tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83720909428198410802024-03-13T19:08:21.889-07:00The Lone Gunman - Shooting From The LipThe truth is out there.....The Lone Gunmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315699201269119085noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8372090942819841080.post-48482751058476028702016-01-14T15:49:00.000-08:002016-01-14T23:10:06.278-08:00The Influence of an Icon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sf2HGRaoLjA/VpgyrOzH9wI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/l-FUW03Dob4/s1600/Bowie%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="417" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sf2HGRaoLjA/VpgyrOzH9wI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/l-FUW03Dob4/s640/Bowie%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I happened to be lying in the bath early last Monday when
I learned of David Bowie's death. The CD I'd put on before I got into the water
was his 2014 compilation 'Nothing Has Changed' and the track that was playing while
I was reading the news on my mobile phone was his 1973 hit single 'Drive-In
Saturday'. Weird, huh?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: large;">Well, if the truth be told, it's not an uncanny
coincidence at all. The fact is that Bowie's music is playing as often as not
while I'm pottering around my home, whether it's first thing in the morning,
last thing at night or any time in-between. Like millions of other music lovers,
I've been a David Bowie fan since my school days. Indeed, if memory serves, his 1976 album 'Changesonebowie' was either the second or third LP I
ever bought.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: large;">Following the confirmation of his passing, the first
artist I saw paying tribute to Bowie on social media was Nick Oliveri. The
second was Madonna. To me, that spoke volumes about the scope of the man's
influence. After all, the lunatic bassist who currently plays with alternative rock
band Mondo Generator and the multifaceted global megastar are about as far
apart on the musical spectrum as it's possible to be and yet both were clearly moved
by the death of the iconic performer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: large;">David Bowie’s wide appeal is easy to understand. During a
phenomenal career spanning more than five decades, he not only embraced
numerous musical and visual styles but he also collaborated with artists as
diverse as Lulu and Iggy Pop, Luther Vandross and Lou Reed, Bing Crosby and Puff
Daddy, and the Pet Shop Boys and Nine Inch Nails. Meanwhile, his songs were
covered by a vast array of acts ranging from Bauhaus to Barbara Streisand, Culture
Club to Nirvana, Mott the Hoople to Marilyn Manson and Duran Duran to Dinosaur
Jr.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: large;">The scale of Bowie's influence on music, fashion and
popular culture since he rose to prominence in the early-Seventies is unparalleled
and, in my opinion, he remains as relevant today as he was during his seminal Ziggy
Stardust and Berlin periods.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7dwXn2PKiXU/Vpgys06256I/AAAAAAAAA0k/SzRco_qfVfw/s1600/Bowie%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7dwXn2PKiXU/Vpgys06256I/AAAAAAAAA0k/SzRco_qfVfw/s640/Bowie%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: large;">For me, the most exciting new band to have emerged in
recent years is Wolf Alice. When asked to name their musical influences, the young
Londoners have mentioned David Bowie on more than one occasion. Wolf Alice's debut
album was released in June and went straight into the chart at number two. It
was kept off the top by Florence and the Machine, whose 29 year-old vocalist Florence
Welch told the press this week that Bowie has been a huge influence throughout
her life.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: large;">My favourite release of 2015 was Beth Jeans Houghton's
brilliant album 'Welcome Back To Milk'. The talented 25 year-old, who'd
previously enjoyed critical success while producing a brand of quirky,
psychedelic folk music, apparently experienced a creative epiphany while
visiting the 'David Bowie Is' exhibition at London’s V&A Museum. She
promptly ditched the band she had been working with, renamed herself Du Blonde, altered her musical style dramatically and recorded what I believe to be one of
the most impressive records of the last decade.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: large;">The above are examples of precisely why David Bowie remains
such an important figure as far as I'm concerned. It's not just because I love
a large percentage of the music he created, but also because he was and still
is a significant influence on so many other artists that I rate
highly - acts such as the Birthday Party, Blondie, Blur, Kate Bush, Nick Cave, Hugh
Cornwell, the Cure, the Dandy Warhols, Electric Six, the Horrors, Joy Division,
Morrissey, Placebo, Queens of the Stone Age, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Smiths,
Suede, the Talking Heads and the Tubes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: large;">It seems that almost every musical performer I've ever
admired has owed some kind of a debt to David Bowie. In most cases, the artists
concerned were inspired by his music, although some were merely attracted by his appearance. A
few have attempted to replicate his impressive stage craft, while others have
been influenced by his ability to frequently reinvent himself. In a couple of instances,
bands that I've liked were publicly championed by the man himself. Other artists
have simply revealed themselves to be fans like me. But whatever the
connection, pretty much everything in my record collection eventually leads back to Bowie in one way or another.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: large;">During the last ten months, I've been fortunate enough to
see the superb 'David Bowie Is' exhibition at the Philharmonie de Paris and
enjoy an intimate, three-hour tour of the Hansa Studios in Berlin, where Bowie mixed
'Low', wrote and recorded 'Heroes' and co-wrote and produced the Iggy Pop
albums 'The Idiot' and 'Lust For Life'. Suffice to say that both experiences
will remain with me for the rest of my days.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: large;">Words like 'genius' and 'legend' are bandied around way
too easily in this day and age and most of the people who get described as such
are absolutely nothing of the sort, but David Bowie is an exception. He genuinely
was a pop idol in every sense. The Starman from Brixton was a bona fide
one-off. He was an innovator, a trendsetter and a true cultural icon. Bowie's
death will be mourned by millions, but his extraordinary talent was such that his
influence will be felt by many generations to come.</span></div>
The Lone Gunmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315699201269119085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8372090942819841080.post-70784491167635742302012-09-13T22:39:00.000-07:002014-08-13T08:42:02.320-07:00A Tribute to Simon Insole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s9rvust-VOE/U-t4egKu5tI/AAAAAAAAAtU/VX-Lxy_ug5o/s1600/Simon%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s9rvust-VOE/U-t4egKu5tI/AAAAAAAAAtU/VX-Lxy_ug5o/s1600/Simon%2B1.JPG" height="400" width="315" /></a></div>
<b>On Saturday afternoon, Cardiff City Football Club will pay
tribute to former South Wales Police Football Intelligence Officer Simon Insole
before the match against Leeds United. Simon, who collapsed and died last
Thursday evening at the age of 49, had worked as a Football Intelligence
Officer for more than a decade and this season was being employed by the club
as a safety officer. He was a fantastic and much-loved character who will be
greatly missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. </b> <br />
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<br />
I first met Simon back in the Eighties, probably around 1987.
I was 20 years old at the time and a regular at the Butchers Arms in Rhiwbina.
Simon was close friends with another police officer who lived locally, namely
Andy ‘Orpy’ Davies, and they would often call into the pub at the end of a
shift or when they were off duty.</div>
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The Butchers bar in those days contained a wide variety of
weird and wonderful characters, such as Dean Oliver, Steve James, Paul ‘Dubber’
Dupuy, Chrissy Higgins, Simon Norris, Steve ‘Chelsea’ Williams, Mikey Donovan, Martin
‘Scouser’ Ballard, Dennis Clarke, Steve Sherlock, Tommy McCoy, John ‘Jock’
Hendry, Nigel Crocker, the Judd brothers (Alan, Gareth and Tony), Chris and
Adrian Leeds, Dai King, Andy Coomber and the lunatic who eventually became my
best mate, Richard Bull. Anyone who frequented the pub during the late-Eighties
is sure to recognise some of those names. We were a diverse bunch, but fairly
close-knit all the same.</div>
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Simon cut an unmistakable figure with his giant frame and
bald head – a result of a lengthy battle with leukaemia which I believe dated
back to his teens. I was also easy enough to spot with my dyed hair, ripped
jeans and brothel creepers. The policeman and the punk rocker was an unlikely
combination, but I got on famously with the big man from the word go and we
soon became good friends. Having taken me under his wing, Simon used to drag me
to all sorts of places after last orders, including the police staff club in
Cathays, where he would pretend I was either his younger brother or his cousin
while signing me in. Needless to say I always came off a hopeless second best
in our frequent late-night Guinness-drinking contests.</div>
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During the summer of 1989, Orpy was going through a divorce
and struggling to make ends meet after his wife had moved out of their house in
Birchgrove. Simon and I were both looking for somewhere to live, so we moved
in. I was working as an apprentice bricklayer at the time. The two coppers took
the double bedrooms, while I made myself at home in a small single room with
Orpy’s animals – a dog called Biscuit and a cat named Crumb. The arrangement
suited me down to the ground, particularly as the other lads insisted on
paying most of the bills because I wasn’t earning much money. I can remember
Simon showing his girlfriend around the house shortly after we had settled in.
He opened my door to find me lying on the bed watching television alongside the
dog and the cat. “This is where me and Orpy keep our three pets,” he told her.</div>
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My girlfriend’s name was Samantha. She was a student at <st1:place><st1:placename>Exeter</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype>University</st1:placetype></st1:place> and would often come
home at weekends. We wrote to each other regularly while she was away and Simon
would take great delight in delivering her letters to me at the crack of dawn.
I’d always be fast asleep when the postman arrived, but he would usually be awake
either preparing for an early shift or returning from a late one. He would
quietly tiptoe into my room with the letter and either empty a glass of water
over my head, whip away my quilt covers or whack me with a pillow while bellowing
“Sam-o-gram for Sugarman!” Doing so seemed to keep him amused, but it didn’t do
my sleep patterns much good. </div>
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Our living arrangements lasted for several months until we
were evicted due to the ongoing divorce proceedings. Orpy moved into a flat at
the top of the street and Simon found a new place on <st1:street>Whitchurch
Road</st1:street>, but I stayed in the house on my own for a
few more weeks and was effectively squatting while I tried to get somewhere
else fixed up. When I finally did move, it was Simon who borrowed a van and
helped me to shift my stuff. He often looked out for me during that particular
period and his friendship was invaluable as I was going through something of a
rough patch and was in danger of slipping off the rails.</div>
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In those days, Simon normally drove around in a battered old
orange Mini. It was a tiny car and he looked absolutely ridiculous in it, but
it got him to work and back and he gave me lifts to the pub and the football
often enough, so it served its purpose.</div>
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Simon and I went our separate ways during much of the
Nineties, although he made a point of calling into the Butchers or the Deri
from time to time and I would occasionally see him out and about when he was
policing <st1:place><st1:placename>Cardiff</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place>
matches. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We re-established regular contact in 2000 when he became
one of the South Wales Police’s Football Intelligence Officers. His new role
meant he was present at almost all of <st1:city>Cardiff</st1:city>’s
home and away games, as well as Welsh internationals, and he quickly proved to
be brilliantly suited to the job. Simon employed many of the methods he had
learned while engaging in community policing work and his friendly disposition coupled
with his natural ability to effectively deal with people on all levels soon
made him a popular figure with the supporters. He always treated Bluebirds fans
with patience and respect, and his attitude earned him plenty of respect in
return.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the decade in which Simon worked as a Football
Intelligence Officer, the behaviour of <st1:place><st1:placename>Cardiff</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place> supporters improved dramatically
and he deserves a huge amount of credit for the part he played in that
turnaround. The bridges he helped to build between the fans, the club’s
officials and the local police went a long way towards creating today’s
situation whereby trouble of any sort at Bluebirds matches is very rare.</div>
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Over the years, I attended many meetings with Simon and prepared
a number of website reports at his suggestion. He was always very keen to do
his bit towards helping to improve the club’s image, particularly back in the
days when the new stadium was still at the planning stage.</div>
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A good example of that came in September 2006 when the South
Wales Echo published a lengthy letter from a rugby fan complaining about
alleged hooliganism at <st1:place><st1:placename>Ninian</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
Simon was on the phone shortly after the paper had hit the news stands and
requested that I pen a response in order to redress the balance. He gave me
some facts, figures and quotes to use in my reply, which the Echo printed in
full a few days later.</div>
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Another example came in October 2010. While I was travelling
home from a midweek fixture at <st1:city>Coventry</st1:city>’s
Ricoh Arena, Simon rang to ask for my opinion regarding the policing at the
game. I told him I thought it had been pretty low-key and said if the truth be
told I couldn’t even remember seeing any police officers at the ground. He
laughed and explained there was a good reason for that – it was the first <st1:place><st1:placename>Cardiff</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place> away game in decades which had
been a police-free, stewards-only fixture. Simon and his colleagues had been working
towards such a goal for years and he was proud they had finally managed to
convince another force that the behaviour of <st1:city>Cardiff</st1:city>
fans had improved to such an extent that no policing was necessary inside the
stadium. It was a major step forward for the football club and Simon was very keen
that the public should know about it, so I drew up a report for the Cardiff Mad
website on his behalf and an article based on that report appeared in the Echo
the following day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While he was always professional in the way he went about
things and firm when he needed to be, Simon’s common-sense attitude towards his
job and the respect with which he treated people meant that he was readily
accepted by the majority of Bluebirds supporters as being one of us. He made
genuine efforts to get know a large number of the fans who travel away
regularly and often helped to get people out of trouble of one sort or another.
