" Cardiff City FC - Re-branding plans scrapped! "

A club statement from TG.

http://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/page/New ... 29,00.html


An open letter from Dato' Chan Tien Ghee, Cardiff City Football Club Chairman to all supporters.

To begin, I would like to assure all supporters that the feelings toward Cardiff City Football Club from Malaysia remain as strong as ever. Since our arrival in 2010 we have been blessed and humbled by the passion and dedication of everyone associated with the club, a trait we quickly adopted ourselves, along with the collective aspirations to see Cardiff City succeed.

Having remained in regular and close contact with board members and the management team in Cardiff, both I and our principal investor, Tan Sri Vincent Tan, are aware of and fully appreciate the concerns from supporters and others alike given the scale of the bold, and as we believed necessary steps that would need to be taken if this football club is to be able to realise the dream and vision that I would hope all supporters have for our future. It was therefore unfortunate that someone felt the need to leak and break the confidential details of some of those plans before they had been fully finalised and agreed by the board, which has led to the series of events unfolding this week.

Following Cardiff based meetings and discussions with supporter representatives, media outlets and management staff at the club, led by Alan Whiteley, key points have been communicated, listened to and discussed in depth here in Malaysia. To that end I would like to communicate the following points to help supporters understand our feelings and the strategy going forward.

I can categorically state that there were never any plans to rename the club. Cardiff City Football Club has a rich history, which we are honoured to celebrate and share locally, nationally and internationally. Indeed, the intention and part of the reason for reaching agreement with the Cardiff Blues was to allow the stadium to become the sole home of the football club. As such it could embrace and honour the history and heritage through the ages at the stadium accordingly, a step that was intended to allow future generations to also remember, learn and appreciate the achievements of the club in years gone by.

It is clear to all concerned that the club simply cannot continue to function and exist in its current state, effectively losing large amounts of money each month, while acquiring more and more debt. We have continued along this path until the end of the current season, but the club inevitably now faces bold and real world decisions should we want to see the club survive. As romantic and simplistic a notion as it may seem, maintaining our current course without growth or change, is not, and cannot be, an option.

The new club crest and home colours which were being discussed were intended to demonstrate the symbolic fusion of Welsh and Asian cultures through the use of the colour red and the predominant featuring of a historical Welsh dragon under the Cardiff City FC name. This would have been a springboard for the successful commercialisation and promotion of the club and its brand, driving international revenues and allowing us to fund transfers and success locally, thereby giving the club the best chance of competing at the higher reaches of competition.

This was not meant as a slight in any way shape or form on the club's traditions or history which we recognise are the lifeblood of any club. It was intended as a positive change to allow us to adapt and embrace the future. Notwithstanding a number of rumours there were no further plans to turn the stadium red or make other radical changes.

The impending investment and development plans built on the above strategy which were in the course of being finalised and led by Tan Sri Vincent Tan were intended to greatly reinforce our long term affinity and reflect and represent a desire to see this great club grow, built on solid foundations that would ensure the prosperity of Cardiff City within South Wales for many generations to come. It was intended to reach settlements with the principal historic creditors, and for Tan Sri Vincent Tan to then transfer the debts currently due to him into equity and drive revenues through an aggressive marketing and commercialisation plan. This would as a result allow initial and further investment for team strengthening.

However we have no desire to cause offence or for people to think we have no respect for the club or its history as it would appear has been suggested in various quarters including by local assembly members. We would have hoped that the significant investment made to date would have already demonstrated our good faith in that regard. Indeed, we are disappointed that anybody would think the contrary. In the light of the vociferous opposition by a number of the fans to the proposals being considered as expressed directly to our local management and through various media and other outlets, we will not proceed with the proposed change of colour and logo and the team will continue to play in blue at home for the next season with the current badge.

We will now reassess in conjunction with the board of the club the future strategy and the further ongoing investment necessary to allow the club to continue to trade. This may include looking for new and additional partners and investors.

Finally I would like to thank all associated with Cardiff City Football Club for their fantastic and continued support during the whole of the last season and to express my thanks to our manager and his team and staff at the football club for all their work last year in again getting us so close to promotion in what was always going to be a difficult transitional season.

