' Vincent Tan & Cardiff City Fans '

It's time for Cardiff City to see more of Vincent Tan but fans must be prepared to forgive his mistakes - Nathan Blake


28 SEP 2015


BY GARETH ROGERS

Nathan Blake insists Cardiff City will be a better place if Vincent Tan is seen more at matches and says fans need to forgive him and unite behind him


Nathan Blake says it's time to forgive Vincent Tan and move onNathan Blake says it's time to forgive Vincent Tan and move on

Cardiff City hero Nathan Blake says it’s time for owner Vincent Tan to get more involved in the club and for stay-away fans to accept his mistakes and move on.

Addressing another poor attendance on this week’s live Cardiff City debate, the former striker says the missing thousands would be willing to forgive Tan’s controversial rebrand if he was around more.

Blake also made an impassioned plea for disgruntled fans to accept the owner’s efforts to atone for his mistakes by turning the kit back to blue.



The former Premier League striker said: “I want to see him here, doing the right things and saying the right things because we’ve got to forget the past and try and rebuild a new future.”

Russell Slade’s team have risen to fifth in the Championship after Saturday’s comeback win against Charlton and head to league leaders Brighton on Saturday with the chance to move up to third.

In that time, Tan hasn't attended a home game. The last time he was seen at the Cardiff City Stadium was in February for the home game at Wolves, even though he did attend the away game at QPR and was snapped doing the ayatollah.



With home games against second-placed Middlesbrough and rivals Bristol City coming up next month, Blake has called for unity as the Bluebirds bid to improve on Saturday’s 14,000 attendance.

He said: “He made mistakes in the past because he was a novice. The club made mistakes too.


“But it’s about his image. With the money he’s invested, he should be a hero and I’d like to see him be straight up and say sorry.

“Hopefully he’s learned to let the football people do their jobs.

“We can’t forget the things he has done that have fractured and split the club but now let’s build towards getting him back involved.”

Are the Cardiff City fans ready to forgive Vincent Tan and move on?Are the Cardiff City fans ready to forgive Vincent Tan and move on?
Many fans expect a big investment if the team are pushing for promotion come January but Blake says the relationship between the owner and supporters needs to be about far more than that.

He said: “It’s not all about signings. Promotion will or won’t happen, that doesn’t really matter.

“What I think would galvanise the whole place is if Mr Tan had a good advisor who understood the club and he was around more and seen by the fans to be doing the right thing in helping the club.”

Nigel Harris

Tan just showing up for games isn’t enough to make it right, nor is saying sorry, nor is doing the Ayatollah in his Box in the Grandstand. Fans deserve more than these side shows.

He hasn’t given the club or fans any fundamental direction or visible leadership since I can’t remember.

He has, however, failed to deliver a number of key promises (those that made many misguided supporters take the Red Farce option without challenge).

With Tan not at or around the club yet showing up at others where he is involved, it gives all the signals he has lost interest in City so what exactly are his plans? City are propped up by £23M of parachute money this season. What happens if, as likely, we don’t go up and lose £16M of that next season?

The club is working hard to improve itself and with fans. Tan seems to be doing very little to nothing.

Too many fans have understandably lost faith, trust and belonging. Tan now needs to show leadership and his intent to have a chance of getting them back onboard but also to put real confidence and ambition back into the club. Until he does, Cardiff City looks like a ship without a rudder.

Jon Candy

In my opinion what is actually needed is an unequivocal genuine apology not so much for the mistakes he made but the arrogant way he behaved and reacted to those mistakes when fans questioned it.

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

Jon Candy

In my opinion what is actually needed is an unequivocal genuine apology not so much for the mistakes he made but the arrogant way he behaved and reacted to those mistakes when fans questioned it.

That's fine, Jon Candy, and I'm guessing that would be returned with "an unequivocal genuine apology" from some pretty vocal City fans; not so much for the non acceptance of Tan's red, but the disgraceful and oft racist way some fans (many of whom no longer attend) reacted after he (Tan) ploughed millions into the club, kept it afloat and backed his managers (no matter how misguidedly) on some good/some very bad players when no one else was (or is) on the horizon?

Tan has made (well highlighted) mistakes, but then again so have some (not all) fans and the real question may be "At what point do we ALL move on?

To me, that point has long since passed and I now mainly get on with the matters in hand, i.e. worrying about the strength and quality of the team I support on the pitch (better to date than I expected) and the general direction of the club (which is a lot more stable than it was a few short months ago)

I won't 'cheer' Tan, but I won't abuse him either and (again IMHO) he needs to 'show' that he still has the best interests of Cardiff City FC at heart!

