Saturday, March 20, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
DEVO, THE INTERNET AND YOU (or DEVO at SXSW)
As with all things DEVO, it was suitably offbeat, enbtertaining and plain weird.
Here's videos of the occasion.
Malaysian and Cardiff City talks underway but tomorrow is the key day
This was a cordial session, the parties believed to be sharing a meal tonight but real business is conducted with the Cardiff City Board tomorrow but no firm news is expected until after the weekend.
Mark Watkins of Cardiff City Supporters Club commented about rising speculation that a deal is close, why they issued the press statement today and their expected developments, it's an interesting read.
To clarify a few points. Despite recent claims on the various messageboards, a deal with the Malaysians is far from done.
The details quoted in our joint statement were gleaned from several sources and we have also been in direct contact with the Malaysians, Steve Borley, etc. We wouldn't have gone to press with this statement if we weren't 100% sure of its accuracy.
The Malaysians have indeed made a formal offer, much of which will involve the purchase of shares to make them the largest shareholders in Cardiff CIty. There are a number of hurdles and conditions attached though, which whilst not insurmountable, are unlikley to be agreed overnight. Claims that things will be done and dusted by the weekend are we believe far fetched, but in our current plight time is indeed of the essence.
Ridsdale is now no more than a fly in the ointment - the Malaysians don't want him and whether he goes quietly or tries to claim his full compensation through the courts is neither here nor there. The real issue is that the Malaysians will not become major shareholders and saddle themselves with £40m of debt. In a couple of weeks the club will be in Admin and they could pick the club up for a lot less.
The whole deal hinges on the Malaysians coming to a deal with the many creditors. For unsecured creditors, it's fairly straightforward - if the club goes into Admin they will get far less (if anything) of what they are owed. We understand that a large proportion of the smaller creditors have already shown a willingness to negotiate - whether that's in the form of reducing what's owed or increasing payment terms is unknown.
The real crux of the matter here is the only secured creditors - Messrs Guy and Hall - PMG. For them, coming to an agreement with the Malaysians may reduce their pay off by more than what they think they can recover via the Admin route. In other words, they can make or break any deal and are the key players in all this.
CCSC and the Trust felt the time was right to exert some pressure on PMG. As local businessmen, they need to do the right thing by Cardiff City, as any other form of action would tarnish their reputation in South Wales. With Cardiff City only a couple of weeks from oblivion and a chance to be saved, we felt it was worth reminding them of this.
Video Highlights - Coventry City 1 Cardiff City 2
**
A controversial late penalty from Peter Whittingham helps
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/8573437.stm
A Joint Statement by Cardiff City Supporters Club and Supporters Trust as the club face their latest D-Day
Crucial days regarding the future of Cardiff City seem to be almost a weekly, if not daily, event at present. On the day, T.G. arrives from Malaysia for talks which can make or break the club as there appears to be no other option, the Supporters Club and Supporters Trust have issued a joint statement clearly designed and timed to cause maximum impact and which reveals a lot of details privately discussed for some time.
Cardiff City fans have craved for some transparency and basic realities for a long time and there it is. Hopefully, that will make it very clear to all parties about the gravity of the situation at the club.
The difficulties that have arisen cannot be laid directly and entirely at PMG's door, I think the statement should have acknowledged that as it can come across as an attack on them, but they have undoubtedly influenced events and direction of the club to help get the stadium project going in the club (they were instrumental in pushing Hammam aside) which has materially been to their advantage.
Clearly, by applying shocking interest rates on their loans (way above base rate) plus all the other deals regards land, they continue to take advantage as well without any benefit to the club.
It now lies with them to do influence the club's entire future. It is about time they put something back as they sure have taken a hell of a lot.
We have been reliably informed that administration is virtually inevitable before the end of March if significant new investment in the club has not materialised by then. We understand the Bluebirds' cash reserves are practically exhausted, there is little money available to pay this month's wage bill and debts are now estimated at almost £40 million.
The situation is clearly perilous, although we are led to believe there may be light at the end of the tunnel thanks to a written offer of investment from a Malaysian consortium. The group's front-man, Dato Chan Tien Ghee, is said to be arriving in the UK on Thursday for a series of meetings with Bluebirds' officials, during which the club's fate will effectively be sealed.
The men who appear to hold the key to the football club's future are Cardiff-based property developers Paul Guy and Mike Hall. Their company, PMG, is the club's biggest shareholder and also its largest secured creditor. Consequently, they are certain to be central to any takeover negotiations.
