Statement did not tell us anything we didn't know - Preston fan John Smith reacts to announcements from Craig Hemmings and Peter Ridsdale

It was appreciated as it came after what must have been a difficult time following the sudden, unexpected death of his father Trevor.

After Peter Ridsdale’s message to the fans six months ago in May, I was led to believe that Craig Hemmings was a non-speaking executive so to hear him directly in regards to the this matter came as a pleasant surprise.

The statement was very much in the tone of some of the previous releases from the club and with Hemmings having high praise for Ridsdale.

Later that day, when I heard that Ridsdale would be speaking to the media, I thought that something of a real importance was going to be announced.

However, I ended up feeling very disappointed when basically the summing up of both statements meant that nothing was changing and that the current status quo at the club would continue for the foreseeable future.

I found some of Ridsdale’s comments about the current manager and recent games to be incredibly different to my own personal views as a fan of more than 50 years.

To say that Frankie McAvoy is misunderstood and to say that he is unfairly thought of as a cheap option is hard to grasp as personally I don't think McAvoy would get a manager’s job at any other Football League club.

Also to say that perhaps he is seen as part of Alex Neil’s regime is another strange thing to say as he was his assistant for a number of years at three different clubs which would surely make him just that and hence promoting the coach is in my opinion a cheap option.

Until recently when we have shown some signs of improvement, the football on offer this season has been generally dour and uninspiring.

Ridsdale thought that last Saturday’s defeat at Nottingham Forest was not a 3-0 defeat even though most of the Press appeared to think so.

Well I’m sorry but that was exactly what it was as a look at the old scoreboard would tell you.

Although we had the majority of possession, in the second half the game was over by then and in truth I thought we were well beaten on the day.

The current situation reminds me of the time when we had Graham Westley here when Ridsdale was reluctant to dismiss his man.

It almost cost us a spell in League Two and saw hundreds of older spectators not renew season tickets or attend matches.

In January 2003, Ridsdale who was then the Leeds chairman faced the media after what he called an understandable call from the majority of fans to be told what was going on at the club.

He said he believed that Leeds could “live the dream” and predicted a bright future because of some of the tough decisions his board had taken.

Two months later he resigned and although Leeds narrowly avoided relegation that year it was only a stay of execution as they were relegated the following year.

Football is about opinions and while Ridsdale is more than entitled to have his especially being in the position of running the football club but as he said at Leeds he has been proved wrong before and he must not forget that the fans have also got the right to have their say too.

I’m afraid to say that some of his opinions expressed during the media appearance are very different to mine and will only further divide the fans' opinion.

This statement has told us nothing much that we did not already know.

It would be no surprise to me if disillusioned fans soon decided to vote with their feet in bigger numbers and Ridsdale should remember that without the fans there is no club.

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