Dick Knights shares, final chapter?

[B.W.]

I couldn't be more lukewarm about this. It was a token gesture by Dick Knight, and it would have been a token gesture by the club to get 270 extra shareholders with no influence on the business.

For what it's worth, I already feel like a shareholder. I pay for a season ticket, I buy food and drink, I buy merchandise, and I make (some) noise at home games. If I feel my experience as a supporter isn't quite what it should be - as has happened just once - I write to the club and get a prompt response. If I ever get seriously hacked off, I will stop attending games.

That's really as far as I'd ever want to go. I have no wish to claim a little bit of paper that says I'm a shareholder. There are millions of things I'd rather spend the money on.

But others DO want to own that bit of paper. The club's underhand tactics should not be ignored, just because you don't want to own a stake.

 

[B.W.]

Don't see why it should ever be Bloom OR Knight. It's been Bloom AND Knight. The tragedy is that they haven't been able to work together.

Both have served their club, via their own abilities and strengths, in ways none of us could ever hope to repay - and both are worthy of our gratitude, whatever relatively menial gripe anyone would wish to serve up.

Well said, TLO.

 

[Goldstone1976]

The club's underhand tactics should not be ignored

I've explained my view earlier that the club haven't been underhand. On the contrary, they've abided by the law and the Articles in a confidential, professional way. Perhaps you could explain how you think they've been underhanded?

 

[B.W.]

I've explained my view earlier that the club haven't been underhand. On the contrary, they've abided by the law and the Articles in a confidential, professional way. Perhaps you could explain how you think they've been underhanded?

Read Dick's 'final' email in this thread.

 

[Buzzer]

Read Dick's 'final' email in this thread.

He clearly has. Read Goldstone1976's first email in this thread.

 

[B.W.]

He clearly has. Read Goldstone1976's first email in this thread.

He clearly doesn't believe a word of it... I do...

 

[Buzzer]

He clearly doesn't believe a word of it... I do...

The facts are incontrovertible. The club have acted to the letter of the law, the rules of which were set up by DK himself. There's absolutely nothing underhand about it. If you know different, then I suggest you take it up with the Club Secretary.

 

[Buzzer]

Ask yourself this: If it was always the intention for DK to widen share ownership to the fanbase at large why did he not do this when he was chairman (and thus bringing in much needed tax-free revenue to the club in our biggest hour of need) and why did he not try to amend the rules that he set in place to prevent sale of shares to non-shareholders?

A simple amendment to the memorandum of articles so that shares could be sold openly if the shares on sale were under a de-minimis limit and no one buyer could receive more than X percentage, I would have thought. Aside from anything else these questions are the ones that best indicate DK's intentions in this respect were to cause a bit of mischief and generate publicity for his book.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Trying to compare the respective achievements of Knight & Bloom is like trying to compare a defender with a striker, surely.

Each are vital to their team in different ways, but you can't look at the raw stats and say that one is better than the other.

Personally, I found Knight's book a little disappointing at times, a tad self-indulgent if you will (and I know: if you can't do that in your autobiography, where can you?!). He seemed to be shocked & angry that Bloom expected the chairmanship in return for taking financial control of the club. I struggle to see what else you'd expect of a man making that sort of investment- "that's OK, Dick, I'll just sit quietly here in the corner and let you stay in charge of my money"- and that came across as a bit "me me me" when I read it. It's about the Albion, not about a popularity contest, and his share thing struck me as something of a publicity stunt to (a) get the book more widely promoted, (b) try & boost his standing amongst fans amid the stadium-fuelled Bloom-wave, & (c) to have a little pop at the club or at least annoy them.

 

[Box of Frogs]

Hoist by his own petard!

 

[sir albion]

Really harsh words against such a club legend, one of the most important people in the history of the club. Where would we be now if it wasn't for DK? He certainly has done more for the club than TB has to date - and he had a vision, which I absolutely agree with, that one person will never own the club ever again.

Maybe some of this has to do with his ego, but he has every right to have one after all he has done for us, but perhaps he genuinely believes that selling his shares is an important symbolic gesture - I for one agree with him and I'm very disappointed in the club for denying supporters this opportunity, or even making a public statement as to why they are denying it.

I've never been a fan of knight to be frank...I think he's been the most overrated chairman in BHA history,one of 3 that had the task of taking over the club with nout to lose,spent 1.5 million in 10 years and got that back.Yes many will call him a legend and the saviour,but i think he got lucky with his legendary status,bloom rescued knight and protected his status as a legend by paying the withdean debts off.If bloom hadn't of came on board what would knight have done?the funding for the stadium under knight failed and the withdean wasn't a viable option.It was just a case of anybody taking us back to brighton from gillingham would be a legend,wether you had 10p or £10 million

You could say he's the only chairman to be seen as a god without spending any money...While he was the chairman at the withdean the debts just grew and grew as he didn't have any funds to pay the debts...bloom saved his blushes.

Just my opinion and i respect everyone else's

 

[Langley]

I am grateful for TB, BHAFC is very lucky to have him, no question about it. However I don't subscribe to this idea that he's some kind of selfless benefactor. Being a very clever businessman who made most of his wealth in property, he's secured some very valuable assets in BHAFC, the stadium and the training ground. Of course he will have every intention of getting his money back too.

What DK did for the club was far more than just throwing money at it (far from it, he was "potless apparently!) - it was about hard work, dedication and at times genius chairmanship. TB might not have had this opportunity at all if it wasn't for DK - besides, where was his money when we needed it the most, when fans were passing around charity buckets just for the Albion to stay afloat?