During recent years, PMG has benefited from a series of lucrative land deals connected to the Cardiff City Stadium project. Not only has the company become the sole owner of the successful Capital Retail Park, but it was also chosen to develop and build the Glamorgan Records Office, which stands adjacent to the new stadium.
In addition, PMG recently purchased another large plot of land on the stadium site, upon which a hotel will eventually be developed.
It is clear that PMG has been doing very nicely from its relationship with Cardiff City, but the current state of the football club's finances suggests the benefits of this association have not been entirely mutual.
It should be acknowledged that Paul Guy and Mike Hall were largely instrumental in getting the new stadium project off the ground. They advised on all stadium development issues, while PMG advanced the club £9 million of the funding required to build it. The loan was secured against future income from the Premier Club seating area and attracts interest estimated at £500,000 pa.
In December 2006, while he and his colleagues were in the process of taking control of Cardiff City, Mike Hall claimed the new investors were local people who were interested in the football club's long-term future. He also described former-owner Sam Hammam as being motivated by "total greed and self-interest."
We sincerely hope that Messrs Guy and Hall will not put themselves in a position whereby they will be open to similar accusations from Bluebirds' supporters during the coming weeks. We therefore call upon them to set aside their personal interests and do what is right for Cardiff City Football Club in the critical days ahead.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Coventry 1 Cardiff City 2 match report
A more blatant penalty was missed earlier, City missed a couple of sitters – one of them surely miss of the season and showed quality, character and creativity that was a notch above their hosts.
I drove to the game straight from work in
City were unchanged from the side that lost at Leicester last weekend which meant Kevin McNaughton won his fitness battle but Gabor Gyepes did not meaning SuperKev continued as an emergency centre-half.
Coventry were unbeaten at home in 8 and had only lost 1 in 10 and would have gone above City and took us out of the play-off frame had they won but this defeat, following a home draw to lowly Plymouth last weekend leaves them 5 points adrift of Cardiff having played a game more and they have just 9 matches left. On this evidence, they’ve done well to be close to the top as they never looked as good as City.
The crowd was 16.300 – better than usual when I’ve been there – but the impressive Ricoh Arena (our stadium could have looked as good if we hadn’t cut many corners) is far less than half full with that crowd so they were treated to the empty seats song. City had about 400 fans but we were packed into 1 block behind a goal and to one side instead of getting a large area as in previous visits.
City’s strong start did not equate to Westwood, in Cov’s goal being tested, and the game balanced out. It needed a goal and when it came, it fell against
The Ponderous Mark Kennedy (I’m starting to think his real name is Ponderous Mark Kennedy!) was almost caught out when there was no need and fluffed a clearance out of play. A basic long throw saw a soft near post header and the ball ran the entire 6 yard box with no City defender anywhere to be seen so CLINTON MORRISON had the easiest task of stopping to head home at the far post.
A goal behind when all of City’s games lately seem to depend on the first goal had, in a live table, taken us out of the play-off and left us in real trouble but credit to them for hitting back even stronger than before. Chris Burke, on stunning from all night, was taking the game to the hosts and aided by Steve McPhail’s passing like few can match at this level,
Darcy Blake put a firm free header over the bar, he should have done much better, than McPhail brilliantly picked out Whittingham’s run and he placed home but his and our celebrations were cut short by the offside flag. It was the other end of the pitch to us but looked ok. Bothroyd, working his nuts off and leading by example, also magically played in Whitts but his shot was poor. It was the other end of the pitch to us but looked ok.
However, it mattered little as City levelled 90 seconds later with a smart move, Bothroyd fired across the box and BURKE pounced at the far post to fire high into the net. Ave’it!!
Half-time: Cov 0 THE REAL CCFC 1
A blow saw City return minus McNaughton whose defensive play was outstanding in the first half. Rae came on, Blake dropped back and slotted in as an emergency centre half.
However it was
The ref was annoying both sides with a stream of poor or baffling decisions. I’m convinced he was making wrong decisions against one side at the first opportunity to make up for an error he’d just made for the other side.
The game, for all City’s best endeavours, looked to be heading for a draw – even with the novelty of Mark Kennedy going on a surging 40 yard run into the penalty box (did my eyes deceive me?) but late drama to end it all.
A floated ball to the far post saw Peter Whittingham try to help it back across goal. It struck a defender’s arm 5 yards away. We screamed handball, the linesman flagged for it.
