RADIO SWINDON PHONE IN TONIGHT

[sonic youth]

Not going that well on our behalf to be honest.

Should be focusing on the simple things. Like non payment of CVA etc.

I had absolutely no info about half the things Bob started talking about, he changed the topic entirely. Sadly he took up half the time, so I didn't get chance to mention the quote I'd highlighted about the CVA.

The simple facts were completely overlooked thanks to Bob going off on a tangent.

[Spencer_White]

He is like a bad record. Reels off the same shit every time he opens his mouth.

[lebowski]

http://sidesalad.net/archives/SideShowBobJpg.jpg

[DiV]

having missed it all bar the last 3 minutes can someone....summerise or can I re-listen to it on the web?

[Reg Smeeton]

There's no doubt that Holt is feeling the heat.....he's let slip his former rather chummy persona, to reveal the charm you'd expect of a former Maxwell henchman.

  The pressure is rising and needs to be increased.....fair play SY, for fronting up. :thumbs:

[janaage]

Holt came across as an arse - Sonic came across as a bloke who'd dug up some good quotes, nice polite young man.  Bob unfortunatley did not have a clue what was going on so asked if the consortium want to take over the club contact the solicitors.

Erm sorry Bob wrong topic, we're talking about your quotes which contradict your 2007 viewpoint.

[sonic youth]

having missed it all bar the last 3 minutes can someone....summerise or can I re-listen to it on the web?

Si took notes, he said he'll write them up later.

To briefly summarize, I volunteered to talk on air about these quotes that Sam has researched without knowing Holt would be responding immediately afterwards. I didn't get chance to read as many quotes as I wanted nor expand on them quite as much as I'd have liked to do.

Holt responded by accusing us of "rewriting history" and taking things out of context. Whilst one may be true, to suggest that it's possible to rewrite history which is quoted and properly sourced is absurd - these people said these things, take from them what you wish.

The situation at the club is different, that much is obvious. The circumstances surrounding the incumbent board's unwillingness to sell to the existing consortium is not much different.

Holt eventually went entirely off-topic, presumably under the assumption I was representing the Fan's Consortium - which I wasn't, I only support it - and demanded all sorts of things.

If anyone has contact details for Bob Holt, I'd appreciate them as I'd like to talk to him a bit more in depth.

[lebowski]

bob holt will never surprise me when it comes to the art of tittish behaviour on the radio. it was him, after all, who made the comments that made dennis wise leave the club.

[ronnie21]

Guess you will be able to make contact at the protest after the next home match, even if he is just sticking his fingers up at us, whilst looking down on us from his hidey hole.  The bloke is getting worse and is a first class cunt!  To Bob Holt  :fu:

[Samdy Gray]

If anyone has contact details for Bob Holt, I'd appreciate them as I'd like to talk to him a bit more in depth.

I'll speak to Ed and see if I can get some details.

[Simon Pieman]

Will be typing up notes later. Looks like quite a few people weren't happy about Lukas and is Ed Hadwin Bart/Fatbury?

"Sturrock touting Jutkiewicz"

[Batch]

Holt eventually went entirely off-topic, presumably under the assumption I was representing the Fan's Consortium - which I wasn't, I only support it - and demanded all sorts of things.

That always rather annoys me with Holt, the fact that he portrays anybody with an opinion against the board as some kind of representative of the consortium/trust speaking on the consortiums behalf.

Now I hope the club monitor these threads because I want it reported back to him as simply as possible:

Yes many of us are Trust members, but moreso we are Swindon Town fans from all walks of life.

We have got to where we are today by thinking for ourselves and formulating our own opinions.  The reason you face hostility is not because the Trust/consortium officials tells us to criticise you (they don't), it is complete down to the failings of this board.

You had a chance over the 6 years to be open and honest with us, to get us to help take the club forward. Instead you chose to run a closed shop.  To communicate with us all through carefully crafted PR that frankly through your own contradictions, half truths and strops have no credibility.

Who are we? We are the fans, your customers.

