Did the Cardiff Board lead us into this mess ?

After all the furore of the last couple of months,I have succumbed and registered to post and after years of lurking both here and CCMB. Why ? Well with the latest events and the massive changes currently going on at our football club Its got the better of me and against all self promises due to fear of addiction syndrome here I am!

Okay do I want the rebranding? No I don't at all but will it happen, it's happened and nothing we say or do now will change that, that's clearly obvious.

So who's to blame for all this and what actually is the vision for the future and the reason why?

The blame game is a British culture in this nation of ours and has probably brought this Country of ours down over the years but It's my opinion the blame lies with the Cardiff Board Members themselves over the last ten years . They allowed Sam Hammam the free reign of the Club in the first instance - was this a wise thing to do ? Okay Hammam did go over the top and leave a trail of debt but he also in that trail of debt lifted the Club to the top of the Championship, some would also argue that he left a trough of assets too in playing stock. The Board failed to repay the trail of debt with the asset as they chased further success - this can only lay at the door of the Cardiff Board, as we know the debt still remains today.
After the tenure of Hammam, the Cardiff Board allowed Peter Ridsdale to run the football Club,they allowed him huge Salaries and large spending sprees not once did they ever step in and stop his reckless actions.Why not ? Was it because with the New Stadium project in place they had plenty of off field activities in place which resulted in personal gains for their Companies? There must be a reason to why they allowed Ridsdale to continue the way he did ? Surely they had access to see how he was spending the Clubs Coffers and how he was running the Company and it's not as if he didn't come with a track record! It went on and on and on and not once did the Board question the actions of basically the CEO of the Company, why not? what were the board actually thinking ? Was it simply the case of off spin business was good and the Premiership will resolve the finance matters and correct the reckless actions of Ridsdale or was it a gamble by the Board that at some stage with a nice shiny new stadium that they would eventually attract a major investor or consortium or two ? Is this why they allowed the infamous Keith Harris on the board and allowed him too a large salary ?

Yes - by hook or by crook we got one interested party and that was on the verge of Premiership entry by then whilst trying to win play offs the interested party had already bailed us out from closure by HMRC . How and why did it get this far anyway? Where did all the money go after the assets left by Hammam were sold off and who sanctioned this ? The only feasible answer has to be the Board who have been there all along and it has only to be their fault we are now in the current position of no option. I can't fathom any other reason can you and if so tell me exactly where I am wrong in forming my opinion.

No I don't like the changes, but from where I am sitting it can only be down to the Board who have sat there all along ! PMG,Issac , Borley , Whitley and Co in my belief never controlled the " Company" in a proper manner and left us in a begging bowl situation to The Malaysians who clearly have their own vision of going forward, many of us may not like it but now their clearly is no choice and we have no option to go along with their vision.

Maybe my headline should have been more of a "grabber" like did the Cardiff Board lead us into this mess ?

Maybe my headline should have been more of a "grabber" like did the Cardiff Board lead us into this mess ?

Sorted for you

Thank you.

After all the furore of the last couple of months,I have succumbed and registered to post and after years of lurking both here and CCMB. Why ? Well with the latest events and the massive changes currently going on at our football club Its got the better of me and against all self promises due to fear of addiction syndrome here I am!

Okay do I want the rebranding? No I don't at all but will it happen, it's happened and nothing we say or do now will change that, that's clearly obvious.

So who's to blame for all this and what actually is the vision for the future and the reason why?

The blame game is a British culture in this nation of ours and has probably brought this Country of ours down over the years but It's my opinion the blame lies with the Cardiff Board Members themselves over the last ten years . They allowed Sam Hammam the free reign of the Club in the first instance - was this a wise thing to do ? Okay Hammam did go over the top and leave a trail of debt but he also in that trail of debt lifted the Club to the top of the Championship, some would also argue that he left a trough of assets too in playing stock. The Board failed to repay the trail of debt with the asset as they chased further success - this can only lay at the door of the Cardiff Board, as we know the debt still remains today.
After the tenure of Hammam, the Cardiff Board allowed Peter Ridsdale to run the football Club,they allowed him huge Salaries and large spending sprees not once did they ever step in and stop his reckless actions.Why not ? Was it because with the New Stadium project in place they had plenty of off field activities in place which resulted in personal gains for their Companies? There must be a reason to why they allowed Ridsdale to continue the way he did ? Surely they had access to see how he was spending the Clubs Coffers and how he was running the Company and it's not as if he didn't come with a track record! It went on and on and on and not once did the Board question the actions of basically the CEO of the Company, why not? what were the board actually thinking ? Was it simply the case of off spin business was good and the Premiership will resolve the finance matters and correct the reckless actions of Ridsdale or was it a gamble by the Board that at some stage with a nice shiny new stadium that they would eventually attract a major investor or consortium or two ? Is this why they allowed the infamous Keith Harris on the board and allowed him too a large salary ?

Yes - by hook or by crook we got one interested party and that was on the verge of Premiership entry by then whilst trying to win play offs the interested party had already bailed us out from closure by HMRC . How and why did it get this far anyway? Where did all the money go after the assets left by Hammam were sold off and who sanctioned this ? The only feasible answer has to be the Board who have been there all along and it has only to be their fault we are now in the current position of no option. I can't fathom any other reason can you and if so tell me exactly where I am wrong in forming my opinion.

No I don't like the changes, but from where I am sitting it can only be down to the Board who have sat there all along ! PMG,Issac , Borley , Whitley and Co in my belief never controlled the " Company" in a proper manner and left us in a begging bowl situation to The Malaysians who clearly have their own vision of going forward, many of us may not like it but now their clearly is no choice and we have no option to go along with their vision.

