A personal statement.
After the announcement earlier this evening, I would personally like to provide some clarity and share my perspective on the events and how they concluded.
Towards the end of Saturday’s game against Wimborne, Ben’s commentary allowed his passion to carry him a little further than would normally be expected from a commentator at a football match. Football is, of course, a passionate sport — one that inspires both personal and professional opinions in all of us. However, within the context of official matchday commentary for the club, those boundaries were crossed.
Ben is someone who holds himself and others to high standards, and when he reflected on the situation, he recognised that he had let himself and the club down. After discussions with other directors, it was mutually agreed that his position as commentator had become untenable, and the outcome was therefore inevitable.
To clarify the actual events rather than rely on subjective opinions or second-hand gossip, Ben allowed some of his personal views to surface during commentary — particularly regarding the work of both current and former directors. His comments touched not only on recent years but also on the longer period since the club’s time in the National League and the subsequent challenges that followed.
Ben expressed his view that mistakes made along the way have contributed to where we find ourselves today. While we may not fully agree with everything he said, or while his intentions may have been easily misunderstood, we recognise that no one is immune to criticism, and constructive criticism has its place when shared through the right platform. However, as a club with an official media presence, there are boundaries that exist to protect both individuals and the organisation from potential legal implications. When those boundaries are crossed, the impact can extend beyond internal discussions and into public perception — and it is for that reason that such limits are in place.
On a personal note, I remain very good friends with Ben. The context of relationships inside and outside the parameters of football can often be quite different from what people may perceive from the outside. Hopefully, this will serve as a learning experience for all of us. This is not a final goodbye — rather, it is simply an adjournment for the time being.
Ralph Ricardo
Chairman
