The Lone Gunman - Shooting From The Lip

Encouraging Signs

2012-01-01T09:29:00.000-08:00

This time last year, Cardiff City's league record was:

P 24, W 12, D 4, L 8, F 38, A 29, Pts 40, GD +9

Currently, the team's league record reads:

P 24, W 11, D 9, L 4, F 38, A 26, Pts 42, GD +12

Before the 2011/12 campaign began, if you'd have told me that on New Year's Day the Bluebirds would be two points better off and one place higher in the Championship than they were at the same stage last season, I wouldn't have believed you.

The results Malky Mackay and his players have managed to achieve so far are remarkable. After 24 games, the side has scored exactly the same number of goals as last year's team which featured the likes of Craig Bellamy, Jay Bothroyd and Michael Chopra, while the defensive record is better this time around.

City have lost only four games during the current campaign, which is also remarkable (the figure was eight this time last year - nine if you include the Carling Cup defeat at Peterborough). There are those who have moaned about this season's side drawing too many matches, but the fact that they very rarely get beaten even when they are not playing particularly well is extremely encouraging.

Last year's Christmas holiday away games resulted in a 4-1 hammering at Watford and a 3-0 defeat at Bristol. I was at both of those matches and they were absolutely dreadful. This time around, the Bluebirds have drawn 1-1 at Watford and won 1-0 at Forest. Neither performance was particularly spectacular, but the results were so much better than those in the equivalent matches last season.

There appears to be an excellent spirit within Mackay's team and a steely quality which is making City very difficult to beat. The differences between this season's squad and the one which represented the club last year have been clear for all to see during the two matches over the holiday period. While the current side may not possess the same amount of attacking flair, it is a stronger unit and far more spirited. There seems to be no danger whatsoever of the present set of players throwing the towel in when things aren't going their way during games, as happened on several occasions last season.

There is a long way to go between now and the end of the campaign, but the signs so far are positive. If Mackay can strengthen his squad in the January transfer window and the players can steer clear of serious injuries and suspensions during the next four months, then I believe the Bluebirds have every chance of remaining in the promotion shake-up.

More Good News for the Bluebirds

2011-12-23T04:35:00.000-08:00

The figures relating to arrests at matches during the 2010/11 season were released by the Home Office earlier today and they revealed more good news for Cardiff City Football Club.

A total of 44 Bluebirds supporters were arrested at league and cup matches last season, which is the lowest tally for many years. Although the figure was the joint fourth-highest in the Championship, it nevertheless represents a significant improvement on previous seasons.

The list of the twenty Premier League and Football League clubs with the most arrests in 2010/11 reads as follows:

276 – Manchester United
149 – Leeds United
126 – Sunderland
123 – Newcastle United
108 – Manchester City
107 – Arsenal
103 – Aston Villa
74 – Birmingham City
74 – Chelsea
70 – Stoke City
68 – West Ham United
66 – Liverpool
52 – Bolton Wanderers
51 – Millwall
50 – Wolverhampton Wanderers
49 – Middlesbrough
48 – Tottenham Hotspur
45 – Everton
44 – Bristol City
44 – Cardiff City

The Championship arrest figures were:

149 – Leeds United
51 – Millwall
49 – Middlesbrough
44 – Bristol City
44 – Cardiff City
41 – Burnley
35 – Swansea City
34 – Nottingham Forest
27 – Coventry City
26 – Queens Park Rangers
26 – Sheffield United
25 – Crystal Palace
25 – Derby County
23 - Barnsley
23 – Leicester City
22 – Portsmouth
20 – Ipswich Town
20 – Preston North End
18 – Hull City
15 – Doncaster Rovers
12 – Norwich City
11 – Reading
8 – Watford
5 – Scunthorpe United

Cardiff City’s arrest figures break down as follows:

14 – Public disorder
10 – Alcohol offences
10 – Violent disorder
5 – Pitch incursions
2 – Missile throwing
2 – Offences against property
1 – Racist of indecent chanting

These figures represent a massive improvement on previous seasons. The total numbers of City fans arrested during the last five campaigns were:

2006/07 – 89
2007/08 – 90
2008/09 – 89
2009/10 – 117
2010/11 – 44

The improvement in the behaviour of the club’s supporters since the move from Ninian Park to the Cardiff City Stadium is evidenced by the fact that just nineteen fans were arrested during home matches in 2009/10 and 2010/11 combined. The figures for the past five seasons were as follows:

2006/07 – 44
2007/08 – 25
2008/09 – 31
2009/10 – 8
2010/11 – 11

There were 61 new banning orders imposed upon Cardiff City fans during 2010/11, which was the highest number in all four divisions. Chelsea came second in the list with 58 fresh banning orders. Those figures are no great surprise as the majority of the banning orders for both clubs relate to arrests made following the trouble at the FA Cup fifth round fixture in February 2010. Most of the supporters who were charged with offences after that match were prosecuted during the 2010/11 campaign, hence the large numbers of banning orders.

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the latest set of figures from Cardiff’s point of view is the large reduction in the number of arrests for offences involving violence and public disorder. The totals for the last five seasons were:

2006/07 – 62
2007/08 – 64
2008/09 – 57
2009/10 – 85
2010/11 – 24

These figures are a great credit to Cardiff City’s officials and stewards, the South Wales Police and the majority of the club’s fans. A huge amount of work has been done in recent years in an attempt to improve the behaviour of the Bluebirds’ support and that work has been paying dividends, as the latest Home Office statistics demonstrate. Hopefully, those in authority at other clubs and police forces around the country will start to take notice of these figures and the restrictions our fans often have to face when we travel to away games will be relaxed accordingly.

Boring, Boring Cardiff?

2011-11-07T12:24:00.000-08:00

What a difference a week makes. Last Monday, following Cardiff’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United, the Bluebirds were being described by some of the fans on the club’s message boards as dull, useless, boring, rubbish and predictable. Those accusations were being levelled at the players just twenty four hours after they had gained a hard-earned point at the home of a side that could have gone third in the Championship had they won the game.

Unsurprisingly, the individuals who claimed Malky Mackay’s team lacks quality and is boring to watch in the wake of that draw at Elland Road have been keeping quiet following the fabulous 3-0 win at Derby on Wednesday evening and the admirable 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon. Nevertheless, suggestions from supporters that the current side is less entertaining than those of recent seasons have been fairly frequent since the new campaign began.

I’ve been in attendance at every Championship match the Bluebirds have played in 2011/12 with the exception of the opening-day victory at West Ham and the draw at Leeds. Fortunately, both of those games were screened live on television, so in effect I’ve seen every minute of all sixteen league matches this season. Personally, I don’t think the team’s performances have been anywhere near as dull as some fans would have you believe. On the contrary, I am of the opinion that the present side is a good deal less predictable and more entertaining than the teams City have fielded in recent years, and I think the statistics go some way towards backing up my feelings.

So far this season, the Bluebirds have scored 29 Championship goals. That’s exactly the same number as Dave Jones’ side netted during the first 16 games of last season, which is quite surprising when you consider that Malky Mackay doesn’t have the likes of Craig Bellamy, Jay Bothroyd and Michael Chopra at his disposal. However, what the new manager does have is a group of talented and versatile midfielders who are capable of opening up defences and scoring goals on a regular basis. Indeed, six of the squad’s midfielders have already netted 14 league goals between them this season. At the same stage in 2010/11, nine goals had come from midfield.

On the subject of goals, it should be noted that only runaway leaders Southampton (37) and comeback kings Peterborough (32) have scored more often than Cardiff this term. That statistic gives a clear indication of how well City have been doing in attack by comparison to most of their Championship rivals in what is obviously a very competitive division.

The BBC’s match statistics reveal the Bluebirds have averaged 13 goal attempts per game during the current league campaign, with an average of eight of those efforts on target. The side has managed 15 or more goal attempts in five of its 16 Championship matches (the victories over Bristol and Barnsley, the defeat at Peterborough, and the draws at Portsmouth and Blackpool). The highest number of attempts in a game came at Blackpool in September, where Mackay’s men recorded no less than 25 efforts on goal during what must have been the most one-sided draw I’ve ever witnessed.

Under Dave Jones’ steady but stolid management, Cardiff’s line-ups and tactics became very predictable. Provided his key players were fit and available for selection, the surly Scouser invariably employed a 4-4-2 formation and his sides effectively picked themselves. There is no doubt that Jones brought some excellent players to the club during his six-year tenure and his teams produced some fine football on occasions, but in recent seasons the success of the side relied very heavily on the form and fitness of striker Jay Bothroyd. Despite the abilities of the rest of the players, their tactics all too often revolved around hitting long balls to Bothroyd in the hope that he would produce a moment of individual brilliance or set up a scoring opportunity for one of his team-mates.

Midfield was the one area of the side that Jones never quite managed to get right. Not only did his midfield set-ups usually lack a physical edge but they also lacked creativity. Within the confines of a rigid 4-4-2 system, his teams frequently got outmuscled and outplayed in the centre of the park, while his defenders would often miss out the midfield altogether and instead lump hopeful balls in the general direction of the front-runners.

As a rule, Mackay’s players have been going about their business in a very different manner this season. The Scotsman has brought in a number of quality midfielders and several are versatile enough to play in a variety of positions. For instance, Aron Gunnarsson has featured in attacking and defensive midfield roles, and even slotted in at right-back during the last twenty minutes at Derby; Don Cowie is equally comfortable out wide or in the centre; Filip Kiss can play deep or further forward, while Peter Whittingham is proving fully effective just about anywhere across the middle. The former Aston Villa man’s form has been a revelation since Mackay and his coaching staff arrived at the club. They seem to have added a more competitive edge to his game and he now appears the complete midfielder at this level. So far this season, Whittingham has played every minute of all 16 league games, has netted five goals and has been man of the match on a number of occasions. He really is having a terrific campaign.

Although Steve McPhail has made just two league starts, the signs are that he will be well suited by the type of tactical formations Mackay is employing. Youngster Joe Ralls certainly hasn’t looked out of place whenever he’s been given an opportunity in the first team and talented forward Joe Mason has demonstrated that he can also be effective in an advanced midfield role. Factor in the high quality of winger Craig Conway’s crosses and it’s clear the Bluebirds have a potent midfield mix by Championship standards.

The quality and versatility of his midfielders means Mackay can select a variety of line-ups and adopt several different playing systems, either through choice or necessity, and he can also alter his tactical set-ups during games if he so desires. That was something his predecessor often seemed unwilling or unable to do.

As regards the defenders, full-backs Kevin McNaughton and Andrew Taylor appear to be spending as much time in the opposition half as their own, while the centre-halves are clearly being encouraged by the management to build play from the back as opposed to hit long balls to the forwards. Some of the team’s defending this season has been weak and it’s an area in which the whole side needs to improve, but Ben Turner has been fairly impressive since his arrival and two clean sheets in the last week won’t have done the rest of the back four’s confidence any harm.

As far as I’m concerned, the style of football the team is attempting to play under Mackay is a good deal more entertaining than the stuff we got used to watching under Jones. Last season, in particular, the Bluebirds tended to rely upon moments of individual magic from their star players in order to win matches. This time around, the football we are seeing is much more of a team effort and involves a far greater work ethic, but is no less exciting.

To be honest, I am not expecting a sustained promotion challenge this season. I view Mackay’s side as very much a work in progress and believe the squad will need more experience and further strengthening before City can be considered genuine promotion contenders. I reckon it will probably take the manager another year or two to get his team playing exactly the way he wants it, but having said that, I also believe the current side is considerably better than many fans seem to think. The Championship is incredibly tight this season, so anything is possible, including a play-off spot or even automatic promotion.

One thing I do know for sure is that supporting the Bluebirds is a pleasure at the moment. The spirit within the camp seems excellent; the team doesn’t contain any prima donnas or big-time Charlies; the players are working as hard as they possibly can from the first whistle to the last; the manager appears to genuinely appreciate the fans’ support and the football his side is producing is not only good to watch but it’s gaining some fine results. Long may it continue.

The Tragic Loss of a Loyal Bluebird

2011-09-07T13:57:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I’d like to offer my sincere condolences to Mike’s partner Nathalie, his children and all of his family and friends.

Rest in peace, Mikey. It’s an honour to have known you.

General Meeting Report

2011-07-31T08:14:00.000-07:00

Thursday’s General Meeting of Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Limited proved an interesting affair, during which a number of important issues were clarified for the shareholders and a further restructuring of the club’s finances was rubber-stamped.

Representing the board on the top table were Chairman Dato Chan Tien Ghee (TG), Chief Executive Gethin Jenkins, Finance Director Doug Lee, Company Secretary Alan Whiteley and directors Paul Guy, Michael Isaac and Steve Borley. I would estimate that around sixty shareholders were in attendance at the meeting, which was staged in one of the function suites at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The Chairman opened the meeting at 10:00am and the formal business of the day was conducted almost immediately. The two resolutions proposed by the board were carried unanimously and without any questions from the shareholders, thus enabling the conversion of several major debts into shares.

The details of the share issue to the creditors are as follows:

PMG

PMG Estates Ltd is the successful Cardiff-based commercial property development firm owned and controlled by Bluebirds directors Paul Guy and Mike Hall. PMG have converted £2,850,000 of their loan into 18,164,436 new ordinary shares at a subscription price of 15.69p per share. The balance of the debt has been restructured to be repayable in full by 31 May 2013.

MICHAEL ISAAC

Board member Michael Isaac has converted £500,000 of the monies owed to him into 3,186,743 new ordinary shares at a subscription price of 15.69p per share.

STEVE BORLEY AND CMB ENGINEERING

Director Steve Borley has converted £400,000 of the debts owed to him and his company, CMB Engineering, into 2,549,395 new ordinary shares at a subscription price of 15.69p per share.

VINCENT TAN AND ASSOCIATES

Malaysian investor Vincent Tan and his associates have advanced significant funds to the football club since making their original investment in 2010. They have converted £5,089,441 of those loans into 32,437,482 new ordinary shares at a subscription price of 15.69p. This latest issue means the Malaysians hold a combined total of approximately 49% of the company’s share capital.

As the resolutions were unanimously passed by the shareholders, the directors were given the authority to allot 204,656,719 new ordinary shares. Using the current subscription price of 15.69p as a guide, the new shares are worth approximately £32 million. The directors will immediately issue 56,338,056 to the creditors as detailed above, while the rest will be set aside for future investment opportunities, which may involve more debts being converted into shares. The notice of the General Meeting stated the directors do not currently intend to issue shares to anyone who is not already a shareholder, but they reserve the right to do so if the circumstances dictate.

The formal business of the meeting was concluded by 10:05am, at which point the Chairman invited questions from the floor. A lively forum lasting three quarters of an hour followed, the highlights of which are outlined below:

THE CLUB’S FINANCES

In response to a question from Keith Morgan of the Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust, Company Secretary Alan Whiteley confirmed the conversion of debts into shares covered by the latest agreement is in addition to similar arrangements that were rubber-stamped during the previous General Meeting in May 2010. What that means is a total of more than £15 million worth of debts have been converted into shares during the last fourteen months and the club’s balance sheet is looking a lot healthier as a result.

TG revealed that major investor Vincent Tan has paid the club £350,000 for this season’s ‘Malaysia’ shirt sponsorship deal.

A discussion took place between Keith Morgan and Finance Director Doug Lee regarding a loan of £2.5 million that Peter Ridsdale arranged in 2009 with a company controlled by former Coventry Chairman Ray Ranson called Sport Asset Capital. The loan bore a redemption premium set at a staggering rate of 50%, which took the overall total to £3.75 million. Lee confirmed the terms of this debt were renegotiated in June 2010. It no longer attracts any interest and is repayable through an agreed percentage of the proceeds from player sales. The loan is also secured by way of a second charge over the assets of the football club. The percentage payable from player sales rises as time passes, so it will be in the club’s best interests to clear this debt as soon as possible.

The Chairman was asked if administration has ever been a possibility since he’s been involved with the club. He replied that administration is not an option for Cardiff City and highlighted to the amount of work that has gone into improving the club’s business operations and reducing its debts during the last twelve months. He said that while the club is “still in a period of pain” as a result of historical issues, the new board and the Malaysian investors are fully committed to taking it forward.

Shareholder Mike Roderick pointed to the fact that the club’s income has been smaller than its outgoings for a number of years and asked if the Chairman believes the business is sustainable under such circumstances. TG replied that he sees Cardiff City as 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.

The Chairman suggested that football is like no other business and admitted that he and his Malaysian colleagues have been on a steep learning curve during the last couple of years. He assured shareholders that the club would continue to aim for promotion to the Premier League but said the board are also doing everything possible to cut out unnecessary spending. He talked of building firm foundations for the future while remaining competitive at the top of the Championship.

Chief Executive Gethin Jenkins said he and his staff are not resting on their laurels and are determined to knock the club’s business operations into shape. He spoke of continuing to drive all available revenues and highlighted the fact that ticket and merchandise sales have increased significantly during the last twelve months. He mentioned that last season’s average home league attendance was Cardiff’s highest since 1960/61 and said the club was making great efforts to maximise its income from non-match day events at the new stadium. When asked about the financial involvement of the Cardiff Blues, Jenkins said the rugby club’s rental agreement involved them making a significant contribution towards the stadium’s maintenance costs. He said the Cardiff City Stadium hosts approximately fifty sporting events each year, including domestic football fixtures, international matches and rugby games, and if he had his way, three teams would share the stadium as opposed to two.

THE LANGSTON LOAN NOTES DEBT

The Chairman confirmed the forensic accounting investigation into the legitimacy of the loan notes agreement with the Langston Corporation and the expenditure incurred while the club was under Sam Hammam’s control is ongoing. He suggested it will take some time before the inquiry is concluded and said: “We want to be sure there are no more nasty surprises.”

Doug Lee stated the loan notes deal which is currently in effect is the October 2006 agreement, ie: the one which the club successfully fought to protect during the High Court battle in March 2008.

That particular revision saw the Langston debt written down 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. The interest began accruing in March 2007, although the agreement stipulated that no payments of either the principle sum or interest were necessary until December 2016. The deal 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.

Lee said the revised December 2009 agreement had expired on 31 December 2010 and is now null and void. He underlined that no additional interest or penalty payments were due to Langston as a result of the club’s decision not to clear debt by the end of December 2010, and confirmed the terms have simply reverted back to those of the October 2006 agreement.

PLAYERS

Gethin Jenkins denied reports in the local press claiming the deal which brought Craig Bellamy to the club last season was personally funded by Vincent Tan. He said the Welsh international’s wages were paid through the business in the usual manner and his loan agreement had been no different to those involving any other player in terms of the way in which it was funded. However, he added that investment from Tan and his associates, including the local directors, had been vital in ensuring the club could continue to meet its wage bill and other obligations. Jenkins said the club drove a hard bargain while attempting to sign Bellamy and his arrival helped bring about a significant upturn in ticket and merchandise sales, so the deal proved worthwhile in financial terms.

On the subject of Bellamy, the Chairman said last year’s captain would be welcomed back to the club at any time but he is a Manchester City player at present and his situation with them must be sorted out before anyone can even think of him coming back to Cardiff. Gethin Jenkins added that Bellamy’s situation is considerably more complicated than it was at this time last year as he only has twelve months left on his contract with the Premier League club. He said Manchester may not be prepared to agree to a deal that falls within Cardiff’s budget limits, but he didn’t completely rule out the possibility.

Jenkins said the option of signing Dundee United striker David Goodwillie is probably not something Cardiff will be pursuing now that Kenny Miller has arrived at the club. He stated the manager is looking to bring in several more players before the transfer window closes but added they must be affordable within the parameters of the current wage budget.

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES

In response to a question from shareholder Steve Perry, TG revealed the club is set to invest a significant sum of money in a lighting system that will help to improve the playing surface at the new stadium.

The Chairman fielded a couple of questions concerning a recent Channel Four Dispatches documentary entitled ‘How to Buy a Football Club’. The programme linked Thai businessman Joe Sim and a Bangkok-based football investment fund called London Nominees with major Bluebirds investor Vincent Tan. TG jokingly thanked Channel Four for giving Cardiff a mention but stated the club and its investors have no involvement with Sim whatsoever and the fans have nothing to worry about in that regard.

When asked about the charges brought against former Chairman Peter Ridsdale by Cardiff City Council in relation to the 2009 Golden Ticket scheme, Alan Whiteley claimed the authority’s Trading Standards department are fully satisfied with the club’s role in the affair. He said neither the club itself nor the other directors who were on the board at the time will be facing any charges.

Gethin Jenkins was quizzed about the recent saga involving Alan Shearer being named by certain sections of the media as the new Cardiff City manager. He stated a couple of members of the press had got hold of the story, decided to run with it and Shearer himself had made a statement, but in reality the former England striker was merely one of a number of candidates who were interviewed for the job. He added that several other well-known figures were interviewed but their names never made it into the papers.

Jenkins was then asked about City’s lack of participation in this season’s Welsh Cup. He said the club were offered an invitation to enter the competition and had sought clarification from the Football Association of Wales on several matters, but the answers were not forthcoming before the entry deadline passed. The main issues were said to be European qualification for the winners and fixture clashes with Football League games and FA Cup ties. He stated the club is still talking to the FAW about the situation and didn’t rule out City rejoining the competition at some point in the future.

Elderly shareholder Bert Webber, who has been an ever-present supporter since 1947, said he had been on a tour of the Millennium Stadium but hadn’t yet been on a tour of the Cardiff City Stadium. He asked the Chairman why he couldn’t have a tour of the club he supports. TG replied: “You can, in five minutes. I’ll take you around the stadium myself when the meeting has finished.” Gethin Jenkins added the club is currently looking into the possibility of arranging guided tours of the stadium for the public during the school holidays.

With no more questions for the board to answer, the Chairman closed the meeting at 10:53am. He told the shareholders: “We’ve come such a long way together and have a big agenda, so let’s not falter this season. Let’s have another bash at it.”

Bluebirds to Boycott the Boleyn Bubble

2011-07-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

Tickets for Cardiff’s opening fixture of the 2011/12 campaign finally went on sale yesterday, but the loyal supporters who usually travel to away matches on the coaches that I organise are boycotting the game in protest at the Draconian travel restrictions being imposed by the West Ham authorities.

The fixture at the Boleyn Ground was originally scheduled for Saturday 6 August with a 3pm kick-off, but that was quickly altered to 1pm the following day in order to cater for live television coverage.

Despite a Sunday lunchtime kick-off and City’s ticket allocation being slashed from 2,200 to just 1,250, West Ham’s match commander and the club’s Safety Advisory Group initially insisted that all visiting supporters should be subjected to full ‘bubble’ restrictions. Fans were required to travel on official coaches to the South Mimms services on the M25, where they would be met by the Metropolitan Police and escorted almost thirty miles to Upton Park. The match commander stated the only alternative to a bubble trip was a blanket ban on Bluebirds supporters, but Cardiff City Football Club refused to accept those arrangements.

Protracted negotiations followed involving officials of both clubs, officers from the South Wales Police and officials of the Football League. Eventually, a feeble compromise was reached whereby a maximum of 50 carefully-selected Bluebirds fans are allowed to travel to West Ham independently, while a further 200 will be able to meet ticket office staff at South Mimms between 10am and 11am on the morning of the game, exchange vouchers for match tickets and complete the journey to London’s East End in their own vehicles.

Meanwhile, the remainder will have to travel by coach and endure the usual ‘bubble’ restrictions. Buses are required to arrive at South Mimms before 11am, where I am told they will be searched by the police for alcohol. Vouchers will then be exchanged for match tickets by members of the club’s staff and a thirty-mile escort from the services to Upton Park will follow. In addition, supporters could be sat on their coaches at South Mimms for up to an hour while the police get their act together if previous bubble trips are anything to go by.

Cardiff City Stadium Manager Wayne Nash contacted me on Friday afternoon in response to comments I had made regarding these restrictions on the CCMB message board. He argued that the arrangements for the West Ham fixture would make no difference to the fans who normally travel by coach as they almost always have to meet the police at designated rendezvous points regardless of whether a ticket exchange is in operation or not. I have a great deal of respect for Wayne and admire the work he does for the club, but on this occasion I strongly disagree with his reasoning.

Those of us who regularly organise buses to away games do indeed comply with the Traffic Commissioners’ Guidelines by meeting the police at pre-arranged rendezvous points. However, we are normally expected to arrive around an hour before kick-off and the RV Points are usually within a few miles of the stadiums we are visiting. For example, the RV point for the game at Nottingham Forest last season was at Barton in Fabis, which is just over five miles from the City Ground, while the RV point for the match at Millwall was in Blackheath, which is less than four miles from the Den. In this instance, the location of the voucher exchange is a fraction under thirty miles away from Upton Park. To put that into perspective, it’s the equivalent of having an RV point just outside Newport for a game at Bristol City!

During the course of the 2010/11 campaign I organised 17 coach trips to Cardiff matches and more than 180 different individuals travelled on the transport I provided. None were arrested, none were ejected from any of the grounds we visited and none were ever refused entry for being drunk. Most of my regulars are lifelong Bluebirds fans who have been travelling away together for decades. Many are men and women in their forties and fifties. Some bring their children with them, while others are occasionally accompanied by their partners. They are normal football supporters who are similar to the fans of any other Championship club, but they are rarely treated as such by the authorities.

After learning of the restrictions that are being imposed for the West Ham game, I was firmly in favour of a boycott. Nevertheless, I booked my usual bus with Castell Coaches, contacted all of my regulars and let them decide whether I should run a trip or not. Match tickets are extortionately priced at £32, so I set the bus fares at £20 for adults and £10 for kids.

Having considered the options, only four fans said they wanted to travel to Upton Park and two of those are under-16’s. The rest of my regulars indicated they are not prepared to pay £52 for the privilege of being treated like criminals and herded around like cattle. Curiously enough, the prospect of getting up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday morning and travelling on a coach for three and a half hours before being confronted by scores of Metropolitan Police officers in full riot gear at an M25 service station didn’t appeal to many people.

Some have already vowed never to travel on a bubble trip again, while others said they don’t want the 2011/12 campaign to start in such a manner and I fully support their views. Although it will be irritating to miss a trip to one of the most atmospheric grounds in the Championship and the first competitive game of Malky Mackay’s reign, I feel we have little option but to boycott the fixture. There comes a time when you have to say enough is enough and as far as bubble trips to places like Leeds and West Ham are concerned I believe that time has arrived.

In a statement on the club’s website, Bluebirds officials said: “Cardiff City has always recognised the need for control measures at this fixture and accept the particularly challenging circumstances surrounding this match. We recognise the arrangements may cause some disappointment but believe that we have reached a reasonable compromise for all parties.”

Personally, I don’t believe anything even remotely close to a reasonable compromise has been reached.

Less than five months ago, Cardiff City played a Championship match at Millwall, which is only seven miles away from Upton Park. The fixture was staged on a Saturday afternoon with a 3pm kick-off. There were no travel restrictions for visiting supporters other than a rendezvous point for coaches which was approximately four miles from the ground. The Bluebirds were allocated 2,000 tickets and more than 1,800 fans made the journey. The game ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw. The event was well policed from start to finish, there were no instances of crowd trouble between rival supporters and very few arrests were made.

Taking the above into account, I fail to understand why the arrangements for the forthcoming fixture at West Ham are so dramatically different. As far as I can see, there are no justifications whatsoever for the reduced ticket allocation or the travel restrictions, particularly as the game kicks off on Sunday lunchtime as opposed to a Saturday afternoon.

During a recent Travel Group meeting at the Cardiff City Stadium, South Wales Police Football Liaison Officer Wayne Palmer said he believes the only fixtures which still need ‘bubble’ restrictions are the derby games against Swansea, and I agree with that. I can’t see any realistic alternative as far as those matches are concerned, although I don’t believe the same arrangements are necessary for any other fixture. Obviously there have to be strict ticketing policies for certain games and rendezvous points for coaches are to be expected in most instances, but measures such as the ones which are being implemented for the West Ham match are totally over the top.

I wonder how long it would take for Cardiff City Football Club to start rejecting such heavy-handed restrictions if people like the Chairman, the Chief Executive and the board of directors were subjected to the same sort of treatment as the supporters? My guess is around ten seconds flat. Perhaps a couple of the directors should jump on one of the coaches bound for the Boleyn Ground next weekend and see how the other half live for change. I’m sure the experience would be something of an eye-opener for the men who run our club.

One of the explanations the Metropolitan Police have apparently been offering with regard to the West Ham arrangements is that they want to keep Cardiff fans away from central London while the Charity Shield is taking place at Wembley. That got me wondering whether the supporters of Manchester United, Manchester City or any other Premier League clubs were subjected to similar restrictions when they visited Upton Park last season. I somehow doubt it, don’t you?

The West Ham ticket and travel fiasco is leaving a very sour taste in the mouths of many fans who regularly follow the Bluebirds around the country. It’s a bad start to what promises to be an exciting campaign. Travelling to away matches is not just about watching ninety minutes of football. It’s also about enjoying a day out with your friends and family. However, that becomes difficult when the authorities are treating you like convicts simply because you’re from South Wales and support your local team. Hopefully, Cardiff City officials will continue to bear that in mind while they are negotiating ticket and travel arrangements for future matches.

Should the Bluebirds Attempt to Bring Bellamy Back?

2011-07-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

When Craig Bellamy joined Cardiff on a season-long loan from Manchester City last August, the transfer sent shockwaves throughout British football. A Premier League star of the Welshman’s standing dropping down a division while still at the peak of his powers was unprecedented.

Expectations soared upon Bellamy’s arrival at his hometown club. With players such as Jay Bothroyd, Michael Chopra, Peter Whittingham, Jason Koumas and Seyi Olofinjana at his disposal, manager Dave Jones already had what seemed an embarrassment of riches by Championship standards. The sensational capture of Bellamy appeared to put the icing on the cake.

Bookmakers immediately installed the Bluebirds as promotion favourites and their confidence looked to be justified when Bellamy made a scoring debut in a handsome 4-0 home victory over Doncaster. He turned in another impressive display during a 2-0 triumph at Portsmouth a week later, but that was the last City fans saw of him for more than a month.

The 32 year-old aggravated a long-standing knee injury while playing for Wales in Montenegro and missed the next five league games as a result. On his return to action he netted just two goals in ten games between October and the Christmas holidays, and his form was mediocre as he worked to regain full fitness. However, after scoring in a Boxing Day victory over Coventry, Bellamy hit a purple patch. He struck five goals in seven games, culminating in a spectacular late winner against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium in early-February.

Although he went another two months and ten games without a goal, the former Liverpool striker’s form continued to improve and his influence on the side steadily increased. By the time the regular season had ended in early-May, Bellamy was easily Cardiff’s most important player. Sadly, however, he limped off with hamstring strain after just 17 minutes of the play-off semi-final first leg at Reading and subsequently missed the crucial second leg. When the team needed its captain most, the injury problems which have so often blighted his career sidelined him once again.

Bellamy’s contribution to City’s promotion challenge was considerable. He netted eleven goals and over the course of the season was undoubtedly one of the side’s most effective performers. There were times when he looked every inch a Premier League star, particularly after he reached peak fitness during the second half of the campaign. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that defender Kevin McNaughton was voted as the club’s Player of the Year, while Bellamy failed to get selected by his fellow professionals for the PFA’s Championship Team of the Year. He had a decent season, but by his own standards it certainly wasn’t an outstanding one and I believe he’d be honest enough to admit that.