The fact that he used to turn up in his own time and with his family at events
such as stadium open days and Academy fundraisers demonstrated his dedication
to the club. He was an integral part of the <st1:place><st1:placename>Cardiff</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place> set-up for more than a decade
and will be greatly missed by all of the staff he worked alongside and the many
hundreds of supporters he assisted. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Simon Insole began working at <st1:place><st1:placename>Cardiff</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place> as a Football Intelligence
Officer in 2000, the club had a dreadful reputation for hooliganism and
problems at matches were commonplace. When he left his position with the South
Wales Police in 2011, the Bluebirds had just won the Football League’s Family
Club of the Year award. I reckon that fact speaks volumes about the quality of
the work he did during the time in which he was involved with the club.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Simon was a fine police officer, a great character and a
good man, and I feel genuinely privileged that I could count on him as a friend
for so many years. May he rest in peace. </div>
The Lone Gunmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315699201269119085noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8372090942819841080.post-82141607002096510332012-08-17T09:42:00.000-07:002014-08-13T07:50:11.610-07:00It's More than Just a Colour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Iv_y6NT2a9k/U-t64v9dy0I/AAAAAAAAAtw/6unB2CI1Hic/s1600/Bellamy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Iv_y6NT2a9k/U-t64v9dy0I/AAAAAAAAAtw/6unB2CI1Hic/s1600/Bellamy.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">This
evening, </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> will kick off their 2012/13
Championship campaign against newly-promoted </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Huddersfield</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Town</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">. It will be the first Bluebirds
home game that I have missed in all competitions since December 1994 and only
the third since March 1975.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">In recent
months, I have lost count of the number of people who have expressed their
surprise that I am prepared to give up on a lifetime of supporting </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> over the colour of their new
shirts. I have expected those kinds of comments from people who aren’t football
fans themselves, but I’ve been genuinely surprised to hear the same sort of
things being said by other City supporters, both in person and the on the
internet message boards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">For me,
this is about much more than just a colour. For those who are interested and
unable to work them out for themselves, the reasons that I am turning my back
on the Bluebirds after 37 years as a season ticket holder are as follows:</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Principle</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Until the
recent changes were implemented, blue had been </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">’s primary colour ever since the
football club became professional in 1910. In my opinion, the board’s decision
to completely bypass the fanbase and simply flush away more than a century of
tradition without any kind of consultation was not only nonsensical but also
hugely disrespectful to the generations of Bluebirds supporters who have
followed the club throughout its long and troubled history.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Nobody
would expect the fans to be consulted on any of the day-to-day decisions the
club’s officials have to make during the normal course of its business, but
what we are talking about here is a different situation altogether. This
re-branding exercise was not a standard business decision by any stretch of the
imagination. Instead, it was a radical transformation of the club’s identity
and one which appears to have no commercial justification whatsoever. The
change to red shirts and a dragon emblem was guaranteed to prove hugely
divisive and for many supporters it has altered the very fabric of the club. The
Bluebirds hierarchy were fully aware that would be the case but nevertheless
they didn’t deem it appropriate to canvass the opinions of their core customers
before embarking upon such a drastic course of action. Sadly, the fact of the
matter is that the personal preferences of a wealthy Malaysian businessman who
apparently watched his first game of professional football in May 2010 are now
considered significantly more important than those of many thousands of lifelong
</span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> fans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">All of
the evidence suggests that these changes are being implemented simply because
the club’s major shareholder has demanded them. Indeed, Chief Executive Alan
Whiteley has freely admitted that there is no actual business plan attached to
the re-branding, while Chairman Dato Chan Tien Ghee failed to volunteer any
kind of justification for it during yesterday’s general meeting of shareholders.
Despite vague hints about worldwide marketing strategies and commercial
activities in the </span><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Far East</span></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">, club officials have thus far offered no suggestions as to what tangible
benefits the exercise is supposed to bring apart from the continued support of
Tan Sri Vincent Tan. Meanwhile, a number of experts in the field of marketing
have publicly dismissed the notion that the Bluebirds will reap any financial
rewards by playing in a red kit as opposed to a blue one. This act of corporate
vandalism appears to be little more than a rich man’s whim and is one which has
fractured the club’s fanbase for no discernible reason.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">A short
while after the changes were confirmed, the club announced it was initiating a
supporter consultation process which will involve “looking at key areas of
future brand development within existing parameters,” such as the kit and the
crest. If ever there was a textbook example of shutting the stable door after
the horse has bolted, then this must be it. In my opinion, the club’s owners
have treated its fans with contempt in recent months and this damage limitation
exercise by local officials is little more than lip service. Alan Whiteley and
his staff undoubtedly have honourable intentions and are trying make the best
of a bad situation, but the fans have already been told the team will play in
red and have a dragon as its emblem in 2013/14, so any consultation is likely
to be severely limited.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Of
course, the Bluebirds hierarchy are under no obligation to consult with the fanbase
on any issue. By the same token, the supporters are under no obligation to
endorse the way in which the current regime is conducting its business. No
doubt the vast majority of fans will carry on supporting the club regardless of
recent events, but for some of us there is a principle at stake here. </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">’s Malaysian owners have clearly
demonstrated they are content to ignore the supporters and trample on the club’s
traditions. Consequently, they will not be getting another penny from me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">The </span></b><st1:place><st1:placename><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></b></st1:placename><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></b><st1:placetype><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></b></st1:placetype></st1:place><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> ‘Brand’</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">In his
one and only public statement regarding the football club he has effectively
owned for two years, Tan Sri Vincent Tan said: “I have the greatest respect for
the Welsh national symbol of the red dragon. I believe it to be a symbol of
great strength and I was surprised it had such little coverage on the club’s
badge. It was for this reason that I suggested the improved focus of the Welsh
dragon, and this despite suggestions by a Welsh designer to use a more modern
version of the dragon instead.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">As far as
I’m concerned, Tan’s comments serve only to demonstrate how out of touch he is
with the supporters of the club he controls. Maybe his advisors should have informed
him that those of us who live in the Welsh capital already have a football team
who play in red and wear a dragon on their chests. They are called </span><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Wales</span></st1:place></st1:country><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> and they represent us in
international competitions. Although Cardiff City Football Club has often
acknowledged its Welsh heritage, the simple fact of the matter is that the
Bluebirds do not represent the people of </span><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Wales</span></st1:place></st1:country><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">. They represent the people of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> and its surrounding areas, while
the red dragon is the emblem of our country and not our club.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Using Tan’s
twisted logic, teams such as Arsenal, </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Chelsea</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> and West Ham should be playing in
white and wearing three lions on their shirts simply because they are based in
the capital city of </span><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">England</span></st1:place></st1:country><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">, but of course they don’t. Those
clubs evidently have considerably more pride in their individual identities
than </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> does at present.</span></div>
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</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Tan
continued: “I have been told that the Welsh dragon was in fact on the club’s
badge when it last won the FA Cup in 1927.” He is indeed correct, although he conveniently
failed to mention the crest worn by Keenor and Co at Wembley in both 1925 and
1927 also contained a seahorse and a goat. Perhaps the club should resurrect
the latter instead of the dragon and replace the motto ‘Fire and Passion’ with
‘Climb Every Mountain’. It would seem more appropriate under the circumstances.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">As soon
as it was decided that Cardiff City would play in red this season, one would
have assumed that City’s officials would have attempted to ensure the new strip
was as stylish as possible, especially as the owner apparently wanted an image
that would “give the club a new focus and dynamism.” A radical change of
colours was always going to be contentious, but the blow could have been
softened for many supporters if the new kit had looked attractive.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">When the
re-branding plans were initially leaked, fans on the message boards quickly
produced several shirt designs that involved a striking fusion of red and blue.
So, what did the club itself manage to come up with? Well, the home strip for
2012/13 can best be described as a counterfeit Manchester United kit which
appears to have originated from the budget section of the Puma catalogue. A cheap
and nasty red and black affair, it looks about as dynamic as a doornail. There
will be sides playing in the lower divisions of the </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> parks leagues this season who
will have better-looking kits than the Bluebirds.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">To
further compound matters, the away strip is blue, white and yellow, while a
black and gold third kit is apparently in the pipeline. God knows who dreamed
up this car-crash colour scheme, but it goes to prove that the decision-makers
at the Cardiff City Stadium can occasionally be clueless where such
matters are concerned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">I have
already outlined my feelings about the new ‘beer mat’ badge in a previous entry,
but the appearance of it in recent weeks in prominent positions on the side of
the stadium has further underlined what an ill-conceived mess this exercise has
been. I witnessed the new stadium branding for myself yesterday and it’s a real
pig’s breakfast, although I’ll concede the pictures of the players on display
outside the main entrance do seem rather apt. After all, what could be more
symbolic of what is fast becoming a Mickey Mouse club than a couple of huge cartoon footballers?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">In
keeping with everything else in recent months, last weekend’s free event at the
Cardiff City Stadium bordered on the bizarre. As far as I can ascertain, a
ceremony was held to mark the re-opening of a stadium that had never closed, while
celebrations were staged to commemorate the club’s sole ownership of a ground
that it has always owned solely. Those who attended this event were apparently
treated to dancing oriental dragons, a hog roast and a fireworks display. It
seems that in this bold new era of fire and passion, the club literally has
money to burn.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><b style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> </b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">During
the last few months, Bluebirds officials have made numerous references to what
they describe as the </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> ‘brand’. For example, Alan
Whiteley recently stated: “The changes to the home kit and badge are designed
to help the club develop its brand and allow it to appeal to as wide an
audience as possible,” while Chairman Dato’ Chan Tien Ghee described the
exercise as “a springboard for the successful commercialisation and promotion
of the club and its brand.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">The truth
of the matter is that these gentlemen are talking about developing and
promoting an entirely new ‘brand’ which Tan Sri Vincent Tan and his associates
have recently created. Rewind to April and the idea of </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> playing in a red and black home kit
with a dragon for an emblem would have seemed utterly ridiculous to every
Bluebirds fan. Plenty of us still feel that way, but it appears the majority of
supporters have been either coerced or manipulated into believing this
so-called ‘brand’ is not only acceptable but in some cases even appealing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Many City
fans may be willing to embrace the notion that the traditional identity of the
football club they support is nothing more than a marketing tool for a
Malaysian businessman to mess around with, but I find it abhorrent. The plastic
monstrosity which the current regime has created bears little resemblance to
the club I have supported for the last 37 years and I feel no affinity towards
it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Emperor Tan and his Minions</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">When Tan
Sri Vincent Tan’s name was first connected with </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">, I was both intrigued and
excited. He was obviously a very wealthy man and his representative, Dato’ Chan
Tien Ghee, seemed honourable, knowledgeable and genuinely respectful of the
club, its supporters and its traditions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">TG was
hugely impressive when he spoke to the shareholders during a General Meeting at
the Cardiff City Stadium in May 2010 on the day that he officially became the
new Bluebirds chairman. He said he felt “deeply privileged” to serve a club he
described as “a Welsh institution that is now representing two nations.” He
claimed the club was committed to another promotion challenge but added that the
fans must not forget </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> needs to be operating within
sensible financial guidelines.</span></div>
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</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">He was
similarly impressive when he spent an evening with members of the Supporters’
Trust at the stadium in November 2010, and was once again in good form when he
addressed the shareholders in July 2011 during his second General Meeting. On
that occasion, the Chairman stated his belief that </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> is an institution rather than a
business and one which must be maintained for future generations to enjoy. He
described the club as “a sturdy ship that has been in existence for more than
100 years,” and said he was determined it would be here for another 100 years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">TG
suggested that football is like no other business and admitted that he and his
Malaysian colleagues had been on a steep learning curve since they first got
involved in the club. He assured the shareholders that the board was doing
everything possible to cut out unnecessary spending and talked of building firm
foundations for the future while remaining competitive at the top of the
Championship.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Although
the record financial losses revealed by the publication of the 2010/11 accounts
in March 2012 started the alarm bells ringing, I nevertheless retained a great
deal of respect for the Chairman up until the point where the news of the
re-branding plans broke. Since then, the quotes attributed to him on the club’s
official website have been extremely disappointing, while his performance at
yesterday’s General Meeting, although charming and disarming, was far less impressive
than his previous appearances in front of the shareholders. To say he has gone down
in my estimations would be something of an understatement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Having
said that, I would love to know what TG really thinks about this re-branding episode.