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

Tan could have been a massive hero if he'd listened to the fans and the advice he was given from the start, but no apparently he knew better and treated us like something he'd stepped in.

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

I agree with Penyfai Plus also I never asked him to lend our club £100 plus mill and put us in deep shit, in fact at all the meetings I was totally against his money for the Rebrand.
I want him out ASAP.

Those years under the Rebrand,were my worst years of supporting City,I would walk out the stadium so fed up and even the night we won promotion, I left early and never stayed to celebrate.

I can't help the way I feel,it still hurts.

Also,we are now worse than before Tan came, smaller crowds,bigger debt and still in the Championship.

The usual supsects will have a go at me,but most don't even go themselves or haven't for years. I look at the faces down there now and it's back to the hardcore,except some of those that are still deeply hurt.

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

Tan could have been a massive hero if he'd listened to the fans and the advice he was given from the start, but no apparently he knew better and treated us like something he'd stepped in.

I had 3 hours with him, I thought he listened,but he listened to Wayne Nash,Julian Jenkins and Red leader Gwyneth, who wanted false glory instead of our Pride and Passion and what the loyal fans really wanted, to keep our identity.

If I am wrong,just look at the state of our club now, begging for fans to come back and begging for an atmosphere.

We should move on from this now whats done is done and Tan is learning and maybe we should forgive and forget I know its easier said than done but Tan has done the right thing in the end by putting us back to blue and and the crowds will come back in time and things are looking up on the pitch.

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

Tan could have been a massive hero if he'd listened to the fans and the advice he was given from the start, but no apparently he knew better and treated us like something he'd stepped in.

I had 3 hours with him, I thought he listened,but he listened to Wayne Nash,Julian Jenkins and Red leader Gwyneth, who wanted false glory instead of our Pride and Passion and what the loyal fans really wanted, to keep our identity.

If I am wrong,just look at the state of our club now, begging for fans to come back and begging for an atmosphere.

I've read a lot of rumours about THAT meeting, but it's the first time I've read your remarks. I'd love to hear your full version of events that evening.

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

I agree with Penyfai Plus also I never asked him to lend our club £100 plus mill and put us in deep shit, in fact at all the meetings I was totally against his money for the Rebrand.
I want him out ASAP.

Those years under the Rebrand,were my worst years of supporting City,I would walk out the stadium so fed up and even the night we won promotion, I left early and never stayed to celebrate.

I can't help the way I feel,it still hurts.

Also,we are now worse than before Tan came, smaller crowds,bigger debt and still in the Championship.

The usual supsects will have a go at me,but most don't even go themselves or haven't for years. I look at the faces down there now and it's back to the hardcore,except some of those that are still deeply hurt.

Agree 100% and most of the hardcore would too.

We should move on from this now whats done is done and Tan is learning and maybe we should forgive and forget I know its easier said than done but Tan has done the right thing in the end by putting us back to blue and and the crowds will come back in time and things are looking up on the pitch.

He hasn't done the "right thing" to please his "customers" it's purely for financial reasons, which is why thousands remain absent. I've got no doubt that the crowds will get bigger if we remain in the play offs but no where near the crowds we averaged at the CCS before this season.

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

Tan could have been a massive hero if he'd listened to the fans and the advice he was given from the start, but no apparently he knew better and treated us like something he'd stepped in.

I had 3 hours with him, I thought he listened,but he listened to Wayne Nash,Julian Jenkins and Red leader Gwyneth, who wanted false glory instead of our Pride and Passion and what the loyal fans really wanted, to keep our identity.

If I am wrong,just look at the state of our club now, begging for fans to come back and begging for an atmosphere.

I've read a lot of rumours about THAT meeting, but it's the first time I've read your remarks. I'd love to hear your full version of events that evening.

That meeting broke my heart,with fans threatening fans who stayed Blue.
Both meetings were a shambles and the club representives allowed fellow City fans to be threatened and intimidated,it should never have happened. I will dig up the notes on it for you.
Dave Sugarman took them

We should move on from this now whats done is done and Tan is learning and maybe we should forgive and forget I know its easier said than done but Tan has done the right thing in the end by putting us back to blue and and the crowds will come back in time and things are looking up on the pitch.

He hasn't done the "right thing" to please his "customers" it's purely for financial reasons, which is why thousands remain absent. I've got no doubt that the crowds will get bigger if we remain in the play offs but no where near the crowds we averaged at the CCS before this season.

