This Should Cheer You Up A Bit.....

[The Laughing Bluebird]

Lots of doom and gloom on NSC at the moment, so I thought I'd attempt to cheer you miserable gits up with news of the latest developments from your favourite relegation rivals here in sunny South Wales.

And it's all going spectacularly wrong at Ninian Park!

Permission was finally expected to be granted today for a number of last-minute changes to Cardiff's new stadium / retail park plans. However, the council have decided to defer their decision until mid-January as they say that there are a number of legal issues that remain to be sorted out.

The club is now reported to be at least £30 million in debt, and Sam Hammam has stated that no further money will be made available for team strengthening until the retail plans are approved. It seems that the club's entire future now depends on the stadium project, and there is some doubt as to whether the changes to the original plans will be granted as they are meeting with stiff opposition from other local developers.

Star defender Danny Gabbidon looks certain to be sold to a Premiership club during the transfer window, and it is highly unlikely that any of the money from his sale will go towards new players as a result of the club's debts (this was also the case with the £3 million transfer fee the club received for Robert Earnshaw, not a penny of which has been spent on the team).

In a Western Mail poll of over 1,000 City fans this week, 95% voted to get rid of Lennie Lawrence. 3% said they didn't care and only 2% supported the manager.

Birmingham City owner David Sullivan has repeatedly claimed over the years that he is interested in buying his hometown club, and was recently rumoured to be looking at a takeover in the near future. However, today he said: "Cardiff's financial situation is quite depressing. It's frightening and I'm flabbergasted by it. I wouldn't take over the club now even if I was offered it for nothing. I'm not a miracle worker."

The multi-millionaire porn baron, who has often been heralded as a potential saviour for the Bluebirds, continued: "Sam Hammam is no mug. I had him down as as being very shrewd, but it looks like he got carried away. I can't believe what has happened at Cardiff. It's almost irresponsible, and I really fear for the club. I'll be following what happens as a fan, but not as a potential buyer. With a debt of £30 million nobody is going to want to buy Cardiff City."

Meanwhile, the team have managed to score in only four of their thirteen home games this season and sit just one place above the relegation zone, with many local pundits predicting bankruptcy for the club if it drops back down to League One.

IT'S LOOKING GOOD!

:mexican:

 

[Bluejuice]

£30 million of debt. Is that for real

That is Leeds Utd territory, and when did Cardiff get near the Champions League?

Our paltry £2million seems like nothing by comparison.

Oh but hang on, at least you have a ground

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

£30 million of debt. Is that for real? That is Leeds Utd territory, and when did Cardiff get near the Champions League?

I believe Leeds Utd were something like £80 million in debt at one stage.

Champions League? Afraid not, but we did beat Real Madrid in the Cup Winners Cup once. And the bloke who scored the winner lives around the corner from me.

 

[oapdodge]

Sorry to hear another club in the shit because of poor mismanagement and a chairman with only his interest at heart.
While the going was good he loved all the attention.LB sorry to hear it.

 

[Jean Tigana's Sister]

 

[Blackadder]

The club is now a reported to be at least £30 million in debt, and Sam Hammam has stated that no further money will be made available for team strengthening until the retail plans are approved. It seems that the club's entire future now depends on the stadium project, and there is some doubt as to whether the changes to the original plans will be granted as they are meeting with stiff opposition from other local developers.

That's the crux of it mate.

It doesn't make me feel better. but thanks for trying

I'd rather we both had decent grounds and were moving on to better times!

 

[Robot Chicken]

If we can stay above Cardiff until the season ends, we'll be okay. I reckon Gillingham and Rotherham will take the last two positions, the other place will be between us, Cardiff and Nottingham Forest. And possibly Leeds if they get docked 10 points.

What a shame we have to rely on the misfortune of other teams to possibly stay up.

 

[e77]

Always amazes me how clubs (more specifically their chairman) with decent sized stadiums can't be happy just to build it up slowly, in the style of Reading.

 

[dougdeep]

£30 million of debt. Is that for real

That is Leeds Utd territory, and when did Cardiff get near the Champions League?

Our paltry £2million seems like nothing by comparison.

Oh but hang on, at least you have a ground

We're a lot more than £2m in dept, Probably nearer £9 by Easter.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Not really lb. I heard a David Sullivan interview last night and he was very downbeat about your chances about the retail element. What to make of Hamman eh ?

 

[Brovion]

30 million! How on earth did Cardiff get 30 million in debt? At least Leeds, and to a (much) lesser extent Bradford City, had some success on the pitch to show for it, Cardiff haven't even reached the Premiership.

