Why HAS Dick Tight and his book been BANNED from the AMEX ?

[Hotchilidog]

When the conversations originally took place, permission had only just been granted, we were near the bottom of the third division - with no guarantee of Championship football in the foreseeable future.

That is true we were looking at 12,000 crowds. When Bloom invested his cash the sights were raised.

I am nervously looking forward to this book. Dick Knight is rightly regarded as the club's saviour in my opinion, I just hope that there is not too much bitterness in the book directed at the current regime who have to deal with a whole different set of problems and priorities at the moment.

Good to see DK in the away end on saturday too, he is a true legend and this book what ever it contains is sure to be a hell of a read.

 

[Black Rod]

I am nervously looking forward to this book. Dick Knight is rightly regarded as the club's saviour in my opinion, I just hope that there is not too much bitterness in the book directed at the current regime who have to deal with a whole different set of problems and priorities at the moment.

I am 100% certain it's going to be full of bitterness. A man who used to trundle onto the pitch at Withdean every other week to make a speech about absolutely nothing has obviously got a certain amount of ego about him and the fact that, while he was the one along with Martin Perry who did the majority of the groundwork to getting the stadium, he failed to get it over the line finance wise and had to effectively be bailed out by Tony Blooms millions - who as a result took the chairmanship from him and has since underseen the most successful period in the clubs history in 30 years - has got to have bruised that ego.

 

[The Large One]

I am 100% certain it's going to be full of bitterness. A man who used to trundle onto the pitch at Withdean every other week to make a speech about absolutely nothing has obviously got a certain amount of ego about him and the fact that, while he was the one along with Martin Perry who did the majority of the groundwork to getting the stadium, he failed to get it over the line finance wise and had to effectively be bailed out by Tony Blooms millions - who as a result took the chairmanship from him and has since underseen the most successful period in the clubs history in 30 years - has got to have bruised that ego.

Well, that's just about as dismissive as you can get.

I, on the other hand, am 100% certain it won't be 'full of bitterness'. Maybe the odd sideswipe - who knows?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Of course, those revelations will be one persons view of what happened!!



Wasn't just DK though was it. He was the figurehead that galvanised the club but a lot of the money came from other directors, including TB.



After what went before, it was a bold statement by DK that he wouldn't allow control of the club to rest with one person but the reality is that without TB we would not be where we are.

That's a bold statement to suggest that if it wasn't for AITC we wouldn't have the Amex!

Autobiographies are just one person's view by their very nature.

When did Tony Bloom actually become a director? We know he put money in before he took over but how soon did he do that? Was he on the board when we sold Virgo for 1.5 million which paid the Capital Gains tax on the Goldstone sale, for instance? Was he a director when we had the Alive & Kicking campaign?

I'm not sure it was just a statement by DK but a board decision and in the articles of the club, but I may be wrong.

The planning permission was heavily weighted with the Community aspect of the club, which is why it's called the Community stadium.

 

[ROSM]

Absolutely. What is interesting is that the deal to work with amex was largely done after the planning permission was given and before tb took over. They (amex) actually specified the wish to invest in the community side of the enterprise

 

[drew]

Autobiographies are just one person's view by their very nature. Never said they weren't but if that person is slagging you off, do you invite them on to your property to sell more of their 'views'?

When did Tony Bloom actually become a director? We know he put money in before he took over but how soon did he do that? Was he on the board when we sold Virgo for 1.5 million which paid the Capital Gains tax on the Goldstone sale, for instance? Was he a director when we had the Alive & Kicking campaign? I'm not sure but think he only became a director when he took over. However, I thought it was common knowledge that in the years leading up to that, it was his money that was bankrolling the club more than any other.

I'm not sure it was just a statement by DK but a board decision and in the articles of the club, but I may be wrong. If it was in the articles of association, I hope to god they got permission from the FA to change them to allow him to take over!!! Having said that, DK, by all accounts, seems to have been the key decision maker so whilst it may have been ratified by the board, no doubt it was driven through by DK.

