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Time To Go
Yesterday afternoon the news broke on twitter that the long-delayed BIH accounts for the year ending June 2011 would now be released at the end of May, rather than the play-off final deadline mentioned in Peter Pannu’s programme notes for the Blackpool game.
As one can imagine, the reaction on the internet at least has not been great. Whilst Pannu’s statement was couched in careful language, many fans had taken the date given as a deadline and consequently the hackles have been raised. For many it’s the latest in a string of broken promises and there is some feeling that Pannu and the BIH board can no longer be trusted.
However, I don’t think it’s quite time to panic yet. The football league will not lay any further sanctions against the team for not filing the accounts so at this stage it’s not put us any further into trouble with the authorities. Players have been offered contracts, season ticket prices will be released on Monday and the pre-season tour should be announced at some point either today or this weekend. The club is carrying on as usual.
The problem lies in the trust that Blues fans have for the board and it’s appointees. As the sorry saga over the delayed accounts along with Carson’s legal and financial woes has continued, the sympathy for the board has slowly evaporated from the fanbase. Whilst I can fully accept that as Mr Pannu isn’t on the board of BIHL he isn’t privy to their decisions it does seem negligent of a director masquerading under the title of “Acting Chairman” to make what seem like promises to the fanbase that he can’t deliver on. I appreciate that he said that the accounts “should” be out by Satuday but he must understand that many will take that as meaning that they “will” be – if there was an uncertainty he shouldn’t have named a date at all – “soon” would have been maybe a better option.
It must be remembered that Mr Pannu is nothing more than an appointee. The time has come for me at least for the BIHL board to speak to the fans. The actual, proper Chairman of BCFC is also Chief Executive of the BIHL board, one of the largest shareholders in the parent company (with an approximate 4% stake) and isn’t bound by the travel restrictions that have befallen Carson Yeung. However, I doubt very much Hui Ho Luek (aka Vico Hui) has anything to say to the Blues fans despite his exalted position within the club – and thus we’ll be left with the scraps of information that are fed to their patsy.
I’ve tried to be fairly board-neutral this year but I’m struggling to maintain that stance in the face of all that is going on. The last thing I want is a club torn apart by protests, bile and anger against our owners but the longer this goes on the more inevitable it seems. I’ve been saying for a while that I was prepared to wait and see what was going to happen but I think we’ve waited long enough and had enough promises reneged upon. The club cannot continue indefinitely without the accounts being filed and that needs to be sorted as soon as possible so that the club can begin to prepare for its next season.
That being said, for me the trust has been irrevocably broken. My support for the BIHL board has evaporated and I personally will not be happy until they’ve put the club up for sale at a reasonable price. I’m sure that there are interested parties out there who are willing to take the club on and I am willing to see what someone else can offer us. My opinion may not be the same as others, but I’m going to stand by it. It’s time for BIHL to go.
Tags: BIH, Carson Yeung, Peter Pannu, The Board, Vico Hui
82 Responses to “Time To Go”
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I’m no apologist for Peter Pannu but I do think he is in an impossible position. Given all the doom and gloom over the finances I think Pannu has done a pretty good job of keeping the club going, particularly as he has no executive power on the main Board.
The blame in my opinion lies in Hong Kong and with the Board of BIHL. I do agree with you that the Board should do everything now to find a buyer.
What needs to be known is, who is the “board”. If the names of board members were known,then questions could be put to them. My thoughts are,whoever they are,they must think that, financially, Blues are a club worth holding on to. If Blues were, in a serious financial position, obviously they would be hell bent, in offloading them. Plans have been announced for pre-season and players contracts are being discussed. None of this could be done,if the situation is as bad, as some doom and gloom merchants are saying. In my opinion, Peter Panu has done a resonable job,considering,that the chairman is in “virtual jail” in Hon Kong and no money has been received from him. Season tickets for the new season,will soon be on sale,think positive,get down to St.Andrews,buy your tickets and give the club a boost. Lets cut out,all the negativity,support your club, you will find that, next season, will be a great one ! KRO
The names are known John.
