standard of analysis and debate is in a different league. And, being critical is allowed.

Im guessing blaming the media team for the Heybridge defeat wasn't either?

That got a reaction and so has this. Spot the common theme.

Like many others before me im no longer responding as since the moderator has stepped down it's become a forum you can say as you wish without any repercussions. Something that appears to have been seized upon as the controversial post's have seen an increase. In my mind with one objective. To attract attention.

Will comment on Facebook where the blocking system is much more effective.

[Brian]

I read this last night but slept on it before posting as I don't post much now.

Jackie, some of your postings over the years have been well balanced, you make some valid points and are prepared to ask tough questions however you also have the ability to really let yourself down.
I'm afraid going after a school kid who is also a volunteer, a member of the commentary team and award winning journalist is going to a new level of low.
To suggest he is having to tailor his commentary so not to upset the club is absolute rubbish.

The club has never ever got involved with the commentaries and if you think for one moment that when Freddie and Marac are commentating live, that they stop and think they have to be careful not to upset the club you are in cloud cuckoo land.
They say it as they see it. The passion in their commentary comes across.

Go after the likes of Chris or me, we are old enough and long in the tooth enough to be able to take it but not a school kid.
How do you think his parents will feel reading that?
Freddie has put so much work into his media career and has the potential to do this on a much bigger stage than HTFC.
Unbelievable.

[MichaelD]

Sadly - probably time to close the forum down. The club's social media presence has improved markedly, but the forum is reflecting on the club badly - with or without Jackie!
As some Level 2 clubs have shown, there is still a place for fan forums. However, these forums require almost full time content creation, and need to be separated from the club, operating on an unofficial basis.

[Chris_N]

The trouble is if you take away Jackie's contributions to the forum you are left with almost no critical analysis of the team or the club as a whole. Many of you let your dislike of the woman obscure the possibility that some of her questions and points have merit. Is that the image the club wants to project?

This is the first time I have looked at this thread.

Again I will speak candidly from my position. Mick is 110% plus right in his assessment here. I am now trying to view it all as if I were an impartial, objective outsider. I do also agree with what Brian has said but this is all about whether posts are replied to as an objective response without any personal bias or, as I am seeing from a majority of posts, as Mick says here, they are made with your dislike of Jacqueline over a large amount of time which overrides your objectivity in response.

Come on.....when Jacqueline started on this Forum I had more spats with her than any of you. People started calling it the Chris and Jackie show. Over ten years I have had more communciation with her on more levels than any of you. But you know what? Even after all of that, I can say to myself that I have taken the time to try to understand Jackie and indeed, I have can truly say I have not harboured any personal feelings of dislike towards her. I can always say that I have worked to see how, despite all her ways, manners and behaviours (and we all have them), the Club can do all they can to demonstrate that they are inclusive. I have first and foremost thought of the fact that they way I conduct myself projects on the Club. I have learned, because all those years ago when Forums started, I was a real tyrant...in my opinion far worse than Jackie. But I have learned. But I don't think I was disliked or hated by anybody?

Yes Social Media can be very damaging and face to face is better - always. And in my opinion, closing down the Forum is taking the easy way out, everything needs to be done to find solutions before that happens but it would need all Forum users to play their part. People need to be able to express their opinions and not receive responses veiled with prejudged dislike before the response is written.

If that decision is taken, I can walk away from it happy with myself that I have tried my best to understand people. So if Jackie is looking for attention, work with it, don't hate her because it's her way! Yes a bad judgment in what was put to Freddie, but having chatted with him yesterday, it's a learning experience and going forward he will be his own man.

If I look at the balance of this thread, who's creating the toxicity? Take a good look at the whole thread again. Then decide for yourselves what image the Club is projecting on this thread.

[Canadian]

Do not judge people at their worst.I believe that Jackie's opinion in this instance should have been kept to herself. Also her reaction to the feedback was over the top. Nevertheless I find myself agreeing with many of her postings. She is passionate about HTFC and only wants success for the club.

[Brian Parker]

All I can say to Jackie is please don't react to criticism. It's often better not to bother with having the last word and I think that's at the heart of the problem. Just make your point which very often is valid and leave it at that. Don't be too defensive.