That came moments after 3 minutes added time was announced but it took that time to get the penalty taken. However PETER WHITTINGHAM, cool as you like, hammered it home low giving Westwood no chance. And boy, did we party and celebrate that with the players right in front of us.
Amazingly, from the restart, Coventry got down field once and a cross saw Bell’s lopping header bounce off the bar and bundled away but it was our night, not theirs and deservedly so too.
Final whistle saw Coventry players furiously surround the officials and Anthony Gerrard lose it and attempt to get down the players tunnel to fight someone, other player and City officials had to visibly restrain him. What was that all about?
Cardiff remain 6th but are now 3 points clear of the next side (Sheffield United) with a game in hand over everyone who can catch us and a much better goal difference which may yet be decisive. Ten games to go, 6 of them at home including 3 of the next 4 matches.
Play-offs, like salvation for the club, all of a sudden look achievable just as some began to give up hope. Never a dull moment with City, is there?
Monday, March 15, 2010
Matthews Wins The Apprentice
No, not the tv reality show with Sir Alan Sugar (soz, Lord Sugar) but at last night’s Football League Awards, Cardiff City’s Adam Matthews – the latest product to oll off the Academy Production line – was awarded Apprentice of the Year Award for the Championship.
It’s the second time a Bluebird has won the award
as Matthews followed fellow defender Chris Gunter who bagged it a couple of years ago.Matthews progress on the pitch has been stunning. At 18, he broke into the team this season showing a maturity and standard way beyond his years and, in paper talk anyway, has found himself linked to the Premiership’s major clubs but he sees his immediate future at Cardiff … if we get over the financial mess anyway.
The Apprentice Award is not just for football, Matthews has been recognized for his professionalism, attitude and studying. He has represented The Football League at 10 Downing Street and delivered a speech to Gordon Brown.
As for the player himself, Matthews said today: “I’m very proud to win this award. I’ve been at Cardiff since I was very young and come through an excellent Academy set-up, and it’s been great to get into the first team this season. Now I can hopefully help us finish in the Play-Offs this season and go on to bigger and better things with the club.”
Malaysians To The Rescue & Bye Bye Peter? (Is it too good to be true?)
Last week, Cardiff City Football Club appeared to be at death’s door with no way out. Could it possibly be true that salvation may be close?
Rumours appear to be gathering pace that the Malaysians are ready to make their move and oversee some sweeping changes.
The rumor mill has it that following successful talks with Steve Borley in Malaysia last week, real action and intent will roll out this week and will feature;
Data Chan Tien Ghee (T.G.) will fly into
Vincent Tan, a multi-millionaire, will be backing T.G. which is exciting news.
They will invest significant money by the end of the week, £6M has been the widely touted figure.
They believe promotion is still acheieveable this season and will be backing Dave Jones.
However they are not back Peter Ridsdale and want his departure as soon as possible. Whether still in situ or not by the weekend, The Malaysians do not wish him to be at Sunday’s home game with Watford – a real show of change.
Steve Borley will be asked to run the club until the end of the season which he has agreed which has to include talks with creditors, concluding agreements and payments over winding up orders and more.
What’s uncertain from these rumours are whether the Malaysians are backing the short-term only or here for the ride but fears that the club could hit the floors within days and not meet its next wage bill could certainly be overcome by this news.
Potentially, this is all good news, every bit of it very welcome. Please let it be true and not more agony for Bluebird followers worldwide.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Champioship: Leicester City 1 CARDIFF CITY 0
A drab game in which neither side proved their credentials with Cardiff looking very short of confidence, it made me relieved about my late decision not to attend. Football, sadly, is secondary to the very future of the club at present and 4 months of going though agonies is making me lose heart. However I'll be at Cov on Tuesday.
It incredibly leaves City in the final play-off beth with the meagre tally of 50 points in 36 games and 13 defeats. Cardiff also have a game in hand and goal difference advantage over all sides below them too as it's starting to look likely 58 or 69 points should secure 6th spot, last year City missed out on that position despite getting 74 points by comparison.
The limited City squad - in numbers again cost the club - as Michael Chopra started a 2 game ban while Gabor Gyepes was out injured leaving Kev McNuaghton to fill in. However others returned, Peter Whittingham and Steve McPhail were back in the fold giving boss Dave Jones some reason for optimism otherwise known as clutching at straws.
For the record, it was a contest to forget and I bet many who watched it already have. Cardiff matches seem to be decided entirely on the first goal at present so when Leicester nabbed it on the half-hour, it felt like the game was up and so it proved.
