onevalefan.co.uk Present Past Specials About Forum
Jump to content
onevalefan.co.uk forum

Advert


Advert


Micky Adams autobiography


Doha

Recommended Posts

Out in shops tomorrow.

 

Some interesting quotes!

 

Bill [bratt] asked me to meet the shirt sponsors, which was a property firm in Essex called Harlequin Property....the fella who ran it, David Ames, would eventually have a big say in [which manager] actually ended up being appointed.

 

There is one other main characteristic at Vale Park: if there isn’t a crisis, then one needs to be created. It’s just one of those clubs. It was during the first season that reports of problems with the finances began to surface. There were rumours we were struggling for cash, although in that first season it was pretty much kept away from me.

 

I also had a battle on my hands with the secretary, Bill Lodey, concerning away trips. He told me the club would pay for a meal on the Friday night and they’d pay for a pre-match meal ahead of the game. But they wouldn’t pay for breakfast. I had to explain to him that he was asking for players to go eighteen hours without any food, and yet we were trying to develop professional athletes.

 

It seemed that there was one crisis or another to deal with almost every week. If it wasn’t people trying to buy Vale, then there were money worries. If we lost a game, it was all exaggerated. Certain individuals were agitating for their own gain – my chief scout being one of them. Even though he used to be a good friend of Peter Jackson (the vice-chairman), he decided he was firmly in the Mo Chaudry camp. None of it was helpful.

 

One example of these unseen issues concerned Malbon and our pre-season tour to Ireland. As I explained previously, all players are required to bring in their passports a couple of weeks before a trip. I had explained to all of them what was needed, but Malbon was not forthcoming with his passport. He always answered ‘tomorrow’ when we chased him up and, when he finally presented his document, it had expired. We told him he needed to get a new one and heassured us it would be sorted in time. When we all turned up at the airport, however, guess who wasn’t there? Anthony Malbon. I couldn’t trust him. It was a pity, as he could have taken the next step.

 

Upon my exit, Bill Bratt had asked me if I would help the board at Vale to find my successor. I was only too happy to offer recommendations and advice, but Gannon was installed before I’d made any suggestions. In fact, upon hearing the news, I phoned Bill up and said, ‘I thought you wanted some help’, and he said that they’d taken soundings from elsewhere, as was their prerogative. Whoever had given Bill the advice was miles off the mark.

 

Just before I was due to be unveiled for the second time, I received a call from Mo Chaudry. An EGM had been called and the club wanted me to attend. He had been on the fringes for about twelve months, waiting for his chance to take control, but this meeting had taken it up a level. If Chaudry got the vote, he would be taking over. He told me not to sign any contract and warned me off putting myself in the camp of Bratt and Peter Jackson. What he didn’t know, and I certainly wasn’t going to tell him, was that someone had told me he was already in talks with Aidy Boothroyd. Apparently, Chaudry had promised him the job; no wonder he didn’t want me to sign. If he had taken over, he would have had to pay me off. I thought to myself, ‘Thanks but no thanks, Mo. I’m signing.’ I agreed to become Vale’s manager again. So, as I was heading up to the club on the train, I received a call from Bill Bratt to say there was a problem. The club’s constitution stipulated four directors had to be appointed for any decision to retain its validity. On that basis, nothing could be agreed with respect to signing players. No matter who I wanted to bring in, it would be rendered null and void because there were not enough directors to rubber-stamp the move. He put it to me that Stan Meigh, one of the directors, had a shareholding of £50,000 that he would transfer to me and I would then be co-opted onto the board. That meant we could fulfil the legal duty of the constitution of the company running the club. To me, though, it was a chance for us to sign players.

 

 

I remember the landlord at one of the pubs around Vale Park came to see me. He was over 6ft tall this fella, and the first words out of his mouth were ‘Gary Roberts’. He explained, ‘Roberts was in my pub on Saturday night. First, he owes me money. Secondly, I want my suit back.’ It transpired that, after having a few drinks, Roberts wanted to go to a casino so he’d asked to borrow the landlord’s suit. I looked at him and said, ‘You’re well over six feet tall; Gary’s five feet eight inches – if that.’ With that, the landlord simply replied: ‘Yes – and he’s got my shoes as well.’

 

The board meetings before administration were horrible. The directors were so paranoid that they refused to meet up in Stoke. They thought the rooms were bugged. Honestly, you couldn’t make it up. We ended up going to Uttoxeter. I sat in these gatherings with little idea of what was going on. Every single board meeting I said, ‘I want to step down’ and they promised me that, as soon as they could get someone else on board, I would be replaced. But what used to happen was I would get excused and they would carry on afterwards; they never left the same time as I did. It was as if they were going through the motions when I was there and then waiting to speak behind my back once I left the room.

 

When you consider some of the lads were living maybe an hour away, the players did well to get in and concentrate on their football. One player, however, said he couldn’t make it in. He said couldn’t afford it, but that was strange because he had a flat two miles away. That was Ryan Burge… and the less said about him, the better.

