Henley Business School Case Study - The Demise of Sporting Institution

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Traveller
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Henley Business School Case Study - The Demise of Sporting Institution

Post by Traveller »

I watched the match yesterday and realised my assumptions and expectations have changed. I am no longer indignant or angry. I am now just resigned / accepting.

What I saw yesterday was what I expected to see and what I know I will continue to see for the rest of the season until we are relegated. Saracens overhauling us in late February.

These players, coached by these coaches, with Simon Cohen as CEO, Ged Glynn doing what only GG can do, without changes to the structure and personnel on the board, can only achieve yesterday.

Time has run its course as well, we are caught in the undertow of a strong current, and it is too late to shout or wave, and there are no RNLI boats fast enough to save us.

Besides which, they are not needed. It may look as if we are being washed out to sea, but we are not. Another former player Pat Howard (heaven forbid we employ someone who hasn't played for Tigers) has written his review and in fact the future looks bright.

Sacking Murphy now would be a pointless, humiliating gesture, but staying with him is pointless and humiliating for him. So the decline will accelerate. The one thing GM might do is refrain from writing inane articles for the Mercury headlined 'we've got to get off the bus' or 'we've turned a corner' or 'we're playing at their house'. Because they are invariably followed later in the week by an article headlined 'we never got off the bus' or 'we've still got corners to turn'.

In future years a business school professor with an interest in rugby will write a critique on Tigers. Conclusion: It wasn't a couple of bad years with a poorly coached team. It was about the systematic destruction of a once great sporting institution from within. A politicised environment with cliques of influential players looking after themselves, a teflon CEO, a jobs for the boys culture. Arrogance, a lack of transparency at board level, and a constant harking back to what has worked in the past to bring future success.

I am now genuinely concerned about whether there isn't just a bigger plan to bulldoze Welford road and to turn it into a Shopping Mall. It's the only thing that seems to make sense. Like running down the local village pub for residential use.
chewbacca
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Re: Henley Business School Case Study - The Demise of Sporting Institution

Post by chewbacca »

Perhaps that's the plan. Run the club down, pick it up for a knockdown price and utilise the real estate. It seems to be working.
I'm not cynical just experienced
sapajo
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Re: Henley Business School Case Study - The Demise of Sporting Institution

Post by sapajo »

Traveller wrote: Sun Dec 01, 2019 9:05 am I watched the match yesterday and realised my assumptions and expectations have changed. I am no longer indignant or angry. I am now just resigned / accepting.

What I saw yesterday was what I expected to see and what I know I will continue to see for the rest of the season until we are relegated. Saracens overhauling us in late February.

These players, coached by these coaches, with Simon Cohen as CEO, Ged Glynn doing what only GG can do, without changes to the structure and personnel on the board, can only achieve yesterday.

Time has run its course as well, we are caught in the undertow of a strong current, and it is too late to shout or wave, and there are no RNLI boats fast enough to save us.

Besides which, they are not needed. It may look as if we are being washed out to sea, but we are not. Another former player Pat Howard (heaven forbid we employ someone who hasn't played for Tigers) has written his review and in fact the future looks bright.

Sacking Murphy now would be a pointless, humiliating gesture, but staying with him is pointless and humiliating for him. So the decline will accelerate. The one thing GM might do is refrain from writing inane articles for the Mercury headlined 'we've got to get off the bus' or 'we've turned a corner' or 'we're playing at their house'. Because they are invariably followed later in the week by an article headlined 'we never got off the bus' or 'we've still got corners to turn'.

In future years a business school professor with an interest in rugby will write a critique on Tigers. Conclusion: It wasn't a couple of bad years with a poorly coached team. It was about the systematic destruction of a once great sporting institution from within. A politicised environment with cliques of influential players looking after themselves, a teflon CEO, a jobs for the boys culture. Arrogance, a lack of transparency at board level, and a constant harking back to what has worked in the past to bring future success.

