Susan Whelan

[Wymsey]

Will she be a massive loss in the long run, or can she be easily replaced?..

 

Wonder if she'll have her say in some 'exclusive interview' etc, about her time here - particularly towards the end..

[Pita]

2 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

Will she be a massive loss in the long run, or can she be easily replaced?..

 

Wonder if she'll have her say in some 'exclusive interview' etc, about her time here - particularly towards the end..

Top will only replace with yes men/ women who don’t know how to run a football club. Look at our CEO. So I think she will be a massive loss. Just look at the Christmas pay roll cock up 

[Claudio Fannieri]

Massive loss in my opinion, I think she was very good, but eventually her influence and control got diluted more and more by Top and Rudkin. I honestly believe she was the conscious of the club, do things the right way etc but your ability to steer the ship correctly and safely is undermined by certain individuals who are pissed on power then you are destined to eventually hit the rocks.

 

My opinion is Susan walked away reluctantly but with no other option as she could no longer effectively influence the club to make the right decisions and take the right long term path, which led her to take the very difficult decision to step down. 
 

some of the chaotic decisions since she left has already proven this, the return of BC Game and the Christmas payroll debacle are two biggies in a very short space of time. 

Edited 21 December 2025 by Claudio Fannieri

[LiliansLeftPeg]

Her name was increasingly mentioned alongside Rudkin's towards the end of her time here, so I don't think we miss her specifically.

 

If Aiyawatt had even an ounce of Vichai's business nouse instead of bobbing around with a big stick on a horse, he'd have had a succession plan in place and wouldn't have had to take on the role himself. What we miss is a competent, experienced CEO. 

[LCFCJohn]

51 minutes ago, Claudio Fannieri said:

Massive loss in my opinion, I think she was very good, but eventually her influence and control got diluted more and more by Top and Rudkin. I honestly believe she was the conscious of the club, do things the right way etc but your ability to steer the ship correctly and safely is undermined by certain individuals who are pissed on power then you are destined to eventually hit the rocks.

 

My opinion is Susan walked away reluctantly but with no other option as she could no longer effectively influence the club to make the right decisions and take the right long term path, which led her to take the very difficult decision to step down. 
 

some of the chaotic decisions since she left has already proven this, the return of BC Game and the Christmas payroll debacle are two biggies in a very short space of time. 

I think this is likely true and your final paragraph with the things that have happened since add weight. Was she pushing back on these?

 

What I don’t get is KP foot solider defend Aiyawatt keeping Rudkin around as he was Vichai’s appointment and loyalty etc etc blah blah. But I believe Vichai was even more tied to Susan? Didn’t their relationship pre-date LCFC whereas Rudkin was just a brown nose who get in the right place at the right time when they were at the club.

 

Maybe Aiyawatt actually sees Rudkin as his guy whereas Susan was Vichai’s choice. Which would suggest Aiyawatt doesn’t care much for his dads loyalties after all.

[Dickov22]

One read of what Nigel Pearson wrote about her tells you everything you need to know. 
 

Top will replace her with some Thai nobody who has no experience on their CV. 

[smudger63]

48 minutes ago, LiliansLeftPeg said:

Her name was increasingly mentioned alongside Rudkin's towards the end of her time here, so I don't think we miss her specifically.

 

If Aiyawatt had even an ounce of Vichai's business nouse instead of bobbing around with a big stick on a horse, he'd have had a succession plan in place and wouldn't have had to take on the role himself. What we miss is a competent, experienced CEO. 

Well Wheelan and Rudkin allegedly didn't speak to each other if it could be avoided, for at least 2 years, and the fact that Rudkin continued to be cosied up sat next to Top, while Wheelan was sat in the row behind, at games that Top could be bothered to attend, tells you where Tops loyalty lie.  

Wheelan had been at King Power for a number of years, before they took over here, and Vichai clearly seen her as a competent and valued person within their set up. 

I think I would trust Vichais judgement, far more than Tops.

She was also very well respected amongst the Premier league big wigs too.

Who knows what has really gone on behind the scenes, in regards to the running of the club, but if I were to hazard a guess, it would be Wherlan that was trying to steady the ship, out of dangerous seas, and Top and his lapdog Rudkin, that were standing on the deck shouting "full speed ahead", straight into the massive looming iceberg that lay ahead!

Edited 21 December 2025 by smudger63

[Sol thewall Bamba]

6 hours ago, Wymsey said:

Will she be a massive loss in the long run, or can she be easily replaced?..

 

Wonder if she'll have her say in some 'exclusive interview' etc, about her time here - particularly towards the end..

Wouldn't hold my breath for any interview, her departure would have been under condition of a huge NDA given our track record of secrecy and paranoia.

[Gazza M]

Unfortunately, waste sticks to waste to put it politely. Happens in most business when incompetent management know they are "winging it." Not going to recruit someone who will see through them quickly and question what is happening.

