I’d rather be in the Conference than owned by Vincent Tan.

By WalesOnline
Wrexham fan Andy Gilpin: Why I would rather be in the Conference than be owned by Vincent Tan

Monday 11th Nov 2013


Andy Gilpin is the Executive Editor of our sister website dailypost.co.uk He is a big Wrexham fan and says he'd rather be struggling in the non-league than be in the Premier League with Vincent Tan as the owner


Let's put this in stark terms: I’d rather be in the Conference than owned by Vincent Tan.

That’s right, rather be in a league that’s quite frankly dire than the hallowed Premier League turf under the ownership of a despot.

Rather be in a league with its weekly offering of terrible referees, impenetrable grounds in the middle of nowhere and awful, awful football… don’t forget about that.

I’m at a low ebb after the Macclesfield game where I paid my money to see us concede after 12 seconds and then leave a two-goal striker free to head in from 15 yards for a last-minute winner.

On the long, cold, trudge back to the car we were quite rightly asking why we bother.

But at least it’s my club to be upset with.

Tan’s sold the soul of Cardiff down the River Taff to get into the Premier League. And the fans – by-and-large – have let him because he’s delivered on his promise.

Cardiff City fans hold up a banner saying 'Tan Out' during the match

The price for that is that it’s not their club any more.

Change the shirt colour to red? How about a trip to Anfield to ease the pain?

Change the nickname? Here’s your global exposure and a place on Match of the Day.

A 23-year-old pal of the owner’s son as your head of recruitment? Here’s a £60m from the Sky TV customers (that you may or may not ever see).

Cardiff have passionate fans who have had to put up with a lot over the past few years. I don’t begrudge them success, but not success at any cost.

And I’d rather be scrabbling with the likes of Macclesfield than be a rich man’s plaything, something we’ve had some experience of in the past.

The spotlight of the world was quite rightly on South Wales last Sunday for the first Premier League derby and social media was awash with opinions on the match, all with a Wrexham slant.

Yes, the Dragons used to be above these two Premier League sides. And it is sad that we’ve slipped so far.

As the game becomes awash with money, it’s not that surprising though is it?

With a lack of funding from the FA of Wales, the old football hotbeds of the north are eroding.

Now the population bases of the south get the money, the infrastructure and even things like a football centre of excellence for the whole country.

Saying that, for Swansea City I have nothing but respect. They are a club that dragged themselves up by their boot straps with a part fans-owned model.

They turned a profit of £15.3m last year by shrewd management and sticking to attractive football.

Of course they’ve had help along the way. Their ground is part-owned and protected by the council.

They’ve had luck and sold both managers and players at the right time.

And let’s get this straight, Wrexham FC’s current predicament is largely of our own doing.

And we’ve even done things like change our history on a whim by switching from the Robins to the Dragons because we thought it would be more marketable.

We’ve had at least two lots of owners who showed little regard for this once great football institution.

Only the gathering together of the fans saved the club.

So we’ve had our fill of the likes of Tan, who come in as knights in shining armour, but then make a series of bizarre decisions... mostly because they can.

In my mind Malky Mackay will soon walk away from Cardiff due to Tan’s off-field nonsense.

The next appointment will be a disaster and things will eventually turn sour as Tan chases the Asian baht more vigorously. Just ask Blackburn.

How do I know? Because it reminds me of Wrexham in the early part of the Geoff Moss days.

Despite a manager doing well on a budget, he was replaced and the club slipped out of the league.

While Swansea have got their last six managers right, the Dragons have got most of theirs wrong.

Even now Trust ownership ain’t perfect – and Wrexham Supporters Trust would be among the first to admit that.

We can’t go over the budget given to us by season ticket sales and commercial activities.

We can’t raise money from the ground... because we don’t even own it.

We’ve made mistakes by not tying prize assets like Martin Riley to contracts when we should have.

On a similar note, three top-scorers have left in as many seasons, the last getting into a public spat with the chief executive in the process.

It’s not perfect, but I’ll take it, because at least the victories – and most recently defeats – are mine.




Yes, those cheeky Swansea so-and-sos chanted “are you Wrexham in disguise” to their Cardiff counterparts during their derby win.