The BIH board can be found here: http://www.irasia.com/listco/hk/birminghamint/contact.htm
The BCFC board can be found here: http://www.bcfc.com/page/BCFCBoard/0,,10412,00.html
:) :) :)
Well said mayor,there is always a tipping point and that point is”NOW”………mr pannu has left himself wide open yet again…..it’s time to go…………they have committed the “cardinal sin” and lost the trust of us fans….time to start hitting them in the pocket and people not to buy season tickets (harsh I know) but that will be the only thing they understand..no pain no gain I’m afraid…….p.s. Mayor do anyone from the club read this site?
They certainly do Mickey, I know Mr Pannu used to read occasionally
A brilliant piece Almajir, almost the very same thoughts as i was feeling. The only good thing was in Tats artical today was that its not the orditors that is hold it up. Could it be tied in with Carsons appeal, any idea’s Almajar as always Kro4ever
It’s not tied into Carson’s appeal – that’s just coincidental. It’s supposed to be something minor – which in my eyes makes it worse cos it means it’s incompetence more than anything else
Good article Almajir. I was gutted yesterday after hearing the news and wouldn’t be at all surprised if another broken promise occurs at the end of the month.
My hope of new investment, keeping CH and the squad are now hanging by the bearest of threads.
KRO
In my experience the main reason audited accounts aren’t filed is because the auditor will not accept them and / or put their seal of approval to them. This has been going on far too long for the issues to be ‘minor’. I seriously wonder whether the accounts cast doubt on the club’s ability to trade as a going concern under BIHL’s ownership.
You’re assuming someone wants to step in and buy us. May be stuck with them. Personally I think Pannu has done a great job. Must admit it’s a PR disaster tho but as long as the accounts are filed before the transfer window opens I am not too concerned. The accounts would have been filed by now if we were playing tomorrow I suspect.
I have given the “benefit of doubt” to these far~east lot,up until today.
I’m the same as you ALMAJIR..”TIME FOR THIS LOT TO F`OFF” !!!!!
C`Y might be under so called “house~arrest” but HE CAN STILL TALK !!
If we are 20/30/40/50/60/70 million in debt or bankrupt “JUST TELL US” !!
I think CHRIS HUGHTON will go or news will break soon he is in talks with another club.
Then we have a club for the near future without a chaiman/owner & manager.
With the “mouth~piece” of the club telling us FANS total bullshit !!!!!!!!!!!!
But if I was a wealthy business man/woman & not a BIRMINGHAM CITY FAN would I buy BIRMINGHAM CITY ??
Would I f`ck,why would I ??
What profit could they make ??
I think the future will be ..”A LONG LONG ROAD”
BUT AS FANS WE WILL “KEEP RIGHT ON” whatever happens.
Not suprised another lie spews out of Pan’s mouth, both he and Yeung are as thick as thieves, so please, stop making excuses for him/them.
If Pan can’t make a statement, why not get tinker bell to open his gob and spill the beans? Tinker bell is the 18 year old son of Yeung, who has been given a seat on the board of BCFC, or will they claim that this useless incompetent spotty youth doesn’t speak to his feeble excuse for a father?
It’s obvious that Pan is a chancer & was banking on Blues getting to Wembley, then the accounts would have miraculously appeared, with the £90 million factored in no doubt.
Yeung and son plus Pan, time to pack up ,ship out and f**k right off.
No need for the insults!
Blue in Spain,
Are you having a laugh? ” no need for the insults”
Not only are you disconnected from events over here, but you can’t be bothered to put a reasonable argument together.
I’ll insult Peter Pan, Yeung & Tinker Bell whenever I like, as often as I like.
I’ll insult Peter Pan, Yeung & Tinker Bell whenever I like, as often as I like.
not on my website you won’t.
Please be careful with the tone of your comments
Ha ha, nice one Almajir :-)
Anyone can trade insults, it’s reasoned discussions/arguments that we want here.
Disconnected from events, don’t be ridiculous, how, as for a reasonable argument…. where’s yours it’s just a stream of insults. I for one have had it with BIH, but actually think Pannu has done a good job keeping us out of administration, and is probably losing patience with the board. So why don’t you quit the insults and grow up!
I think the real issue here is the effect this may have on Ch’s decision either to stay or to move on..
I think he will go because of the clubs financial instability.
If I were in his position I would move on quickly before matters get worse.
