The board room at the Stoop must have a revolving door.
With Mark Evans having just announced his departure from the RU side, according to Monday's League Express, Paul Blanchard is leaving the RL side as well to manage Surrey Sports Park.
"The club is certainly more stable now.." he feels.
I think he's right and he's certainly moved things forward considerably; but given what he took over, that's not filling me full of optimism just at the moment.


Interesting that this came out on Monday, but no mention on the Quins own website.

Until there is an official word this is just speculation.

gets place on board then leaves strange. Maybe mr Evans is coming along for the ride.

Slightly related, Surrey Sports Park is Harlequins RU training ground.

I've already covered my views on Blanchard. I won't say anymore. Hopefully we fill the vacancy swiftly with the sports management version of Tim Cook.

He is quoted in RLE, so thats pretty official.

The search for his successor has started but the season starts in 8 weeks and with Xmas in that period can't see an appointment pre Magic Weekend.

I can't help feeling Blanchard is living up to his CV, moving on within the sports industry after relatively short periods of time in one job, and frankly he hasn't really too much to brag about after his spell with Quins RL.

Right. So stable that it's almost impossible to discern anything happening at all.

I've no idea what goes on inside the club, but I don't think PB is going to be any great loss.

Never a dull moment eh? I liked PB but he was ploughing a lonely furrow. We need a big personality to take the club forward. How about Jon Wells?

I don't think it matters whether whoever is appointed has a big personality or any involvement with the club, the game or even sport before. Actually it might be refreshing if they didn't.

Better check Facebook then

I'm not on Facebook.

Story now on Facebook and Quins site!
[urlhttp://www.league.quins.co.uk/news/12884.php[/url

Quotes from Paul Blanchard in League Express suggesting because we can't get loan players for a sufficiently long period Quins may be forced to give full time contracts to a couple of players. I translate this as meaning Quins are running on a shoestring and I'm off.

You don't need to be a member to read. [url=http://www.facebook.com/quinsrlLink[/url.

What is this "corner" that we have turned and how are we "in an excellent position to move forward and begin to realise some of the potential that this Club has."

A cul-de-sac and selling off the silverware.

If it was PB's decision to dispense with the services of our best and most able steward, then I say good riddance to him as the man has very poor judgement imo.

Christ

Right...some people might want to look away now!


When PB left HKR to join us, some East Hullians raised concerns. I therefore, having sniffed an opportunity to have a pop at the club (which is what some on here think is all I ever do) investigated the CV of Mr Paul Blanchard. I posted my concerns back then with regard to his inability to stay in the same job for more than 3 years......I can't be bothered searching for the post, but it involved the SFA (how apt) Southampton FC, Surrey County Cricket, NFL Europe and others......all tenures shorter than you would expect from a senior manager....well, a decent senior manager anyway.

Never one to turn down the opportunity to say I told you so....I told you so!

He has achieved nothing...nada...less than Zero whilst at Quins RL. The fact that somebody at Surrey sports park has failed to see this is nearly as bad as us taking him on in the first place.

December 2010....compared to January 2009..........just under 2 years.....a shirt sponsor and...er....the appointment of an friend from SCC days to the marketing position.........a 6% drop in attendances in 2009 and another 2% in 2010. A trained Monkey could have seen that BSkyB were going to give us a licence and would also have been able to go cap in hand to the RFL to help with the IL situation......he has achieved nil..zero...fanny adams!

The CEO position that was advertised when he joined as GM was paying 75k a year + Benefits......so has he been VFM for 150k (+ whatever pay-off he will get)....HAS HE F()CK!

I pray that the RFL/BSkyB take control of the club...it is the only way we will ever have any stability IMO. DH is a saint (well recorded), but he needs to employ someone with a set of b0llox the size of an elephant if we are to get anywhere.....which he won't do because it's "his" club.
We need someone who will stop [uasking [/ufor attention in the media......someone who isn't afraid to step and think outside the box. As it is, we are worse off now than we were in 2005 IMO........clueless from Board Level right down to our untried coach and threadbare squad.

I get no pleasure from sounding like rupe1 or storminateacup but the facts are staring us in the face.....we are rudderless...have no fans to speak of and are reliant on the health and kindness of 1 man....this is not a business model...it is a recipie for disaster.
It has SFA (see above) to do with our name, our identity or even where we play.....this problem (failing to attract the right calibre of recruit at every level) is down to our financial insecurity and you all know my thoughts on where the money should be spent to attract more revenue.....
....as I said in 2009....PB was a mistake......but let's face it, none of us should really be suprised by that.

EDIT:As posted on the VT:

As a person he comes across as an OK bloke.......but as a senior manager.....His extensive CV includes positions with, Sun Alliance, Royal Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Premier League, NFL Europe, Ladbrokes, Southampton Football Club, Surrey County Cricket Club and Hull Kingston Rovers, Harlequins RL and now Surrey Sports Park.

I think he graduated in 1986 with a degree in economics.....and I think started job at Sun Alliance.

He left Sun Alliance in 1990 to join Ladbrooks, then left them to join Royal Bank of Scotland, who he left to Join The Claymores and ENRL. 1998 he left that position to join SPL and then joined Southampton FC in 2000. 2004 he popped up at Surrey CC and then had a job at the Brit Oval (seperate to Surrey CC)....and since then has spent 6 months at HKA, 2 years at Quins RL and is now at Surrey Sports Park..

Sorry, but if that CV dropped on my desk for a job the first question I would ask would be:

"Where do you see yourself in 2 years......?"

11 jobs in 24 years......all salaried. If he was good, he would be hired as a freelance consultant and get twice the cash.....I suspect he is just very good at selling himself!

GF - Do you not have the cake tin to fill? I do accept your points however

Who is this?

I certainly won't mourn the loss of Blanchard. I don't think he changed anything whatsoever about the direction the club was going when he arrived.

I'll PM you PTB,

I think you mean Mark FS and bloody good he was too he handles all the VIP for the company that take all the sponsors to the RL finals and Internationals and does a brilliant job.

Back to Blagardicon_smile.gif it is going to be interesting to see who they get to replace him my feeling is they need a CEO and also a marketing guru there are 2 people who i know of that in my opinion would have the Quins crowds up to reasonable numbers in no time and be able to attarct sponsors however the problem is they both live in France and i doubt if they would be interested.

So why say it. I know blokes that think they can fly rockets but NASA wont employ them.

i can fly a rocket

Blanchard made putting fans on seats look harder than putting a man on the moon.