Town boss Kieran McKenna said he enjoyed his first experience of a Fans’ Forum on Tuesday, where he took questions alongside CEO Mark Ashton and director of performance Andy Rolls, and says that kind of openness with supporters is going to be important as the club goes through a period of change.
McKenna, Ashton and Rolls answered questions for 90 minutes in the third event of its type this season.
"Very much so,” McKenna said when asked whether he enjoyed the experience. "I was at the AGM as well, which was a similar type of setting after I first arrived, but now having had a couple of months in the club it’s just nice to have that open communication.
"And I think it’s going to be a really important part of the club as the club changes and develops going forward, that we keep the fans very much involved in the process and that we communicate as openly as we can because there have been a lot changes and there are going to be a lot of changes.
"The football club belongs to the supporters and it’s important that they’re invested in it and are fully informed on what’s going on.
"I think they can see there’s a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes and a lot of people working to take the club in a certain direction and as long as they’re fully informed and we’re as open with them as we can be, I think they’ll stick with us even in the times when the progress isn’t always in a smooth and a straight upwards direction.
"I think the more that we can communicate and be open, the better that feeling of togetherness and the more understanding the fans can be with some of the challenges the club will have as it continues to grow and develop.”
One question which caught the Blues boss unawares was when he was asked if he’d take the England job if the FA came calling, history having shown that Town’s top managers get offered the role eventually.
"I think that one’s still a work in progress that one!” McKenna laughed when reminded of it. "It would be a fantastic to be an England honour some day, as it would be a fantastic honour to be the Ireland manager some day. I’ll keep working on that one.”