In what will be seen as a farewell message on his departure Boyle gave us an inkling about the future structure of the club. At the AGM in February he let it be known that he was leaving and that his shares were to be given to the club. Since then the board has been tight lipped about the way forward but we now know that a mutual trust company will be set up and that it will be “run, administered and directed by the fans”. Such structures are used widely in Europe and comparisons with Barcelona (though on a much smaller scale) are probably valid.
He said that the current board has been working hard to develop the plan and that we have some very competent people available. (Ed – one aspect that as been missing has been any wide consultation with the fans that he expects to take up the future ownership!)
The talked of the “hugely difficult” times at the club. The decision to go into administration on the back of the collapsed TV deal was painful but correct. The budgeted income had been decimated and he acted responsibly in making that choice. The result is that the club is now bank-debt free and in a better financial state than some others.
He also spent time talking about the “most tragic, difficult time” in his spell at the club when we lost Phil O’Donnell. To see a young man “who epitomised everything good about football” pass away was tragic.
He was suitably diplomatic when asked about the nine managers who had served on his watch. There was even a kind word for Jim Gannon – “an idiosyncratic manager who had brought some cracking players” to Motherwell.
He finished with some praise for Stuart McCall who seemed able to work wonders in the few months at the club. At the crucial times he seems able to get the best from the Motherwell players and he’s hoping that we see some more of that on Saturday!
The full interview can be seen here.