You started by pointing out the futility of 'the blame game' and proceeded to blame .... not particularly constructive in my view.

The most worrying thing for me is the lack of detailed fact on which people make accusations. Also, the very obvious lack of relevant experience and knowledge of commercial matters and company administration matters from people passing opinions and whipping up emotion.

Stop aimlessly bumping your gums and do something cobstructive. If you know all the things that are wrong and understand how to put it right then put together a business plan and present it to the Board .... simples!

My post has clearly gone over the heads of many including you Horace. The point being that Vincent Tan and Co already have their own business plan and vision so there is no point in handing the Board one.

Although the Board have put us in this position in the first instance where there are no options. Off spins were more important to many of them rather than the football Club and hence the debts .

Alan Whitley - look at the legal fees he received from Ridsdale as your first example. Paul Guy and Mike Hall , gained a Retail Park on 55 million pounds worth of free land, a Hotel too

Steve Borley - outfitted the Stadiium .

Those just being a few initial off spins - mean while they continued to allow Peter Ridsdale to continue in his role as it benefited them as well as Ridsdale having his own off spins too.

That's why we are now in the position of 80 million of debt and now having to be bailed out by a far east consortium who clearly have their own plan and vision to rescuing a bankrupt Company , why's it bankrupt ? The Board raped it financially .

My post has clearly gone over the heads of many including you Horace. The point being that Vincent Tan and Co already have their own business plan and vision so there is no point in handing the Board one.

Although the Board have put us in this position in the first instance where there are no options. Off spins were more important to many of them rather than the football Club and hence the debts .

Alan Whitley - look at the legal fees he received from Ridsdale as your first example. Paul Guy and Mike Hall , gained a Retail Park on 55 million pounds worth of free land, a Hotel too

Steve Borley - outfitted the Stadiium .

Those just being a few initial off spins - mean while they continued to allow Peter Ridsdale to continue in his role as it benefited them as well as Ridsdale having his own off spins too.

That's why we are now in the position of 80 million of debt and now having to be bailed out by a far east consortium who clearly have their own plan and vision to rescuing a bankrupt Company , why's it bankrupt ? The Board raped it financially .

Ah yeah Andy, you're way too clever for us. Maybe my suggestion was a little too subtle for you. If you and your mates that sit on the side lines and bitch and whinge believe you have some influence then propose your 'alternative' plan to the Board. Of course, when people like Paul Guy, Steve Borley et al take so called 'spin-offs' you all cry foul. You didn't cry foul when their money went in initially. It seems that you are happy for people to put in the pot but not for them to take out.
What experience do you have of running a football club that enables you to think that you so fully understand every dimension to a point where you are well placed to criticise. Like many you guess your way around it on assumption and quite often the assumptions are wrong for the want of fact. I guess you just like bumping your gums.
Remember this ... you are a fan ... not a shareholder ... not a Board member. Your total financial input to the Club if you have been a season ticket holder for 50 YEARS is less than £35k. When you put your money in you were buying a place on the terrace or a seat for a couple of hours a week and not a seat on the Board. Some of these investors have put in hundreds of thousands .... some millions. You have no devine right to determine who gets a chance to do that. You have one option ... to attend and support the players and manager or not. Simples!

I would suggest that the simple concept of he who pays the piper calls the tune is one you have difficulty with.

Horace, much of what you post is a good anology of the football supporter in general. We could also be cloned as " muppets" too.

Have I run a football club ? - No left it to the others who clearly " thought" they could . Clearly with a 80 million deficit they couldn't as the Company is insolvent basically they clearly were not fit and proper to run the Company.

Meanwhile individually they all had their trotters in the trough and which had added no doubt to the decefit of 80 million .

They still hold their shareholdings too which in turn under the rebrand will bring future gains too.

How many were said to " bleed Blue " if you cut them open ? Black more likely in line with their personal Companies balance sheet.

Horace, much of what you post is a good anology of the football supporter in general. We could also be cloned as " muppets" too.

Have I run a football club ? - No left it to the others who clearly " thought" they could . Clearly with a 80 million deficit they couldn't as the Company is insolvent basically they clearly were not fit and proper to run the Company.

Meanwhile individually they all had their trotters in the trough and which had added no doubt to the decefit of 80 million .

They still hold their shareholdings too which in turn under the rebrand will bring future gains too.

How many were said to " bleed Blue " if you cut them open ? Black more likely in line with their personal Companies balance sheet.

Jealousy is such an unattractive characteristic.

I have to be honest, I have no blue / red preference and am agnostic as to who owns the Club ... principally because it is not something that I can or wish to influence. I am a season ticket holder who expects to watch my Team (in this case the Bluebirds) and hope they do well. Is it life and death? Absolutely not!! I guess the thing that has caught my attention about all this debate / discussion about change and listening to the views of a variety of so called fans is that in the great scheme of things this is not actually as important as say the welfare of my friends and colleagues putting their life on the line daily Afganistan.
I guess the over analysis and vitriol with which people have engaged on this forum only really raises one question in my mind ... where has the perspective on life gone? Ultimately, aren't we lucky to live in a society where there are no major worries for a majority of people other than what colour their team play 50% of the games in and who owns the local football club and how much are they making.

there are more pressing things in life in to which energy can be channelled. As for football ... I just wish Malky and the Boys the best for next season whatever colour they wear. I hope they represent the good people of Cardiff well and bring success to our City. It's too early to judge the Board and Owners. They have laid out their stall I intend to give them a chance to deliver. I am not going to get too vexed if they don't. I will be disappointed if they fail but whatever happens it is not going to change the priorities of my life.

I do respect the right of others to have different priorities and views but I don't have to agree with them.