Although it’s just a hunch, I have a feeling that, much like the local club
officials, he has merely been spinning the company line and his personal
viewpoint is somewhat different to the one outlined in his public statements. I
believe this ridiculous exercise is essentially the work of just one man,
namely Tan Sri Vincent Tan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">According
to the current Chief Executive, Tan only stepped up his involvement in the
running of the club around seven months ago. Before then, he had been something
of a silent partner, although the writing was clearly on the wall in June of
last year when it was announced the Bluebirds would have </span><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Malaysia</span></st1:place></st1:country><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> plastered across the front of their
shirts for the 2011/12 campaign. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">At the
time, former Chief Executive Gethin Jenkins stated: “The club had some very
attractive shirt sponsorship options to link up with a number of commercial
partners and brands in the UK and abroad, but after speaking with our investors
and knowing the commitment from Vincent Tan and TG, we knew that the best way
to highlight our affinity with Malaysia was to wear the message with pride on
our kits.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Tan
allegedly paid the club £350,000 for the privilege of having his country’s name
emblazoned across the team’s shirts. Coincidentally, £350,000 is the figure the
club accrued in annual interest on the £5 million debt that Tan failed to
convert into equity following the July 2011 General Meeting (see my blog entry
from 20 June for details).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">The </span><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Malaysia</span></st1:place></st1:country><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> sponsorship deal, which will continue
in 2012/13, is a weird one to put it mildly. I suppose it could be argued that it
is an attempt by the club to promote itself in the </span><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Far East</span></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">, but I have little doubt that
Tan’s primary intention is simply to curry personal favour with </span><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Malaysia</span></st1:place></st1:country><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">’s political and business leaders
and thereby increase his standing within his homeland.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">On the
handful of occasions that he has attended Bluebirds matches, Tan has invariably
had a group of Malaysian dignitaries in tow. He clearly views </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> as a status symbol and I suspect
he will continue to use it to promote himself within the Far East during the
coming months. As for his long-term intentions with regard to the Bluebirds, I
wouldn’t care to speculate about those, although the evidence of what has
happened so far in 2012 would suggest that pretty much anything is possible
given the fact that the re-branding exercise apparently came out of the blue,
if you’ll pardon the pun.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Of
course, although Tan Sri Vincent Tan is the major shareholder and clearly has a
huge influence behind the scenes, he is by no means the only decision-maker at </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">. Indeed, the club currently has
the largest board of directors in its entire history. Although the backgrounds
of the five local directors have been fairly well-documented, very little is
known about Malaysia-based directors Derek Chee Seng Sing, Len Win Kong, Meng
Kwong Lim and Danni Rais other than the fact that they are all employees of
Tan’s Berjaya Group and were appointed to the Bluebirds board by him.
Meanwhile, Cypriot-born investment banker Mehmet Dalman is another director who
was introduced to the board by Tan, although he is based in the </span><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">UK</span></st1:place></st1:country><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">. The role of these five gentlemen
in terms of their involvement with the club remains a mystery.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">As I have
already outlined, when they took control of Cardiff City Football Club during 2010,
the spokesman for the new Malaysian regime talked of cutting out unnecessary
spending, operating within sensible financial guidelines and building firm
foundations for the future. It all sounded very encouraging, but the reality
has been record financial losses and additional debts totalling more than £35
million which have been accumulated within the space of just two years.
Nevertheless, everyone at the club seems very relaxed about the situation
simply because the largest shareholder is an extremely rich man.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Tan Sri
Vincent Tan’s solutions to these ongoing problems are apparently what he
describes in his statement as “making real-world business decisions” and
“exploring international markets” in order to prepare for the club’s “next
evolutionary phase”. In layman’s terms, that seems to equate to playing in red
as opposed to blue and replacing the traditional Bluebird with a Welsh dragon
while trying to attract the attention of millions of television viewers on the
other side of the globe.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Many </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> fans are apparently happy to
accept Tan’s so-called vision and put their trust in him simply because he is a
successful business mogul who has made a fortune in the </span><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Far East</span></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">. I, on the other hand, firmly
believe that the re-branding exercise is a complete waste of the club’s time
and money and, while I don’t believe he has any evil intentions, I wouldn’t
trust Tan as far as I could throw him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Supporters</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">The
aspect of this summer’s fiasco which has disappointed me the most has been the
reactions of the club’s supporters, or at least a considerable percentage of
them. I can fully understand the feelings of fans who are reluctantly putting
up with these changes as they fear for the club’s future without Tan Sri Vincent
Tan’s backing. I can also empathise with those who are opposed to the
re-branding but will continue to support the team as they feel unable to give up
doing so. Nevertheless, I have found the levels of shoulder-shrugging apathy,
bootlicking servility and mind-numbing stupidity displayed by large numbers of
Bluebirds fans in recent months to be not only staggering but also nauseating.
Meanwhile, the threats of violence that were issued against those who simply
wished to peacefully protest about the systematic destruction of their club’s traditional
identity were truly sickening.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">I used to
be very proud to count myself as a </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> supporter, but such feelings have
rapidly diminished since the re-branding reared its ugly head. I’m finding I
can no longer relate to people I previously had a good deal of respect for,
while there are others I now hold in genuine contempt, and I’ve no doubt there
are those who feel exactly the same way about me. Regardless of their
reasoning, I simply cannot identify with any Bluebirds fan who has welcomed
what has happened to their club in recent months and I have no desire whatsoever
to either sit or travel alongside such people.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">If a
sizeable percentage of the fanbase had voiced opposition to these changes, then
I have little doubt I would have been there this evening supporting the team
regardless of what colours they are playing in. However, as far as I’m
concerned, the way in which the club’s true identity has been tamely
surrendered with barely a whimper from its fans has been very difficult to stomach.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Ultimately,
I believe the supporters who have either meekly accepted these changes or actively
embraced them will get the club they deserve, although I very much doubt it
will be the one they currently envisage.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Blue really is the Colour</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Whenever
I think of </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">’s greatest goals or most significant
victories, and even their most desperate defeats, I picture the players and
supporters wearing blue, which is hardly surprising considering the fact that
blue has been the club’s primary colour for more than a century.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Whether
it be Fred Keenor lifting the FA Cup at Wembley, Brian Clark scoring the winner
against Real Madrid, Nathan Blake knocking Manchester City out the Cup at
Ninian Park, Scott Young doing likewise to Leeds United, Andy Campbell’s
play-off final winner at the Millennium Stadium, Ben Turner’s equaliser against
Liverpool in the Carling Cup final or Mark Hudson scoring from his own half
against Derby last season, I see blue.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Although
the side has worn just about every colour of the rainbow away from home,
whenever I envisage the greatest triumphs and despairs during my 37 years as a </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> supporter, I see the Bluebirds in
blue. I certainly don’t see them in red. For me, the teams I immediately
identify with red are </span><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Wales</span></st1:place></st1:country><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> and </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bristol</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">, not </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">I guess
I’m the same as almost all of the football fans in the </span><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">United Kingdom</span></st1:place></st1:country><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">. Regardless of whether they
actually support the club or not, if a British football supporter thinks of </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">, he or she will invariably think
of blue. But none of that matters anymore, because a wealthy man from </span><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Malaysia</span></st1:place></st1:country><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> prefers red, and he seems to
believe that millions of other people from his continent prefer red too. The
fact that those people have never watched or supported </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> in their lives and don’t even
know of the club’s existence is neither here nor there. Red is apparently
considered a lucky colour in the </span><st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt;">Far East</span></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">, so red it is.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Tan Sri Vincent Tan has managed to do something that
no other Bluebirds owner or chairman has done during the last 37 years. He has
cured me of my </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Cardiff</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> addiction. In terms of consultation,
communication, implementation and justification, his pointless re-branding
exercise has been a nightmare and it has proved a personal watershed for me.
Although I may return to support the club at some point in the future, I know
that I will never feel the same loyalty or affection towards it again and I
very much doubt that I will ever buy another season ticket. Sadly, it feels as
if the spell has finally been broken. Supporting the Bluebirds has always been an emotional rollercoaster, but the ride is rapidly moving in a direction that I don’t
wish to travel, so I’m getting off.</span></div>
The Lone Gunmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315699201269119085noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8372090942819841080.post-25324269166552969532012-06-20T12:27:00.000-07:002014-08-13T07:59:29.457-07:00A Debt-Free Future for the Bluebirds?
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tjDuBoSA6bM/U-t9HydfInI/AAAAAAAAAuI/_z_sxl1p8lY/s1600/The%2BEmperor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tjDuBoSA6bM/U-t9HydfInI/AAAAAAAAAuI/_z_sxl1p8lY/s1600/The%2BEmperor.jpg" height="393" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>In his recent statement on <st1:place><st1:placename>Cardiff</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place>’s official website, major
shareholder Tan Sri Vincent Tan outlined his financial commitment to the club.
He said: “To date, I have invested a total of £40.8 million, which comprises of
£34.8 million in loans and £6 million in equity.” </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tan continued: “Going
forward, <st1:place><st1:placename>Cardiff</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place>
is expecting a cash injection in the amount of £35 million to meet its
financial obligations from now until May 2013, including a substantial amount
for squad strengthening within budgets. Of this amount, £10 million has been
earmarked to settle the long-standing Langston debt, which if accepted by
Langston will go a long way to cleaning up the balance sheet of the club. This
further £35 million cash injection, coupled with my earlier investment of £40.8
million, will add up to a very sizeable £75.8 million invested in the club. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“In
addition to this, we have budgeted £10 million for new Premier League standard
training facilities and £12 million to increase the stadium capacity to 35,000
seats. Add this further capital expenditure and our investment in <st1:place><st1:placename>Cardiff</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place> will have ballooned to £97.8
million. With a contingency provision of another £2.2 million, our total
investment will reach £100 million.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The club’s recent radical re-branding
exercise has been reluctantly accepted by many fans in the belief that the club
could soon be debt-free as a result of Tan’s investment. The £34.8 million in
loans he has already given the Bluebirds are attracting interest at a rate of
7% per annum according to the latest set of accounts, but Chief Executive Alan
Whiteley has strongly suggested that the Malaysian business magnate will
convert his debts into equity once the Langston issue has finally been
resolved. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whiteley recently told the South Wales Echo: “Vincent Tan’s money is
in as debt at the moment. He has, though, made a statement that if Langston
come to the party and sign up in terms of the offer we have made to them, he
will start to look at restructuring the balance sheet to put the club in an
even better position. That would be a debt to equity conversion.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Something
didn’t seem quite right when I read Tan Sri Vincent Tan’s statement last week,
but it wasn’t until this afternoon that I was able to put my finger on exactly what
was bothering me. Tan said he has invested £6 million in the club in the form
of equity, whereas I had been convinced that the figure was £11 million. That’s
because I was one of the attendees at the General Meeting of shareholders which
took place at the Cardiff City Stadium on <st1:date day="28" month="7" year="2011">28 July 2011</st1:date>, a report of which can be found on this blog. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fortunately, I still have all of the relevant paperwork from that particular meeting
in my possession. In his notice to the shareholders, Chairman Dato’ Chan Tien
Ghee clearly stated that the following debt to equity conversions were set to
take place: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>£2,850,000 owed to PMG Estates Ltd would immediately be converted
into 18,164,436 new ordinary shares at a subscription price of 15.69p per
share. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>£500,000 owed to director Michael Isaac would immediately be converted
into 3,186,743 new ordinary shares at a subscription price of 15.69p per share. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>£400,000 owed to director Steve Borley’s company CMB Engineering would be
converted into 2,549,395 new ordinary shares at 15.69p per share. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>£5,089,441
owed to Vincent Tan and his fellow Malaysian investors would be converted into
32,437,482 new ordinary shares at 15.69p per share.</b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Documents filed at
Companies House in October 2011 indicate that the debt to equity conversions
involving Michael Isaac and Steve Borley went ahead as planned. However, the latest
set of accounts, which were published in March 2012, reveal the PMG debt to
equity conversion did not take place because the club defaulted on repayments
to Paul Guy’s company, thereby rendering the amended loan agreement void. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No
mention is made in the accounts of the Malaysian investors’ proposed £5 million
debt to equity conversion, but share returns filed at Companies House in October
2011 suggest it didn’t happen and Tan Sri Vincent Tan’s recent website statement
appears to confirm as much. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
According to the latest paperwork which is publicly
available, 101,079,418 of the new ordinary shares created by the May 2010 and
July 2011 share issues have now been allotted, which leaves a balance of
263,577,301 shares. At the current share subscription price of 15.69p, the
unallocated equities are worth approximately £41.3 million. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tan Sri Vincent Tan last week stated that he is currently owed £34.8 million by the club. The £10
million allegedly earmarked to clear the Langston debt would take that figure
to £44.8 million, which is £3.5 million higher than the total value of the shares
presently available for allotment. If my calculations are correct, it seems certain
that another share issue and another General Meeting will be required in the
near future in order for these debts to be converted into equity, let alone the
additional debts that will arise from next season’s running costs, the new
training centre and the planned stadium expansion. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bear in mind that the loans
from the overseas investors are currently racking up interest at a rate of 7%
per annum, although the accounts state that the lenders have the right to
convert any amounts outstanding, including accrued interest, into equity at any
time. To put that interest figure into perspective, the failure by the
Malaysians to convert the £5 million debt outlined in the July 2011
shareholders’ circular into equity has cost City an additional £350,000 during
the last twelve months, while the annual interest on the £14.8 million they
loaned the club during the 2010/11 season amounts to more than £1 million. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Given
the fact that the Langston issue is still dragging on and considering the
alarming operating losses the club is continuing to make, I cannot see any way
in which <st1:place><st1:placename>Cardiff</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place>
will be even remotely close to debt-free in the near future. Many Bluebirds fans
have accepted and even embraced the re-branding exercise because they believe
the club’s financial situation will improve dramatically as a result of it, but
I have a feeling they are going to be disappointed, at least in the short term.
