I'd say this: I grew up when the football people did the talking (and trust me, Bert Head didn't do a lot of that.) So when I want to listen to what's happening at my football club I want to hear the football people update me. I don't pay money to watch the chairman at work every week.

To me, some figures in a club should be seen and not heard. The first chairman to really break that rule and become a largely public figure was Ron Noades and (while I did broadly like Ron) I don't think that was a change for the better.

Sadly, today egotists buy football clubs and think that because they've arrived in a bit of money, they're entitled to centre stage. There was a time when it was enough for owners to get their glory behind the closed doors of the boardroom and in the local business community.

Personally, I like John Henry, Liverpool's owner (to give one example) because he's not forever trying to hog the limelight. He lets his manager get on with being the voice and face of the club. Yes, Palace are a small business and Liverpool are a big one but I still want to hear TP and not a grown-up wide boy with a bad haircut who has nothing to do with the football itself.

Well, you did ask.