[Summerof69]

Well said Batch.

He came across as a bully boy, and the longer he spoke, the more desperate he sounded.

[Samdy Gray]

Ok, I've decided to play this the STFC way: In the public domain.

• I wrote a lengthy document detailing all the double standards the board have over the current climate at STFC compared to when they were mounting a takeover bid  
• I emailed this to Ed Hadwin and asked him to possibly use it in future interviews with board members and question them over the contradictions
• Ed emailed me back asking for me to appear on the show, however I was unavailable. James (Sonic Youth) took up the slot  
• Bob Holt was also on the radio, completely went off on a tangent from the points made (he asked the consortium to submit an offer through their lawyers - again) and made himself look like a complete and utter idiot
• James pointed out to Ed that the formal offer was a completely different agenda and that James (nor myself) could personally speak for the consortium
• In summary, Bob Holt was floundering big time and completely dodged the question

For anyone who wants to read the document, which Bob Holt has a copy of, it can be found here: http://www.theunofficialmikediamandisfanclub.com/potkettleblack.doc

I'd like to make this clear, as a matter of fact, after Bob has accused me of 're-writing history' all the quotes used are all correctly sourced and are in no-way fictitious.

You can't hide from cold hard facts.

[Simon Pieman]

Ok this is the summary I made from tonights show on BBC Radio Swindon. My aplogies if I have missed anything, I did try and take everything down but there was a lot going on. In any case, I got the main points down.

Sturrock
A pre-recorded interview of Paul Sturrock was aired. Ed Hadwin asked if there were any developments on the transfer front. Sturrock replied that he hoped to get some people in next week, but results on Saturday could affect whether the players will leave their club to join Swindon. He also mentioned that he wanted the right sort of players - in fact he could get 3 in easily at the moment, but does not feel these players will benefit the club. He does want to bring players in but does not see the need to panic. Expects to be busy over Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week trying to bring players in. If it's the case of not being able to get the players he wants, Sturrock did concede he may have to take a gamble on younger players and get them in. The main problem has been the attitude of players not wanting to drop this far down the league. Sturrock stated that about 10 players had rejected a move here.

There was a bit of talk about Lukas, but as it was a pre-recorded interview the comments were made before anything was confirmed so are a but irrelevant now.

Lukas Jutkiewicz
Ed Hadwin confirmed that a 4 year contract to Everton had been signed. Jutkiewicz stays with Swindon until the end of the season. The transfer fee is thought to be in the region of £500k-£1m, and is expected to rise with appearances and various other add ins. Also likely to be a sell on clause.

Ed Hadwin then took some calls regarding this issue:

Trevor: Thinks it is obvious that the Board have sold Lukas against Paul Sturrock's wishes.
EH: Doesn't think this is tru. Thinks Paul Sturrock was touting the player a few weeks back, although it's not to say the Board forced him to do that.
Trevor: Think it's a bad move as STFC will not achieve anything by selling their best players.
EH: It's a lot of money for an unproven 17 year old who isn't the finished article.
Trevor: The team isn't looking like scoring and feels look more threatening when Lukas plays.

Andy: Against the sale of the young talent (Lukas Jutkiewicz). Any fee that passes through the Board is a worry. Imagines that very little money (arising from the sale) will be given to Paul Sturrock for new players.
EH: Would be amazed if even half of the money goes to Paul Sturrock. Swindon could go out of business, with £1m cva payments and an estimated £800k loss for this season - can see why he has been sold.
Andy: Published accounts show no benefit to selling players in the 1990s for fees up to £1m.
EH: It's difficult to see where the money for Parkin/Fallon etc. goes without accounts.
Andy: Thinks it's all being kept a secret.
EH: Admitted that the fans do need transparency and if they knew where the money really went they might accept the decision more.
Andy: Fans want to be kept in the loop.


Ed Hadwin then read out a few texts

Les: Thinks it is a good deal as we need the money to pay debts etc. Wishes Paul Sturrock wouldn't talk about players coming in until the loan is complete.