The planning permission was heavily weighted with the Community aspect of the club, which is why it's called the Community stadium.

Again, I'm not saying it wasn't but a multinational isn't going to chuck millions at a project, whether that be funding AITC or current shirt sponsorship, naming rights etc without hoping to see something in return. In the Premier league they will get the exposure.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I, on the other hand, am 100% certain it won't be 'full of bitterness'. Maybe the odd sideswipe - who knows?

I very much hope that this is the case. Looking forward to the book.

 

[ROSM]

And who can recall knight being heavily criticised by many fans for allowing Ray Bloom back onnthe board in 1998? There were newspaper articles and radio phone ins which contained a lot of vitriol. People feared he could vote with archer to defeat knight, Perry and pinnock. A special set of voting rules had to be drawn up to prevent it.

Without that decision to let a Bloom back on the board, life would have been so different

 

[Thunder Bolt]

'm not sure it was just a statement by DK but a board decision and in the articles of the club, but I may be wrong. If it was in the articles of association, I hope to god they got permission from the FA to change them to allow him to take over!!! Having said that, DK, by all accounts, seems to have been the key decision maker so whilst it may have been ratified by the board, no doubt it was driven through by DK.

DK didn't have a lot of choice, did he? Don't forget the board had Martin Perry, Ray Bloom, Derek Chapman etc all of whom were very involved with the stadium work.

 

[drew]

Absolutely. What is interesting is that the deal to work with amex was largely done after the planning permission was given and before tb took over. They (amex) actually specified the wish to invest in the community side of the enterprise

But that seems to suggest that TB, whilst apparently funding the club prior to his take over, had no say in decisions leading up to that or, for that matter, a hand in negotiations. If American Express were so community minded, why weren't they involved in AITC and/or the previous Albion community projects, from the very start, bearing in mind they are one of, if not the, biggest private sector employer in the City.

 

[drew]

DK didn't have a lot of choice, did he? Don't forget the board had Martin Perry, Ray Bloom, Derek Chapman etc all of whom were very involved with the stadium work.

Sorry, not quite sure what your point is. When DK took over I'm sure it was then that it was announced that no one person would have overall control, long before the stadium plans were in place and/or planning permission granted. Yes there was a board of directors but DK was the one in charge or perhaps should I say the one with the most influence on the board. Whether that ideal of no overall control was written into the articles I don't know but if it were, I believe the FA would have to sanction the change.

 

[mikeyjh]

While it's true that American Express needed a vehicle for 'corporate responsibility', the money that American Express paid for the naming rights went towards AITC. Plus American Express (or rather, their employees) get themselves involved in various projects.

The shirt sponsorship deal went to the club's coffers.




When the conversations originally took place, permission had only just been granted, we were near the bottom of the third division - with no guarantee of Championship football in the foreseeable future.

Is correct, and driver behind the value of the deal.

 

[Ernest]

And who can recall knight being heavily criticised by many fans for allowing Ray Bloom back onnthe board in 1998? There were newspaper articles and radio phone ins which contained a lot of vitriol. People feared he could vote with archer to defeat knight, Perry and pinnock. A special set of voting rules had to be drawn up to prevent it.

Without that decision to let a Bloom back on the board, life would have been so different

Not forgetting the campaign of abuse against Ray Bloom led by a fanzine in the last couple of Goldstone years, funny how things change

 

[Peter Grummit]

DK didn't have a lot of choice, did he? Don't forget the board had Martin Perry, Ray Bloom, Derek Chapman etc all of whom were very involved with the stadium work.

As well as Bloom's millions, the financial keystone for the new stadium was persuading HMRC that special circumstances applied and therefore losses at Withdean could be written off as tax relief against the cost of the new stadium. As I understand it, Bob Pinnock did much of the spadework for this, with Derek Allan.

PG

 

[The Large One]

Again, I'm not saying it wasn't but a multinational isn't going to chuck millions at a project, whether that be funding AITC or current shirt sponsorship, naming rights etc without hoping to see something in return. In the Premier league they will get the exposure.