The perception was that Sam Buffoon was bankrolling the club, in pre-Chelski days he was quite rich for a football investor (in the Jack Walker mould), I think we all thought at the time that Cardiff's problems would start when he got bored and took his ball and left, I didn't realise he'd saddle you with a massive debt and THEN leave. On a purely football level I'm obviously glad that the bad news is reflected in the playing side as, like you say, we're relegation rivals, but equally obviously I hope you pull through financially. Intgresting as well that your local doomsayers think that relegation means insolvency, just proves that football supporters are the same everywhere.

I'd start apologising to OTLW and biscuit if I were you! You may need them to organise a Fans Utd day for you soon.

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

Don't start me off on Fans United......

Hammam got us £30 million in debt by employing braindead managers who paid huge fees and massive wages to average players.

Take Spencer Prior as an example. Bought by Alan Cork for £650,000, paid more than £6,000 a week and given a £250,000 bonus when we won the play-off final against QPR. That's the same Spencer Prior who is currently plying his trade at Southend United, who signed him for nothing during the summer.

Gavin Gordon's another fine example. Bought by Cork for £500,000, he played a handful of games for us during the three years he was here before being given away to Notts County for free at the end of last season. He scored twice for them last night as it happens!

 

[Ex Shelton Seagull]

Sounds like Sam has started stepping on some rich & powerful peoples toes with this retail plan. I reckon there's a few developers who had their eyes on making a nice pile of cash from retail development, I think the prospect of "some Lebanese" businessman taking it away from them has pissed them off royally.

I wonder how much of that 30 million has gone to players agents? I reckon as soon as Sam took over at Cardiff there were round Ninian Park like flies round shit. Even in the inflated market at the time, Cardiff were spending far more than other teams. Was it 1.8 million for Peter Thorne from Stoke? That's more than Spurs paid for Zamora! Stoke fans at the time couldn't believe that Cardiff paid that much for him. Then at the end of the season City beat you in the play-offs (thanks to Souleymane Oulare's arse).

I'm not surprised that David Sullivan doesn't want to take over. Birmingham were up shit street without a map when he took over, they were having problems paying the electricity. The stadium was a crumbling wreck and the team were heading towards Div 3. I don't think he wants to go through all that again.

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

I'm not surprised that David Sullivan doesn't want to take over. Birmingham were up shit street without a map when he took over, they were having problems paying the electricity. The stadium was a crumbling wreck and the team were heading towards Div 3. I don't think he wants to go through all that again.

Sullivan has been banging on about buying Cardiff for over a decade now, but nothing has ever come of it. He was born in Penarth and was a Cardiff fan as a lad, so he says we're the team that's closest to his heart and that he wants to take over at Ninian Park one day. But now he's saying he wouldn't take over if he was offered the club for nothing!

As for the Stoke thing, we bought Peter Thorne and Graham Kavanagh from them for £1.7 million and £1 million respectively, and then they beat us in the play-offs. Please stay off the pitch, etc. Ho hum.

 

[Stinky Kat]

Of all the teams Ive seen so far this season Cardiff looked the best. Did you just have good day against us.

I always though sam was a bad 'un

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

Of all the teams Ive seen so far this season Cardiff looked the best. Did you just have good day against us.

Portsmouth's Gary O'Neil was making the side tick at that time, but we've fallen apart since he went back to Fratton Park.

I think our current squad is just about good enough to stay up, but Lawrence doesn't seem to be able to get them organised so it will be touch and go.

 

[Superseagull]

I can't understand why Cardiff want to build a potential 60,000 capacity stadium just 1 mile away from an existing, world class 80,000 seater stadium? Just how many stadiums does Cardiff need? Seems to Sam Haman only wants to use the prospect of a new stadium as a ploy to get the site and then build a shopping complex.

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

I can't understand why Cardiff want to build a potential 60,000 capacity stadium just 1 mile away from an existing, world class 80,000 seater stadium? Just how many stadiums does Cardiff need? Seems to Sam Haman only wants to use the prospect of a new stadium as a ploy to get the site and then build a shopping complex.

Without its own stadium, Cardiff City Football Club can't generate any significant income. A club can't progress if it is giving most of its gate receipts away to landlords. Surely a Brighton fan should appreciate that?

The retail units on the new stadium site will help to pay for the construction of the stadium and will give the club a steady annual income. That's the plan, anyway.

 

[Pevenseagull]

Don't start me off on Fans United......

Take Spencer Prior as an example. Bought by Alan Cork for £650,000, paid more than £6,000 a week and given a £250,000 bonus when we won the play-off final against QPR.

'kin ell.

Soccerbase has him as playing about 90 games for you over 3 years ...way to lose money Bluebirds, I believe the word is 'profligate'

good luck, sounds like you need it

 

[rool]

sad as it is I can't help a little smirk after some of the patronising 'we're considerably richer than you' stuff.