Thetownend.com

Evening guys, noticed one of your lads started a thread on Onevalefan earlier, definitely worth taking a look:

http://www.onevalefan.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?68995-Gary-Hooper

Would be anyone from here as most are cunts and aren't peaceful.

Joyful reading that..

Have not taken alot of notice of recent non events but concluded weeks ago that this takeover is not good. Start from scratch I say.

Not anything we don't know though really is it....there are a number of questions that need to be asked about the various histories of our potential new owners.

So what we've got so far is that they are a bunch of cunts without a pot to piss in and are gonig to nick our turf and leave some plastic in its place having robbed us of every penny we haven;t got.

Think I remember last year our yellow friends managed to swerve some sort of tie up with Perry Deakin.

These new guys fill me with dread

Trust me, I think the only joyful thing to come from the whole story at the Vale, was seing Perry Deakin, having to be escorted from Vale Park in the Back of a Police van for his own safety. soapy tit wank. Certainly not good news.

But we DO have money. It is presently tied up in players.

Prepare for a shafting

Thought bit was worth asking the question and glad I did by the looks of it

well, if a bunch of random Port Vale fans say it's the end of the world then who am i not to believe them and panic unreasonably?

[url width=229 height=188]http://i.imgur.com/e0J9dxJ.gif[/url]

TBF they've got no axe to grind.

If these people fucked their club up there is no reason to believe they wont do the same at STFC.

It doesn't sound good does it.

If - big if - it becomes apparent that the new board is not to be trusted, it will take very little time this time around for the fanbase to mobilise.  It was just over 5 years ago that the various protests etc stood town.  They will stand up again very quickly if needed.  We're all still here.

Thanks to Vale though for the heads up.  Forewarned is forearmed.

FFS, de ja vous, nes pas? Ground hog day, shardenfreud call it what you like you can't help the ripples in your gut can you?

I just washed my orange hat.....

In truth, I was hopeful that our current owners would take all reasonable measures to ensure the club passed into safe hands once the time came to move on. If this proves to be true, then I shall be disappointed in the actions of all involved.

Vocal fans with pockets full of change cannot save football clubs. The club needs handing over to a fans consortium now.  The shady fuckers  wanting our club should be told to fuck off. The current lot are cutting their losses and its a fucking  mess imo

Oh well, it was fun whilst it lasted.

I sold my business about 10 years ago - I didn't give a flying fuck who bought it and why

Just wanted the wonga

That's it I'm going to hang myself as everything posted on Internet meassage boards is the truth. Oh hang on.. Lets wait and see eh.

So, out of the supposed 6 or 7 interested parties who wanted to buy the club, Black decided on this bunch of clowns

Fuck me, there are 4 or 5 on here with no money who would do a better job

I think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves, granted from what the Port Vale fans have posted it doesn't look too good but we'll have to wait and see.

Like Ardiles said if there is a problem then we'll confront it head on but until then lets see what they say.

Glad I found my orange hat a few weeks back ... It wont be long before i'm needing it!

It'll be a 'McMahon chasing out of town' end I reckon.

Where's me pitchfork and flaming torch

Get orf my land!

 Here's an interesting snippet....it seems that the Blue Sky lot mentioned by the Vale fans, are now something to do with Yeovil. Here's a bit from an interview with our very own Martyn Smarmes...

CS: So why have you gone to Blue Sky to get this sorted, Martyn?

MS: The contacts initiated with Gary Hooper, who has been working in this country looking for clubs on behalf of Blue Sky, to install artificial surfaces. We have been discussing it over a number of months, and this is the culmination of the discussions. We're absolutely delighted to be in partnership with them.

Just turning to you (Blue Sky International Chief Executive) Hank (Julicher), why did Blue Sky want to be involved with Yeovil Town?

HJ: I got involved with Gary (Hooper) and (Port Vale director) Peter Miller over in the US. I saw what they were doing over here. I've followed English football for I guess just less than 30 years. In the US, it's been growing and growing. I've been doing sports facilities since before they invented dirt, back in the 1960s. I saw an opportunity to get involved at ground level over here.

Be afraid..be very afraid.

How strange is that, only found my orange cap last week and for some strange reason I kept it. Never did I think I might be wearing the bloody thing again.
Surely all this cant be right can it ? If some of it is true it would perhaps explain why the FL are taking their time.