But while Swansea is the club to which we should aspire, Cardiff City (if they’re even called that now) is the stuff of nightmares for a fans’-owned club.

Anyone who says they'd rather their club to be struggling in non-leagues than playing in the Premier League is full of shit.

A colour and a badge do not make a club. The history and fans do.

Anyone who says they'd rather their club to be struggling in non-leagues than playing in the Premier League is full of shit.

A colour and a badge do not make a club. The history and fans do.

Totally agree ,identity is what's in your heart ,I have watched city durning the bad and now the good times 4000 people on a shit rainy night against Mansfield or who ever.down on the bob bank was shit ! hy is this a sticky lol

What a pointless post, latest news trolling the net to stir up shite, get over it! Who in their right minds would want non league football over prem footy.

What a pointless post, latest news trolling the net to stir up shite, get over it! Who in their right minds would want non league football over prem footy.

Anything which is anti tan or club.seems to be made a sticky.recently

Anyone who says they'd rather their club to be struggling in non-leagues than playing in the Premier League is full of shit.

A colour and a badge do not make a club. The history and fans do.

I reckon there is a small, but significant majority that will disagree with you.

While there are plenty of fans for whom the rebrand has made little difference, there are also quite a number of Cardiff City fans who feel considerably less affinity with the club than they did eighteen months ago.

Enjoy your shit football then. Tan won't be around forever, owners come and go but I know we'll be a better club (facilities/stadium) when he does go (all misdemeanors aside) because of his cash.

The usual Tan apologists are straight on this.. It is an opinion on our club from another viewpoint - very interesting and certainly worth a read.

Whilst I obviously enjoy Cardiff City being in the premier league, it has, as mentioned, come at a massive cost to the club. One that I feel - wasn't worth it.

Anyone who says they'd rather their club to be struggling in non-leagues than playing in the Premier League is full of shit.

A colour and a badge do not make a club. The history and fans do.

I reckon there is a small, but significant majority that will disagree with you.

While there are plenty of fans for whom the rebrand has made little difference, there are also quite a number of Cardiff City fans who feel considerably less affinity with the club than they did eighteen months ago.

Theres also a small number of Cardiff fans who have made themselve the vocal minority who stopped going long before the rebrand and have jumped on the Bluebirds Unite bandwagon.

I see loads of faces at these meetings, and also comments on social media from people I know and and they havent been going down the City for years.

They think because they went in the 90s they more of a fan than the people who still go. They wont be there in the conference either.

this fella loves the Swansea model - oh yeah, the one where all the local businesses who were owed by the club got f**k all when it went bust, that model.

why do people have such double standards - anywhere else other than football and these would be crooks stealing off legit firms who end up having to lay people off as a result of financial mismanagement bordering on criminal incompetence and wilful neglect.

Rant over, but sometimes I have to thank this forum for getting my blood pumping through my veins.

Lets not forget - Wrexham = Scouse overspill area - Nuff said.

CTID

Anyone who says they'd rather their club to be struggling in non-leagues than playing in the Premier League is full of shit.

A colour and a badge do not make a club. The history and fans do.

I reckon there is a small, but significant majority that will disagree with you.

While there are plenty of fans for whom the rebrand has made little difference, there are also quite a number of Cardiff City fans who feel considerably less affinity with the club than they did eighteen months ago.

Theres also a small number of Cardiff fans who have made themselve the vocal minority who stopped going long before the rebrand and have jumped on the Bluebirds Unite bandwagon.

I see loads of faces at these meetings, and also comments on social media from people I know and and they havent been going down the City for years.

They think because they went in the 90s they more of a fan than the people who still go. They wont be there in the conference either.

You might be right. There are also plenty that I know, who barely missed a game in decades. that stopped going as soon as the rebrand became a reality.

Yeah , right.. As if !

this fella loves the Swansea model - oh yeah, the one where all the local businesses who were owed by the club got f**k all when it went bust, that model.

why do people have such double standards - anywhere else other than football and these would be crooks stealing off legit firms who end up having to lay people off as a result of financial mismanagement bordering on criminal incompetence and wilful neglect.

Rant over, but sometimes I have to thank this forum for getting my blood pumping through my veins.

