CourtOffside has taken possession of a top secret document - rumoured to be handed down from Chairman to Chairman - How To Get Your Own Way. It details the ten simple PR tactics that Chairmen throughout the ages have used when they are faced with the terrifying prospect of a public vote.

1. Secrecy
Hide behind 'commercial confidentiality' wherever possible. You will be able to make whatever pronouncements you like because no-one will know whether you are lying or your actions are based on 'confidential' information. By the time people realise that you haven't acted honestly it will be too late and any information that has been discovered will have become irrelevant.

2. Fear
Keep supporters in a state of fear for the existence of the club. Even if they are sceptical about your proposals they will acquiesce because they can never be completely sure that you aren't telling the truth (see #1). If they are scared for the future of the club then other supporters will put pressure on your opponents to accede to your wishes.

3. Demonize
Use vague ominous descriptions of your opponents as being the enemies of 'the club' (rather than yourself obviously), castigate their disloyalty and the 'harm' they are causing to 'the club' (even if they aren't). Your critics will have to keep a low profile and avoid speaking out against you to try and avoid fitting the profile that you describe.

4. Be the only show in town
Make sure whatever you want to happen is the only option that is on the table. With fans afraid for the future of the club (#2) many will just be pleased to have an option put in front of them - and if you make sure that you practice #1, people will never be able to put forward an alternative. You are the only one that knows the information that they would need to have to be able to put one together. And it's a secret.

5. Control the media agenda
People will discuss what the media discusses, and the media will follow your official gaze. Guide the media spotlight and you can control the public debate. Direct peoples' minds toward the issues you want them to discuss and away from the things that are sensitive or that you need to get away with. It's not like the Echo will bother digging when you can hand them easy copy that you want them to print and will fill just as many column inches.

6. Spin   
You don't need to tell the whole truth - you just need to capture peoples' attention. You can mix in lies with the truth if it helps to spice things up. There's no need to worry about getting caught out. Thanks to #2 you'll have made everyone believe that all criticism comes from bitter one eyed fantasists that are hell bent on destroying the club. You can either just ignore them, or only discuss the nuggets of truth that you can prove.

7. Keep your powder dry
If your proposals won't stand up to scrutiny, don't let people scrutinise them. Don't publicise details until the last possible minute, and then the real implications of what you are trying to do won't be known until after you have forced them through.

8. Divide and conquer
Tell different people conflicting versions of the 'truth'. They will then argue with each other in the honest belief that they have been priviliged enough to be given the 'facts' straight from the horse's mouth. This will make them too pre-occupied with proving one another wrong to worry about what you are up to. With all your opponents falling out with one another, they will never be united enough to stand against you.

9. Drop a bombshell
It always helps to have an ace or two up your sleeve. Vague threats of winding up orders are normally good to put people off balance. Play these with expert timing - right at the beginning of a crucial EGM for example. It always helps to have bits of paper to wave at them as well.

10. Look smart and wear a tie
It pays to understand your constituency and there are a lot of very conservative old boys in there that are desperate to follow the establishment. Remember, they don't allow football shirts or the great unwashed into the parts of the ground where these chaps want to watch the game. Present yourself 'properly', and they will all gladly follow where the man at the top table wants to lead them - and they will react angrily to anyone who has the temerity to question someone in such a position of clear authority.