Maybe so it was for financial reasons but he still turned us back to blue which is what we all wanted.

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

Tan could have been a massive hero if he'd listened to the fans and the advice he was given from the start, but no apparently he knew better and treated us like something he'd stepped in.

I had 3 hours with him, I thought he listened,but he listened to Wayne Nash,Julian Jenkins and Red leader Gwyneth, who wanted false glory instead of our Pride and Passion and what the loyal fans really wanted, to keep our identity.

If I am wrong,just look at the state of our club now, begging for fans to come back and begging for an atmosphere.

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

Tan could have been a massive hero if he'd listened to the fans and the advice he was given from the start, but no apparently he knew better and treated us like something he'd stepped in.

I had 3 hours with him, I thought he listened,but he listened to Wayne Nash,Julian Jenkins and Red leader Gwyneth, who wanted false glory instead of our Pride and Passion and what the loyal fans really wanted, to keep our identity.

If I am wrong,just look at the state of our club now, begging for fans to come back and begging for an atmosphere.

Annis

As you know I was at that very first meeting when the rebrand was first officially announced to some fans representatives. At that meeting I questionned the purpose and benefit of the rebrand,both commercially and morally ( and have continued to do so ever since) but the club "yes men" at the meeting couldn't provide an explanation - the then CEO even went as far as explaining that he hadn't even received such an explanation himself.To be fair to them they couldn't say much as they were split between the fear of losing their jobs ( most were kicked out after anyway after they had served their purpose in this) and the fear of losing the promise of huge investment in the club ( delivered but largely wasted through incompetence and ego trips) and the promise of making the club debt free ( a promise never honoured).

I agree with other posters in this thread that a proper apology for the huge mistake made with the rebrand as both a moral action and a business error from the owner would go a long way to speeding up the repair of the damage caused ( and those who overstepped the mark with racist attacks on the owner should do the same). However , the huge ego involved makes this most unlikely to happen .

I have had only one short meeting with the owner and,like you, it showed that he listens to no one even when clear evidence that he is wrong is put in front of him. This will continue for as long as he surrounds himself with weak advisers who will only tell him what they think he wants to hear.

The likes of Mehmet Dalman and Ken Choo seem to be working very hard on a charm offensive with fans who have remained and this should be applauded and supported but they are hamstrung by the strict limitations on their decision making .i.e. They have no real decision making powers on big issues ( the British directors have no powers even on more trivial matters).

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

Tan could have been a massive hero if he'd listened to the fans and the advice he was given from the start, but no apparently he knew better and treated us like something he'd stepped in.

I had 3 hours with him, I thought he listened,but he listened to Wayne Nash,Julian Jenkins and Red leader Gwyneth, who wanted false glory instead of our Pride and Passion and what the loyal fans really wanted, to keep our identity.

If I am wrong,just look at the state of our club now, begging for fans to come back and begging for an atmosphere.

I've read a lot of rumours about THAT meeting, but it's the first time I've read your remarks. I'd love to hear your full version of events that evening.

That meeting broke my heart,with fans threatening fans who stayed Blue.
Both meetings were a shambles and the club representives allowed fellow City fans to be threatened and intimidated,it should never have happened. I will dig up the notes on it for you.
Dave Sugarman took them

Thanks Annis, that would very much appreciated.

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

Tan could have been a massive hero if he'd listened to the fans and the advice he was given from the start, but no apparently he knew better and treated us like something he'd stepped in.

I had 3 hours with him, I thought he listened,but he listened to Wayne Nash,Julian Jenkins and Red leader Gwyneth, who wanted false glory instead of our Pride and Passion and what the loyal fans really wanted, to keep our identity.

If I am wrong,just look at the state of our club now, begging for fans to come back and begging for an atmosphere.

I've read a lot of rumours about THAT meeting, but it's the first time I've read your remarks. I'd love to hear your full version of events that evening.

That meeting broke my heart,with fans threatening fans who stayed Blue.
Both meetings were a shambles and the club representives allowed fellow City fans to be threatened and intimidated,it should never have happened. I will dig up the notes on it for you.
Dave Sugarman took them

Thanks Annis, that would very much appreciated.

Your Welcome

Carl's, going to put it on this thread tonight

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

Tan could have been a massive hero if he'd listened to the fans and the advice he was given from the start, but no apparently he knew better and treated us like something he'd stepped in.

I had 3 hours with him, I thought he listened,but he listened to Wayne Nash,Julian Jenkins and Red leader Gwyneth, who wanted false glory instead of our Pride and Passion and what the loyal fans really wanted, to keep our identity.

