Saturday 29 May 2010

Sullivan On The Gravy Train, Making West Ham A Laughing Stock!


(The article has been submitted by Shaun)

So far, I am definitely no fan of Mr Sullivan! I have reservations on Mr Gold...and Ms Brady, well, she's not worth wasting expletives on! Sure, they're the owners (for the main part) of West Ham, and we are reliably told that if it were not for their 11th hour intervention, we would be in administration now or worse?!

In my opinion, they saw a classic investment opportunity, and bought in on the cheap! We don't know what went on behind the scenes, but did the Icelandics really make the right choice in jumping into bed with these wheeler-dealers? Were they really the only option?! I'm sceptical of that! I detest the contrite smugness of Brady in referring to the club as 'the Business'! I detest the odious way Sullivan airs his arrogant views in public!

Their '10 Point Pledge' is nothing original. They hatched the same 'original' plan on the Birmingham website back in 2008 with similar promises, albeit in a different format! They bailed out less than 12 months later! Anyone hear alarm bells yet??

We already appear to have jumped straight to No.4 on the 'pledge' list?! 'Continue to clear the debt'...by 'investing' a further £8million! Everyone shouted 'good on ya Davids', until it transpires that the £8m was essential in 'bridging the gap in the finances'...or more to the point, covering the overdue Tevez installment to S***f U*d and paying the players wages out of season! Basically, the Ferryman had to be paid again..or else!

No.6 on 'the Pledge' concerns 'building the status and image' of the club. Is Sullivan serious on this one?! I think he's 'avvin' a giraffe! His ignominious treatment of Zola, coupled with his insistent collaboration with the press, who gladly lap up his negativity, have surprisingly yielded 2 positive outcomes.....on the one gloved hand, they make Prince Phillip look diplomatic and articulate by comparison...and on the other, Oxo have shown interest in a partnership investment to create a new savoury seasoning....Laughing Stock!! But be warned...there will be side effects!

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sullys been talking about upson wanting one more go at a "big" club and that he's free to go if the price is right.sullys spurs and will take west ham nowere fast.bottom 3 next year and you will be playing the wall the season after;-) kevtheyid

Mark Phillips said...

What a childish rant: They invest money, you complain. They get rid of dead or dying wood, you complain. They set out a plan for the future, you complain. There is no substance to this article, it's just a sneer at their personalities and a negative spin on what is quite obviously a positive and necessary restructuring of the club and playing staff. Two words, mate: grow up!

Shaun said...

Nothing puerile about it whatsoever Mr...ummm...oh yeah...Phillips! It's a statement of facts!
Invested money: They bought in cheaply to prospect in a new business venture, which they hope, a few years down the line, will produce a much increased return on their stake!
Got rid of dead/dying wood: Unfair and wrongful dismissal that will more than likely result in legal action and yet another 'settlement'!
Plan for the future: Ah yes, the 10 point Pledge that they used at Birmingham? In case you hadn't noticed...1, 2 and 3 are still on the 'to do' list...we are Managerless, we have not signed anyone and only been linked to PR stunts by DS and there has been no investment in the academy! I'd say that's fairly substantial content pal...and I'm no Spin Doctor, but I have a 2-word diagnosis for you too.....WISE UP!!

Dagenham Dave said...

FFS some of you goons are never happy, so what if he runs his mouth off, we were a laughing stock long before S&G decided to invest their own money, not borrowed, into our Club.

Please do us all a favour and take your pathetic whiny voices somewhere they'd be more welcome.

'Fans' like you are embarrassing

John said...

Well said Mark I agree with you entirely.

Anonymous said...

Funny how things have changed so much over the space of 11 days...

http://thegamesgonecrazy.blogspot.com/2010/05/sullivan-and-gold-all-signs-are-good.html

Hammersfan said...

You mean funny because I am happy to be a platform for opinions diametrically opposed to my own? I didn't write this article you fool. Unlike your mate Nev and his Claret and Blue Klan, I am happy to entertain views opposed to my own. But thanks for highlighting how my views differ from Shaun's!

Shaun said...

Deja vu HF? I was kinda wondering when the customary shit-slinging was gonna start again?! Never mind the point eh, or any reasoning behind it...let's just insult anyone with a different viewpoint or failing that, wave a white piece of paper and shout 'here, here!'

So Stadler and Waldorf have put in the readies...sorry, their own readies. Fine...and thanks very much for that!
But my point is...when's their talking going to stop and their DOING going to start?!