Ever since he returned to Manchester following the dismal play-offs flop, supporters have been clamouring for the Bluebirds to re-sign Bellamy. The fans’ enthusiasm for the player is fully understandable, but I’m not convinced that bringing him back to Cardiff would be a good move. Having examined his career statistics, I strongly suspect the club was more than a little fortunate to get so many games out of him in 2010/11 and I very much doubt he will be able to play as frequently during the forthcoming campaign.

Excluding internationals, Bellamy started 35 matches last season. That was the highest number of starts he’d made in six years and his fifth-highest number of starts since making his Football League debut for Norwich back in 1997. Given his well-documented knee problems and the fact that he’s admitted he found the physical demands of the Championship difficult to cope with, there must be a major question mark over Bellamy’s ability to play another full season at this level. At this stage of his career I reckon he would almost certainly be better suited to the Premier League, where fewer games are played and squad rotation is more commonplace.

When Bellamy arrived in Cardiff last August, fitness guru Raymond Verheijen arrived with him. The player told the press he was paying for the Dutchman’s services out of his own pocket. I have no idea how that arrangement worked, but what I do know is Verheijen wasn’t afraid to publish thinly-veiled criticisms of the club’s training methods on his Twitter page. Indeed, he has recently made disparaging remarks about City’s pre-season build-up under the new regime despite the fact that his client hasn’t been involved in it. Did Verheijen’s presence cause any disruption behind the scenes last season, I wonder? Was his involvement with Bellamy a distraction for the coaching staff and the rest of the players? Perhaps not, although I don’t imagine a set-up where one high-profile individual gets treated differently to everyone else is a healthy situation within a team environment.

The fitness programme devised by Verheijen dictates that Bellamy should play just one game a week. If he returns to Cardiff and his training schedule is strictly adhered to, he will miss a minimum of twelve Championship matches during 2011/12. Can a club in City’s financial position afford to gamble a significant percentage of its budget on a player whose career has been dogged by injury and who is guaranteed to miss more than a quarter of the campaign before it has even started? Of course, it can be argued that the cost of Bellamy’s salary is counterbalanced to a large degree by increased ticket and merchandise sales, and I think that was definitely the case last year. However, I don’t believe he would bring in anywhere near as much additional revenue during a second spell with the Bluebirds.

Assuming that Manchester City are willing to sanction another season-long loan deal, the press have suggested it would cost Cardiff at least £30,000 a week to re-sign Bellamy. Therefore, his wages would equate to more than £1.2 million over the course of the campaign. In my opinion, that money would be better spent on a couple of younger players who could provide the club with more long-term value. If Bellamy does return I certainly won’t be disappointed, but on balance I reckon it will be better for all concerned if he stays in the Premier League.

A Hangover from Drinking in the Last Chance Saloon

2011-07-13T02:11:00.000-07:00

The more I think about the signings Dave Jones made during the 2010/11 campaign, the more I am convinced he believed he would be shown the door if Cardiff City failed to gain promotion to the Premier League, regardless of how close his team came to achieving its goal. To describe the club’s recruitment policy last season as short-term would be something of an understatement. In retrospect, it seems certain the manager knew he was drinking in the Last Chance Saloon and now it is new boss Malky Mackay who is dealing with the hangover.

Following the Championship play-off final defeat to Blackpool in May 2010, many Bluebirds fans feared the side’s star players would be sold off, but that didn’t happen. Reserves Peter Enckelman, Tony Capaldi and Warren Feeney were released, Welsh international midfielder Joe Ledley signed for Celtic on a free transfer after his contract expired and veteran left-back Mark Kennedy was allowed to join Ipswich in a surprise £75,000 deal. However, substantial bids for striker Michael Chopra and top scorer Peter Whittingham were rejected by the club’s new board.

In fairness to Dave Jones, he was hampered by a transfer embargo during the summer of 2010, although it should be noted he’d effectively made four signings before the embargo was lifted in the first week of August and had added another five players to the squad before the transfer window closed. Meanwhile, defender Anthony Gerrard was sent to Hull on a season-long loan and forward Ross McCormack was sold to Leeds in a deal reported to be worth £300,000.

Jones was given a very healthy budget by comparison to most Championship managers but elected to spend the majority of it on wages for players who were either loanees or had no resale value. In a recent interview with the South Wales Echo, Chief Executive Gethin Jenkins revealed: “Ours was a relatively large payroll, even if it was not the most expensive in the league. But we did drive hard bargains to optimise the money we had available to us.”

While the embargo was undoubtedly a significant factor in the club’s transfer dealings, it doesn’t excuse the poor quality of some of the manager’s signings. Jones brought in no less than sixteen players during 2010/11, but just four remain at the club and it would be no surprise to see another one or two leave before the new campaign begins. Almost all of the signings he made last season were short-term gambles of one kind or another and in my opinion very few could be considered a success.

The sixteen players recruited by Jones were as follows:

Craig Bellamy – Signed from Manchester City on a sensational season-long loan deal in mid-August and was immediately handed the captain’s armband. Understandably, expectations rose dramatically as a result of Bellamy’s arrival. The 31 year-old Premier League superstar initially struggled to regain full fitness and his form was patchy for the first few months of the campaign. There were times when he looked every inch a top-class international, but others when his control and finishing were poor by his own high standards. He put in some superb performances during the second half of the season and led by example on the field, although his influence in the dressing room was questionable. Despite a sustained promotion challenge, spirit in the Cardiff City camp often seemed lacking during 2010/11. Was the presence of a high-profile individual who had his own fitness coach and earned so much more than the other players detrimental to team morale? Did the rest of the Bluebirds’ squad view Bellamy with admiration or envy? Given his notoriously volatile nature, was the Welshman a sensible choice for the role of captain? I don’t know the answers to those questions, but I think it’s fair to say that although he started more games than many people expected, Bellamy didn’t have the positive effect on the rest of the players that his manager had anticipated.

Jason Brown – Arrived on loan from Blackburn in early-March during the club’s goalkeeping crisis. Considering Stephen Bywater’s erratic form and Tom Heaton’s injury problems, it was amazing that Brown spent two and half months at the club without getting a game. He must have looked awful in training.

Stephen Bywater – Having fallen out of favour at Derby, Bywater surprisingly signed on loan the day after Brown arrived from Blackburn. Played ten games and appeared decidedly dodgy in the majority of them. Made very few saves and was at fault for several important goals, most notably Reading’s opener in the play-off semi-final second leg. All things considered, the Manchester-born keeper was a dreadful signing.

Danny Drinkwater – Signed from Manchester United on a season-long loan in early-July, but the deal wasn’t made official until the transfer embargo was lifted. The 20 year-old midfielder looked a bright prospect during his first six appearances, which culminated in an excellent performance as the Bluebirds won 2-0 at Portsmouth. However, he was sidelined for more than two months after aggravating a long-standing thigh injury at Fratton Park and subsequently started just three more games before being recalled by his parent club in late-January. Although he undoubtedly did well during the first month of the campaign, I feel that Drinkwater was made to appear better than he actually is by playing alongside Seyi Olofinjana, who was in excellent form at the time.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas – Another 20 year-old midfielder who signed on loan from Arsenal in January shortly before Drinkwater was recalled by Manchester United. To be honest, it was difficult to know what to make of Emmanuel-Thomas during his four-month spell at the club. The lanky England youth international seems to be one of those players without a natural position. By all accounts he played everywhere except goalkeeper during his apprenticeship in the Gunners’ academy, yet it still isn’t clear which role suits him best. Scored a couple of decent goals and showed some silky skills while at Cardiff, but often appeared lost or disinterested. Overall, his time in South Wales wasn’t a success.

Tom Heaton – The first player recruited by Dave Jones last summer and the one who may provide the club with the best long-term value. Heaton joined the Bluebirds on a free transfer from Manchester United in mid-June, having turned down the offer of a new contract at Old Trafford. The 25 year-old goalkeeper began the campaign as understudy to David Marshall but took over as first choice in late-September when Marshall was dropped following defeats at Leicester and Ipswich. He soon showed he had improved significantly since his loan spell here in 2008/09 and performed capably for much of the season despite being hampered by a series of injuries. A former England Under-21 international with a decent pedigree, Heaton is by no means the finished article but clearly has potential. He’s at a good age for a keeper and with further experience should have plenty of improvement in him. Now that Martyn Margetson has thankfully left the club, I believe the appointment of a decent goalkeeping coach will be the key to Heaton’s continued development, so let’s hope Malky Mackay finds the right man for the job.

Martin John – A 22 year-old London-born defender who initially joined the Bluebirds on trial in July and earned himself a one-year contract. John was a cheap gamble who made a solitary first team appearance against Burton in the Carling Cup before being released at the end of the season.

Dekel Keinan – Arrived in late-January from Blackpool in a deal reported to be worth £300,000. The 26 year-old Israeli international had started just five games during a six-month spell at Bloomfield Road, but despite his lack of experience in the British game he quickly adapted to the rigours of Championship football. Following an impressive debut in the 1-0 victory at Swansea, the former Maccabi Haifa centre-half was ever-present for the remainder of the campaign and was one of the side’s more consistent performers. Developed an effective partnership with Mark Hudson but didn’t seem as comfortable alongside Kevin McNaughton, which is understandable considering the Scotsman’s natural position is full-back. Keinan appears to be an extremely fit individual who will improve with further experience and better coaching. He could be a key player for City during the next couple of seasons.

Andy Keogh – Signed from Wolves on a season-long loan deal in late-August but recalled by his parent club in January due to a lack of first-team opportunities. Despite struggling to find a regular role in the side, the 25 year-old Irish international worked hard during his time at Cardiff. He chipped in with a couple of important goals but never looked a natural striker and some of his finishing was woeful. Keogh subsequently failed to make an impression at Bristol City, so it will be interesting to see where his career goes from here.

Jason Koumas – The mercurial midfielder arrived on a season-long loan from Wigan in early-August and hopes were high that he could repeat the heroics of 2005/06, when he was voted Cardiff’s player of the year. However, those hopes were quickly dashed when it became apparent the 31 year-old was a shadow of his former self. There’s no doubt Latics boss Roberto Martinez knew precisely what he was doing when he offloaded the Welsh international last summer. Apart from five magical minutes at Doncaster in April, Koumas proved a huge disappointment and a waste of wages.

Lee Naylor – Signed from Celtic on a free transfer in mid-August and rarely looked anything other than clueless. The 31 year-old left-back had played for Dave Jones throughout his tenure at Wolves and often did well by all accounts, but he made his old manager look a mug last season. Got slaughtered by Watford winger Will Buckley at Vicarage Road in late-December and it was a similar story in the return match a month later. Malky Mackay had obviously identified Naylor as a weak link and targeted him accordingly, so I’ll be amazed if the former England under-21 international has any sort of a future at Cardiff now the Scot has taken charge.

Seyi Olofinjana – The giant midfielder signed in mid-August on a season-long loan from Hull and was another player who was on the wrong side of 30 when he arrived at the club. There were games in which the Nigerian international was outstanding and others in which he was useless. Olofinjana had spent the previous two campaigns in the Premier League but was offloaded by Stoke at the end of the first and relegated with Hull at the end of the second. Although he showed plenty of ability by Championship standards last season, there was little evidence to suggest he could have made the grade in the top flight at the third attempt had the Bluebirds managed to get promoted.

Jon Parkin – Arrived from Preston on New Year’s Day in a deal worth £100,000 and was given a two-and-a-half year contract. With all due respect to the Beast, he’s not exactly what could be described as one for the future. It was difficult to imagine what sort of role Dave Jones had in mind for the 29 year-old forward when he purchased him and if the truth be told the manager never seemed sure himself. Parkin appeared to be a short-term gamble and it was one that rarely looked like paying off. Hopefully, new boss Malky Mackay will be able to make more use of the huge Yorkshireman during the forthcoming campaign, but I won’t hold my breath.

Aaron Ramsey – Returned on loan from Arsenal in late-January and stayed for a month, during which he made six appearances and looked top class. It was no coincidence that the team was unbeaten in the six games Ramsey played but failed to win any of the next four after he left. The Welsh international put in some fine performances and made a considerable difference to the shape of the side. An excellent signing but one who was always destined to return to his parent club as soon as his fitness levels improved.

Chris Riggott – A 30 year-old centre-half who joined the club during the summer after being released by Middlesbrough and was given ample time to get fit by the coaching staff. Sadly, however, he couldn’t overcome the injury problems that have blighted his career. Looked pretty decent for an hour against Coventry on Boxing Day, but broke down at Bristol six days later and was released soon afterwards. Clearly a talented defender, but if Riggott was a racehorse they’d have shot him by now.

JLloyd Samuel – Arrived from Bolton in March shortly before the emergency loan window closed. At a time when the squad badly needed another centre-half, the signing of a 30 year-old left-back who hadn’t played a competitive game in almost a year appeared a desperate one, and so it proved. To say the Trinidad & Tobago international looked rusty is putting it mildly. The team won four of the first five games Samuel played, but in truth his contribution to those victories was minimal. He was eventually found out in the catastrophic home defeat to Middlesbrough, during which he was hauled off the field after just thirty minutes while the score stood at 3-0 to the visitors. With his contract at Bolton coming to an end, Samuel was given an opportunity to impress potential employers during his two-month stint at Cardiff, but he did nothing of the sort.

Soon after Dave Jones was sacked, Daily Mail journalist Neil Moxley claimed a clause in the manager’s contract which entitled him to a twelve-month notice period with full pay had been revoked when the new regime assumed control in May 2010. Moxley suggested the board had saved approximately £780,000 in compensation payments by taking such action.

I don’t know if Moxley’s report was accurate and I suspect it wasn’t, but Jones definitely seems to have believed it was a case of promotion or bust as far as his job was concerned. During a function I attended at the Cardiff City Stadium last September, the manager told the audience he didn’t expect to be talking to them at the same time this year if the Bluebirds weren’t in the Premier League. He expressed similar sentiments during a meeting with members of the Supporters’ Trust in November. My guess is the new board agreed to give him one last chance and backed him with high-profile signings like Bellamy, Koumas and Olofinjana on the understanding that he would almost certainly be shown the door if he failed to lead his side into the top flight.

Whatever the situation was, the nature of his signings last season indicates that Jones was thinking only about the immediate future. Due to the number of loanees he recruited, he will have known the team was going to need a complete overhaul this summer regardless of which division it was in. If he had secured promotion, Jones was safe in the knowledge that players such as Bothroyd, Burke and Chopra would probably have stayed and funds would have been made available to strengthen the rest of the squad. If he failed, he knew it would be somebody else’s job to pick up the pieces.

There’s no doubt that clearing up the mess Jones left behind will be a difficult task for Malky Mackay. I reckon it may take a couple of years for the club to fully recover from last season’s flop and consequently I’m not expecting a promotion bid this time around. Having said that, I’ve been hugely encouraged by the type of players the new manager has been signing and also by the fact that he has chosen to bring in his own backroom staff. I believe the club needed a major shake-up and that’s what it appears to be getting.

Amazingly, a small number of Bluebirds fans have been moaning on the message boards about the signings Mackay has made so far. One or two have even suggested the club has been going backwards since Jones left. Perhaps they wanted to see another bunch of expensive Premier League cast-offs arrive on loan this summer, but I’m glad the new boss appears to be a little more forward-thinking than his predecessor. Last season’s short-term strategy was a failure. It doesn’t need to be repeated.

General Meeting Called

2011-07-03T03:35:00.000-07:00

On Saturday 2 July, shareholders in Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Limited were served with notice of a General Meeting to be held at the Cardiff City Stadium at 10:00am on Thursday 28 July.

In a letter to the shareholders, Chairman Dato Chan Tien Ghee wrote:

“It is now over a year since we made our initial investment in the company and I took up the role of Chairman. A lot has happened in twelve months and it has been a steep learning curve. I believe it will go down as another eventful year in the history of the football club. We have had the disappointment of once more narrowly missing out on promotion, parting company with our long-term manager, Mr Dave Jones, and appointing our new manager, Mr Malky Mackay, who joins us from Watford to oversee the next stage in our development and progress. In addition, significant progress has been made in addressing and concluding a number of the Group’s historical financial issues and problems.

“As a part of that ongoing process, I am pleased to confirm that we have reached agreement with a number of creditors to restructure their debts involving an agreed payment plan together with the conversion of a significant element into shares in the company, thereby improving the Group’s financial position and strengthening its balance sheet.”

To enable the conversion of the debts into shares, two resolutions will need to be passed by the shareholders at the General Meeting, although that will be a formality as the company has already received irrevocable undertakings to vote in favour of the resolutions from each of the directors, the creditors and related parties who represent approximately 72% of the existing shareholders.

The details of the proposed share issue to the creditors are as follows:

PMG

PMG Estates Ltd is the successful Cardiff-based commercial property development firm owned and controlled by Bluebirds directors Paul Guy and Mike Hall. PMG have agreed to convert £2,850,000 of their loan into 18,164,436 new ordinary shares at a subscription price of 15.69p per share. The balance of the debt will be restructured to be repayable in full by 31 May 2013.

MICHAEL ISAAC

Board member Michael Isaac has agreed to convert £500,000 of the monies owed to him into 3,186,743 new ordinary shares at a subscription price of 15.69p per share.

STEVE BORLEY AND CMB ENGINEERING

Director Steve Borley has agreed to convert £400,000 of the debts owed to him and his company, CMB Engineering, into 2,549,395 new ordinary shares at a subscription price of 15.69p per share.

VINCENT TAN AND ASSOCIATES

Malaysian investor Vincent Tan and his associates, including Chairman Dato Chan Tien Ghee, have advanced significant funds to the football club since making their original investment in 2010. They have agreed to convert £5,089,441 of those loans into 32,437,482 new ordinary shares at a subscription price of 15.69p per share. This latest issue will mean the Malaysians hold a combined total of 49% of the company’s share capital.

Subject to the resolutions being passed by the shareholders, the directors will have the authority to allot 204,656,719 new ordinary shares. Using the current subscription price of 15.69p as a guide, the new shares will be worth approximately £32 million. The directors propose to immediately issue 56,338,056 to the creditors as detailed above, while the rest will be set aside for future investment opportunities. The notice states the directors do not currently intend to issue shares to anyone who is not already a shareholder, but they reserve the right to do so if circumstances so dictate.

In his letter to the shareholders, the Chairman continued:

“Of the principal historical creditors of the Group, this (the new share issue) leaves only the Langston Corporation to deal with. While negotiations (with Langston) have continued, to date they have not been successful. Your board will continue to attempt to find a way of achieving a satisfactory outcome which does not prejudice or damage the long-term interests of the Group.”

It is unclear from this latest notice whether or not options under the May 2010 issue to convert £2,700,000 of the PMG debt and £500,000 of Michael Isaac’s loan into shares were taken up by the company. The various elements of the previous share issue were outlined in a piece entitled ‘The Devil is in the Detail’, which was published on this blog last July.

No doubt there will be further clarification as regards the PMG debt, the Langston loan notes situation and various other issues during the General Meeting, which I will be attending. A full report will appear here in due course.

Mixed Feelings about a Fascinating Appointment

2011-06-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

Although he almost certainly isn’t aware of it, Malky Mackay made Cardiff City history on Friday. Incredibly, the former Celtic and Norwich centre-half became only the third person to leave another job in club management in order to become boss of the Bluebirds.

The first was the legendary Fred Stewart, who quit as secretary-manager of Stockport County in May 1911 to take up a similar role at Cardiff. The Bluebirds were in the Southern League Second Division at the time. Stewart remained in the job for twenty two years, during which the club entered the Football League, won promotion to the First Division and lifted the FA Cup.

The second was George Swindin, who left Norwich City for Ninian Park in October 1962. The former Arsenal goalkeeper’s stay in South Wales wasn’t a happy one and he was eventually sacked in May 1964 following a series of rows with the club’s directors.

Mackay arrives in Cardiff after the Bluebirds board agreed an undisclosed compensation package with their Watford counterparts. City fans have grown accustomed to managers who were either discarded by their previous clubs or were working as coaches elsewhere, so the big Scotsman’s appointment is an unusual one by our standards. His profile is clearly that of someone whose stock is rising within the game, which makes a pleasant change.

I was desperately keen for Cardiff to employ an enthusiastic young manager who could bring new ideas to the club and give it some fresh impetus after six years of Dave Jones’ steady but stolid leadership, and Mackay certainly appears to fit the bill. He comes across as an intelligent, articulate and ambitious individual who is already a capable manager in his own right but is not afraid to seek advice from more experienced campaigners when he feels the need.

I can remember being very impressed by the interview Mackay gave to Sky TV before Watford’s brilliant 3-1 victory over QPR at Loftus Road last season. He struck me then as the sort of man I would like to take charge of my club in the future and that was before I watched his team blow Neil Warnock’s Championship leaders away with a superb display of attacking football.

The financial restrictions Mackay has had to work under at Vicarage Road are well-documented. The Hornets have one of smallest playing budgets in the Championship and have relied upon plenty of inexperienced youngsters in recent years. Therefore, mid-table finishes in each of the last two seasons have obviously been creditable, especially considering the quality of football that Watford have often produced under Mackay’s guidance.

Why, then, do I feel a sense of unease about the former Scottish international defender’s appointment as the new Cardiff City manager? Before I go any further, I should confess that I’m a pessimist by nature, especially where the Bluebirds are concerned. Having followed the club since the mid-Seventies, I almost always find it difficult to be optimistic about our prospects. In some ways I suppose my pessimism is a defence mechanism. During the past thirty six years I’ve become conditioned to expect the worst from City, so when things go pear-shaped, as they frequently do, I rarely feel too despondent because my hopes weren’t high to begin with.

However, on this occasion my reservations regarding our new manager are not simply the product of my natural pessimism. Instead, they are based on an examination of what happened during Mackay’s two-year stint as the boss at Watford. A little research has revealed the infrastructure at Vicarage Road is totally different to the one he has inherited at Cardiff and having looked at the way things operated there, I’m convinced his achievements with the Hornets are being somewhat overstated.

Mackay was installed as Watford manager in June 2009 after Brendan Rodgers departed for Reading. He’d previously enjoyed a brief spell as caretaker-manager in November 2008 following the sacking of Aidy Boothroyd and had worked as a member of the club’s coaching staff since April 2007.

During Boothroyd’s three and half year reign as Hornets boss, a gentleman by the name of John Stephenson arrived at Vicarage Road. He was initially appointed as the club’s Head of Player Recruitment in September 2007 but his title was altered to that of Head of Football Business and Development after the club’s academy was also put under his control in 2009. Stephenson had previously worked within the academy set-ups at Reading, Preston and Celtic and all the indications are that he became an important and influential figure behind the scenes at Watford. By the time Mackay took over as first team manager in the summer of 2009, many of the measures he had put in place were already bearing fruit.

Stephenson had implemented a complicated but effective six-stage recruitment policy that fully utilised the club’s scouting network. At that point in time, Watford had a dozen scouts working within the UK and various partnerships with other scouts across Europe. The scouts would watch a potential signing a minimum of six times before the club’s chief scout or assistant manager got involved in the recruitment process. If they were suitably impressed by the player, a forty-page dossier full of information would be presented to the manager, who would then watch the player for himself. Provided he liked what he saw, Stephenson would attempt to conclude a deal with the help of the club’s chief executive. The final stage of the strategy involved Stephenson and the coaching staff helping to integrate the player into his new surroundings.

In an interview with the Watford Observer earlier this year, Stephenson said: “The six-stage process is the key to how well we have done in terms of player recruitment in the last two years. The fact that people believe in it and allowed it to happen is a great credit to the likes of Brendan Rogers and Malky Mackay, who were supportive and believed the process could deliver players that would help the club be sustainable and maybe generate some revenue.”

Stephenson left Watford in March 2011 to take up a role as Head of Football Operations at League One champions Brighton & Hove Albion. When his departure was announced a couple of months earlier, Hornets CEO Julian Winter said: “During his time with us and most particularly during the last two years, we have seen a number of important pieces of key infrastructure at this football club not only take shape but burgeon under John’s guidance.”

Stephenson himself added: “It has been an incredible experience because we’ve had a rollercoaster ride in the last three-and-a-bit years since I joined the club. The highlights have come within the last two years, which is when I have had an influence. I was a part of the previous regime, but in terms of having an influence it’s only really been the last two years. To be able to bring in players of the quality of Don Cowie, Mike Williamson, Danny Graham, Stephen McGinn and Will Buckley were highlights. When they went on to do well for the first team it was great for me because it’s a contribution that has come directly from the recruitment department at the club.”

Danny Graham was the second player Watford signed after Malky Mackay had taken over as manager and he proved a huge success. The Gateshead-born striker, who arrived from Carlisle United in July 2009 in a deal worth £350,000, scored an impressive 41 goals in 98 appearances for the Hornets before being sold to Swansea City for £3.5 million. Mackay can undoubtedly take plenty of credit for Graham’s development during his two years at Vicarage Road, but it should be noted that the deal to take him there was originally sanctioned by Brendan Rogers.

John Stephenson explained: “You have to remember Malky was appointed to the manager’s job when the deal for Danny was already done, so it’s a great credit to Malky that he allowed it to come to fruition. Danny has gone on to prove that was the right decision.”

Such was Stephenson’s standing at Watford that the Hertfordshire club is currently seeking to employ two people to fill the void left by his departure. One will be put in charge of the Hornets’ academy while the other will concentrate on player recruitment. It can’t be a coincidence that talented forward Will Buckley, who was signed from Rochdale for a £300,000 fee in January 2010, has recently followed Stephenson to Brighton in a deal reported to be worth £1 million.

During Malky Mackay’s first season as Watford boss, a total of thirteen players made twenty or more appearances in Championship matches. Nine were already at the club when the Scotsman took over and seven were established members of the first team. As revealed by John Stephenson, the deal to sign Danny Graham was set up before Mackay assumed control, while the remaining three regulars during the 2009/10 campaign were Tom Cleverley, Henri Lansbury and Heidar Helguson, who were loaned from Manchester United, Arsenal and QPR respectively.

The other notable signings during Mackay’s Watford reign were defender Martin Taylor, who arrived on a free transfer from Birmingham City in January 2010, midfielder Stephen McGinn, who was purchased from St Mirren for £125,000 in the same month, forward Troy Deeney, who joined from Walsall in a deal worth £500,000 in August 2010, and midfielder Jordon Mutch, who was loaned from Birmingham shortly afterwards.

Mackay was also involved in one of the most bizarre transfers in Watford’s history when he sanctioned the purchase of 23 year-old left-back Jure Travner from Slovenian side NK Cleje in July 2009. Travner cost the Hornets £60,000 and according to Stephenson was the only player they signed during the last two and half years who did not go through his six-stage recruitment process. It quickly became apparent that buying Travner was a mistake and he didn’t make a single first team appearance in any competition before being shipped out to St Mirren on a season-long loan in July 2010. The Slovenian under-21 international eventually joined the Saints permanently in January 2011 after being released from his contract at Vicarage Road.

It is crystal clear that Mackay’s new job presents him with a very different set of challenges to those he encountered when he became the boss at Watford two years ago. Not only are the expectation levels significantly higher here in South Wales than they were in Hertfordshire, but he has been left with a skeleton squad by the previous manager and has no Head of Player Recruitment to help him rebuild the side. Despite the financial problems at Vicarage Road, it seems the infrastructure there in recent years has been excellent. Although things appear to be improving steadily here, I don’t believe the same can be said for Cardiff at present.

So, will our new manager prove up to the task despite his lack of experience? Well, if the truth be told, the way Watford ended last season doesn’t inspire any great confidence. The Hornets were sitting sixth in the table when they visited the Cardiff City Stadium in mid-January. After a 4-2 defeat by the Bluebirds, they managed just four more wins from their remaining twenty one matches and eventually finished in fourteenth position. It’s probable that they over-achieved significantly during the first half of the campaign but their subsequent collapse is a concern all the same.

Despite my reservations about his appointment, I sincerely hope that Malky Mackay is given time to get things right at Cardiff and the fans exercise plenty of patience with both him and his players next season. I don’t want to dwell too much on what the last manager did or did not achieve during his six seasons at the club, but I reckon Bluebirds supporters would do well to remember it took Dave Jones four years to improve on the points total Lennie Lawrence attained during City’s first campaign back at Championship level, and five years to get his side into the play-offs. I very much doubt Mackay will be afforded the same luxury by the present board, but I believe he must be given sufficient time to apply the lessons he learned at Watford. Employing him will have been a pointless exercise otherwise.

I’ll leave the last word to Brighton’s new Head of Football Operations. Before departing for the South Coast, John Stephenson told the Watford Observer: “Talking to Malky will be something that I’ll miss. I once said to him ‘Malky, you are a class act,’ and I really do mean that. He is a great guy, an excellent coach and I tell you what, he’s going to be a top, top manager.”

Let’s hope for our sake and for Malky’s that Stephenson is right.

PMG and CCST: A Clarification

2011-06-05T03:21:00.000-07:00

Following Friday’s announcement on Cardiff City’s official website concerning the latest agreement between the football club and major creditors PMG, discussions have been taking place on Annis Abraham’s message board with regard to a joint statement that was issued by the Cardiff City Supporters’ Club and the Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust in March 2010.

As was the case when that statement was initially released, its content and intentions are once again being misrepresented by certain ill-informed individuals on AAMB. Therefore, as the person who was responsible for drafting the statement on behalf of CCSC and CCST, I feel duty bound to set the record straight. Unfortunately, I am unable to respond directly to the comments on Annis Abraham’s forum as he has permanently banned me from posting there, so I shall have to respond here instead.

In mid-March 2010, representatives of the Supporters’ Trust board were contacted by members of the Supporters’ Club committee and asked to attend an emergency meeting in order to discuss the club’s ongoing financial crisis. The meeting took place on Sunday 14 March in the function room at the Duke of Clarence public house and talk centred on the delicate negotiations which were taking place at the time between the club’s largest shareholders and prospective investors Vincent Tan and Dato Chan Tien Ghee.

The Supporters’ Club representatives had information which revealed the full gravity of the club’s financial position and underlined the fact that major secured creditors Paul Guy and Mike Hall were the key figures in any potential deal with the Malaysian investors due to the size of their company PMG’s shareholding and the amount of money they were owed by the football club.

At that stage, a small group of Bluebirds fans from AAMB were actively involved in a futile campaign to force the resignation of Chairman Peter Ridsdale. While the frustrations of those supporters were fully understandable given the club’s financial problems, the truth of the matter is that Ridsdale was already the proverbial dead man walking. He had stated publicly on a number of occasions that he was ready to quit the club as soon as any new investment was secured and he’d said exactly the same during various meetings with Supporters’ Club and Trust officials.

It was crystal clear that Ridsdale was a relatively minor factor in the ongoing negotiations with the Malaysians and he would play no part in a new regime should the potential investment come to fruition. Therefore, it was quickly agreed that targeting the Chairman was a pointless exercise. While everyone present believed that Ridsdale’s position had become untenable and he should leave the club as quickly as possible, it was blatantly obvious that no amount of demonstrations, marches or brown and orange scarves would hasten his exit. Ridsdale had stated he was only going to walk away after the new investment had been rubber-stamped and so it proved.

Given the fact that Paul Guy and Mike Hall were central to the negotiations with the potential investors, it was unanimously decided to issue a joint CCSC/CCST statement appealing for them to do the right thing by the football club. The information we had available to us strongly suggested that Guy and Hall were attempting to obtain the best possible deal for their company during their discussions with the Malaysians, which was only natural; PMG is, after all, a business and not a charity. However, bearing in mind Hall’s comments to the media when Sam Hammam was forced out of the club in December 2006, we felt it was fair and reasonable to remind PMG of their responsibilities to Cardiff City.

Following the meeting, I was given the job of preparing the statement. After it had been completed and approved by the rest of the Trust board and members of the Supporters’ Club committee, it was released to the South Wales Echo for publication on 18 March 2010. The release was timed to coincide with a series of meetings that were scheduled to take place between Mike Hall and Dato Chan Tien Ghee. The statement read as follows:

Despite being granted a 56-day stay of execution in the High Court last week, it appears that the future of Cardiff City Football Club is once again on a knife edge.

We have been reliably informed that administration is virtually inevitable before the end of March if significant new investment in the club has not materialised by then. We understand the Bluebirds’ cash reserves are practically exhausted, there is little money available to pay this month’s wage bill and debts are now estimated at almost £40 million.

The situation is clearly perilous, although we are led to believe there may be light at the end of the tunnel thanks to a written offer of investment from a Malaysian consortium. The group’s front-man, Dato Chan Tien Ghee, is said to be arriving in the UK on Thursday for a series of meetings with Bluebirds officials, during which the club’s fate will effectively be sealed.

The men who appear to hold the key to the football club’s future are Cardiff-based property developers Paul Guy and Mike Hall. Their company, PMG, is the club’s biggest shareholder and also its largest secured creditor. Consequently, they are certain to be central to any takeover negotiations.

During recent years, PMG has benefited from a series of lucrative land deals connected to the Cardiff City Stadium project. Not only has the company become the sole owner of the successful Capital Retail Park, but it was also chosen to develop and build the Glamorgan Records Office, which stands adjacent to the new stadium. In addition, PMG recently purchased another large plot of land on the stadium site, upon which a hotel will eventually be developed.

It is clear that PMG has been doing well from its relationship with Cardiff City, but the current state of the football club’s finances suggests the benefits of this association have not been entirely mutual.

It should be acknowledged that Paul Guy and Mike Hall were largely instrumental in getting the new stadium project off the ground. They advised on all stadium development issues, while PMG advanced the club £9 million of the funding required to build it. The loan was secured against future income from the Premier Club seating area and attracts interest estimated at £500,000 pa.

In December 2006, while he and his colleagues were in the process of taking control of Cardiff City, Mike Hall claimed the new investors were local people who were interested in the football club’s long-term future. He also described former-owner Sam Hammam as being motivated by “total greed and self-interest”.

We sincerely hope that Messrs Guy and Hall will not put themselves in a position whereby they will be open to similar accusations from Bluebirds’ supporters during the coming weeks. We therefore call upon them to set aside their personal interests and do what is right for Cardiff City Football Club in the critical days ahead.

The statement was well received on the main Cardiff City Mad forum, but it was a very different story on Annis Abraham’s message board, where a blatant anti-Supporters’ Trust campaign had been in full swing for several months. Comments posted by some of the more prominent members of that forum included the following:

“This statement is pathetic and clearly highlights the weakness of the Trust. The fact is it’s just a publicity tool for Sugarman.” (18/3)

“The Trust’s dig at PMG astounds me. Their claims that PMG could make or break any deal are pretty ludicrous based upon what everybody else has been hearing. Which then makes you wonder precisely how much information the Trust actually has and, more importantly, where it's coming from.” (18/3)

“The truth of the matter is that there have been clandestine meetings between the Trust and Peter Ridsdale over these last few weeks and the outcome of those meetings is this statement. The Chairman via the Trust has successfully deflected criticism from himself and onto Paul Guy.” (19/3)

“As far as I’m concerned an individual has abused his position in the Trust with regards to releasing this statement. The trust is being run as some sort of dictatorship.” (19/3)

“This statement has come about because a certain member of the Trust was railroaded and misled by Peter Ridsdale. He is abusing his power for a personal agenda, trying to put heat on some, and taking heat off others.” (20/3)

“Has anybody found out who is behind the pathetic PMG statement issued by the Trust? As if it's not difficult to guess. With that press statement they shot themselves in the foot entirely, wrong tactic, wrong target.” (20/3)

Meanwhile, the website's owner Annis Abraham said:

“What a pathetic statement. Why have a go at PMG? Why are certain people now turning on Paul Guy? What is their agenda? To turn on PMG, well the Trust has lost it in my opinion.” (18/3)

As tends to be the case with so many issues, much of the gossip on AAMB relating to the CCSC/CCST joint statement was complete and utter nonsense. As I have already explained, the statement was the result of a meeting between representatives of the two official fans’ groups rather than any clandestine meetings between me and Peter Ridsdale. The truth is I never had any secret meetings with the former Chairman. Rumours that I was somehow in cahoots with Ridsdale were circulated by the usual suspects in a calculated attempt to discredit me as an individual and the Trust as an organisation.

There was also no personal agenda or abuse of position on my part. In fact, the meeting at the Duke of Clarence was called by officials of the Supporters’ Club as opposed to the Trust, while the contents of the joint statement were arrived at during the discussions that followed. Furthermore, the statement was fully approved by members of the Supporters’ Club committee and the Trust board before it was submitted to the South Wales Echo for publication.

The motives behind the statement were misinterpreted by certain individuals when it was released and they are being misinterpreted again now. The statement was never intended to be an attack on PMG, as has been suggested. It was merely an attempt to remind Paul Guy and Mike Hall of their obligations to the football club and a public appeal for them to do all they could to facilitate the Malaysian investment. The statement was also obviously not a plea for PMG to pay the club’s outstanding tax bills, as has been claimed this week by one prominent AAMB member.

When details of the new investment package were circulated to shareholders in May 2010, it became apparent that Paul Guy and Mike Hall had indeed made significant concessions in order to ensure the deal went through. As a condition of their investment, the Malaysians had insisted that several debts and contractual arrangements were restructured, with PMG’s loan being easily the largest and most important. Under the terms of the new agreement, £300,000 of the cash owed to PMG was converted into shares, while the balance of the debt was restructured so it was repayable in full by 30 September 2013 as opposed to being repayable immediately. The deal also stated that a further amount of up to £2.7 million of the outstanding debt could be converted into shares at the club’s discretion at any time before 31 December 2011 provided sufficient written notice was given to PMG.

I am extremely confident that the terms of the May 2010 agreement were far more beneficial for the football club than those which Paul Guy and Mike Hall were originally seeking in their negotiations with the Malaysians, so credit is due to them for giving ground in order to facilitate the investment deal. It would be fanciful of me to suggest that the joint CCSC/CCST statement had any bearing on their decision to make those concessions, but history has shown that it didn’t do any harm.

Friday’s announcement that a further agreement has been reached regarding the club’s largest secured debt is excellent news. According to a statement on the official Cardiff City website, PMG have agreed to convert a significant amount of their outstanding loan into shares while also agreeing a new payment plan which will improve the club’s balance sheet. Both steps are very positive, while the news that Mike Hall will be rejoining the club’s board of directors in order to work with the Malaysian investors on addressing the Langston issue is interesting to say the least.

The Wit and Wisdom of Chairman Sam

2011-05-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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:

“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.” (August 2000)

“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.” (August 2000)

“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.” (August 2000)

“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?” (August 2000)

“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.” (August 2000)

“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.” (August 2000)

“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?” (August 2000)

“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.” (August 2000)

“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.” (August 2000)

“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.” (November 2000)

“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.” (August 2001)

“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?” (August 2001)

“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.” (September 2001)

“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.” (January 2002)

“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.” (January 2002)

“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.” (January 2002)

“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.” (January 2002)

“The beauty of life is to have problems. Only the dead have no problems.” (January 2002)

“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.” (May 2002)

“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.” (December 2002)

“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." (December 2002)

“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.” (December 2002)

“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.” (December 2002)

“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.” (December 2002)

“Any player with the potential to play in the Premiership is remaining with Cardiff City. End of story.” (January 2003)

“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.” (August 2003)

“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.” (October 2003)

“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.” (December 2003)

“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.” (December 2003)

“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.” (January 2004)

“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.” (February 2004)

“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 two games – who is he, Ronaldo?” (April 2004)

“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.” (April 2004)

“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.” (April 2004)

“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.” (June 2004)

“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.” (July 2004)

“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.” (August 2004)

“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.” (September 2004)

“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?” (November 2004)

“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.” (March 2005)

“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.” (March 2005)

“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.” (March 2005)

“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.” (March 2005)

“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.” (March 2005)

“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.” (March 2005)

“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.” (March 2005)

“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.” (March 2005)

“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.” (March 2005)

“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.” (March 2005)

“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.” (June 2005)

“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.” (July 2005)

“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.” (December 2005)

“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.” (April 2006)

“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.” (July 2006)

“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.” (October 2006)

“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.” (October 2006)

“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.” (October 2006)

“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.” (October 2006)

“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.” (October 2006)

“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.” (October 2006)

“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.” (December 2007)

“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.” (December 2007)

“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.” (December 2007)

“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.” (July 2010)

“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.” (May 2011)

The Great Langston Debate

2011-01-13T13:39:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

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 “not in charge of all the facts” and was “on many issues factually incorrect.” 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.

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.

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:

September 2004 – The First Loan Notes Agreement

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.

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.

October 2006 – The Second Loan Notes Agreement

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.

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.

August 2007 – The Langston Litigation

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.

The statement said: “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.”

Peter Ridsdale responded by saying: “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.”

Director Steve Borley dismissed Langston’s lawsuit as “scaremongering, posturing and misinformation.” He added: “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.”

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: “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.”

In another interview with the Wales on Sunday, Ridsdale said: “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.”

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.

Within a week, Hextalls had issued a further statement on behalf of Langston. It read: “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.”

Peter Ridsdale replied by saying: “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.”

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: “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.”

In response, Hextalls issued another statement on Langston’s behalf claiming the adjournment was down to the football club. They said: “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.”

On 10 December, PMG director and major club investor Mike Hall spoke to the South Wales Echo about the ongoing situation. Hall said: “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 (Hall’s business partner) 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.”

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: “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.”

Lifelong Bluebirds fan Abraham commented: “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.”

When asked by the Western Mail to comment on Hammam’s open letter, Peter Ridsdale said: “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.”

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.

Judge Briggs stated that Langston’s claim was “plainly not a case for summary judgement”. He said the club “had a realistic prospect of establishing a defence” on each of the technicalities cited by the creditors as contraventions to the loan notes agreement. The judge refused Langston leave to appeal, saying: “I consider this to be a clear case and I do not consider that an appeal stands any reasonable chance of success.” He added: “In my judgement, the club has a real prospect of obtaining the remedy of rectification it seeks.”

Mr Justice Briggs concluded there was also a “real prospect” that a full trial would conclusively prove that Sam Hammam was “the governing mind and will” 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.

December 2009 – The Third Loan Notes Agreement

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:

1) Payment by the club to Langston of £83,333 per calendar month starting in January 2010.

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.

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.

4) An undertaking by Langston to suspend any legal proceedings against the club until 31 December 2010.

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.

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.

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.

Conclusions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Bizarre ‘Bring Back Sam’ Campaign

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.

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.

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.

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.

All Hail the Humble British House Spider

2010-10-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of year again. Early autumn is the period in which mature house spiders are desperately seeking a mate, while many mature humans become gibbering wrecks because these tiny eight-legged creatures dare to venture into our homes.

The humble house spider is a timid animal which is completely harmless to human beings. Nevertheless, its appearance seems to strike terror into the hearts of a significant percentage of the British population. Incredibly, a fear of spiders is believed by experts to be the most common phobia in the United Kingdom. Well over a million British citizens are said to be genuine arachnophobes, while millions more are simply scared of spiders.

It’s a peculiar situation when you consider that spiders in the UK are relatively small, they very rarely bite and when they do the symptoms are usually mild. In fact, of the six hundred and forty species of spiders that are native to this country, only twelve are known to have bitten humans. In almost all cases the effects of those bites were less painful than a wasp sting, although there is one comparative newcomer to the British Isles that can provide its victims with a nasty nip.

The False Widow Spider (Steatoda nobilis) originated in the Canary Islands and was first discovered in the UK back in the 1880’s. How it arrived here is something of a mystery, but it eventually managed to establish itself in the areas surrounding the Devon coastline. It remained localised in that region until the 1980’s, when its population began to spread slowly but surely throughout southern and eastern England. Scientists predict this tiny invader will continue to migrate further north in years to come as the effects of global warming lead to milder winters, although it’s likely to be some time before it reaches South Wales.

The False Widow (pictured left) is almost certainly the UK’s most venomous spider and is capable of giving an unpleasant bite by comparison to the majority of species in this country. The effects are reported to include rapid swelling, radiating pain, a numbing of the areas around the bite, nausea and even a variety of flu-like symptoms which can last for a few hours after a bite is inflicted. That’s the bad news, but the good news is that although there have been plenty of False Widow bites recorded within the last decade, none of them have ever proved fatal.

To put the situation into some sort of perspective, the fact is that an average of four people die in the UK each year from anaphylactic shock after being stung by bees or wasps. There is no doubting that the small and exotic False Widow is a spider to be treated with caution, but it should be underlined that the actual dangers it presents to humans have been greatly exaggerated by the tabloid press.

The larger spiders which are often found wandering around our homes and workplaces at this time of year are mere pussycats by comparison to the False Widow. Depending on which area of the UK you live in, they are usually one of two almost identical species. Tegenaria saeva is the house spider that is most common in Wales and the West Country, while Tegenaria gigantea is more widespread throughout the rest of Britain.

Contrary to popular belief, the reason these spiders suddenly start appearing indoors during September and October is not because they are seeking shelter from the colder weather but because it is their annual breeding season. The leggy specimens we see scuttling about on our walls and carpets are almost always mature males who are frantically searching for a mate before the winter sets in. They are easily identified by the distinctive appearance of their pedipalps, which resemble a small pair of arms tipped by miniature boxing gloves.

All spiders have pedipalps, regardless of their sex. Situated between the fangs and the first set of legs, they are sensory organs and are used for a variety of functions, including capturing and manipulating prey, courtship and reproduction. Sexually mature male house spiders have prominent, swollen bulbs at the tips of their pedipalps, as demonstrated by the superb specimen pictured above. These are used to transfer sperm to the female during mating. The males also have slimmer abdomens and considerably longer legs than the females, so spotting the differences between the sexes should be fairly straightforward even for those of us who are unfamiliar with arachnid anatomy.

Male house spiders belonging to the larger Tegenaria species have only a few months left to live once they have reached adulthood. They mature after approximately two years and then embark upon a desperate race against time in a bid to find a suitable partner. Females generally live almost a year longer and tend to remain in the tubular retreats of their large, sheet-like webs for the majority of their lives.

When a male house spider locates a female who is nearing maturity, he guards her web until she has undergone her final moult. The mating process begins shortly afterwards and is usually repeated on a number of occasions before he dies. Unlike numerous other species, the female house spider never kills the male after mating, although she often eats him once he has perished. In doing so, she utilises the nutrients his body provides for the production of their offspring. The female stores the male’s sperm throughout the winter and then produces up to a dozen egg sacks during early spring, with each sack containing between forty and sixty eggs. The tiny spiderlings hatch within a few weeks and immediately disperse from the nest. Mature females frequently survive for several months after producing their offspring but are usually dead by the time winter comes around again.

I should point out that the chances of an errant male house spider finding a female in your living room, bedroom, bathroom or kitchen are virtually zero. As a rule, modern human dwellings are far too warm, dry and bright for this species to comfortably inhabit. Besides which, the food supply they require is at a premium in such surroundings. These spiders eat a variety of insects including beetles, cockroaches and earwigs, so unless your house is infested with creepy crawlies, you have no need to worry about a female setting up residence there. You are far more likely to find her web in the corner of your cellar, garage, garden shed or greenhouse.

Unfortunately for male house spiders, their eyesight is so poor that they occasionally wind up in totally unsuitable locations while they are busily hunting for a partner, with our homes and workplaces being the prime examples. Despite having eight eyes, these nocturnal arachnids are virtually blind and can only clearly sense light, dark and movement. The vast majority enter buildings after dusk through open windows or gaps in walls and ceilings where pipework and wiring emerges. It is widely believed they also travel up bath and sink waste pipes and crawl in through plugholes, but that’s just an urban myth. A house spider is no more capable of swimming through the water in a waste pipe U-bend than any other small animal. These hapless creatures almost always get trapped in baths and sinks after falling from walls and ceilings, although a small percentage end up there during dry spells because they are attracted to the moisture. Either way, they are unable to clamber out again as they cannot maintain a proper grip on smooth surfaces such as stainless steel and enamel.

If you are genuinely concerned about the prospect of spiders entering your home at this time of year, then close all your doors and windows before nightfall and make sure the gaps around your pipework and wiring have been sealed up. Not only will you be keeping the spiders out, but you’ll have the added bonus of reducing your heating bills. Also, if you are worried about finding spiders in your bath, then leave a large towel draped over the sides at night. That will give any clumsy arachnids an immediate escape route and the chances are they will have vanished by the morning.

I’m not going to pretend that house spiders are the most attractive animals on the planet. With their long, spindly legs and hairy bodies, they aren’t exactly easy on the eye and their nasty habit of suddenly appearing when we least expect them can be unnerving even for the most enthusiastic arachnophile. Nevertheless, no matter how squeamish their appearance makes us feel, the fact remains that these interesting little creatures are totally harmless to humans.

The next time you discover a spider in your home, please don’t kill it. Take pity on it instead. Carefully catch and release it if you can, or simply allow it to wander away of its own accord. Remember, the spiders that enter our houses during the autumn do so in error and are far more frightened of us than we are of them. They are only searching for a mate and can do us no harm, so try to ignore any irrational fears and let them live. The likelihood is the poor creatures will perish within a few weeks anyway.

Is That All We Take Away?

2010-08-09T03:03:00.000-07:00

All the indications are that Cardiff City’s following at Derby County next Saturday afternoon will be the Bluebirds’ lowest for the opening away league game of any season since the club returned to the Championship in 2003.

I'm reliably informed that only five hundred tickets have so far been sold for the game up at Pride Park. No doubt there will be further sales this week, but I’ll be amazed if the current figure doubles. Therefore, it seems almost certain that there will be less than a thousand City supporters at Derby.

The team’s followings for the first away league game of each season since 2003, when the Bluebirds returned to the second tier of the Football League, were:

2003/04: 2,200 at Rotherham United
2004/05: 1,556 at Crewe Alexandra
2005/06: 1,115 at Ipswich Town
2006/07: 1,680 at Barnsley
2007/08: 1,446 at Queens Park Rangers
2008/09: 1,742 at Doncaster Rovers
2009/10: 1,316 at Blackpool

The opening away game of each new season has traditionally been well-supported by Cardiff City fans, but next weekend’s match at Pride Park looks likely to prove an exception to the rule.

There are clearly a number of factors which have brought about this situation. For instance, the tickets for Derby are relatively expensive, with adult prices set at £28.00; Cardiff have played away at Derby in six of the previous seven seasons, so a trip to Pride Park is no longer seen as a novelty; a more attractive away fixture at Portsmouth falls within the same month; and Derby was the last regular away game of the 2009/10 season. Nevertheless, taking the feedback I have been receiving from some of the fans I usually travel away with into consideration, it appears the main reason for the poor ticket sales is simply the apathy which currently exists within the club’s support.

It seems many fans have yet to recover from the disappointment of last season’s play-off final defeat to Blackpool. The frustration over that failure coupled with a sense of disillusionment brought about by the club’s continuing off-field problems means that many regular away travellers simply can’t be bothered to go to Derby next weekend.

It’s amazing to think there were around forty thousand Bluebirds supporters at Wembley only three months ago, but there will be less than a thousand at Pride Park on Saturday. Let’s be honest, the word fickle could have been invented for Cardiff City fans. Having said that, I’ll admit the lack of enthusiasm many supporters are experiencing at present is understandable given the circumstances.

Personally, I’m very much looking forward to the Derby trip. The journey isn’t a particularly long one, Pride Park is a decent stadium and, after a drab pre-season campaign, there were some encouraging signs from the team during yesterday’s draw with Sheffield United, especially in the second half.

With the transfer embargo now lifted, I understand it’s highly likely that at least two and maybe as many as four players will be joining the club within the next week, so we might see some new faces in the team on Saturday. That would undoubtedly give the fans a much-needed lift after what has been a largely uninspiring summer.

The Fred Keenor Story (Part Two)

2010-08-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

Cardiff City legend Fred Keenor can justifiably be described as the greatest Bluebird of them all. Although he was never considered one of the most gifted footballers of his generation, Fred’s fighting spirit, his will to win and his inspirational leadership qualities enabled him to carve out a remarkable career at the highest levels of the British game.

The tough-tackling defender spent the best part of two decades at Ninian Park, during which time his name became synonymous with both Cardiff City Football Club and the Welsh national side. In April 1927, the Bluebirds became the first and so far only team to take the FA Cup out of England thanks to a 1-0 victory over Arsenal at Wembley Stadium. Images of Cardiff captain Keenor proudly cradling the coveted trophy after that famous triumph have proved some of the most enduring in the history of Welsh sport.

As the campaign for a statue to commemorate the great man and his achievements gathers momentum, I thought it would be a good time to reflect upon the playing career of one of Welsh football’s most iconic figures. In the second part of Fred’s story, I’ll recall the Bluebirds’ historic FA Cup final win. I’ll also describe the club’s subsequent decline, Fred’s heroics as captain of the Welsh national side and the final years of his career following his release by Cardiff:

After their narrow FA Cup final defeat, Cardiff City surprisingly struggled for much of the 1925/26 campaign and suffered a number of heavy losses, including a 6-3 reverse at Blackburn, a 5-0 hammering at Arsenal and a disastrous 11-2 walloping at Sheffield United – a defeat which ranks as the worst in the club’s history. Nevertheless, they managed to steer clear of the relegation places and eventually finished sixteenth.

Fred Keenor succeeded Jimmy Blair as team captain before the start of the 1926/27 season but the Bluebirds continued to struggle and were hovering just above the relegation zone when he was dropped from the starting line-up following a 5-0 defeat at Newcastle on Christmas Day. He responded by submitting a transfer request, which was accepted by the board in mid-January. For a while it looked like Fred’s Cardiff career was over, but he won back his place in the side in early-February and was taken off the transfer list shortly afterwards as the club’s fortunes began to improve.

The upturn in the team’s league form coincided with the start of another outstanding FA Cup campaign which culminated in a second trip to Wembley. After overcoming Aston Villa in the first round, the Bluebirds beat Darlington, Bolton and Chelsea before meeting Second Division side Reading in the semi-finals at Molineux. The men from Elm Park had defeated Swansea in the quarter-finals, but their hopes of a Welsh double were crushed as City strolled to a 3-0 victory. Prolific centre-forward Hughie Ferguson (2) and half-back Harry Wake were the goal scorers.

In the other semi-final at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal beat Southampton 2-1 with goals from English internationals Joe Hulme and Charlie Buchan. As was the case in 1925, many thousands of Cardiff supporters travelled to London on the day of the Cup final, but this time their team enjoyed better luck. The Gunners were level on points with the Bluebirds in the First Division table, so the game promised to be a tight affair, and so it proved. Arsenal claimed the majority of the possession, but with Fred, Jimmy Nelson and Billy Hardy in superb form, City’s defence stood firm.

The decisive moment of a largely uninspiring encounter occurred in the seventy fourth minute. Scottish winger George McLachlan switched the ball inside to his fellow countryman Hughie Ferguson, who attempted an innocuous-looking right-footed shot from the edge of the area. Arsenal keeper Dan Lewis appeared to have it covered, but with Len Davies bearing down on him, the ball squirmed from his grasp and trickled over the line. It was a bizarre goal and a personal disaster for Rhondda-born Lewis, who had made his international debut for Wales just two months earlier.

Despite a renewed effort after Ferguson’s strike, the Gunners failed to find a way past the City rearguard as Keenor and Co hung on for a famous victory. A multitude of ecstatic Welshmen flooded onto the pitch at the final whistle to watch Fred climb the Wembley steps and collect the trophy from King George V. The Bluebirds had become the first team to take the FA Cup out of England, and ironically they had done so on April 23rd - St George’s Day.

After the presentation, Fred reflected on his side’s success and told the press: "I think we were very lucky to win because, to be candid, I think Arsenal deserved to do so. It was a rather poor game for a final but we do not expect these matches to provide the most skilful display. So much depends on the result that we get anxious, and I’m sure we all were today. However, I am very glad we have won, if only because we are taking the Cup to Wales for the first time."

The national newspaper reports were full of praise for the Bluebirds’ defending. The Daily Herald’s correspondent wrote: "The teams were evenly matched and it was mainly due to the superiority of their defence that Cardiff won the day." The Daily Express claimed: "Cardiff’s defence was like a brick wall and they were more dangerous going forward." The Daily Mirror said: "The outstanding feature of the contest was Cardiff’s superb and heroic defending," while the Westminster Gazette stated: "Cardiff were a safety-first team, but they carried out their scheme so thoroughly that the Arsenal never looked like scoring."

City followed up their Wembley triumph by claiming the Charity Shield in October 1927 with a 2-1 victory over leading amateur side Corinthians at Stamford Bridge. The team’s league form improved during the 1927/28 campaign and they finished in a creditable sixth position, but their FA Cup defence ended in the fifth round when they were beaten by Second Division outfit Nottingham Forest.

Fred’s list of honours increased further in 1928 as he captained Wales to another Home International Championship title. He guided the side to victories over England and Northern Ireland after a draw against Scotland in the opening fixture.

The Bluebirds began the 1928/29 season brightly, but they started to struggle when several key players suffered long-term injuries. By the midway stage of the campaign, the team was deeply entrenched in a relegation battle and they eventually finished rock bottom of the table. Curiously, they had conceded fewer goals than any other side in the division, but their dismal scoring record resulted in the end of the club’s eight-year stay in the top flight.

Following a mediocre season in 1929/30, when they finished eighth in the Second Division, City endured a nightmare campaign in 1930/31. By that time, a number of the senior players had reached the veteran stage of their careers and they were unable to reproduce anything like their best form. The team was in trouble from the moment the season began and they were relegated long before it ended thanks mainly to a dreadful run that saw them manage just one win in their last seventeen matches.

Fred made his final appearance for the Bluebirds in April 1931 during a 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur at Ninian Park. With the side already doomed to relegation to the Third Division South, the game was watched by just 6,666 spectators. It was a sad end to a magnificent Cardiff City career, during which Fred had played an amazing total of 505 matches in all competitions and scored 22 goals.

Although the 1930/31 season was a disaster at club level, Fred did enjoy one moment of glory when he led the Welsh national side to the most improbable result in its 134-year history. Throughout the Twenties and early-Thirties, the majority of Home International Championship matches were played on Saturday afternoons, which meant they clashed with the Football League programme. At that stage, clubs were under no obligation to release players for internationals unless they were called upon to do so by their own national associations. Consequently, English sides often refused to let their Irish, Scottish and Welsh stars play for their countries on the same days as League fixtures.

In October 1930, Wales failed to raise a team of professionals for their match against Scotland in Glasgow. The Scottish side was virtually at full strength, but the Welsh line-up included several inexperienced amateurs from non-league clubs such as Colwyn Bay, Llanelli, Nunhead and the Cardiff Corinthians. The press dubbed the team ‘Keenor and the Unknowns,’ while bookmakers offered odds against them with a five-goal head start. One newspaper columnist predicted the Scots would declare when they reached double figures, but the game didn’t turn out as the pundits expected.

Wrexham striker Tommy Bamford stunned the Ibrox crowd when he blasted Wales into a sixth-minute lead. Hearts forward Barney Battles equalised shortly before half-time, but from that point onwards Scotland found it impossible to break down the visitors’ rearguard. City reserve keeper Len Evans produced a string of breathtaking saves and the rest of the Welsh team defended magnificently as they fought their way to the unlikeliest of draws. The Western Mail claimed the side’s performance was "the pluckiest in the history of international football," while thirty six year-old Fred was described as "a great and heroic captain whose hard tackling inspired his team-mates, and who kept the forwards supplied with the right kind of passes."

Following his release by Cardiff in May 1931, Fred was signed by Crewe Alexandra in time for the start of their 1931/32 Third Division North campaign. His capture was viewed as a major coup for the Gresty Road club and a crowd of 8,127 turned out to watch his debut against Wrexham, which was a remarkable figure considering it was more than double Crewe’s average gate for the previous season. He captained the Railwaymen to a 3-0 victory over the Robins and went on to make 124 appearances in all competitions during three years with the Cheshire side.

The veteran defender collected the last of his 32 Welsh caps when he was called up to face Scotland at Tynecastle in October 1932, and he performed admirably as Wales triumphed 5-2 despite playing for eighty minutes with ten men after an injury to winger Charlie Phillips. Surprisingly, it was only the second time Wales had won in Scotland, the first occasion having been in 1906.

Fred played the 485th and final Football League match of his career in May 1934. Tranmere Rovers were Crewe’s opponents on that occasion and he scored one of the Alex goals in a 3-1 victory witnessed by a crowd of just 1,742. After leaving Gresty Road, Fred spent the 1934/35 season as player-manager at Oswestry Town, who were competing in the Birmingham & District League alongside clubs such as Hereford, Shrewsbury and Kidderminster. He then spent a year with Southern League side Tunbridge Wells Rangers in the same capacity before finally retiring from the game in May 1936 at the age of forty one.

Unfortunately, Fred became seriously ill in August 1937. He’d been suffering from diabetes for several years, although in typical Keenor fashion he had kept his condition a secret from his family until he collapsed at his home in Kent and was rushed into hospital, where he remained unconscious for five days. A benevolent fund was set up by the Football Association of Wales to assist Fred’s dependents while he recovered and many of his friends from his playing days contributed. Happily, after a lengthy stay in hospital, he was able to regain his strength and resume a normal working life.

Fred returned to his native city in 1958 and worked for several years as a storeman with the Cardiff Corporation’s building department. He was an occasional and hugely popular visitor to Ninian Park until his death in a residential home at the age of seventy eight in November 1972.

The legendary Fred Keenor was undoubtedly one of the greatest servants that both Cardiff City and the Welsh national team have ever had. Not only was he a tremendous sportsman, but he was also a fine ambassador for his city and his country. It’s been more than seventy four years since Fred hung up his football boots, but while many of his achievements are still talked about, they have yet to be properly commemorated. Hopefully, that situation will soon be resolved and he will be rightfully honoured by the people of South Wales with a memorial that is long overdue.

A bucket collection in aid of the Fred Keenor Statue Fund will be taking place outside the Cardiff City Stadium before Sunday’s game against Sheffield United. Please keep an eye out for the Supporters’ Trust volunteers and make a donation if you can.

Donations to the appeal fund can be made through the Co-operative Bank (account name: Fred Keenor Statue Fund or FKSF, account no: 65392368, sort code: 08-92-99). Cheques can also be sent c/o CCST to PO Box 4254, Cardiff, CF14 8FD. Please mark the words ‘Fred Keenor Appeal’ on the top of the envelope.

The Fred Keenor Story (Part One)

2010-08-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

Cardiff City legend Fred Keenor can justifiably be described as the greatest Bluebird of them all. Although he was never considered one of the most gifted footballers of his generation, Fred’s fighting spirit, his will to win and his inspirational leadership qualities enabled him to carve out a remarkable career at the highest levels of the British game.