I sincerely hope I’m wrong about that, but the evidence in the public domain is
less than encouraging.</div>
The Lone Gunmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315699201269119085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8372090942819841080.post-66741920275130513442012-06-10T05:23:00.000-07:002014-08-13T08:12:04.439-07:00Never mind, it's only a badge...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mJs5avPl61c/U-t9xf_QCuI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/H2ao2G3VEz8/s1600/New1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mJs5avPl61c/U-t9xf_QCuI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/H2ao2G3VEz8/s1600/New1.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></a></div>
Pictured left is Cardiff City Football Club’s official crest
for the 2012/13 campaign. Absolutely dreadful, isn’t it? The new badge is akin
to a 1970’s beer mat. It was described to me by an old school teacher of mine as looking like it belongs on a tin of Welsh fudge. Even the majority of the fans who are in favour of
Vincent Tan’s ridiculous re-branding exercise seem to think it looks terrible.
In my opinion, it is far and away the worst emblem in the club’s entire history. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This cheap, nasty and embarrassing effort was produced by Bluebirds officials
after several months of planning. At no stage during that process did they see
fit to consult with the supporters about their ideas, which is a great pity as
there is a considerable amount of talent within the fanbase. Much more talent
than there is within the confines of the Cardiff City Stadium, it seems. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
On
Friday, the South Wales Echo asked its readers to come up with alternative
badge designs. The most popular of the seven options in the newspaper's online poll was submitted by graphic designer Tim Haughton from
Cardiff-based public relations and marketing agency Working Word. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On
the same day, another excellent effort appeared on Annis Abraham’s message
board. It was designed by City fan Karl Payne and was published in the South
Wales Echo on Saturday. That badge has proved very popular with supporters on
the internet forums and is easily the best of the new designs that I have seen. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Those emblems took a pair of talented supporters a matter
of hours to produce. The woeful badge which will adorn the team’s shirts next
season was designed by Bluebirds officials after deliberations dating back to
March. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Vincent Tan apparently wanted an emblem that was symbolic of a fusion
between Welsh and Asian cultures. He’s ended up with an emblem which is
symbolic of nothing more than the incompetence with which his football club is
run. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hopefully, lessons will be learned by club officials following this latest
fiasco, but I won’t hold my breath. After all, football is a business, <st1:place><st1:placename>Cardiff</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place> supporters are viewed as
consumers, the club’s identity is considered a brand and its crest is
unimportant. </div>
The Lone Gunmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315699201269119085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8372090942819841080.post-85888069872115340142012-06-06T15:48:00.000-07:002014-08-13T08:21:02.126-07:00The Malaysian Overlord Strikes on D-Day for the Bluebirds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-apm0OuY_XyY/U-t7feeR7xI/AAAAAAAAAt4/QfqIaelZ8AM/s1600/100_7498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-apm0OuY_XyY/U-t7feeR7xI/AAAAAAAAAt4/QfqIaelZ8AM/s1600/100_7498.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
When I was asked to appear live on the BBC TV news channel
earlier this evening, I chose to wear this shirt. It’s a replica of the one that
<st1:place><st1:placename>Cardiff</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place>’s
players were wearing when my father took me to <st1:place><st1:placename>Ninian</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype>Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> for the first time in March
1975 on the day before my eighth birthday. <st1:place>Sheffield</st1:place>
Wednesday were the Bluebirds’ opponents on that occasion. The Owls were rock
bottom of the Second Division table, while City were just one place above them.
Predictably, the match ended in a goalless draw. The crowd of 6,621 jeered,
slow hand clapped and chanted ‘what a load of rubbish’ at regular intervals
throughout the ninety minutes. Midfielder George Smith ripped off his shirt and
threw it at manager Jimmy Andrews after being substituted. His replacement,
Johnny Vincent, missed a late penalty and City were booed off the field
following the final whistle. Both teams were relegated to the Third Division a
month later.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
It was a pretty grim start to life as a <st1:city>Cardiff</st1:city>
fan all things considered, but the side did contain three players who are high
in the rankings of my all-time favourite Bluebirds. The men concerned are Phil
Dwyer, John Buchanan and Willie Anderson. Not exactly the greatest trio of footballers
this planet has ever produced, but every one a legend as far as I’m concerned. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tan
Sri Vincent Tan won’t recognise those names. He never saw any of them play in
the blue of <st1:place><st1:placename>Cardiff</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
Indeed, there aren’t too many players he has seen play in the blue of <st1:place><st1:placename>Cardiff</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place>. By all accounts, Mr Tan didn’t
see his first game of professional football until May 2010 and he’s only seen a
handful of games since then. Nevertheless, the Malaysian overlord has today
dictated that the club I have been devoted to since I was schoolboy should radically
alter its identity. The claim from the club’s subservient board of directors is
that the bizarre changes they are implementing are necessary in order for the
Bluebirds to reap future financial rewards from a worldwide commercial market.
And if you believe that load of nonsense, you’ll believe anything. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:place><st1:placename>Cardiff</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype>City</st1:placetype></st1:place> is a mid-ranking Championship club
that recently managed to sell just 23,000 tickets for a play-off semi-final
against West Ham United. Under the circumstances, perhaps a commercial marketing
strategy in <st1:place>South Wales</st1:place> might be more appropriate. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As
far as I’m concerned, a significant part of Cardiff City Football Club has died
today. During the last thirty seven years, I’ve firmly nailed my colours to the
mast and those colours have always been blue. According to the club’s owners, the future is red. I wish them well with that, and with their attempts
to generate fire and passion. I just hope the supporters don’t end up getting
burnt by this particular dragon. </div>
The Lone Gunmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315699201269119085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8372090942819841080.post-14177264570938931672012-06-03T02:47:00.000-07:002014-08-13T07:55:09.153-07:00A Big Red Cloud<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YkhZ8mFiYQc/U-t7_bi_p_I/AAAAAAAAAuA/sR60L-6dnq4/s1600/100_7359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YkhZ8mFiYQc/U-t7_bi_p_I/AAAAAAAAAuA/sR60L-6dnq4/s1600/100_7359.jpg" height="640" width="459" /></a></div>
Ever since Tan Sri Vincent Tan’s radical plans to alter Cardiff City’s identity became public knowledge, it has seemed as if a large, dark cloud has been hovering over the club. Unsurprisingly, the re-branding revelations provoked plenty of heated debate within the fanbase and the issue has proved the most divisive in the Bluebirds’ history. From a personal standpoint, the last month has been something of a watershed and I know there are other long-term City supporters who share similar feelings, but where the club itself goes from here is anyone’s guess.<br />
<br />
While many fans are apparently happy to accept any changes the current owners wish to impose upon them providing the Malaysian money keeps rolling in, some of us are now seriously questioning the levels of our commitment to the club in light of recent events. But regardless of where you stand on the subject of the re-branding, there can be no doubting that the feelgood factor which had built up around the Bluebirds since the arrival of Malky Mackay has rapidly evaporated.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
The level of bickering on the fans’ message boards is understandable given the circumstances, but one of the things that has bothered me most about this ignominious episode is the amount of rubbish that has been written about the meetings which took place at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday 8 May and Thursday 10 May.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had the misfortune to be present at both of those gatherings and therefore I’m in a position to clarify what was actually said during them. In retrospect, it is obvious that the reports I drew up for the Cardiff City Mad website were not detailed enough, so hopefully the following information may make matters a little clearer for anyone who is interested:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>1) During the first meeting on Tuesday 8 May, Chief Executive Alan Whiteley stated unequivocally that the proposed investment package from Tan Sri Vincent Tan was dependant upon a final settlement of the Langston loan notes debt. Mr Whiteley sounded confident that an agreement with Sam Hammam would be reached in the near future, but he was very clear in his assertion that a successful conclusion to the long-running Langston saga was fundamental to any further investment from the club’s Malaysian benefactor.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>2) The Chief Executive also stated on several occasions during the 8 May meeting that the proposed re-branding would be implemented ahead of the 2012/13 season regardless of whether the investment package came to fruition or not. The alterations to the club’s kit and its badge were said by Mr Whiteley to be “non-negotiable.”</b><br />
<br />
<b>3) During both meetings, it was stated by club officials that Tan Sri Vincent Tan sees the colour red and the dragon emblem as being symbolic of a fusion between Welsh and Malaysian cultures. It was also claimed that Mr Tan views red as being a more powerful and lucky colour than blue. There were vague suggestions that red is easier to market in the Far East, but the fans present were given no indications of any actual strategies or business plans that were attached to the proposed changes. Direct questions were asked by several of us in that particular regard, but they were not met with any definitive answers by the Chief Executive or his staff.</b><br />
<br />
<b>4) Towards the end of the meeting on 8 May, a straw poll of the thirteen fans in attendance was held on the subject of the re-branding. This poll was conducted by club officials on the clear understanding of all present that the opinions being expressed were personal and in no way representative of the membership of the Cardiff City Supporters’ Club, the Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust, the Cardiff City Away Travel Group or the club’s wider fanbase.</b><br />
<br />
While he was Twittering away in the days following the alleged message board leak, Bluebirds director Steve Borley suggested the fans needed to see the whole story behind the re-branding proposals before they reached any firm conclusions. Mr Borley was, of course, entirely correct, and yet it’s now almost a month since the plans first emerged and the supporters are still none the wiser about the situation. The reasoning behind the ideas to switch from blue to red and substitute the Bluebird for a dragon have yet to be properly outlined by any of the club’s officials.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
In his open letter to fans of Thursday 10 May, Chairman Dato’ Chan Tien Ghee said: “The new club crest and home colours which were being discussed were intended to demonstrate the symbolic fusion of Welsh and Asian cultures through the use of the colour red and the predominant featuring of a historical Welsh dragon under the Cardiff City FC name. This would have been a springboard for the successful commercialisation and promotion of the club and its brand, driving international revenues and allowing us to fund transfers and success locally, thereby giving the club the best chance of competing at the higher reaches of competition.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
TG’s words sound impressive enough, but what do they actually mean in real terms? How would altering a mid-ranking Championship club’s colours from blue to red and changing its badge from a Bluebird to a dragon have resulted in any commercial successes and what kind of international revenues was the Chairman referring to? Your guesses are as good as mine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In an interview with the South Wales Echo on Friday 18 May, Finance Director Doug Lee hinted that the re-branding exercise was aimed more towards attracting sponsorship from the Far East than replica shirt sales in that region, but he didn’t give any indication as to why the team’s colour needed to be red or the club’s emblem needed to be a dragon in order to achieve such a goal.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like many supporters, the re-branding plans didn’t make the slightest bit of sense to me, but then my knowledge of Far Eastern cultures and worldwide marketing strategies is limited to say the least. Having said that, I would have assumed that if playing in a red kit as opposed to a blue one was a genuine route towards commercial success and a debt-free future, then other Championship clubs such as <city>Birmingham</city>, <place>Ipswich</place> and <place>Leicester</place> would be following a similar path. But, as far as I am aware, they are not.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There now appears to be a reasonably large percentage of City fans who believe that because Tan Sri Vincent Tan is a highly-successful businessman and a dollar billionaire, his judgement cannot be questioned. Perhaps those who hold such a view should consider that Mr Tan has never previously owned a professional football club, he apparently saw his first live game of football in May 2010, he has seen a handful of matches since then and, according to the Chief Executive, he has only been taking an active interest in the running of Cardiff City during the last five or six months.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To my knowledge, the club’s major shareholder has never publicly said anything of note in regard to his association with <place><placename>Cardiff</placename> <placetype>City</placetype></place>. The spokesman for the Malaysian investors has always been the Chairman, Dato’ Chan Tien Ghee. I have been present during three events at which TG has spoken and was hugely impressed by him on each occasion. He came across as a thoroughly decent person and one who fully understands what this football club means to its supporters.</div>
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When he addressed the shareholders at the General Meeting in July of last year, TG admitted that he and his Malaysian colleagues had been on a steep learning curve since taking control of the club. He said he regarded <place><placename>Cardiff</placename> <placetype>City</placetype></place> as an institution rather than a business and talked of cutting out unnecessary spending while building firm foundations for the future. During the last two years I have developed a great deal of respect for the Chairman, which has made the recent re-branding revelations all the more difficult to stomach.</div>