Lets not forget - Wrexham = Scouse overspill area - Nuff said.

CTID

Amazing how something that happened over 10 years ago has such an impact for you lot. And the bit about it being illegal!! wow.

Why would he be bothered by being owned by tan? Wrexham are already Red and Dragons.


Although I half expect tan to sell us and buy wrexham and turn them into Bluebirds.

Talk is cheap!

What a pointless post, latest news trolling the net to stir up shite, get over it! Who in their right minds would want non league football over prem footy.

Anyone who uses the words Prem and Footy in the same post has clearly only been going to football for 5 minutes. Have a word.

this fella loves the Swansea model - oh yeah, the one where all the local businesses who were owed by the club got f**k all when it went bust, that model.

why do people have such double standards - anywhere else other than football and these would be crooks stealing off legit firms who end up having to lay people off as a result of financial mismanagement bordering on criminal incompetence and wilful neglect.

Rant over, but sometimes I have to thank this forum for getting my blood pumping through my veins.

Lets not forget - Wrexham = Scouse overspill area - Nuff said.

CTID

Amazing how something that happened over 10 years ago has such an impact for you lot. And the bit about it being illegal!! wow.

I
Funny how our history only started when you got promoted to premier, anything we did before that wasn't counted by your fans!

What the fck has it got to do with him? Funny how all these people wouldn't have done this that and anything else! Have an opinion of something they no fck all about except what they read in rags or on here!

What a pointless post, latest news trolling the net to stir up shite, get over it! Who in their right minds would want non league football over prem footy.

Anyone who uses the words Prem and Footy in the same post has clearly only been going to football for 5 minutes. Have a word.

If watching City since 1977 is 5 mins then you are spot on Tommy gun

What a pointless post, latest news trolling the net to stir up shite, get over it! Who in their right minds would want non league football over prem footy.

Anyone who uses the words Prem and Footy in the same post has clearly only been going to football for 5 minutes. Have a word.

If watching City since 1977 is 5 mins then you are spot on Tommy gun

What's up with anti tan brigade? Hull are the tigers next season ! Thought be swarming all over the news?

Is the same wrexham that rebranded their nickname etc from the Robins to the dragons
I hope you stay in the conference if you like it that much

What a pointless post, latest news trolling the net to stir up shite, get over it! Who in their right minds would want non league football over prem footy.

Anything which is anti tan or club.seems to be made a sticky.recently

Pathetic innit. Who gives a f**k about what some no mark wrexham tw*t thinks about our club..
From The Robins to The Dragons the hypocrite moron

What a pointless post, latest news trolling the net to stir up shite, get over it! Who in their right minds would want non league football over prem footy.

Anything which is anti tan or club.seems to be made a sticky.recently

Pathetic innit. Who gives a f**k about what some no mark wrexham tw*t thinks about our club..
From The Robins to The Dragons the hypocrite moron

I can't believe some of the shit stickys clogging up the board recently ,mods sort it out !

Anyone who says they'd rather their club to be struggling in non-leagues than playing in the Premier League is full of shit.

A colour and a badge do not make a club. The history and fans do.

for most of those of us that have watched in the bottom division..............gone to places like Gillingham on a Tuesday night to watch the almost inevitable defeat,and with it relegation........the colour means loads........i am a Cardiff fan far more than i will ever be a football fan,spent most of my adult life not giving a damn whats going on in the prem.its not full of shit mate.full of passion for our club.

By WalesOnline
Wrexham fan Andy Gilpin: Why I would rather be in the Conference than be owned by Vincent Tan

Monday 11th Nov 2013


Andy Gilpin is the Executive Editor of our sister website dailypost.co.uk He is a big Wrexham fan and says he'd rather be struggling in the non-league than be in the Premier League with Vincent Tan as the owner


Let's put this in stark terms: I’d rather be in the Conference than owned by Vincent Tan.

That’s right, rather be in a league that’s quite frankly dire than the hallowed Premier League turf under the ownership of a des
Rather be in a league with its weekly offering of terrible referees, impenetrable grounds in the middle of nowhere and awful, awful football… don’t forget about that.

