Marwan Koukash

[Midsblue]

Do you honestly think SC would admit to being in talks with MK over sale of club if MK is a serious and credible buyer? If talks are at an advanced stage and SC came out saying this then MK could well think SC is trying to court further interest and the whole deal could blown apart.

 

MK seems the type of businessman who wouldn't claim talks were at an advanced stage if they wasn't. He'd just look stupid so would more likely say its early days and he's checking out a few clubs.

 

I too think there's a few more twists and turns in this story....perhaps one reason why we convinced Korey Smith to sign and beat off competition from Championship. If a sale is imminent and further strengthening is on horizon to add to a decent nucleus including Jose then a player who clearly old play at a higher level could be sold on those plans.

 

However, I could just be kidding myself and dreaming like longtimeblue

[HarryBosch]

The fact the sport failed in Oldham is almost unfathomable.

 

United, City and, believe it or not, us.

[OAFCMIKE]

 

 

because they want to sell you papers and get cash for your clicks. local papers like this are not arsed about validity or accuracy, more bothered about how much attention they can get by doing as little as possible. in other words churnalism. and they're not ashamed of it either. they take you for mugs.

 

This might be my favourite ever OWTB post.

[Lags]

This might be my favourite ever OWTB post.

 

But is it true Mike?

[rudemedic]

 

 

It is criminal, if you were to look at the best players of the Super League Era you would have the following right at the top:

 

Sculthorpe (Paul)

Harris

Sinfield.

 

Then if you look at all the rest who have made excellent careers at the highest level. The fact the sport failed in Oldham is almost unfathomable.

Almost unfathomable until you look at the history of Super League.

 

Paris RL finished next to bottom of Super League II but went bust in the off season. Super League decide to put someone else in, do they choose the team that finished bottom (Oldham), the team that finished second in the league below. No they choose Huddersfield, who came 5th in the league below. With their fancy stadium partially funded by the local council they got the promotion.

 

Why Oldham is in the doldrums with respect to Rugby League despite having a good basis of youngsters. The answer is a combination of town hall incompetence and JW Lees not splashing the cash on developing Boundary Park when we were in our heyday.

[Matt]

But is it true Mike?

 

True dat. 19 pages of dreams and hope. End result? Nothing. Why? Make up your own mind.

[Lukers1]

Almost unfathomable until you look at the history of Super League.

 

Paris RL finished next to bottom of Super League II but went bust in the off season. Super League decide to put someone else in, do they choose the team that finished bottom (Oldham), the team that finished second in the league below. No they choose Huddersfield, who came 5th in the league below. With their fancy stadium partially funded by the local council they got the promotion.

 

Why Oldham is in the doldrums with respect to Rugby League despite having a good basis of youngsters. The answer is a combination of town hall incompetence and JW Lees not splashing the cash on developing Boundary Park when we were in our heyday.

Why is it JW Lees fault Rude?, they were only the guarantors of the clubs overdraft. The ones who are guilty are the directors who were at the helm at the time of the glory years.

[jimsleftfoot]

Why is it JW Lees fault Rude?, they were only the guarantors of the clubs overdraft. The ones who are guilty are the directors who were at the helm at the time of the glory years.

 

Were they not the major shareholders?

[OAFCMIKE]

Because they want to sell you papers and get cash for your clicks. local papers like this are not arsed about validity or accuracy, more bothered about how much attention they can get by doing as little as possible. in other words churnalism. and they're not ashamed of it either. they take you for mugs.

 

Of course we want to sell papers - we are a business. Still waiting for the cash for clicks side of things to come through for us, unfortunately.

 

However, your sweeping generalisation about validity or accuracy could not be further from the truth at this local paper and I'd say the same goes for the Chron.

 

It's simple - if we can't back up a story we don't write it. Let's take this one as an example. Dr Koukash made the comments to the BBC World Service. I think you'll find a thread had already started on here before I did the story. I immediately spoke to a number of trusted contacts at both Salford and Latics and the man himself. The result was what you read. The team he is talking about is Latics and now everyone knows that. What happens from here is up to the man himself and we will accurately report this.

 

While we're on the subject of accuracy, how many players have Matt and I linked us with who have ended up signing? How many times do you get the news first from the M.E.N. and the Chron?

 

Taking people for mugs? I'd say tweeting regular match updates from up and down the country (this is something we make no money from and something neither of us has to do - we just do it because we want to keep people who can't make it updated) suggests that this could not be further from the truth.

 

As for doing as little as possible, how many newsrooms have you been in? It's very misguided and bitter view that you seem to have.

[Lukers1]

Were they not the major shareholders?

I might be wrong but I thought they came in to guarantee the overdraft in the early 80's as the bank were ready to call in the debt which would have left the club in a mess. I may be wrong, but Lees's seemed fairly well positioned in the deal in means of sponsorship and the life long contract of taking the beer profits from the club. I don't wish to disagree with Rude as he is often accurate, but in my own opinion Lees's never really had OAFC at heart, they were in it to A, secure their guarantee which was really a pittance compared to the clubs turnover in the glory years and B, take what they could by means of revenue stream. The club was run on the cheap, even back in the glory years and if Ian Stott focused more on Latics than the being at the FA and if Alan had focused more on just the expansion of Latique, we may have got somewhere. Call me cynical but looking back at the glory years, the commercial and executive management was inept and the business acumen was as weak as nats piss.