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When TG and his associates initially got involved with <place><placename>Cardiff</placename> <placetype>City</placetype></place>, I hoped they would steady what appeared to be a sinking ship and set the club on a course whereby it would finally become a properly-run, self-sufficient business. The early signs were encouraging but the financial results for the 2010/11 season set the alarm bells ringing as far as I was concerned. When they were published in March of this year, the accounts revealed record losses of more than £12 million. Doug Lee has recently confirmed that the club is still losing around £1 million a month, so we can assume the accounts for 2011/12 will show a similar deficit. Many fans seem relatively comfortable with this situation simply because Malaysians are wealthy men, but I find it frightening that the club is losing even more money now than it was when Peter Ridsdale was in charge. Considering a large percentage of the historical debts remain unpaid and the playing squad is relatively small by Championship standards, I can’t work out where all the money is going.</div>
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The investment package allegedly proposed by Tan Sri Vincent Tan undoubtedly sounded attractive on the face of it, but let’s put things into perspective for a moment. One month ago, <place><placename>Cardiff</placename> <placetype>City</placetype></place> managed to sell just 23,000 tickets for a play-off semi-final against the biggest club in the Championship, and approximately 2,000 of those were sold to visiting fans. The Bluebirds were hammered 5-0 on aggregate and were clearly outclassed over the two legs. Nevertheless, there is now serious talk about increasing the capacity of the Cardiff City Stadium to 35,000, building state-of-the-art training facilities, engaging in worldwide marketing strategies, generating large amounts of revenue from merchandising and sponsorship in the <place>Far East</place> and even the club being floated on the stock exchange. Quite frankly, the whole thing is ridiculous. Before you know it, we’ll be talking about being bigger than <city>Barcelona</city> again.</div>
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From my personal perspective, the timing of this shambolic affair couldn’t have been much worse. In recent years, I’ve been feeling increasingly detached from the club and from professional football in general. While the Dave Jones era was a relatively successful one for Cardiff City, the man’s dour demeanour and the effect he seemed to have on his players left me feeling more and more disconnected from the team I have followed since I was an eight year-old. Despite promotion challenges, cup runs and Wembley appearances, supporting the Bluebirds was slowly but surely beginning to feel like a chore. I didn’t like the attitude of the manager, I didn’t like the attitude of a number of his players, I didn’t like the culture that had developed within the club and I was losing faith in the game itself.</div>
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The arrival of Malky Mackay last summer was like a breath of fresh air. The way in which the new manager set about his job changed my outlook considerably and reignited my enthusiasm for the Bluebirds. Although I wasn’t always convinced by the Scotsman’s tactics or team selections, I nevertheless enjoyed the 2011/12 season more than I had enjoyed any other for many years. Mackay quickly instilled the kind of work ethic in his players that had been missing at the club for some time. He also brought in a number of promising youngsters, made regular efforts to engage with the fans and ensured that his team did likewise. Despite their limitations, I strongly believed that the manager and his players fully deserved my support and I ended up following the team to 23 away games, which is my biggest tally since the early-Nineties. Despite nagging doubts about the ongoing financial situation, I genuinely felt the club was heading in the right direction on all fronts. Therefore, the shock news about the re-branding plans came not only as a bolt out of the blue (if you’ll pardon the pun), but also as a huge kick in the teeth.</div>
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Being a Bluebirds supporter can often be a depressing experience, but the last month has been just about as soul-destroying as any that I can remember. The tame manner of the play-off capitulation was disappointing enough, but that was nothing by comparison to what followed. The way in which this latest off-field fiasco has been handled by the club and the subsequent reactions of some of its fans has left me feeling extremely bitter and disillusioned. As things stand, I honestly don’t know how much longer I can to continue pouring large amounts of my time, energy and money into an activity that brings so little pleasure and so much frustration.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The fact that the owners and officials were prepared to make radical alterations to Cardiff City’s identity without any consultation with the fanbase speaks volumes about the way in which Bluebirds supporters are regarded by the club’s hierarchy, and the fact that so many fans were prepared to accept and even welcome those changes speaks volumes about the club’s support. The circus that is </span><place><placename><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Cardiff</span></placename><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><placetype><span style="font-size: 12pt;">City</span></placetype></place><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> rolls on, but my dedication to the club has diminished significantly in recent weeks. Perhaps I’ll see things differently by the time the new season begins, but at the moment the summer break has never felt more appealing. </span></div>
The Lone Gunmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315699201269119085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8372090942819841080.post-85853608575014637182011-09-07T13:57:00.000-07:002014-08-13T07:36:41.085-07:00The Tragic Loss of a Loyal Bluebird<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The tragic news of Michael Dye’s untimely death following an incident outside Wembley Stadium last night has come as a bitter blow to everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. Lifelong Cardiff fan Mikey was a popular character who will be greatly missed by his family and friends.<br />
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Despite having been on nodding terms for decades, Mike and I weren’t properly introduced until an away game at Charlton in November 2007, after which our paths crossed at City matches on many more occasions. Although we never got to know each other well, Mike would often make a point of saying hello and having a chat whenever he spotted me at games. He was a sociable lad who always seemed to have a smile on his face and a joke or a story to tell.<br />
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Mikey and I were the same age and although our backgrounds differed, we had plenty in common. We both became Cardiff City fans while we were youngsters; we both supported the Bluebirds home and away throughout the Eighties and Nineties while the club was at its lowest ebb; we both witnessed the team’s improved fortunes in recent times; indeed, Mike and his family were sitting just a couple of rows behind me during the FA Cup final in 2008; we both organised transport for away matches and we made many mutual friends through football over the years. <br />
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Back in the days when City were attracting tiny crowds in the lower divisions of the Football League, Mikey developed friendships with a number of the Whitchurch-based supporters who nowadays travel to away games on my coaches. One of the lads was heading down to the Cardiff City Stadium earlier this evening to put a tribute on the old Ninian Park gates on behalf of the CF14 Blues. <br />
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The most fitting personal tribute I can pay Mikey is to say he was someone who never failed to make me smile or laugh whenever I spoke to him. He was very well-liked amongst City’s support and always seemed to have time for everyone he encountered. His death at the age of 44 is a genuine tragedy. <br />
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I’d like to offer my sincere condolences to Mike’s partner Nathalie, his children and all of his family and friends.<br />
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Rest in peace, Mikey. It’s an honour to have known you.The Lone Gunmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315699201269119085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8372090942819841080.post-31346686678686820382011-05-29T09:15:00.001-07:002014-08-13T08:05:44.418-07:00The Wit and Wisdom of Chairman Sam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong>Cardiff City Football Club has had eleven different chairmen since I first began supporting the Bluebirds back in March 1975 and it’s fair to say that a few of them revelled in the publicity that came with their position. The likes of Rick Wright and Peter Ridsdale certainly weren’t shy when it came to dealing with the media, but neither of them could hold a candle to Sam Hammam.</strong><br />
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As a tiny but persistent minority of City fans are continuing to use internet forums and the local press to call for Hammam’s return, I thought that now would be as a good a time as any to recall some of the Lebanese maverick’s weirdest, funniest and most significant pronouncements during his eleven-year association with the club.<br />
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The following quotes have been gathered from a variety of sources, including television and radio interviews, local and national press reports, official Cardiff City publications and statements on the club’s website. I believe they paint a vivid picture of the emotional rollercoaster that was the Hammam era. Hopefully, they will give some serious food for thought to those who believe his return would be a good thing for the Bluebirds: <br />
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“I am in a trance, dazed, swept off my feet, gobsmacked and perhaps hypnotized. In short, I am in love with Cardiff City Football Club.” <em>(August 2000)</em><br />
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“I have been in football for twenty two years and have never seen such fanatical support for a team as I have seen in Cardiff. The only fans that seem to compare are possibly those of Newcastle United. They are the Toon Army. My dream is of a Welsh Army. Newcastle is a middle-sized city. We are a whole nation.” <em>(August 2000)</em><br />
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“It is my opinion that Bobby Gould is ideal for what we need. We have to recruit new players within our very limited financial means and Bobby is second to none in that department. I am confident that Bobby will do an outstanding job here. Very importantly he is a hard working, genuine and honest man with very high moral standards.” <em>(August 2000)</em><br />
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“As far as I’m concerned, this is a Welsh thing, a Cymru thing, a Celtic thing – not a Cardiff thing. How else can we dream of competing with Manchester United and Liverpool?” <em>(August 2000)</em> <br />
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“Football is always a passion and never a business. Of course, we have to make business decisions like every father and mother does when they run a family, but a family is not a business and Cardiff City Football Club is a family. It is neither a business nor a family football club, but simply a family.” <em>(August 2000)</em><br />
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“Some people tell me that Swansea is the enemy. Swansea, for Pete’s sake! There is nothing wrong with Swansea but is that the extent of our ambition? Swansea will never be a big club and if they are being honest with themselves they will say so. If Swansea fans are Welsh and want to see top class football in Wales, then they should recognise that Cardiff is the only Welsh club with a cat in hell’s chance of making it.” <em>(August 2000)</em><br />
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“Wales is football first and rugby second. We will always respect rugby but they should know that football rules. Football is the biggest game in the world and it’s the biggest game in Wales. If they want to make something of this then so be it. We will face them head on. We’ll play our games on Saturdays. Why should we change for rugby?” <em>(August 2000)</em><br />
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“If members of our family misbehave or do something wrong, we will put up our hands, admit it and deal with it ourselves. As far as possible we don’t want to have to involve the police or the football authorities. We must deal with these things on our own terms. What we won’t accept are unscrupulous media people trying to feed on what has been a club weakness. If they go over the top against our family then we will take them on. Very simply the message is do not mess with the Bluebirds.” <em>(August 2000)</em><br />
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“Bobby Gould and Billy Ayre have been told that unless it is an emergency, I only want to keep or sign players who can hold their own in the top half of the First Division or better. We are very severely restricted with our finances, but this is where Bobby is the master. He will look for people who will be very committed to our family. No big-time Charlies and no hangers-on. Players who do not fight for the family will be sent back to their wives or mothers and they can be big time there instead.” <em>(August 2000)</em><br />
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“This is a huge club and we’re keeping all of our leading players. Even if someone offers silly money for Robert Earnshaw we will not let him go. Don’t ask me to put a transfer value on him because he is priceless.” <em>(November 2000)</em><br />
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“A lot of the financial decisions I am making for the club no sane person would make and furthermore the breakneck speed we are moving at is insane. All the red lights and stop signs are being ignored. I am just doing it and while I am scared, I am not showing any signs of slowing down.” <em>(August 2001)</em><br />
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“Nobody believes there is any limit as to what we can do or how far we can go and they are dragging me into that way of thinking. The danger is that I am not only thinking like that now, but I am acting like that. On the other hand, is this not the beauty of life – to court danger and take a chance when it is worth taking?” <em>(August 2001)</em><br />
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“Reading has a great stadium – for Reading. It’s the sort of stadium we’d like to have for our reserves, youth and women’s teams. As for the Cardiff City first team, I am totally convinced we can be as big as any club in the world, so we must have a stadium to match that situation. Cardiff City are bigger as a club than Barcelona.” <em>(September 2001)</em><br />
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“During the week, David O’Leary said he wanted Leeds United to start and end their FA Cup run in Cardiff. We simply obliged him.” <em>(January 2002)</em><br />
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“On behalf of the club, all its decent fans and the good people of Wales, I would like to express my disgust and shock at the behaviour of some of the mindless morons who are the worst enemies of our club. I am talking about the people who were mainly throwing coins, although there was also a cigarette lighter, a very small glass bottle and many plastic bottles thrown. Incredibly, there was also a shoe. I feel speechless and humiliated.” <em>(January 2002)</em> <br />