 

Whelan will be a big loss, but can only see them recruit a "yes" man/woman. Very sad. 

[CornwallFox]

48 minutes ago, Dickov22 said:

One read of what Nigel Pearson wrote about her tells you everything you need to know. 
 

Top will replace her with some Thai nobody who has no experience on their CV. 

What did he write about her?

[Dickov22]

1 minute ago, CornwallFox said:

What did he write about her?

 

[Nick]

25 minutes ago, Dickov22 said:

 

That should tell everybody what they need to know.

[davieG]

Team Vichai and Whelan = Unprecedented success from a position abject failure

 

 

Team Aiyawatt and Rudkin = Abject failure from a position of unprecedented success 

[Outfox the Fox]

28 minutes ago, Dickov22 said:

 

Wow, I've never seen that before. As a lot have said here, the recent failings of King Power are many, but it appears her (forced) leaving could be one of their worst decisions. It only confirms to me, that the quicker they sell up, the better - anything else, is just rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic!

[Globalfox]

50 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Wouldn't hold my breath for any interview, her departure would have been under condition of a huge NDA given our track record of secrecy and paranoia.

I don’t think the NDA is the issue but more that she was a consummate professional. I worked with her a lot behind the scenes and it is a true loss. She worked diligently in a declining atmosphere in my observations. It is impossible to work under an absent dictator who favours sycophants. I believe it just was no longer worth her efforts. Yes the body language between her and Rudkin was clear to see for a long time. She was as frustrated with the onfield shambles as any supporter and the access Jon has to the owner frustrates any change. A CEO walking instantly is cause for concern, the shambles since then says that there is no plan in place. Worrying times.

[Katy]

44 minutes ago, Dickov22 said:

 

So that’s Vards and Nige with glowing references for Susan, and they would know more than most. Looks like Aiyawatt’s plan is to get rid (or make life difficult so they leave) of all the competent staff and replace them with KP shrills and saps. NKFC now is it? 

Edited 21 December 2025 by Katy

[LCFCJohn]

1 hour ago, Dickov22 said:

One read of what Nigel Pearson wrote about her tells you everything you need to know. 
 

Top will replace her with some Thai nobody who has no experience on their CV. 

This is the correct answer. Nigel wouldn’t suffer people without integrity and professionalism. I can’t imagine he would have much positive to say about Aiyawatt or Rudkin like he would of Vichai and Whelan. You can tell a lot from what someone with these qualities like Nigel has to say.

 

N.b - short breaks in showing professionalism are acceptable in the following cases;

- Holding opponents down by the neck for short periods of time.

- Verbally assaulting journalists. They tend to ask for it.

[Claudio Fannieri]

I think it was only Susan’s respect and loyalty to honour and save Vichai’s legacy as to why she stayed so long to fight the battle to prevent what has been a spectacular fall from grace. 
 

Make no mistake she is hugely respected by most at the club past and present and there is little to suggest or show she was the problem. If anything she probably challenged too much and raised her head above the parapet too often and made herself a target as she clearly saw through the incompetence of certain individuals with too much power and not enough talent or acumen. 

[Larry_LCFC]

She got a lot of stick, including from myself. But actually she was probably the glue holding atleast some of this mess together. An own brand glue but still probably quite important. Think she was pretty powerless against the two muppets that remain. 

[Dan]

Think her reputation probably goes up each passing day she's out of this shitshow.

[Lionator]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

Team Vichai and Whelan = Unprecedented success from a position abject failure

 

 

Team Aiyawatt and Rudkin = Abject failure from a position of unprecedented success 

It all comes from leadership, something that was clear then and massively absent now. 

[Bezzanator89]

Have to sheepishly admit that Whelan was in my crosshairs along with Rudkin and Top. Since she left, the farce has continued, so they were dragging her name down with them through one baffling decision after another. So yeah, I believe got it wrong.

 

When you get Big Nige, who really doesn't suffer fools, puts something like that, I have to say sorry to Susan Whelan.

From the outside it looks like everyone in the hierarchy was incompetent, but turns out she wasn't and left to preserve her reputation. And who can blame her as this absolute sh**show continues after she has gone, so clearly she was not part of the problem.

[Nick]

Out of the three of them there was one person with a proven track record of operational business management at this level... and she resigned.

 

Now we don't have anybody.

[st albans fox]

She’s a KP person but I suspect her allegiance was way more to VichaiI rather than the family. 
I wouldn’t expect her to make any comments to write any books/give interviews because of her respect for vichai’s memory 

 

If you think back to the days when the club always seemed to do the right thing - that was down to her 

[Stadt]

It’s a bit like when a player is injured or out on loan - they’re always the answer. Whelan wasn’t the main problem but plenty of shit happened under her watch like anti-fan ticket practises, or lying about mandatory coaches to Wembley.