Art.
Art, that’s my worry too, but i am hoping that CH knows exactly what’s going on and is assured that it isn’t a real issue, it just appears that way from outside the club.
Let’s live in hope.
Also Peter Pannu wasn’t my favourite person after his ‘loads of money’ bragging in Maderia and his failed promise of £5 mill from vile pork instead of the 50% we got, but since then i think he has done a sterling job as an employee of the board, who have failed him and the club by their incompetance.
IF CH is leaving HE would only do so if B/ham grant permission to speak to someone else and that hasnt happened and if it doesnt happen before he goes on holiday then i dont think it will happen at all, so i think he is staying put
Agree with Evesham Blue 100%
Almijar, great blog, but I really think you should go on a well deserved holiday now. Your writing is not quite as reasoned, logical and lacking in hyperbole as it once was.
My totally unfounded belief for any further delay is that the accounts are so bad from a “cosmetic” point of view, they wanted to get the ST renewals done first, lest some were scared away by the red ink ;) If you are predisposed to uncontrollable bouts of blind panic, then renew using a credit card :)
As the so called ban is only in respect of registering players (which we can do at anytime up to the transfer window) I do not believe any of this will have any effect on my summer. First a holiday, then watch Chrissy Hughton’s Bosman Army grow while we say good bye to some saleable assessts. August and the real issues will be here soon enough.
No panic here.
Even if we go into admin, there will be a Blues. Even if we have to start again, there will be a club. I’m certain of that – so I’m not panicking.
However, what I’m trying to get across is that the situation we have now at the club is one that cannot continue in the long term because of the lack of trust from a large proportion of fans in the board. When people who I know and trust to be sensible and level headed talk about not renewing because they’re worried about the club, and how they would like the club to fall into administration so things can change on an ownership level it tells me that things have gone past the tipping point.
It’s annoying more than anything; we have a manager who has given us excitement, players who seem committed to the cause and backroom staff at the club who are working hard to make the club better. Barring the owners the club is in the healthiest state it’s been for a while – its got its soul back but that is in danger because of what seems like incompetence from above.
I’m not hyperbolic. I’m not asking for protests, I’m not getting the crayons and the bedsheets out but what I am saying is that the time has come for a change. I hope that BIH can see that if they don’t do something soon that they’re in danger of losing it all; I’d rather they walked away with some cash and their dignity intact rather than Blues fall into administration which would mean we’d all suffer.
Smokin – i like your optimism but we are in trouble with this board. There is nothing minor (as Pannu suggets) or cosmetic (as you suggest) about accounts not being filed for THIS long. Pannu has said that it is normal for a relegated club… he forgets we’ve been relegated before!! Plus, i dont see blackpool, west ham, boro or the long list of other clubs in our plight. There is some sort of cover up that is taking place, so serious it has taken a year in the planning… perhaps we owe the taxman or other creditors large sums of money that need to be hidden from view. Who knows… we sure as hell don’t! I dont blame Pannu who is in a very difficult position (though as Almajir says, he should’ve chosen his words more carefully).
We need a buyer to move on. Until CY is acquitted (which will be 18months away at the least) or we go into administration we will be stuck in an uncomfortable limbo. It will become increasing uncomfortable when Hughton and some of our better players leave. Do you really think CH will be tempted to stay if we say “feel free to go and pick up 3 or 4 Bosnams”??! No chance.
Blues will pull through this one way or another. It would just be nice to cut free from the burden of CY now and progress with CH.
KRO
Bobbyblue.
Its not a case of being optomistic, its just that I can’t see getting riled up about something which none of us can change or which is actually not as big a deal as is being made out by some.
I am 100% sure that
a) the accounts look bad, afterall they are (or will be) a snapsnot of the financial position of the club over a year ago, when we still had players on high wages underperforming. The financial position of the club nowe will be better, though still crap. So either way they are not important.
b) the reason for the delay is the same thing the HKSE want to know (See Almijars excellent pieces back in January) i.e. how can BIHL (and by extension BCFC) continue as a going concern if Carson can’t provide funding. Auditors can be a pain, but thwe fact that the accounts are near to publication lead me to think an answer has been agreed to this question which satifies them enough. That in itseldf would be good news!
c) the tranfer ban means we can’t register players. We can however, enter into contracts, and god forbid, agree fees :). And ultimately we have until the end of the transfer window to register them, thogh if we wanted to play them sooner bu the start of the season.
