please log in to view this image Upheaval at Elland Road: Inside track on Child's resignation Even when things are going well on the pitch at Leeds United - which they invariably have been in 2015 - there seem to be problems off it. And so it was yesterday, when we heard that chief operating officer Matt Child had resigned. He left a transition letter, handed in his resignation, cleared his desk and went. Although I certainly wouldn't claim to know Child well, I have spoken to him, am aware of some of his work and have spoken to people who have dealt with him. He's a Leeds United fan; a normal bloke who is able to get on with a wide array of people (including Massimo Cellino!); and he has a background in commerce and private equity. So I think he was an asset. He had forged a good relationship with the City Council, the local police, and even, to an extent, with the Football League. Manager Neil Redfearn trusted him, and he was a good middle man between the boss and Cellino when the Italian was in situ. Cellino is, putting it mildly, a mercurial character. So Child leaving leaves a void. Some might say it's fortunate the club is moving towards mid-table mediocrity (who wouldn't have taken that a few months ago?) yet there are important matters that need to be dealt with. Redfearn still hasn't been offered a new contract. Nor have the young guns, Lewis Cook, Alex Mowatt, Sam Byram and Charlie Taylor. All five will be coveted elsewhere. The lack of progress on the contracts is cause for alarm and could soon be made to look like negligence. So the million dollar question: why did Child resign? He has Leeds in his heart and had even worked for two months free of charge when first arriving at Elland Road, so eager was he to help out and prove his credentials. Child didn't want to comment when I contacted him about this and I don't have contact with the club's chairman, Andrew Umbers. But from my understanding, Child was feeling increasingly marginalised over recent weeks. The final straw came when he was informed, by Umbers, that there would be no room for him in the directors' suite for the matches against Fulham or Blackpool. You might say that alone did not matter too much. But it was more what it signified - and the message being put across was clear. So the club is left with Umbers very much in charge of day-to-day affairs now, in the absence of Cellino. Is he the man to sort out the contracts? It's certainly fair to say he doesn't have the relationship with Redfearn (or with other stakeholders and club employees) that Child did. He's an investment banker and it's not outlandish to believe he's in situ to broker the sale of the club (and earn a commission). He's done it before of course. And is that why Cellino deems him useful too? When I last spoke to the Italian (see last post), he was adamant that the club was not for sale. But he added that everything was for sale at the right price. "Is your car for sale, Simon?" "No." "Would you sell it to me for fifty thousand?" "Yes." "There you go." And that's why I wonder if Child might even be involved again one day: a Leeds fan, who has forged good contacts locally, who knows the inside workings of the club and has a background in private equity. Stranger things have happened.
Morning Elland and all. And so the summer circus draws near. One thing I've learned from the last few seasons is to spend as little time as possible trying to figure out what's going on. I wasted a lot of hours reading up on the last two takeovers. These investors are all either mad or stupid or both so damn nearly impossible to predict what's next. Best we can ever hop for is that by some fluke, someone will get us promoted some day. Of course then, the asset stripping can begin once again
Morning Eire, I hope our assett stripping days are behind us. If we can keep Dawson, Byram, Cook, Mowatt and Taylor and tie down Coyle, Parkin, Phillips and Walters to long contracts we would have a better than average chance of going up. The biggest reason (or one of them) why our fortunes have improved in 2015 has to be the emergence of the youngsters. One of the best decisions the club have made in many a year is to get rid of Warnock, and replace him with Taylor
Morning all. I'm really only concerned with the team and what happens on the pitch. I'm fed up like a lot of us with the continuus And one of the reasons our youngsters have emerged is Redders...........morning all
Good morning to Matt and co froma very sunny Bardsey a good day for gardening and a little wine drinking in the gardenI think I have stopped trying to secong guess whats happening at ER but one thing is certain expect the unexpected still prefer MC to the others plunderers we have had
Blackpool FC is today demanding answers from its own fans after scenes of violence broke out inside Bloomfield Road during the Seasiders’ clash with Leeds. The 1-1 draw between the clubs on Saturday was marred by ugly clashes which left one fan badly bloodied and saw stewards sprinting to break up the disorder. Now the club has written to up to 90 supporters demanding to know how dozens of Leeds fans ended up in the home sections of the ground. please log in to view this image A bloodied Leeds fan lead away after trouble flared up behind the goal in the Blackpool end The move comes after tickets confiscated from Leeds fans were traced back to Blackpool season ticket holders. The club has confirmed letters have been sent out demanding explanations as to how those tickets ended up in the hands of opposition supporters. The Gazette understands up to 90 supporters have been contacted. And those fans may be facing bans from the ground if they cannot provide an adequate explanation. Suppporters of the two clubs clashed in the North Stand during the second half, an area designated for home supporters only, while hundreds had to be moved to the correct area after being identified by police. Club rules insist season ticket cards say that the named person must be the sole user. please log in to view this image Police and stewards intervene as scuffles break out due to Leeds United fans infiltrating the home support section of the stadium And while Blackpool FC officials refused to confirm this could lead to a long-term ban, a spokesperson said it’s something they were taking very seriously. “The club has since launched an investigation and will be writing to those supporters on our ticketing system who purchased tickets, or a season ticket, found in possession of Leeds United fans,” the club said. “Home tickets for the match against Leeds United were only on sale to Blackpool supporters with a previous purchase history. “The club was concerned to note that several Leeds United fans managed to infiltrate the home ends by being in possession of season ticket swipe cards and tickets purchased by supporters listed on our database.” A total of 22 Leeds fans were ejected from the stadium for being in the wrong areas while a further 90 were relocated to the away section of the ground. Lancashire Police told The Gazette there were no arrests during or after Saturday’s game, although they confirmed an investigation into trouble is underway.
Morning all, not surprised in the slightest that situations off the field are starting to surface, we should all be used to it by now, sad as it is.
At least it will give us something to keep posting about over the summer, well apart from the exciting signings we will be making that is...... Morning all btw
Not from DM but have had a good result re parking offence which I have just recieved this afternoon thank you
You won't hear from the DM or the TA. Move on, enjoy the £35 I helped you keep. Don't forget to use your clock disc with ur blue badge on yellow lines the line you used wouldn't work again.
I told you I can write a good letter so i can only say your advice was good thank you but I await reading the DM Mike