The tough-tackling defender spent the best part of two decades at Ninian Park, during which time his name became synonymous with both Cardiff City Football Club and the Welsh national side. In April 1927, the Bluebirds became the first and so far only team to take the FA Cup out of England thanks to a 1-0 victory over Arsenal at Wembley Stadium. Images of Cardiff captain Keenor proudly cradling the coveted trophy after that famous triumph have proved some of the most enduring in the history of Welsh sport.

As the campaign for a statue to commemorate the great man and his achievements gathers momentum, I thought it would be a good time to reflect upon the playing career of one of Welsh football’s most iconic figures. In the first part of Fred’s story, I’ll describe his experiences during the Great War, his successes with Wales and Cardiff City’s first visit to Wembley:

Frederick Charles Keenor was born in the Roath district of Cardiff in July 1894. The son of a stone mason and one of eleven children, he began playing football while attending Stacey Road School and captained his school team for three years. In April 1907, he gained the distinction of playing for Wales against England in the first-ever schoolboys international. The historic match took place at the Hillary Street Ground in Walsall, where the English youngsters scored a hard-fought 3-1 victory over their Welsh counterparts.

At the age of seventeen, Fred was turning out for Roath Wednesdays in the Cardiff junior leagues when he was snapped up by Cardiff City director Walter Riden, who had previously been one of his schoolmasters at Stacey Road. Fred originally signed for the Bluebirds on amateur forms before joining the club’s professional ranks in November 1912. His initial contract paid him the princely sum of ten shillings a week while he learnt his trade playing with the reserves in the Western League.

He made his first-team debut in December 1913 during a Southern League First Division clash with Exeter City at a wet and windy Ninian Park. The match ended in a 1-1 draw and nineteen year-old Fred made a favourable impression despite the treacherous conditions. The Western Mail’s football correspondent reported: "The most pleasing discovery of the afternoon was young Keenor. His was a highly promising first appearance."

Fred established himself as a regular in the Cardiff side during the 1914/15 campaign as they finished third in the Southern League table, but like all professionals of that period his career was suspended at the end of the season due to the escalation of the First World War.

He enlisted in the 17th Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment, which was better known as the ‘Footballers’ Battalion,’ and was posted to Northern France before being sent into action at Delville Wood in July 1916 during the infamous Battle of the Somme. After many days and nights in the trenches facing a continual bombardment from the German artillery, Fred sustained shrapnel wounds to his left leg and right shoulder. The leg injury was such that he feared his professional career was over, but following several months of convalescence in a Dublin hospital he was able to rejoin the Army and start playing football again.

Upon his return to the British mainland, Fred was stationed at a depot in Chatham, where he became a member of the Army’s physical training staff. He signed for Brentford as a guest player in time for the start of their 1918/19 London Combination campaign and made nineteen appearances for the Griffin Park club as they surprisingly won the league ahead of teams such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Once the War had ended and he’d been demobbed, Fred returned to South Wales and rejoined Cardiff’s Southern League squad. He made his senior debut for the Welsh national team in October 1919 during a Victory International against England at Ninian Park and produced a solid display in the right-half position as Wales recorded an unexpected 2-1 triumph – their first over England in thirty seven years.

The South Wales Echo’s match reporter wrote: "One might have expected Keenor to show some nervousness on his first appearance in a representative side and before a Cardiff audience, but he played with remarkable self-assurance. He reproduced his best club form and will be a strong candidate for further honours."

In March 1920, Fred was a member of the Welsh side who chalked up another 2-1 victory against England, this time at Arsenal’s Highbury Stadium. It was only the second occasion that Wales had won on English soil and, following earlier draws against Ireland and Scotland, it was enough to secure the British Home International Championship title for the first time since 1907.

At the end of 1919/20 season, most of the teams in the Southern League’s First Division became members of the Football League’s newly-formed Third Division. Cardiff City, however, were voted straight into the Second Division during a specially-convened meeting of the League’s management committee. It was a massive leap forward for the club and the beginning of a golden era in which Fred was to play a starring role.

The 1920/21 campaign proved a remarkable one for the Bluebirds. Fred scored one of his side’s goals in an opening day 5-2 victory at Stockport County and was a virtual ever-present as City cruised to promotion at the first time of asking. The team finished runners-up to Birmingham and also enjoyed an incredible FA Cup run that thrilled the Welsh public.

After defeating Sunderland, Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton in the early rounds, they were drawn at home to First Division outfit Chelsea in the quarter-finals. A crowd of well over 50,000 crammed into Ninian Park and witnessed a terrific contest, which City won 1-0 with an early Arthur Cashmore goal. Fred and his team-mates then fought out a 0-0 semi-final draw with fellow Second Division side Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield before losing 3-1 in a controversial replay at Old Trafford.

After doing so well during their debut Football League season, the Bluebirds initially struggled in the First Division. They lost the opening six games of their 1921/22 campaign and by mid-October were rooted to the bottom of the table, but they staged a miraculous recovery from that point onwards and following a series of impressive victories over the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and champions Liverpool, they eventually finished fourth. The team’s love affair with the FA Cup continued as they reached the quarter-finals, where they were beaten 2-1 by Tottenham in an exciting White Hart Lane replay watched by a sell-out crowd of 53,626.

The Bluebirds consolidated their top flight status in 1922/23 by finishing ninth. Alongside Fred, the squad included some very talented individuals such as Irish goalkeeper Tom Farquharson, Scottish full-backs Jimmy Blair and Jimmy Nelson, English half-back Billy Hardy and Welsh forward Len Davies. City looked ready to mount a serious challenge for the First Division championship and that challenge materialised during 1923/24.

The team made a fantastic start to the campaign and were beaten only once in their first twenty two matches. Despite a dramatic dip in form during March, when they collected just one point from five games, they were still sitting pretty at the top of the table going into the final day of the season. A victory over mid-table Birmingham at St Andrews would have secured the title, but the Bluebirds could only manage a 0-0 draw. Crucially, Len Davies had a penalty saved by Blues keeper Dan Tremelling midway through the second half.

Meanwhile, championship rivals Huddersfield Town beat strugglers Nottingham Forest 3-0 at Leeds Road. The result meant the Yorkshiremen finished on the same number of points as Cardiff. In those days, the method of determining league positions when clubs were level on points was by goal average, which involved dividing the number of goals each team had scored by the number they had conceded. The calculations revealed that Huddersfield had won the First Division title by just 0.024 of a goal, which has since proved the narrowest winning margin in the entire history of the top flight.

Fred gained some compensation for City’s disappointment when he captained Wales to the 1924 Home International Championship title. Under his leadership the Welsh side achieved a clean sweep of victories for the first time, beating Scotland 2-0 at Ninian Park, England 2-1 at Ewood Park and Ireland 1-0 at Windsor Park.

Having got so close to the championship in 1923/24, Cardiff’s league form was erratic during 1924/25 and they dropped to eleventh in the table, but despite their inconsistency they enjoyed another fabulous FA Cup campaign which took them all the way to Wembley. They needed three attempts to see off Third Division North champions Darlington in round one before defeating Fulham, Notts County, Leicester and Blackburn Rovers en route to the final. City’s opponents at Wembley were Sheffield United, who were also occupying a mid-table position in the First Division.

Tens of thousands of excited Welshmen invaded London on the day of the final but they returned home disappointed following a dour contest that failed to live up to expectations. United claimed the Cup thanks to solitary first half effort from English international winger Fred Tunstall, who capitalised on a dreadful defensive blunder by City half-back Harry Wake before slotting the ball past Tom Farquharson.

The Western Mail reported: "This final will probably go down in history as one of the most disappointing in the series. The better team on the day won, yet that is not saying a great deal for Sheffield. Compared to Cardiff they were a much better side, but from the standpoint of good football they were certainly not great."

The Sheffield Daily Telegraph was full of praise for the way in which the Bluebirds and their fans reacted to losing the match. The paper’s correspondent wrote: "Better luck to Cardiff City next time. They fought well and cleanly, and the Yorkshire people at Wembley were impressed by the magnificent sporting spirit which was shown both by the Cardiff players and their thousands of disappointed supporters."

During a civic reception at the City Hall two days later, team captain Jimmy Blair admitted that nerves had got the better of the Bluebirds. The veteran Scottish international left-back said: "I can assure you that we did our very best, although I must confess the occasion awed me, and I’m a more experienced player than most of the side. It takes a man of tremendous willpower to stand the awful strain of an occasion such as the Cup final."

Fred, meanwhile, refused to let the defeat dent his spirits as he vowed to make a swift return to Wembley and win the trophy for his countrymen. He told the press: "Just because we lost in our very first Cup final, I don’t think there is any cause to get down in the mouth. I can say here and now that one day soon Cardiff City will bring that Cup to Wales."

In the second part of the Fred Keenor Story, which I will publish on Friday evening, I’ll recall the famous day in 1927 when the Bluebirds lifted the FA Cup. I’ll also describe the club’s subsequent decline, Fred’s heroics as captain of the Welsh national side and the final years of his career following his release by Cardiff.

A bucket collection in aid of the Fred Keenor Statue Fund will be taking place outside the Cardiff City Stadium before Sunday’s game against Sheffield United. Please keep an eye out for the Supporters’ Trust volunteers and make a donation if you can.

Donations to the appeal fund can be made through the Co-operative Bank (account name: Fred Keenor Statue Fund or FKSF, account no: 65392368, sort code: 08-92-99). Cheques can also be sent c/o CCST to PO Box 4254, Cardiff, CF14 8FD. Please mark the words ‘Fred Keenor Appeal’ on the top of the envelope.

Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd Financial Statements 2005 to 2009 - a Comparison

2010-07-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

The long-overdue Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Limited financial statements for the year ending 31 May 2009 were finally lodged with Companies House this week and to say they didn’t make pleasant reading for Bluebirds fans is something of an understatement.

I don’t have any accounting qualifications so I won’t even pretend to understand many of the facts and figures contained within the audited accounts. However, even to someone with my limited knowledge, it is blatantly obvious that the 2008/09 season was a particularly grim one for Cardiff City in financial terms. The club’s wage bill was considerably higher than its turnover (which was down by more than £2 million) and its debt levels increased significantly.

As I have copies of the last five sets of published accounts for the company, I thought it would be interesting to compare a few of the headline numbers from the latest financial statements with those for each of the previous six seasons. I will leave it to others who are far better qualified than me to analyze the figures, although I will add a few comments of my own at the end of the comparison:

Annual Turnover

2003/04 = £9,550,781
2004/05 = £8,182,419
2005/06 = £8,008,568
2006/07 = £10,677,459
2007/08 = £12,779,021
2008/09 = £10,400,966

Profit on Player Sales

2003/04 = £000,000
2004/05 = £3,832,772
2005/06 = £6,695,881
2006/07 = £626,875
2007/08 = £5,517,935
2008/09 = £6,583,146

Profit or Loss on Ordinary Activities

2003/04 = Loss of £9,057,705
2004/05 = Loss of £6,127,367
2005/06 = Profit of £931,873
2006/07 = Loss of £4,956,262
2007/08 = Loss of £2,936,398
2008/09 = Loss of £8,080,028

Interest Payable to Creditors

2003/04 = £1,285,697
2004/05 = £2,267,845
2005/06 = £415,702
2006/07 = £294,802
2007/08 = £2,236,410
2008/09 = £3,330,322

Number of Club Employees

2003/04 = 140
2004/05 = 150
2005/06 = 120
2006/07 = 125
2007/08 = 112
2008/09 = 111

Annual Wage Bill

2003/04 = £9,781,123
2004/05 = £10,569,727
2005/06 = £8,087,739
2006/07 = £9,616,754
2007/08 = £13,367,769
2008/09 = £13,487,145

Former Chairman Peter Ridsdale’s Salary

2004/05 = £20,000
2005/06 = £201,745
2006/07 = £1,034,490*
2007/08 = £529,000
2008/09 = £400,000

* The 2006/07 figure included a £500,000 bonus that was awarded in January 2007 and immediately converted into shares. From mid-2004 until late-2007, Peter Ridsdale’s wages were paid through WH Sports Group Limited – a consultancy company in which he and his wife Sophie were the only directors. From late-2007 onwards, the wages were paid directly to Ridsdale. By way of a comparison to his salary levels, the management fees claimed by former club owner Sam Hammam through his company Rudgwick Limited during the same period were: £583,333 (2003/04), £500,000 (2004/05), £200,000 (2005/06) and nil (2006/07 onwards).

Net Debt

2002/03 = £16,644,695
2003/04 = £24,817,706
2004/05 = £26,471,864
2005/06 = £27,289,021
2006/07 = £26,523,722
2007/08 = £23,231,969
2008/09 = £31,740,657

Additional Points of Interest from the May 2009 Accounts

The latest financial statements indicate that a further £228,641 was paid to directors during the relevant accounting period. This figure almost certainly represents the salaries of former Group Finance Director Alan Flitcroft and Non-executive Director Keith Harris. Previous Finance Director Tony Brown was never listed as a member of the board of directors, so his wages were not divulged in the earlier accounts.

For the first time, full details have emerged of the loan provided by PMG Estates Limited in relation to the funding required to build the new stadium. In 2008, the Cardiff-based commercial property development firm owned and controlled by director Paul Guy and his business partner Mike Hall gave the club a £9 million loan along with further financial guarantees of £2.3 million. As at 31 May 2009, PMG had charged the club £490,989 in commitment fees and £385,169 in interest.

The commitment fees were accrued at an annual rate of 3%, while interest on the loan and fees was charged at 3% above base rate. At the end of the accounting period, the amount owing to PMG was £9,770,466. The loan, which is secured by means of a debenture over the club’s assets, became repayable on 4 November 2009, when interest increased to 5% above rate. However, the terms of the deal have subsequently been restructured (see my previous blog entry regarding the new investment agreement for further details).

In 2004, long-serving director Steve Borley gave the club a loan of £250,000 with interest set at 3% above base rate. At some point during the accounting period covered by the 2009 financial statements, the loan was reduced to £220,000. As at 31 May 2009, a sum of £282,163 including interest remained outstanding.

During 2009, M&A Solicitors charged the club professional fees amounting to £256,938 in relation to work they undertook on the new stadium project. In previous years, the totals charged by the firm in which board member Alan Whiteley is a senior partner were £21,150 (2006), £106,426 (2007) and £391,520 (2008).

Included in the list of creditors is a firm called Sports Asset Management, who apparently gave the club a loan of £2,500,000 at some stage during the 2008/09 campaign. The interest payable on this loan is quoted as being an astonishing £1,250,000. As at 31 May 2009, the entire debt of £3,750,000 remained to be paid.

The accounts state the directors have valued the new Cardiff City Stadium at £44.6 million based on the build contract and related professional fees.

Comments

By the time Cardiff City had earned promotion to the Championship in May 2003, the club was already in debt to the tune of a staggering £16.6 million. As if that wasn’t bad enough, a record loss of more than £9 million was registered at the end of the 2003/04 season while debts soared to almost £25 million. With a wage bill that exceeded turnover, the Bluebirds were hurtling towards financial meltdown under the stewardship of Sam Hammam.

Another hefty operating loss of £6.1 million was recorded in 2004/05 as the club reached crisis point. In March 2005, Hammam enlisted the help of Peter Ridsdale in a desperate bid to avoid administration. Players were sold, wages were reduced, running costs were cut and, for a brief period, the financial picture began to look a little healthier, but the improvement proved to be a temporary one.

Having ousted Hammam in November 2006, the new regime led by Chairman Ridsdale immediately set about resurrecting the floundering stadium project. They faced a number of major obstacles, the biggest one being the fact that the club was in such a dire financial mess by that stage that it couldn’t realistically afford to embark upon what was an ambitious and very costly scheme. However, on the flip side, so much had already been gambled on building the stadium that the club couldn’t afford to abandon the project either.

Given the perilous financial situation, the management team’s decision to sign three high-earning veterans during the summer of 2007 seemed reckless. In retrospect, it was absolute madness. Bringing the likes of Robbie Fowler, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Trevor Sinclair to South Wales may have raised the club’s profile, but it also helped to raise the wage bill from £9.6 million to an unprecedented £13.3 million. That was a ridiculous figure for a club which had a turnover of just £10.6 million during the previous twelve months.

It is clear from the financial statements that reaching the FA Cup final had a huge impact on the club’s turnover for the 2007/08 campaign. Either that or the club shop sold considerably more Robbie Fowler replica shirts than any of us thought! Nevertheless, despite all the extra merchandise and season ticket sales that accompanied the FA Cup run, yet another operating loss of £2.9 million was registered.

For me, the most alarming figures in the latest accounts are those relating to wages and salaries. Having offloaded Fowler, Hasselbaink and Sinclair during the 2008 close-season, I assumed the club’s wage bill would have reduced significantly by May 2009. Instead, the financial statements reveal the wage bill actually increased slightly during 2008/09. At least that news should finally put paid to any claims that manager Dave Jones has been working on a shoestring budget.

Of course, the accounts published this week are already more than a year out of date and I can’t imagine those for the 2009/10 season will look any healthier given the numerous off-field dramas of the last eight months. Having said that, the effects of the new investment agreement should be a lot clearer this time next year, so hopefully there will be some genuine light at the end of the tunnel by then.

The Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Limited directors’ report for the year ending 31 May 2009 states: "The new investment was intended to stabilize the group’s position in the short term and to allow the development of a coherent and sustainable business strategy. The immediate future still contains significant challenges and uncertainties, many of which will need to be addressed through a combination of raising new finance, both equity and debt, securing new income streams and, to the extent appropriate, through player trading.

"The directors and new investors recognize the financial issues which the group faces, many of which have arisen over a number of years, but believe that, whilst continuing to operate, there is a reasonable prospect of resolving those issues in a structured way."

Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the directors and new investors are right. Developing a sustainable business strategy for a Championship football club that has such enormous debts and so few remaining income streams is going to be an uphill struggle to say the least, but hopefully the Chairman and his associates will prove up to the task.

The Devil is in the Detail.....

2010-07-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

More than a month has passed since the Malaysian-led regime took control of Cardiff City, but few details have emerged in the press with regard to the nature of the deal which saw Dato’ Chan Tien Ghee (TG) installed as the club’s new Chairman.

That’s a pity, as the contents of former Chairman Peter Ridsdale’s notice to shareholders, which was issued prior to the recent General Meeting, were interesting to say the least. They gave a clear indication of the complexity of the investment agreement and went a long way towards explaining why the negotiations were so protracted. Make no mistake about it, the Malaysians drove a hard bargain and the club’s financial position has improved considerably as a result.

The following is my interpretation of the deal based on the details contained in the General Meeting notice and a variety of other documents which have been published by the club in recent years:

The New Ordinary Shares Issue

When the Malaysians’ interest was confirmed late last year, many observers believed TG and his business partner Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun would secure a stake in Cardiff City simply by purchasing blocks of shares from existing shareholders, and probably at knockdown prices given the club’s serious financial problems. However, that’s not the way things worked out. Instead, a complicated agreement was reached which should prove far more beneficial for the football club in both the short and long terms.

The deal, which was rubber-stamped by the shareholders during the General Meeting, saw the creation of 118,665,241 new ordinary shares in Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Limited. There were already 41,334,759 ordinary shares in circulation, so the total now stands at exactly 160,000,000.

The latest share issue has four separate elements – the issue of 38,240,918 new ordinary shares to the Malaysian investors; the issue of up to 33,208,782 new ordinary shares to three of the company’s largest creditors; the issue of up to 12,746,973 new ordinary shares to the company’s existing shareholders; and the issue of up to 34,468,568 new ordinary shares which the Directors have the authority to allot in response to future investment opportunities.

Each new share has been given a subscription price of 15.69p, so in effect the issue has the potential to be worth around £18.6 million to the football club if it is fully subscribed. As a result of the deal, existing shareholders could see their stakes in the club shrink to roughly one quarter of their former value in percentage terms, although the 2010 subscription price is exactly the same as that which was paid by the majority of investors who bought shares following the January 2007 issue.

The Malaysian Investment

Under the terms of the new agreement, TG and Vincent Tan acquired 38,240,918 ordinary shares for a sum of £6 million. However, the club had already borrowed £1 million from the Malaysian businessmen prior to the deal being struck and that loan was converted into shares, so in reality their investment brought £5 million of new money into the company.

As a condition of the Malaysians’ share subscription, they were entitled to appoint two directors to the club’s board and elect one of those directors as Chairman. This part of the agreement will remain valid for as long as they hold 30% or more of the company’s issued share capital. TG therefore took over from Peter Ridsdale as Chairman, while Vincent Tan’s son, U-Jiun Tan, joined the board as a Non-executive Director.

Messrs Chan and Tan currently hold approximately 40% of the ordinary shares that have so far been allotted. If the remainder of the new ordinary shares which are set aside for creditors and existing shareholders are eventually taken up, the Malaysians would hold a fraction over 30% of the enlarged share capital. However, that figure could alter significantly if any of the shares which are designated for future investment are issued.

PMG Estates Limited and Paul Guy

PMG Estates Limited is the successful Cardiff-based commercial property development firm owned and controlled by Paul Guy and Mike Hall. The company is the football club’s largest secured creditor.

In 2008, PMG loaned the club a sum of £9 million in order to cover a shortfall in the funding required to build the Cardiff City Stadium. The interest-bearing loan was secured against future income from the stadium’s Premier Club seating area. As at 1 April 2010, more than £9.2 million of the debt remained outstanding.

Prior to the new agreement, PMG held 6,294,836 ordinary shares in Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Limited, while Paul Guy held an additional 2,069,345 shares. Under the terms of the new deal, £300,000 of the cash owed to PMG was converted into 1,912,046 new ordinary shares, while the balance of the loan was restructured so it is repayable in full by 30 September 2013 as opposed to being repayable immediately.

Interestingly, the agreement states that a further amount of up to £2.7 million of the outstanding debt can be converted into shares at the club’s discretion at any time before 31 December 2011 provided sufficient written notice is given to PMG. This could result in the issue of another 17,208,413 new ordinary shares to the property developers.

PMG and Paul Guy currently hold a combined total of around 11% of the allotted ordinary shares, but that percentage will rise significantly if the clause outlined above is exercised in full.

In a surprise move, Paul Guy has returned to the club’s board of directors as a result of the new agreement. Guy had previously served as a director between 1997 and 2004 but he declined to take a seat on the board following the January 2007 takeover. On that occasion Mike Hall became a director, although he resigned nine months later during the club’s legal battle with major creditors Langston.

Michael Isaac

Another character who has made an unexpected return to the Cardiff City boardroom is local businessman Michael Isaac. He initially became a director of the club in November 1999 and served on the board until June 2005, when he was relieved of his duties as Vice-Chairman following a public spat with former Bluebirds owner Sam Hammam.

In 2004, Isaac gave the club a loan of £1.5 million with interest fixed at a staggering rate of 20% per annum. The terms of the loan were restructured in 2009 when interest was reduced to 3% above base rate and monthly repayments were set at £50,000, but as at 1 April 2010 the club still owed the Cowbridge-based property developer a sum in excess of £1.75 million.

Under the terms of the new agreement, £1.25 million of the outstanding debt was converted into 7,966,858 new ordinary shares, while the balance is scheduled to be repaid in interest-free monthly instalments commencing in August 2010. In addition, a further amount of up to £500,000 can be converted into shares at the club’s discretion at any time up until 31 August 2010 provided sufficient written notice is given to Isaac. If exercised in full, this clause would give him another 3,186,743 new ordinary shares.

Having played no part in the January 2007 takeover, Michael Isaac’s shareholding prior to the new agreement was relatively small. He held just 49,600 ordinary shares, but that figure has now risen to 8,016,458. Isaac currently holds roughly 9% of the shares which have already been allotted.

Steve Borley and CMB Engineering

Long-serving director Steve Borley initially joined the Cardiff City board in 1997. In May 1999, he succeeded Samesh Kumar as Chairman and served in that capacity until August 2000, when the club was purchased by Sam Hammam. He has remained as a director ever since.

Before the latest issue, Borley held a total of 3,226,574 ordinary shares. Under the terms of the new agreement, he subscribed to a further 637,348 shares with a value of £100,000. In 2009, he was awarded a £50,000 bonus by his fellow directors in recognition of work he had undertaken on the club’s new stadium project. However, it was revealed during the February 2010 General Meeting that the bonus remained unpaid at that point in time. Therefore, it seems certain it has subsequently been converted into shares.

Steve Borley is the Managing Director of CMB Engineering, South Wales’ largest independent building services contractor. It is common knowledge that CMB is owed a substantial sum of money in relation to work the company carried out on the new stadium, although the exact figure has never been made public. As a part of the investment deal, Borley agreed to convert £460,458 of the outstanding debt into 2,934,722 new ordinary shares, while the balance is scheduled to be repaid in twelve interest-free monthly instalments commencing in August 2010.

Lifelong Bluebirds fan Borley and his firm currently hold a combined total of 6,798,644 shares, which equates to a little over 7% of the club’s issued share capital.

Peter Ridsdale

According to the football club’s accounts for the year ending 31 May 2007, much-maligned former Chairman Peter Ridsdale was paid a £500,000 bonus in January 2007 for successfully renegotiating the size and terms of the loan notes agreement with the Langston Corporation and achieving unconditional status on the new stadium project. The notes to the relevant financial statements claim the entire bonus was immediately reinvested in the club when he acquired 4,545,455 shares at a discounted subscription rate of 11.11p per share.

Ridsdale later disposed of 400,000 shares, which left him with a total of 4,145,455. Prior to the new investment agreement, he held approximately 10% of the company’s issued share capital, but that figure has now dropped to a fraction under 4.5%.

Alan Whiteley and M&A Solicitors

A long-time associate of major shareholder Paul Guy, corporate lawyer Alan Whiteley joined the Cardiff City board following the January 2007 takeover, having previously filled the role of Company Secretary. Around that time, he acquired 1,274,697 shares in the club in his own name and a further 796,686 shares he holds jointly with Stephen Berry, his senior partner at M&A Solicitors. Under the terms of the new agreement, he subscribed to another 637,348 shares with a value of £100,000.

Like fellow director Steve Borley, Whiteley was awarded a £50,000 bonus by the board in 2009 in recognition of his work on the new stadium project, although he told shareholders during the February 2010 General Meeting that he hadn’t collected the money. Therefore, as is the case with Borley, it seems certain that Whiteley’s bonus has been converted into shares. He currently holds almost 3% of the club’s issued share capital.

Sam Hammam and Rudgwick Limited

In August 2000, former Wimbledon owner Sam Hammam bought Cardiff City Football Club for a sum of £3,139,558. The purchase agreement involved the issue of 18,562,500 ordinary shares to his company, Rudgwick Limited. At that stage, the controversial Lebanese businessman controlled no less than 82.5% of the club’s share capital.

Following his resignation as Chairman in November 2006, the agreement which formed the basis of the January 2007 takeover resulted in Hammam’s stake being slashed to 1,856,250 new ordinary shares. That left him holding 4.5% of the issued share capital, while the latest deal further reduces the figure to just 2%.

Reports appeared in the South Wales Echo last week claiming that Hammam will meet TG within the next fortnight to discuss the possibility of him returning to the Bluebirds board. However, the club quickly poured cold water on the idea with a statement on its official website which read:

"Cardiff City Football Club can confirm that there are no plans to have Sam Hammam return to the club in any capacity. The only scheduled meetings due to take place are those being brokered through the club’s solicitors and relate to the Langston debts."

The current Chairman further clarified the situation on Friday morning in an open letter to City supporters. He said:

"With regards to the media speculation concerning Sam Hammam, as stated yesterday the only contact we have had is through the club’s solicitors and is in regards to addressing the Langston agreement. I would stress that the comments (in the press) are unhelpful, unfounded, inaccurate and self-serving.

"As of yet, no meeting has been set up and I have had no direct dialogue with Mr Hammam. If there is to be a meeting, I will be accompanied by the club's solicitor and it will be to discuss a final settlement and timing of the whole Langston issue."

The Issue to Shareholders

Under the terms of the new agreement, existing shareholders were offered an opportunity to buy further shares at a subscription price of 15.69p. The club set aside 12,746,973 new ordinary shares with a value of £2 million for this purpose. A minimum investment of £1,000 was required from each qualifying shareholder and a deadline of 25 May 2010 was set for applications.

As previously mentioned, directors Steve Borley and Alan Whiteley each subscribed to 637,348 new ordinary shares, but only an additional 828,550 shares with a value of £130,000 were taken up by the company’s minor shareholders before the deadline passed. Therefore, roughly 10,643,700 shares (worth £1.67 million) remain unissued.

The club’s smaller shareholders currently own a combined total of approximately 22,450,000 shares, which works out at around 23.5% of the issued share capital.

Additional Shares to be allotted by the Directors

The final element of the agreement involved the issue of an additional 34,468,568 ordinary shares which the Directors have the authority to allot in response to future investment opportunities. The notice to shareholders circulated prior to the General Meeting stated the Directors do not intend to release these shares, which have an approximate value £5.4 million, to any person who is not already a shareholder. However, the board have reserved the right to do so should the circumstances dictate.

Appointments and Resignations

Following the General Meeting, the club confirmed that Dato’ Chan Tien Ghee had been appointed as Chairman, while Paul Guy, Michael Isaac and U-Jiun Tan had joined the board as Non-executive Directors alongside Steve Borley and Alan Whiteley.

Also confirmed were the appointments of Gethin Jenkins as the club’s new Chief Executive Officer and Doug Lee as Finance Director. Jenkins spent the previous six years occupying a similar role with the Newport Gwent Dragons rugby club, but little is known about Lee’s background.

Meanwhile, it was announced that former Chairman and Chief Executive Peter Ridsdale, Group Finance Director Alan Flitcroft and Non-executive Director Keith Harris had resigned from the board with immediate effect. Ridsdale, however, is apparently continuing to work for the club on a short-term consultancy basis.

Conclusions

The new investment agreement was essential in order for Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Limited to continue to trade. Without the Malaysians’ timely intervention, the company stood very little chance of avoiding either administration or liquidation. The situation had become desperate but the agreement seems to have provided the club with a degree of stability. Although the financial position hasn’t altered dramatically and serious cash-flow problems still exist, things appear to be moving in the right direction.

The latest share issue raised approximately £5.2 million of new money, and that was vital as it allowed the club to clear its outstanding tax bill. The investment agreement also resulted in more than £3.1 million of debts being converted into equities and has the potential for a similar amount to be wiped off the balance sheet in the near future if the club exercises the clauses relating to the loans provided by PMG and Michael Isaac.

Almost all of the recent developments have been positive, but I believe the composition of the new board of directors has emerged as a definite negative. Those who are currently making the major decisions at the Cardiff City Stadium appear to lack any genuine football credentials, and for me that is a legitimate concern.

In effect, the new regime consists of two wealthy Malaysians who have no previous experience of British football, three local businessmen who were in control of the club ten years ago when it was relegated to the league’s bottom division, a chief executive whose background is in rugby, a finance director and a corporate lawyer. From my point of view, that is hardly what could be described as a boardroom dream team.

With all due respect to Gethin Jenkins, I have to say I was bitterly disappointed by the news of his appointment as City’s Chief Executive Officer. Beforehand, I had fully expected the Malaysians to employ an experienced administrator who would look after the football side of the club’s activities on their behalf. I envisaged the new man would have a proven track record in the upper levels of the British game and a wide range of contacts to match. Instead, the board has opted for someone who has spent the last six years in charge of a local Rugby Union club where the average attendance is a shade over 6,000.

It goes without saying that Championship football and regional rugby are very different ball games in every respect, but that doesn’t mean Jenkins is incapable of doing a decent job for Cardiff City. For all we know, he is a talented administrator who will prove his worth to the club in the long term. Nevertheless, having made the decision to install him as CEO, I feel the board have missed a trick by failing to bring in an experienced football executive on a temporary basis to work with manager Dave Jones on important issues such as contract negotiations and player recruitment.

The 2010 close-season is a critical one as far as the squad’s development is concerned. After the disappointment of the play-off final defeat to Blackpool, the team appears to be at a crossroads. Three senior players have already been released and another has returned to his parent club following a season-long loan spell. One of the side’s star performers is certain to leave, while several more are being strongly linked with moves to other clubs. In addition, a number of key players have just a year left to run on their contracts, so talks over new deals will soon be essential.

Clearly there is plenty of work for Dave Jones to do in the coming months, while the budget he will have to operate within is almost certain to be tighter than it has been during any of his previous five seasons in South Wales. It appears the manager is under a great deal of pressure this year, especially as he’s likely to get little assistance from the club’s hierarchy.

There is no doubt that the summer of 2010 is a transitional period for Cardiff City Football Club in every sense. The new Chairman and his board are trying to work their way through the mess that has been left behind by previous regimes, while the manager is attempting to strengthen his squad despite the obvious financial restrictions. Those tasks are not going to be straightforward, but then very little is where the Bluebirds are concerned.

Cardiff City General Meeting Report

2010-05-27T06:17:00.000-07:00

This morning’s General Meeting of Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Limited at the new stadium proved to be a brief and straightforward affair, during which the proposed £6 million investment from Malaysia and the restructuring of the company’s finances were rubber-stamped by the shareholders with the minimum of fuss. In fact, the meeting lasted a grand total of just sixteen minutes.

Representing the club on the top table were Company Secretary Alan Whiteley, incoming Chairman Dato’ Chan Tien Ghee, outgoing Chairman Peter Ridsdale and Non-executive Director Steve Borley. Apologies were offered for the absence of departing board members Keith Harris and Alan Flitcroft. I would estimate that a maximum of fifty shareholders were in attendance, and they included major creditors Paul Guy and Mike Hall.

Peter Ridsdale opened the meeting at 10:00am and immediately conducted the formal business of the day. All three of the resolutions proposed by the board were carried unanimously without any questions from the shareholders, thus enabling the investment and restructuring of some of the club’s debts to go ahead as planned.

Ridsdale then closed the formal section of the meeting and invited Dato’ Chan Tien Ghee to address the shareholders.

TG, as he is better-known, began by saying it was an honour to serve as Cardiff City Chairman. He said he felt "deeply privileged" to be in such a position.

After offering his thanks to the outgoing Chairman and board members for the work they have done in recent years, he described the football club as "a Welsh institution that is now representing two nations," and said "there is quite a journey ahead of us."

TG stated that he is committed to making another challenge for promotion next season, but said he wants the club to be aiming for the top two positions as opposed to the play-offs. He suggested the drama during the play-off semi-final against Leicester had almost given him heart failure and said he doesn’t want to go through such a nerve-wracking experience ever again if he can avoid it. He added that although he considers automatic promotion to the Premiership as "a dream mission which will require a lot of hard work from everyone," he does not regard it as an impossible goal to achieve.

The club’s new Chairman said we must not forget that Cardiff City is a business and needs to be operating within sensible financial guidelines. He said that he and the rest of the board will therefore be involved in plenty of strategic planning during the weeks and months ahead.

TG said he hopes that details of the club’s proposed pre-season tour of Malaysia can be announced soon provided the plans are approved by the respective football associations. He concluded by thanking the shareholders for the way in which the meeting had been conducted and said it was the quickest he’d ever been involved in.

Shareholder Wayne Letman followed TG’s speech by offering a brief appreciation of the work departing Chairman Peter Ridsdale had done since arriving at the club in 2005. This was greeted with a warm round of applause from most of those present, including the new Chairman and his fellow board members.

Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust board member Keith Morgan then asked Company Secretary Alan Whiteley how much of the £2,000,000 worth of new ordinary shares which were set aside for existing shareholders under the terms of the latest issue had been subscribed to. Whiteley replied that only £130,000 worth of shares were taken up, but added that there are no plans to extend the deadline for such subscriptions, which passed on Monday morning.

Morgan also asked whether the club is intending to take up the option which allows it to convert a further £2,700,000 of the money currently owed to PMG Estates Ltd into new ordinary shares. Whiteley said this subject is currently under discussion with the parties concerned.

Peter Ridsdale closed the meeting at 10:16am with a very brief speech, during which he offered his best wishes to the new board and thanked his colleagues, the shareholders and the fans for their help and support during his tenure as Cardiff City Chairman.

A Fine First Season at the New Cardiff City Stadium

2010-05-25T12:02:00.001-07:00

Despite Saturday's bitterly disappointing play-off final defeat, I think it's fair to say that the inaugural season at the superb Cardiff City Stadium exceeded expectations as far as many Bluebirds supporters are concerned, and I definitely include myself in that category.

Having been lucky enough to have enjoyed two tours of the stadium before it opened last summer, I was eagerly anticipating the first campaign at our club's new home. However, if I'm being honest, I didn't think the move from Ninian Park would go quite so smoothly and I didn't believe the football would prove to be anywhere near as exciting.

Initially there were a few teething problems, particularly with the ticket office and PA system, but those relatively minor issues apart, the transition from the old ground was an immediate success. Attendances rose significantly and the players responded to the change of surroundings by notching up victories in their first four competitive fixtures, scoring thirteen goals in the process.

City's first Championship reverse at the new stadium was certainly no disgrace. In a tight contest watched by the club's biggest league crowd since 1976, the Bluebirds were beaten 1-0 by eventual runaway champions Newcastle United. Cardiff lost four more league games at the stadium before the campaign was over, but generally the team's home form was fairly solid.

During the final season at Ninian Park, City's Championship playing record was: won 14, drew 5, lost 4, scored 40, conceded 23, goal difference +17. The side's league statistics in the first season at the new ground read: won 12, drew 6, lost 5, scored 37, conceded 20, goal difference +17. Very similar records on the face of it, but the results in what can arguably be considered the five biggest Championship home matches of each campaign tell an interesting story.

In 2008/09 at Ninian, the Bluebirds lost 2-1 to both of the sides who won automatic promotion (Wolves and Birmingham). In 2009/10 at the new stadium, City lost 1-0 to champions Newcastle as previously mentioned, but managed a 1-1 draw with runners-up West Brom.

In 2008/09, both derby matches at Ninian Park ended in draws (0-0 with Bristol City and 2-2 with Swansea). In 2009/10, both derby matches at the new stadium resulted in victories for Cardiff (3-0 against Bristol City and 2-1 against Swansea).

In 2008/09, City lost 3-0 to Ipswich Town in the final game at Ninian Park. In 2009/10, City won 4-0 against Scunthorpe United in the opening game at the new stadium.

Much has been said about the allegedly intimidating atmosphere that used to be generated at Ninian Park, but a quick glance at the club's results down the years will confirm that it rarely seemed to intimidate the opposition players during important fixtures like derby matches. If anything, the atmosphere at Ninian occasionally seemed to make the home side more nervous than the visitors. The scores in such games provide proof enough of that.

In my opinion, the atmosphere at the new stadium this season has generally been far superior to that created at Ninian Park. There have been games when the team has played poorly and the atmosphere has been dead, just as there often were at Ninian. However, when the side is playing well, the atmosphere inside the new ground can be superb.

The shape of the stadium and the fact that it doesn't have open terraces or empty corners like Ninian definitely helps towards a better atmosphere. The noise generated by the fans tends to stay within the confines of the stadium bowl. Consequently, the place was rocking during some of the biggest games this season, and the players reacted positively to the support they were getting, most notably during the thrilling league victories over Bristol, Leicester and Swansea.

One player who really seemed to enjoy himself at the Cardiff City Stadium was striker Jay Bothroyd. No less than nine of the thirteen goals he scored during the 2009/10 campaign were netted at the new ground. The team's most prolific marksmen, Peter Whittingham and Michael Chopra, both split their goal tallies almost equally between home and away matches, but Bothroyd seemed to reserve his best scoring form for the CCS. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the rumours about the big targetman having a bust-up with Dave Jones on Saturday are nonsense and the club's directors make every effort to retain his services for next season.

Although the campaign ended in heartbreak with that dismal Wembley defeat to Blackpool, I believe there is plenty to feel good about with regards to Cardiff City at present. The move to the new stadium has given the club a fresh impetus, the team has achieved its highest league finish for forty years and the increased attendances are offering significant hope for the future.

City's average league crowd during the final season at Ninian Park was 18,044. The average during the 2009/10 campaign was 20,717, which represents a very healthy rise of almost 15%. The vastly-improved facilities and the layout of the new stadium are much more family-friendly, and there now appears to be many more women and children attending matches. That is a very positive step forward indeed. Season ticket sales for the 2010/11 campaign are rumoured to be better than expected, so it seems the momentum is being maintained and the club's fanbase is steadily building.

There was also a significant rise in the number of away fans attending Cardiff's home matches this season. In 2008/09, the average away following for league matches at Ninian Park was 641. In 2009/10, the average at the new stadium rose to 818, which was an increase of around 27%. Visiting the Cardiff City Stadium is obviously a far more enjoyable experience for away supporters than trips to the old ground. The new stadium is also considerably easier to police than Ninian, which should help to improve Cardiff's reputation with the football authorities and fans of other clubs.

Despite the ongoing financial problems, the move to the new stadium has clearly provided the club with a solid foundation upon which it can build for the future, so much will now depend on the direction the new board decides to take this summer. I believe a cost-cutting exercise is inevitable, but provided the nucleus of the existing squad is retained and some reasonable replacements are brought in for the players who depart, then there seems no reason why the Bluebirds can't challenge for promotion again next season.

It will be fascinating to hear what the directors have to say during tomorrow's general meeting of shareholders at the new stadium. Hopefully, they will provide us with some clues as regards their future plans. I will be attending the meeting and will provide a full report on this blog in due course.

Cardiff City Supporters' Trust Statement

2010-03-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In the Ideal World...

2010-02-25T14:24:00.000-08:00

In the ideal world, Peter Ridsdale would no longer be the Chairman of Cardiff City. Once the new stadium had opened, he and the rest of his colleagues on the current board would have stepped aside and let the club’s wealthy new owners take charge of its day-to-day operations.

In the ideal world, the club’s major shareholders would not be rugby-loving property developers. They would be fabulously rich Cardiff City fanatics who are prepared to bankroll the club’s bid for Premiership football by dipping into their own personal fortunes on a regular basis.

In the ideal world, the club would not have incurred any debts while it was in the process of building and fitting out the new stadium. A wealthy benefactor would have paid for all of the stadium costs out of his own pocket.

In the ideal world, the club wouldn’t have to service any historical debts. The individuals who had advanced the club money in the past would have written off their loans out of the goodness of their hearts simply because they love the Bluebirds.

In the ideal world, Cardiff City would not have to compete with five Championship clubs who are currently benefiting from Premiership parachute payments. All of the clubs in the Championship would be getting an equal annual income from the football authorities.

In the ideal world, the Bluebirds would not have to compete with eight Championship clubs who regularly attract higher attendances. The Cardiff City Stadium would have a far bigger capacity, it would be packed to the rafters for every league match and the Bluebirds would be the best-supported team in the division.

In the ideal world, mediocre Championship players wouldn’t command ridiculously high wages and bonuses. Such players would only be paid salaries that properly reflect their abilities.

In the ideal world, Cardiff City Football Club wouldn’t have any financial problems at all. The club would be a lucrative money-making machine and almost all of the cash it generates from ticket sales, sponsorship, catering, merchandising, television coverage, etc, would be given straight to the manager for squad strengthening.

Unfortunately, however, we don’t live in the ideal world. Instead, we live in the real world, or at least some of us do.

In the real world, Peter Ridsdale remains as the Chairman of Cardiff City and last week’s General Meeting proved beyond any reasonable doubt that he has the backing of the rest of the club’s board and its major shareholders. At present, it appears Ridsdale’s colleagues share his belief that new investment in the club is more likely to arrive while he retains his position than if he were to step down. Therefore, it seems almost certain that he will stay as Chairman for the foreseeable future.

In the real world, most of the club’s biggest shareholders and many of its smaller shareholders are local businessmen who are heavily involved in property development. They are not football fanatics and as such they are highly unlikely to bankroll Cardiff City’s bid for Premiership football by spending any of their own cash on the club. Unfortunately, there isn't anybody in South Wales who is wealthy enough and willing to buy the club, and so far it seems no-one from outside of the area has made a concrete offer to do so either, but we live in hope.

In the real world, the club ran up significant debts while building and fitting out the new stadium and it’s probable that those debts will need to be serviced for several years to come.

In the real world, the club also has to service large historical debts to the Langston Corporation, and to Bluebirds directors both past and present. While the people who loaned that money have been willing to renegotiate the terms in order to make them more manageable for the club, they are highly unlikely to write the debts off completely, and why should they? When all is said and done, Cardiff City Football Club is a business, not a charity.

In the real world, the club is competing with five others who are benefiting from Premiership parachute payments, and with eight who are getting higher average attendances this season. Although crowds at the Cardiff City Stadium have been very respectable by our club's standards, the place hasn't been packed to the rafters for every match and City are a very long way from being the best-supported side in the division.

In the real world, mediocre Championship players are paid ludicrous amounts of money, while the salaries earned by some of the better players in the division are nothing short of obscene.

In the real world, Cardiff City Football Club has a whole host of financial problems. Sadly, varying degrees of mismanagement during the last decade have ensured that is the case, but in my opinion we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that our club is by no means a big one in the grand scheme of things.

Some supporters seem to believe the Bluebirds currently have a divine right to be either in the Premiership or genuinely challenging for promotion to the top flight, but the reality is that the club is only the ninth-biggest in the Championship despite attracting its highest attendances for forty years.

The main problem at Cardiff in recent times has clearly been the wage bill. In simple terms, the club has employed too many people while paying its staff and especially its players far too much money by comparison to its annual turnover. And, of course, high wage bills go hand in hand with large tax bills, neither of which the club can afford if the truth be told.

My belief is that if the club gets over its current cash-flow problems, there will be some serious cost-cutting exercises at the Cardiff City Stadium during the summer months, particularly in relation to the playing budget. Five players are apparently out of contract at the end of the season, and I can see all of them being released and replaced with cheaper alternatives.

Over the last three or four years, manager Dave Jones and Chairman Peter Ridsdale have been operating with a relatively small squad, but at the same time they have been attempting to attract quality players to the club by paying out hefty wages by this division's standards. It's a policy that has worked to a reasonable degree as there have been times during the last couple of seasons when City have been amongst the very best teams in the Championship, but such a scheme was never going to be sustainable on an indefinite basis.

This year, with the added burden of building and fitting out the new stadium, it appears the club has hit a financial wall. With or without any much-needed new investment, I believe the board will manage to negotiate the current crisis and steer the club through until the end of the season. However, unless the team gets extremely lucky and earns promotion to the Premiership, I think we should brace ourselves for a big culture change during the summer, and in my opinion that will be no bad thing. The club has clearly been living beyond its means in recent times and it could also be argued that it has been punching above its weight to a degree, so maybe it's time for a reality check.

Earlier today, Lee Strafford, the Chairman of relegation-threatened Sheffield Wednesday, claimed that his club needs an average attendance of at least 24,000 this season in order to break even. For me, reading Strafford's comments put things firmly into perspective.

In the real world, Cardiff City is a mid-sized Championship club with large historical debts, serious cash-flow problems and no wealthy backers to bail it out. Although recent peformances from the team have been dire, when all is said and done I reckon we're probably more than a little fortunate to be where we are.

Who Owns Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd?

2010-02-21T10:03:00.000-08:00

Back in late-2006, while the consortium fronted by current Chairman Peter Ridsdale was wrestling for control of Cardiff City with former-owner Sam Hammam, all sorts of fantastic figures were being bandied about by the local media with regard to the value of the takeover. At one stage, the Wales on Sunday claimed the deal was worth more than £30 million, while the Western Mail, the South Wales Echo and BBC Wales all maintained it was worth £27 million.

In reality, the investors who subscribed to Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd’s new ordinary shares issue of January 2007 paid a combined total of approximately £5.3 million into the club’s coffers – a considerable sum of money, but a very long way short of the fanciful figures that were being suggested by the press.

In recent months, it’s been a case of history repeating itself as the Welsh media has again been quoting all manner of sensational sums in relation to another potential takeover. This time around, it seems £40 million is the most popular choice with the journalists, although how they have arrived at such a figure is anyone’s guess.

As things stand, I’d say the chances of somebody investing £30 or £40 million in the club are practically zero given its perilous financial position. Such figures are the stuff of fantasy, just as they were back in 2006. If a takeover does happen any time soon, I believe the club’s present owners will be extremely fortunate to recoup their original investments, let alone make any sort of a profit.

With an Extraordinary General Meeting of shareholders set to be staged at the Cardiff City Stadium later this week, now seems like the ideal time to take a look at who currently owns the club, what sort of investments they have made, what they might stand to gain by selling their shares and, in a worst-case scenario, what they could lose if the club went into administration or liquidation. The following information has been collated from a variety of documents, some of which were obtained from Companies House, including the January 2007 and February 2010 EGM notices to shareholders, the club’s audited annual accounts from 2004 to 2008, the current register of shareholders in Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd and several share allotment returns:

PMG Estates Ltd (15.4%) and Paul Guy (5%)

PMG Developments PLC is a well-established Cardiff-based commercial property development firm which operates through a number of wholly-owned companies, joint-ventures and private partnerships. It is owned and controlled by Paul Guy and Mike Hall.

Successful local businessman Paul Guy has been working in property investment since 1983, when he joined the Bailey Group as Managing Director. The 55 year-old set up PMG in 1996 and since then his company has been at the forefront of many major building and development projects throughout South Wales.

Although Rugby Union is said to be Guy’s favourite sport, he’s nevertheless had a long-standing association with Cardiff City. He first became involved with the club in 1997 while he was a director of Celtic Leisure, who at that stage owned the Cardiff Devils ice hockey team and the Wales National Ice Rink. Having been invited to join the Bluebirds’ board by former Chairman Samesh Kumar, Guy subsequently served as a City director for seven years, including a two-year stint as Vice-Chairman. Despite resigning from the board in November 2004, he retained a significant shareholding in the club and was a prominent figure during the January 2007 takeover.

Former Cardiff and Wales Rugby Union star Mike Hall joined Guy as a director of PMG in 2003. He commenced his property career with Cooke and Arkwright chartered surveyors in 1989 before setting up his own business, Steepholm Property Advisors, in 1994. A regular rugby pundit for BBC Wales, he took a seat on the Cardiff City board in January 2007, but resigned nine months later during the club’s protracted legal battle with major creditors Langston.

In 2007, PMG Estates Ltd purchased 6,294,836 new ordinary shares in Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd at a cost of approximately £990,000 (15.69p per share). Paul Guy also paid £315,000 for an additional 1,990,695 shares, taking his personal shareholding up to 2,069,345. PMG currently holds 15.4% of the company’s shares and Guy holds 5%, making him easily the club’s most powerful shareholder.

Messrs Guy and Hall have been heavily involved in all aspects of the Cardiff City Stadium and Capital Retail Park development from the project’s outset. PMG initially formed a fifty-fifty partnership with Capital & Regional PLC in order to develop the retail park, but became sole owners in April 2009 after buying Capital & Regional’s stake in a deal reported to be worth £16 million. The company had earlier sold its interest in Costco, the retail park’s largest tenant, to an American trust fund for an estimated £17 million.

Guy and Hall are also non-executive directors of Cardiff City Stadium Ltd, the development company which was set up in 2005 to deliver the new football stadium, athletics stadium and house of sport indoor facility. In 2008, PMG advanced the football club a sum of £9 million in order to cover a shortfall in the funding required to build the new stadium. The interest-bearing loan was secured against future income from the stadium’s Premier Club seating area.

Robert Peter Ridsdale (10.1%)

Chairman and Chief Executive Peter Ridsdale is a man who needs no introduction to Cardiff City supporters. The ex-Leeds United and Barnsley boss initially joined the club as a consultant to former owner Sam Hammam in March 2005. He was appointed as Deputy-Chairman two months later and remained in that position until taking over from Hammam as Chairman in October 2006.

According to the Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd accounts for the year ending 31 May 2007, Ridsdale’s consultancy company, WH Sports Group Ltd, was paid a £500,000 bonus in January 2007 for successfully renegotiating the size and terms of the loan notes agreement with the Langston Corporation and achieving unconditional status on the new stadium project. The notes to the financial statements claim the entire bonus was immediately reinvested in the club when Ridsdale acquired 4,545,455 ordinary shares in Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd at a discounted subscription rate of 11.11p per share (all of the other shareholders were paying 15.69p per share during the same period).

On the face of it, this appears to have been a very unusual transaction, particularly in light of the fact that the new stadium project wasn’t officially granted unconditional status by the local council until May 2007. Therefore, provided the club’s audited financial statements are accurate, it seems Ridsdale (under the guise of WH Sports) was awarded a huge bonus four months before it was actually due. To my knowledge, there has never been any explanation offered by the club as to why the Chairman was able to subscribe to his large shareholding at a significantly reduced rate by comparison to the rest of the new investors (the difference being 4.58p per share). Nevertheless, the deal was given the go-ahead by a majority of the company’s shareholders during an Extraordinary General Meeting at Ninian Park on 15th January, 2007.

It has recently emerged that WH Sports, a firm the Chairman himself has described as "a vehicle for consultancy fees from Cardiff City prior to me going on the club’s payroll," sold all of its shares to Ridsdale himself for just £20,000 in 2008. The company, in which Ridsdale and his wife Sophie were the only directors, was subsequently put into liquidation in April 2009 while owing HM Revenue and Customs £373,555 in unpaid taxes. As of last week, that tax bill was still outstanding according to solicitor Stephen Allinson, who represents Ian Franses Associates, the firm’s liquidators.

The latest register of shareholders in Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd states that Robert Peter Ridsdale now owns 4,145,455 shares in the company, which equates to a fraction over 10%. Therefore, it appears he has either sold or gifted 400,000 of his shares to somebody else since obtaining them in January 2007. Group Finance Director Alan Flitcroft, who arrived at the club in September 2008, now has exactly 400,000 shares (approximately 1%) according to the current register, so it seems highly likely that he has taken ownership of a percentage of the Chairman’s shareholding.

Steve Borley (7.9%)

Steve Borley is the Managing Director of CMB Engineering, South Wales’ largest independent building services contractor. Having been a club sponsor for several years, Borley joined the Cardiff City board in 1997 and has served as a director ever since.

In May 1999, he succeeded Samesh Kumar as Chairman and remained in that capacity until August 2000, when the club was purchased by Sam Hammam. Unfortunately for lifelong City supporter Borley, the Bluebirds suffered various on and off-field problems under his stewardship and were relegated to Division Three in May 2000 at the end of his only season in charge.

In 2005, Borley loaned Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd a sum of £250,000, with interest being charged at 3% above base rate. As at 31 May 2008 (the end-date of the company’s latest set of audited financial statements), he had yet to receive any payment, while the debt owing to him had risen to £322,937. It is strongly rumoured that Borley is also owed a substantial sum of money by the football club in relation to the work his CMB Engineering firm has carried out on the new stadium project, although that information is presently unverified.

During the January 2007 takeover, Borley purchased 3,186,743 shares in the club at a cost of £500,000, bringing his total shareholding up to 3,226,574. That means he currently holds just under 8% of the company’s shares.

David Alan Whiteley (3.1%) and M&A Solicitors LLP (1.9%)

Alan Whiteley qualified as a lawyer with Eversheds Solicitors in 1987 and became a partner in the company in 1989. He founded M&A Solicitors with fellow Eversheds partner Stephen Berry in 1999 and is now recognised as one of the country’s leading specialists in corporate and commercial law. During a successful legal career, he has managed a number of high-profile sales and disposals, including the sale of Peter’s Savoury Products to Grand Metropolitan PLC for £75 million.

Whiteley, who has lived most of his life in the Bridgend area, played football for Bryntirion Athletic in the South Wales Amateur League and began supporting Cardiff City during his early-teens. A long-time associate of major shareholder Paul Guy, he joined the Bluebirds’ board following the January 2007 takeover, having previously filled the role of Company Secretary. Around that time, he acquired 1,274,697 shares in the club in his own name and a further 796,686 shares he holds jointly with Stephen Berry, his senior partner at M&A Solicitors. Therefore, Whiteley effectively controls 5% of the club’s current shareholding.

Using the 2007 issue price of 15.69p per share as a guide, Whiteley and Berry’s shareholdings can be valued at approximately £325,000. According to the Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd financial statements for the years ending 31 May 2007 and 31 May 2008, the club paid M&A Solicitors a total of £519,096 in professional fees relating to the new stadium project during those accounting periods.

Rudgwick Ltd (4.5%)

Another character who needs no introduction to Cardiff City fans is Sam Hammam – the man behind Rudgwick Ltd. The controversial former Wimbledon owner bought the Bluebirds for £3,139,558 in August 2000. At that stage, he controlled 82.5% of the club’s shares, but following his resignation as Chairman in October 2006, the new share issue which formed the basis of the January 2007 takeover saw his shareholding slashed from 18,562,500 to 1,856,250 shares. At present, Hammam owns approximately 4.5% of the club’s shares. If they were valued at the 2007 issue price of 15.69p per share, then his shareholding would be worth around £290,000.

Sam Hammam is the only known representative of the Langston Corporation, a Panamanian-registered company who are the club’s biggest creditor. In September 2004, during Hammam’s six-year reign as Chairman, Langston advanced the club £24 million in return for unsecured loan notes. The money was used to pay off existing debts, including £21,766,000 that was owed to Citibank.

In subsequent years, the terms and conditions of the original loan notes agreement have twice been renegotiated (in November 2006 and December 2009). Under the terms of the latest revision, all interest has been waived and the debt reduced to £10 million provided it is settled before the end of December 2010, although a further £5 million is payable to Langston if the stadium naming rights are sold or the team is promoted to the Premiership. Hammam has always denied the cash Langston loaned to Cardiff City back in 2004 was his, but he remains as the club’s only link to the mysterious corporation.

Richard Crane (3.9%)

Newport-based lawyer Richard Crane is the Managing Partner at Kingslegal, a specialist litigation and commercial law practice that is reputed to be one of the market leaders in mortgage debt recovery. Crane is believed to be a close friend of major shareholders Paul Guy and Mike Hall. In 2007, he purchased 1,593,372 shares in the club at a cost of £250,000. He currently holds just under 4% of the overall shares total.

Seymour Pierce Ltd (3.9%)

Seymour Pierce is a leading London-based investment bank and stockbroker. The company’s Chairman is lifelong Manchester United fan Keith Harris, who served as Chairman of the Football League from August 2000 until August 2002. Harris is known to have brokered several high-profile takeovers at Premiership clubs in recent years and is considered one of the country’s foremost experts in the field of football finance. Since late-2006, he has often been reported to be assisting Cardiff City’s directors in finding new investors for the club, although it appears his involvement has yet to bear any fruit.

In a surprise move, Harris joined the Bluebirds’ board in August 2008 as a non-executive director. Seymour Pierce subsequently appeared on the club’s list of shareholders and now own 1,593,371 shares in Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd. However, Harris’s company didn’t actually pay any cash for those shares, which were valued at £250,000. According to the club’s official shares allotment document, they were given to Seymour Pierce Ltd in July 2008 "in return for services provided." Precisely what those services were is unknown.

Ludlow Street Investment Corporation (3.9%) and Triple-I Holdings Ltd (3.4%)

Most Cardiff City supporters know that the club’s biggest creditor, the Langston Corporation, is a Panamanian-registered company, but few are aware that two of the club’s major shareholders are British Virgin Island-registered companies.

The latest Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd shareholders’ register indicates that Ludlow Street Investment Corporation and Triple-I Holdings Ltd, who are both based in Road Town, Tortola, hold 1,593,372 (3.9%) and 1,375,000 (3.4%) of the company’s shares respectively.

As is the case with the Langston Corporation, the identities of the businessmen behind the Ludlow Street Investment Corporation and Triple-I Holdings Ltd is a mystery, although it’s fair to assume the club’s directors know who owns these companies.

Nigel Roberts (3.1%)

Nigel Roberts is the Managing Director of Paramount Office Interiors Ltd, Wales’ leading office design and fit-out contractors. He is also involved in a number of other commercial property development companies and is considered to be one of the Principality’s most successful entrepreneurs. A Glamorgan County Cricket Club committee member and a keen supporter of Welsh sport, Roberts played a leading role in bringing Test cricket to Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens in 2009. He currently holds 1,274,697 shares in Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd, which he purchased for a sum of £200,000.

Companies and individuals who own 500,000 or more shares (19%)

A further five companies and eight individuals hold between 500,000 and 642,785 shares in Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd. These investors account for approximately 19% of the club’s total shareholding.

One of the companies is S Dudley & Sons Ltd of Newport, who own 640,000 shares (1.5% with a value of around £100,000 based on 15.69p per share). Dudley’s are reputed to be amongst the country’s leading retail contractors and specialise in architectural aluminium projects. They were involved in the construction of the new Capital Retail Park, where they worked on the units currently occupied by Asda and Marks & Spencer. Dudley’s website names Cardiff City Football Club among the firm’s clients and its architectural aluminium division is known to have undertaken work at the new stadium.

Another company who have worked on the Cardiff City Stadium is Office Visions (Wales) Ltd. The design specialists, who are based in the capital, won the contract to fit out the stadium’s offices, hospitality boxes, VIP suites and conference facilities. Like Dudley’s, Office Visions (Wales) Ltd own 640,000 shares in the football club.

Regular sponsors Evans Electrical also feature on the current list of shareholders. A Cardiff-based firm of electrical contractors who list CMB Engineering among their clients and are known to have worked on the new athletics stadium, they hold 500,000 shares, which equates to 1.2% of the overall total.

Terry Melia is one of the highest-ranking professionals with EJ Hales, a company that has been at the forefront of the South Wales commercial property market for over eighty years. The independent firm of property consultants and chartered surveyors are the retained letting agents at the Capital Retail Park. EJ Hales are also associated with PMG Estates Ltd and CB Richard Ellis in the park’s three-way management partnership. Melia owns 637,348 shares in the football club, which he bought in January 2007 for £100,000.

The other nine shareholders who fall into this particular category are:

Gareth Williams (642,785 shares, 1.5%), Bryn Meadows Golf Club (640,000 shares, 1.5%), Richard Gardener (640,000 shares, 1.5%), Fitel Nominees Ltd (637,348, 1.5%), David Herbert (637,348 shares, 1.5%), John Herbert (637,348 shares, 1.5%), Frank Moloney (637,348 shares, 1.5%), Vince McNabb (637,348 shares, 1.5%) and Geoffrey Palmer (500,000 shares, 1.2%).

The top 25 shareholders in Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd account for almost 86% of the company’s overall shares total.

Other notable shareholders:

As previously mentioned, Group Finance Director and board member Alan Flitcroft is registered as owning 400,000 shares (1%) in the club. A former partner with leading accountancy firm Ernst and Young, he took up his current position in September 2008.