CB Holdings/Straumur-Burdaras Bank STILL own 40% of West Ham in case anyone's forgotten! When the extension of moratorium that is currently in place is lifted on September 10th, less than a month into next season...what's going to happen then?
Investment is for the future and that date in the club's destiny is rapidly approaching! New investors coming on board? Another influx from G&S of between £40-50M to take total control? Another 9-month moratorium extension perhaps?

Let's see what transpires inclusively between now and September 10th before we start hailing them as the 'new Messiahs' eh?!

Mark Phillips said...

Shaun: Point 1) Nothing cheep about £58 million. And that wasn't borrowed against the club's assets, because they were already mortgaged. Point 2) If they weren't going to try to increase the value of the club, they'd be no good to the club or fans anyway. How else will the club get back in the black without them increasing it's value? Point 3) It's yet to be seen if it's wrongful dismissal, but even before they sacked him, I was saying that Zola had gone over the line in his public comments. He's the one under contract, not the Gullivan. Also, his season was even worse that Roeder's just to put it in perspective. Point 4) The fact that the plan is not totally unique is no big deal - let's face it, a ten point plan for most of the clubs in Prem is not going to be so different. The Academy is being run pretty much as it was before. Point 4) we are managerless for about another 2 or 3 days!!! Not exactly a secret that, is it!? Two words Shaun: give up! PS. respect for posting critical comments.

Anonymous said...

HF 22:52

No -I'm not taking anyone's side.

The article referred to in 22:39 simply says "posted by HF" and does not credit(or debit) any other author. How are we to know differently?

Hammersfan said...

My jury is still out Shaun. I don't trust them, you'd be mad to trust them surely, but I credit them with making the right decision with regard to Zola. I would have panicked and sacked him after the Wolves game; they were right to take a deep breath and then terminate when the season ended. Let's see what happens over the summer before we condemn them out of hand is my position. But, as I've said before, I will maintain a healthy suspicion about everything they say and do.

Hammersfan said...

Mark, welcome on board. Fancy posting an article making the case for Sullivan & Gold?

Sav said...

Good article Shaun. I have serious doubts about the 2Ds and their intentions too. But it is too late to do anything about it now. But we should all be watchful of what they do and how they conduct themselves. I just can't believe for example that Sullivan would actually be inviting offers by bigger clubs than West Ham for Upson in the media. And that after saying that he wants to keep him!

Hammersfan said...

00.14 I wrote the article you quoted and stand by it. Shaun wrote this article. I suspect Shaun held the same opinion he expresses here 11 days ago, so nothing has changed. I assumed you were trying to suggest that I had shifted my position. I haven't. I don't TRUST them, but I like what I've seen recently, the proposed signings of Henry, Pekingese and Yakubu apart! But we haven't signed any of them yet!

Shaun said...

Mark.... it is my firm opinion, without stating the obvious, that the club has been criminally devalued by the Icemen, and is currently vastly undervalued! So in that sense, G&S did buy in cheap seeing a shrewd business opportunity. They assert that they are fast movers so of course they intend to increase the value of the club...for their own good as well as the club's as a 'going concern'.

As I've said...the first hurdle is September 10th. There's no way of predicting the outcome so let's wait and see what happens between now and then.
The other major pivotal point from their business point of view is the new stadium and relocation to it. Gold has outlined the importance of this. Retention of Premiership status is also fundamentally essential to this end. I would dearly like to see both!! Let's hope they deliver! Respect to you also Mark mate...but TWO 'Point 4's' in a list of 5 is never a good look! Time's up!

Shaun said...

Sav... cheers for that, and a watching brief it shall be!

HF.... I agree, the jury IS out, but I am not the judge! I'm not shouting 'sack the board', nor have I condemned them out of hand. I'm just expressing my view based on what I have seen so far. I prefer to extend my interest and concern a little deeper than the surface gloss!

Anonymous said...

HF(0:16) - OK. Thanks for explaining.

My own views align more closely to yours for a change!

Hammersfan said...

Bloody hell, one of us had better get to the doctor quick!

Stani Army said...

Agree Shaun. I was hopeful when it was announced they had taken over and the first press conference was a big selling opportunity for them in which Sullivan did himself no favours in my opinion. Alarm bells started ringing for me straight away.

The guy is just milking money from everywhere and that includes us. Since he's been here, I have lost count of the number of official club emails I have received selling stuff. Whether it's some gala dinner at £250 a go or your company featured in some limited addition book for £1000, it's all milking money from the fans. I'm going to start collecting these emails from now on.

There goes the door bell. Better go get it, may be Sullivan trying to flog something.