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“In my twenty five years in football I have never witnessed such an orchestrated and vicious media campaign as the one that Cardiff City currently has to face. We will close ranks and fight together against this evil and wicked campaign. We will not get bitter, we will get better. I feel strong, focussed, in control and ready to face any situation.” <em>(January 2002)</em><br />
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“I am a forgiving man and I hope that one day I can forgive the morons amongst our fans who brought disgrace to the club, and also the cruel, vile people in the media who treated us in a very savage, vicious and biased way.” <em>(January 2002)</em><br />
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“The beauty of life is to have problems. Only the dead have no problems.” <em>(January 2002)</em><br />
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“It is imperative that everyone understands and agrees the biggest enemy to the dream of Cardiff City being a top-notch club are the hooligans. But if you want to beat the hooligans, you don’t go and meet the saints. By showing these hooligans they are human beings and giving them a sense of feeling wanted, I might be able to help. You’ve got to meet them to beat them. We are a civilised nation and we must treat people in a civilised way.” <em>(May 2002)</em> <br />
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“There can be no doubt that Wales should have a football club at the top level of the Premiership. That club can only be Cardiff City. This club represents every Welsh man, woman and child.” <em>(December 2002)</em><br />
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“This club belongs as much to Newport and Swansea, to Llanelli and Carmarthen, to St David’s and Aberystwyth, to Holyhead and Rhyl, to Newtown and Brecon, as to Cardiff and the Valleys. Of course, Cardiff is the bedrock of this great Welsh family. We are the capital and we should lead. But while the Valley boys are the throbbing heart of the club, it would be very wrong, selfish and suicidal to assume any sense of superiority over any town, village or city in Wales. First and foremost, we are all Welsh." <em>(December 2002)</em><br />
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“All our present supporters must be big enough to assume a level of responsibility in attracting new Bluebirds from all over the country. They must adopt the motto: ‘each one reach one’. Reach out and be proud about what we are trying to do and don’t ever assume a sense of superiority over new recruits, as they are as important as anyone for our future.” <em>(December 2002)</em><br />
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“Swansea is our Welsh brother. It is wrong to continue the historical stupidity of berating our brothers when they are not in top form. We belong to Swansea and want them to be happy for the success of their club – Cardiff City.” <em>(December 2002)</em><br />
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“England is a great nation which we love and respect. In football, they have adopted us as one of their own. We are very thankful and very lucky to be so. We should always carry the Welsh flag or the St David’s flag with pride everywhere we go, but we should never, ever berate the English. Those who do are doing so because of a sense of inferiority. Those who shout ‘same old English always cheating’ are shaming their country and their club.” <em>(December 2002)</em> <br />
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“Any player with the potential to play in the Premiership is remaining with Cardiff City. End of story.” <em>(January 2003)</em><br />
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“This is the beauty of Cardiff. It’s why I came to the club. Cardiff has the potential to be a major power. If we get the new stadium and are doing well in the Premiership, we can be bigger than Celtic and Rangers put together.” <em>(August 2003)</em><br />
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“There are people who think we might sell some of our players to Premiership clubs in the next transfer window. To those losers I ask, how can that make any sense? I view clubs in the middle or bottom half of the Premiership as big enough only to be Cardiff’s nursery clubs.” <em>(October 2003)</em><br />
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“Everyone wants something from time to time. I’m interested in going out with Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. Talk about selling our best players is stupid and infantile. It’s just not going to happen. Clubs may want certain players, but you don’t always get what you want. If I do end up dating Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, then I might think about selling Robert Earnshaw and Danny Gabbidion, but not before.” <em>(December 2003)</em><br />
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“The most important factor to Cardiff City’s future is the new stadium, and next comes the Academy. Our youth development programme is absolutely vital. This Academy will benefit not only Cardiff City but the whole of Wales. Our aim is to produce top class players for this club and the Welsh national team. But those players who are not quite good enough for Cardiff will be able to play for Swansea, Wrexham or teams in the Welsh Premier League.” <em>(December 2003)</em><br />
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“If somebody wants to bet me that Robert Earnshaw or Danny Gabbidon will be sold I will give them odds of 50-1. They can put down any amount up to £1m and I will cover it.” <em>(January 2004)</em><br />
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“Russell Goodway, our political leader, is giving me the stadium for us to perform, not to sell players. Danny Gabbidion and Robert Earnshaw are not normal human beings. They are soldiers whose duty it is to put the club in a place that the people of Wales deserve. To sell the future of Wales is not on. I cannot see any advantage, financial or otherwise, in selling our best players. We don’t need the money, so they stay.” <em>(February 2004)</em><br />
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“Gareth Whalley is the nicest man on earth and an excellent professional, but he will never get another contract like the one he has now at any other club in the land. I challenge him to put in a transfer request. Nobody would pay him even a third of what we pay him. We have brought this upon ourselves, but I’m sick and tired of being treated like a mug. Can you believe Gareth? £50,000 for one game! Who is he, Ronaldo?” <em>(April 2004)</em><br />
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“When I came to the club I totally fell in love with it. I had to build a squad and put the club in the First Division quickly. We did that, but we also overpaid on wages and transfer fees. There was no mistake in overpaying. If we had not done that, we would not have had class players like Graham Kavanagh and Peter Thorne. That was the policy then, but now it’s time to say enough is enough.” <em>(April 2004)</em><br />
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“The bad thing is we have created a culture within the club where money has no value. But overpaying is now done and dusted at Cardiff City. It has to stop. If it doesn’t I will ruin this club. I have to kill the culture of a free-for-all on money. We have lost the respect of the football world and we have to get it back.” <em>(April 2004)</em><br />
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“I will bet anyone that we won’t sell Robert Earnshaw. The bet can be £50 or it can be £100,000. My message to anyone who thinks we will sell Earnie is this – put up or shut up.” <em>(June 2004)</em><br />
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“I pour scorn on suggestions that Robert Earnshaw will be leaving. West Brom is a club I admire. It’s a well-run club and a good club, but in future years it’s the sort of club we are looking at to become one of our nursery clubs. When we get to where we want to be we’ll need a nursery club in the Midlands.” <em>(July 2004)</em><br />
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“Robert Earnshaw will be leaving Cardiff City, but not for ten years at least. We are hell-bent on keeping Earnie and all of our other leading players.” <em>(August 2004)</em><br />
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“Considering our financial situation, something had to give. That’s why we sold Robert Earnshaw to West Brom. We need to strengthen in a number of positions and we now have the funds to do that.” <em>(September 2004)</em><br />
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“Our debt is nowhere near as big as has been suggested. We are robust, strong. Financial institutions have looked at us, agreed we are strong and have backed us. They would not do that if we did not have a strong business and a good plan. Strength is measured by whether financial institutions will lend you money. Where’s the worry?” <em>(November 2004)</em><br />
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“Clearly there is a problem. You don’t sell your captain if there isn’t. But I have not told lies or misled anybody. The fans are mad with me and they should be. I am ultimately responsible. Whether I was duped or conned or given wrong information is neither here nor there. I have promised and been unable to deliver. I sold Robert Earnshaw and Graham Kavanagh, but I have taken massive personal risks for this club.” <em>(March 2005)</em><br />
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“I will not run away and I will not hide. I have made some mistakes, big mistakes, but I have not done anything wrong deliberately. Right now I feel like a man in the ring alone and I have to fight the whole world, but I will do that. We will come through this without going into administration. Some players may have to be sold, but we will come through this. We will not fail. Once the stadium is started our debt will be no more than a cup of tea.” <em>(March 2005)</em><br />
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“The police told me on Friday not to go to Ninian Park, but I went and I talked to the fans outside the ground. I wanted to answer any questions they had for me. If somebody had punched me I would have fallen, but at least I would have fallen among my own people. I really hope the fans rally round me now. I need only to fight those in front of me. I tell you honestly and truly, I am not raping this club.” <em>(March 2005)</em> <br />
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“I have let the fans down. It’s a major blow and tough times for the family. I think we might have to take a step or two backwards, and it’s very painful. We don’t want to get in a position to have ten points deducted and have some team of accountants of who will sack three quarters of the staff and sell all the players. It is our duty now to keep strong and stick together.” <em>(March 2005)</em> <br />
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“I have promised certain things that I have not been able to deliver at this point in time. I’m personally shattered, but I will continue fighting for this club until I have got them out of this situation. We all have to stand together and accept we might have to do some very painful things in the next few days or weeks.” <em>(March 2005)</em><br />
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“We have worked to budgets that were way off the mark. It wasn’t that we were stupid or cavalier. We felt it was ok to lose maybe £1m or £1.5m a year, but the fact is we have been losing £3m, £4m or £5m. Even then we felt we would be okay with the new stadium on the way, but we were wrong.” <em>(March 2005)</em><br />
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“Peter Ridsdale believes we will achieve everything we are aiming for. Of course, we have to get through our short-term problems and Peter is a man who can help us with that. I know what happened to him at Leeds United. He was close, so close to making that club a massive success. One problem got in his way and things went wrong from there, but he was very, very unlucky. His experience will be invaluable to us.” <em>(March 2005)</em><br />
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“Those who are angry with me are right to feel that way. They love this club and I have made mistakes. I am mad at myself because things have reached this point, but I am not going to point fingers and look for somebody to blame. I am going to fix the problems. That is my way.” <em>(March 2005)</em><br />
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“These problems have knocked me back personally. The stadium delay is a setback, but I am also disappointed with our internal budgeting. Someone who is ignorant of the exact situation, looking in from the outside, would think we have massive financial problems in the long term, but we don’t. The cash problems will disappear in seconds when the new stadium project starts.” <em>(March 2005)</em><br />
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“When I succeed, and I will, I will stay to enjoy the fruits of that success. I will not run away from the problems. I am here for the long haul. I will be here when Cardiff build a new stadium and move forward on the pitch. I am feeling buoyant and strong.” <em>(March 2005)</em> <br />
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“There are a million and one reasons for James Collins to stay, and his personality is among them. He has such ability and he is Cardiff through and through. Our young players are the future. They are the lifeblood of Cardiff City.” <em>(June 2005)</em><br />
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“There are termites within the club, the media and more significantly the fans. Some so-called supporters are losers who have no moral fabric. They can’t accept that life and events sometimes knock you back, and that very successful people can and do make mistakes. We aim to be winners and root out the losers, so I say bring all the bastards on! Fighting is our bread and butter. The dream is our soup.” <em>(July 2005)</em> <br />
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“Comparisons between Cardiff City and the Cardiff Blues are infantile. There is no serious comparison between the two clubs. The rugby club is a baby compared to Cardiff City. It’s like asking a world boxing champion to fight a two year-old.” <em>(December 2005)</em><br />
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“Swansea should be congratulated on their fantastic achievements. I am personally very happy for them. They are a Welsh club and they are our little brothers.” <em>(April 2006)</em><br />
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“We are trying to get the highest quality players we can within our limited means, but we are working within severe financial restrictions and cannot pay huge fees or salaries. We have to demonstrate to the banks and the council that we can successfully work within this financial programme and I believe we can do that. Players who are good enough for the Championship will have to go because good is not good enough for us now. We are moving towards very good and excellent.” <em>(July 2006)</em><br />
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“You’ve heard of sexy football. Well, we are now playing orgy football. The opposition know they are going to get it, but they don’t know when or from whom.” <em>(October 2006)</em><br />
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“I am devastated, but like any father I was prepared to sacrifice myself for my family. I know I’ve done the right thing and I have the inner satisfaction of doing what is right for my family. I’m keeping my integrity. The club is bigger than any one man. It’s aiming to reach the pinnacle and I had to move on to make that possible.” <em>(October 2006)</em><br />
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“The new people will have the fiscal muscle needed to make the stadium move a much smoother process than if I had stayed. They will also be able to improve the team. I’m jealous of the new owners. They have little risk and in Peter Ridsdale they have an outstanding administrator who is a football man to the core.” <em>(October 2006)</em><br />