Could not have put it better myself, a great post. Don't recall any other names coming forward in our hour of need.

 

[sir albion]

Could not have put it better myself, a great post. Don't recall any other names coming forward in our hour of need.

3 consortiums did...knight was the best

 

[Tooting Gull]

Trying to compare the respective achievements of Knight & Bloom is like trying to compare a defender with a striker, surely.

Each are vital to their team in different ways, but you can't look at the raw stats and say that one is better than the other.

Personally, I found Knight's book a little disappointing at times, a tad self-indulgent if you will (and I know: if you can't do that in your autobiography, where can you?!). He seemed to be shocked & angry that Bloom expected the chairmanship in return for taking financial control of the club. I struggle to see what else you'd expect of a man making that sort of investment- "that's OK, Dick, I'll just sit quietly here in the corner and let you stay in charge of my money"- and that came across as a bit "me me me" when I read it. It's about the Albion, not about a popularity contest, and his share thing struck me as something of a publicity stunt to (a) get the book more widely promoted, (b) try & boost his standing amongst fans amid the stadium-fuelled Bloom-wave, & (c) to have a little pop at the club or at least annoy them.

Almost exactly the way I see it.

Knight's mistake was not to accept that his exalted place in Albion history and time at the helm was for a CERTAIN TIME ONLY, and enjoy it for that. That didn't lessen his role or achievement, we will always remember, but time moves on and he didn't. Real shame he could never get his head around that, because it has made him do and say things since that don't paint him in a great light.

There were aspects of the book that smacked of vanity, terrible name-dropping and some questionable versions of events. To be honest I'd happily forgive him all of that in an autobiography that was still great reading, but he needs to shut it now and get behind the man whose money finished the job he started, without whom equally we wouldn't be at the Amex.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Almost exactly the way I see it.

Knight's mistake was not to accept that his exalted place in Albion history and time at the helm was for a CERTAIN TIME ONLY, and enjoy it for that. That didn't lessen his role or achievement, we will always remember, but time moves on and he didn't. Real shame he could never get his head around that, because it has made him do and say things since that don't paint him in a great light.

There were aspects of the book that smacked of vanity, terrible name-dropping and some questionable versions of events. To be honest I'd happily forgive him all of that in an autobiography that was still great reading, but he needs to shut it now and get behind the man whose money finished the job he started, without whom equally we wouldn't be at the Amex.

Oh I'm so glad it wasn't just me who thought that about the name dropping

And that bloody hotel in London must have been paying him commission, he mentioned it so often.

 

[Ernest]

The trouble with Dick Tight is he enjoyed the prestige too much, the limelight, the speeches on the pitch, the FA committees, the FL lunches and when it all came to an end he became bitter and twisted towards Tony Bloom instead of thanking him for bailing him out

 

[Lincoln Imp]

I've never been a fan of knight to be frank...I think he's been the most overrated chairman in BHA history,one of 3 that had the task of taking over the club with nout to lose,spent 1.5 million in 10 years and got that back.Yes many will call him a legend and the saviour,but i think he got lucky with his legendary status,bloom rescued knight and protected his status as a legend by paying the withdean debts off.If bloom hadn't of came on board what would knight have done?the funding for the stadium under knight failed and the withdean wasn't a viable option.It was just a case of anybody taking us back to brighton from gillingham would be a legend,wether you had 10p or £10 million

You could say he's the only chairman to be seen as a god without spending any money...While he was the chairman at the withdean the debts just grew and grew as he didn't have any funds to pay the debts...bloom saved his blushes.

Just my opinion and i respect everyone else's

I really don't want to get sucked into shouting for one side or the other on this - like most people on the thread I'm just team Albion - but there are some bits in here I really don't understand.

You say that Dick Knight was one of three 'that had the task' of taking over the club with nothing to lose... what does this mean? Who were the other two? And what is the basis for you saying that Dick Knight spent £1.5m and got it all back? That's news to me and I suspect Dick Knight.

 

[Max Paper]

The trouble with Dick Tight is he enjoyed the prestige too much, the limelight, the speeches on the pitch, the FA committees, the FL lunches and when it all came to an end he became bitter and twisted towards Tony Bloom instead of thanking him for bailing him out

I honestly don't know if you're on a wind up anymore. He saved the bloody club. Who cares what he could and couldn't do, without him we wouldn't have a team to support on a Saturday.

 

[Max Paper]

I really don't want to get sucked into shouting for one side or the other on this - like most people on the thread I'm just team Albion - but there are some bits in here I really don't understand.

You say that Dick Knight was one of three 'that had the task' of taking over the club with nothing to lose... what does this mean? Who were the other two? And what is the basis for you saying that Dick Knight spent £1.5m and got it all back? That's news to me and I suspect Dick Knight.

You too. What was your alternative to Knight taking over from Archer and co?

 

[BensGrandad]

You say that Dick Knight was one of three 'that had the task' of taking over the club with nothing to lose... what does this mean? .

Not wishing to re open old wounds I know of 3 consortiums who met Bill Archer at The Savoy. There may have been others. The fact is DK took over with virtually no money. At the time his wealth was estimated at £2m and other money men helped him out as the debts grew. Hence we now have a club, a stadium and a team that we will all be proud of. Without 1 the other wouldnt have survived. Without DK and his push TB wouldnt have built The Amex without TB and others money DK wouldnt have been able to push for The Amex.