Martin Bain: Ellis Short's 'determination' made me want to join Sunderland - now we must use it Ellis Short’s “determination” was a big factor in persuading Martin Bain to join Sunderland. Now the chief executive wants to use it to make the Black Cats finally start punching their weight. Former Rangers director of football and Maccabi Tel Aviv chief executive Bain moved to the Stadium of Light in July. He brings a level of football experience that has been sorely lacking from Sunderland’s boardroom since the departure of Niall Quinn four years ago. Bain says he was won over by the club’s owner/chairman Short. “I was very much impressed by the owner in terms of his ambition and determination, and I use determination quite deliberately because I liked that determination shining through,” he said. “I’m a great believer that a club’s DNA actually starts with the way it is governed right from the very top, so I liked the determination and steel of Ellis Short. Having met some of the personalities now within the club I can see the same determination, steel and desire to be the club that it should be in terms of its ranking in the table. “Obviously the Premier League had an appeal. I very much believe that coming into a club like this with an established and wonderful fanbase and great facilities, there’s no reason why we can’t take the next step. “I very much see Sunderland as a club with a massive history and tradition but, above all, standards and I want to not only maintain those standards but also make those standards higher.” The Wearsiders are preparing for a tenth consecutive season in the Premier League but have only once finished in the top half. Their average home attendance last season was the sixth highest in the division, but translating that potential into on-field success has been difficult. In an interview with the club’s Legion of Light magazine, Bain outlined why he feels he has the range of skills to improve the Black Cats on and off the field. “I believe that if I can bring anything in terms of my character to this football club it’s having the ability to operate on the business side but also to operate on the football side,” said the Scot. “I went into Rangers as a young man at 26 on the commercial side, was appointed to the board as a commercial director, and at 36 I was appointed chief executive. In between that time I was director of football so all credit to the owner then as he gave me a very broad perspective. “This meant that when I did take the role as chief executive I understood both aspects of the club. “From there I took a consultancy with a North American club and then I got a call out of the blue to go to Maccabi. I was given three targets there, which were to qualify for Europe, win trophies and build a stadium and training ground. “I was very fortunate to be part of a team that in the first year I was there won the treble and qualified for the Champions League and when I left we got approvals to start with a big training ground. “I learned a lot there. I’d been chief executive at Ibrox and you can become, not necessarily distant, but not as operational as you used to be. When I went to Maccabi I found myself more able to impart my knowledge and the bit I enjoyed the most was getting back to going on a learning curve. “My stint overseas helped me develop my business skills. It was tough but I had a wonderful time, but then the appeal of coming back here and using the complementary skills of having run an institution at Rangers, and experiencing a different environment in Tel Aviv, puts me in a good place now to hopefully give Sunderland as much success as I possibly can.” Comments.. How can we punch above our weight, by selling our best player and going out to buy no body's from other clubs, paying over the odds for individuals that were never good to make the grade at Chelsea and Manchester, that shows great ambition, well done Bain your taking the club in the right direction, following in newcastles footsteps, no mater who's on the board they constantly lie to the fans.
This whole thing stinks to me. I think it's pretty obvious that Kone and his agent have engineered this whole thing to get more money. Plain and simple. Mark Mackay is one of the dodgiest ****ing slimeball agents going, second to his father. 6 months and he thinks Kone should be paid more money, 6 months into a 4 year contract. He leaked a staged photo of Kone with a fan in an Everton top, leaked info of Everton using the stones money to pull in Kone (Everton has money, need a defender after a very public courting of stones by city and chelski), so it was an easy option. I think Moyes, bain and Short are as ****ed off as the rest of us. I think they could be playing hardball as they have the upper hand. 4 year contract. No need to sell. Sending a message out that if you do this, we won't give you a Contract. We wont sell you, we won't be ****ed around, you'll suffer if you pull these stunts. No news is good news, Kone is back in Sunderland (I doubt he even went to liverpool), where he will be sat down and spoken to.
Hollow words from a ****pile of ****ers who continually try and take us all for mugs. Change is not only needed at the top, it's absolutely essential. We won't get lucky forever and if we do go down with this tight fisted ****er in charge we are ****ed.
The timing of this is comical considering what we've been saying on here lately. Yeah Martin, Ellis is the dogs bollocks.
Yes we all know where we are heading. I am not looking forward to not just the Man c game but the whole season now !, if defoe is out for a long time we are finished I don't suppose they realise that down at the SOL. Who wrote Bain's script Joe Kinnear ?.
This did cross the back of my mind, or something similar. interesting idea, and plausible. I don't believe he went to Everton at all. So lots of this is staged, which is very poor form....Odemwingie style. It ain't gonna benefit anyone. and us poor fans get the ****ty end of the stick, every time. If the club owe him a revised contract and have failed to provide a decent one, they deserve all the flak they're getting If they have offered him a decent new contract they should ****ing say so, then Kone needs to suck it up. Nee **** knows though, bar the obvious....
We've really been FA'd - big time BSA had it all in hand a new start up - now gone I've serious doubts we'll see the new players play as well as they did for him - our young guns need to show now Plus what's wrong with our highly rated young guns - Beadling , The Robson's , Asora et al - our 2 buys from Man U do not make sense to me Plus underwhelmed with Piernaer and injury man Naismith - honestly is this for real or will I wake up
WOW just WOW People are jumping on Martin Bains back already? We have the worst 'supporters' in this division, bar none.
The last couple of days have seen a level of frustration, bordering on hysteria that I haven't seen on here before. We're lashing out at everything and every one. The fact is, as others have already said, no one knows what's really going on, unless they're on the inside. And I don't think anyone on here is, unless ES is really Vince, or Nacho, or Gil, or.......... Almost everything has been based on rumour, and so called in-the-knows, from Twitter to Sky Sports. Pass the smoke round mate, roll another, and another, and we can all just chill. At least until the weekend.