If I am wrong,just look at the state of our club now, begging for fans to come back and begging for an atmosphere.

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

Tan could have been a massive hero if he'd listened to the fans and the advice he was given from the start, but no apparently he knew better and treated us like something he'd stepped in.

I had 3 hours with him, I thought he listened,but he listened to Wayne Nash,Julian Jenkins and Red leader Gwyneth, who wanted false glory instead of our Pride and Passion and what the loyal fans really wanted, to keep our identity.

If I am wrong,just look at the state of our club now, begging for fans to come back and begging for an atmosphere.

Annis

As you know I was at that very first meeting when the rebrand was first officially announced to some fans representatives. At that meeting I questionned the purpose and benefit of the rebrand,both commercially and morally ( and have continued to do so ever since) but the club "yes men" at the meeting couldn't provide an explanation - the then CEO even went as far as explaining that he hadn't even received such an explanation himself.To be fair to them they couldn't say much as they were split between the fear of losing their jobs ( most were kicked out after anyway after they had served their purpose in this) and the fear of losing the promise of huge investment in the club ( delivered but largely wasted through incompetence and ego trips) and the promise of making the club debt free ( a promise never honoured).

I agree with other posters in this thread that a proper apology for the huge mistake made with the rebrand as both a moral action and a business error from the owner would go a long way to speeding up the repair of the damage caused ( and those who overstepped the mark with racist attacks on the owner should do the same). However , the huge ego involved makes this most unlikely to happen .

I have had only one short meeting with the owner and,like you, it showed that he listens to no one even when clear evidence that he is wrong is put in front of him. This will continue for as long as he surrounds himself with weak advisers who will only tell him what they think he wants to hear.

The likes of Mehmet Dalman and Ken Choo seem to be working very hard on a charm offensive with fans who have remained and this should be applauded and supported but they are hamstrung by the strict limitations on their decision making .i.e. They have no real decision making powers on big issues ( the British directors have no powers even on more trivial matters).

To be fair to you Keith, you have been very consistsant Regarding Tan and his lending of the £100mill plus and have not trusted any of it.
Yes you were at the first meeting and if you rem,Tracey was in tears for standing up for our identity and the majority of us were against the Rebrand .

We should move on from this now whats done is done and Tan is learning and maybe we should forgive and forget I know its easier said than done but Tan has done the right thing in the end by putting us back to blue and and the crowds will come back in time and things are looking up on the pitch.

I certainly am willing to forgive Tan.

As much as he completely disgraced our club, he's rectified his mistakes and gave us our identity back. He has invested millions of his own money so you cannot fault him for that. I am willing to forgive and forget too. What's done is done and we're moving in the right direction right now so I cannot complain

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

Tan could have been a massive hero if he'd listened to the fans and the advice he was given from the start, but no apparently he knew better and treated us like something he'd stepped in.

I had 3 hours with him, I thought he listened,but he listened to Wayne Nash,Julian Jenkins and Red leader Gwyneth, who wanted false glory instead of our Pride and Passion and what the loyal fans really wanted, to keep our identity.

If I am wrong,just look at the state of our club now, begging for fans to come back and begging for an atmosphere.

I've read a lot of rumours about THAT meeting, but it's the first time I've read your remarks. I'd love to hear your full version of events that evening.

That meeting broke my heart,with fans threatening fans who stayed Blue.
Both meetings were a shambles and the club representives allowed fellow City fans to be threatened and intimidated,it should never have happened. I will dig up the notes on it for you.
Dave Sugarman took them

Thanks Annis, that would very much appreciated.

Your Welcome

Carl's, going to put it on this thread tonight

Annis, this is the report that Dave Sugarman wrote on his blog back in June 2012 after the rebranding meeting took place.

A Big Red Cloud


Ever since Tan Sri Vincent Tan’s radical plans to alter Cardiff City’s identity became public knowledge, it has seemed as if a large, dark cloud has been hovering over the club. Unsurprisingly, the re-branding revelations provoked plenty of heated debate within the fanbase and the issue has proved the most divisive in the Bluebirds’ history. From a personal standpoint, the last month has been something of a watershed and I know there are other long-term City supporters who share similar feelings, but where the club itself goes from here is anyone’s guess.

