Orient boss backs new scheme
Flavio Briatore admits his time as co-owner of Queens Park Rangers 'was not enjoyable' but believes it was a successful period for the west London club.
The 63-year-old Italian, along with Bernie Ecclestone, helped to run Rangers for three years during which time nine different people were in charge of first-team affairs at Loftus Road.
These were Luigi De Canio, Iain Dowie, Paulo Sousa, Gareth Ainsworth, Jim Magilton, Steve Gallen, Paul Hart, Mick Harford and Neil Warnock.
Briatore, a former managing director at motorsport team Benetton, told F1 Racing magazine: "If you don't fire these coaches, you never go up.
"When you understand someone is not good enough to do the job, it is better you fire them immediately rather than waste another six months.
"I felt we were going nowhere with these guys. In the end, we made it. The most important thing in sport is the result.
"We took QPR from the bottom of the Championship.
"There was a four-year plan and we took them into the Premier League. I don't understand the fuss. We did it with not much money.
"After Bernie and I went away leaving Mr Lakshmi Mittal and Mr Tony Fernandes to run the show, and spend a lot of money, it's funny to see they still have six or seven players who were with us in the Championship.
"I believe we did it quite well but, I tell you, it was no fun at all. You need to treat football like a full-time job and not like an investor.
"There were too many people. The manager, the assistant manager and, always, you were dealing with the agents. In the end, we sold it."
Agyemang has become a big favourite at Fratton Park since joining in January and was given a standing ovation for his starring role in Saturday's 3-0 win over Sheffield United.
The 32-year-old, who will be a free agent in the summer, told The News: "I'm trying not to give too much away. But we'll see what happens.
"There are positive noises and I love being here.
"The fans have been amazing to me and made me feel welcome. I'm happy at the moment.
"It's good to be appreciated. That standing ovation was brilliant.
"It's a good feeling to come off the pitch and have 18,000 fans cheering my name."
The Pars have been ordered to appear before an SFA hearing at Hampden on Thursday, May 9.
And the Fife club - who entered administration earlier this month in a bid to stave off a winding-up order launched by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs over a ?134,000 unpaid tax bill - have until Monday, April 29, to respond to the complaint.
The Scottish Football League have already docked the Irn-Bru First Division side 15 points after suffering the insolvency event.
The SFL punishments which were handed out on April 9 also include a transfer embargo which prohibits the Pars signing players aged over 21 until they come out of administration.
And they will also be subject to a further 10-point penalty and be required to pay a ?150,000 guarantee if they do not secure a Company Voluntary Arrangement by the start of next season.
Among the penalties open to the SFA should they find the club guilty of breaking Disciplinary Rule 14 (g) are the termination or suspension of the club's membership or the issuing of a fine.
Rangers were the first club to be punished under rule 14 when it was implemented last year, with the Ibrox club handed a ?50,000 fine by the SFA after going into administration in February 2012.
Dunfermline also owe around ?8.5million to former owner Gavin Masterton and other companies. Eight players - including club captain Jordan McMillan - were made redundant by administrator Bryan Jackson after he was brought in to balance the books.
Concerned that West Ham's move to the Olympic Stadium in three years will have an adverse effect on the Orient crowds, Hearn is giving away 1,500 free season tickets to youngsters and students for next season.
Slade said: "I think it's a really good, forward-thinking initiative to get a new breed of young supporters.
"When you come to your first game your first alliance to a football club stays with you for life, it did for me.
"It's a great initiative and it will be nice to see some new faces in the east stand.
"We know if we can get 5-6,000 in the ground on a regular basis then it's a great atmosphere."