What's this Hooper guy supposed to have done that's so bad?

Think we need to wait and see, but the whole thing needs keeping a close eye on from the off for a Donegan/Blatchley type stitch up of the club..

Its OK saying don't let so and so near the club in the first place, its not like we have a say in it or an alternative to it.

Oh and plastic pitches, fuck off!

There's only one Terry Brady,one Danny donegan,there's only one Bill power. One Andrew fitton,there's only one matey patey

Is there a chance that given the uncertainty over the new owners being promoted would be a bad thing?

It's far too early to be talking protests and the such just yet. We don't actually know who is involved yet either.

If it ever got to the stage where we'd need to protest, I hope a lot of lessons were learnt from last time. A lot of people were apathetic to the situation, others couldn't grasp the dire situation and the 'you're distracting the players' brigade were a bunch of pathetic idiots.

However, like I said, let's not get knickers in a twist before it all comes out in the wash.

I can understand people's scepticism, with the new board being presently silenced by the NDA we have not heard a great deal about their plans. It's the uncertainty which no one likes. Hopefully tomorrow we will hear the formal ratification and then the NDA will be over. I'm sure they want to say plenty

Gary Hooper owns http://www.footmarksports.co.uk the last paragraph does not make for good reading "We work with the world’s best suppliers of synthetic-grass-pitches"

Does anybody know if there is an independent regulator that monitors the workings of the FL? Because surely if they approve this takeover in the knowledge that at least some of these involved people seem to have very shady backgrounds (which have been exposed by the PVFC supporters for what they were), then I for one hope they would be held at least partially responsible if this does all go tits up.   

we don't know that any of these people mentioned are involved in the consortium. if they are then it's feasible that this is what is causing the delay with the FL.

it's not certain that Black chose to sell the club to this consortium, we have no idea how many serious bidders there were.

there's a lot of Port Vale fans on that forum who seems disgruntled without giving much information on what exactly happened.

regardless, it's a bit premature to be talking of protests and labelling them as the latest embodiment of Satan.

Have to say it would be nice to have a breakdown on the events at Vale and the people they allege we should watch out for and why.

I had a very quick scan, as far as I can see there was some sort of takeover involving Deakin, and that the shares gained to do that were in effect free shares in that they weren't paid for. I

ts then alleged that Deakin said he and another director were buying shares out of their own pocket, when in effect they intended to use money from a deal from an American company called Sky Blue thinking, but the Sky Blue takeover never happened. I also saw something about a loan, and something alleged about big salaries for directors, with debts racked up but being unpaid (sound familiar).

Can't quite see where Hooper came into it, other than his connection with Ameriturf which was mentioned in the "club sale" thread quite some time ago. It went bad between Ameriturf and Vale after (I think, alegedly) Deakin chose to deal with Blue Sky instead
http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Port-Vale-Vale-threatened-legal-action-Ameriturf/story-13732247-detail/story.html#axzz2LC4dyqe7

Deakins counter argument was that a lot of Vales issues were pre-existing debt issues.

Whatever, Vale were most definitely in a state at the end of it all.

Anyway while there are some names that cross check with our own takeover, its not 100% clear there is anything to be concerned about. How can there be given we don't know much about anything yet.

Oh, and any PV fans reading, "alleged" isn't intended to wind you up, its more we have no idea what has gone on and what is established fact...

Black chose this consortium because they were the only group that were willing to get the deal done within his preferred "Time Frame"

Incidentally Deakin nearly ended up at the kebab stad down the A420 as stadium manager.

The Yeovil contract was terminated by "mutual agreement".

http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Yeovil-Town-1-25m-artificial-surface-deal/story-16637077-detail/story.html#axzz2LC1lVbwi (http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Yeovil-Town-1-25m-artificial-surface-deal/story-16637077-detail/story.html#axzz2LC1lVbwi)

I know nothing of three of the names mentioned in this consortium, but if it is the same Gary Hooper, then he was at one point trying to become a Port Vale director on the back of an agreement with an American artificial turf company called Ameriturf. He was interviewed by BBC Radio Stoke and I think it is fair to say that it created more questions than it answered:

http://www.onevalefan.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?54864-Gary-Hooper-Consultant-Ameriturf (http://www.onevalefan.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?54864-Gary-Hooper-Consultant-Ameriturf)

