Del deals new hand?
Posted on November 12th, 2009 | 75 Comments |
It seems apparent that he called for this as soon as the ‘Yes We Can’ campaign was launched, so clearly while others are sceptical about it, the board are taking it seriously enough. As it turns out, the NUST have turned down his request to meet before our game against Preston, and Neil Mitchell spoke on behalf of the NUST to say:
“Any negotiations conducted un behalf of the Yes We Can campaign will be conducted with the full knowledge of our potential investors and the fans in general.
“We see no benefit in meeting with Mr Ashley or his representatives until the campaign has fully got under way.
“The idea of the campaign is to bring trust and integrity back to the club, reflecting the values of the city as a whole.
“It will be conducted in the full glare of publicity I am sure and we want to ensure that our people, including investors and potential investors, know what is going on. Deals in smoke-filled rooms won’t be part of our negotiations.
“Our negotiations will be up-front and we will keep the public informed of any developments at all stages of the process.”
So some cute insinuations about the business conduct of our current board and a clear statement of intent from the NUST. It suggests the NUST are less than impressed that Llambias would not take them seriously back in the day with his non-commital to their own requests for a meet and his public declaration that inferred the fan ownership was a pipe-dream.
So what’s the real story here? A PR pledge from Del Boy to show that they suddenly really care about the supporters? An opportunity to work out just how plausible this campaign really is or an early opporunity to look for partnership and stakeholding by the NUST? As a former casino owner, Llambias know all about good bluffs and he obviously wants to see what kind of hand the NUST has got.
Of course it’s a PR stunt – would you expect anything less from them? I’d like to read the minutes of that meeting if and when it takes place, though. I’ve a feeling that NUST will surprise Del and Rodney in a good way and hopefully the club will take them a little more seriously.