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“I’m a man with strong financial clout, but nowhere near enough clout to take Cardiff City forward. This club has proved far too big for one individual to handle. It has outgrown me. While I am shattered by all this, I knew I had to resign for the sake of my Cardiff family.” <em>(October 2006)</em><br />
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“Dave Jones is a complete football manager rather than just a coach. He gets the right blend in the team, knows when to buy and sell players, is superb tactically and an excellent and practical administrator. He’s a real leader.” <em>(October 2006)</em><br />
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“People have asked me about other clubs, but it is as if my wife is dying and you are asking me if I am thinking of going out with another woman. Of course, a married man always has temptations, but I am not in that frame of mind and investing elsewhere seems highly unlikely.”<em> (October 2006)</em><br />
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“I want to stress that I never want the football club back. I want to move on with my life and the decision has been made to leave the United Kingdom for good. I am never coming back. I say again, I just want to get on with my life and be with my family.” <em>(December 2007)</em><br />
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“I am not Langston and I cannot tell it what to do. Langston got fed up with me long ago. I have no power over it.” <em>(December 2007)</em><br />
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“I never want to hurt Cardiff City and never would. I love the club and I love the fans. All I want is a future for Cardiff City Football Club, but I won’t be a part of it. I want the fans to remember me and love me.” <em>(December 2007)</em><br />
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“TG and Sam Hammam working together would be a dream team. It’s something I want with a passion. Cardiff City would come out fighting for the new season, back to its best. I don’t want to be involved on the financial side – that’s where I made my mistakes. But I can put the football back into Cardiff City. I have the contacts needed.” <em>(July 2010)</em><br />
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“I am more than willing to work alongside the Malaysian investors. They should either pay Langston what is owed or let me back onboard. I have football knowledge and can contribute on the football side. The club does not have football leader to steady the ship. We cannot waste time. We should agree now and take our club forward together.” <em>(May 2011)</em>The Lone Gunmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315699201269119085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8372090942819841080.post-71135660398688305742011-01-13T13:39:00.000-08:002014-08-13T08:18:12.235-07:00The Great Langston Debate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since the turn of the year, debate has once again been raging on the Cardiff City message boards with regard to Sam Hammam and the mysterious Langston loan notes agreement. The arguments have been further fuelled in recent days by fanciful Media Wales reports suggesting that the Bluebirds’ former-owner could be set to make a dramatic return to the club.<br />
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On 5 January, Supporters’ Trust board member and football finance expert Keith Morgan outlined his thoughts concerning the loan notes and their likely impact on the club’s future in a lengthy post on the popular Cardiff City Online message board.<br />
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Within a matter of hours, self-styled Bluebirds oracle and staunch Sam Hammam supporter Carl Curtis had responded angrily on Annis Abraham’s message board. Curtis boldly stated that Morgan was “<em>not in charge of all the facts</em>” and was “<em>on many issues factually incorrect</em>.” He then published one of his notorious ‘updates’, in which he made a variety of unsubstantiated claims regarding the nature of the debt and the ways in which the club’s directors will have to deal with it. <br />
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In my opinion, Curtis’s piece was hopelessly one-sided and littered with inaccuracies. However, by the same token I’m not convinced that Morgan’s take on the current situation is entirely accurate either. Therefore, I think that now would be an ideal time to re-examine the information that is already available in the public domain regarding the loan notes debt. I’ve decided to pay particular attention to the lawsuit that Langston brought against the football club in August 2007, as I believe it is fundamental to understanding the issue. <br />
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The following review is based upon the information contained in copies of the club’s audited accounts from June 2004 to May 2009, the December 2006 notice to shareholders that was circulated ahead of the club’s January 2007 Extraordinary General Meeting, a transcript of Mr Justice Briggs’ March 2008 rulings on the legal battle between the Langston Corporation and Cardiff City Football Club and a variety of press cuttings from 2005 to present: <br />
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<strong>September 2004 – The First Loan Notes Agreement</strong><br />
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The original agreement was drawn up in September 2004, when the previously-unknown Langston Corporation gave the football club an unsecured loan of £24 million. The bulk of that money was used to pay off Citibank, who at that stage were owed £21,766,000 and were charging the club interest on the arrears at a hefty rate. The loan notes deal meant the club became liable for interest at 7% per annum until January 2008, when a further 5% per annum was payable out of non-football profits from the new stadium development. The debt was repayable in full by 31 December 2011.<br />
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In the event, the stadium project suffered one delay after another and the club’s financial situation grew steadily worse. In October 2006, Sam Hammam stepped down as Chairman, ex-Leeds United supremo Peter Ridsdale took over the Ninian Park hot seat, and a restructured loan notes agreement with the Langston Corporation was negotiated almost immediately.<br />
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<strong>October 2006 – The Second Loan Notes Agreement</strong><br />
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In late-October 2006, the Swiss-based Panamanian-registered company agreed to write down the loan notes debt from £24 million to £15 million in exchange for an entitlement to future income up to a maximum of £9 million arising from the sale of the naming rights at the new stadium. All historic interest was waived as a part of the deal, while interest on the remaining £15 million was set at 7% per annum. <br />
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The interest began accruing in March 2007, although the amended agreement stipulated that no payments of either the principle sum or interest were necessary until December 2016. The new agreement also meant that Langston became eligible for a £5 million ‘bonus’ payment if the Bluebirds managed to gain promotion to the Premier League before December 2011 or, if later, at any time that the principle sum of £15 million remained outstanding. <br />
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<strong>August 2007 – The Langston Litigation</strong><br />
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On 14 August 2007, the Langston Corporation dropped an enormous bombshell on Cardiff City and its supporters when the company launched a major litigation against the football club. London-based law firm Hextalls issued a press statement revealing they had been instructed by Langston to commence legal proceedings against the Bluebirds to recover funds totalling £31,528,321.<br />
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The statement said: “<em>Our client’s claim is that this sum is due for payment now as a result of the club’s inability to meet certain deadlines as well as breaching the terms of its loan agreement in respect of the capital sum plus interest. In the event that the club cannot meet its liabilities to our client, then the alternative is for the current board of directors to resign and our client to endorse the appointment of a new board and new management</em>.”<br />
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Peter Ridsdale responded by saying: “<em>We are astonished at the press release sent out today appearing to come from someone representing the Langston Corporation. Cardiff City’s board and Cardiff City Council have for some time been trying to identify who Langston are and have continually come up against a brick wall. We simply don’t know who they are. Sam Hammam, the club’s previous Chairman, has been acting as an intermediary with Langston and we have been in constant dialogue with him. He has always refused to divulge the identity of Langston and therefore we have never had any direct dialogue with them</em>.”<br />
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Director Steve Borley dismissed Langston’s lawsuit as “<em>scaremongering, posturing and misinformation</em>.” He added: “<em>This club is more stable now than it has been for years. The new stadium project will go ahead, there is no danger to that, and we are all focussed on moving forward. The board are totally behind Peter Ridsdale. Cardiff City would not be in the good state it is in now if it wasn’t for him. He has led us through the turmoil</em>.”<br />
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Two days later, Ridsdale produced an agreement dated 24 October 2006 which he claimed proved the club had no obligations to pay Langston any money before December 2016. He told the Western Mail: “<em>Without this document we wouldn’t have a new football stadium project. It was essential in order for us to demonstrate to the Council that we had a robust financial position so we could go ahead with the stadium. As far as we are concerned, it is legally binding. It is signed by the Langston Corporation and it is the document upon which all of the funding requirements for the new stadium project have been based</em>.”<br />
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In another interview with the Wales on Sunday, Ridsdale said: “<em>You have to ask if there is someone out there whose agenda is to destabilise the club. A lawsuit is certainly a strange way for Langston to try and get their money back as it’s in their interests for the club to prosper and we have a legally-binding agreement with them. The way this is being handled is surprising. Only someone who wants to cause the current board problems would take this route. You have to question who is behind it</em>.”<br />
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Langston applied to the High Court for a summary judgement, which meant they were seeking a verdict in their favour without the necessity of a full trail as they believed the club had no legitimate defence against their claims. The first skirmish in the legal battle took place on 12 November, when Hextalls demanded the disclosure of various documents held by the club. City’s lawyers, Nabarro, had already given a written undertaking to provide the relevant papers, but Hextalls nevertheless took the matter to court. A brief hearing ruled the documents had to be presented by the club to Langston within seven days, but the plaintiff’s application for costs was dismissed by the judge.<br />
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Within a week, Hextalls had issued a further statement on behalf of Langston. It read: “<em>With no prompting by Langston, Cardiff City Football Club has raised the spectre of administration. Hextalls is instructed to state that administration is not an option being considered by Langston. The success of the club on and off the pitch and the completion of the new stadium are in the interests of everybody. All that Langston wants is to be paid what is due to it. As previously stated, Langston has lost confidence in the board of directors, who should relinquish control of the club to Langston</em>.”<br />
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Peter Ridsdale replied by saying: “<em>If the court case goes ahead and the ruling goes in Langston’s favour, there won’t be any alternative other than administration, so they won’t get any of the money they are owed. I believe they would be lucky to get a penny in the pound. If Langston lose the court hearing and the judge deems it can go to a full trial, that wouldn’t happen for at least 18 months because of the legal paperwork involved. However, there is a third option, which is the common sense one. Namely that Sam Hammam sits down and talks to us and the court case is called off</em>.”<br />
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The High Court hearing was originally scheduled for 10 December, but just three days before that date it was revealed that Langston’s lawyers had applied for an adjournment. In an open letter to Hextalls, Nabarro said: “<em>Your client’s unwillingness to proceed on Monday gives rise to a strong inference that it believes it will be unsuccessful. The club has robustly defended itself and will continue to do so. Our client has no intention of wasting further money on costs and very reluctantly agrees to adjourn</em>.”<br />
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In response, Hextalls issued another statement on Langston’s behalf claiming the adjournment was down to the football club. They said: “<em>The true position is that Cardiff City failed to serve its evidence in accordance with court rules. It is a consequence of the club’s failures that have led to the summary judgement hearing being deferred to another date. Langston remains confident that it will successfully recover the monies that are due to it</em>.”<br />
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On 10 December, PMG director and major club investor Mike Hall spoke to the South Wales Echo about the ongoing situation. Hall said: “<em>For the avoidance of doubt, Cardiff City Football Club is totally committed to repaying Langston in full. But there is no way we will ever entertain Sam Hammam or Langston having anything to do with the running of the club. Paul Guy</em> (Hall’s business partner) <em>and I have no axe to grind with Sam Hammam. There is no personal grievance. We have acted in the best interests of Cardiff City – not with words, but with cash. The legal action by Langston is unwarranted and aggressive. It is placing a financial stranglehold on the club</em>.”<br />
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In a bizarre twist, Sam Hammam contacted close confidant Annis Abraham on 17 December and dictated an open letter to Echo sports writer Terry Phillips. Hammam said: “<em>I want to stress that I never want the football club back. I want to move on with my life and the decision has been made to leave the United Kingdom for good. I am never coming back. I am drained and I am hurting. I have lost my power. My wings have been taken away from me. All I want now is for everyone to get their money. I say again, I just want to get on with my life and be with my family. I am not Langston and I cannot tell it what to do. Langston got fed up with me long ago. I have no power over it. I never want to hurt Cardiff City and never would. I love the club, I love the fans and hopefully this will be sorted in the New Year. All I want is a future for Cardiff City Football Club, but I won’t be a part of it. I love the club and want the fans to remember me and love me</em>.”<br />
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Lifelong Bluebirds fan Abraham commented: “<em>While Sam was on the phone I asked him: ‘Are you Langston? Please be honest if you think anything of me.’ He told me he is not Langston and said he can’t tell Langston what to do. Sam was different to the man I have known in the past. He was quiet and sounded drained. He said he won’t ever try to hurt Cardiff City</em>.”<br />
