As the curtain mercifully fell on the season in late April we entered the most welcome summer in living memory. Of course we have become accustomed to the off-season being thoroughly unenjoyable, as we clumsily stagger through the dreaded transfer window like an early-hours drunk trying desperately to find any willing suitor to join us on our forlorn journey home.
Despite this growing antipathy to the buying-but-mainly-selling season, our arrival in the transfer window of summer 2012 was roundly welcomed, if only because it meant we didn’t have to endure any more abject football (at least until England’s labours begin at Euro 2012) and we were ready to witness our great peak-haired hope, Neil Warnock, wringing a few extra pennies from Ken Bates’ miserly fingers.
It was all going so well too, with Pompey’s player of the season Jason Pearce signing up right away, but things have since fallen mysteriously still and silent, resulting in a bizarre couple of weeks that have morphed from frustration at the failure to add Joel Ward to the roster into rumblings of takeover talk.
Then came this week, which saw the Supporters Trust finally dispel the ludicrous myth that Leeds United fans were somehow responsible for driving away investment, as they confirmed that they had spoken to some of the parties interested in acquiring the Whites. News that one, unidentified group had made a firm bid – and according to the rumours, it could be any one of dozens of groups from all over the world – spread furiously across the internet wires and propelled us Leeds United fans into a state of agitated limbo.
Sitting here in the information vacuum awaiting news – any news – while filtering through the snippets of stories that have emerged across messageboards and social media platforms, I’ve tried to make head or tail – both would be too much to ask for – of what it is we are actually going through. So here’s what I’ve come up with…
Visualise a bottle of vintage champagne (that’s the club and fans), shaken to exploding point, carelessly abandoned in an old bog (that’s our circumstances and state of mind). Still with me? We’re bursting to be released from the bottle neck, our explosive potential energy set free, but the bottle currently lies just out of reach of helping hands, stuck in the unhelpful morass that harbours an uneasy mixture of hope, anticipation and fear.
It is the fear that is most toxic. When we distill down the boggy elements of our existence – and return to vaguely sensible ideas – it is clear that what we are scared of is concluding this episode in exactly the same circumstances in which we started out.
It’s impossible to chuck a blanket over all Leeds fans, so diverse are our thoughts and opinions, but if you asked me to assess the prevailing conditions I’d stick a finger in the air and say that the majority are ready for a change at Elland Road. In casino terms (which somehow seems appropriate) it feels like we’re ready to twist and see what the cards bring up rather than stick. There seems to be little faith that the current regime can deliver the Premier League jackpot.
Unfortunately this leaves us with a rather unfortunate paradox. The club is courting only a single party at this stage. Only one bid, if indeed it is even a takeover bid, has advanced to a meaningful stage. And because nobody besides a handful of executives at Elland Road and club solicitors Walker Morris actually knows who it is they are talking to and what they are talking about, we are now being forced to put our faith in the very people in whom the fans have arguably lost all belief. We’re in the uneasy position of trusting Ken Bates and Shaun Harvey to deliver our dreams and do the right deal.
As Neil Warnock repaired to the beach, no doubt deeply frustrated that his urgent recruitment plans had been thwarted without explanation, he was reportedly assured that things would be different upon his return. We have no idea just what will transpire when the boss unpacks his suitcase and this agonising spell in purgatory is over, but we must just keep hoping, for the eighth summer in a row, that Ken Bates and Shaun Harvey can finally give us what we have been craving for so long.
I had the missfortune of speaking to mr harvey.
I was a season ticket holder last year, in the Bremner suite.
I asked why the away support were moved next to our seats ?.
I sited the cost of my ticket being the reason for the question.
Mr Harvey stated that people who had paid more than myself had asked him the same question.
That was the answer !!!!! ,obviously his wife must check all business he gets involved in unfortuneately she was not in evidence at that time.
I do believe that people like this tend to forget that the minnions as a collective are far more effective than any individuals of his calibre.
Hi Dennis,
That is what we have come to expect from our illustrious leaders. Why they ever moved the away fans is beyond me. I never know where to point now when we sing “who are you, who are you” lol.
However I suspect you are more than a minnion if you are sitting in the Bremner suite!
MOT Nigel.
the outcome is easy to predict – whichever one gives Bates the most money! Forget the crap about ‘ securing future of the club, forget also LUST who are desperately trying to insert themselves in the story as saviours of the club…(unless they are populated by High rolling, well connected CEOs, I’m not sure they move in the right circles to offer anything other than opinions which like arseholes, we all have…)
I can’t help wondering if Ken has declared, to any potential buyer, all the outstanding litigation and legal costs he’s incurred on Leeds United’s behalf. I gather that these matters all still have a long way to run? I can count at least the following:
Melvyn Levi’s harrassment case against LU, KB & Yorks Radio is due for judgment next week. It’s pretty clear to anyone closely following the reports that LU and KB are sure to have lost the case at considerable cost to the club. If this proves to be so, it will be the second time in 3 years that Melvyn has given KB a legal hiding.