And sorry, but if people can not understand the difference between “should” and “will” then he British education system is shitter than I thought.
Finally, if I am optomistic, it is simply because I have heard too many people “in the know” tell me how Administration and is around the corner in the last 12 months. I am still waiting :)
KRO
have very lettle bearing
Should/will… he gave the fans false hopes. Unless he knew, he shouldnt have said anything. We’d have expected the accounts to be released at the end of July and would have had a nice suprise if in fact they were released any sooner. It’s managing expectations.
And we wont buy anyone (even if technically enter into a contract and register them later). Why would we commit to spending £500k on a player who we cant guarantee will be available for selection for the forseeable future? The selling club and player will need to know we are good for the money and we can register players.
Unless CY finds an investor (and not someone who is going to loan money to us at an extortionate rate of interest) I cant see CH sticking around. Players will likely be sold to settle debts. Yet CH will want money to spend or he will feel he has taken us far as he can.
I dare say people like Ted have seen situations like this before. It is part of the drama that makes following a club so great. We will come out of it. I just feel that the Blues best interests would be served without CY.
As for the administration rumours – nobody is in the know – thats part of the problem! Just because administration hasnt happened yet doesnt mean it wont. Any investor worth his salt would wait until we go into admin before buying us. Unless you are a blues fan. Or an investor who MAY be looking to over pay for the club to launder money..!
I think it was quite obvious from their initial buying of the club,that the dirctors, were not too bright. They were conned into paying 80 million quid, for Birmingham City Football Club,by two porn kings from London. The club was worth, probably less than half of that,so maybe now,they are hoping to recoup as much of that as possible. Again,because they are not too bright,they have no chance of getting anywhere near that figure,but,as I say they are holding on to the club in the vain hope,of selling and recouping their losses. On the other hand,maybe they know that the club,is not in great amount of debt (it is only the media that have put this story about,there has been no official confirmation) and with a successful campaign,next season,the value of the club,will rise. Before we all start cutting our throats,lets be positive and see what the decleration of the accounts show. KRO
Its such a messy situation really, its hard to 2nd guess whats actually going on. Pannu seems to be being hung out to dry over and over again by the guys in HK and it makes you wonder whether really he should just keep specific dates and times to himself rather then setting expectations. With the accounts being year ending 06/2011 by the time these accounts are released we are going to be almost a year behind the actual current financial picture of BIHL so things will have completely changed anyway. I initially read into the carson case being linked with the release of the accounts in the sense of, the accounts would be released. Obviously they are going to be poor but then having the backing of carson again if he had managed to get some of his funds released so offering a buffer of some sort to soften the blow. Again its all just guess work. KRO!!
About time you came of the fence Al. I’ve been anti this lot since they came in and refused to sell my shares whilst most other Blues (most of whom are now moaning about em) were happy to take the dough.
Lads look, not only do PP et al have nothing to do with Blues, they have nothing to do with football either, Whatever the reason for the purchase the one reason it wasn’t was because of any attatchment to Blues or football. Whatever twisted business logic applied to make them wanna buy us for £85m it certainly wasn’t that.
PPs first ever business that he has ran just happens to be the club I’ve spent my whole life supporting. It is a gravely serious position and he doesn’t get it. He doesn’t get the time/effort/passion/finance which the fans do. He doesn’t get why we don’t think it’s funny when he waves his fat wallet at us in Maderia when some people even took out loans to be there. And why would he? The First Class flights and 5 Star hotels in Hong Kong are all he knows and knows em well after all how many times has he been now? His only other fellow UK based director is a 17 yr old kid FFS who’s old man is up on money laundering charge and can’t leave the country. It’s a shambles, fast becoming a laughing stock.
I find it appalling that I was contacted by a woman from BCFC asking whether the information they had on file was correct for season ticket arrangements-I hold 3 season tickets.
I asked her whether she had any news regarding the accounts but she told me no-one knew anything regarding the accounts.