Bluebirds’ team manager Dave Jones and his wife Ann own a combined total of 414,276 shares. Their shareholdings equate to almost exactly 1% of the overall total, and were valued at £65,000 when the shares were allotted in July 2007.

Having worked as a chartered surveyor for Fletcher Morgan during the late-Eighties, Nick Iacono moved into the development sector with PMH Properties, a company jointly-owned by fellow shareholder Vince McNabb. He set up Steepholm Property Advisors with Mike Hall in 1994 and became a director of PMG Ltd in 2006. Iacono holds 318,674 shares in Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd, which is approximately 0.8% of the overall total.

Peter Borley, brother of board member Steve, is the Managing Director of Willis Systems Ltd. Established in 1985, the Cardiff-based company manufactures and installs all types of panelling systems, vanity units, lockers and WC cubicles for washrooms. Willis Systems fitted out the toilet areas at the new stadium and own 127,469 shares in the club (0.3%). Borley holds an additional 3,003 shares in his own name.

Local author, publisher and Cardiff City fanatic Annis Abraham Jnr purchased 70,107 shares in January 2007 at a cost of £11,000. His shareholding amounts to around 0.2% of the overall total.

Vice-President and Associate Director Michael Isaac holds 49,600 shares (around 0.1%). In 2004, Isaac gave the club a loan of £1.5 million with a fixed interest rate of 20% per annum. It is unclear from the latest set of financial statements (up to and including 31 May 2008) what percentage of that loan remains outstanding.

Two former Cardiff City chairmen own small shareholdings in the club. Samesh Kumar, who held the post between 1995 and 1999, is registered as owning 2,908 shares, while Tony Clemo, who was a board member for almost twenty years and Chairman between 1986 and 1992, owns just 10 shares. Based on the 2007 issue price of 15.69p per share, Kumar’s shares are worth £456.26, while Clemo’s are worth £1.57.

Conclusions

Following the period between August 2000 and January 2007, when Sam Hammam held 82.5% of the shares and Cardiff City Football Club was practically an autocracy, it is clear that things changed. Current Chairman and Chief Executive Peter Ridsdale is a powerful figure, although with a stake in the club that amounts to a little over 10%, he doesn't have anything like the sort of authority that Hammam once had. Ridsdale undoubtedly makes plenty of key decisions, but unlike his predecessor he is an employee who is answerable to rest of the board and major shareholders. I think that fact is often overlooked when fans are discussing the Chairman’s position. Football supporters enjoy creating heroes and villains, but we should try to remember that things are now very different to how they were a few years ago when one man effectively owned and controlled Cardiff City.

Currently, there are a lot of shareholders with plenty to lose should the club go into administration or liquidation due to its financial difficulties. Some of those companies and individuals have already made considerable sums of money from the stadium and retail developments, but others are relying on the future sale of their shares to get a return from their original investments. As I have already said, I will be amazed if they manage to make any sort of a profit, particularly if a takeover happens any time soon. A far more likely scenario is the shareholders will have to bite the bullet and sell their stakes at significantly reduced rates in order to get any money back at all.

A Season Of Two Halves?

2010-01-08T12:38:00.001-08:00

There has been plenty of furious debate on the Cardiff City message boards regarding Dave Jones' managerial capabilities in the wake of the alarming capitulation at Peterborough early last week, and that's understandable. After all, the second half display at London Road was pathetic and it's something that Jones and his players should be thoroughly ashamed of.

A number of Bluebirds fans are suggesting that the recent poor results against Plymouth and Peterborough have signalled the beginning of the type of collapse that has often seemed to affect teams assembled by Jones during the second half of league campaigns. Indeed, some supporters have described such collapses as being inevitable under the Scouser's management. But is that a fair and accurate assessment? Have the sides put together by Jones invariably suffered dips in form during the second half of the season, or is that just a myth?

As we are exactly halfway through the 2009/10 campaign, I thought now would be as good a time as any to look back over Jones' managerial career and find out exactly how his teams have fared during each season. In order to paint what I consider to be a fair picture, I have examined only the eleven campaigns in which he was in charge of Football League or Premiership clubs from start to finish. These are my findings:

Season 1995/96 - Stockport County (Division Two)

Points gained during the first 23 matches = 33
Points gained during the last 23 matches = 37
Record in the final 10 games: Won 5, Drew 3, Lost 2, Pts 18

Jones took over from Stockport legend Danny Bergara in March 1995 and inherited a squad that was fairly strong by Second Division standards. It included the likes of Alun Armstrong, Jeff Eckhardt, Mike Flynn and current Cardiff physiotherapist Sean Connelly. The team's form was steady for much of the campaign and County eventually finished ninth in the table, just three points off the play-off places.

Season 1996/97 - Stockport County (Division Two)

Points gained during the first 23 matches = 37
Points gained during the last 23 matches = 45
Record in the final 10 games: Won 6, Drew 2, Lost 2, Pts 20

Jones paid Sunderland £120,000 to take Brett Angell back to Edgeley Park and his return proved a triumphant one, but not before the team had endured a woeful start to the season. County lost five and drew one of their opening six league fixtures, scoring just one goal in the process. A 3-1 triumph over Plymouth Argyle in mid-September provided a turning point and from then on they went from strength to strength. County eventually finished runners-up to rivals Bury and also enjoyed a thrilling League Cup run that included notable victories over Premiership sides Blackburn, West Ham and Southampton. They were only denied a trip to Wembley by Bryan Robson's Middlesbrough, who won a two-legged semi-final 2-1 on aggregate. This was the season that put Jones firmly in the national spotlight, and he was snapped up in June 1997 by Southampton, where he replaced Graeme Souness.

Season 1997/98 - Southampton (Premiership)

Points gained during the first 19 matches = 20
Points gained during the last 19 matches = 28
Record in the final 10 games: Won 3, Drew 2, Lost 5, Pts 11

The Saints made an awful start under Jones, losing seven of their first nine league matches. However, they picked up considerably during October and their form continued to be decent for much of the campaign before fading a little in the last few weeks, when they gained just one victory from seven games. Nevertheless, a twelfth-placed finish in the Premiership was more than respectable for a club of Southampton's size and Jones was viewed by most pundits as a manager with great potential.

Season 1998/99 - Southampton (Premiership)

Points gained during the first 19 matches = 13
Points gained during the last 19 matches = 28
Record in the final 10 games: Won 4, Drew 3, Lost 3, Pts 15

Despite capturing a couple of high-profile signings in the shape of Stuart Ripley and Mark Hughes, the Saints made an absolutely abysmal start to the new season, gaining only two points from their first nine matches. Indeed, a 4-0 defeat at Newcastle in September meant five straight defeats and the club's worst-ever start to a campaign. Southampton were still marooned in the relegation zone with just five games of the Premiership season remaining, but two draws and three victories from those final matches incredibly earned them survival.

During the summer of 1999, Dave Jones was arrested and charged with several counts of child abuse dating back to a period between his playing and managerial careers when he had worked in child welfare. Jones strenuously denied the charges and continued as Southampton manager until January 2000, when he was relieved of his duties by Chairman Rupert Lowe and replaced by Glenn Hoddle. At the time, the Saints were one place and two points above the Premiership relegation zone. His trial came to an abrupt end in December 2000 when witnesses failed to materialise and the prosecution case collapsed. It was clearly evident that the allegations against Jones had been fabricated and the Judge, David Clarke QC, told the former-Everton defender "you leave this court as you entered it - an innocent man." Jones was soon back in work, and took over from John Ward as Wolverhampton Wanderers manager in January 2001.

Season 2001/02 - Wolverhampton Wanderers (Division One)

Points gained during the first 23 matches = 42
Points gained during the last 23 matches = 44
Record in the final 10 games: Won 3, Drew 4, Lost 3, Pts 13

A strong Wolves side featuring the likes of Nathan Blake, Mark Kennedy, Michael Oakes and top scorer Dean Sturridge were looking promotion certainties by the beginning of March. At that stage, they were top of the Division One table and ten points clear of third-placed West Brom after a brilliant run of seven successive victories. However, Wolves choked from that point onwards and managed just two more wins in their final nine matches. They eventually finished third in the table, three points behind West Brom, and were then beaten 3-2 on aggregate by Norwich City in the play-off semi-finals. It had been a dramatic collapse from a side who were odds-on favourites for promotion with less than a quarter of the season remaining.

Season 2002/03 - Wolverhampton Wanderers (Division One)

Points gained during the first 23 matches = 37
Points gained during the last 23 matches = 39
Record in the final 10 games: Won 4, Drew 5, Lost 1, Pts 17

After such a disappointing end to the previous season, Wolves' form was erratic during the first half of the 2002/03 campaign. At the turn of the year they were sitting tenth in the Division One table, but a strong finish which included just one defeat in the final eleven matches eventually saw them finish fifth. They then went on to earn promotion to the Premiership by beating Reading (twice) and Sheffield United in the play-offs.

Season 2003/04 - Wolverhampton Wanderers (Premiership)

Points gained during the first 19 matches = 15
Points gained during the last 19 matches = 18
Record in the final 10 games: Won 2, Drew 3, Lost 5, Pts 9

To say Wolves struggled in the top flight under Jones would be an understatement. After an abysmal start that saw them gain just two points from their opening seven matches, the Wanderers remained bottom of the Premiership table for almost all of the 2003/04 campaign. They were relegation certainties from the moment the season started until the moment it ended.

Jones stayed in charge at Molineux until late-October 2004, when he was sacked following a 1-0 defeat at Gillingham. Wolves were nineteenth in the Championship table at the time, having won just four of their first fifteen league games. He remained out of work until May 2005, when Sam Hammam and Peter Ridsdale offered him the Cardiff City job.

Season 2005/06 - Cardiff City (Championship)

Points gained during the first 23 matches = 34
Points gained during the last 23 matches = 26
Record in the final 10 games: Won 2, Drew 2, Lost 6, Pts 8

Jones was faced with a difficult situation when he first arrived at Cardiff. The club was in deep financial trouble and a number of well-established first team players had to be either sold or released shortly after he was appointed, so the squad was looking distinctly threadbare. The side Jones assembled during the summer months contained a number of free transfers and loan signings, and they did surprisingly well for much of the campaign. City managed to stay in the hunt for a play-off place until mid-March, when the squad's lack of strength in depth began to tell. The team picked up just two points from the final seven matches and eventually finished in eleventh position.

Season 2006/07 - Cardiff City (Championship)

Points gained during the first 23 matches = 39
Points gained during the last 23 matches = 25
Record in the final 10 games: Won 1, Drew 2, Lost 7, Pts 5

Summer signing Michael Chopra proved a revelation in attack as City began the new campaign in sparkling form. With twelve games played, the Bluebirds were six points clear at the top of the Championship and had recorded the club's best-ever start to a league season. Sadly, however, the team's form began to dip dramatically during October and an awful run of eleven games without a win between November and January saw them tumble down the table. By the end of February, City had moved back up to fourth position, but they managed to score just one more victory in the final eleven matches, which was the club's worst-ever end to a season. Bizarrely, Jones had presided over a team which had notched up two wildly contrasting club records during the same campaign.

Season 2007/08 - Cardiff City (Championship)

Points gained during the first 23 matches = 29
Points gained during the last 23 matches = 35
Record in the final 10 games: Won 4, Drawn 4, Lost 2, Pts 16

The Bluebirds hit the headlines during the summer with the signings of high-profile Premiership veterans Robbie Fowler and Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink. The latter did reasonably well for the club when all things are considered, but the former proved an expensive flop. The team made a desperate start to the campaign and by mid-November they were hovering above the relegation zone on goal difference only. However, results steadily improved from that point onwards and by the end of the season City were in a comfortable mid-table position. While their league form was uninspiring, the team enjoyed a remarkable FA Cup campaign. Thanks to some kind draws and fine performances, the Bluebirds made it all the way to a Wembley final, where they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Premiership side Portsmouth.

Season 2008/09 - Cardiff City (Championship)

Points gained during the first 23 matches - 37
Points gained during the last 23 matches - 37
Record in the final 10 games: Won 4, Drew 2, Lost 4, Pts 14

Jones made several new signings before the season began, including strike pair Ross McCormack and Jay Bothroyd. The Bluebirds were beaten just once in their first fourteen matches and by the beginning of April they appeared to be in with a decent chance of automatic promotion. A play-off place looked an absolute minimum until an inexplicable collapse which saw the team collect just one point from the final four matches. Incredibly, City ended up in seventh position, having thrown away an eight-point and eighteen-goal advantage over sixth-placed Preston North End during the last three weeks of the season.

Conclusions

There is no doubt that Dave Jones has presided over some spectacular end-of-season collapses during a Football League management career which has spanned almost fifteen years. Wolves' capitulation in 2001/02 was dramatic enough, but Cardiff's tame surrender in 2008/09 was even more astonishing. However, it is interesting to note that Jones' teams have almost always picked up more points during the second half of the season than the first. In fact, of all the sides he has managed, only three have failed to do so, and those were the Cardiff City teams of 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2008/09.

On the other side of the coin, some of the sides Jones has been in charge of have produced strong finishes. Stockport in 1996/97, Southampton in 1998/99 and Wolves in 2002/03 are the most obvious examples. Curiously, the Cardiff squad that has produced the best finish under Jones was that of 2007/08, despite the fact that they never occupied a play-off spot at any stage during the campaign.

For me, the thing which stands out while examining Jones' record is not the way in which his sides have started or finished seasons, but rather the way that his teams have tended to produce lengthy patches of form which is either extremely good or extremely bad. Supporters of all four Football League clubs he has managed have seen his sides chalk up some brilliant sequences of results, but they have also had to endure some woeful runs.

So, having considered all the statistics, does Dave Jones' managerial history give us any genuine clues as to what is likely to happen to Cardiff during the second half of the 2009/10 campaign? On balance I'd say no, although I'm hoping this squad can do what most of his teams have done in the past and that is to at least match their first-half tally of points during the second half of the season. The Bluebirds are currently on thirty seven points after twenty three games. The way the Championship is shaping up this year, I reckon a total of seventy four points would probably be enough to secure a place in the play-offs, so fingers crossed!

Is It Time To Back The Chairman?

2010-01-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

Following a one-to-one meeting with Chairman Peter Ridsdale yesterday lunchtime, Cardiff City Supporters' Club spokesman Vince Alm has today issued a call for fans to rally around the beleaguered Bluebirds boss during what are clearly troubled times at the football club.

In a lengthy contribution to the cardiffcity.com message board that has already attracted over two hundred and seventy replies, Vince has claimed that Ridsdale is on the verge of resigning from his position as Chairman. The Supporters' Club Travel Officer has also suggested that the proposed Malaysian takeover would not proceed and the club would go into freefall if Ridsdale decided to quit now.

Personally, I reckon Ridsdale is highly unlikely to leave the club at present, as he has far too much to lose by doing so. I also do not believe that the proposed investment from Malaysia would be in jeopardy if the Chairman chose to quit. However, I am in full agreement with Vince that now is not a good time for Peter Ridsdale and Cardiff City Football Club to part company, and there are a number of reasons why I believe that is the case:

The Financial Situation

All the indications are that the club's current financial situation is precarious, to say the least. A large tax bill has yet to be settled, a number of other creditors are allegedly waiting to be paid and there are also huge long-term liabilities to be taken into consideration. It is common knowledge that the club has cash-flow problems, and a couple of postponed matches in recent weeks certainly haven't helped in that respect, so the picture is not a pretty one at present.

The oustanding tax bill is almost certainly the most pressing issue, particularly as the threat of another High Court appearance is looming. It is also obvious that new investment is desperately needed in order for the club to progress. Peter Ridsdale therefore has much work to do during the coming weeks.

In recent months, the Chairman has been building relationships with the Malaysian businessmen who are apparently interested in investing in the club, and also with a couple of the senior debt management officers at HMRC. While those relationships may not be essential to the ongoing negotiations over the potential investment or the discussions regarding settlement of the tax debts, they could nevertheless prove helpful in both respects.

And then, of course, there is Ridsdale's long-standing relationship with Langston representative and former-City owner Sam Hammam. That relationship has clearly had its ups and downs, to put it mildly, but the two men have shown recently that they are still able to work together. Ridsdale's involvement in the loan notes saga goes back a long way, and with the latest revised agreement set to take effect this month, now may not be a good moment for him to walk away.

The Football Situation

Whatever else can be said about him, there is no doubt whatsoever that Peter Ridsdale is a football man who has numerous contacts throughout the British game, many of whom operate at the highest levels. Not only was Ridsdale a Premiership club chairman for almost six years, but he also served on some very important Football Association committees during his time at Leeds United.

I recall a conversation I had with Sam Hammam back in September 2005, a few months after Ridsdale had been appointed as City's Executive Deputy-Chairman. The Bluebirds' former-owner was talking about his previous chief executive, David Temme, and described him as a good man who did some fine work for the football club. However, he added that Temme had nowhere near as many high-profile contacts within the game as Ridsdale. Sam told me: "Whenever David Temme used to phone Premiership clubs, they'd say 'David who?' But now, when Peter Ridsdale rings Premiership clubs, they put him straight through to their top men."

Ridsdale's contacts could be vital during the next few weeks as manager Dave Jones seeks to bolster his squad in preparation for a sustained promotion bid. The likelihood is that Jones won't have much money to spend and loans look his most realistic option at this stage, so he'll need all the help he can get in order to secure players of the required quality. He has apparently already given a list of the players he wants to the Chairman and they have been working through it together. Some fans believe Jones and Ridsdale's relationship is too cosy, and there may be some truth in that, but with the team sitting fourth in the Championship table and the transfer window due to close at the end of the month, now would not seem a sensible time to break up their partnership.

As far as I'm concerned, Ridsdale's input regarding the football side of the club's operations has been his biggest strength since he arrived in Cardiff. I am convinced he has been pivotal in bringing some of the manager's most successful signings to the club during recent years, and I'm hoping he can help to bring in one or two more before the end of January.

The Boardroom Situation

A question I feel supporters who want Ridsdale to resign now should ask themselves is who do they think would be a suitable Cardiff City chairman at this point in time? A quick glance at the list of the club's directors will reveal that there are no obvious candidates for the job on the current board.

Group Finance Director Alan Flitcroft has been with Cardiff City for less than a year and a half, and this is his first job in professional football. Since he arrived at the club, I have met with Flitcroft on numerous occasions. He has always come across as a decent man and a very capable individual, but he has never appeared to me to be the type of person who is cut out to be the Chairman of a Championship club. At this stage of his career, he seems far better suited to being a deputy rather than a leader.

Keith Harris, the Executive Chairman of London-based investment bank and stockbrokers Seymour Pierce, appears to be much too busy trying to sell other clubs to concentrate on running ours.

Steve Borley, the Managing Director of CMB Engineering, previously served as City's Chairman back in 1999/2000. Unfortunately, under his stewardship, the club was relegated to Division Three in its centenary season. Borley is a City fan through and through but he never seemed comfortable with the chairman's role, and I very much doubt he'd fancy taking the job on again. Indeed, there has been speculation in recent months that he will quit the Bluebirds board altogether as soon as he feels able to do so.

That leaves Alan Whiteley, who currently serves as the company's Secretary and Solicitor. Since becoming involved in the club, he has always remained firmly in the background, so I can't imagine he is chairman material.

As far as I can see, there isn't a suitable candidate for the job of Bluebirds chairman currently waiting in wings should Peter Ridsdale decide to quit. Calling for Ridsdale to go is the easy bit, but actually identifying an adequate replacement is a far more difficult task, particularly given the present situation at the club.

In my opinion, now is not the time for fans to be rocking the boat by campaigning to get Peter Ridsdale out of Cardiff City. These are clearly turbulent times for the club and I reckon far more is going on in the background than any of us are aware, so I would urge supporters to remain calm for now. If, by the end of this month, the club is facing another winding-up order in the High Court, the promised investment in the team hasn't materialised and the proposed Malaysian takeover looks no nearer to fruition, then perhaps the time will have come for the Chairman to fall on his sword. But, for the time being, I believe the fans should exercise some patience.

A Critical Week For Cardiff City

2010-01-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

All of the indications are that the next couple of days could be critical as far as the future of Cardiff City Football Club is concerned. If last weekend's report in the News of the World is accurate, and I'm confident that it is, then it seems the club's directors will have to find almost £2.7 million by Friday in order to pay off an outstanding tax debt owed to Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs.

Sunday's newspaper article, which was written by former-Western Mail journalist Mario Risoli, sent shockwaves throughout City's support, as fans had previously assumed the problems in relation to the much-publicised tax bill had been resolved three weeks ago, when senior HMRC officials granted an early dismissal of their winding-up petition.

In a statement on the official Cardiff City website, dated Wednesday 16 December, the club said: "We can confirm that the High Court today formally dismissed the winding-up order that had previously been brought by HMRC. This was as a result of amicable discussions between the Club and HMRC. We are grateful for their co-operation and support."

I am led to believe that a couple of HMRC's highest-ranking debt enforcement officers were sympathetic regarding the difficulties caused by the initial winding-up order being in the public domain, which included Barclays freezing the club's bank account and significant delays to the proposed Malaysian investment. Therefore, they sanctioned an exceptional early dismissal of the petition on the understanding that the club would make payments in the region of £1.8 million during December. However, I'm reliably informed that those payments subsequently failed to materialise.

As a consequence, I'm told that HMRC filed a fresh winding-up petition against the club a couple of days before Christmas, although an undertaking was apparently given to keep the matter confidential provided the outstanding PAYE tax debt, which now stands at nearly £2.7 million, was settled in full during the first week of January.

The story surfaced over the weekend when details of a series of e-mail exchanges between City Chairman Peter Ridsdale, other Bluebirds board members and senior HMRC officials were leaked to the press by an unknown computer hacker. The individual concerned apparently gained access to Ridsdale's private Hotmail account and downloaded a number of communications in which the club's financial dealings were being discussed.

During the course of these e-mail exchanges, HMRC bosses were allegedly informed that the club would raise enough money to pay the tax debt in full early in January through season ticket sales, gate receipts, new equity investment and the sale of an unnamed player to Manchester United for a fee of approximately £4 million. It was also said that the club expected to receive a solidarity payment from the Premier League worth over £600,000 and a similar sum from Birmingham City in relation to previous transfer deals.

It is interesting, although hardly surprising, that the club's board hasn't publicly denied any of the claims made in Mario Risoli's News of the World report. Instead, Peter Ridsdale issued a statement on Sunday evening saying a police investigation was underway as some of the information contained in the article can only have come from documents which were stolen from club officials. Ridsdale added that the piece was inaccurate as some of the details contained in it were being used out of context, while others did not reflect the latest position.

We can only hope that the Chairman is being honest with us on this occasion, because if the club does have to find £2.7 million by Friday in order to appease the taxman, then the chances of manager Dave Jones making any decent signings during the January transfer window appear slim.

Peter Ridsdale has been vilified on the message boards since this story broke, and that's fully understandable. This latest sorry episode is not reflecting well on him at all, particularly in light of his recent promises that all monies raised from season ticket sales will go towards team strengthening. However, I would argue that the rest of the club's directors, along with its major shareholders, should also be taking some of the flak from the fans. While Ridsdale is the board's front man, Cardiff City is not a one-man band, and there is little doubt that Messrs Flitcroft, Harris, Whiteley, Borley, Guy and Hall have all been acutely aware of what has been going on behind the scenes at the football club in recent months.

Sack The Manager? You Must Be Joking!

2009-12-29T09:35:00.001-08:00

Following yesterday's embarrassing second half capitulation at Peterborough, many Cardiff supporters are understandably angry and upset. I was at London Road and can confirm that the performances of some of the City players during the second period were an absolute disgrace. The lack of effort they showed was shocking and if the game had gone on for another few minutes, I've no doubt that Posh would have won it. The Bluebirds were so bad after the break it was almost unbelievable. They left the pitch to a loud chorus of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt,' and that was a perfectly reasonable reaction from the two thousand travelling fans. The manner in which Dave Jones' team tamely surrendered their four-goal half-time advantage was nothing short of pathetic.

Nevertheless, I feel very strongly that calls for the manager to be sacked are nonsensical at this current point in time. The simple fact of the matter is that, despite a couple of dreadful recent results against two of the weakest sides in the division, the Bluebirds are currently sitting fourth in the Championship table. With twenty three games of the season played, the club happens to be occupying its highest league position at this stage for forty one years!

Back in December 1968, a City side containing such legendary names as Don Murray, Brian Clark and John Toshack was placed third in the old Second Division table after twenty three games. No Cardiff City team has ever been higher in the league system at the same point of the campaign since then. Even the class of 1970/71, who beat Real Madrid and eventually finished third, were only fifth in the table after twenty three games had been played.

In my opinion, it would be lunacy for the club to sack its manager while it is in its current position, and thankfully it's not something that is going to happen any time soon. When the season began, if you had told me City would be fourth at the halfway stage, I would have been delighted, and I'm sure the majority of Bluebirds fans can say the same. However, that's not to say I haven't been disgusted by some of the team's recent efforts. I most certainly have, but I feel we need to try and keep things in some sort of perspective.

I'm definitely not what could be described as a Dave Jones fan. Far from it, in fact. I believe Jones is a managerial dinosaur in many respects and if the truth be told I'll be surprised if he can lead his team into the play-offs this season. However, after last year's near miss, I said during the summer I believed Jones should be given one more chance to get things right, and I'm not going to change my mind when his team is fourth in the table at the halfway stage of the campaign.

The evidence of the last two performances suggests that Jones has plenty of work to do in order to get his side back on the right tracks. The attitude of some of his players at Peterborough on Monday was contemptible at times. The manager needs to get a firm grip on several of his squad members and let them know that rubbish like they served up during the second half at London Road is simply unacceptable at a club like Cardiff City. Can Jones turn things around again as has done in the past? That is open to question, but there's no doubt he should and will be given the opportunity. After all, clubs don't sack their managers when their teams are fourth in the table after twenty three games. To do so would be little short of idiotic.

Why Do People Keep Tarantulas?

2009-12-19T12:56:00.000-08:00

Why on earth would anybody want to keep a spider as a pet? That's a question I've been asked on countless occasions since I first began rearing tarantulas around nine years ago. As Cardiff City's game against Leicester was postponed yesterday due to a frozen pitch and there is no more football scheduled until Boxing Day, I thought this week would be an ideal time to try and provide you with an answer. In the first of what promises to be several entries on this particular subject, I'll explain how I came to own my first tarantula and reveal how some of the most commonly-available species are maintained:

The truth is that I've always been fascinated by creepy-crawlies. As a young child, I was often out in the back garden catching insects of one sort or another and usually had jam jars full of spiders and bugs in my bedroom. However, when I eventually began keeping tarantulas back in 2000, it was almost by accident. At the time I had four large aquariums full of tropical fish, but one of the tanks, which I'd had custom-built, was proving difficult to maintain due to persistent problems with its filters. Therefore, I decided to shut it down, empty it and look for something other than fish to fill it with. The obvious choice would have been a snake or some other species of reptile, but I wasn't particularly keen on that idea as, to me, such animals almost always appear unhappy in captivity. It's extremely difficult to replicate a reptile's natural environment in the home, and I wasn't prepared to try, so I wanted to find something else to put in my spare tank.

With that in mind, I took a trip to a pet shop in the neighbouring village of Whitchurch, which had undergone a change of ownership about three months previously. In the past, the shop had sold all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures, such as snakes, lizards, spiders and insects, but upon my arrival I found the new owners had got rid of virtually all the animals which had formerly been housed in the small back room. Apart from the standard pet shop stock such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, caged birds and goldfish, all they had left were two tiny plastic tubs containing a couple of baby tarantulas. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that one of the spiders was dead, but the other appeared alive and well. It was described (incorrectly, I later discovered) as a Chilean Yellow Rump and had a price tag of £45.

I had no intention of paying that sort of money for a spider but, out of curiosity, I asked the woman behind the counter what such creatures are fed on. She said she had no idea and admitted she hadn't even tried to feed the two she'd inherited when she took over the shop. She added that she was scared of tarantulas and hoped they would die before too much longer. I informed her that one was already dead and declared my utter disgust at her treatment of animals that were supposed to be in her professional care. After a loud slanging match which lasted a minute or so, she told me to give her a fiver, take the spider, a small plastic tank and a book about tarantulas, and get the hell out of her shop. I did just that and I've never been back there since, although I believe the place changed hands again a short while afterwards.

So, having unexpectedly become the owner of a juvenile spider, the fact of the matter was that I had absolutely no idea how to maintain it. Therefore, I quickly read the guide book I'd been sold and was relieved to discover that looking after the majority of commonly-available tarantulas is a relatively straightforward business.

I learned that, for most ground-dwelling species, you need a shallow tank (made of either plastic or glass) with a secure lid that is a minimum of three times the spider's leg span in length, and twice its leg span in width. The tank should be furnished with a few inches of substrate (usually peat, coir or a combination of both), something for the tarantula to hide under (often a piece of wood, cork bark or one of the man-made shelters which are available from shops that sells reptiles) and a small water bowl. In order to keep the enclosure warm, a suitably-sized heat mat controlled by a thermostat is ideal. Such a set-up would normally cost somewhere in the region of £50, although some spider dealers offer starter kits which are a little cheaper.

Pictured left is a typical set-up for a mid-sized adult terrestrial tarantula such as a Chilean Rose or a Desert Blonde. The plastic tank measures 36cm x 21cm x 16cm and comes complete with a tight-fitting, well-ventilated lid that features a hatch for easy feeding and maintenance. Such tanks usually retail at around the £10 mark. The substrate is a mixture of coir and peat, large bags of which are sold in most pet shops for £2. The purpose-built water bowl cost £1.60, while the piece of cork bark was bought in a reptile shop for just 80p. A set-up like this requires a small heat mat to be placed on its back wall and a thermostat to control the temperature. Heat mats that will service several tanks of this size are priced at £15, while a thermostat can be picked up for £20.

One of the major plus-points of keeping tarantulas is that, unlike many other pets, once you have paid for the initial equipment, the cost of maintaining them is negligible. Apart from the occasional purchase of a tub of live food, which is usually priced at around £2, there are no other costs involved.

The spiders themselves vary greatly in price according to their age, size and species, but most of those that are generally considered to be good choices for novice keepers are relatively inexpensive. For instance, an adult Chilean Rose will normally cost around £20, while a juvenile Mexican Red Knee (pictured above) will sell for between £25 and £35.

Although they can withstand much higher or lower temperatures for short periods of time, the majority of terrestrial tarantulas from regions such as Southern and Central America should be kept at temperatures in the mid to upper-seventies, which is simple enough to do with the aid of a good thermostat. Provided the heat source is placed at the end of the tank, a spider is able to regulate its body temperature by moving around within its enclosure.

The provision of live food is essential for all but the very youngest of tarantulas. Crickets tend to be the staple diet for most species in captivity, although other insects such as locusts, mealworms, weevils, waxworms and cockroaches can also be used from time to time. All of these foods are easy to obtain from specialist reptile shops and even from some of the national chain stores such as Pets at Home.