 

The day before we left [for a preseason tour of Ireland], there had been an issue. I was due to meet Keith and pick up the money to pay for the hotel, the transport and all the food at Vale Park. In total it came to £14,000. I wanted it in cash. I’d told Keith about this and I knew that we needed it before we stepped onto a plane. He was due to give me the money twenty-four hours before we flew, but I couldn’t get hold of him. I started to smell a rat. After spending all afternoon chasing him, I eventually received a message from him at 6 p.m. asking me to wait for him. But he didn’t turn up until 8 p.m., looking completely dishevelled and holding a plastic bag. Inside it was £14,000 in loose notes. There were just hundreds of fivers, tenners and twenties in there. I asked if he was coming over with us as I could get someone to meet him at Dublin Airport if he fancied it. He said that he had some business to deal with and that he would try to make it over for a few days. And that was the last time I ever saw him. Try as I might, I couldn’t raise him – not in Ireland or back in England. I just couldn’t contact him. We all left messages and tried everything – but nothing. It remains one of the strangest episodes of my life. He vanished. It was a con. The Football League returned all the contracts one week before the season started. Keith had signed them, but they were now all invalid. I arranged for all the players to meet me in the dressing room. ‘Boys, I don’t know how to tell you this,’ I said. ‘But Keith Ryder has done a runner. All of the deals you have signed are not worth the paper they’ve been written on – which means you are all free transfers. You can leave, for nothing, today.’

 

After my speech, David Artell, our centre-half and one of the more senior lads in the team, stood up and gave one of his own. He said: ‘Boys, we’re still being paid. The administrator will find a new buyer. We have got to stick together. We’re one week away from the start of the season. Let’s just see it out.’ It was a great moment. A real Churchillian rally. But the next day we had another pre-season friendly; everyone turned up – apart from Artell. So I called him. Eventually, he answered. ‘I’m a bit embarrassed, boss,’ he said. ‘I’m going to sign for Chester.’
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Advert

I wanted Norman to make good on the promise that Paul had made about a new contract as I had one year left on my existing one. Unfortunately, however, I wasn’t going to get it. The meeting didn’t go exactly how I thought it would. It was amicable to start with, but then he dropped a bombshell. He told me that any contract offer would not be forthcoming, and he was shelving any talk about fresh terms and that we should continue as we were. I’ll be honest, I was seething. He then he hit me with another verbal right-hander: ‘I need your help.’ So, he took away the contract I was supposed to be getting and now he’s saying that he needs my help! He went on, ‘I don’t know how to run a football club.’ I replied, ‘So let me get this straight. You aren’t going to give me the contract

that the club indicated I would be getting and now you are asking me for my help. You are talking ********.’ I got up and walked out.

 

Norman had issues. He wasn’t happy with the kit deal we had with Sondico and decided he was going to end it. He didn’t have a shirt sponsor, either. A bit of background for you: all the kit manufacturers talk to each other and Norman couldn’t secure a deal for love nor money. So the club has no kit. And no shirt sponsor. I introduced Norman to Paul Kenny at the GMB. They thrashed out a shirt sponsorship deal and Paul also agreed to put the union’s name on one of the stands at Vale Park. I then introduced him to Fabrizio at Errea, a friend of mine from my Brighton days. We travelled out to Italy to sort out a deal for the kit, too. So, just to reiterate, Norman’s taken my contract away, and I’ve got him a kit deal, a kit sponsor and a sponsor for the stand. He has done all right out of me, has Norman.

 

 

 

 

My contract was again on the agenda as the campaign came to a close. Norman kept saying he wanted me to ‘go on to bigger and better things’ and I took that to mean he wanted to get rid of my wages and earn himself some compensation at the same time. Perhaps I was just being cynical.

 

 

I was happy enough to leave Norman to deal with [the Jordan Hugill transfer] until I received a call from Peter Ridsdale who I knew from my days at Leeds United. Peter picked up the phone to moan to me about Norman. He said the deal was off unless someone else dealt with it, so I had to step in and negotiate a sale that looked to be heading for the rocks. A deal, incidentally, that might still benefit Vale if Jordan goes on to bigger and better things.

 

 

 

 

......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Smurthwaite you're desperate, Unethical to name the mildest of terms you invoke in Vale fans, in every ones interests and in the name of decency just go, any salvaging of credibility you think you may raise would only be with sad weak persons, so Go and go asap and end this nightmare you alone have created.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has any more info come to light about Keith Ryder. What exactly was the con? As it seems like he must have lost a decent wedge.

I suppose what does come out of it, is that if Micky does become DoF, he does have a lot of contacts in the game in all sorts of areas.

The insolvency report filed at CH on 13.02.15 makes interesting reading if you haven't seen it already. This was his accountancy company that a lot of money from a pensions scam passed through.

 

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/06620975/filing-history

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shocking news....Norman doesn't know how to run a football club, makes stupid decisions and upsets people in football when he deals with them!

 

What a surprise!

 

But still has his disciples who believe everything he says and jump to his defence at any occasion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Reporting Posts and other information

    Rules - This forum is moderated but the admin team don't read everything. Don't assume we'll spot rule breaking and alert us by reporting content. Logged in users can hover over the post and click the orange button. Guests can contact us here. If you don't get on with another user you can "ignore" them. Click this link, type in their username and click save. Please check with the admin team if you wish to sell/auction any items. We're happy to support good causes but check first.

    Use - This forum may not be suitable for all as it may contain words or phrases not considered appropriate for some. You are personally responsible and potentially liable for the contents of your posting and could face legal action should it contain content of a defamatory or other illegal nature. Every message posted leaves a traceable IP number. Please do not reveal any personal information about yourself or anyone else (for example: phone number, address or email address). This forum is not in any way affiliated with Port Vale FC. OVF reserve the right to edit, delete, move or close any thread for any reason. If you spot an offensive post please report it to the admin team (instructions are above).

    Adverts - This site occasionally a) has adverts and sponsored features about gambling b) accepts sponsored posts from third parties. If you require help and advice on gambling read these links: Information on protecting young people | Addiction help from gambleaware.co.uk
  • Friends of OVF

×
×
  • Create New...