Dispatches - How to buy a football club

[biscuitman]

The biggest surprise is that so many people are surprised by all of these revelations.

Not surprised at all like every football supporter. We all know it's happening but you only really hear about it more than actual seeing it on TV. A good programme. So soul destroying to see top FA officials saying they can't do anything about it. Quote of the day about Alex being his brother.

[Big Foot]

Watching on sky+ , LOL at the phone jacker style conversation with Sir Alex Ferguson

[floyd__streete]

Is anyone really that surprised that in a land with a corrupt press and government, football is as fvcked as shown tonight?

Yep, but money talks and there is nothing the average layman like you or I can ever hope to do about it so what is the point even caring. Football is a hopeless case with precious little hope of ever getting the sport run on ethical grounds.

[Uke]

Is anyone really that surprised that in a land with a corrupt press and government, football is as fvcked as shown tonight?

I wonder which media millionaire it was that commoditised football?

[Jackson Corner]

I felt a bit sad for Fergie tonight tbh; his name has been dragged theough the mud simply because of having an association with someone dodgy. There is no evidence that he has done a thing wrong - ffs, we all know managers call in favours all the time, and as he has been around the longest, he has the most contacts. However, I bet his Lady Ferguson will be asking what the "favours of a personal nature" were that the slimeball said he sorted out for him 14 years ago was.........

As for the rest of it, the depths that dodgy ownership go to was what I found compelling; yes, you can understand buying up Premiership clubs, but Barnsley? Oxford? Jeez - there are some people out there with more money than sense, who clearly think that getting hold of a club means making mental profits in less than 5 years, and there are slimy con artists who will feed off the naked greed of those idiots by selling them the dream that if they buy Barnsley they will make their fortunes.

Conclusions? As has been said, Bryan Robson is a busted flush. Thats him totally finished in English football. The FA simply MUST accept that their existing arrangements are totally inadequate to prevent some seriously dodgy people buying into clubs for nefarious reasons; property speculation, money laundering, christ - even people trafficking. It also makes even more urgent the whole question of the transparancy of club ownership and the financial backing given to clubs to attempt to buy their way to the Premiership.

Incidentally, how many loanees DID Cardiff have last season?????

At one point 7 players. The programme described Cardiff to a tea. Asian investers, Premier league loan signings desperate to get to the Premiership. Then sell off for a quick profit.

[roadrunner]

I felt a bit sad for Fergie tonight tbh; his name has been dragged theough the mud simply because of having an association with someone dodgy. There is no evidence that he has done a thing wrong - ffs, we all know managers call in favours all the time, and as he has been around the longest, he has the most contacts. However, I bet his Lady Ferguson will be asking what the "favours of a personal nature" were that the slimeball said he sorted out for him 14 years ago was.........

As for the rest of it, the depths that dodgy ownership go to was what I found compelling; yes, you can understand buying up Premiership clubs, but Barnsley? Oxford? Jeez - there are some people out there with more money than sense, who clearly think that getting hold of a club means making mental profits in less than 5 years, and there are slimy con artists who will feed off the naked greed of those idiots by selling them the dream that if they buy Barnsley they will make their fortunes.

Conclusions? As has been said, Bryan Robson is a busted flush. Thats him totally finished in English football. The FA simply MUST accept that their existing arrangements are totally inadequate to prevent some seriously dodgy people buying into clubs for nefarious reasons; property speculation, money laundering, christ - even people trafficking. It also makes even more urgent the whole question of the transparancy of club ownership and the financial backing given to clubs to attempt to buy their way to the Premiership.

Incidentally, how many loanees DID Cardiff have last season?????

Good post summed up well. Hopefully the FA will act on this now and make some serious changes, but my god they have a lot to do to sort this game out.

Bryan Robson is a kunt of the highest order and that I hope is him fininshed in English football. Perhaps he can call in some of these favours and get jobs abroad...

[Big Foot]

Is anyone really that surprised that in a land with a corrupt press and government, football is as fvcked as shown tonight?

Yep, but money talks and there is nothing the average layman like you or I can ever hope to do about it so what is the point even caring. Football is a hopeless case with precious little hope of ever getting the sport run on ethical grounds.

My point exactly

[Wax Jacket]

take it you both won't be renewing STs this season then

[Tails]

Bryan Robson is a cancer of the sport I love.





Oh.

[Deadlock]

For anyone who missed it it's repeated this Friday morning at 2:55 AM. Sky+ might be appropriate!

[readingbedding]

Is anyone really that surprised that in a land with a corrupt press and government, football is as fvcked as shown tonight?

Yep, but money talks and there is nothing the average layman like you or I can ever hope to do about it so what is the point even caring. Football is a hopeless case with precious little hope of ever getting the sport run on ethical grounds.

The game is bigger than all of this.
Even if the worst/best happens, the game would continue.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Is anyone really that surprised that in a land with a corrupt press and government, football is as fvcked as shown tonight?

Yep, but money talks and there is nothing the average layman like you or I can ever hope to do about it so what is the point even caring. Football is a hopeless case with precious little hope of ever getting the sport run on ethical grounds.

My point exactly

But it needn't be like that - the prescription for change is actually simple.

- Change ownership regulations so that supporters (via their elected representatives) own 51% of any football club - as in Germany. That immediately turns it back into a "club" and stops it being hawked around like a commodity.

- Reform the FA so that it actually fulfils its role as "Guardian of the Game" - with proper powers to investigate and ensure compliance and financial responsibility, with a proper rulebook. Of course, to do that it needs to be reformed properly so it's got more power than its bastard child, the PL.

Not easy to do these I know, but they'd solve the vast majority of the problems in an instant.

[Stuka]

LOL at the Manchester United Bar and Restaurant. I want to set up a 'Royals Bar' in Pattaya. It would have blue and white throughout, a Reading FC themed cocktail menu, lady boys, and seedy Asian gamblers negotiating match fixes and shadowy purchases of League One football clubs.

[FiNeRaIn]

I can make the same offer as that thai guy, if any one of you want dinner with alex ferguson...give me 5 million and I will make it happen.

[floyd__streete]

Not easy to do these I know, but they'd solve the vast majority of the problems in an instant.

They would. But it isn't going to happen

[Svlad Cjelli]

Not easy to do these I know, but they'd solve the vast majority of the problems in an instant.

They would. But it isn't going to happen

No reason to sit back and accept it, though. It could happen, and gets closer every day.

[Mr Angry]

- Change ownership regulations so that supporters (via their elected representatives) own 51% of any football club - as in Germany. That immediately turns it back into a "club" and stops it being hawked around like a commodity.

There are still ways round that though, aren't there? Hoffenheim springs to mind.

[Svlad Cjelli]

- Change ownership regulations so that supporters (via their elected representatives) own 51% of any football club - as in Germany. That immediately turns it back into a "club" and stops it being hawked around like a commodity.

There are still ways round that though, aren't there? Hoffenheim springs to mind.

Yes, but even that slightly flawed ownership model is better than no ownership model at all.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Is anyone really that surprised that in a land with a corrupt press and government, football is as fvcked as shown tonight?

I wonder which media millionaire it was that commoditised football?

The whole idea of the premier league was nothing to do with SKY. They just hijacked the deal that ITV (who pushed for the changes) had cosily assumed would go their way. At the time SKY was a struggling company with small subscription numbers, who took a massive gamble.

[Friday's Legacy]

the papers and sports news seemed very uninterested by this today. with bryan robson so heavily involved i was expecting quite a fallout.