Dick Knights shares, final chapter?

[c0lz]

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.

Maybe Dick Knight was not happy at losing over control when the banks were not forthcoming in grants for the stadium after the Financial crisis.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Maybe Dick Knight was not happy at losing over control when the banks were not forthcoming in grants for the stadium after the Financial crisis.

But what other option did we have? Could Knight et al have delivered that stadium?

 

[Lincoln Imp]

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

I'm not sure if this question is directed at me or Sir Albion.

I'm just unaware of a queue of people offering to take on the Albion in 96/97. Sir Albion says that two others were given the task (who they were and who gave them the task isn't clear) and Ben's Grandad tells us that two other consortia met Archer, although he doesn't say if this went beyond general chatting. BG also said that Dick Knight took over on little more than thin air and then used other people to fund the growing debts.

Certainly, it was true that DK was later reduced to going round the city's leafier suburbs with a collecting tin to keep the thing afloat but the implication that he didn't put in, and subsequently not take out, a sum of his own money large enough to have two commas in it is incorrect. (If BG is correct in saying he only had £2m to start with then that is even more impressive.)

None of this takes anything away from the life-saving actions of Tony Bloom - the final sentence of BG's post is entirely correct.

 

[Cian]

Couldn't he just give away 270 shares?

No, that's legally no different to selling them in this case.

 

[c0lz]

But what other option did we have? Could Knight et al have delivered that stadium?

None. but that's where I think the sour grapes all started from DK had all the intentions of delivery the stadium himself.

 

[loco61]

a simple harveys drinking, pie eating fan am i ... visited dick (knight)s bar for the second time ever v bolton home ... am 50+ but like a kid i went up those stairs with my 19 year old son and after taking pictures on the way down some idiot told me off for making him wait a few seconds outside! ... i had been once before to find my picture with thousands of others on the wall ... but this was so emotional... what this man did for my club and therefore me i will never forget ... and every time i get a chance to drink in "his" bar i will ... as for tony bloom : thank you very much for all you have invested ... two great chairmen in one interesting thread ... we should never forget that there are others out there ... archer for one 'GOSBTS

 

[Max Paper]

I'm not sure if this question is directed at me or Sir Albion.

I'm just unaware of a queue of people offering to take on the Albion in 96/97. Sir Albion says that two others were given the task (who they were and who gave them the task isn't clear) and Ben's Grandad tells us that two other consortia met Archer, although he doesn't say if this went beyond general chatting. BG also said that Dick Knight took over on little more than thin air and then used other people to fund the growing debts.

Certainly, it was true that DK was later reduced to going round the city's leafier suburbs with a collecting tin to keep the thing afloat but the implication that he didn't put in, and subsequently not take out, a sum of his own money large enough to have two commas in it is incorrect. (If BG is correct in saying he only had £2m to start with then that is even more impressive.)

None of this takes anything away from the life-saving actions of Tony Bloom - the final sentence of BG's post is entirely correct.

All I asked it what would you prefer to happen. Knight take control, some fictional characters who didn't take control or Archer and co to well and truly bury us. Knight might not have had the money TB has, but I didn't see anyone including TB do what Knight did, when he did it. Give the man a break (not just you but everyone)

 

[sir albion]

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.

I read a while back he recieved a tidy sum back once he departed....Quiet a while ago naturally
He was with us 12 years and he put 1.5 million in of his own money over that 12 years...that we all know,yes it was fantastic and i respect him for that,but he had little money and our debts were rocketing every season.

Yes there was three parties interested and knight was by far the best option,but my point is...Clubs rarely go bust and whoever took over would've done their upmost to get us back to brighton.

Yes he had jack shite to lose as we had no money or stadium at the time...I thank him for what he did,but many get well carried away about him.A legend finishes the job,knight didn't finish the job as we had no hope of a stadium with him and we had debts of around £16 million which bloom paid off.

Don't want to have a dig at him as he's an honourable man,but he's nowhere near the level of bloom.