The goal was far too simple and underlined recent problems in Cardiff's defence. A ball over, Welshman Andy King nodded across goal unchallnged where Anthony Gerreard lost Sunderland loan man Matrin Waghorn who squeezed home from close range.
City withstood some pressure - Kennedyblocking a goalbound effort and clearing another off the line while Marshall made a couple of fines saves.
The second half was even more subdued that than first and while Cardiff got forward a few times, they never seriously threatened to level and never tested Weale the home keeper. Whitts (twice), Bothroyd and McCormack was all close though.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Stiff Little Fingers, Cardiff Millennium Music Hall videos
It fell strange going to the former Jongleurs Comedy Club but I loved it and was well into it although I thought you had to be near the front and away from the back and bar for the best acoustics.
SLF always cover the big tunes and most were there including for the first time in years, the epic Johnny Was.
The following vids were taken by myself - HANX!
A Joint Statement by Cardiff City Supporters Club and Supporters Trust
It may not change anything in itself but is is symbolic and good to see a united front.
However, fans were also alarmed to hear the Bluebirds described as "plainly insolvent" by the barrister representing Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
It is obvious that our beloved football club is in a wretched financial state and yet there appears to be none of the drastic cost-cutting measures we have seen at other clubs who have encountered similar problems. Instead, it seems the only remedies being offered by the Cardiff City board are the hopes of substantial foreign investment or promotion to the Premiership.
Given the perilous position of the club and our team's poor recent form, both solutions seem wildly optimistic. Consequently, these are very worrying times for all Bluebirds fans.
Despite the club's increasingly desperate plight, its management and players have continued to collect their hefty wages, and there are suggestions that some of the major shareholders have ensured monies owing to them have been paid ahead of those owed to HMRC.
Meanwhile, supporters have been asked to dip into their pockets time and again, and they have done so. Within the space of the last twelve months, the club has benefited from record season ticket sales and its highest attendance levels since the early-Seventies, so the fans have clearly been playing their part.
At present, the feeling amongst the Bluebirds' support is that we are being badly let down by those who are in control of our club. We were led to believe the move to our new stadium was the dawn of a bright new era, but in recent months it has been developing into a nightmare and there are widespread fears that things are set to go from bad to worse in the near future.
The board of directors and major shareholders are the custodians of our proud football club and, as such, they have a very clear duty to safeguard its future. We therefore hope they acknowledge their responsibilities and begin to act accordingly.
On behalf of Cardiff City's thousands of loyal supporters, we hereby call upon the directors, shareholders, management and players to set aside their personal interests and do what is right by our beloved football club during the critical weeks ahead.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
City survive today but are 56 days from meltdown
CARDIFF CITY's horrendous problems were laid bare in a London court room today as they survived a winding up order ... for now! ... and got a further repireve. City asked for, and got, another extension for 56 days but it is the final one and their problems look insurmountable notwithstanding a miracle.
The facts that emerged made for gloomy reading and revealed the enormity of the situation;
> The outstanding debt to HMRC from last November was £1.7M, City paid £850,000 to reduce it by half yesterday.
> However, while doing that, the club had defaulted on its ongoing obligations to pay PAYE and VAT, incurring a further debt of £1.053m.
> Therefore the current debt to the taxman is £1.9m ... and increasing!
Cardiff City's plea bargaining was on the shakiest ground possible.
* An Asian investor (The Malaysians) has invested £500,000 and is prepared to invest another £6M but the club were unable to provide any supporting evidence of this.
* There were claims the club had £36m of net assets and players worth £30m - both unsubstantiated and, frankly, quite laughable too.
The taxman was in no mood for leniecy, their counsel informing the hearing that the club was "plainly insolvent" and "robbing Peter to pay Paul". City wags later commented how fans and the club are being robbed to pay Peter (Ridsdale) and Paul (Guy)!
By getting to the end of the season, the club are having one last gamble hoping for an against the odds play-off win for promotion to the Premiership or, no doubt, having a fire sale of players at that time.
The registrar, Christine Derrett, sumed it well, "On the face of it this company is not able to pay its debts as they fall due. The only basis, I’m being told, on which there is a prospect of this being resolved is through a third party investor, but there is no evidence before the court. However, I take note that it is only the second hearing. I will grant an adjournment for 56 days and that is for settlement in full."She warned the club that the hearing would be marked "final", meaning that if the full £1.9m is not paid by then, the club is likely to be wound up.
