Thompson steps down

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

at last... that cancer has gone.
he has alienated so many people, it's untrue.
how one man can cause so much resentment to so many, is an achievement on its own

He has been around the club for 45 years. When did the relationship sour or has it always been a bad relationship back to 1981?

it started after Dave Andrews passed away.. and thommo has a free reign to do what he liked.

Dave managed to keep a tight hold of him, as he never liked him or trusted him.

i had a really long chat with him at the queen vic in theydon bois once. it even surprised me at things he said

So about the last 8 years, which does coincide with things taking a turn, not for the better.

[Auntie Merge]

at last... that cancer has gone.
he has alienated so many people, it's untrue.
how one man can cause so much resentment to so many, is an achievement on its own

He has been around the club for 45 years. When did the relationship sour or has it always been a bad relationship back to 1981?

it started after Dave Andrews passed away.. and thommo has a free reign to do what he liked.

Dave managed to keep a tight hold of him, as he never liked him or trusted him.

i had a really long chat with him at the queen vic in theydon bois once. it even surprised me at things he said

Agree mostly about the timeline. It started as soon as Dave Andrews retired in November 2013.
At his retirement party for a while he was sitting on his own, and I went to talk to him. He looked so unhappy.
He told me at the time how worried he was about the club now someone could get their stinky paws on it and how good people like the Easts were being pushed out. He wasn’t wrong.
(This has come from my FB memories on his retirement, so is pretty accurate).

The East family had been with the Redbridge side of the club forever. Barry East (RIP) was President of Leytonstone FC and made President of D&R. His sons Brian (RIP) and John were members of Leytonstone FC from the minute they were born - John once showed me the telegram on the day of his birth.
The East family heavily invested in the club through loans, sponsorship etc. Over the years they helped keep the club afloat.

When the club was first put up for sale, they formed a consortium but the club was sold to Glyn Hopkin. Part of the reason the Easts consortium failed is because the first thing they would do would be to remove ST. ST was never going to vote for the owner who cost him his job…

The Easts stopped their involvement with the club. A huge loss imo. Along with the loss of Gerry Hanning, another board director who was pushed out.

The whole point about Dave Andrews is that he was a football man. He used to play for the club (Leytonstone FC). I doubt if some of our recent managerial appointments would have been made if he had been still around. He also would stop managers signing dud injured players.

[len]

In my few dealings over the years with Steve Thompson I have always found him pleasant, professional and helpful. What I cannot understand is the absolute character assassination on here.
All of this is merely hearsay and meaningless as who can say any of this is true because the people often quoted are no longer with us today.
Years ago I worked for a council and had to deal with neighbour disputes
and what shocked me was the conflicting views of each neighbour in as much as it was impossible to decide who was actually the guilty party.
I believe that because it is on here it doesn’t necessarily mean it is correct and also we are just hearing a one sided often biased view of what was supposedly said.

[steeevooo]

But despite the mountain of people: current employees, past employees, board members still with us and those unfortunately not, sponsors past and present, fans who still go and those who don't, that have all had incredibly negative experiences with him (myself included), we shouldn't say a bad word about him because Len thought he was a nice chap?

Regardless of your opinion of the man, there can be no questioning that since he took sole charge of the club after Dave Andrews stepped down, this club has only gone in one direction both on and off the field.

[NBDag]

In my few dealings over the years with Steve Thompson I have always found him pleasant, professional and helpful. What I cannot understand is the absolute character assassination on here.
All of this is merely hearsay and meaningless as who can say any of this is true because the people often quoted are no longer with us today.
Years ago I worked for a council and had to deal with neighbour disputes
and what shocked me was the conflicting views of each neighbour in as much as it was impossible to decide who was actually the guilty party.
I believe that because it is on here it doesn’t necessarily mean it is correct and also we are just hearing a one sided often biased view of what was supposedly said.

I have also had similar experiences as you with my limited interactions with Thommo. Whilst I think he’s terrible at his job he has never been rude to me. However me saying that is just as much “hearsay” as people saying otherwise. Same with your experience. Fact is people act different to different people. He’s been nice to some, and he’s not been nice to others. That’s not difficult to comprehend.

[hockley dagger]

I'm a lapsed fan so can't really comment on recent events. I had a few dealings with Mr Thompson over the years and found him polite and accomodating. I did witness some less savoury behaviour, including a foul mouthed response to an individual who had been hounding him on the train coming back from the Everton game.

I always felt the governance of the club was flawed. Managing Directors (executives who sit on a board) these days are pretty rare appointments. A CEO, who is answerable to the board, is the modern way.

As for Mr Thompson personally, a quick search reveals he is now 66, state pension age. I suspect he has taken his pensions! He may have had a golden goodbye too?

[Corinthian]

I have never met ST and the only communication I have had with him has been by email. On those couple of occasions he was polite and helpful. Nor I do I know about the internal politics and his alleged behaviours . My view for some time now is that the club had been on a downward trajectory and as the club MD he had to take responsibility for the failures as well as the successes. I respect his long association with D&R FC and his commitment personal and professional to the club nevertheless a change in leadership has been overdue.