I am now genuinely concerned about whether there isn't just a bigger plan to bulldoze Welford road and to turn it into a Shopping Mall. It's the only thing that seems to make sense. Like running down the local village pub for residential use.
An excellent post ! Breaks my heart to confront the reality that supporters are nothing more than cash cows who have zero power to save our great club. The so called Tigers Family is nothing more than just maketing spin designed to make us believe the Board actually give a flying fig about the clubs supporters.
Without hope we are nothing, keep the faith, a Tiger for eternity
Turnaroundspecialist
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Re: Henley Business School Case Study - The Demise of Sporting Institution

Post by Turnaroundspecialist »

Very good analysis. It’s a systemic crisis which can only be resolved with comprehensive change from the ownership to the coaching. These results are becoming very predictable.
SimonP in Surrey
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Re: Henley Business School Case Study - The Demise of Sporting Institution

Post by SimonP in Surrey »

sapajo wrote: Sun Dec 01, 2019 10:43 am
Traveller wrote: Sun Dec 01, 2019 9:05 am I watched the match yesterday and realised my assumptions and expectations have changed. I am no longer indignant or angry. I am now just resigned / accepting.

What I saw yesterday was what I expected to see and what I know I will continue to see for the rest of the season until we are relegated. Saracens overhauling us in late February.

These players, coached by these coaches, with Simon Cohen as CEO, Ged Glynn doing what only GG can do, without changes to the structure and personnel on the board, can only achieve yesterday.

Time has run its course as well, we are caught in the undertow of a strong current, and it is too late to shout or wave, and there are no RNLI boats fast enough to save us.

Besides which, they are not needed. It may look as if we are being washed out to sea, but we are not. Another former player Pat Howard (heaven forbid we employ someone who hasn't played for Tigers) has written his review and in fact the future looks bright.

Sacking Murphy now would be a pointless, humiliating gesture, but staying with him is pointless and humiliating for him. So the decline will accelerate. The one thing GM might do is refrain from writing inane articles for the Mercury headlined 'we've got to get off the bus' or 'we've turned a corner' or 'we're playing at their house'. Because they are invariably followed later in the week by an article headlined 'we never got off the bus' or 'we've still got corners to turn'.

In future years a business school professor with an interest in rugby will write a critique on Tigers. Conclusion: It wasn't a couple of bad years with a poorly coached team. It was about the systematic destruction of a once great sporting institution from within. A politicised environment with cliques of influential players looking after themselves, a teflon CEO, a jobs for the boys culture. Arrogance, a lack of transparency at board level, and a constant harking back to what has worked in the past to bring future success.

I am now genuinely concerned about whether there isn't just a bigger plan to bulldoze Welford road and to turn it into a Shopping Mall. It's the only thing that seems to make sense. Like running down the local village pub for residential use.
An excellent post ! Breaks my heart to confront the reality that supporters are nothing more than cash cows who have zero power to save our great club. The so called Tigers Family is nothing more than just maketing spin designed to make us believe the Board actually give a flying fig about the clubs supporters.
Indeed an excellent post .... creating a parallel with business simply remember Kodak, Nokia, Xerox even IBM etc etc. Shining beacons of their day and almost certainly because of their successes at their peak they all failed to acknowledge or adapt to changing times. It's tough to change what the legacy management teams and cultural landscape think is proven and safe. Better to ignore and try and tweak or polish the turd of the old model a bit and take the paycheck. This said the Tigers situation is obviously complex. But my guess is that much / all of the BOD and playing side management need to be completely removed. Only that way will the legacy contagion be eliminated. The players are good enough make no mistake about that but they know the model and the club will not thrive (or even survive) in the short term. They are powerless to effect change with their heads down beating the wrong horse.
Tiglon
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Re: Henley Business School Case Study - The Demise of Sporting Institution

Post by Tiglon »

Traveller wrote: Sun Dec 01, 2019 9:05 am A politicised environment with cliques of influential players looking after themselves, a teflon CEO, a jobs for the boys culture. Arrogance, a lack of transparency at board level, and a constant harking back to what has worked in the past to bring future success.
This. Exactly this.