Yours sincerely

TG

Happy days back in the lower leagues ahead with the core fan base watching crap football

Well done to the narrow-minded, blind fans. You will always hold this club back.

Well done to the narrow-minded, blind fans. You will always hold this club back.

How is being narrow minded fighting for what the club stands for and its tradition? Narrow mindedness is selling the club down the river and forgetting what generations of fans have always been.

I feel sick.

I hated the idea of re-branding, but we needed to do something to change the way the club was operating at. Simple as.

Has nobody read how VT changed Friendster from a company that loses $10m a year into one that makes a profit? he knows what he's doing.

I feel sick.

Now you know how I felt.

So glad they've seen common sense, there are obviously other options that don't mean destroying our history.

I was always on the fence with this, and stayed pretty quiet. We will sure miss that £100m investment now. Tough times ahead, especially as TG says the club can not continue to trade in the manor that it does!

"It was intended to reach settlements with the principal historic creditors, and for Tan Sri Vincent Tan to then transfer the debts currently due to him into equity and drive revenues through an aggressive marketing and commercialisation plan. This would as a result allow initial and further investment for team strengthening.

However we have no desire to cause offence or for people to think we have no respect for the club or its history as it would appear has been suggested in various quarters including by local assembly members. We would have hoped that the significant investment made to date would have already demonstrated our good faith in that regard. Indeed, we are disappointed that anybody would think the contrary. In the light of the vociferous opposition by a number of the fans to the proposals being considered as expressed directly to our local management and through various media and other outlets, we will not proceed with the proposed change of colour and logo and the team will continue to play in blue at home for the next season with the current badge.

We will now reassess in conjunction with the board of the club the future strategy and the further ongoing investment necessary to allow the club to continue to trade. This may include looking for new and additional partners and investors."

Three most important paragraphs. I'm quite worried now.

I sat on the fence also, bluebirds or f**k off now they have seen how passionate we are, they might invest more

I feel sick.

Now you know how I felt.

So glad they've seen common sense, there are obviously other options that don't mean destroying our history.

yeah the malaysians walking - thats what

If he was such a good business man, he must have a plan b incase plan a doesnt.

If they walk, perhaps they wer'nt right for us anway

I'm actually gutted. No investment from VT, clearly says they will now look for other investors. What could have been exciting times now will be releagtion struggle I can see us having to sell a couple players, as he says losing 1.2m a month cannot continue

If they walk, perhaps they wer'nt right for us anway

would you invest millions if you were the subject of abuse here and elsewhere? I wouldnt - nobody could blame them if they walked. Don't forget these guys saved us from extinction.

If they walk, perhaps they wer'nt right for us anway

spot on..... if they're happy to walk away because City fans dared to speak their minds and use their democratic right to protest, then how commited are they really..... sorry, but we don't live in a communist dictatorship so will not remain silent when something bothers us.....

The simple fact is, we (very lossely) didn't even give them chance to explain. People on here organised rallies and marches etc. For Christ sake, you may just have blown the security for our football club!!! All for what? A colour and badge change?

I'm done with these message boards, they are the breeding ground for the self important! Idiots!

there in it for the money...read tg,s statement ...we will look for other investors...ffs tans worth 800 million he could fund us on his own he doesnt need other investors so goes to show they dont give a shit about the club or fans...if they leave they will sell it or they lose loads,that wont happen...and so what if we do end up in the lower leagues again been there before ,to many fans are pretty new since sam days and relative success seeing a good team steady in the championship for years and success in the fa cup,carling cup and play off final ,most of these fans havent seen relegations etc and the shit football loads of us put up with ,from those years this is success some of you seem intent on getting to the prem league and couldnt give a shit what it cost to get us there even if it meant losing our badge,colours and traditions and have a guy pick and hcoose what changes he wants to make and when and not involve us....i was happy with the malaysians for funding us but this was all done in the wrong way and they now realise it.

