Wednesday, August 15, 2007

GROUNDHOG DAY with more BORED Wars (sorry BOARD Wars)

Just when it looked like Cardiff City were enjoying a period of relative stability albeit with mediocrity but fan moans restricted to football matters after Cardiff's faltering start to the season, the odious vindictive bully (my opinion) that is Sam Hammam has brought his bushy eyebrowed features onto the scene and so here we go again with another Battle of the Egos which leaves the club and its fans once again bewildered, frustrated and anxious..

Without any warning, a press statement issued 3 hours before kick-off against Brighton by London solicitors representing Langston - a Swiss based Carribean offshore company with whom Sam Hammam only has conducted business and the identity of its owners unknown and steadfastly never supplied by Hammam aka The Buffoon (his description of his business conduct when in control Cardiff City, I'd go further) - want immediate repayment of its monies and making various claims about the club and its Board under Peter Ridsdale and its intentions for its client.

Ridsdale has come back fighting, refuting all claims and putting a lot of information in the public domain. Langston remain silent but it has now emerged that Hammam himself has been speaking and meeting with his chosen few - those fans who jumped when he asked - for the past few days, today included. Hammam claims to act as an intermediary for Langston but has apparently declined to meet or speak with Peter Ridsdale as he says solicitors have advised him not to.

Who knows what has started this off - is Hammam jealous that the club are finally turning a corner with a stadium starting - something he failed miserably to achieve? Does he (or Langston) see an opportunity with City having funds following the £5M sale of Michael Chopra? Has the club done anything wrong? Has he been angered by Ridsdale having repeated public digs at Hammam? Is the favourite conspiracy theory amongst sections of Cardiff fans - Hammam is involved with David Sullivan - about to rear its head again especially as this emerged within a couple of weeks of Sullivan's Birmingham shares being sold?

It matters little right now as it will hurt the club once more, they have had to appoint solicitors and a costly legal battle could ensure.

I'm no Ridsdale lover and as suspicious of him as any City owner. He's anything but as transparent as he promised too. However the outlook, running and professionalism of the club have moved ahead considerably and the thought of Hammam disrupting Cardiff City and maybe having a say again is unpalatable and unthinkable for me.

His mere presence can only divisive. Already keynote fans seem to be acting as his mouthpiece again, one disbanded supporters group appears to have resurrected itself to talk to media, debates and old battles have started across message boards.

There is little good that can come of this but let's hope that it's sorted quickly as I doubt many of us who care only about the football and our club have much stomach for another public battle like this.

Five days into the season and I think I've had enough already!


Some of the press stories and club statements follow here:

BBC stories, top with a Peter Ridsdale interview
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/6946893.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/6948498.stm

Club Statement - August 14th
http://www.cardiffcityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10335~1091877,00.html

Club Statement - August 15th
http://www.cardiffcityfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10335~1092663,00.html

No comments: