It is a very sad reflection on modern society that social media platforms have provided the opportunity for personal abuse to be put very easily into the public domain with protection afforded to the abusers by being able to hide behind a cloak of anonymity. Of late abuse of a deeply offensive nature has been directed at Vice Chairman Andy Rossiter in a manner that is both despicable and totally wide of the mark in equal measure. Much of the abuse has been so offensive as to necessitate Police involvement and one hopes those responsible will be appropriately dealt with. It is a testament to Andy’s character that his support for the Club has ploughed on undiminished.

What makes the wholly unwarranted criticism all the more offensive and outrageous is that quite frankly without Andy’s generosity we simply would not have the Club in as healthy a state as is currently the case. He has underwritten the Club’s wage bill to an extent that all Poole supporters would find quite staggering. His enthusiasm and passion for all things Poole Town is quite something to behold. His thinking outside the box and his attention to detail has been behind the transformation in the ground that is very apparent to anyone who can remember what the Black Gold looked like only a year or two ago compared to what it looks like now. He is a constant source of energy and the Club is much better off for his involvement. The criticism he has had is just so totally wide of the mark as to make it quite unbelievable to anyone within the Club who is aware of all that he does and the good grace in which he does it. Enough is enough. Andy deserves to receive all the credit to which he is entitled and more!!

It is crazy on so many levels that this statement has proved necessary.

Chris Reeves – on behalf of the board