93 Richard unfortunately not well off but can yap a lot so would definitely get more information than our present owners give mind you if you met her in the street you probably wouldn't get away
Oh my Giddy Aunt! Is the Duff man back in town? I met him under the stand at Plymouth at a FA Cup game, back in the day. If it wasn't for his cheesy smile, I'd have liked the fellow..
Totally agree Dennis you may get the odd rumour or in our case hundreds of rumours but I don't think they would discuss it with the junior employees in fact it will be all hush hush until a big announcement if it ever happens. I think most of us take most posts on the subject with a pinch of salt even the wind up merchants must be getting fed up now.
Out of interest Rich, do you have any idea from your previous chat with him why he's so keen on being involved with City in particular? What's so special about us that he's so keen to come back somewhere that he's still largely disliked for his previous spell, with some very serious allegations made against him?
It's difficult to quite grasp when you're talking to him in some ways. He's a hugely charming man, very likeable when you're one on one with him, and I think that helps him be a bit more evasive when he needs to be. That said, he addressed every question I asked him, and I didn't shirk anything other than stuff that was based around 'rumour' as I felt that was inappropriate. I believe that those two years at Hull City were/are the best years of his life. And why wouldn't they be? Those two seasons were incredible by anyone's standards. And he definitely seems to think that he has unfinished business in Hull. He was/is bitter at Russell Bartlett, as he feels he was hung out to dry by him. I can't really comment on what happened or who was to blame for the mess we found ourselves in, as all I know is the rumours that everyone else knows. But he certainly enjoyed the adoration that came his way in his time at City. And he wants more. I don't think he quite understands the level of displeasure aimed at him among some City fans, however. He told me that he'd met up with hundreds of City fans since he left and not one had a problem with him. Evidently that's not truly representative of the fan base. So part of the answer to your question, I suppose, is that he's in denial to some degree. On a more general note, you'll barely find a former employee of his in his time at City who has a bad word to say about him. Several people told me about how, within a few days of him starting, he knew the name of everyone employed by the club, from the players to the cleaners, and he'd make time for every single one of them. Every celebration and party had to involve every member of staff at the club. Many cite his belief - all the Dare to Dream stuff - as crucial to what we did in 2007/08, and state he was the first to talk about promotion being within our capabilities. He's a very good frontman for a football club – a PR genius. I'd worry about the financial side of things should here return, and there will be people reading this who know more about what happened between 2007 and 2009 than I do who will understandably have very big reservations. Would he make those mistakes again? Who knows. It would be a different Hull City that he'd be taking on too. The bar would be set low for fan engagement and the like, but there would be no ceilings to realistically smash in the way he managed last time. And if, say, we did the equivalent of signing Jay-Jay, rather than widespread celebration and astonishment, all the questions would be about where the money was coming from. That said, I'd welcome him over what we've got now by some distance.
Thanks for that. I appreciate another thorough response from you! I agree with your assessment of Duffen largely. I can totally believe his popularity in the club and imagine it was deserved. He seemed the polar opposite of the Allams in terms of everything being achievable, everything was positive. I don't begin to understand what went on financially and who was to blame. I know that some City fans whose views I really respect say that he was doing some really dodgy stuff. I almost don't want to believe it because as you say, he is such a good front man and so outwardly likeable. I remember he turned up at a dinner celebrating Andy Dawson's testimonial year. We'd just been promoted that day after the draw with Cardiff so everyone was jubilant. He wasn't actually invited, unlike all the other ex-players and Phil Brown, but he turned up very last minute and no one could really turn him away. I was on the committee which organised the event; we certainly wouldn't have considered inviting him based on his reputation. He was mildly booed when he emerged on the stage along with PB, but nothing too vociferous. Given that he left very suddenly when it went wrong, maybe he's had very little exposure to the dislike towards him from fans.
Can't argue with any of that. I'd always felt that if he did come back, it would be best if he was a figurehead chairman promoting the club and the like, while someone else keeps a keen eye on the pursestrings (not totally dissimilar to how Don Robinson and TC Waite operated). If he is returning, it will be with someone else's money and they will have run their own due diligence, and will be aware of what happened last time of Duffen's watch, so we may get to that situation.
It's all a load of codswallop. The evil Allam's plant a little acorn, the acorn sprouts and its roots quickly stretch far and wide enveloping everything in its path. Before long, a huge tree exists where none existed before, and everyone is in its shade covered from the sun. Twitter, facebook and other Hull related websites are covered in bits of tree. Everyone is placated for another few weeks. More time bought and best of all it hasn't cost a penny. Can't see wood for the trees some of you lot
Duffen is definitely lining something up, Mr Bob. Whether or not is succeeds is anyone's guess, and I think many City fans know that the Allams are capable of pulling the plug on anything at any time. Most will only get excited when they've finally gone and not before, but given the nature of Duffen's time with us a decade or so ago, discussing his potential takeover's hardly us falling for the Allam's 'shade' is it?
I'm in two minds on this. 1/ I think Duffen returning would be far from ideal, as the fan base would still be split from day one as the mistrust would still be there. 2/ The Allams would be gone, which would be ****ing wonderful.
He's been hanging onto the Allams coat tails for a few years now playing the deal maker role. I suspect he's enjoying the free ride and dinners (no such thing as lunch)
2 would trump 1 for me. Then again I don’t know much about what he was supposed to have done. Then again again I don’t trust anyone that would want to own a football club and assume all of them will line their own pocket if possible anyway. So on balance right now the only people I would have to think about would be the Oystons. Anyone else and I’m partying to celebrate the removal of the Allams (before a polite pause before I start to slag the new owners off! )
I know – because he told me – that he's very, very keen to get back into the chairman's office at City. He's already tried to broker at least one deal and failed (again, I know this because he told me) and at the time of speaking to him he had another 'strong possibility' but I don't know how close that got. I haven't spoken to him since but I now have spoken to three people independently whose opinion I trust how say that Duffen is trying again, which rings true with what my experience of chatting with him. When I interviewed him we discussed at length afterwards the difficulties in buying a football club from the Allams, so he knows what he's entering into and thinks it worthwhile.
Completely agree. Even if any new owners were ****, and there are plenty of those about, they can't possibly be so irreparably mental as the Allams. It's the fact there's absolutely no hope of dialogue with them. The fact that the more you try to tell them they're wrong, the more entrenched they get. They're just completely impossible people.
He was initially brought in to help the club unravel the mess that was there when Bartlett left (and potentially use it against him). Both Duffen and Nick Thompson have told me that. Thompson also told us at a HCSS meeting, just as he was leaving, that that was the only thing the Allams used Duffen for, and that he couldn't see them working with him beyond what they were already doing. The brokering role has only been happening over the past two and a bit years.