While many fans are apparently happy to accept any changes the current owners wish to impose upon them providing the Malaysian money keeps rolling in, some of us are now seriously questioning the levels of our commitment to the club in light of recent events. But regardless of where you stand on the subject of the re-branding, there can be no doubting that the feelgood factor which had built up around the Bluebirds since the arrival of Malky Mackay has rapidly evaporated.
The level of bickering on the fans’ message boards is understandable given the circumstances, but one of the things that has bothered me most about this ignominious episode is the amount of rubbish that has been written about the meetings which took place at the Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday 8 May and Thursday 10 May.

I had the misfortune to be present at both of those gatherings and therefore I’m in a position to clarify what was actually said during them. In retrospect, it is obvious that the reports I drew up for the Cardiff City Mad website were not detailed enough, so hopefully the following information may make matters a little clearer for anyone who is interested:

1) During the first meeting on Tuesday 8 May, Chief Executive Alan Whiteley stated unequivocally that the proposed investment package from Tan Sri Vincent Tan was dependant upon a final settlement of the Langston loan notes debt. Mr Whiteley sounded confident that an agreement with Sam Hammam would be reached in the near future, but he was very clear in his assertion that a successful conclusion to the long-running Langston saga was fundamental to any further investment from the club’s Malaysian benefactor.

2) The Chief Executive also stated on several occasions during the 8 May meeting that the proposed re-branding would be implemented ahead of the 2012/13 season regardless of whether the investment package came to fruition or not. The alterations to the club’s kit and its badge were said by Mr Whiteley to be “non-negotiable.”

3) During both meetings, it was stated by club officials that Tan Sri Vincent Tan sees the colour red and the dragon emblem as being symbolic of a fusion between Welsh and Malaysian cultures. It was also claimed that Mr Tan views red as being a more powerful and lucky colour than blue. There were vague suggestions that red is easier to market in the Far East, but the fans present were given no indications of any actual strategies or business plans that were attached to the proposed changes. Direct questions were asked by several of us in that particular regard, but they were not met with any definitive answers by the Chief Executive or his staff.

4) Towards the end of the meeting on 8 May, a straw poll of the thirteen fans in attendance was held on the subject of the re-branding. This poll was conducted by club officials on the clear understanding of all present that the opinions being expressed were personal and in no way representative of the membership of the Cardiff City Supporters’ Club, the Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust, the Cardiff City Away Travel Group or the club’s wider fanbase.

While he was Twittering away in the days following the alleged message board leak, Bluebirds director Steve Borley suggested the fans needed to see the whole story behind the re-branding proposals before they reached any firm conclusions. Mr Borley was, of course, entirely correct, and yet it’s now almost a month since the plans first emerged and the supporters are still none the wiser about the situation. The reasoning behind the ideas to switch from blue to red and substitute the Bluebird for a dragon have yet to be properly outlined by any of the club’s officials.

In his open letter to fans of Thursday 10 May, Chairman Dato’ Chan Tien Ghee said: “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.”

TG’s words sound impressive enough, but what do they actually mean in real terms? How would altering a mid-ranking Championship club’s colours from blue to red and changing its badge from a Bluebird to a dragon have resulted in any commercial successes and what kind of international revenues was the Chairman referring to? Your guesses are as good as mine.

In an interview with the South Wales Echo on Friday 18 May, Finance Director Doug Lee hinted that the re-branding exercise was aimed more towards attracting sponsorship from the Far East than replica shirt sales in that region, but he didn’t give any indication as to why the team’s colour needed to be red or the club’s emblem needed to be a dragon in order to achieve such a goal.

Like many supporters, the re-branding plans didn’t make the slightest bit of sense to me, but then my knowledge of Far Eastern cultures and worldwide marketing strategies is limited to say the least. Having said that, I would have assumed that if playing in a red kit as opposed to a blue one was a genuine route towards commercial success and a debt-free future, then other Championship clubs such as Birmingham, Ipswich and Leicester would be following a similar path. But, as far as I am aware, they are not.

There now appears to be a reasonably large percentage of City fans who believe that because Tan Sri Vincent Tan is a highly-successful businessman and a dollar billionaire, his judgement cannot be questioned. Perhaps those who hold such a view should consider that Mr Tan has never previously owned a professional football club, he apparently saw his first live game of football in May 2010, he has seen a handful of matches since then and, according to the Chief Executive, he has only been taking an active interest in the running of Cardiff City during the last five or six months.

To my knowledge, the club’s major shareholder has never publicly said anything of note in regard to his association with Cardiff City. The spokesman for the Malaysian investors has always been the Chairman, Dato’ Chan Tien Ghee. I have been present during three events at which TG has spoken and was hugely impressed by him on each occasion. He came across as a thoroughly decent person and one who fully understands what this football club means to its supporters.