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When asked by the Western Mail to comment on Hammam’s open letter, Peter Ridsdale said: “<em>I don’t know what to make of it, but if you take it at face value then it reads like a cry for help from a man who is desperate to be loved again. Here is a man who, in my view, has lost the will of the Cardiff City supporters and is trying to get back in favour. I think it’s absurd really. The letter does not actually say anything and nor does it answer any of the questions that are important to the club and its fans. He does not tell us who Langston are or how they can be persuaded to find a solution to this situation once and for all. It is fine to claim to love the club, but it’s action that people expect, not words. While we are fighting to safeguard Cardiff City, it is my view that Sam Hammam’s statements are of no help to anyone but himself</em>.”<br />
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The dispute finally came to a head during a two-day hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice on 12 and 13 March 2008. After listening to the lengthy legal arguments presented by David Wolfson QC on behalf of Cardiff City and Michael Driscoll QC on behalf of the Langston Corporation, the Honourable Mr Justice Briggs retired to consider the evidence. He delivered his verdict on 19 March and ruled in favour of the football club on all three of the technical points upon which Langston’s lawyers had based their request for a summary judgement without a full trial.<br />
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Judge Briggs stated that Langston’s claim was “<em>plainly not a case for summary judgement</em>”. He said the club “<em>had a realistic prospect of establishing a defence</em>” on each of the technicalities cited by the creditors as contraventions to the loan notes agreement. The judge refused Langston leave to appeal, saying: “<em>I consider this to be a clear case and I do not consider that an appeal stands any reasonable chance of success</em>.” He added: “<em>In my judgement, the club has a real prospect of obtaining the remedy of rectification it seeks</em>.”<br />
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Mr Justice Briggs concluded there was also a “<em>real prospect</em>” that a full trial would conclusively prove that Sam Hammam was “<em>the governing mind and will</em>” of the Langston Corporation at all times. His verdict was a resounding victory for the football club, who were awarded legal costs of around £80,000 at the plaintiff’s expense.<br />
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<strong>December 2009 – The Third Loan Notes Agreement</strong><br />
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In December 2009, a number of further amendments to the loan notes deal were agreed with Langston representative Sam Hammam. The new agreement had five key terms, which were:<br />
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1) Payment by the club to Langston of £83,333 per calendar month starting in January 2010.<br />
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2) A reduction in the principle sum to £10 million (less any monthly payments made) if the debt was repaid in full by 31 December 2010.<br />
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3) Payment by the club to Langston of up to £5 million if the new stadium naming rights were sold and/or promotion to the Premier League was secured, together with a further payment of £5 million if the club either retained its Premier League status or was promoted a second time thereafter.<br />
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4) An undertaking by Langston to suspend any legal proceedings against the club until 31 December 2010.<br />
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5) An undertaking by both parties to reach an agreement covering the full term and settlement of the loan notes by 31 December 2010 if the principle sum had not been repaid by that date.<br />
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While discussing the new loan notes agreement during a meeting at the Cardiff City Stadium in December 2009, former-Chairman Peter Ridsdale told me that the deal would remain valid until December 2016. He claimed there were major incentives for early repayment of the debt which could see the club’s liability reduce significantly (eg: if the debt was settled in full by December 2010, the total payable would be £10 million; if it was paid in full by December 2011, the amount required by Langston would be £11 million; if it was settled by December 2012, the total sum would be £12 million; and so on until December 2016, when the remaining balance of £8,000,000 would be due.). He also stated that all interest, both historical and future, had been waived by Langston. <br />
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Judging by the post balance sheet events listed in the club’s independently audited accounts for the year ended 31 May 2009 (which were filed at Companies House in July 2010) I now have considerable doubts as to whether the latest amendments to the loan notes agreement are valid until December 2016 as Ridsdale suggested. My feeling is they probably expired at the end of last month. I guess we will have to wait until the May 2010 accounts are published before we can be absolutely sure about that, but what is already certain is that the club failed to meet the December repayment deadline, so the matter is still ongoing. <br />
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<strong>Conclusions</strong><br />
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Having considered all of the information that is already in the public domain, I have reached the conclusion that the loan notes agreement which is currently in effect is almost certainly the version that was drawn up in October 2006. To me, that appears by far the most logical scenario. <br />
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During his so-called ‘updates’ on Annis Abraham’s message board, Carl Curtis has repeatedly claimed that the terms of the agreement have reverted to those of the original deal (ie: £24 million plus interest backdated to September 2004) as a result of the club’s failure to repay the principle sum in its entirety by the end of December 2010. Personally, I don’t for one moment believe that’s an accurate reflection of the present situation.<br />
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After successfully fighting to preserve the terms of the October 2006 agreement during a lengthy and expensive High Court battle, it would have been utter madness for the club’s lawyers to sanction any further amendments to the deal which would have allowed the debt to rise to almost £35 million if it wasn’t repaid in full by the end of 2010. In my opinion, the Bluebirds’ legal representatives demonstrated in 2008 that they are a good deal smarter than that.<br />
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Unfortunately, many of the details with regard to the Langston situation that Cardiff City fans are currently reading on the internet forums are being supplied by a young man from Neath who has perhaps unwittingly set himself up as Sam Hammam’s personal information minister. Carl Curtis was apparently introduced to Hammam by Annis Abraham in June of last year and he appears to have been somewhat star struck by the experience. Ever since that initial meeting, Curtis has been speaking to the maverick Lebanese businessman on a regular basis and has been leading the calls for his return to the club. <br />
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Meanwhile, much of the alleged ‘information’ he has posted about the Langston affair on the message boards has been little more than pro-Hammam propaganda, some of which has probably come direct from the man himself. Those of us who have enjoyed close relationships with Sam in the past will no doubt have recognised his style in several of Curtis’s recent submissions. <br />
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As regards the loan notes issue, the version of events that Curtis has been furiously peddling for the last six months is undoubtedly the one that Hammam would want everybody to accept. However, I’m confident that a High Court judge would see things rather differently, although given the way that the 2007 summary judgement application worked out I’d be amazed if Langston would ever take this business back into court. In my opinion, which is based largely on Mr Justice Briggs’ rulings back in 2008, they haven’t got a leg to stand on.<br />
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Having done all of the necessary calculations, I firmly believe that the loan notes debt (including interest backdated to March 2007) currently stands at around the £18 million mark, although an additional £5 million will be payable if the team secures promotion to the Premier League and any money the club manages to raise from the eventual sale of the Cardiff City Stadium naming rights will also go to Langston. Crucially, however, the bulk of the debt (ie: the £15 million principle sum and interest) isn’t repayable until December 2016, so there is plenty of time yet for the Bluebirds’ hierarchy to negotiate a more favourable deal.<br />
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<strong>The Bizarre ‘Bring Back Sam’ Campaign</strong><br />
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Thanks mainly to the timely intervention of wealthy Malaysian businessmen Vincent Tan and Dato Chan Tien Ghee, Cardiff City Football Club currently appears to be in its most stable financial position for many years. Meanwhile, the team is occupying second place in the Championship and looks to have a genuine chance of automatic promotion to the Premier League. Therefore, it seems utterly bizarre that a small but persistent group of supporters are rocking the boat by actively campaigning for the return of Sam Hammam – a volatile and divisive character who dragged the club up from the lower divisions but who also led it to the brink of financial disaster. <br />
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Nobody associated with Cardiff City has ever polarised opinion in quite the same way that Hammam does, so it’s understandable that feelings are running high following reports that he intends to get involved in the running of the club once more. Under the circumstances I think it’s entirely reasonable for people to question the motives of the individuals who are taking part in what appears to be a mini-crusade on Hammam’s behalf. <br />
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Bear in mind that one of the main protagonists has been honest enough to admit that he never wanted the club to leave Ninian Park and was happiest when the Bluebirds were playing in the lower leagues in front of small crowds, while another has long been considered Hammam’s staunchest ally here in South Wales.<br />
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So why are these particular supporters desperate to see such a temperamental and controversial figure as the ex-Wimbledon owner return to Cardiff while things are apparently going so well for the club? It’s a genuine puzzle and I won’t even try to solve it, but what I will say is that the timing of this peculiar episode couldn’t be much worse. The new regime is working hard to rectify the problems caused by a decade of financial mismanagement, the team is battling to win promotion to the top flight, and yet divisions are starting to appear within the Bluebirds’ fanbase because a small number of Sam Hammam's disciples want him back at the club. I was going to say you couldn’t make it up, but sadly you don’t have to.The Lone Gunmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315699201269119085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8372090942819841080.post-76571650634312610282010-03-19T10:57:00.000-07:002014-08-13T09:27:14.618-07:00Cardiff City Supporters' Trust Statement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is with regret that I hereby announce my resignation as a member of the board of directors of the Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust with immediate effect. Having carefully considered my position, I have reached the conclusion that my involvement with the Trust at board level is proving divisive and is having a detrimental effect on the organization’s continuing development.<br />
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Since November 2007, when work to establish a supporters’ trust for Bluebirds fans first began, a small group of mostly-anonymous antagonists have seemingly been hell-bent on using my personal views and opinions about our football club in their incessant quest to undermine the Trust’s credibility. Some of the people concerned have apparently been unable to differentiate between things I have said as an individual supporter and statements I have made as a Trust representative, despite the differences being crystal clear.<br />
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Sadly, the situation has deteriorated rapidly in recent weeks due to comments I made before and after the protest march which took place a fortnight ago. The opinions I expressed about that event, which were very obviously my own, have wrongly been attributed to the Supporters’ Trust. As a direct result of my observations about the march, I have been subjected to numerous abusive telephone calls and text messages, several of which have involved threats of violence. I have also received a number of abusive e-mails, including one that contained an anonymous death threat.<br />
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At the same time, a sustained campaign aimed at discrediting me as an individual and the Trust as an organization has been taking place on a couple of internet message boards. This has involved a series of false allegations being levelled against the Trust board and some blatant lies being written about me. This latest load of nonsense comes just months after a serious but thankfully failed attempt by a regular Trust opponent to damage my civil service career. While such rubbish is water off a duck’s back to a large degree, I could nevertheless live without it.<br />
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It seems I have now found myself in a position whereby almost everything I say on the message boards, my internet blog and even in person in some instances is being automatically linked to the Supporters’ Trust, which is a ridiculous state of affairs. My role on the Trust board is not only having an adverse effect on the standing of the organization but it is also stifling my ability to comment as an individual on the issues which are affecting our football club. That situation does not sit at all comfortably with me and it clearly cannot be allowed to continue. Therefore, I feel I have no option but to resign from my position with the Trust, both as Membership Secretary and a board member.<br />
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Despite my resignation, I should point out that I intend to continue giving the Trust my full support and I would encourage as many members as possible to start playing an active role in the organization. There are some very talented and capable people serving on the Trust’s board and sub-committees, but they are going to need far more help from the membership in future. The number of supporters who have been actively involved in the Trust since its formation has been relatively small and that needs to change if the organization is to continue to grow.<br />
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The Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust was set up in order to give Bluebirds fans a democratic voice and a platform upon which the fan-base can strengthen its relationships with the football club and the communities it serves. I am extremely proud of the work we have done to get the Trust this far despite opposition from some of the club’s supporters and apathy from many others. It is now up to the members to step forward and help move the Trust onwards from here. I wish them every success.The Lone Gunmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14315699201269119085noreply@blogger.com0