For what it's worth, I don't think we'll go down this season. Wasps look just as bad and others aren't a million miles ahead. However, we'll be flirting with relegation for years to come unless major changes are made throughout the club.
LE18
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Re: Henley Business School Case Study - The Demise of Sporting Institution

Post by LE18 »

SimonP in Surrey wrote: Sun Dec 01, 2019 12:41 pm
sapajo wrote: Sun Dec 01, 2019 10:43 am
Traveller wrote: Sun Dec 01, 2019 9:05 am I watched the match yesterday and realised my assumptions and expectations have changed. I am no longer indignant or angry. I am now just resigned / accepting.

What I saw yesterday was what I expected to see and what I know I will continue to see for the rest of the season until we are relegated. Saracens overhauling us in late February.

These players, coached by these coaches, with Simon Cohen as CEO, Ged Glynn doing what only GG can do, without changes to the structure and personnel on the board, can only achieve yesterday.

Time has run its course as well, we are caught in the undertow of a strong current, and it is too late to shout or wave, and there are no RNLI boats fast enough to save us.

Besides which, they are not needed. It may look as if we are being washed out to sea, but we are not. Another former player Pat Howard (heaven forbid we employ someone who hasn't played for Tigers) has written his review and in fact the future looks bright.

Sacking Murphy now would be a pointless, humiliating gesture, but staying with him is pointless and humiliating for him. So the decline will accelerate. The one thing GM might do is refrain from writing inane articles for the Mercury headlined 'we've got to get off the bus' or 'we've turned a corner' or 'we're playing at their house'. Because they are invariably followed later in the week by an article headlined 'we never got off the bus' or 'we've still got corners to turn'.

In future years a business school professor with an interest in rugby will write a critique on Tigers. Conclusion: It wasn't a couple of bad years with a poorly coached team. It was about the systematic destruction of a once great sporting institution from within. A politicised environment with cliques of influential players looking after themselves, a teflon CEO, a jobs for the boys culture. Arrogance, a lack of transparency at board level, and a constant harking back to what has worked in the past to bring future success.

I am now genuinely concerned about whether there isn't just a bigger plan to bulldoze Welford road and to turn it into a Shopping Mall. It's the only thing that seems to make sense. Like running down the local village pub for residential use.
An excellent post ! Breaks my heart to confront the reality that supporters are nothing more than cash cows who have zero power to save our great club. The so called Tigers Family is nothing more than just maketing spin designed to make us believe the Board actually give a flying fig about the clubs supporters.
Indeed an excellent post .... creating a parallel with business simply remember Kodak, Nokia, Xerox even IBM etc etc. Shining beacons of their day and almost certainly because of their successes at their peak they all failed to acknowledge or adapt to changing times. It's tough to change what the legacy management teams and cultural landscape think is proven and safe. Better to ignore and try and tweak or polish the turd of the old model a bit and take the paycheck. This said the Tigers situation is obviously complex. But my guess is that much / all of the BOD and playing side management need to be completely removed. Only that way will the legacy contagion be eliminated. The players are good enough make no mistake about that but they know the model and the club will not thrive (or even survive) in the short term. They are powerless to effect change with their heads down beating the wrong horse.
Perhaps the only way to get rid of this board is to appoint Management Consultants, i'm no fan of them, or as we made a massive loss last year and are up for sale, go into voluntary administratration, let them find us a decent board, i'm sure many of the existing board would be out on their ears.
JP14
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Re: Henley Business School Case Study - The Demise of Sporting Institution

Post by JP14 »

Excellent post Traveller, I don’t always agree with you but in this instance I fully agree.
Formerly of Burbaaage (not Inkleh), now up north at uni
Traveller
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Re: Henley Business School Case Study - The Demise of Sporting Institution

Post by Traveller »

JP14 wrote: Mon Dec 02, 2019 7:21 am Excellent post Traveller, I don’t always agree with you but in this instance I fully agree.
For all the disagreements on here from time to time, which there must be or otherwise it would be a pretty dull forum. I know that all contributors, are no less committed to the club than me, and want it to thrive. It is just difficult knowing when to be critically supportive, when to cheer, when to acknowledge baby steps towards improvements.

This morning, I am resigned and sad, and worry that there is a hidden agenda, connected to the land value of Welford Rd
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