But that seems to suggest that TB, whilst apparently funding the club prior to his take over, had no say in decisions leading up to that or, for that matter, a hand in negotiations. If American Express were so community minded, why weren't they involved in AITC and/or the previous Albion community projects, from the very start, bearing in mind they are one of, if not the, biggest private sector employer in the City.

Your cynicism is stating that American Express is looking for some sort of return. American Express is a major global finance company, and is therefore unlikely to get much back by sponsoring the stadium name of a then-third division English club, or a football shirt. However, they do have an obligation to 'corporate responsibility', and have since thrown their lot in with AITC.

This isn't about them 'hoping to see something in return'. You say you are sceptical, but that's only your take. The parties in question say otherwise.

We're looking forward to having Michael Edwards, the top man on the American Express side of the negotiations they had with the club on The Albion Roar very soon. Dick stated on the show that Amex were first drawn into the stadium project on the back of the club's community work, and we'd be looking, for the sake of historical note, at Michael's take on the negotiations.

Michael is now head of AITC.

 

[Don Tmatter]

Dean Wilkins reign as manager should be an interesting chapter

 

[Lord Bracknell]

American Express have never been a company that has shown any interest in sponsoring football clubs as a means of promoting their business. The Albion project is all about their place in the life of Brighton.

 

[drew]

Your cynicism is stating that American Express is looking for some sort of return. American Express is a major global finance company, and is therefore unlikely to get much back by sponsoring the stadium name of a then-third division English club, or a football shirt. However, they do have an obligation to 'corporate responsibility', and have since thrown their lot in with AITC.

This isn't about them 'hoping to see something in return'. You say you are sceptical, but that's only your take. The parties in question say otherwise.

We're looking forward to having Michael Edwards, the top man on the American Express side of the negotiations they had with the club on The Albion Roar very soon. Dick stated on the show that Amex were first drawn into the stadium project on the back of the club's community work, and we'd be looking, for the sake of historical note, at Michael's take on the negotiations.

Michael is now head of AITC.

Of course if you are head of marketing at Am Ex then there is no benefit in sponsoring a third tier team but if you look at the bigger picture then the size of the stadium and the clubs own 'five year plan' suggests they took a gamble on the club being promoted to the premier league. If we had built a stadium fit for the third tier, would they have been involved to the extent they were. If it was purely altruism that drove their decision making then why didn't they help keep the club afloat during the early years at Withdean when we were living hand to mouth. The answer is probably because without planning permission then the club had virtually no future as the annual losses at Withdean were unsustainable.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a massive dig at Am Ex, I think it's great that a large multinational company is pumping money into our club and that a great bi product of this interest is their involvement in AITC. Equally, I recognize the great contribution that DK has made to the club but history will probably show that the club and it's needs out grew his capabilities. Right man in the right place back in 1997 as was TB in 2009.

 

[The Large One]

Of course if you are head of marketing at Am Ex then there is no benefit in sponsoring a third tier team but if you look at the bigger picture then the size of the stadium and the clubs own 'five year plan' suggests they took a gamble on the club being promoted to the premier league. If we had built a stadium fit for the third tier, would they have been involved to the extent they were. If it was purely altruism that drove their decision making then why didn't they help keep the club afloat during the early years at Withdean when we were living hand to mouth. The answer is probably because without planning permission then the club had virtually no future as the annual losses at Withdean were unsustainable.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a massive dig at Am Ex, I think it's great that a large multinational company is pumping money into our club and that a great bi product of this interest is their involvement in AITC. Equally, I recognize the great contribution that DK has made to the club but history will probably show that the club and it's needs out grew his capabilities. Right man in the right place back in 1997 as was TB in 2009.

You've answered your own question.

But that doesn't follow that American Express would automatically have been interested in sponsoring the Albion with the new stadium coming. It took an almighty amount of work to get them to sign up.

 

[Icy Gull]

Not forgetting the campaign of abuse against Ray Bloom led by a fanzine in the last couple of Goldstone years, funny how things change

How about the campaign of abuse against Dick Tight?