The whole Ameriturf and Blue Sky International situations were nothing short of a shambles, particularly Blue Sky. I see that you mentioned Peter Miller's name in your post. Well, let's just say his tenure as chairman (along with Perry Deakin as director) was controversial to say the least. For instance:

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Port-Vale-Chairman-chief-executive-voted-board/story-14069420-detail/story.html#axzz2KlXLaBSv (http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Port-Vale-Chairman-chief-executive-voted-board/story-14069420-detail/story.html#axzz2KlXLaBSv)

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Port-Vale-Board-unhappy-277-000-mortgage/story-14279447-detail/story.html#axzz2KlXLaBSv (http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Port-Vale-Board-unhappy-277-000-mortgage/story-14279447-detail/story.html#axzz2KlXLaBSv)

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Port-Vale-Deakin-ndash-just-did-told/story-14269913-detail/story.html#axzz2KlXLaBSv (http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Port-Vale-Deakin-ndash-just-did-told/story-14269913-detail/story.html#axzz2KlXLaBSv)

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Port-Vale-Deakin-share-deal-good-Vale/story-15411129-detail/story.html#axzz2KlXLaBSv (http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Port-Vale-Deakin-share-deal-good-Vale/story-15411129-detail/story.html#axzz2KlXLaBSv)

I hope the take over works out fine for you, and that the proper due diligence has been undertaken, but be careful. What was going on at Vale in 2011 almost put the club out of existence.

Oh fuck. The last thing we want is another shady lot like the Diamandis era.

All the names mentioned so far linked for a takeover have clouds over them. None of them have any links to us and seem to have failed attempts at other clubs. Signs aint  good and history shows things like this don't usually end well.  We need to end the way we have operated. If the debts are written off  then start from scratch and live within our means. No cunt chasing money they'll never get. A club ran within its means by people who care.

McCrory’s new board will consist of Martin King, Steve Murrall and Gary Hooper.

Those are the confirmed names.

confirmed by whom?

It seems to be Miller and Deakin that the Vale fans have the most beef with although its seems they aren't too fond of Hooper either.

Apologies, 'confirmed' wrong word used there.


"http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/news/10232261.Fans__Trust_chairman_backs_Football_League_over_Town_takeover/

The Advertiser understands that McCrory’s new board will consist of Martin King, Steve Murrall and Gary Hooper. It is believed that the consortium investing in the club will be able to speak publicly about their takeover at the County Ground for the first time next week.

Also this http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18285716

Lets get promoted then, plastic pitches aren't allowed there ;)

Well this is all sounding a tad worrying.  Quite honestly if they are dodgy, I'd rather the FL doesn't approve the takeover.  Surely there must have been other interested parties who don't have shady pasts?

Well, I think with Gary Hooper it is difficult to say. He ultimately was never elected as a director and so from that point of view it is unfair to judge him. It's more that there appears to be a link between Hooper and Peter Miller (who was also working for Ameriturf iirc, before somehow transferring his allegiance to Blue Sky) and as such he is disliked by association.

It may be nothing to be concerned about, but I think it is reasonable to want to know some details about the backgrounds of your proposed directors.

They aren't necessarily dodgy, and selling Matt Ritchie says to me we are out of time anyway.

It's looked dodgy for a while now. If flogging your best player for less than half the price turned down a few months earlier doesn't ring alarm bells then nothing will. Outgoing cunts with more cunts wanting to take over. Fuck the lot of them.

Pretty much how I feel about it, will be amazed if this has a happy ending.

So 4 pages in we've learnt a Gary Hooper never ended up at Port Vale, has worked alongside someone dodgy who appears not to be involved in our takeover consortium (going by the adver understands article) and we can't have an artificial pitch laid even if they wanted to lay one.

I think i'll just wait till tomorrow lunch time on some news.
Great to have all the info from Port Vale and good to know we can call on them in the future should such names arise.
If people want to dig i guess they could ask QPR and Brentford what they thought of Gary Hooper when he worked for them.

the Ritchie sale was entirely down to Black, he admitted that himself.


i'm choosing to remain optimistic, bollocks to the cautious bit. it's all i've got to cling to!

