Vince - you settled DJ's claim so quickly. No idea what the agreement with him was, but the speed with which it was done and dusted was a credit to you. I know the figures involved are massively different, but for everyone's sake, pay off Hamman and get him away from any meaningful involvement with our club - preferably no involvement at all. I doubt you want to throw unnecessary money at him to go away, and we know it's easy for us to spend it for you, but please get rid of the bloke. If you need to, I'd sooner we held back spending some of the forthcoming Prem money on new players etc and sort this historic problem out. We may struggle a bit, but in the end we'll be all the better for it. Lose him Vince, and let's go forward without his bloody shadow lurking in the background.
Patience Sparks. VT has done everything he said he would up till now. He'll sort it. I'd love him gone too, but we need PL quality players first if there's a choice to be made.
Disagree with you two guys - he needs to be gone. I don't think for one minute that paying him off would affect our acquisition of players for the coming season despite that I said about using some Prem monye to do it.
Totally agree Sparkey. Sam is a bad smell that needs to go away. He has the ability to further split the club if he really wanted to.
I know we haven't got to settle before 2016, but having Sam hanging around in whatever capacity taints the club. It evokes memories of past problems of the club's ownership and methods. I would have thought Vince needs to rid the club of it's lingering chequered financial past if only from his own point of view. The only reason it probably hasn't been finalised yet is that VT isn't convinced we need to pay him anything like the figure he's after. I doubt either side will relish a legal battle to steal the headlines away from football now we're up. Maybe time to bite the bullet with the new found wealth and get rid. Give him his £5M Prem bonus on top of the figure he asked for when they met a few months back and say goodbye.
You changed your original point significantly there though. If the squad budget is unaffected get rid of him ASAP. If not, get us a squad to stay up first, sort him out afterwards.
Not changed at all Stevo - just put a different way. If it meant that the Prem money would be used ONLY to acquire additional playing staff, then it would be better spent in clearing the club's debt. That would be my choice. I then said that I didn't think for one minute paying him off would result in that, alluding to VT's already made comittment to provide £25M from his own resources. I believe that VT will stump up personally anything we require to retain Premier status next season - the windfall cash should get rid of Sam.
In reality, Vince needs Sam at the club like he needs a hole in the head, and deep down I think he knows it. I just hope he's not heeding the Hamman fan club and believes he might appease them by having him around. He might think he's bringing us all together, whereas in fact it would create a very divisive situation. Personally, I think Hamman will be paid off very shortly and will walk. I have no reason to say that other than gut feeling. I sure hope my guts are right.
I was talking to a friend in the pub today who is a ST holder and has been for many years. He reckons that when MM VT and Lim had their meeting in London yesterday to discuss the strategy for next season and for MM to show them the list of his targets, that Sam was present, and will soon be announced as a new board member with his debt, or part of it, turned into Equity. I voiced the opinion that if this were true it would probably cause more supporters to leave the club than anything to do with the rebrand did.
Sparkey...did he really say that or did he say Malky had 20 to 25 million to spend...i.e. not another 25 on top of promotion/TV monies but 25 million OF that. Don't want to start a hare running but would welcome the clarification, is all.
You could be right there Frankfurter. I took it that he was dipping into his pocket to ensure Malky had the mentioned £25M at his disposal, but he may have factored in some of the Prem dosh as well. Still think that he hasn't ended his personal investment yet by a long chalk. He will NOT want us to go down.
What he wants, and what he gets will be two different things! Can't see you lot picking up much in the way of points, but you'll certainly prop the table up!...........
Dragon - if one of our guys did that on your board they'd be banned for life and we'd never hear the end of it Why don't you **** off?