 

[Lincoln Imp]

All I asked it what would you prefer to happen. Knight take control, some fictional characters who didn't take control or Archer and co to well and truly bury us. Knight might not have had the money TB has, but I didn't see anyone including TB do what Knight did, when he did it. Give the man a break (not just you but everyone)

I can't imagine why my determined defence of DK's heroic and successful actions caused you to write as you did.

 

[sir albion]

Remember the 40 note fund ?
When i look back i look at the supporters we had back then...Amazing supporters marching for a new stadium and protesting non stop,chipping in to help the finances etc etc.

To me the fans saved the club and i stick to that

 

[Beach Hut]

Sorry to say this and it is a lesson in life when your time comes to leave, just go.

The guy lost all credibility with this debacle and had the cheek to tell me on a train he scouted Rohan Ince and the TB was the cause of all the club issues financially.

FFS just go quietly

 

[sir albion]

Sorry to say this and it is a lesson in life when your time comes to leave, just go.

The guy lost all credibility with this debacle and had the cheek to tell me on a train he scouted Rohan Ince and the TB was the cause of all the club issues financially.

FFS just go quietly

Yep he had an ego...Bloom saved him more like

He got his pub named after him and then slates bloom,unreal.

I've put it to bed now and its old news

 

[BensGrandad]

It must be said that DK was the best option for Archer as others wouldnt give him what he wanted but nobody knows whether any of the others would have been better for BHA but that is all now in our past and we must go forward with TB at the helm.

 

[Ernest]

Time we had a new LIFE President, someone who has UNSWERVING loyalty to the club and is an Albion REAL Supporter and that is ME

 

[The Large One]

Remember the 40 note fund ?
When i look back i look at the supporters we had back then...Amazing supporters marching for a new stadium and protesting non stop,chipping in to help the finances etc etc.

To me the fans saved the club and i stick to that

What was so funny about the 40 Notes Fund?

 

[The Large One]

It must be said that DK was the best option for Archer as others wouldnt give him what he wanted but nobody knows whether any of the others would have been better for BHA but that is all now in our past and we must go forward with TB at the helm.

Demonstrably bollocks.

Everybody knows whether any of the others would have better. Let's assume they existed and did meet Archer. The fact they got nowhere and did nothing after their meeting with him tells you all you need to know.

 

[The Large One]

To me the fans saved the club and i stick to that

In flatly contradicting Tony Bloom, Martin Perry et al, you're re-writing history to suit your own tedious prejudices.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

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.

Spot on as usual, Large fella.

What gets me annoyed is the delight that some people on here seem to take in the failure of DK's share scheme. What many of them forget is that a couple of hundred fans who wanted to own a piece of the club they support - in most cases for purely symbolic or sentimental reasons - have been denied that when it could easily have been sorted by the club, as a few others have pointed out.

The actions of Mazars seem utterly despicable. I hope it's simply them being mercenary and that they weren't put up to it by anyone at the club who was under the sycophantic illusion that they were doing what TB wanted. I happen to believe that TB couldn't have cared less if DK's offer had proceeded.

 

[BensGrandad]

TLO

That is not true at least one of the groups wouldnt give Archer what he wanted so obviously wouldnt and couldnt have progressed with him and what they could offer BHA was totally immaterial as he wasnt interested in the club only himself so it is possible they may have been better, equally they may have not but nobody knows and can only speculate.

 

[The Large One]

TLO

That is not true at least one of the groups wouldnt give Archer what he wanted so obviously wouldnt and couldnt have progressed with him and what they could offer BHA was totally immaterial as he wasnt interested in the club only himself so it is possible they may have been better, equally they may have not but nobody knows and can only speculate.

You've missed the point by miles.

Do you think Knight and Archer hit it off first time? Do you think Archer didn't treat DK exactly the same? Did DK give in when he wouldn't give Archer what he wanted? What Archer wanted was to asset-strip the club.

The simple point is - they can't have been better - or even that interested - in saving the club if they dropped out so quickly. Did they think they were taking it on as a worthwhile business venture, or something?