I have no way of proving it, but I heard last week that Jed is going to be our new full time (handsomely salaried) CEO when the takeover goes through.

No idea if the plans include a position for Nick Watkins, but I suspect not as I couldn't see him taking a sideways step, nor could I imagine him working with a bunch of dodgy fuckers.

Only my opinion, but IF Watkins goes, then bang goes our professional image along with some of the bluechip sponsors such as Samsung etc. Ditto the Adidas branded kits as I cant see them wanting to be associated with dodgy fuckers either.

I would imagine that closely followed by the above will be a fair chunk of credibility in terms of goodwill amongst local businesses, most of whom have bought into the professionalism of the Fitton / Watkins / PDC / Wray / Black era.

On that point, and whilst I've criticised him myself few times,  I think it is often massively underestimated what a fantastic job Watkins and his staff have done to rebuild the clubs credibility and to attract new business income during the recession. All off the back of the destructive effect that the last board left behind them.

As is often said, Swindon is a small town, and people talk. All the good work done over the last five years could be undone in less than five weeks if tongues start wagging.

Again, I have no way of knowing - just going on what has been said by Vale fans - but even a whiff of dodgy characters riding into town will scare the shit out of the council. I'd imagine any plans the current board had/have in place will be immediately wound back to zero, at least until they know who and what they are dealing with.

Any negative rumblings from the natives will cause real problems.

I know it's early days, but the signs are not looking good for Jedward and Co.

Plastic pitches, no decent funds, Double Glazing salesmen in shiny suits - and wearing 1980's style white socks and lofa shoes, presumably??

Fuck me, all we need now is Nigel 'cunty' Bennett to give them the green light, then we really can dust off the Orange hats and the risque avatars.... ;)

'We want our Swindon back, we want our Swindon back'

All seems rather ominous.

Oh bother.

Forgot to send his grandmother a card at Christmas.

Sorry, but until we know anything straight, your post is exactly why intelligentish people should not post their thoughts where other people can read them. I know nothing, you know nothing, why bother. Wait and see like the rest of us.

They seem a genuine bunch on that forum and its quite scary stuff.Fuck all we can do about it though, how we're supposed to "not let them near our club" ive no idea, its out of our hands.Just have to wait for the shit to hit the fan I suppose.

Incorrect

Martin King WILL NOT be on the board. As confirmed by Jed himself, this has been stated elsewhere: http://banburyunitedfc.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1296

It's not even clear whether Jed will be on the board or not.

Steve Murrell and Gary Hooper have not been confirmed as being on the board anywhere.

As for all of them being 'under a dark cloud'.....

Jed.... One random comment saying he's a bit dodgy seems to have taken precedence over pages of positive comments about him from Banbury. Read their forum, they don't want him to leave.

Murrell. We know nothing about him at all.

Hooper. Can somebody actually point out what he did wrong. I have looked but genuinely cannot find any evidence of him doing any wrong.

So Hooper was associated with Ameriturf and Ameriturf were supposedly investing in Vale..... hence the connection.

That deal didn't go through. It actually appears as though Hooper and Ameriturf were stitched up somewhat by the PV board whom chose to go with another company even after the deal was signed. That ended the association between them and the following mess had nothing to do with Hooper or Ameriturf?

So what is Hooper supposed to have done wrong?

If I have missed something, please do enlighten me.

Another thing.....

Gary Hooper may not be associated with Ameriturf (and he may not even be in the consortium).

However. Ameriturf (and presumably Hooper), want fuck all to do with those dodgy cunts that were at Vale.

.


http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Port-Vale-Ameriturf-ready-reconsider-investment/story-15087583-detail/story.html#axzz2LEEEiwGS

Is Ameriturf is one of the new generation 'plastic' pitches, like Wigan have, like Arsenal have (i.e. synthetic woven in)?

Say, for the sake of argument, that Hooper is on the board. We therefore have a director that has a vested interest in selling us such a pitch, or simply a director who has held similar positions at Brentford and QPR that has other football interests. If we end up with a new pitch, why does that matter?