I’m at a low ebb after the Macclesfield game where I paid my money to see us concede after 12 seconds and then leave a two-goal striker free to head in from 15 yards for a last-minute winner.

On the long, cold, trudge back to the car we were quite rightly asking why we bother.

But at least it’s my club to be upset with.

Tan’s sold the soul of Cardiff down the River Taff to get into the Premier League. And the fans – by-and-large – have let him because he’s delivered on his promise.

Cardiff City fans hold up a banner saying 'Tan Out' during the match

The price for that is that it’s not their club any more.

Change the shirt colour to red? How about a trip to Anfield to ease the pain?

Change the nickname? Here’s your global exposure and a place on Match of the Day.

A 23-year-old pal of the owner’s son as your head of recruitment? Here’s a £60m from the Sky TV customers (that you may or may not ever see).

Cardiff have passionate fans who have had to put up with a lot over the past few years. I don’t begrudge them success, but not success at any cost.

And I’d rather be scrabbling with the likes of Macclesfield than be a rich man’s plaything, something we’ve had some experience of in the past.

The spotlight of the world was quite rightly on South Wales last Sunday for the first Premier League derby and social media was awash with opinions on the match, all with a Wrexham slant.

Yes, the Dragons used to be above these two Premier League sides. And it is sad that we’ve slipped so far.

As the game becomes awash with money, it’s not that surprising though is it?

With a lack of funding from the FA of Wales, the old football hotbeds of the north are eroding.

Now the population bases of the south get the money, the infrastructure and even things like a football centre of excellence for the whole country.

Saying that, for Swansea City I have nothing but respect. They are a club that dragged themselves up by their boot straps with a part fans-owned model.

They turned a profit of £15.3m last year by shrewd management and sticking to attractive football.

Of course they’ve had help along the way. Their ground is part-owned and protected by the council.

They’ve had luck and sold both managers and players at the right time.

And let’s get this straight, Wrexham FC’s current predicament is largely of our own doing.

And we’ve even done things like change our history on a whim by switching from the Robins to the Dragons because we thought it would be more marketable.

We’ve had at least two lots of owners who showed little regard for this once great football institution.

Only the gathering together of the fans saved the club.

So we’ve had our fill of the likes of Tan, who come in as knights in shining armour, but then make a series of bizarre decisions... mostly because they can.

In my mind Malky Mackay will soon walk away from Cardiff due to Tan’s off-field nonsense.

The next appointment will be a disaster and things will eventually turn sour as Tan chases the Asian baht more vigorously. Just ask Blackburn.

How do I know? Because it reminds me of Wrexham in the early part of the Geoff Moss days.

Despite a manager doing well on a budget, he was replaced and the club slipped out of the league.

While Swansea have got their last six managers right, the Dragons have got most of theirs wrong.

Even now Trust ownership ain’t perfect – and Wrexham Supporters Trust would be among the first to admit that.

We can’t go over the budget given to us by season ticket sales and commercial activities.

We can’t raise money from the ground... because we don’t even own it.

We’ve made mistakes by not tying prize assets like Martin Riley to contracts when we should have.

On a similar note, three top-scorers have left in as many seasons, the last getting into a public spat with the chief executive in the process.

It’s not perfect, but I’ll take it, because at least the victories – and most recently defeats – are mine.




Yes, those cheeky Swansea so-and-sos chanted “are you Wrexham in disguise” to their Cardiff counterparts during their derby win.

But while Swansea is the club to which we should aspire, Cardiff City (if they’re even called that now) is the stuff of nightmares for a fans’-owned club.

You Idiot

Now where would I rather go mmmmmmm, hang on let me think

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Anyone who says they'd rather their club to be struggling in non-leagues than playing in the Premier League is full of shit.

A colour and a badge do not make a club. The history and fans do.

and anyone who'd rather be red in the premier league than blue wherever is a full on c**t in my opinion

Anyone who says they'd rather their club to be struggling in non-leagues than playing in the Premier League is full of shit.

A colour and a badge do not make a club. The history and fans do.

and anyone who'd rather be red in the premier league than blue wherever is a full on c**t in my opinion

Spot on

Is Tan apologists the new buzz word everyone seems to be copying each other using it