Spiderlings and juvenile tarantulas should be given food two or three times a week, but fully-grown adult spiders normally only require feeding once a week at the most. After they have matured, many species of tarantula lead sedentary lifestyles and therefore don't need much in the way of nourishment. It is not in the least bit unusual for an adult spider to regularly ignore the offer of food, while some species will occasionally fast for months on end. For instance, one of my three adult Chilean Roses (pictured here) hasn't eaten anything at all for the last five months. Specimens of this particular genus (Grammostola) have been known to refuse food for well over a year before suddenly starting to eat again. Scientists haven't yet been able to determine why they do this, but fasting is a fairly common trait amongst spiders from South America. As long as they are provided with fresh water to drink, they seem to be able to go without food for very long periods and suffer no ill effects.

As regards maintenance, many species of tarantula are easy to care for. Their water bowls should be topped up regularly, any uneaten items of food need to be removed from their enclosures and a routine check should be kept on the temperatures in and around their tanks to ensure the heating equipment is functioning properly, but that's about it. Indeed, you can leave spiders to their own devices for weeks at a time and they'll usually be fine.

So, that explains how one goes about looking after a tarantula in captivity, but it doesn't answer the question of why people like me enjoy keeping them so much. Within weeks of obtaining my first young spider and observing his behaviour, I was completely hooked on the hobby. In my next blog entry, I'll attempt to explain the reasons why.

The Critical Importance Of The First Goal

2009-12-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

Scoring the opening goal in a game is obviously important to all teams, but as far as Dave Jones' Cardiff City side is concerned it seems to be absolutely vital. Since Jones became manager of the Bluebirds in May 2005, the team's record in matches when they score first is generally very good. However, their record in games when the opposition scores first is in stark contrast. It is nothing short of abysmal.

Winger Chris Burke's recent goals against Preston, West Brom and Middlesbrough undoubtedly gave his team-mates a much-needed lift. In each of those matches, the players battled hard to preserve their leads and eventually claimed well-earned victories after Burke had opened the scoring, but things have been very different this season whenever the opposition has netted the first goal. If City have conceded first, the team has tended to wilt and defeat has been almost inevitable.

It really has been a case of feast and famine for Bluebirds fans since the 2009/10 season started in early-August. In games when City have scored first they have notched up eleven wins, two draws and suffered just one defeat. That is currently the second-best record in the Championship, and is bettered only by leaders Newcastle United. On the other hand, the team's record when the opposition has opened the scoring has been dreadful. It reads no wins, one draw and six defeats. Only struggling Plymouth Argyle have a worse record.

It's interesting to note that this statistical pattern is nothing new under Dave Jones' leadership. In the four and a half seasons he has managed Cardiff, the team has won no less than seventy four of the one hundred Championship matches in which they have scored the first goal. Twenty two of those games have ended in draws, while only four have resulted in defeats.

During the same period, the Bluebirds have conceded the first goal in eighty eight Championship matches. Sixty one of those games ended in a victory for the opposition, twenty two finished as draws, while City came back to win on just five occasions.

The team's season-by-season record is as follows (the figures in brackets are the average points earned per game):

Championship matches in which Cardiff scored first

2005/06: Games 20, Won 15, Drew 4, Lost 1 (2.45)
2006/07: Games 20, Won 17, Drew 3, Lost 0 (2.70)
2007/08: Games 23, Won 13, Drew 8, Lost 2 (2.04)
2008/09: Games 23, Won 18, Drew 5, Lost 0 (2.56)
2009/10: Games 14, Won 11, Drew 2, Lost 1 (2.50)
Overall: Games 100, Won 74, Drew 22, Lost 4 (2.44)

Championship matches in which the opposition scored first:

2005/06: Games 21, Won 1, Drew 3, Lost 17 (0.28)
2006/07: Games 21, Won 0, Drew 5, Lost 16 (0.23)
2007/08: Games 19, Won 3, Drew 4, Lost 12 (0.68)
2008/09: Games 20, Won 1, Drew 9, Lost 10 (0.60)
2009/10: Games 7, Won 0, Drew 1, Lost 6 (0.14)
Overall: Games 88, Won 5, Drew 22, Lost 61 (0.42)

So, how do those figures compare with other sides in the Championship? Well, to put City's record into some sort of perspective, the following are the club's positions each season in league tables based purely on points gained from matches in which sides scored or conceded first:

Championship matches in which teams scored first:

2005/06: 8th
2006/07: 10th
2007/08: 13th
2008/09: 4th
2009/10: 2nd

Championship matches in which teams conceded first:

2005/06: 22nd
2006/07: 24th
2007/08: 9th
2008/09: 10th
2009/10: 23rd

The pattern is crystal clear. Since Dave Jones arrived in South Wales, the Bluebirds have usually gone on to win matches in which they have taken a 1-0 lead. However, their record in games when they have gone 1-0 down has often been amongst the worst in the division.

Was the situation any different when Lennie Lawrence was manager of City, I hear you ask? The answer is yes, it was. During the two Championship seasons he was in charge at Ninian Park, the Bluebirds lost four games in which they had taken a 1-0 lead - the same number as they have lost under Jones in four and a half seasons. However, Lawrence's team also won four games in which they had conceded the first goal - just one less than Jones' sides have managed.

I won't even pretend to know why City have been so poor at recovering from going 1-0 down under the current manager. It's a genuine puzzle as far as I'm concerned. Some fans reckon it is because he is too inflexible as regards his tactics. They say he never has a Plan B and I suppose they could be right. Others suggest his squads always lack strength in depth, so it's difficult for him to make changes when things aren't going well. That's another feasible theory. A third suggestion is that Jones has built teams that have plenty of flair and ability by this division's standards, but little in the way of fighting spirit when the chips are down. That has certainly appeared to be the case on a number occasions.

My feeling is it's probably a combination of those three things, but it's still a strange situation. We seem to have a talented team who are one of the very best in the Championship when they go a goal up, but one of the worst in the Championship when they go a goal down. The first goal of the game really does seem to be critical as far as Cardiff City are concerned.

The Bluebirds welcome Leicester to the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday. The last time the Foxes visited Cardiff was in March 2008, when a Darren Purse own goal gifted them a 1-0 victory. Their previous visit to that was in January 2007, when Michael Chopra scored the opening goal and went on to complete a hat-trick as City ran out 3-2 winners. Chopra is certainly due a goal, so let's hope he bags the first on the weekend. The chances of a Bluebirds win will greatly increase if he does!

The Langston Deal - What Does It Mean?

2009-12-12T13:21:00.001-08:00

Cardiff City Chairman Peter Ridsdale proudly announced on Friday morning that another amended deal has been struck with mysterious Swiss-based finance company the Langston Corporation in relation to the club's loan notes debt.

In his statement on the club's official website, the Bluebirds boss said: "On behalf of Cardiff City Football Club, I would like to thank the Langston Corporation for their co-operation in this matter and Mr Sam Hammam for helping to facilitate this agreement."

The news that the revised deal has been signed off was greeted with joy by many City fans despite the fact that no actual details of the agreement were made public by Ridsdale in his interviews following the announcement. So what does this new agreement really mean for the future of the football club? The following is my take on the situation:

The original loan notes agreement was drawn up in September 2004, when the previously unheard-of Langston Corporation gave the club an unsecured advance 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 those 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-footballing profits from the proposed new stadium and its associated retail developments.

As it turned out, the new stadium project suffered one delay after another and as a result the club's financial situation grew steadily worse. In October 2006, former-owner Sam Hammam stepped down as Chairman, ex-Leeds United supremo Peter Ridsdale took over the Ninian Park hot seat and a restructured agreement with Langston was soon negotiated.

The 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, with interest on the remaining £15 million set at 7% per annum. The interest began accruing in May 2007, when the stadium project was granted unconditional status by the local council, 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' if the Bluebirds managed to gain promotion to the Premiership before the debt had been repaid in full.

Despite the fact that the original loan notes agreement was struck way back in September 2004 and the amended agreement was drawn up a little over two years later, to date the club hasn't paid Langston a single penny of the initial £24 million debt or the interest it has attracted. However, that situation is set to change in January when the latest agreement takes effect.

As previously mentioned in this blog, the newly-amended agreement apparently has five key elements. They are as follows:

1) Payment by the club to Langston of £83,333.33 per calendar month from January 2010 until December 2016, when the remaining balance of £8,000,001 will be due.

2) Waiving of all interest by Langston, both historical and future.

3) Major incentives for early repayment of the debt which could see the club's liability reduce dramatically (eg: if the debt is settled in full by December 2010, the sum payable will be £10 million; if it is paid in full by December 2011, the amount required by Langston will be £11 million; if it is settled by December 2012, the total sum will be £12 million; and so on.)

4) Payment by the club to Langston of up to £5 million if the team wins promotion to the Premiership or the stadium naming rights are sold - whichever happens first.

5) Removal of the threat of further legal action against the club by Langston for the foreseeable future.

The benefits of this amended agreement for Langston are obvious. Not only will they finally start receiving some payments on their loan but, perhaps more importantly, they will now have a reasonable chance of getting back a decent percentage of their initial investment - something that looked highly unlikely if the terms of the original 2004 agreement or those of the 2006 revision were adhered to. That said, it is crystal clear that this latest agreement constitutes a significant step down from the company represented by Sam Hammam. As far as I can see, the Langston Corporation have simply decided to cut their losses.

The benefits of the new agreement to the club are potentially enormous. The removal of the threat of further legal action was absolutely critical, not only in terms of possible future investment but also in respect of the day-to-day financing of the club. As I have stated in a previous blog entry, the fact that all interest on the loan notes debt has been waived is a massive boost in financial terms. A sensible and manageable monthly repayment schedule is another plus-point, while the possibility of large reductions for early repayment of the debt is sure to make the club more attractive in the eyes of any would-be investors. They will now know exactly where they stand as regards the club's future liabilities. However, it should be noted that almost all the benefits I've mentioned are dependent upon significant new investment coming into the club. If that doesn't happen in the near future, then City's financial situation won't alter a great deal as a result of this agreement. Things will remain tight, and that's putting it mildly.

To all intents and purposes, what this latest amended loan notes agreement does is open doors. What the club now needs is for somebody with some serious financial firepower to walk through those doors. Hopefully, Malaysian business tycoon Vincent Tan is already preparing to take the necessary steps.

Five Seasons Under Jones - A Comparison

2009-12-10T13:23:00.000-08:00

With twenty games of the 2009/10 season already played, Cardiff City sit proudly in third position in the Championship table. Tuesday evening's excellent 2-0 victory over high-flying West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns lifted the Bluebirds to within five points of the automatic promotion places and gave City fans great hope for the rest of the campaign.

Coincidentally, the only other team in the Championship's top ten to have lost as many league games as Cardiff this season is the one City face next - Gordon Strachan's Middlesbrough, who are in tenth place. Both sides have lost seven games, but the Bluebirds' record of ten victories is bettered only by Newcastle United and West Brom, who are currently occupying the top two places in the table. With a fabulous total of thirty seven goals to their credit, Cardiff are also the second-highest scorers in the division. Only West Brom, with forty one goals, have netted more frequently.

So, how does City's record after twenty games of the 2009/10 season compare with the team's statistics at the same stage during the previous four campaigns? Is this season proving the side's best since Dave Jones took over as manager in May 2005, or has the team done better in the opening twenty league matches at any point during the four years since the Scouser's appointment?

City's record after twenty league games for each of the relevant seasons is as follows (league position in brackets):

05/06: Won 7, Drawn 7, Lost 6, Scored 30, Conceded 23, points 28 (8th)

06/07: Won 11, Drawn 4, Lost 5, Scored 31, Conceded 20, Points 37 (2nd)

07/08: Won 5, Drawn 8, Lost 7, Scored 26, Conceded 28, Points 23 (17th)

08/09: Won 7, Drawn 9, Lost 4, Scored 26, Conceded 21, Points 30 (7th)

09/10: Won 10, Drawn 3, Lost 7, Scored 37, Conceded 22, Points 33 (3rd)

As you can see, City had won one more game and gained four more points at this stage in 2006/07, although I should mention that the wheels were beginning to fall off the side's promotion wagon in dramatic fashion back then. After a 1-0 defeat by QPR at Ninian Park, the Bluebirds drew 0-0 with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsbrough and were then thumped 3-0 in game twenty by Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.

I was up in the Potteries that night and remember various aspects of the game vividly. City were outfought in every department, Paul Parry put in one of the most gutless displays I've ever witnessed from a Cardiff player (I don't think I ever forgave him for it), horrible Lee Hendrie had a field day, Stoke scored three goals in the space of five second-half minutes and Steve McPhail compounded the travelling fans' misery by getting himself sent off with a few minutes remaining. Following that defeat, the team didn't win another game until late-January. Thankfully, the woeful performance at Stoke was in stark contrast to the battling display which earned the Bluebirds three points at the Hawthorns in midweek.

It's interesting to note that City have already lost as many games during this campaign as they had after no less than thirty eight matches of last season. However, the side's ability to score a lot more goals is resulting in far fewer draws and a better league position this time around.

In my opinion, it's very hard to say whether City have done better during the first twenty games of this season than they did during any of Dave Jones' previous four campaigns as manager of the club. The team has certainly scored more goals, but they have also lost as many games as they did in 2007/08 when they were way down in seventeenth position. My overall feeling is that the side hasn't done quite as well as it did in the first twenty games of 2006/07, but nevertheless I feel the squad is a fair bit stronger now than it was back then.

Turning back to last season, the top six teams after twenty games were as follows: Wolves, Birmingham, Reading, Burnley, Sheffield United and Preston. The top two ended the campaign in the automatic promotion places, while the next four teams occupied the play-off spots. I'm hoping history repeats itself, because given the way the division is shaping up this season, I'd settle for a play-off place right now!

Bluebirds Closing In On Malaysian Deal

2009-12-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

Following new board member Datuk Chan Tien Ghee's latest visit to the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the much talked about Malaysian-based investment in the Bluebirds appears to have moved a step closer. I understand that City chief Peter Ridsdale and fellow director Alan Whiteley will be flying out to Kuala Lumpar later this week in order to participate in the final stages of the due diligence process as the initial phase of the proposed takeover deal nears its completion.

As I have previously mentioned in this blog, the first stage of the investment will see the Malaysians pay a sum in the region of £2 million for a 10% stake in the club, with a strong possibility of further and more substantial investment to follow in the New Year providing everything goes according to plan.

No doubt major shareholders Paul Guy and Mike Hall will be keeping their fingers crossed that the Chairman's midweek visit to the Far East bears fruit. PMG Estates Ltd, the property development company owned by Guy and Hall, is currently owed around £9.7 million by the football club in relation to loans it provided to help fund the new stadium build.

Peter Ridsdale has talked publicly about his desire to clear PMG's debt as quickly as possible, and now that the stadium and its associated retail developments are completed, Guy and Hall will surely be keen to cash in on their shares. However, it is my belief that they, along with the club's other major shareholders, will need to drop their asking price before the Malaysians do business.

In recent months, I have heard suggestions that City's directors are currently valuing their shares at approximately 45p each. As they paid prices in January 2007 ranging between 11p and 16p per share, then the current quotes seem totally unrealistic to me, especially considering the club's debt levels. Nevertheless, it appears the Malaysians are increasingly committed to the idea of taking control of the club, so a deal remains a very strong possibility.

Better. Not Brilliant, But Better.

2009-12-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

Cardiff's victory yesterday afternoon over a Preston side who look mediocre at best was just about deserved. The performance from City was never a brilliant one and the football was nowhere near as attractive as the stuff the team was producing during the early months of the season, but nevertheless this triumph was a step in the right direction after a thoroughly miserable November. Hopefully, it will give everyone involved with the club a lift and the team can push on from here.

Man of the match for me was captain Mark Hudson. The former Palace and Charlton defender won almost everything in the air and made some vital interceptions on the few occasions the visitors did threaten. Hudson has been subjected to plenty of criticism since arriving in South Wales, much of which has been harsh in my opinion. Although he is clearly no world-beater, I believe his performances haven't been anywhere near as bad as some fans have been making out. Indeed, he's played particularly well in recent weeks, but unfortunately for him, his improvement has coincided with a dip in form from the rest of the team. Therefore, he hasn't been getting the credit he's deserved.

Until he was forced off through injury, Hudson's central defensive partner, Anthony Gerrard, was also having a decent game against the Lilywhites. He looks in much better form at present than Gabor Gyepes, who is having a dismal campaign. After going to pieces during the last few games of 2008/09, Gyepes appeared rusty in pre-season and he hasn't looked much better in either of the league matches he's featured in so far. Is he going to prove a one-season wonder? It will be disappointing if that's the case, but it's beginning to look a distinct possibility.

Manager Dave Jones must have been furious with Jay Bothroyd after a stupid late tackle on Callum Davidson earned the striker a deserved booking from excellent referee Roger East. Bothroyd now misses the midweek trip to West Brom after picking up five yellow cards this season. It was a needless challenge and one which seriously reduces the team's chances of getting a result at the Hawthorns, so I hope Bothroyd is fined accordingly.

Riccy Scimeca performed admirably on his return to the side, which begs the question why hasn't his manager used him before now? Some of Dave Jones' substitutions during the last month or so have been bizarre, but what has been equally strange is his apparent reluctance to give Scimeca a chance. Before yesterday, the veteran midfielder's last appearance for the senior side was a four-minute stint as a substitute against Derby in September! Given the fact that the centre of midfield is the area where City are lowest in numbers and weakest in terms of quality at present, then Jones' failure to use Scimeca before now has been baffling.

Winger Chris Burke had a strange game. He was largely anonymous before his stunning fifty fifth minute winner, but from that point onwards he looked the Bluebirds' main attacking threat. I hope the rumours about him wanting a move back to Scotland are unfounded, as he has become a vitally-important member of the side this season.

Overall, yesterday's performance was a reasonably solid one and it was nice to see the players showing the correct attitude following their woeful second half effort against Ipswich a week earlier. Two tough away games within the space of five days is a big ask for City's depleted squad, but if the players put in the same amount of effort at West Brom and Middlesbrough as they did against Preston, then there is a fair chance they can pick up points from both fixtures.

Before I close, a quick word about Paul Parry, who returned to Cardiff yesterday for the first time following his summer move to Lancashire. The word I've always used to describe Parry is lightweight. He has more than enough ability to succeed at this level but he just doesn't seem to have the heart. Thankfully, he was absolute rubbish against City. That was no surprise, as he was often absolute rubbish for City. The most overrated player in the club's recent history? Quite possibly.

And Then There Were Ten!

2009-12-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

To be honest, after Cardiff City's pathetic second half capitulation against Ipswich Town on Sunday and all the furore surrounding Chairman Peter Ridsdale's appearance at the Municipal Club on Monday, I'd just about had enough of all things football by Tuesday. Therefore, during the remainder of the week I've been concentrating on one of my other passions - rearing tarantulas.

Yesterday afternoon I purchased the latest addition to my collection, which now includes a total of ten different spiders of varying ages and sizes. The newcomer is a juvenile specimen of an African species bearing the scientific name Pterinochilus murinus. These spiders go by number of common trade names, such as the Orange Baboon Tarantula and the Usambara Starburst Baboon, but within the hobby they have two nicknames which give a clear indication of their temperament - the African Pterror (a pun on the Latin classification) and the Orange Bitey Thing.

P. murinus are by no means big tarantulas. On the contrary, fully-mature males usually have a leg span of just three and a half inches, while females are generally only an inch or so larger. Nevertheless, this species has a legendary reputation amongst spider keepers due to its speed, aggression and fearsome bite, which is said to be one of the most painful produced by any tarantula.

I've long been keen to have a go at rearing one of these beautiful and popular spiders as their behaviour is reported to be fascinating, but I've always been put off by their aggressive tendencies (the rest of the species in my collection are from South America and very docile by comparison). However, I instantly fell in love with the colourful young African Pterror I was shown while I was visiting the Cardiff Reptile Centre on Tuesday afternoon, and by Wednesday evening I had resigned myself to an inevitable purchase. Before making a final decision, I spoke to an expert who has managed to breed this species on several occasions. Although they are definitely not a tarantula for beginners and should never be handled, he assured me they are perfectly manageable for experienced keepers as long as we are sensible, careful and respectful while maintaining their tanks or moving them from one enclosure to another. Therefore, I couldn't resist.

The first challenge upon getting the new arrival home was moving him from the tiny plastic tub he was living in to the small tank that will house him for the next six months or so. Although he only has a leg span of an inch and three quarters at present, he could still provide me with a nasty bite and, perhaps more importantly, he is extremely fast and could escape quite easily if not dealt with properly. With that in mind, I used the old tarantula keepers' trick of transferring him from one enclosure to another in the bath, working on the theory that if he darted out of the tub or tank, he'd have trouble scaling the shiny enamel. In the event, he was initially very reluctant to leave his tub and took some gentle persuading with a long pair of tweezers, but when he eventually did move, he shot out of the container like a small bolt of orange lightning. Fortunately for me, the escape route he chose to take was straight into his new tank.

Within minutes of me putting the lid on, he was busy making himself at home in his new surroundings by spinning copious amounts of web around a piece of driftwood I'd placed inside the tank to provide him with some shelter. In the twenty four hours since then, he has done an amazing amount of work for one so small, having webbed all over the side and back of the enclosure, dug himself a burrow beneath the driftwood shelter, and barricaded its entrance by using the peat and coco-fibre substrate. He seems to have settled in really well, which is something of a relief, as this is one handsome little tarantula I don't want to upset too often if I can avoid it.

All that remained this morning was for me to give my new spider a pet name to go with his scientific name, trade names and nicknames. While I was discussing the issue at work with my colleague and friend Nick Sheldon, the editor of long-running Cardiff City fanzine Watch the Bluebirds Fly, he heard me mention that one of the common names for this species is the Usambara Starburst and instantly suggested I should call mine Alvin, as in Alvin Starburst.....

So there we have it - the new arrival is now named Alvin the Orange Bitey Thing. I shall attempt to feed him for the first time on Sunday, which could be interesting, although I reckon the real fun and games will begin after he has moulted a few times and needs to be moved to a bigger enclosure.

For an indication of just how fast these spiders can shift when the mood takes them, take a look at what happens when this Polish idiot attempts to coax his juvenile OBT out of a rearing pot which was clearly much too small for it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxXrHc9sflA&feature=related

I wonder if he ever found it again?

Peter Ridsdale's Muni Masterclass

2009-12-01T01:52:00.000-08:00

Unlike the team on Sunday afternoon, Cardiff City Chairman Peter Ridsdale was in fine form on Monday evening upon his return to the Municipal Club. The Bluebirds boss fielded questions for almost two hours from a crowd of well over two hundred fans who had gathered at the dingy venue on City Road in order to express their concerns about the club's current fortunes. Whether you love him or loathe him, and whether you believe the answers he provides or not, you cannot help but admire the way in which Ridsdale handles himself in situations like these. He is an excellent public speaker who is extremely adept at dealing with large groups of people, and he has the ability to make supporters feel positive about their club regardless of the team's results or any alleged troubles behind the scenes. Many fans apparently arrived at the meeting determined to have a go at the Chairman, but he easily rode the storm and eventually left the stage to a generous round of applause. Once again, he had managed to win over a large percentage of the doubters, which speaks volumes about the man's PR skills.

Ridsdale had previously visited the Muni in mid-November 2007. On that occasion, he faced the wrath of a group of nineteen angry fans, myself included, who were upset about the team's woeful form at the time. City had just been thumped 3-0 by Charlton Athletic at the Valley and were hovering two places above the relegation zone thanks to having a better goal difference than fellow strugglers Preston and QPR. In his book, United We Fall, the Chairman wrote a brief account of that particular meeting. He described the Muni as "not a place for the faint-hearted or thin-skinned," and said walking into it was "like entering the lion's den."

Back in November 2007, Ridsdale arrived at the venue alone, but on Monday evening he was flanked by several of his colleagues, including Group Finance Director Alan Flitcroft, General Stadium Manager David Spencer, Head of Media and External Relations Gareth Davies and Stadium Manager Wayne Nash. The Chairman took his place at the centre of the stage alongside event organiser Annis Abraham Jnr, and the inquest into the club's current on and off-field problems began at 7:00pm prompt.

Insolvency expert and Supporters' Trust board member Keith Morgan opened the meeting by probing Ridsdale about City's present debt levels. The Chairman stated the club owes the mysterious Langston Corporation £15 million, although that figure could be written down to £10 million as a part of a revised loan notes agreement that is currently the subject of prolonged negotiations. He said major shareholder Paul Guy's company, PMG Estates Ltd, are owed just over £9 million plus interest on a loan they gave the club to fund the new stadium build. I understand that debt amounts to a total of almost £9.7 million when the interest is taken into consideration. Ridsdale added that around £2 to £3 million is owed to contractors for fitting out the stadium, and said the HMRC tax bill, along with earlier loans from directors Steve Borley and Michael Isaac, is currently being paid off by monthly instalments. The tax bill and the remaining balances on those loans apparently account for a further sum of around £2 million.

When all the figures are taken into account, I would estimate the club's current debt stands at approximately £29 million. Ridsdale claimed the figure is closer to £24 million, but I believe he was subtracting the £5 million that could be wiped off the Langston debt if it settled early. At the moment, there appears to be no guarantee that will happen, although it remains a strong possibility if the prospective Malaysian investment comes to fruition.

The revised Langston loan notes deal was the subject of much discussion. Ridsdale stated that he and Langston representative Sam Hammam have reached a verbal agreement they are both happy with, but the respective lawyers are currently squabbling over some of the legal jargon contained in the related paperwork. He said he expects this mini-dispute to be resolved and the agreement to be signed off by both parties in the very near future.

Ridsdale maintained he is confident that Langston have no intention of pursuing any further legal action against the club, and I share his confidence. Another litigation could take up to two years to reach court and would cost Langston a small fortune. They would also have precious little chance of winning the case. When I last talked to Sam Hammam at any length, which was a few months ago, he spoke of his desire to get this matter sorted out once and for all for the benefit of all concerned, including his family, and said he wanted everything to be done and dusted by the end of December at the latest. Dragging things out any longer won't benefit anybody, so I'm sure we will finally see a resolution within the next couple of weeks.

The details of the revised loan notes agreement are interesting, to say the very least. Provided the relevant paperwork gets signed, monthly repayments to Langston will commence in January 2010 and I'm reliably informed they will be set at around the £83,000 mark, meaning approximately £1 million will be paid off the debt each year between now and 2016, when an additonal balance of £8 million will be due. However, there are significant incentives for early repayment of the entire liability. For instance, if it is settled by the end of 2010, then the total payable by the club will be just £10 million. If it is paid off by the end of 2011, the total will be £11 million, and so on.

As was the case with the 2007 revision of the original 2004 agreement, all historic interest has been written off, and this time around all future interest has also been written off, which is a massive financial boost for the club. In a further amendment, Langston will receive a sum of £5 million if the stadium naming rights are sold or if the club reaches the Premiership - whichever happens first.

The loan notes debt initially stood at £24 million plus interest. We are now in a position whereby it could be reduced to as little as a flat £10 million. Of course, Langston's hands have been tied to a large degree by the financial situation at the club, but nevertheless the debt has been the subject of some remarkable reductions in recent years, and credit for that should go to those who have been involved in the negotiating process. A £24 million plus interest debt was simply unmanageable for a club of Cardiff City's size, but a debt of £10 million makes the Bluebirds a far more viable proposition for any prospective investors, especially now the new stadium is up and running.

On the subject of possible investors, Ridsdale confirmed that new board member Datuk Chan Tien Ghee has already advanced a significant sum of money in relation to his investment in the club and more cash is expected to follow later this week. I'm led to believe that investment is likely to total around £2 million at this stage, with Tien Ghee taking a 10% stake.

For the first time in public, Ridsdale mentioned the name of Vincent Tan - Chairman of the Berjaya Corporation. The Bluebirds boss revealed he had dinner with Tan last week and it now seems increasingly likely that the billionaire businessman will also be investing in the club before too much longer. It is unclear at this stage whether Tan's prospective investment would be in addition to that of Tien Ghee, or whether it would form a part of the same deal, but the Malaysians are apparently midway through the due diligence process, so we should hear some further news in this respect very soon.

In relation to last week's court appearance regarding a winding-up order issued by HMRC, Ridsdale said the debt concerned was an historical one. He suggested that payments hadn't been made on time this year because of an overspend on the stadium fitting-out costs. However, he was keen to point out that the winding-up order was suspended well in advance of the court hearing after a satisfactory repayment schedule had been agreed with HMRC. The Chairman admitted a degree of naivety over this matter as he'd assumed the case wouldn't reach the public domain because of the agreement. He claimed he hadn't even known the date of the court hearing as he believed it to have been little more than a rubber-stamping exercise.

Ridsdale assured those present that City would not be the subject of an FA transfer embargo during the January window as a result of the tax issue and he spoke of his anger over the way in which the story had been presented by Media Wales on their website and in their newspapers. He said he felt the coverage did not offer a true reflection of the situation and had unnecessarily worried the club's supporters and creditors alike due to the tone adopted by the Media Wales writers.

Other titbits of information which emerged during the meeting included news that the Chairman's salary actually amounts to £350,000 per annum as opposed to £500,000 as is so often claimed on the internet message boards. Ridsdale told the audience his wages are determined by fellow directors Keith Harris and Alan Whiteley, and he said he believes he's worth every penny of his salary. It was also revealed that the club's annual wage bill currently stands at around the £12 million mark, and that General Stadium Manager David Spencer is working for the club on a one-year consultancy contract which will be reviewed at the end of the season.

During a brief discussion about the proposed House of Sport development, which the club has a contractural commitment to the council to build before the end of December 2010, Ridsdale stated the project will cost somewhere between £1 and £2 million, and will be funded by selling land banks on the stadium site which have a similar value.

The Premier Club seating area of the Grandstand was also the subject of a short debate. The Chairman conceded the marketing of this section of the new stadium had been "a complete cock-up." He revealed that the Premier Club will be relaunched in January, when packages that give better value for money will be offered to existing and prospective members.

Turning to on-field matters, Ridsdale described the team's recent displays as "wholly unacceptable" and said he had been "absolutely appalled" by the second half display against Ipswich on Sunday. He said he had already outlined his feelings to Dave Jones and the rest of the management team, and he expects to see a significant improvement from the players against Preston next Saturday. However, despite the dismal performances against Swansea, Barnsley and Ipswich, he predictably defended his manager and underlined the progress he feels the side has made under Jones in recent years. Ridsdale stated that as and when he thinks the club will benefit from a change of manager, he will take the appropriate action, but he clearly doesn't believe that time is now if his comments at this meeting are anything to go by.

The Chairman talked about how much the team is missing Steve McPhail, how he feels Joe Ledley is currently "playing like he's somewhere else" and how he knows the side needs strengthening in several positions. He hinted that the squad will be added to during the January transfer window but warned that finances are likely to remain tight for the time being despite the prospective investment from the Malaysians.

In terms of his own future at Cardiff, Ridsdale said that although he is not a born and bred Bluebird, he has become a big City fan since arriving in South Wales, and he claimed he is as passionate about the team as any of us while games are being played. Nevertheless, he said he will consider his job here has been done as and when the debts are cleared and the club reaches the Premiership.

On Monday evening in the salubrious surroundings of the Municipal Club, Peter Ridsdale provided us with a masterclass in winning over an initially sceptical audience. That shouldn't have come as a surprise to anybody, as we've seen him do so before and no doubt we will see him do so again before he leaves our football club for pastures new. While I am not entirely convinced by one or two of the answers he gave and I'm dubious about his suggestions that the club could be debt-free by the end of next year, I am nevertheless feeling reasonably positive about City's off-field prospects at present, as I think I have demonstrated in earlier entires to this blog.

