If We Hadn't Got Rid of Richardson.... (1 Viewer)

Grendel

Well-Known Member
....would we be in a better place now?

This stems from a conversation at work today. I am the only CCFC fan in my team and we were talking today and someone asked what was the main thing that has led to the club being where it is now.

On reflection I believe the single biggest mistake was swapping Richardson for McGinnity.

I know full well the culpability of Richardson and the murkiness that surrounds him. However, I am aware of some of his attributes;

- He was focussed on the playing side and wanted to create a winning team
- He was strong in negotiations
- He made the clubs presence bigger than it really was
- He was totally single minded in his approach

I am convinced if we had not got rid of Richardson then he would have put the club into administration. This would have wiped the loans and we would press the reset button and start again.

Regarding the Ricoh one of two things would have happened;

Under the new club he would have re-purchased Highfield Road OR

He would have secured a far far better deal from the Council for the tenancy at the Ricoh

Instead we had the hapless McGinnity, whose sole interest was to protect the financial interests of the fellow board members. He asset stripped beyond belief and his behaviour regarding sacking managers and squad recruitment was shameful.

People may not have liked Richardson but we all liked what was delivered in the 90's and we wouldn't be scraping round the depths in League One if he hadn't been removed by the boardroom coup totally motivated by non football related matters.
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
He wanted to give us a winning side that we couldn't afford. This was a big helping hand on getting us to where we are now.

McGinnity asset stripping? Just what SISU have been doing with our best players for the last few years, then some wonder why we are near the bottom of Division 3.
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
He wanted to give us a winning side that we couldn't afford. This was a big helping hand on getting us to where we are now.

McGinnity asset stripping? Just what SISU have been doing with our best players for the last few years, then some wonder why we are near the bottom of Division 3.

McGinnity's asset stripping was on a level that would make even sisu blush. He sold everything that moved and replaced them with players like Wood, Johnson etc. We also has more month on month loans then.

Winning side we couldn't afford is missing the point -- Richardson I am sure would have put the club into administration.
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
McGinnity's asset stripping was on a level that would make even sisu blush. He sold everything that moved and replaced them with players like Wood, Johnson etc. We also has more month on month loans then.

Winning side we couldn't afford is missing the point -- Richardson I am sure would have put the club into administration.

Winning side we couldn't afford is the big point you seem to be missing. It was the main part of the downfall to where we are now.

Would you say that SISU are doing the right thing making us self sufficient? If so how can you have a go at McGinnity for doing the same?
 

NorthernWisdom

Well-Known Member
McGinnity was indeed asset stripping, and nowt but.

Anything that wasn't nailed down was sold to put off the inevitable and attempt to protect the Rt. Hon's 'investment', and coupled with a total inability to get anything whatsoever proactive done.

At least Richardson had a vision, it may have ultimately been a flawed vision, but it was there... unlike McGinnity. And yes, he's have probably at least let the club loose of the directors' grip at some stage while its profile was still good, giving us a fighting chance to have someone half-sane buy us while we owned a Ricoh site, and while we owned an option to buy back an entire city centre stadium.

The spell where the Robinson and McGinnity board crushed the club and looked for ever more desperate ways to stave off the inevitable is the ultimate reason for why we are where we are in my view, not Richardson. It's also often forgotten that much of the debt reduction claimed to have occurred under McGinnity had already been achieved by Richardson's sale of players early that season; at least he could negotiate a deal unlike McGinnity, who gave away what he could!
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
Winning side we couldn't afford is the big point you seem to be missing. It was the main part of the downfall to where we are now.

Would you say that SISU are doing the right thing making us self sufficient? If so how can you have a go at McGinnity for doing the same?

Why are you bringing sisu into this? This is a discussion which tries to pinpoint the factors where it went wrong.

The answer anyway which you seem to be ignoring is he'd have put us into administration.
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
McGinnity was indeed asset stripping, and nowt but.

Anything that wasn't nailed down was sold to put off the inevitable and attempt to protect the Rt. Hon's 'investment', and coupled with a total inability to get anything whatsoever proactive done.

