I am becoming more and more concerned as to the state of affairs at Crystal Palace Football Club, the club I have loved and supported for over 40 years.

The information released via the media during the past few months has done very little to convince me to continue to pledge my loyalty to CPFC. The scarce information released by CPFC has only managed to confuse the situation rather than clarify it. When Mr Goldberg acquired the major shareholding in the club, I believed in his words and even in most of his actions at the time. However, halfway into the season, Crystal Palace are nowhere near contention for the top flight.

Over the years, I have seen this wonderful club go up and down the Divisions like a Yo-Yo and have continued to support them.

Mr Goldberg, in building up a multi-million pound company has proven he is a good salesman. Hence the bringing in of Terry Venables. However, in my mind he has not used the other talents he needed to build up his company, By this I am referring to his skills in the Public Relations Customer Services - i.e. keeping his customers happy.

Has Mr Goldberg lost sight of the fact that Crystal Palace supporters, such as myself, are in fact customers of the product he is selling? Loyal customers that stay with the product even when the hiccups occur, Why? Simply put, because any successful business that cares about its customers keeps them informed of the state of play be that positive or negative news.

I am afraid this is not happening with Crystal Palace today. Being kept in the dark is the main reason most customers switch products.

My fear is that many of the current Crystal Palace supporters will abandon the club going to watch the sport being played properly elsewhere if the management of this product does not come up with the necessary business plan and strategy for the future very soon.

These plans need to be released to the supporters via the club, this way we can support whatever it is you are trying to accomplish with our club.

Mr Goldberg is afraid of nothing, that is good. He says he will face up to problems and not ignore them in the hope they will go away - that is good.

I ask him to be more open and communicative with the Palace supporters. Allow them to help succeed with the dream he is trying to build. Let them be part of the vision he is trying to accomplish, otherwise they may just go away.

DAVID J MURRAY

Long Serving Eagles Supporter

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.