When he addressed the shareholders at the General Meeting in July of last year, TG admitted that he and his Malaysian colleagues had been on a steep learning curve since taking control of the club. He said he regarded Cardiff City as an institution rather than a business and talked of cutting out unnecessary spending while building firm foundations for the future. During the last two years I have developed a great deal of respect for the Chairman, which has made the recent re-branding revelations all the more difficult to stomach.

When TG and his associates initially got involved with Cardiff City, I hoped they would steady what appeared to be a sinking ship and set the club on a course whereby it would finally become a properly-run, self-sufficient business. The early signs were encouraging but the financial results for the 2010/11 season set the alarm bells ringing as far as I was concerned. When they were published in March of this year, the accounts revealed record losses of more than £12 million. Doug Lee has recently confirmed that the club is still losing around £1 million a month, so we can assume the accounts for 2011/12 will show a similar deficit. Many fans seem relatively comfortable with this situation simply because Malaysians are wealthy men, but I find it frightening that the club is losing even more money now than it was when Peter Ridsdale was in charge. Considering a large percentage of the historical debts remain unpaid and the playing squad is relatively small by Championship standards, I can’t work out where all the money is going.

The investment package allegedly proposed by Tan Sri Vincent Tan undoubtedly sounded attractive on the face of it, but let’s put things into perspective for a moment. One month ago, Cardiff City managed to sell just 23,000 tickets for a play-off semi-final against the biggest club in the Championship, and approximately 2,000 of those were sold to visiting fans. The Bluebirds were hammered 5-0 on aggregate and were clearly outclassed over the two legs. Nevertheless, there is now serious talk about increasing the capacity of the Cardiff City Stadium to 35,000, building state-of-the-art training facilities, engaging in worldwide marketing strategies, generating large amounts of revenue from merchandising and sponsorship in the Far East and even the club being floated on the stock exchange. Quite frankly, the whole thing is ridiculous. Before you know it, we’ll be talking about being bigger than Barcelona again.

From my personal perspective, the timing of this shambolic affair couldn’t have been much worse. In recent years, I’ve been feeling increasingly detached from the club and from professional football in general. While the Dave Jones era was a relatively successful one for Cardiff City, the man’s dour demeanour and the effect he seemed to have on his players left me feeling more and more disconnected from the team I have followed since I was an eight year-old. Despite promotion challenges, cup runs and Wembley appearances, supporting the Bluebirds was slowly but surely beginning to feel like a chore. I didn’t like the attitude of the manager, I didn’t like the attitude of a number of his players, I didn’t like the culture that had developed within the club and I was losing faith in the game itself.

The arrival of Malky Mackay last summer was like a breath of fresh air. The way in which the new manager set about his job changed my outlook considerably and reignited my enthusiasm for the Bluebirds. Although I wasn’t always convinced by the Scotsman’s tactics or team selections, I nevertheless enjoyed the 2011/12 season more than I had enjoyed any other for many years. Mackay quickly instilled the kind of work ethic in his players that had been missing at the club for some time. He also brought in a number of promising youngsters, made regular efforts to engage with the fans and ensured that his team did likewise. Despite their limitations, I strongly believed that the manager and his players fully deserved my support and I ended up following the team to 23 away games, which is my biggest tally since the early-Nineties. Despite nagging doubts about the ongoing financial situation, I genuinely felt the club was heading in the right direction on all fronts. Therefore, the shock news about the re-branding plans came not only as a bolt out of the blue (if you’ll pardon the pun), but also as a huge kick in the teeth.

Being a Bluebirds supporter can often be a depressing experience, but the last month has been just about as soul-destroying as any that I can remember. The tame manner of the play-off capitulation was disappointing enough, but that was nothing by comparison to what followed. The way in which this latest off-field fiasco has been handled by the club and the subsequent reactions of some of its fans has left me feeling extremely bitter and disillusioned. As things stand, I honestly don’t know how much longer I can to continue pouring large amounts of my time, energy and money into an activity that brings so little pleasure and so much frustration.

The fact that the owners and officials were prepared to make radical alterations to Cardiff City’s identity without any consultation with the fanbase speaks volumes about the way in which Bluebirds supporters are regarded by the club’s hierarchy, and the fact that so many fans were prepared to accept and even welcome those changes speaks volumes about the club’s support. The circus that is Cardiff City rolls on, but my dedication to the club has diminished significantly in recent weeks. Perhaps I’ll see things differently by the time the new season begins, but at the moment the summer break has never felt more appealing.