At least Richardson had a vision, it may have ultimately been a flawed vision, but it was there... unlike McGinnity. And yes, he's have probably at least let the club loose of the directors' grip at some stage while its profile was still good, giving us a fighting chance to have someone half-sane buy us while we owned a Ricoh site, and while we owned an option to buy back an entire city centre stadium.

The spell where the Robinson and McGinnity board crushed the club and looked for ever more desperate ways to stave off the inevitable is the ultimate reason for why we are where we are in my view, not Richardson. It's also often forgotten that much of the debt reduction claimed to have occurred under McGinnity had already been achieved by Richardson's sale of players early that season; at least he could negotiate a deal unlike McGinnity, who gave away what he could!

But if Richardson hadn't built up a massive debt nobody would have had to balance the books. It is so easy to blame the end result without looking at the cause.
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
Why are you bringing sisu into this? This is a discussion which tries to pinpoint the factors where it went wrong.

The answer anyway which you seem to be ignoring is he'd have put us into administration.

Very simple. If you say that SISU did the right thing balancing the books why have a go at someone else for doing the same thing?
 

ccfc92

Well-Known Member
McGinnity's asset stripping was on a level that would make even sisu blush. He sold everything that moved and replaced them with players like Wood, Johnson etc. We also has more month on month loans then.

Winning side we couldn't afford is missing the point -- Richardson I am sure would have put the club into administration.

Would that have been a good thing? Would we have simply had points deducted or would we have to start the club again completely...?
 

hill83

Well-Known Member
Well, you do have a track record of accusing others of diverting threads, so I'd have thought you'd have been happy it stays on topic.

MrW5mUX.gif
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
Well, you do have a track record of accusing others of diverting threads, so I'd have thought you'd have been happy it stays on topic.

Total bollox. The thread was about Richardson and McGinnity. I have only mentioned Richardson and McGinnity within what the thread starter said. But I also asked why is it OK for SISU to balance the books but wrong for McGinnity to do the same.

So what is this track record of accusing people of diverting threads? The few times I may have said anything is when the thread goes off at a massive tangent to cover BS being said. And this one is going the same way with accusations that everyone can see isn't true. Well done.
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
Very simple. If you say that SISU did the right thing balancing the books why have a go at someone else for doing the same thing?

Oh let's say it for the tenth time - he would have put us into administration.

Also for the record I've never once applauded the balance the books policy and you will not find one post where I say that.

It's also totally missing the point - as usual
 

ccfc92

Well-Known Member
Oh let's say it for the tenth time - he would have put us into administration.

Also for the record I've never once applauded the balance the books policy and you will not find one post where I say that.

It's also totally missing the point - as usual


What would the penalties of this been though?
 

RFC

Well-Known Member
....would we be in a better place now?

This stems from a conversation at work today. I am the only CCFC fan in my team and we were talking today and someone asked what was the main thing that has led to the club being where it is now.

On reflection I believe the single biggest mistake was swapping Richardson for McGinnity.

I know full well the culpability of Richardson and the murkiness that surrounds him. However, I am aware of some of his attributes;

- He was focussed on the playing side and wanted to create a winning team
- He was strong in negotiations
- He made the clubs presence bigger than it really was
- He was totally single minded in his approach

I am convinced if we had not got rid of Richardson then he would have put the club into administration. This would have wiped the loans and we would press the reset button and start again.

Regarding the Ricoh one of two things would have happened;

Under the new club he would have re-purchased Highfield Road OR

He would have secured a far far better deal from the Council for the tenancy at the Ricoh

Instead we had the hapless McGinnity, whose sole interest was to protect the financial interests of the fellow board members. He asset stripped beyond belief and his behaviour regarding sacking managers and squad recruitment was shameful.

People may not have liked Richardson but we all liked what was delivered in the 90's and we wouldn't be scraping round the depths in League One if he hadn't been removed by the boardroom coup totally motivated by non football related matters.

Now I know you're a JOKER! Only really in the position we are today because of him and others like him LOL!!!!!!!!!
 