The focus of this thread is wrong. To my mind, as has been mentioned earlier, the concern is the professional demeanour (or apparent lack thereof) of McCrory. The 'Banbury...roar' is the twitter strapline of a young boy who has just outgrown Ben 10, not a man who is about to run a football club on behalf of a Town and its supporters. It doesn't mean anything in itself, but it suggests that the man is a bit of a 'jack-the-lad'. That is the impression, and the concern - that the club will regress to be run less professionally, with less integrity. The best thing McCrory could do is come off twitter, do another button up on his shirt (or even buy a tie), retain Watkins (I strongly doubt this will happen) and build on the solid administrative foundations that have been laid.

Yep :nod:

http://www.ameriturfsystems.com/Synthetic-Turf/Soccer-Field-System.php

Looks fully artificial, but lets worry about that if it happens because the rules don't allow it yet..

Handy for training pitches though, especially when the weather is gash.

Whos going to start the chant of 'Mike Newells barmy army' opening day of next season?

The new assistant manager Brian Stein was punditry on ESPN on saturday. Mentioned he was looking forward to starting work soon..

If that's the worst people can find on him then I for one find that encouraging.

So if he puts a tie on, he'll become more professional?

I've seen Watkins in pictures not wearing a tie, burn him!

Very true, they normally head over to Ciren don't they.

Morshead has been quiet today

Hope we get something concrete in the near future,  my appetite for unfounded speculation has truly been sated

Frankly it could come in a clown suit and as long as they managed efficiently and professionally i wouldn't care.

Exactly my point.

Those of you taking what other Vale fans have said with a pinch of salt should really heed their advice.

Perry Deakin, Peter Miller, Hooper, Ameriturf....You do NOT want these people anywhere near you.

I suggest if don't want to have your club asset stripped and duped into 10 year contracts with businesses ran by friends of the scum above so they can get a kickback, you read the following

http://www.onevalefan.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?54828-Ameriturf

http://www.portvaleonline.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=12186&st=0&p=208605&#entry208605

http://www.thefootballforum.net/index.php?/topic/207737-shocking-revelations-at-the-vale/&st=0 (particularly this one all the way to the end)

http://www.onevalefan.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?60773-Statement-from-Fatty

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Port-Vale-Board-unhappy-277-000-mortgage/story-14279447-detail/story.html#axzz2LAYfSumT

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Port-Vale-Infighting-incompetence-undermine-dream/story-15360326-detail/story.html#axzz2LAYfSumT

http://www.portvaleonline.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=12281

http://www.onevalefan.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?56815-Board-Statement

http://www.portvaleonline.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=12133&st=0

This is a tiny snapshot of what happened. The whole story is extremely long and complex.

Miller, Deakin, their associates like Hooper - SCUM.





You've been warned.

I've read all that already and cannot find anything that tells us what Hooper is supposed to have done.

This is getting silly.  It's a frustrating situation.  The NDA means no-one who knows anything can say anything about anything (incl Paolo, by the looks of it), so the fans can either (a) avoid all comment until such time as the people involved start talking substantively; or (b) base comments on what little info there is out there.  On a discussion forum, (a) isn't going to happen though.

For what it's worth, I'm not encouraged by what little I've seen of McCrory so far either.  Image does matter - and if he really can bring the levels of professionalism that we need at the same time as having (for example) a childish looking twitter profile, then great.  But I'm not encouraged right now.  But fingers crossed.

I agree that image does matter, but having said that - if we all truly believed it was more important than 'delivering' results then we wouldn't have hired the manager we have right now

none of these people have been linked with the takeover except for Hooper who has been mentioned in one particular article by our local paper.

What exactly did Hooper do wrong at Port Vale? He seems to be painted as guilty by association. Not a single mention of Hooper on any of the links you posted.

Can I add what Ameriturf did too please. From the outside it looks like they agreed a deal of some sorts, then got gazumped by Blue Sky and got arsey.

Don't take this the wrong way, we want to be vigilant as we have had our fair share of leeches associated with our club previous to the outgoing regime. Its just that its not too clear what we are looking out for and clear info is not easy to find.

I think people need to remember that Andrew Black is retaining a significant shareholding in the club. He is certainly no mug and will not be taken for a ride by a bunch of shysters.

Worrying times for all right now, a lot of speculation and rumours and it isn't filling us with a lot of confidence. In saying that I'm giving McCrory & co the benefit of the doubt until the supposed takeover gets ratified, we hear from the 'consortium' and see where we end up the end of the season!

So why still no ratification from the FL?