And there are several ongoing actions involving the £190,000 allegedly owed to LU by the Jersey company (Admatch) for which the legal costs incurred by the club, over the last 6 years, are reported to be around £1million already and the case appears to be far from over. I gather that the case has been moved to London now.
And then there’s an outstanding defamation case against LU & KB by the Jersey guy who owns Admatch – (relating to KB shooting his mouth off yet again in the Matchday Programmes sometime last year). That’s going to cost someone a million or so, judging by the £1.5m that LU had to pay to Melvyn L and his lawyers three years ago, after KB was successfully sued by Levi for similar defamation in the Match Programmes.
There’s also some claim by Melvyn L and his business partner that LU still owes their investment company about £1.5million in unpaid loans, plus 6 years or more of ongoing interest.
And now we’re apparently suing the Leeds police chief for allegedly overcharging the club for policing services at the ground for home games.
I’ll be quite surprised if anyone who does his due diligence and learns about these potential liabilities will be willing to buy the club before the legal problems have been resolved. Apart from the deterrent effect of KB’s own “lovable” personality, these legal problems have surely been some of the hurdles, which possible investors have found insurmountable during the last 6 years, and caused them to shy away.
We fans will just have to continue to be patient! The wrong takeover could take us out of the frying pan and into the fire… worrying!
All I have seen this week is speculation and a very limited club statement this week which doesn’t necessarily indicate tor preclude a takeover. Since then just much re-hashing of the same basic information by the press.
We all want a super rich owner with Leeds United’s best interests at heart. We will just have to wait and see! We are Leeds – you know it won’t be straightforward and is unlikely to be a Man City scenario! We can only hope for the best and be patient and hope that we get better value from our season tickets next year andn forget last season! MOT!
I hope a takeover goes through, we need rid of the Ken Bates disease from Elland Road.
If a takeover does not happen, then I fear that leading high profile figures amongst the “morons” and “dissidents” have made fools of themselves over recent days by their public comments, namely The Square Ball (sorry guys) and LUST.
Has Bates made a fool of those groups by way of spreading misinformation ?
As long as we are not taken over by the local undertakers I’m not too bothered who it is. It would be good if it’s a nice mega billionaire, sexy jaw dropping Leeds United horny as hell woman. WE NEED SOME LOVE
We need rid of the parasite Bates and his lap dogs Harvey and Lorimer. I’d rather anyone came in if it gets rid of the Chelsea rent boys from our club. Though somehow Lorimer taking his 30 pieces of silver is as bad as the foul mouthed crumbly old git, as he was a hero to legions of Leeds fans, held below only The Don and Billy to many of us yet he’s sold his soul. Bates we hated anyway. Though not as much as we hate him now.
You are like a sect. Keep talking between yourselves, and convince yourselves that you’re right…
The quality of the investor is clearly key, and if bates brings in someone prepared to throw their money away, excellent. I wouldn’t, but i am prepared to commit to a season tkt.
I am holding out hope that Zig and Zag the two clowns at the top, can just sell the whole lot and get out. Never mind the “quality of investor” talk, Bates will take the highest offer going. He never liked the club while he owned it, so why he expects us to believe he cares about its future, God only knows. And please, Leeds fans aren’t all clamouring for a mega-rich owner or massive spending, they just want one who can spend a REASONABLE percentage of turnover on getting a decent team on the pitch. It’s called THE PRODUCT, Ken.
Have we reached the tipping point? I for one think we have. Our illustrious chairman brought in Neil Warnock to rescue our declining fortunes. Trouble is Mr Warnock is a very ambitious man and wants to end his career with a record breaking promotion and good luck to him. Now here’s the problem. He must have been promised sufficient funds to complete the job or he would have walked away. I suspect maybe £3m would have done it. Then the twist is dwindling gate receipts and low ST uptake have taken their toll so the only option is for Papa Smurf to open his wallet. Not going to happen so he’s between a rock and his missus. His only otion is to sell. Does this make sense?
You can bet your bottom dollar that he will makeit as difficult as he can for someone to either buy the club or invest,either with an extortionate asking price or ridiculous conditions. Thats just his vile nature i’m afraid. Let there be know doubt that should he still be there by kick off time in august it is time for a mass boycott. Anyone frequenting Lorimers shithole of a pub ought to think about staying away too,bring the fuckers to their knees.
As much as i hate Papa Smurf,it’s not a vile nature,it’s wanting to make as much money as possible.And I wont be buying lufc merchandise until the old cunts gone.
Why is it so hard for bates to just tell every body what he wants put his money were his mouth is if he wants £50M then b@@ldy say so and let somebody who actualy wants to run a club properly get on with it its shimpelles
Thank you for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just preparing to do some research on this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I’m very glad to see such wonderful information being shared freely out there. Burgher http://www.obrazovanie-ufa.ru/Raznoe/news/Nuzhna_li_shkolam_edinaya_forma.htm
You could certainly see your enthusiasm within the paintings you write. Abrego http://www.78jp.com/information/view/2380