This a report Dave Sugarman wrote on May 8th 2012, hours after the first meeting took place.

Tue, 08 May 2012 22:53

Representing the football club during this evening's meeting at the Cardiff City Stadium were Chief Executive Alan Whiteley, Stadium Manager Wayne Nash, Director of Marketing Julian Jenkins and Media Manager Barrie McAuliffe.

The Bluebirds supporters present were Vince Alm, Mark Watkins and Rob Davies, who were representing the Cardiff City Supporters' Club, Tim Hartley, Tracey Marsh and Keith Morgan, who were representing the Cardiff City Supporters' Trust, Tony Jeffries and Dave Sugarman, who were representing the club's Away Travel Group, Mike Morris and Paul Evans, who were representing CCMB, Annis Abraham and Carl Curtis, who were representing AAMB, and Gwyn Davies, who was representing himself.

After a brief introduction from Julian Jenkins, Alan Whiteley opened the meeting by assuring those present that the changes which are going to take place at the club during the coming months are not being entered into lightly. He said an investment package from major shareholder Vincent Tan was vital to the club's continued progress and would provide it with long-term stability. The package, which was said to be worth a sum in the region of £100 million, will involve the following:

1) A large amount of existing debt being turned in equity.

2) The clearance of the historical debt to the Langston Corporation.

3) Significant changes to the club's internal infrastructure.

4) Major investment in new state-of-the-art training facilities.

5) An increase in the capacity of the Cardiff City Stadium to 35,000.

6) Significant investment in the playing squad in a bid to earn promotion to the Premier League.

One of the conditions that Vincent Tan has laid down in order for this investment package to proceed is a final settlement of the Langston loan notes debt. The Chief Executive reported that this matter has not yet been finalised, but added that he believes an agreement between the club and Langston representative Sam Hammam is close. He anticipated that a deal should be concluded in the very near future as it is in the interest of both parties to do so.

Another condition of the investment package is that the club will change its first-choice colours from blue to red from next season onwards. Therefore, the home kit for 2012/13 will be a red shirt with black trim, black shorts and red socks. The away kit will be blue. The club's badge will also be altered to incorporate a red dragon as opposed to a bluebird.

The change of club colours and badge will take place regardless of whether or not the rest of the investment package comes to fruition.

Contrary to rumours earlier in the day, the club's name will not be changed and the blue seats inside the Cardiff City Stadium will not be replaced by red seats before the start of next season. The stadium expansion is set to be completed before the start of the 2013/14 season, while the plans for a new training complex are already with the architects.

In terms of the club's historical debts, Alan Whiteley stated that an agreement with PMG Estates Ltd is already in place to repay the balance of the monies owed to them before the end of 2013, although the option to convert elements of that particular debt into equity has now expired. Meanwhile, the existing agreement with the Player Finance Fund regarding the monies owed to that company will remain in place and has not changed.

The settlement of the Langston debt will be a straight cash deal and will not involve any conversion of debt into equity. It is also anticipated that the deal will not involve the stadium naming rights.

None of the conversion of existing debts into equity will need to be ratified by the shareholders at an EGM as there is sufficient headroom in the previously-ratified agreement to cover the latest conversions.

A straw poll of the thirteen supporters present was conducted on the subject of the changes to the club's colours and badge. One was in favour; two were indifferent, while the remainder were opposed and in some cases very strongly opposed. However, it was acknowledged by all present that the views of those attending the meeting were not necessarily representative of the fanbase as a whole.

Here we go again

Here we go again

Can tell forum as gone quiet!

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

I agree with Penyfai Plus also I never asked him to lend our club £100 plus mill and put us in deep shit, in fact at all the meetings I was totally against his money for the Rebrand.
I want him out ASAP.

Those years under the Rebrand,were my worst years of supporting City,I would walk out the stadium so fed up and even the night we won promotion, I left early and never stayed to celebrate.

I can't help the way I feel,it still hurts.

Also,we are now worse than before Tan came, smaller crowds,bigger debt and still in the Championship.

The usual supsects will have a go at me,but most don't even go themselves or haven't for years. I look at the faces down there now and it's back to the hardcore,except some of those that are still deeply hurt.

Never asked maybe so. but you cannot just say want him gone without looking at the whole situation? Yes maybe people want him gone but got except fact that for him to be gone that money needs to be sorted until then we are stuck with him! As i said many timed fans wanted cake and eat it!
As for being worse than before tan came? Your having a laugh! Financially before him we were totally screwed or do people still believed fairy god mother would come in on her white steed to rescue us from tax man and every other creditors including Sam the con man!