While there is obviously much work for Ridsdale and Co to do in order to put an end to the Langston saga, make the prospective Malaysian investment a reality and start clearing those horrendous debts, I believe there is finally some genuine light at the end of the tunnel. Let's hope I'm right and that light gets progressively brighter during the coming months.

Much Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth at the CCS

2009-11-30T01:37:00.000-08:00

November 2009 was hardly what could be described as a vintage month for Cardiff City fans. Basically, it started badly and faded. After Lewis McGugan struck an injury-time leveller for Nottingham Forest to deny the Bluebirds victory and top spot in the Championship on the first day of the month, things have got progressively worse for manager Dave Jones, whose team has been riding on the crest of a slump ever since. Three straight defeats have seen City plummet to seventh in the table and an automatic promotion place is already looking a distant pipe dream. Should the side's current malaise continue for much longer, then the prospect of a play-off spot will soon fall into the same category. The reverses at Swansea and Barnsley were worrying enough for Bluebirds supporters, but yesterday's woeful second half display against lowly Ipswich Town has really set the alarm bells ringing. Coupled with the club's well-documented off-field problems involving huge debts and a High Court winding-up order over an unpaid tax bill, then it is crystal clear that all is not well at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The team's second half performance yesterday was desperately disappointing. Although the defence looked shaky at times, I felt City had played reasonably well during the first period against an Ipswich side with very obvious limitations. However, the second half display was quite simply shocking. It seemed that everyone inside the ground could see Jon Walters' 73rd minute equaliser coming, but neither Dave Jones nor his players were able to do anything to stop it. Following that goal, the Bluebirds' efforts to get back in front were almost non-existent and Jon Stead's deflected 85th minute winner for the visitors merely rubbed salt into the wounds for the home fans.

Overall, there was precious little for City supporters to get enthusiastic about. Goalkeeper David Marshall was in erratic form, making one decent save from Stern John but also failing to deal properly with a couple of straightforward crosses. He was apparently suffering with a groin problem and was replaced at half-time by Peter Enckelman, who looked like an accident waiting to happen from the moment he took his place between the sticks.

Having played fairly well at Barnsley, much-maligned captain Mark Hudson had another decent game in the centre of defence. However, his new partner, Gabor Gyepes, looked way off the pace. The Hungarian international appeared rusty at Oakwell and it was the same story yesterday. I won't be at all surprised if he is replaced by a fit-again Anthony Gerrard before next week's game against Preston North End. Meanwhile, left-back Mark Kennedy looks in need of a rest. Despite working hard, he had a poor match and gave the ball away far too often. He was also caught out of position much too frequently. Hopefully, Kevin McNaughton will be back in time for next Saturday's fixture, but given the way he limped off at Barnsley I won't be holding my breath.

Yet again, City's central midfield unit failed to function adequately, particularly during the second half. Gavin Rae put in a reasonable performance throughout the first period but his play deteriorated alarmingly after the interval, while Joe Ledley had a poor game from start to finish. He looks a million miles from being a Premiership player at present. If he is going to move anywhere during the January transfer window, then another Championship club looks his most likely destination. One thing's for sure, though - if Ledley does get the move to the Premiership he apparently craves, then Cardiff won't get a fraction of the £6 million fee Stoke allegedly offered for his services last season. It's sad to see local boy Ledley in such desperate form. He's been an excellent servant to the club since breaking into the side as a seventeen year-old back in 2004, but it now looks very much like a move away will be the best option for all concerned. Not only is he playing poorly but he is getting an increasing amount of stick from the supporters. The situation is not a healthy one, so maybe a couple of games on the bench would do him some good. Dave Jones has a fit Riccy Scimeca available for selection. If the manager doesn't play the veteran midfielder now, he never will.

Up front, the form of Michael Chopra is a growing concern. Amazingly, after banging in four goals against Derby in the last week of September, he has gone two months without scoring another. Chopra worked hard yesterday but he never looked like hitting the back of the net, as was the case at Barnsley last week. He is currently being starved of service from midfield and seems to be playing far too deep as a result. The coaching staff need to work on addressing this problem in time for the visit of Preston, because the player's confidence is clearly beginning to dip.

All in all, the team performed extremely poorly during the second half of yesterday's game. Dave Jones will have to get a grip of his players and quickly. If he doesn't stop the current rot, then what had been looking a very promising season only a few weeks ago is going to drift away completely.

Given the pathetic manner of the defeat against Ipswich, and particularly the lack of fight his team showed, it was inevitable that there would be an increase in the number of calls for the manager to be sacked. However, my personal opinion is that such calls are premature. The side is currently seventh in the Championship table, just two points off fourth place. City have scored 4-0, 3-1, 3-0, 6-1, 4-0 and 4-3 victories this season and are the second-highest scorers in the division. The team is clearly considerably better than its current form suggests. I am very far removed from being a Dave Jones fan - I think he's hugely overrated and a managerial dinosaur in some respects - but as far as I'm concerned, you just cannot sack a manager whose team has a record like his at this stage of the season. I think to do so would be rash in the extreme.

Amid rumours that he is set to step down next year, beleagured Chairman Peter Ridsdale will face the wrath of angry fans at the Municipal Club on City Road in Cardiff this evening. The meeting starts at 7:00pm, is open to all and is certain to be a lively affair. I hope the organiser, my good friend Annis Abraham Jnr, has sufficient plans in place to keep order and ensure the event doesn't descend into a farce. Whatever our current feelings about the football club and Peter Ridsdale's role in it, we should remember that very few chairmen would be prepared to meet the supporters under such circumstances and at such a difficult time. Therefore, I hope the man is given the respect he deserves for having the bottle to attend the event. I'll definitely be present at the Muni and will hopefully be able to provide a report on this blog for those who can't make it either tonight or at some point tomorrow.

Local Press Coverage: Black Friday Revisited?

2009-11-27T13:25:00.000-08:00

Cast your minds back to the first week of March, 2005. That was the dramatic period when, according to the esteemed scribes at the South Wales Echo, Cardiff City Football Club were borrowing £2 million from the Professional Footballers' Association in order to pay the bills, Vice-Chairman Michael Issac was paying the club's wages out of his own pocket and the Bluebirds were set to sell a minimum of five or six players before the transfer window closed in a desperate bid to stay in business.

It later transpired the club had in fact borrowed just £250,000 from the PFA as opposed to the reported figure of £2 million. It also turned out that Michael 'the Saviour' Issac had not been paying the wages out of his own pocket as the Echo had claimed, but had instead loaned the club a sum of £1.5 million, upon which he was charging interest at a staggering rate of 20% above base. And as for the prospective sale of a minimum of five or six players, in the event it was only club captain Graham Kavanagh who was sold to Wigan Athletic. Within days of his departure, striker Michael Boulding arrived on loan from Barnsley and midfielder Neal Ardley was signed on a free transfer from Watford.

The Echo's reporting of the club's financial situation was absolutely hopeless back in early-2005, and from what I have seen since then it hasn't improved a great deal. For instance, who can forget the hedge funds fiasco of late-2006? For almost two months the journalists at Media Wales regularly wrote stories detailing how City were set to be the subject of a multi-million pound takeover by a mysterious London-based financial institution who specialised in hedge funds. In the end, it turned out the club was in fact being taken over by a group of well-known South Wales businessmen, several of whom were already involved in one capacity or another at Ninian Park. The truth had been right under the noses of the local sports reporters all along, but none of them had been able to sniff it out.

I suppose the Media Wales journalists should get some credit for breaking Wednesday afternoon's news about the club's High Court appearance, although from what Mark Bloom said in the latest Walesonline 'Focus on Football' show, it sounds as if the story fell into their laps after being flagged up by an outside agency who were working in the courts at the time. By all accounts, Messrs Bloom, Tucker, Phillips and friends were as surprised by the developments as the fans were.

Regardless of how they came by the story, I have to say I think the local reporting of it has been abysmal. We are now two days on from the court hearing and yet the readers of the Echo, the Western Mail and Walesonline are effectively none the wiser about the realities of the situation.

Why on earth didn't the Media Wales football writers attempt to properly investigate this story before running with it? After all, it's not as if they had anything better to do with their time. Surely one of them could have contacted Chairman Peter Ridsdale or, better still, the club's Group Finance Director, Alan Flitcroft, and sought some clarification regarding City's official position before putting the story on their website? And why not also attempt to speak to somebody who is an expert on such matters in order to get an impartial opinion on what this court action really means for the club and its supporters? How difficult would that have been to do?

It seems to me that investigative journalism is an alien concept to most of our local sports reporters. Instead, all we ever get from the Media Wales writers is low-grade, poorly-researched tabloid trash.

Take the recent appointment of Datuk Chan Tien Ghee to the club's board of directors as a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Those of us who keep our ears to the ground found out on Monday morning that 'TG' was going to join the Bluebirds' board this week. The formal announcement of his appointment was simply a matter of time according to those who know about such things. However, there was no mention whatsoever of it in the local press until after the event.

While I am on the subject of the Malaysian lawyer/businessman - a gentleman who may well hold the key to the club's immediate future - I wonder how much the average City fan has managed to learn about him from what they have read in the Welsh press? My guess is that most of us still know next to nothing about 'TG' despite the fact that he has been strongly linked with our football club since the summer. It's not as if the Media Wales boys have only had a few days or even a couple of weeks to find out more about this increasingly important figure. They've had several months and yet much of what we know about him has come about as a result of supporters doing their own research on the internet and posting their findings on the message boards.

I think I'm right in saying that the name of Tien Ghee's wealthy close associate, Vincent Tan, has only been mentioned once by the local press, and that was way back in early-August. Meanwhile, his company, the Berjaya Corporation, has never been mentioned at all. Frankly, I find that astonishing under the circumstances.

Are we subjected to such poor football journalism here in South Wales simply because Rugby Union has a stranglehold on the local media, I wonder? I don't know the answer to that question, but what I do know is that the truth is always out there. Sadly, it seems that our local pressmen can rarely be bothered to get off their backsides in order to go and find it.

Never A Dull Moment At Cardiff City!

2009-11-25T16:16:00.000-08:00

I think it's safe to say that Wednesday 25th November was an unusual day even by Cardiff City's often bizarre standards. First came the revelation that the club had allegedly been the subject of a winding-up order brought about by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in London's High Court with regard to an unpaid tax bill. Then, shortly afterwards, the club issued a press statement revealing that Malaysian businessman Datuk Chan Tien Ghee has joined the Bluebirds' board of directors.

I don't want to talk about the possible ramifications of the alleged winding-up order here as to be perfectly honest, the news of today's court hearing came as a complete surprise to me. I have absolutely no idea what the truth is regarding that particular situation and I'd rather not speculate about it for the time being. Instead, I'd prefer to concentrate on the fascinating development involving lawyer-turned entrepreneur Datuk Chan Tien Ghee, or TG as he is apparently known to City's senior officials.

The Malaysian businessman is obviously a wealthy individual in his own right and is involved in a number of major projects in his homeland. For example, here's a report detailing one such recent development:

http://www.malaysiapropertynews.com/2009/07/cmp-to-start-lido-beach-mega-project.html

In the report, you will notice the name of property tycoon Tan Sri Dato Seri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun is mentioned. According to those who know about such things, billionaire Vincent Tan is a close associate of Tien Ghee. His numerous business interests are said to include property development, holiday resort management, manufacturing, financial services, theme parks, gaming and lottery administration, golf course development, investment holdings and even a pay-per-view TV service.

Vincent Tan is reputed to be amongst the ten richest Malaysians, with an estimated personal wealth of around $1.5 billion. Meanwhile, his flagship company, the Berjaya Corporation, is said to have reserves of more than $20 billion. Tan is clearly a very rich man and his company is a huge concern. The Berjaya Corporation's website can be found here:

http://www.berjaya.com/

So, could Datuk Chan Tien Ghee have joined Cardiff City's board of directors in order to protect the current and potential future investment of his fabulously wealthy associate, Tan Sri Dato Seri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun? On Monday, I suggested that a Malaysian-based investment in the club was imminent and the Bluebirds could have a new board member by the end of the week. Today, I am suggesting there may be a lot more to Tien Ghee's appointment than initially meets the eye.

Let's hope I'm right, because the reports about High Court hearings and winding-up orders would seem to indicate that the club is growing ever more desperate for a substantial cash injection in order to stay afloat, never mind sustain a challenge for promotion to the Premiership.

What Are Dave Jones' Loan Options?

2009-11-23T11:46:00.001-08:00

The evidence of the dismal recent defeats at Swansea and Barnsley strongly suggests that Dave Jones' Cardiff City squad will need strengthening in several positions if the club is going to maintain its promotion challenge this season. The so-called 'emergency' loan window closes at 5pm on Thursday afternoon, so the Bluebirds boss is obviously going to have to move pretty quickly if he is going to bring in any new faces before January.

The problem Jones faces is that, as usual, he needs to move players out before he'll be allowed to bring any in. So, who amongst the current City squad could be loaned out to other clubs in order to make room for new arrivals? These are his options as I see them:

Tony Capaldi - for me, Capaldi represents Jones' best bet of moving a player out to another Championship side this week. The Northern Ireland international has started eight league and cup games for City this season, but nevertheless he doesn't appear to have any future at the club. Highly likely to move on permanently in January, so perhaps a short-term loan deal would suit the player and his manager at this current point in time.

Miguel Comminges - totally out of favour this season, having made just one substitute appearance in the Championship. Maybe a club in League One would be interested in borrowing a utility player who apparently did well at that level before he joined City.

Warren Feeney - a striker who has a good scoring record at League One level but who doesn't look quite good enough for the Championship. A hard-working individual who is eager to play football, he is another who may well move on in January. Would no doubt welcome the chance to play regularly between now and then, but his hefty wages probably mean that a short-term loan move to a League One club is unlikely.

Josh Magennis - the promising young striker had a brief and unsuccessful loan spell at League Two side Grimsby in October. A stint in the Conference may suit him better at this stage of his career.

Riccy Scimeca - reported to have turned down a loan move to Brentford in September. The veteran midfielder was said to be keen to fight for his place in the City side, but he's made just two brief substitute appearances in the Championship since then. He is doing himself and his club no favours by just sitting on the bench and would seem an ideal candidate for a loan move to a League One or Two team, but I will be surprised if he goes anywhere between now and the end of the season.

Solomon Taiwo - his arrival from Dagenham & Redbridge in late-August was something of a surprise and so far he has struggled to cope with the standard of football in the Championship. Dropping down a division or two for a couple of months may help to rebuild his confidence, although it appears doubtful that he will ever prove good enough for this level.

Unless Tony Capaldi does move to another Championship club, I'd say it's probable that Dave Jones will need to move out two of the other players I've listed before he can afford to bring in a loanee from either the Premiership or the upper echelons of the Championship. My feeling is that he will almost certainly have to make do with what he's already got until January, which is a shame as there are plenty of important league points to play for between now and then.

Malaysian Investment Imminent

2009-11-23T04:12:00.000-08:00

The breaking news this lunchtime is that the first phase of the much talked about Malaysian-based investment in Cardiff City is imminent. I am reliably informed that an announcement could be made as soon as this evening and it seems the club could have a new board member by the end of the week.

Bluebirds Chairman Peter Ridsdale missed the defeat at Barnsley on Saturday in order to travel to the Far East and it sounds like his trip was worthwhile. He will apparently be back in Cardiff on Wednesday. I am told it is unlikely the proposed investment will lead to an immediate takeover, but the wheels appear to be in motion for the Malaysian investors to gain a majority shareholding in the club at some point in the near future.

Barnsley 1 Cardiff City 0 - Utter Rubbish

2009-11-22T06:36:00.001-08:00

Another good day out ruined by a game of football, and what a dismal contest this was. Absolute garbage. City looked totally lost in the absence of Jay Bothroyd and posed very little by way of an attacking threat. Ross McCormack and Michael Chopra are both excellent strikers by Championship standards but they don't look in the slightest bit effective as a partnership.

The conditions at Oakwell were pretty poor but the quality of football served up by both sides was even worse. A dire game had 0-0 written all over it until Barnsley's injury time winner. The stats suggest that the home side had seven attempts on target, but the truth is that David Marshall had very little to do in the City goal. Meanwhile, Tykes keeper Luke Steele was a virtual spectator, having to deal with just one meaningful effort by the Bluebirds all afternoon.

Since the stunning 4-3 victory over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in the last week of October, City have collected just one point from three Championship games. The team is still in fifth position in the table but it won't stay there for long if it maintains its current form. The defence did reasonably well up at Oakwell but the midfield was once again ineffective and the attack was toothless. Michael Chopra has now gone seven games without goal after hitting four against Derby in late-September. He needs to get back in the groove quickly, while Ross McCormack has yet to open his account for the season. His confidence looks a little fragile at the moment and there's no doubt he would benfit from scoring a goal.

Manager Dave Jones has undoubtedly been unlucky with injuries in recent weeks but his squad's lack of strength in depth has once again been exposed. He certainly doesn't lack for numbers this season, but his squad still lacks the necessary quality. Miguel Comminges and Solomon Taiwo don't look good enough for the Championship, Josh Magennis doesn't appear ready for this level yet, Tony Capaldi and Warren Feeney don't look to have any future at the club, Kevin McNaughton is never fit, and then there is the strange case of Riccy Scimeca. What on earth was the point in the manager giving the veteran midfielder another contract in the summer if he had no intention of playing him? Scimeca has played just twenty seven minutes of Championship football so far this season. Jones has been hinting that he needs to send a couple of players out in loan before he can bring anyone else in, so surely Scimeca must be one of those he is currently seeking to offload? As things stand, there is simply no point in the former England Under-21 international being here if all he is going to do is sit on the bench.

All in all, yesterday's performance was pretty depressing. The visit of lowly Ipswich next Sunday gives City an ideal opportunity to get back on track and hopefully a couple of the injured players will return to fitness in time for that fixture, but one thing's for sure - the team will need to improve significantly on its efforts at Oakwell in order to claim all three points against Roy Keane's men.

Crisis? What Crisis?!?

2009-11-18T12:46:00.001-08:00

Four representatives of the Supporters' Trust (Chairman Paul Corkrey, Vice-Chairman Tim Hartley, Community Officer Tracey Marsh and myself) met with Bluebirds Chairman Peter Ridsdale and Group Finance Director Alan Flitcroft in the new Cardiff City Stadium boardroom this afternoon, and the meeting proved an interesting one to say the least.

I'm pleased to be able to report that, despite all the recent rumours of financial turmoil at the club, Peter was in a very upbeat mood. In fact, I'd go as far as to describe his demeanour as bullish. He really was on top form, which was something of a relief in the wake of all the message board prophecies of impending doom and disaster that appeared over the weekend.

Following a lively debate about the merits or otherwise of the revolutionary Platinum Ambassadors scheme, Peter took me to task about a couple of the things I had written in Monday's opening submission to this blog. The discussion then moved on to a number of Trust-related issues, including an anti-hooliganism initiative the Trust has been working on with the club in recent months. Trust members will receive a breakdown of the main points covered during the meeting by e-mail in the next couple of days, and a report will also appear on the Trust website in due course.

Talk during the rest of the meeting centred around the financial situation at the club. Alan admitted there is a cash-flow problem, but Peter was keen to stress that it is no worse now than it usually is and he laughed off any suggestions of administration. On the contrary, he spoke in very positive terms about both the short and long-term future of the club.

As I mentioned in Monday's blog entry, Peter's negotiations over further amendments to the loan notes agreement with Langston's representative Sam Hammam stalled last week after Sam came back with a number of new proposals which were unacceptable to the club. Thankfully, it sounds like the agreement is back on track following various phone calls between the two parties in the last couple of days, and Peter sounded confident that the relevant papers will be signed off as early as this weekend.

He stated that neither party wants to go down the route of further legal action and both sides are keen to get this thing sorted out quickly, so hopefully we will see an end to the saga in the very near future.

As I have suggested on the message boards on several previous occasions, the amended agreement will involve monthly payments to Langston, significant incentives for early repayment of the debt and the removal of the threat of legal action. Once it is signed off, the agreement will open the door for new investment in the club, which is the only way that Langston are ever going to get any of their money back. Therefore, it is clearly in everyone's interest for things to be wrapped up as soon as possible.

My feeling on Monday was that this issue would probably drag on until Christmas before it was resolved, but from what I have learned today it seems we could be hearing some positive news much sooner than that.

The Chairman also talked about his desire to quickly clear the debt owed to PMG Estates Ltd and with that in mind there seems a distinct possibilty that there will be some significant changes on the Cardiff City shares register in the very near future. Peter confirmed that he is currently in talks with two interested parties, and he sounded hopeful that those talks will come to fruition once the Langston agreement is finally signed off. I believe he is away next week talking to potential investors, so it would obviously be extremely useful if the Langston issue was put to bed before then. Hopefully, Sam Hammam will also see it that way.

Peter asked those of us present to reassure people that the club is far from on the verge of collapse as has been rumoured on the message boards in recent days, and I'm very happy to do so here. Having met with Peter on numerous occasions, I can tell you that he is almost always very good in situations like today's, but this afternoon he was in particularly fine form. Either things are going well for him at the moment or he has suddenly become a Hollywood-grade actor.

All the indications are that we could be about to witness the beginning of yet another episode in the soap opera that is Cardiff City Football Club. Fingers crossed that it proves to be a good one for the fans.

What Type Of City Fan Are You?

2009-11-18T05:47:00.000-08:00

Remember the far-off days when there were just two categories of Cardiff City fan? Ten years ago, you were either a season ticket holder or you weren't. It was as simple as that. However, things began to change in 2002 when former-Chairman Sam Hammam introduced a membership scheme aimed at supporters who wanted to have priority for home and away tickets but who either couldn't afford a season ticket or were unable to buy one for practical reasons (ie: they couldn't get to enough games to make a season ticket financially viable).

The arrival of Peter Ridsdale in 2005 saw the introduction of a new category of fan - the Ambassador. An Ambassador is a season ticket holder who buys his or her ticket before a stipulated deadline, and is given a few extra benefits as a result, particularly in respect of the allocation of away tickets for big matches.

Last summer, the club moved to the new Cardiff City Stadium and another category of Bluebird was born - the Premier Club Member. They are fans who pay what are quite frankly extortionate ticket prices for seats in the corporate section of the new Grandstand, although they do get a 'free' cup of tea and a programme thrown in, so it's not all bad.....

With the 2009/10 season barely three months old, yet another category of Cardiff City supporter has been created. The newest breed are called Platinum Ambassadors. They are fans who are prepared to pay ticket money in November or December 2009 for a season which will begin in August 2010. The incentive for such supporters is the promise of a price freeze on their season tickets for the next five years.

So if you are a Cardiff City fan in 2009, you are either an away member, a season ticket holder, an Ambassador, a Platinum Ambassador or a Premier Club Member. Oh, and then there are supporters who just turn up on the day and buy tickets on the gate. I almost forgot about them.

This situation is getting ridiculous, isn't it? However, I have no doubt that, as we speak, someone in the offices at the Cardiff City Stadium is already busy devising a scheme aimed at getting our season ticket money out of us even earlier in 2010. Double Platinum Ambassadors, anyone?

My Dealer's Been Busted!

2009-11-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

Many of you will have seen the following story in the press towards the end of last week - it was in most of the nationals:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8358961.stm

As a tarantula keeper myself, I was initially alarmed when I read reports which stated that some nutter had attempted to smuggle a thousand spiders into this country by packing them inside a couple of suitcases. However, I became even more alarmed when I discovered that the person involved was Lee Ardern - a well-known Welsh tarantula dealer from Cardigan who I bought three of my seven pet spiders from!

There were further details in this BBC report:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8360438.stm

After discussions with those in the know on a couple of UK spider forums, including his business partner at Cardigan's Spider Shop (Britain's largest specialist importer and supplier of tarantulas and other arachnids), the picture of what actually happened to Lee has become a little clearer. By all accounts, he was flying from Paraguay to London via Rio. He apparently had all the necessary export permits and paperwork which allowed him to take the tarantulas out of Paraguay, but he ran into problems when he reached Brazil, where the laws are totally different. His spiders were confiscated, he was locked up and it sounds like he won't be allowed to leave the country until he pays an enormous fine.

On the face of it, that seems very harsh. However, there is very little doubt that Lee wasn't going about importing these creatures in the correct manner on this particular occasion. The spiders were almost certainly packaged safely and adequately enough, but nevertheless they were not being transported according to the accepted international guidelines. Another dealer last night described Lee as "a top man but someone who tends to cut corners." I have a feeling that attempting to import 900 spiders in a couple of large suitcases was an example of cutting a corner or two!

To be honest, I hope Lee's business survives this unfortunate episode. He is well-respected within the hobby and his shop usually provides an excellent service. Not only does he operate a fine mail order service, but he supplies spiders to numerous reptile shops up and down the country. The three juvenile tarantulas I purchased from him were very well packaged and arrived here in excellent health. His website is very informative (not to mention amusing) and he seems like a responsible dealer.

One of the spiders I bought from Lee (Rusty, a lovely Aphonopelma 'New River Rust Rump', pictured left) was actually hand-caught by the man himself while he was on a field trip in Arizona earlier this year. The tarantulas he collected on that occasion were living in an area that was due to be flooded as a part of a major landscaping exercise, so they were lucky he showed up when he did!

No doubt a high percentage of the 900 tarantulas Lee was carrying in his suitcases were tiny spiderlings (he sells thousands of those by mail order each year), and I suspect most if not all of them would have made it to this country in one piece (they were apparently all alive and well when they were seized by the Brazilian authorities). Neverthless, it's blatantly obvious that he wasn't abiding by the internationally recognised rules for transporting such creatures, and as such he deserves to be punished. If his business does survive this affair, then I hope he learns plenty of lessons from it.

Rumour and Sigh

2009-11-16T14:38:00.000-08:00

Despite an international break, which usually means tedium with a capital ‘T’, it was a reasonably interesting weekend on the Bluebirds message boards. Once again, it seems rumours are circulating of financial crisis and impending disaster at Cardiff City.

Let’s be honest here, talk of financial meltdown at CCFC is nothing new. I’ve been following City since 1975 and barely a month has gone by since then without crisis talk of one sort or another.

Nevertheless, do these latest rumours have any substance, I wonder? Personally, I take almost everything I read on the City message boards with a large pinch of salt, but I reckon there’s very little doubt the club has cash flow problems at present. What other reason could there possibly be for putting season tickets on sale during November with the promise of a five-year price freeze for the fans who pay up now? If that extraordinary and unprecedented move doesn’t start ringing alarm bells for you, then practically nothing will.

As far as I’m concerned, the Platinum Ambassadors scheme has disaster written all over it. The club apparently hopes to get 10,000 supporters to part with their season ticket cash by the end of December. The incentive of a five-year price freeze is an excellent one for those of us who are lucky enough to be able to afford season tickets in a difficult economic climate and at such an awkward time of year. To be fair, I reckon we’d be silly not to take advantage of it, but where is the financial sense in the club’s hierarchy offering fans such a deal when they have no idea what its overheads are likely to be in one year’s time, let alone four or five?

Does anybody in the Cardiff City Stadium boardroom seriously expect players’ wages to remain static for the next five seasons? Judging by the details contained in the most recent sets of accounts, the club struggles to meet its hefty annual wage bill as things are. How are the management going to cope a few years further down the line when players’ wages rise but season ticket income stays pretty much the same? Or is the current regime preparing to bail out before then?

There has already been ominous talk from the Chairman about paying off major secured creditors PMG Estates Ltd within the next twelve months. To my knowledge, Peter Ridsdale hasn’t actually stated how he intends to achieve this miracle, but my guess is he is aiming to pay off part of the PMG debt with money raised by the much talked about Malaysian investment.

There has been plenty of speculation about the likely size of any potential investment from Dato Chan Tien Ghee, and some the figures that have been bandied about have been fanciful to say the least. The information I received a while back from a very reliable source sounded far more realistic. I was told that the Malaysian businessman was likely to invest an initial sum of around £2 million. It was said he would receive the equivalent of a ten per cent stake in the club in return for his investment, which would be paid in two instalments.

A £2 million investment would no doubt be welcomed by the board at this present point in time, but it wouldn’t even come close to clearing the PMG debt or solving the difficult Langston problem, which continues to rumble menacingly in the background.

The word from those who have spoken to Peter Ridsdale during the last couple of days is that the loan notes situation is no nearer a solution. As opposed to supplying the club with a signed version of the agreement that was allegedly reached a while ago, Langston ‘representative’ Sam Hammam apparently came back to the Chairman last week with a freshly amended contract that is totally unacceptable to the club, so it’s a case of back to the drawing board. The lawyers must be loving this nonsense even if nobody else is!

Sam undoubtedly believes he was shafted by Paul Guy and Co when he signed the original amendments to the loan notes agreement back in November 2006. Those amendments effectively gave PMG Estates Ltd control of the club, and Sam has been brooding about that ever since. Given the man’s volatile nature, it was pretty obvious that he was unlikely to happily agree to further amendments which will result in Langston getting even less of their £24 million back while PMG claim their loans back in full with interest added. Therefore, the current delays should come as no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention to this saga.

On the subject of interest, how much money have Langston lost since they loaned the club £24 million in September 2004? As far as I’m aware, the club hasn’t paid a penny of the loan off yet. Historic interest was written off in November 2006 when the principle sum was written down to £15 million as a part of the amended agreement, and to my knowledge no interest has been paid to Langston since then. That means the £24 million they ‘invested’ in 2004 has failed to attract any interest whatsoever in over five years. In retrospect, I bet they wish they’d put their money into the Principality Building Society as opposed to the Principality’s biggest football club.

I think I’m right in saying that Langston and the club have an agreement that no further legal action will be taken by either party until January 2010 at the earliest, so is this issue likely to be sorted out before then? My feeling is that it will, but it will probably drag on until the last minute as has become the custom with this fiasco.

There has been plenty of speculation in recent months about a deal being reached with Hammam/Langston that will see the whole of the loan notes debt being cleared in one fell swoop. I have always maintained that was never going to happen and I’m sticking by that assessment. Peter Ridsdale may be many things, but he isn’t a magician. There is no way he’s going to be able to wave a magic wand and make a £24 million debt just disappear. My understanding is that the latest amended agreement involves little more than removing the threat of further legal action by paying Langston regular monthly instalments starting in January 2010.

One thing that doesn’t appear to have been factored into calculations by those on the message boards who have been speculating about the club’s current financial position is the proposed House of Sport complex on the Cardiff City Stadium site.

As revealed in an exclusive interview I recently conducted with Peter Ridsdale for the first issue of Moving to a Different Beat, the Supporters’ Trust magazine, the club has a contractual obligation to the local council to build the House of Sport by December 2010. It was supposed to have been built by December of this year, but the club didn’t have the necessary cash. Peter told me the council had agreed to give CCFC another twelve months and he claimed the new deadline would definitely be met. To be honest, I have no idea how much that project will cost, but I very much doubt it will be cheap.

It’s clear to me that the club has an awful lot of money to find in the coming months. It has to start paying Langston off, start clearing the PMG debt, start building the House of Sport, keep paying its hefty wage bill and keep meeting all of its other running costs.

So, are there major problems at the club right now? Does this talk of administration have any basis in truth? Are we on the verge of a financial collapse? My honest opinion is that, while there is an obvious cash flow problem at present, the situation is unlikely to end in disaster this time around. However, the Chairman must be praying for a decent FA Cup third round draw - I know I am!