Cant see anything in that statement to be happy about,they sound hurt and let down.Some of the comments on this board towards the malaysians have been nothing less than a disgrace,to many trigger happy keyboards warriors on this board,hope your all happy

TG a Wolf in Sheep clothing. How is playing in Red going to bring us prosperity and good fortune ?
Come on tell me that Its good management bringing in the right players AKA Blackpool, Swansea ETC.
I can sleep easy knowing i wasn't prepared to sell my soul to the Devil and i don't care what you all think of me. I will never now trust them, but at least i get to keep my Club, and i dont regret revealing there future plans last night. I believe it to be 100% true then as i do today. And as a little warning from my source the last thing he said to me "Don't trust TG".
Sorry if i have helped destroy all your plastic aspirations i will always fight for our Club.
Nukes

TG
Before you make any decisions about our football club give ALL the fans the opportunity to decide
The future of our club and not the minority
Every fan should have his or her say in this matter

I hated the idea of re-branding, but we needed to do something to change the way the club was operating at. Simple as.

Has nobody read how VT changed Friendster from a company that loses $10m a year into one that makes a profit? he knows what he's doing.

yea thats a business and i would do that to my business with out a care to make more money red,blue ,pink what ever it takes to make more money.

To do it to a football club is totally different you ask any true die hard footy fan to change the badge and strip and it would be a resounding NO.

Well done nukes,hope you will dig deep for the bucket collections to save our club

I was always on the fence with this, and stayed pretty quiet. We will sure miss that £100m investment now. Tough times ahead, especially as TG says the club can not continue to trade in the manor that it does!

Too many sensible people on the fence and the hot heads too vocal and they have now ruined our future.

The jacks end eggers will be ecstatic at this news.

If they walk, perhaps they wer'nt right for us anway

would you invest millions if you were the subject of abuse here and elsewhere? I wouldnt - nobody could blame them if they walked. Don't forget these guys saved us from extinction.

The lunatics are running the asylum

What a load of bollix .... I'm off for the summer .....f**k this shite

Congratulations to the blinkered fans,you have messed up
Administators will be knocking on the door soon and we will end up a feeder club for Merthyr Tydil

Not enough courageous fans were prepared top stand up and be counted over the last few days against all these hotheads.

It feels like a bereavement at the moment - the club that I love may not continue to exist anymore.

Playing in red would be to bad but have we just lost £100m

Like Merlin I have stayed away from commenting on the whole issue because I didn't want to get carried away on a kneejerk reaction. However I would say when I heard about this I just couldn't believe it or more accurately I couldn't believe the reasons behind the proposed changes.

I have watched Cardiff for 47 years and started watching them with my dad who would always tell me we were going to watch "The City" as back in the 60's that's how most fans would describe the club. I'm not really sure when watching "The City" was replaced with watch "The Bluebirds" but even I say that now. But does it matter as really we all watch Cardiff City and that was the biggest concern I had ' was there a chance this would involve changing the name of the club'. That would be completely unacceptable to me but thanks to TG's letter we now know that was never going to happen.

I was also really concerned about the reason being given for the change in the colour of our home ket, again and thanks to TG we now know it has nothing to do with VT not liking Blue but everything to do with being able to market the club more succesfully in "Asia", not Malaysia but the continent of Asia, and for the club to benefit from the additional revenue.

I understand and fully respect that such a massive change is a lot to take on board, but where in the world are the similar marketing opportunities. Remember our major investors are very succesful businessmen and have probably forgotten more about marketing than the rest of us will ever know and more importantly understand the Asian marketplace. Is it really to much of an ask to have trusted them with this?

I told somebody today that if I owned Cardiff City and someone offered £m's of pounds to have "Swansea City Are The Best Football Team In The World" printed on our shirts I would bite their hands off. Having that bollocks on our shirts would in my opinion be nothing when compared to the value of the £m's so it should have been with a change to Red shirts. It would never change my love of our club as nothing could do that and the money it would bring with it is worth more to us as it would be to any Football League club.

As fans and in respect of everything that TG & VT have done for our club so far in my opinion we should have been prepared to listen to the reasons behind their proposals. Having listened to the reasons if we still felt that it was to big a change then fair enough but we didn't and in the immediate aftermath there is likely to be a period of uncertainty with loads of conjection about what happens know.

I just hope that in the future we are not looking back and saying maybe that was the best option for us.