Here we go again

Can tell forum as gone quiet!

It is a thread about an article written about Cardiff City FC, its owner and the relationship between him and the fans, written by a former Cardiff City FC player and fans favourite in the local paper.

Good on this forum and its moderators if you think Nathan Blake wrote the article because the forum has gone quiet

You really are a piece of work.

Here we go again

Can tell forum as gone quiet!

We were asked to put it on and Blake started this debate.

Allan, Does the reminder of the truth hurt

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

Tan could have been a massive hero if he'd listened to the fans and the advice he was given from the start, but no apparently he knew better and treated us like something he'd stepped in.

I had 3 hours with him, I thought he listened,but he listened to Wayne Nash,Julian Jenkins and Red leader Gwyneth, who wanted false glory instead of our Pride and Passion and what the loyal fans really wanted, to keep our identity.

If I am wrong,just look at the state of our club now, begging for fans to come back and begging for an atmosphere.

I've read a lot of rumours about THAT meeting, but it's the first time I've read your remarks. I'd love to hear your full version of events that evening.

That meeting broke my heart,with fans threatening fans who stayed Blue.
Both meetings were a shambles and the club representives allowed fellow City fans to be threatened and intimidated,it should never have happened. I will dig up the notes on it for you.
Dave Sugarman took them

Thanks Annis, that would very much appreciated.

Dave Sugarman wrote this as well on CCMB to Tony Jeffries aka TiT


Tony Jeffries Who did say at the meeting with the Club," I dont care what Cardiff City play in."

To be honest, I can't remember ever being upset about the prices at Ninian Park, so you wouldn't have seen me at the forefront of any protests on that issue. You would have seen me on the pitch demonstrating against Clemo, though (I think there were about ten of us, Sludge being another if memory serves) and at the various meetings we staged in our efforts to get rid of him. You would also have seen me in the Grandstand protesting about Kumar, Hibbitt and Osman after that Gillingham game if you can remember it.

As regards the summer of 2012, I can clearly remember how firmly in favour of Vincent Tan and his re-brand you were in the early stages. Here's another reminder in case you need one:



The people who spoke out against it in the intial meeting were me, Mark, Keith, Annis, Tim and Tracey. You were perfectly content to accept it and I had no problem with that at all. However, to remain silent while Gwyn was shouting abuse and issuing threats to three people who regarded you as their friend during the second meeting was very poor form indeed. To then leave that meeting, stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him and back him up all the way while he publicly attempted to blame those same people for Tan's u-turn was unforgiveable as far as I'm concerned.

You talked about people sticking together and showing their true colours in your opening post. Unfortunately, in my opinion you did just that in May 2012 when you stood alongside Gwyn Davies and backed Vincent Tan's re-brand.

Thank you all for that ,I never realised what went on ,,,sobering stuff

Tan gave me the worst 3 years in the 39 I've supported Cardiff, so NO I will never forgive him.
I hope he never shows his face in the CCS again and the sooner he takes his dictatorship elsewhere to better.

Yes and take his £100 m with him! mustn't forget that!

I agree with Penyfai Plus also I never asked him to lend our club £100 plus mill and put us in deep shit, in fact at all the meetings I was totally against his money for the Rebrand.
I want him out ASAP.

Those years under the Rebrand,were my worst years of supporting City,I would walk out the stadium so fed up and even the night we won promotion, I left early and never stayed to celebrate.

I can't help the way I feel,it still hurts.

Also,we are now worse than before Tan came, smaller crowds,bigger debt and still in the Championship.

The usual supsects will have a go at me,but most don't even go themselves or haven't for years. I look at the faces down there now and it's back to the hardcore,except some of those that are still deeply hurt.

Never asked maybe so. but you cannot just say want him gone without looking at the whole situation? Yes maybe people want him gone but got except fact that for him to be gone that money needs to be sorted until then we are stuck with him! As i said many timed fans wanted cake and eat it!
As for being worse than before tan came? Your having a laugh! Financially before him we were totally screwed or do people still believed fairy god mother would come in on her white steed to rescue us from tax man and every other creditors including Sam the con man!

Well I will ask the question will the tax man come now after all the cost cutting.

The only creditor we have is Tan himself. I can't see him asking for his money back because we don't have it and we don't have the equity or value of any sort to pay him back. I bit like having negative equity on your home.

Tan is in it more than most of us think. Yes he could walk and close us but that will do his reputation some harm. That would be some face he could not lose specially after losing face over the rebrand.