It transpires, although they have quickly tried to deny it, that the only reason Suarez & Dalgleish apologised at all about Saturday' s disgraceful events, is because Ian Ayre, their M.D. received a phone call from Standard Chartered Bank, their £20mm per year sponsors, expressing their "extreme concern" at Saturday's events, and demanding that action be taken. Classy eh!
I heard it was their owners who'd seen that they were even getting bad press in America over it. The SCB's criticism came later.
Yes, the owners may have forced them to apologise, anyway. But, the story today is that one of SCB's top execs called Ian Ayre personally to demand something be done. Nothing like the threat of a £20mm sponsor withdrawing to focus the mind, is there?
