To be fair he did a sound financial job at the expense of any footballing ambition also.
He did, and I told him so quite recently although I didn't appreciate it at the time.
Those were very dark days for the club, days I thought were well behind us but the news that broke last week catapulted us straight back, and the feeling for me was exactly the same.
Remember years ago when we had a commercial bloke from West Brom, I forget his name now but it will come back to me ( Gordon Dimbleby) He raised so much cash for Albion that they built a new stand from his deals. He invited me to his house once as he found out I lived around the corner from him. He had a huge framed photograph on the wall of the new stand he helped pay for, packed to the rafters and a brass plaque from the WBA fans thanking him for his work. Impressive.
Our attendances in those days were pity full and he was at his wits end how to win the fans back. He told me he dreaded going into the office in a morning because no-body, firm or company was remotely interested in sponsoring the club at the time. Interest in the club was at an all time low and he was almost in tears when telling me.
Why am I recalling this ?
Martin Fish operated in very similar circumstances, the club were pot less, nothing on the pitch, nobody in the stands, nothing in the Bank.
We were robbing Peter to pay Paul in those days. Even selling the redundant crush barriers for scrap value. Not to mention the name plaque above the players tunnel. Dark days indeed.
I hope we are not returning to them. But it feels exactly the same?
And that feeling wants stamping out quickly before it sets in throughout the city.
.