Cod Almighty | Diary
Just because he's not the anti-Christ does not make John Fenty a very good boy
26 May 2020
Anyone buying the Telegraph will have noted that a PR war is taking place between the current board and the prospective buyers: Messrs Shutes, Stockwood and Pettit. For all the protestations of both sides about not wanting negotiation by media they continue to do exactly that. The Telegraph of course is loving it and taking every opportunity to plant each side's latest pitch. With every article generating extra sales or clicks why wouldn't they?
Being purely speculative, Casual Diary suspects the current masters expect a concerted takeover is imminent. That's what the ferocity and speed with which they have wheeled forward their big attack weapons suggests. Following Ian Holloway's remarks that these are the best board he's ever worked for, and Grimsby Town the best run club, we were yesterday told that he would have to consider his position if a takeover took place.
The suitors have countered with a two-page spread on their Garth Lane Youth Zone project. Slipping in that Mr Pettit was a partner in a venture capital property firm offers 'soft' confirmation to the believers that money and experience were never lacking. The description of their other Youth Zone projects scattered around run-down areas of the UK proved their altruism. Finally, letting it be known that Stockwood was a local boy made good come, home to help the old place out, placed their credentials before the public.
The questions to them remain. Why now? Why didn't you produce this previously? Why haven't you answered the questions on who would own a new stadium? Maybe my political leanings cloud the issue but any mention of venture capitalism fills me with foreboding. The experiences of Coventry City should be warning enough for anyone. Shutes & Co will need to answer those questions to my satisfaction before they receive any support from me.
Ian Holloway on the other hand has my support. Unequivocally: on the pitch, I trust his judgement without question. Off the pitch however, his halo has slipped a little. I thought he got the town, it's people and their values. His total support for the board brings that into question.
His opinion would be easier to accept if he had qualified it with an "In my short time here." To tell us we are the best run football club he's been at is to be honest a bit of a kick in the bollocks to those of us who watched our decline from an established second flight club to being underdogs in FA Cup ties with Salisbury. That the club, which in my 50 years of support had never spent more than three consecutive seasons in Division Four, has now languished there or below in all but one season of the current major shareholder's tenure rather puts Holloway's statement to the lie.
If Ian Holloway wants to gauge the fans opinions further, he would do well to look at the contrasting reactions to the current crowd funder to help us through the present crisis with Operation Promotion. Then, in a few weeks after being robbed by his beloved 'Gas' at Wembley we raised £120 thousand in a matter of weeks. As this diary goes to publication, the new fund stands at £7,700. These are different times of course, and I don't doubt the good intentions of those who have set it up. Despite my misgivings about the board, I will contribute. But Holloway should read why many others won't. He will discover that the "best board" used a fans forum - meant to bring us together - to dismiss our efforts and our money as irrelevant. We will gloss over the fact the man doing so sat on the board, having contributed significantly less, and in a role intended to attract investment. He had attracted only our cash. He is still in situ.
Perhaps we should take into account Holloway's previous clubs. Blackpool were run by a fraudulent asset stripper, on behalf of his jailed, rapist father. QPR were embroiled in a bitter struggle between a Formula One mogul with a line in trophy wives and a seemingly not-so-rich, would-be buyer. The similarities in the latter case are striking. If they are provide Holloway's yardstick for a well-run club, it is a very low bar.
ATAW