I told her that BCFC must be crazy if they thought we season ticket holders were going to purchase tickets with the threat of administration hanging over the club when we could pay one week and the club be liquidated the next week and we then lose our money.
I feel the powers that be at BCFC must be losing the plot if they think season ticket holders will buy tickets on the back of broken promises.
I think you are right, there might be interested parties watching events at St. Andrews but, who want’s to buy the club at a reasonable price when they get get it cheaper when we are on our knees?
PP’s positive statement of intent, based upon reassurances from HK and with an anxiety to placate supporters, was obviously a mistake. Whilst, without a doubt, it has further damaged the board’s credibility, it is not a reason for Blues fans to despair. So long as accounts are filed by the end of this month, there should be no further consequences.
The greatest yardstick by which we should judge, must be the ongoing commitment (or otherwise) of CH and our key players. We should not be talking doom and gloom and ‘rocking the boat’ just yet. The legal issues hanging over our club and its owners are completely out of our hands. There is nothing that we can do to expedite these matters.
As a supporter for 50 years I have know far worse times. I would urge fans to be as patient, positive and supportive as possible; at least until something with real consequences happens.
KRO
I wish I had your optimisim Ted!
I started supporting the club and my first expereience of owners were Ken Wheldon followed by the Kumars, this doesn’t feel as bad but I sense something bad is in the post.
A further delay ( we have been lied/mis-led to now on 4 previous occasions) makes me very nervous.
Fingers,, toes, legs and everyrthing else crossed!
KRO
Unfortunately, I cannot say that I am optimistic. But neither am I pessimistic. I’m merely hopeful.
Im not so understanding as far as Mr Pannu is concerned.He should never had put those statementsin the programme if there was no solid evidence to back it up. What these people dont seem to realise is that it further damages the clubs reputation and further ruins our chances of finding another investor. These people have been here five minutes and caused alot of damage because of there lies and broken promises and its breaking the hearts of supporters who some have been following them for fifty years. When these people have long gone(which i hope will be very soon)the supporters will be there for many years to come.
From day one when the board had their pictures taken shoulder to shoulder beaming, to the meet and greet at the Chinese restaurant to Sammy Yu being installed at Wast Hills to ‘help’ McJudas it all rang alarm bells as utterly amateurish. But I glossed over it because of the wonderful optimism it engendered which translated to results on the pitch. The first crack in the facade was Michael Dunton’s departure.
Whilst PP may be running BCFC with aplomb BIH continues to be a complete joke. Let’s hope a buyer who recognises the quality of the coaching staff and reserves comes in before they go and can give BIH a reasonable exit price. I truly hope so.
Whilst PP may be running BCFC with aplomb?
He does nothing.
there is only 1 language that will get through to this Board I’m afraid. My messags is – do not renew your season tickets until we have had satisfactory answers on the current state of the club’s finances. We need to force the issue out into the open – this is the only way
Cecil your comment is daft when you considser that the club is struggling financially. You dont seem to realise that this will only make matters worse. If we all took your advice then it wud only put the final nail in the coffin of our club. If you notice i put OUR club,its not Carsons its ours. Once the chinese idiots have gone wont if people make irrosponsible e will still have a club but we wcomments like that.
Shouldn’t the Supporters Trust be doing something or at least saying something about this?
Ask them
have you joined?
PP is in a terrible position. Somehow we have finished the season without going into administration & the wages seem to have been paid without any cash coming in from Hong Kong. For that PP must receive some acknowledgement, & we must remember he is not a BIHL board member & so will not be privy to everything. Who would buy us & why would CY want to lose so much money, for it must be remembered he has spent a hell of of a lot on not only buying Blues but also on trying to keep the club in the Premiership. I don’t believe he has milked the club, only made a terrible mess of both our & his own fortunes. He will want to hang on to try again, but the predators will want to wait to get the best price. We are in a frustrating position & so is CY. But don’t blame PP, he is an employee who is doing his best in very difficult circumstances. Let’s hope the accounts are desperately bad & the Tax people aren’t after us!
as far as i remember Blues paid a tax bill in January so there shouldn’t be any worries from them, for a few months anyway!!
PP is in a terrible position?
You really need a wake up call me old pal.