Steve: Board have to give Paul Sturrock a good chunk of transfer money.

Another text: Board always does the same thing and sells our best players.


Off-Field Issues

Ed Hadwin says he got an email from Sam this afternoon regarding quotes from the era when the (then) Consortium (comprising of Carson, Holt etc) were trying to oust the current incumbents. James had phoned in on Sam's behalf.

Ed Hadwin asked James to give examples of what the email was about.

James: "He said that the consortium had also, over the last four months, endeavoured to invest in the club, but the incumbent board had not accepted this." Swindon Advertiser 20/08/2001

EH: Asked James if he felt the similarity of what happened 6 years ago to what is happening now looks like "double standards".

James: Said he thought that the quote showed double standards.

James: Read another quote from Bob Holt this time - "Pivotal to the company voluntary arrangement with creditors, known as CVA, were the conditions that the debt to the Inland Revenue would be settled and sufficient working capital would be channelled into the club to keep it running efficiently, he said.


"And they have failed on both counts," added Mr Holt. "So they are in breach of the CVA." Swindon Advertiser 21/08/2001

James added that in January 2005 a winding up order was issued to the football club and so the Inland Revenue debt had not been satisfied, thus breaching the CVA as Bob Holt said back in 2001.

James also read a quote from an independent insolvency practitioner who had been working with the Trust over the conduct of the current CVA

"The CVA has failed and indeed Mr Andronikou should have realised that it was going to fail the moment he received fortnightly cashflow reports showing the company losing money hand over fist. Certainly after the end of year one he would have known there was no prospect of the losses incurred in that date plus £500,000 profit being achieved in the period of the CVA."

Ed Hadwin then welcomed Bob Holt to the program and asked his repsonse (Ed also suggested at this point that Bob was being labelled a hypocrite, although I'm sure other listeners will agree, was a bit strong).

Bob Holt: James has used the quotes as an attempt to re-write history.
CVA administrator is Andrew Andronikou and he will determing if the CVA has been breached.

EH: Said that Bob Holt finds himself in a similar position now as the incumbents of the Board did 6 years ago, which is where the parallel lies.

BH: Major difference in that the Wills' have the significant shareholding and the (then) Consortium was working on their behalf (in their interests) to get those people out of the club.

BH: Maintained that there is no complete proposal given to the lawyers. Wants to know who the Consortium comprises of and also who their lawyers are.Wants to know who is buying the shares. Is it a Limited Company or an individual(s).

BH: Commented that the document with all of the quotes from over the years (that James had been reading from) included a piece that the Consortium have made an offer to relieve liabilites and pay the CVA etc.

He said "that would be a fantastic offer"

EH: Tried to get things back on topic and said that there were things that have been said which haven't come true for one reason or another.
Ed asked Bob if he saw any parallel between 2001 and 2007 (takeovers)

BH: No

BH: If the Consortium makes an offer to the solicitors that outlines what's in the document (that James was reading from) he and the Board will happily listen to the offer and make a reply to it.

Ed Hadwin then went back to James to see how he felt about Bob Holt's response.

James: Bob Holt started taliing about completely different subject. Must make clear I have not written this document, Sam has, but he is unavailable to talk tonight, so I have called in on his behalf.

James: Finds it ironic how the quotes seem relevant to today's (2007) takeover wrangles.

James: Bob has accused Sam of "re-writing history" but it's not re-writing history because the dates and sources of thee quotes are given. You could argue misinterpretation but not re-writing history.

James: Also added that at recent protests Mike Bowden came and spoke to fans for half an hour but Bob Holt didn't care about the protesting fans when he asked a security guard if Bob Holt would come down to talk. Felt it would be better for someone who had been at the club for longer than 3 months to take the time to tak to fans, although respected Bowden for doing so.

Said Holt should care and perhaps take up the invite to talk to fans face to face rather than come on radio with rants of "there is no Consortium".

Ed Hadwin notified James and the listeners that Bob had said on air that he and the Board would reply to Sam's email (with the quotes etc).