City are a club with no visible income at present, who have spent all funds they have and with no likelihood of change. Paying that tax bill looks insurmountable at present but, before that, there's also the major matter of paying at least two wage bills of £1.2M each.
Some see today as a sigh of relief, others the beggining of the end.
Only time will tell.
City fans brace themselves for another winding up day in court
It sums up the ills of CARDIFF CITY FOOTBALL CLUB that today will be the 4th time in as many months that the club return to the High Court to face a MHRC winding up order.
A £2.7M tax bill was outstanding to the taxman last November, despending on who you believe that amount is now reduced to somehere between £1.2M to £1.75M and I'm afirad it appears the club still cannot pay it off but will make a further payment and hope for another stay of execution.
"I hope everything is okay," said Cardiff boss Dave Jones. "It's old debt and we're trying to sort it out."
The smart money is on a further 10 to 30 day adjournment but it is not beyond imagination that the club could go into administration although that still appears unlikely.
However City are no neared sorting out their problems, short-term or long-term, despite Steve Borley currently "on holiday" in Malysia hoping to bump into investors.
City are listed not to be heard before 11amn and follow a winding up order from HMRC for Southend. Chester and Margate make it 4 football clubs going before the process.
Start praying Bluebirds!
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Championship: Ipswich Town 2 CARDIFF CITY 0 MATCH REPORT
David Marshall was probably City's man of the match making a string of saves as City were battered and outplayed from start to finish. At the other end, Michael Chopra missed a trio of varying chances but all of the type that would havw flown in when he had form, that now seems a long time ago. As it was, he earned his 10th yellow card of the season, another niggly unecessary one, and earned himself a two game ban ... exactly what we don't need.
The club travelled to Suffolk in good spirits with the same injured players missing but, thankfully, nobody else added to the absentees so named the same side that beat Boro and the same bench with 4 players apparently injured and making up the numbers and no real options with those who were left. It is quite farcical to talk up play-off expectations and Premiership hopes when if feels anything but that.
Ipswich had drawn half of their 34 games this season and most Bluebirdas, inluding the 250 travelling fans who endured a miserable night, would have settled for that especially as Roy Keane's Tractor Boys were unbeaten in 12 at Portman Road but Cardiff were truly dreadful, this was as bad and inept as any display all season.
You just get the feeling with The Bluiebirds in their current crisis that games depend more than ever on the first goal. If City go ahead, they have the spirit and mentality to tough it out as they did last weekend but if it is the other way around, then we just have not got the numbers or personnel to fight back - not that Dave Jones' sides are renowned for that anyway.
So when tonight's game started with persistent one way traffic towards Dave Marshall's goal with City unable to get out of their of their half or put two passes together, I feared the worst. Mars made a brillaint early save to keep out Murphy but just as it seemed City had weathered the storm and had their first chance as Chops narrowly bicycle kicked over the bar, they feel behind on 18 minutes.
The impressive Colbeck found MURPHY with a simple ball in the box and his scuffed effort from close range gave Marshall no chance. By the interval, Ipswich's corner count was almost in double figures while Cardiff hadn't had one, Marshall was required to make more stops but City should still have gone in level when, in added time, McNaughton's cross was nodded down by Bothroyd, Chops chested on but with the goal gaping, he fired wide off balance.
Straight after the restart, Chops had another good chance as City came back better but it was all over on 58 minutes when McCormack miskicked the ball to Gravan, Marshall madwe a supervb save but MURPHY was there to snap up the rebound.
Thankfully, it was so bad, I fell asleep at this point while many other City fans turned their radios off. It was dreadful beyond belief. What I missed was Marshall making sevral more saves and City having no more chances but a game generally petering out to its inevitable conclusion.
It left assistant boss Terry Burton to give a brutal honest assessment, "Ipswich were by far the better team. They played better on the night and 2-0 flattered us. We never got going, though. We were second best in every area and there was so much wrong that Dave Jones could be talking to the players until midnight."
We had something about us on the road and still only West Brom have won more away than us this season but we're now offering very little on our trips and that's 4 successive awayday thumpings that read;
5-1
4-1
3-0
2-0
At least we're bringing it down by 1 each time!
Amazingly, Cardiff remain in the play-offs with points, games and goals in hand over the chasers but we are the most vulnerable Top 6 side. However with two tougher aways at Leicester and Coventry in the next week and a winding up order tomorrow, the worries are major.