I could never understand why these people ‘invested’ in Blues. I remember at the time they did some interviews and attended a Tom Ross fans forum and the reasons they stated for purchasing the club seemed to be a bit strange. They also kept refering to the fans as ‘family’; well they have turned out to be dysfunctional parents to say they least. I’m pretty sure that the reason they purchased the club are not football based. One day maybe the facts will be revealed and hopefully at that time it will have no relevance.
Looking at where we are now then it is obvious that the publication of the accounts are being stalled for reason other than that being stated. I just wish the owners would put the club for for sale and move on before our situation worsens. I wouldn’t feel any sympathy for PP either, you’d be a fool if you think that he has no idea what is going on in the background.
I think this is an over reaction – nothing material has changed. The accounts are late, Yeung can’t release any cash and the other directors appear disinteretsed. in other words if it’s time for them to sell up and go now, it was time for them to sell up go last week and the week before that.
The accounts will turn up in the next few weeks and tell us nothing significant as they will be a year out of date. saying that the delay is a tipping point is a total red heering IMHO. publishing the accounts is housekeeping and nothing more.
Pannu’s done a good job cutting our cloth after McSacked got us relegated and appointing the best manager we’ve had in living memory. It’s not his fault his gaffers had his piggy bank confiscated. OK his PR and comms are pretty dreadful – but we should be used to that after Mr Sullivan, right ?
As for CY himself – i agree – it would be great if he sold – his situation is making life difficult for us all and may well leave to CH walking. But that’s been the case for months and months. But calling for him to go, protests and the carson song won’t change a thing. He’ll sell when somebody comes up with the right amount of money. No amount of noise we make can influence that.
This is Blues. It’s a soap opera, That’s why I love it. But I’m not going to get upset about that which I cannot control.
Ivory towers and broken promises, and I bet all along they just wanted to sap the revenue that would have come from promotion …well it didnt happen, and if it was left to the BIHL lot to run BCFC directly, we wouldn’t have a club left.
Wish they would bugger off and leave us alone. Not even a word, a mention, a simple hello from anyone of the board all season ..NOTHING!
Mr Pannu has given us a couple of statements, but thats it! If it wasn’t for the fans, the team and CH and the back room staff, we’d be well in it – all praise to them ….but no respect now for the board, this is shamefull, it really is.
The arrogance can be heard all the way over here!!!!!!
Smokin’…………………….not sure if it was intentional but you couldn’t sound any more patronising and condescending. “Almajir…….I really believe you should go on a well deserved holiday”!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!
I fear this will seal Hughtons move to WBA. Reports in the black country suggest that Hughton is keen to at least “hold talks with them”, and on this latest news coming out from the shambles of a board, and thats what they are, a shambles, Blues will lose Hughton.
I know nothing about finance but I could not understand why we need two boards. According to Pannu BCFC submitted their accounts ages ago. Also they keep saying that the financial difficulties are because of relegation. Our esteemed last owners club WHU was also relegated but they kept players and bought players – hence they are on their way to promotion. I have come to believe that cultural issues are happening and the owner lives in a culture where communication openness is almost frowned upon. So we, the fans. know nothing and spend our time speculating. It must be hard on Pannu but I hope we can get new owners who respect the fan base.
Somebody earlier asked what the new BCFC Supporters Trust was saying and doing. Check out their website and you won’t find much. I have no doubt the Blues fans behind this new group are genuine and committed. However, the main POINT of a Supporters Trust is for it to try to have a dialogue with the St Andrew’s board of directors and, let’s face it, that ain’t about the happen, is it?
The current Blues owners need to go because their lamentable stewardship is ruining the club.
Masaccio (10:48 posting) gives a good shout when he/she said any parties out there interested in a St Andrew’s takeover might prefer to wait till the club is on its knees. Surely that situation cannot be far off now, can it? The sands seems to be shifting as far as Blues fans are concerned. Admirable patience has been shown but is surely running out now.
When fans say nothing can be done by supporters, surely organised fan pressure has been applied at a lot of other clubs. And remember, protest is not simply something connected with that pretentious B6 bunch. I can’t believe I am the only one who recalls the old Town Hall on Paradise Street packed to the rafters with Blues fans fed up of the Keith Coombs era in the late 1970s. That grand old building held close on 2,000 and there were hundreds more in the aisles and still more utterly disgruntled fans locked out.
Of course we are in a different era and many things have changed since then. But surely the passion and partisanship of fans have not. Why not protest (as long as there is no anti-Chinese racism)?
Is Steve Robinson (a keen Blues supporter and one of the main founders of what was called “The Blue Revolution” back in 1978) still around?
Hey Jay, you know you could always join the trust and show them how’s done…
Conversely he could also NOT join the trust and observe how it’s done?
Al look I aint knocking the trust per se or it’s members who I’m sure are loyal Blues but come on.
On it’s own FAQ page it says:
FAQQ – What is Blues Trust?
A – Blues Trust is a democratic, non-profit supporters trust set up by Blues fans for Blues fans. As one of many Supporters Trusts established by fans at clubs throughout the League, we want Blues fans to have a greater say in the way that Birmingham City Football Club is run.
The point some of us are making is there is no say. No noise, no statement.
I take your point about people joining but the biggest recruiter is activity,
What CY & Co need to understand is without the fans there is no club
Almajir. I realise you can’t know for sure but, with the contacts you have, what do you think will happen re Blues over the next fortnight?
Also, what do you think needs to happen among concerned fans?
What will happen in the next fortnight – in honesty, I have no idea. The accounts are supposed to come out by May 31 – it is apparently a minor detail but I will confess my personal scepticism until I see them in front of us. Other than that it should be business as usual.
What should concerned fans do – again, strictly my opinion but I think joining the Trust is a good start. If you think they need more direction, or something else – then join them and put your ideas forwards.
Al what is this message that the trust can’t do anything unless we join?
I’m not in the army but i still expect em to kill the taliban.
Why do you deflect every question about the trust doing sod all by ‘join em then’?
Does this mean they’ll never do sod all, make a statement or even just prove they’re alive unless whoever asks joins? Wasn’t it founded as a voice of the fans? So those who did join have joined for nothing. The sheer inactivity and silence puts me off not turns me on to joining. Classic talking shop.
What must be remembered also, is that Pannu made a promise to Tom Ross that he would appear on his radio show to answer supporters questions. The man is full of false promises, and dont forget the occasion when he waved a wad of money at supporters who were chanting the Carson song. Yes the patience has snapped with genuine supporters who dont want a shambles running their football club. We have the right to voice our opinions and concerns now because we know nothing, other than negative feedback from the press and continual false promises made by Mr Pannu.
I actually forgot about that to be honest! well, I doubt he could answer what we want to know, as he’s not on the BIHL board, and that’s the main issue we all really want to know. If he did it now, I would feel genuinly sorry for him, as it’s getting so hostile right now ..and he is going to protect the interests of the Chinese BIHL board isn’t he? ..not our interests.
PP took a gamble too and lost – too! Ex-bobby – move along now, nothing to see (or hear).
Almajir. The “ideas” of 1978 were not mine but those of Steve Robinson and others and supported by many other Blues fans (including many season ticket holders, myself included). Your own passion for Blues is way beyond any doubt (the work you put into keeping an update on this blog and attempts at providing researched news shows this).
However, when BCFC Supporters Trust was set up it was stressed that its MO would be to have or encourage some sort of dialogue between St Andrew’s directors and fans and really nothing else. I’m not 100% against all Supporters Trusts in all circumstances but right now, when it is manifestly obvious that dialogue with anybody in the boardroom is about as likely as you or me starting to support that lot near Witton Square, surely they ain’t the solution for Blues.
Turn something into a protest group when those involved got together because protest is NOT want? Surely not smart thinking.
For what it is worth, my health situation means I can’t get out like I used to but I would at least like to see the football club which captured my heart in the mid 1960s and caused me to be a regular at St Andrew’s for 36 years put on a firm footing and give the many, many thousands of passionate Blues fans some real cheer to add to the League Cup wins (of 2011 and 1963).
Apols for typo in previous comment.
Line with obvious error should have read “Turn something into a protest group when those involved got together because protest is NOT what they want?”
So the accounts are not coming out for another week or so..Maybe the next set of accounts will be published before these one’s!!!