Could it be that, for once, they are actually looking deeply into the new owners - and presumably don't like what they see.

I said a while ago I'd happily accept a 10 point deduction if it meant actually getting 'fit and proper' persons to manage our club.

Short term pain for long term gain

Long weekend?  Or extended lunch break?

Just some pure speculation as if you can't beat them etc...

Morshead could be quiet for a number of reasons, he could be even as I type this meeting with the new owners in an interview that outlines their philosophy for the club and the millions they plan to throw at it, the new owners could be there wads of fifties fanned out in their hands having their photograph taken Carol Smillie style.

I wouldn't want to read too much into his refusal to give an impression on the unofficial reasons for PDC not attending the interview, bear in mind that the club is the hand which feeds the local journalist and it would be pretty naieve to upset the new owners by perpetulating speculation even before they have taken over.

But then again he may have just given up on the whole STFC pantomime and instead be concentrating on the speedway.

Matt ritchie was sold to fund the club for a period of time, that time is running out!

Of course it is, that's what periods of time do. But as that period of time was (supposedly) till the end of the season, I'd suggest you put the panic button away for now

Im not panicking, my life wont change either way.

It is indeed, we are all going to die someday

Good to see you are waiting our new owners intentions with an open mind  ::)

<apologies if this has been posted elsewhere>

I also noticed that big J retweeted over the weekend from some 'casuals' twitter account that he must follow..
(relating to the barrier to seperate Looton and 'wall fans)
Maybe our Jed is into all that, is a little bit 'andy etc etc.
Perhaps he could become our new top boy?

Tis all a bit frustrating all this waiting. No news is no news though...

This has all become so utterly ridiculous.

This state of limbo, where nobody has the slightest idea what the fuck is going on has now seemingly become the norm. I've lost count the amount of times it's been said that the takeover should be complete in the next couple of days. Meanwhile, we've nothing left to do but speculate as to how shady the new lot are going to be, how unprofessional the head of the consortium is, how much money they don't have, and how long Paolo will hang around for.

I've been desperately clinging onto the idea of it all getting done, the new lot turn out to be a decent bunch and we can get a few players in to continue our promotion push, but I'm just sick of it all.

And I'm surrounded by people who've never given a flying fuck about football all planning their trip to Wembley on Sunday.

I'm not sure if this has much significance...after all James Wills hung about with a shareholding at the end of the last sale.

Apart from 1 setting up and then selling a multi-million pound business and the other having a wealthy family and money handed on a platter, I would agree that it is obvious that their business acument is comparable.

I always assumed that they kept the holding in the club as it was either that or stay at home and watch Bargain Hunt all day.

So another day passes and no white smoke rises from FL headquarters......

or he could have just retweeted a retweet of a picture that he saw

might be fun to protest against a board that fight back though :0

Perhaps Eric is the silent power behind the throne.

At the outset, we were told that a couple of members of the consortium would remain anonymous, could these two be Miller and Deakin? We've been told that Deakin was not a memeber of the consortium, but we were told Diamandis wasn't a director at STFC.

We know that JedUPVC and Deakin were part of the Ordicium entity which took over Banbury...we know that Hooper and Miller worked together from the Smarmes interview.

For sure there is an element of guilty by association here, but this is our football club, it is going to be that way.

Now that would be cool

To be fair Reg they could be The Queen and Prince Phillip for all we know!

Or they could be Steven Vaughan and John Batchelor. Or Mike Diamandis and Bob Holt. Or any of the various dodgy (and in some cases completely fictitious) Portsmouth chancers. Any "anonymous" owners should be treated with the utmost suspicion.

I'd take her Madge, but think we've had enough Greeks for a while...

Exactly my feelings.

Can they get anonymous past the FL?

Insofar as they may wish to be anonymous in public but must declare to the authorities? Leeds seem to have anonymous backers during the Bates era, that even the redoubtable David Conn couldn't unveil.

Yes that's precisely what Bates did - the directors etc were declared privately to the FL (or at least that's what they claimed but of course with no scrutiny of that, who knows?) for the purposes of FPP test, but kept secret in public. Where there's no transparency, there's always going to be a stench of skullduggery.

To be fair, there was always a chance that Bob Holt could've pulled a gun on us.

Precisely. James Wills was wetter than a haddock's bathing costume and his place on the board was a token gesture.