Derek Chapman has a swipe at DK

[B.W.]

A great night at the Ropetackle. A near full house listening to the great man.

DK loves our club and has concerns where it is heading. He provides an intelligent and thoughtful analysis. And has earned the right to a platform.

All this 'bitterness' talk is as suspected - the sound of axes being ground.

Sorry, but the book extracts do suggest bitterness on DK's part. When I've read the whole book, I doubt that the sour taste in the mouth DK has left with his recent revelations will go away, but we'll see. No axe to grind here. DK is a legend and always will be, but that doesn't mean he has zero faults. Still, you're his mum, so your view is obviously biased! ;-)

 

[B.W.]

My posts were certainly NOT removed or deleted.

And it's NOT fair to say that "a libelous allegation was made by someone about somebody else, and the target of the slur pointed out the legal position, and required the post content to be deleted".

What happened was that I received a roundabout message from someone in the Club to the effect that I was posting "libelous comments about the Gus Poyet/Paul Barber relationship" and that "the board are now very close to running out of patience."

What I had said (and am happy to repeat now) is that the breakdown in the Poyet/Barber relationship occurred long before the end of last season and that this made it inevitable that Poyet would leave.

Any suggestion that this is "libelous" is laughable.

My understanding is that Tony Bloom's version of the breakdown in Poyet's relationship with the Club (and its timing) is not very different.

Thank you for clarifying LB. Needless to say, the gross misconduct is Gus' and Gus' alone; i.e. not Paul B's. << Waits for Gus' lawyers to request post removal. Actually, not waiting! ;-) >>

 

[B.W.]

I am glad to hear you say this - from a distance it has increasingly felt to me that Gus had lost some spark in a way that was difficult to explain given how successful he had been playing his part in turning round the teams ability to succeed. I have never felt that it was the man that changed, given the trajectory of his career, and more and more likely to be the change in his freedom to pursue his plan of action to develop a more successful team than we have seen for years.

I also think the squad was rattled and dismayed by the changes in the management hierarchy. I hardly recognised the side that played in the home leg of the play-offs, compared to the side that I had seen playing in away games within my travel range in the North.

LB is misdirecting. Be careful that you take what LB says as if some kind of gospel truth. Gus was at fault.

 

[B.W.]

What a load of rubbish. Reading between the lines you seem to be putting all the blame on a change behind the scenes and more likely the arrival of Paul Barber. GP threw his toys out of the pram because his previous blank cheque book had been taken away. That 'freedom' you describe was being funded by TB. Perhaps you have an insider with regard to your perception that the squad was rattled by the management hierarchy but isn't it more likely they were affected by the stories that GP was leaving at the end of the season whether we went up or not?

I expect a coach to coach a team within the budget available and not get involved with the administration of the club off field.

Too right. LB is definitely being naughty here, and Zego has swallowed his BS hook, line and sinker.

 

[B.W.]

Having read the book, I don't see the bitterness. Having read the Argus extracts, I do.

As for kev's analogy. Any husband who behaved like that would get stick from mutual friends and outsiders. I don't see TB getting (or deserving) that criticism

If not deserving, then why would 'stick' be dished out? You seem to be contradicting yourself in your desperation to defend DK.

 

[ROSM]

If not deserving, then why would 'stick' be dished out? You seem to be contradicting yourself in your desperation to defend DK.

I'll wait while you finish your one hour on the library pc and have read all relevant posts before asking you to reconsider this one too.

 

[B.W.]

ROSM was never part of a board or team that ran the club, so the 'professional' bit isn't relevant. He was part of a open-to-all committee, which Dick, Martin and others reported to, that campaigned for the stadium.

If funds had been there, there could have been a 'professional' team that ran the campaign. But there wasn't, so they didn't. It was run by the fans instead - and I'd say they did a pretty professional job.

They certainly did. And have my undying gratitude for that (I contributed to all of their campaigns BTW).

What I'm saying is that Dick and FFA did an amazing job. But time moves on. The club has moved on, and Tony and his board are also doing an amazing job. Unfortunately, Dick and his cronies seem to like to sit on the side-lines making snide comments about the current regime, and it leaves a sour taste for me. If anything, tarnishing their great legacy.

 

[B.W.]

DKM is right that there was absolutely no bitterness at all in evidence from Dick last night. Not one iota.

