Comments on: Going down http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2006/04/23/going-down-2/ Because all the other domain names were taken Sat, 24 Jul 2010 11:45:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Amy http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2006/04/23/going-down-2/comment-page-1/#comment-1830 Amy Thu, 27 Apr 2006 10:26:08 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=871#comment-1830 Would anyone like to help me start a magazine called The Harry, Hassle and Hound? Would anyone like to help me start a magazine called The Harry, Hassle and Hound?

]]> By: Jawbox http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2006/04/23/going-down-2/comment-page-1/#comment-1827 Jawbox Mon, 24 Apr 2006 17:13:31 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=871#comment-1827 Meh. Chelsea Village might have worked better if the ground was actually in Chelsea. Anyhow, those uncertain days are all behind us, and we have a great new, non-bankrupty sort of owner* who isn't going to relocate us to Novosibirsk as I, at first, feared he might. I will, of course, concede that you're going to have a very impressive stadium. And you're probably going to win the Champions League. There, I've said it. *This 'keeping political ideology and football loyalties seperate' lark really works a treat. Meh. Chelsea Village might have worked better if the ground was actually in Chelsea. Anyhow, those uncertain days are all behind us, and we have a great new, non-bankrupty sort of owner* who isn’t going to relocate us to Novosibirsk as I, at first, feared he might.

I will, of course, concede that you’re going to have a very impressive stadium. And you’re probably going to win the Champions League. There, I’ve said it.

*This ‘keeping political ideology and football loyalties seperate’ lark really works a treat.

]]> By: Chris http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2006/04/23/going-down-2/comment-page-1/#comment-1826 Chris Sun, 23 Apr 2006 23:25:40 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=871#comment-1826 It wasn't (only) the expensive signings that near-bankrupted the club, but the vast redevelopment of Stamford Bridge and Bates's high-minded "Chelsea Village" hotel & restaurant complex, which was very expensive (and compromised the capacity of SB) but <a href="http://www.channel4.com/sport/microsites/S/sportuncovered/bates5.html" rel="nofollow">never brought in the required revenue</a>. Bates tried the same plan for Wembley, although after he left the project most of his proposals were cut out; one decision he made that was not undone, however, was the appointment of Multiplex as building contractor. Incidentally, a few miles across London, a <a href="http://www.arsenal.com/emiratesstadium/" rel="nofollow">60,000-capacity stadium</a> is being delivered for half the cost of Wembley, while it is on budget, on time and properly financed. So not every British construction project is necessarily a failure... It wasn’t (only) the expensive signings that near-bankrupted the club, but the vast redevelopment of Stamford Bridge and Bates’s high-minded “Chelsea Village” hotel & restaurant complex, which was very expensive (and compromised the capacity of SB) but never brought in the required revenue. Bates tried the same plan for Wembley, although after he left the project most of his proposals were cut out; one decision he made that was not undone, however, was the appointment of Multiplex as building contractor.

Incidentally, a few miles across London, a 60,000-capacity stadium is being delivered for half the cost of Wembley, while it is on budget, on time and properly financed. So not every British construction project is necessarily a failure…

]]> By: Jawbox http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2006/04/23/going-down-2/comment-page-1/#comment-1825 Jawbox Sun, 23 Apr 2006 19:57:52 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=871#comment-1825 In his defence, Ken did have a way of taking the piss out of Sir Alex that, to this day, remains unrivalled. (This may, admittedly, have been his sole redeeming quality as a person.) As far as Chelsea went, I personally think it was more gambling than mismanagement - Bates' nearly bankrupting the club with expensive signings led to Champions League qualification one season, which was almost certainly the reason Abramovich bought the club. As for Wembley, it would have been most un-British if it hadn't been such a huge screw-up. Arguably. In his defence, Ken did have a way of taking the piss out of Sir Alex that, to this day, remains unrivalled. (This may, admittedly, have been his sole redeeming quality as a person.)

As far as Chelsea went, I personally think it was more gambling than mismanagement – Bates’ nearly bankrupting the club with expensive signings led to Champions League qualification one season, which was almost certainly the reason Abramovich bought the club. As for Wembley, it would have been most un-British if it hadn’t been such a huge screw-up. Arguably.

]]> By: Chris http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2006/04/23/going-down-2/comment-page-1/#comment-1824 Chris Sun, 23 Apr 2006 16:42:01 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=871#comment-1824 Come back when you win the Double, Ben. :-)

On a more serious note, my comments were fair. Ken Bates mismanaged both Chelsea (on the eve of the sale to Abramovich, they were £80m in debt and days away from going into administration) and the Wembley Stadium project; his many dealings are dealt with very well in Tom Bower’s Broken Dreams (as are those of George Graham at Arsenal).

]]> By: Jawbox http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/2006/04/23/going-down-2/comment-page-1/#comment-1823 Jawbox Sun, 23 Apr 2006 15:19:08 +0000 http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/blog/?p=871#comment-1823 OK, I'd agree with most of that, but the references to electric fences and Russian benefactors - do I detect the 'inner Arsenal fan grimly aware of the distinct possibility of playing in the Uefa Cup next season' starting to show itself? OK, I’d agree with most of that, but the references to electric fences and Russian benefactors – do I detect the ‘inner Arsenal fan grimly aware of the distinct possibility of playing in the Uefa Cup next season’ starting to show itself?

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