BlueHobba makes a good point, anybody got any idea when the next set of accounts are due?? Should we be bracing ourselves for a bad set of accounts and then a further delay in the releasing of the next set of accounts??
Interim accounts for the 6 months ending December 2011 are also delayed until May 31 at the earliest.
The accounts for year ending June 2012 will not come out before the overdue ones, it’s impossible.
Thanks for the update Aljamir, very worrying times ahead if these accounts aren’t out before the summer in my opinion, otherwise is there really anyway we can expect BILH to catch up in future months or years (Depending on how long they run BCFC for) and also are there anymore penalities the FA or the league can sanction onto us if BIHL continuelly delay our accounts or is the worst it can get that we remain under our current transfer embargo?? As always thanks for the work you do, glad to know @ least one person connected to the club will offer information in a well thought our manner and offer us a slightly different perspective to those who are trained to reveal as little as possible
Season ticket holder for 25 years and please god I’ll be a season ticket holder next season. If so it will take a momentus change at the club cos as things stand I’d rather shove pins in my eyes!!
25 years? Just a babby but, you’re still too old to change your habits. Hang in there
My take on everything now is it will be the inland revenue that will finally pull the pin on blues and bring them into admin……I reckon we own them millions
Well i think bihl are in the last chance saloon as the accounts keep getting delayed. I expect pp was told
they were going to be produced by the 19th and he was just passing that information on.We will just have to be patient till the end of the month. Its interesting that ch has not made any comments so maybe he is aware of what is going on and is prepared to carry on with the job if he gets what he asks for ! I would urge all the fans to put off buying season tickets untill the account are produced as
it might make the board speed things up a little !
Keep up the good work Almajir.
k.r.o.
comment edited
Rory – please do not make accusations like that again. This isn’t a forum – this is my website and your comments are at my discretion entirely. If you want to make unfounded accusations like that please do it somewhere else
Defrauded Millions? You obviously have evidence of this, so if you do, then go to the police, instead of making cheap, false accusations. BTW this isn’t a forum, so on a number of points you are wrong… Mr I told you so!
eVEN WHEN THE ACCOUNTS DO GET RELEASED, WILL THEY REALLY TELL YOU ANYTHING?
Those accounts will not cover the period where all the players were sold and large revenues from those sales were brought into the club.
Those accounts are supposed to be the period where we had large investments from the owners but accordingly we had large players wages as well.
And anyhow, when accounts are put together they can be put together in such a way that they dont really tell the true financial story. You really need to see about 6 years accounts in a row if you want a true reflection.
The real reason the accounts are probably being held up is probably because if there have been any major discrepancies they can be eclipsed by ”Accruals”. Then we will be very close to preparing the following years accounts that they can be prepared early and with fairly decent levels of revenues coming in in the last year through player sales and the run in Europe, they wont look so bad.
To many of the players sales were shown as ”Undisclosed” That makes it easy to cover any previous years discrepancies by transfer fees received
Bloody hell Rory you can’t say things like that
David Sullivan told the BBC in September 2009 just after the sale to CY:
“Grandtop have asked me to retain my position as CEO but I honestly feel they must be allowed to stamp their own mark on the club and I believe that this is best done without the current board looking over their shoulder.”
Looking back on things, surely he should have stayed on for a bit.
But he was right when he said the new owners have “stamped their own mark on the club” — a big fat, shit-stain in fact.
Also this is what Sullivan and Brady said at the time:
“With great effort, we have sourced a multi-millionaire, backed by other mega rich Chinese investors who we hope can achieve for the club what we have failed to achieve,” said the City pair in a statement.” http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/8257789.stm
Well they were right: they won us a trophy, relegation, a fire sale of players, European qualification, Chris Hughton, decent football.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/sep/22/carson-yeung-birmingham-city-brady-sullivan
Sorry, that first quote was from Karren Brady.
the first qute wasnt from Karen Brady. Any accountant will tell you that accounts can be set up to reflect anything, thats why discrepancies taking place in any company is never spotted until about 6 years or more down the line
:) :) :) :)
In the end, all this talk and we all still know precisely nothing. The world wont stop turning and the accounts will eventually be published. Let’s just wait and see eh? :-/
KRO SOTV