He did make a point about Derek Chapman not being able to read the book yet because he had been out in Qatar on business with The Buckingham Group who, guess what, had built the stadium. Read into that what you will.

My reading of that is that DK doesn't like what DC said. The truth hurts perhaps?

 

[The Large One]

They certainly did. And have my undying gratitude for that (I contributed to all of their campaigns BTW).

What I'm saying is that Dick and FFA did an amazing job. But time moves on. The club has moved on, and Tony and his board are also doing an amazing job. Unfortunately, Dick and his cronies seem to like to sit on the side-lines making snide comments about the current regime, and it leaves a sour taste for me. If anything, tarnishing their great legacy.

The irony is that others have moved on - but you haven't. This phrase 'DK and his cronies' - which achieved popular caché a few years ago - is basically meaningless, yet you refer to this mythical group time and time again.

And can you tell us what you know of LB's post that so attracted the club's ire? You've indicated you do know (by proclaiming LB is lying), but your comments show you don't.

 

[B.W.]

I find your lack of balance in anything to do with the club bizarre. Anyone who doesn't think DK is bitter is a "cronie", you also called people who thought the club might be in the wrong over GP various names.

Do you really believe anything is really as black and white as you makes out ? And why the insults to those that don't hold the same opinions as you ?

'Cronies', yes, devastating insult! What are you on FFS. It's the DK fan club that can see no wrong in what he has done recently that appear to be seeing everything in black and white.

Seriously, I have been proved right about Poyet by his climb down, and I'm the one who (wrongly) took the insults in those threads. You, and others, should be apologising to me for that one, not the other way round.

 

[severnside gull]

I'll wait while you finish your one hour on the library pc and have read all relevant posts before asking you to reconsider this one too.

 

[sparkie]

They certainly did. And have my undying gratitude for that (I contributed to all of their campaigns BTW).

What I'm saying is that Dick and FFA did an amazing job. But time moves on. The club has moved on, and Tony and his board are also doing an amazing job. Unfortunately, Dick and his cronies seem to like to sit on the side-lines making snide comments about the current regime, and it leaves a sour taste for me. If anything, tarnishing their great legacy.

That is my perception is well, but I do try not think of it as tarnishing a legacy, rather just a new chapter.

I'd rather the sniping from the sidelines stopped, but we just have to live with it. I truely believe we are approaching great times, and perhaps with their arrival, it will be far less noticable.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

That makes me smile . Seems a reasonable analogy to me. Cue DK defence team.

There is no DK defence team. The Lickers and the Cronies exist only in the imaginations of a few souls who prefer name-calling and fan-division to reasoned discussion. The notion of embittered old stadium activists distraught at the at their loss of influence with the club's board is just a tragic misconception by people who presumably have motives of their own. Of course there are supporters who will defend Dick - given the quality of some of the assaults on him there is plenty to defend - and there are those who will sympathise with him more than others. That's fine. But there's no 'team'.

And there is one thing I am pretty sure of: no member of FFA or the other stadium groupings of the last 15 years would regard themselves as a supporter of one person at the expense of others. They are 'clubmen' to their fingertips.

And finally, if anyone thinks that Lord Bracknell or ROSM are anything less than free-spirited and open-minded individuals prepared to give an honest and thought-through opinion at all times whoever they are talking to doesn't know either of them.

I'm going to try very hard not to throw insults at other fans but sometimes they make me weep.

 

[B.W.]

And this one post, my friend proves that you know 4 tenths of 3 fifths of **** all.

If you can't be bothered to read what I have said and resort to lazy name calling then that's up to you. But it has no place in what has been a relatively open and well structured debate.

So a polite challenge. If you can find a quote in this thread that backs up your assertion that I am either a) hankering for dick knight to return or B) anti Tony Bloom then I'll let this pass. If you cant then perhaps you'd like to withdraw the snide dig?

No 'snide dig' ROSM; bit over-sensitive are we? You are part of the 'old guard'. Is that something you are ashamed of now? You shouldn't be. As I've said elsewhere, FFA and Dick have my undying gratitude, but the DK Argus extracts say 'bitter' to me, and many others it seems.

Oh, and how does my post show I know nothing? I think you'll find that it doesn't. Just like I was proved right on Gus by his recent climbdown, which must really rankle with you, and the other posters who spent hours insulting me when I told you he didn't have a leg to stand on.

