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[Albion] 'Happy Birthday Mr President'
- Thread starter Tom Hark Preston Park
- Start date
Why, thank you!
The family stand certainly all stood up and applauded. With it being a Friday night, there were plenty of kids in attendance, so another great opportunity for a little history lesson for them.
I thought it was a nice touch, especially being completely fan led
Gotta say I was disappointed that the club chose to overlook the President's 80th birthday.
Would it really have hurt to put a picture of the great one on the screens on 80 mins?
We are always going to love and respect DK. Without him a club we would not have. We owe him a debt that is impossible to repay.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
The club should certainly have put something in the programme.
I don't think we should have anything on the screen, we already get too much of that.
Agreed, I'd expect that. Maybe he's upset Tony too much with nonsense like selling his shares to thousands of fans?
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
Attempting to, but another director blocked it.
I’m not sure whether you don’t know what actually happened, don’t understand it, or are wilfully misrepresenting the situation, but this is a particularly perjorative way of reporting the situation.
DK was a giant amongst those who saved our club, and should be rightfully remembered for his actions in so doing - the fan-led tributes at the game were appropriate and touching; but he was out of order in the way he tried to sell his shares to fans, ignoring the pre-emption rights clauses in the club’s Articles.
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Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
Not understanding it, as I didn't try to buy any.
Fair enough.
In common with the overwhelming majority of privately-owned businesses, the Albion’s Articles have pre-emption clauses. These clauses say that if a shareholder wishes to sell their shares they must first offer them to existing shareholders before offering them to outsiders. DK didn’t do this. When he was reminded of this obligation, he did so and an existing shareholder stepped forward and said they’d buy any he wanted to sell.
There were other things to do with price and costs of valuation too, but, while they are highly relevant to understanding why an existing shareholder may have stepped in (just how much would an Albion share be worth?), they are irrelevant to the main point about pre-emption rights.
AFAIK, no share sale proceeded.
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
I'd been up and down like a fiddlers elbow all night, and it's only a birthday. whoopdee-do.
If I'd got a slice of cake I might have been more willing.
The Cava at Withdean not enough for you? Sheesh, some fans
Very sad indeed. It takes two to tango.
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
Two big egos and only one winner
It feels like both sides are laying bare their character flaws, sadly.
Dick Knight when running the club, presided over a bit of a clique. These people were all good people but there was a lot of secrecy and nose tapping surrounding everything. The very worst of this was his refusal to inform everyone how the ground was going to be paid for once the sub prime mortgage market collapsed. So in some ways, his exclusion amounts to him getting a taste of his own medicine.
Fast forward to now, and on the whole, the club behaves in a way that exudes class and inclusivity, but this freezing out of a club legend flies in the face of that and makes me think it *might* be as superficial as it looks. No programme acknowledgement of his 80th, no selling of his book at the club shop, even refusing the idea of a ceremonial handing over of the reigns before the opening Amex game - it all smacks of petty, churlish point scoring and an attempt to airbrush out Knight's part of the club's history. Knight has come across as a bit egocentric with some of his behaviour, but is there any need for this? The directors should be better than this.
It makes you wonder how things will be if we ever have any bad times, because let's face it, that hasn't happened yet under this regime but it will one day.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
I think Tony Bloom was already providing money in the background, but didn't want it known. He wasn't prepared to take over the club until the planning permission was secured.
That, and a combination of the steel price soaring through the roof & bank collapses, forced Dick Knight's hand.
He started Albion in the Community, and had been courting American Express because of it. Then he got ousted from that too.
I think there have been faults on both sides which is very sad.
Yes, agree with all of that. I still remember the nose tapping secrecy even after the steel price movement and tightening on borrowing meant people were worried and we were getting no answers.
Your Mum
Well-known member
- Dec 22, 2016
- 469
your mum
Personally, it seems to me that, at the heart of a lot of the problems is the stereotypical difference in approach to life and business one might expect between an ad man famous for the “Hello Boys” Wonderbra ad, and a money/detail-oriented man who’s made his money from extracting tiny points of arbitrage and property development. It’s very rare that a marketing man and a money man will get on particularly well... they just do things differently.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
I might also add that DK doesn't forget the fans. I've been to several funerals except Mary Emery as it was the same day as my cousin's, and Dick had been present at each and every one.
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 70,138
- Thread starter
- #40
To be fair though, there WERE no answers. These were unparalleled times and there was no way the banks were lending money to anyone for anything at all, they were just focusing on not going under. We were in a uniquely fortunate position to have a massive fan with very deep pockets else we would have been scrabbling around for years following the planning permission to scrape together a deal for the cash to build the stadium, doubtless with all manner of grim strings attached.
How many clubs are lucky enough to have both a DK and TB fighting their corner to deliver a world-class stadium?