Lou Macari's Book

[Phil_S]

Just in the middle of reading his auto biography. He is of the opinion that the person who stirred it up for STFC over the financial regularities in the late eightieswas a board member at that time, who was trying to add to his power base.
Can any body tell me who the board of Stfc consisted of at that time. (Hillier was obviously chairman).

[Reg Smeeton]

 The whistle blower was one Lionel Smart, a former shithead director..from memory Lionel was interested in getting one of the cosy FA type posts, where you get a blazer and a can of dandruff, and think you run English football.

 Lionel was a farmer from Somerset....when he passed away around the late 90's...there was a minutes silence at the CG....I was in the DR, but couldn't bring myself to stand, as I had no respect for the man.  I seemed to be the only one.

 Oh other directors..

 Nick Arkell....
 Dick Mattick...
 Colin Howard..
 D. Alderton...
 Cecil Green....
 T. Kearsey
  You probably know a bit about Arkell, Mattick and Green

   Alderton was the Lowndes Lambert rep......don't know owt about Kearsey or Howard.
 

[chalkies_shorts]

Well, I think I can absolve Alderton of all involvement. I would say if you were correct Reg that he was ably abbetted by the person known as "The Walrus". A popular pub landlord was put forward as the suorce but having gone onto his new pub by chance ( a long way away from Swindon ) I think he's in the clear.

[Spencer_White]

How come the pub landlord got the blame at the time instead of Smart?

Didnt he have to leave Swindon overnight on police advice?

[chalkies_shorts]

Yes he did. It was all cloak and dagger stuff and he had to leave at midnight after the pub closed. He was then given another pub miles away. I had a good chat with him as he wasn't too chuffed to see me so soon after he moved. He was very concerned I'd tell others where he was.
Someone pointed the finger at him and it stuck enough for the police / his employers ot take it very seriously as he had also received death threats. He was a bit of a fantacist but the facts stacked up that he was innocent and had received death threats.
The finger was pointed at a load of other people as well including the telex operator at Lowndes Lambert FFS.

[Phil_S]

Lou actually says this on page 146 of the book.
"There was a so called consortium in Swindon desparate to get rid of Brian Hillier & take over the club. Some members of the consortium were on the board. They had a vested interest in forcing Brian out. The newspaper denied it was a board member who provided the information, but I believe the tip off was politically motivated. The reporter screamed scandal, and every body fell for it".

On page 155 he goes on to talk about the demotion in 1990 and says " This was not what the new board had in mind when they set the ball rolling with the help of the newspaper six months earlier"

[juddie]

I was disappointed by macari's book, TBH. typos, didn't really learn anything I didn't already know... not the best footie autobiogaphy.

I felt he glossed over the swindon years.

[Minnesota Fats]

Here are Lou Macari's programme notes from when we played Stoke City back in late 1994:

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Swindon to the Victoria Ground this afternoon - the club which gave me my first chance in management and we had nearly six happy and successful years together.
We had some memorable games and won two promotions, including a Fourth Division championship with 102 points - a record I don't think will ever be beaten.

For those reasons, and because of friends I made during my time at the club, Swindon will always be special to me.
Unfortunately, there was less memorable moments - notably the well known episode of the F.A and Football League inquiries over irregular payments to players which cost Swindon the chance to play in the old First Division four years ago.

They were demoted after winning promotion in the play-offs, and in the light of the recent quashing of Tottenham's punishment over similar issues I feel the time has come to put the record straight.

Swindon were hard done by because other clubs, it has since been revealed, have commited far greater misdemeanours and yet escaped any penalties.

In defence of the F.A's Graham Kelly, who was presented with a number of documents taken out of Swindon FC by one of the own club's directors and who has taken a lot of criticism over the Tottenham affair, he did not want to pursue the case.
But the papers were presented to the Football League, who subsequently held an investigation and passed the sentence which led to Swindon's demotion.

The director in question was Lionel Smart, and if such an act of betrayal had happened in Liverpool or Manchester, there would have been an outcry. At that time Mr Smart had plenty to gain, notably the removal of then-chairman Brian Hillier and the re-instatement of himself and a consortium who had done as much as they possibly could to cause trouble.
There was much finger pointing towards the Football Association, when in fact fingers should have been pointed elsewhere.

I do not criticise the Football League, they did what they had to do. But irregular payments was a widespread practice at that time and it could have been any one of dozens of clubs who took the rap.

What made Swindon different - and a sacrificial example to all others - was the fact that their case was presented to the authorities on a plate. The club and it's supporters were sold down the river for the personal gain of a few businessmen.

Football management is a tough enough job when everyone is working together - it's even harder when there were a few against you.

This is something I have wanted to get off my chest for a long time.
Having said it, I would now like to wish Swindon's new manager Steve McMahon all the best for the future.

Steve has recently taken over a team who are finding the First Division much harder than they probably expected after being relegated from the Premiership last season.

[Reg Smeeton]

How come the pub landlord got the blame at the time instead of Smart?

Didnt he have to leave Swindon overnight on police advice?

 I know nothing of pub landlords....I do recall Dave King who was then secretary, did the programmes that sort of thing having to adopt a low profile...I found him in either The Tunnel House or Daneway, always mix up the two, having pedalled out there for a Sundaty lunchtime sesssion.  He was usually a dapper chap, but now had the look of Dr Richard Kimble. 

 The mystery consortium thing ws fronted by a bint called Carol Emburey (sp)....hell has no fury like a woman scorned.

[Batch]

 Lionel was a farmer from Somerset....when he passed away around the late 90's...there was a minutes silence at the CG....I was in the DR, but couldn't bring myself to stand, as I had no respect for the man.  I seemed to be the only one.

I'd imagine he was give a good send off through ignorance, I am sure most people didn't realise he was the whistleblower. I didn't until now.

Oh, and the Daneway is next to the main road, the Tunnel House has a small private drive.

[Reg Smeeton]

I'd imagine he was give a good send off through ignorance, I am sure most people didn't realise he was the whistleblower. I didn't until now.

Oh, and the Daneway is next to the main road, the Tunnel House has a small private drive.

 I know which is which in terms of geography and how to get there...I get confused though thinking back on which one I was in at certain times....usually because I've either been hammered, up all night on a Cotswold  bonkfest, or cycled there had a few and got knackered.

 One of them used to have a vivarium in which they kept snakes...no idea which.

[Batch]

Oh I see...

[sheepshagger]

Think a certain Carol Embrey had A LOT more to do with things than anyone probably knows to be honest....

She had massive ideas of Grandour (sp) ?

Also, Lou talks about his friendship with Jimmy Saville (Kevin Morris) - but I know Kevin was also close to Carol - and used to visit her regularly at Lowndes Lambert unknown to others........

[Phil_S]

Think a certain Carol Embrey had A LOT more to do with things than anyone probably knows to be honest....

She had massive ideas of Grandour (sp) ?

Also, Lou talks about his friendship with Jimmy Saville (Kevin Morris) - but I know Kevin was also close to Carol - and used to visit her regularly at Lowndes Lambert unknown to others........

Was she the woman from Calne ?

[sheepshagger]

Think she ended up having involvement with a non league side - Forest Green Rovers....Might have even ended up running it - she is no longer of our world....

She certainly put the boot into Hillier - and always dreamed of running the club.....