 

[B.W.]

I'll wait while you finish your one hour on the library pc and have read all relevant posts before asking you to reconsider this one too.

Nope, no need to reconsider.

 

[B.W.]

The irony is that others have moved on - but you haven't. This phrase 'DK and his cronies' - which achieved popular caché a few years ago - is basically meaningless, yet you refer to this mythical group time and time again.

And can you tell us what you know of LB's post that so attracted the club's ire? You've indicated you do know (by proclaiming LB is lying), but your comments show you don't.

You need to get your head around what I clearly stated I knew, and what I clearly stated I didn't know. I said LB was misdirecting (and he hooked Zego with his BS). I said that Gus was sacked because of his own (gross misconduct) actions, and not because he had a spat with PB. OK?

 

[B.W.]

There is no DK defence team. The Lickers and the Cronies exist only in the imaginations of a few souls who prefer name-calling and fan-division to reasoned discussion. The notion of embittered old stadium activists distraught at the at their loss of influence with the club's board is just a tragic misconception by people who presumably have motives of their own. Of course there are supporters who will defend Dick - given the quality of some of the assaults on him there is plenty to defend - and there are those who will sympathise with him more than others. That's fine. But there's no 'team'.

And there is one thing I am pretty sure of: no member of FFA or the other stadium groupings of the last 15 years would regard themselves as a supporter of one person at the expense of others. They are 'clubmen' to their fingertips.

And finally, if anyone thinks that Lord Bracknell or ROSM are anything less than free-spirited and open-minded individuals prepared to give an honest and thought-through opinion at all times whoever they are talking to doesn't know either of them.

I'm going to try very hard not to throw insults at other fans but sometimes they make me weep.

OK, the 'defence team' comment was flippant, but I am well within my rights to take a contrary POV to the mighty LB and ROSM on their old mate DK's current actions. ROSM especially seems more than happy to throw insults my way, so can reasonably expect a suitable set of robust responses.

 

[The Large One]

You need to get your head around what I clearly stated I knew, and what I clearly stated I didn't know. I said LB was misdirecting (and he hooked Zego with his BS). I said that Gus was sacked because of his own (gross misconduct) actions, and not because he had a spat with PB. OK?

Did anyone say GP was sacked because of a spat with PB? Lord Bracknell says he didn't. So who did?

 

[symyjym]

There is no DK defence team. The Lickers and the Cronies exist only in the imaginations of a few souls who prefer name-calling and fan-division to reasoned discussion. The notion of embittered old stadium activists distraught at the at their loss of influence with the club's board is just a tragic misconception by people who presumably have motives of their own. Of course there are supporters who will defend Dick - given the quality of some of the assaults on him there is plenty to defend - and there are those who will sympathise with him more than others. That's fine. But there's no 'team'.

And there is one thing I am pretty sure of: no member of FFA or the other stadium groupings of the last 15 years would regard themselves as a supporter of one person at the expense of others. They are 'clubmen' to their fingertips.

And finally, if anyone thinks that Lord Bracknell or ROSM are anything less than free-spirited and open-minded individuals prepared to give an honest and thought-through opinion at all times whoever they are talking to doesn't know either of them.

I'm going to try very hard not to throw insults at other fans but sometimes they make me weep.

 

[Easy 10]

Oh, and how does my post show I know nothing? I think you'll find that it doesn't. Just like I was proved right on Gus by his recent climbdown, which must really rankle with you, and the other posters who spent hours insulting me when I told you he didn't have a leg to stand on.

Was it a climbdown ? You've been crowing from the rooftops on here and banging on and on about being "proved right" by Gus not taking the club to court over his sacking. But unless I've missed something, nothing was ever said publically as to his reasons for dropping it. He's in a new job now, so maybe he's moved on. Maybe a condition of Sunderland giving him the job was that he did NOT enter into a potentially long-running legal battle with BHAFC, which would be an unwelcome and distracting sideshow to his job of keeping Sunderland the Premier League. Maybe he came to a private settlement with TB.

This "he dropped it because he knew he didn't have a leg to stand on, I told you so I told you so I told you so" mantra you're peddling just looks like an assumption to me. How the hell would you know why Gus decided not to proceed ?