Sounds like there's a bigger Q&A in the HDM today than they've put on the website.

John Meehan for example has just tweeted'Can't have people at club not following protocol. If player fails drugs test will be announced next morning & player out. Don't understand how it became such a prolonged & convoluted process.' Pearson very angry over #Gleeson affair.

Can't get the paper over here, obviously, could someone post the highlights?

Cheers

talking of the main man

Makes up most of the middle pages of the new Saturday Sports pullout.

In the Q&A, Pearson says the away performance at Leeds at the end of the season was a "watershed" which made his mind up that the club needed a complete fresh start off and on the pitch. He describes it as "an insult to all the supporters who stood behind the posts in the rain" and that it was a "very poor day for the club". Also that the performance was so unacceptable that the entire coaching staff was changed.

He says he didn't expect to have to change the Chief Executive and that the emphasis has changed from "penny pinching, frugality and trying to get the cheapest deal possible to do what is right for the players and what will help the players."

He praises Peter Gentle who "doesn't say things for effect, he says them for a reason".

Pearson says some fans haven't renewed passes from last year and that the club will be contacting them to urge them to give the club another chance.

On the Gleeson story, Pearson says from now on "if you fail a drug test at this club, I will be announcing it the next morning and the player will be on the next bus out of the club. There is no grey area. It is black and white. If you take drugs then you are out of here, period. I don't understand how it became such a protracted and convoluted process, it should never have happened."

He says after the Luke Briscoe move to Leeds that the entire Academy structure was revamped.

He finishes by saying he's proud to be from this area and work in this area and that the Leeds play off game and accepting ourselves as second-class citizens to Leeds was not acceptable and that "I can guarantee that attitude will never be allowed again."

What a guy!

Thanks to the last two posters.

All I can do after reading that is

How long have we waited to hear this kind of attitude, finally we have the right man. I just hope we bring in more fans otherwise he might decide he can only do so much and end up walking away.

what do you mean "non core", I know a fair number of fans who have had passes for years that haven't renewed, and wont until we see words turn into actions. It's OK coming out in the press saying "fail a drug test and you're out" whilst giving idiots like Aspinwall a tenth chance.

Cheap tickets for away fans for non derby games?

its an optimistic read,but also scary to think about the state we were and could have been in...the line about 'not enough kit being ordered for the players to prepare in a professional manner' was an eye opener!

I class core support as those who go to virtually every home game (whether or not they have a pass although they often do because it makes financial sense to do so).

Non core pick and choose their games either because they don't like what they are watching, or, (especially in the current climate) are unable to afford to go to every game, or the overall cost of attending (in money and time) may not allow it (eg out of town fans).

Success will increase the core support level - it's always been that way - that's why gates go up when the team is successful and go down when they are not. Hull FC have a fairly large core support as the current pass sales reflect IMO.

One group is not superior to the other. It's a reflection of people making their own choices about watching and supporting a sports team.

fair enough, I apologise, I saw an inference between "core" and "non core" which clearly wasn't there. My Granddad, Nana and Aunt all watch from "upstairs" but I like to think they are still supporters, gone, but not forgotten.

Thank you to those posting the summary. A watershed season for the club IMO and I can't express how glad I am about the change of regime. Even if we walk a bit of the talk this year, it just feels like there's a glimmer of hope. Hope the floating voters back Pearson and we just get behind what he, Bomber and Gentle are trying to achieve.

Now it's up to the coaching staff and the team
to produce the goods on the pitch ..People pay good money
to watch R/L they want entertaining ..When the season start
the talking stop..Let be entertained with good open Rugby and a great
kicking game ..AP has put his money in now it's the players job to reward
him and the fans I cannot wait to see if all the talk of hard work has paid off

Some more highlights form the "paper" Mail 'What in your mind have been the most significant changes?'

"The whole staffing structure has been changed around the club and the whole emphasis has been changed from penny pinching, frugality and trying to get the cheapest deal possible to do what is right for the players and what will help the players.
We are still having repercussions now with basic things like kit, where not enough has been ordered for the players to prepare in a professional manner. These types of things cannot be allowed to happen in what is supposed to be a big Super League club" 4.18017578125:5