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ccfc92

Well-Known Member
At the time... there were no penalties. It was only after the Leicester admin were any kind of sanctions applied to football teams.

Cheers :)

Well the obvious answer would be yes, we would be better off.

We wipe the debt slate clean, and can compete in the premier league.
 

rondog1973

Well-Known Member
....would we be in a better place now?

This stems from a conversation at work today. I am the only CCFC fan in my team and we were talking today and someone asked what was the main thing that has led to the club being where it is now.

On reflection I believe the single biggest mistake was swapping Richardson for McGinnity.

I know full well the culpability of Richardson and the murkiness that surrounds him. However, I am aware of some of his attributes;

- He was focussed on the playing side and wanted to create a winning team
- He was strong in negotiations
- He made the clubs presence bigger than it really was
- He was totally single minded in his approach

I am convinced if we had not got rid of Richardson then he would have put the club into administration. This would have wiped the loans and we would press the reset button and start again.

Regarding the Ricoh one of two things would have happened;

Under the new club he would have re-purchased Highfield Road OR

He would have secured a far far better deal from the Council for the tenancy at the Ricoh

Instead we had the hapless McGinnity, whose sole interest was to protect the financial interests of the fellow board members. He asset stripped beyond belief and his behaviour regarding sacking managers and squad recruitment was shameful.

People may not have liked Richardson but we all liked what was delivered in the 90's and we wouldn't be scraping round the depths in League One if he hadn't been removed by the boardroom coup totally motivated by non football related matters.
Food for thought definitely.

Whilst I think Sisu acquired an entirely salvageable situation that they fucked up Royally, the outcome you describe had Richardson retained the reigns is very probable.

McGinnity was an easily panicked Buffoon, prone to mystifying decisions, exhibits A & B being the sacking of Black and the Club Crest fiasco. Richardson at least, as you describe did increase the clubs profile, and contributed to an era that saw some genuine club heroes come to the fore.

Thought the Keane's, Hadji's and MacAllisters were purchased by individual investors anyway, meaning there was really no asset stripping as the 'club' never owned these players in the first place.
 

NorthernWisdom

Well-Known Member
Thought the Keane's, Hadji's and MacAllisters were purchased by individual investors anyway, meaning there was really no asset stripping as the 'club' never owned these players in the first place.

The constant in the decline is Geoffrey Robinson.

Before Robinson was as active, Richardson's first couple of years as chair were much as had happened previously; Gould in fact resigned because he claimed he'd been told to sell Ndlovu.
 

rondog1973

Well-Known Member
The constant in the decline is Geoffrey Robinson.

Before Robinson was as active, Richardson's first couple of years as chair were much as had happened previously; Gould in fact resigned because he claimed he'd been told to sell Ndlovu.
When did Robinson first become 'hands on' at the club?
 

skybluesam66

Well-Known Member
we should have kept our premier league team on relegation
60m debt would have become 90m - but then the premier league money kicked in

we could have easily been a top 10 team to this day if we had done that
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
Now I know you're a JOKER! Only really in the position we are today because of him and others like him LOL!!!!!!!!!

Nice to see you and astute on the same side.

Clearly strengthens my case.
 

M&B Stand

Well-Known Member
we should have kept our premier league team on relegation
60m debt would have become 90m - but then the premier league money kicked in

we could have easily been a top 10 team to this day if we had done that

Selling Aliosi for 600k and replacing him with Hughes for £5 million was a Richardson classic.
 

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
Biggest mistake was building the Ricoh assuming we would remain in the Premier League and could afford it. We should have either stayed at Highfield Road or built a less-expensive Stadium of Championship standards.
 

Alan Dugdales Moustache

Well-Known Member
We never got a sliding pitch, but to compensate the whole club has slid !:claping hands:
 
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NorthernWisdom

Well-Known Member
Tell you what though, if you were going to build a new stadium, at least that one had a justification behind it.

One that's a bit bigger than the one you're in, further out of town, and would cost a humungous amount more really didn't.
 

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