Edited June 21, 2013 by Lukers1

[Stagger Lee]

I might be wrong but I thought they came in to guarantee the overdraft in the early 80's as the bank were ready to call in the debt which would have left the club in a mess. I may be wrong, but Lees's seemed fairly well positioned in the deal in means of sponsorship and the life long contract of taking the beer profits from the club. I don't wish to disagree with Rude as he is often accurate, but in my own opinion Lees's never really had OAFC at heart, they were in it to A, secure their guarantee which was really a pittance compared to the clubs turnover in the glory years and B, take what they could by means of revenue stream. The club was run on the cheap, even back in the glory years and if Ian Stott focused more on Latics than the being at the FA and if Alan had focused more on just the expansion of Latique, we may have got somewhere. Call me cynical but looking back at the glory years, the commercial and executive management was inept and the business acumen was as weak as nats piss.

 

You sum it up pretty much as I remember it, LEES brewery did us and themselves a favour. No hard feelings towards LEES at all ..... Stott on the other hand

[Stevie_J]

Call me cynical but looking back at the glory years, the commercial and executive management was inept and the business acumen was as weak as nats piss.

I'd agree. But has it improved? I wouldn't say so.

[Lukers1]

I'd agree. But has it improved? I wouldn't say so.

Your absolutely right Stevie, the club is still in intensive care.

[garcon]

Intensive care sounds expensive. I'd describe it more as a donkey sanctuary.

[rudemedic]

 

 

Were they not the major shareholders?

That's what I thought, when there was that fuss over Lees in the mid 90s it wasn't because they were guarantors of the club's overdraft it was because they were the major shareholders. They may have come in to be guarantors of the overdraft, it was before my time, but I doubt we needed an overdraft a few years later due to on field success. Someone must have owned the club in that time and I doubt it was Stott.

 

As for how the club was run, it was bad, a lot of decisions were made because they were cheap. There was a lot of short-termism about the place, see the change from standing to sitting anywhere other than the RRE and the portakabin executive areas.

[jimsleftfoot]

That's what I thought, when there was that fuss over Lees in the mid 90s it wasn't because they were guarantors of the club's overdraft it was because they were the major shareholders. They may have come in to be guarantors of the overdraft, it was before my time, but I doubt we needed an overdraft a few years later due to on field success. Someone must have owned the club in that time and I doubt it was Stott.

 

As for how the club was run, it was bad, a lot of decisions were made because they were cheap. There was a lot of short-termism about the place, see the change from standing to sitting anywhere other than the RRE and the portakabin executive areas.

 

Yup quick google to find multiple mentions of them being majority shareholders, including in the MEN.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

As for how the club was run, it was bad, a lot of decisions were made because they were cheap. There was a lot of short-termism about the place, see the change from standing to sitting anywhere other than the RRE and the portakabin executive areas.

 

Sticking seats in the Chaddy End on a whim was a huge kneejerk reaction and a real lack of foresight by the club. Our main 'kop' had the life and soul torn out of it from that day onwards and most of the bemoaning because of lack of atmosphere stems from then. We didn't need to (as of then) and due to subsequent relegations meant we'd have been able to keep it as a standing terrace. Back in the day, even when Latics had a lowly crowd of 3,000-4,000 it generated a great atmosphere. It's like a morgue unless it's a sold-out capacity crowd like the cup games last season.

[jimsleftfoot]

I'd agree. But has it improved? I wouldn't say so.

 

But OAFC 2004 has always been in the crap, whereas the Stott regime had it all and lost it.

[Pine Villains]

It's simple - if we can't back up a story we don't write it. Let's take this one as an example. Dr Koukash made the comments to the BBC World Service. I think you'll find a thread had already started on here before I did the story. I immediately spoke to a number of trusted contacts at both Salford and Latics and the man himself. The result was what you read. The team he is talking about is Latics and now everyone knows that. What happens from here is up to the man himself and we will accurately report this.

 

While we're on the subject of accuracy, how many players have Matt and I linked us with who have ended up signing? How many times do you get the news first from the M.E.N. and the Chron?

 

Taking people for mugs? I'd say tweeting regular match updates from up and down the country (this is something we make no money from and something neither of us has to do - we just do it because we want to keep people who can't make it updated) suggests that this could not be further from the truth.

 

As for doing as little as possible, how many newsrooms have you been in? It's very misguided and bitter view that you seem to have.

 

Come on Mike, I was specifically talking about this article being bull:censored:ted up from something that happened a while back and came to zilch. Nobody slammed the Chron, and contrary to popular belief on here, the Chron published a seemingly more accurate story and to be honest they did a better job of reporting the "scoop". Well done them. Equally nobody was questioning your Twitter prowess either:- "IT IS LATICS!". No Mike, it was Latics.

 

Corney had the meeting:- "four or five weeks ago.....nothing else came of it then" said Corney as mentioned in a late (19th June) report by the Chron. A day earlier on the 18th June, MEN reported Marwan is buying Latics, not was, not that he was looking into it ages ago. MEN completely blurred out the point where the meeting was a month past and nothing happened, it went down the pan over a month earlier. People picked up on that minor but significant detail and the MEN let it ride for a bit.

 

 

 

I admit, it's obvious I'm not a hack, so my understanding of proper newspaper reporting is limited to Chris Atkins and Levenson. I think at least it's a good place to start.

 

It's all chip paper now anyway, roll on next season :censored:ing hell.

[OAFCMIKE]

Come on Mike, I was specifically talking about this article being bull:censored:ted up from something that happened a while back and came to zilch.

 

- Really? The post I saw was a dig at all local papers not being arsed with validity and accuracy and being more interested in 'how much attention they can get by doing as little as possible'. This is nonsense and is the opposite of the truth.

 

Nobody slammed the Chron, and contrary to popular belief on here, the Chron published a seemingly more accurate story and to be honest they did a better job of reporting the "scoop".

 

- The Chron story was a follow-up. They didn't know it was Latics until we revealed it and that is not a dig at them - nobody has the monopoly on news.

 

"IT IS LATICS!". No Mike, it was Latics.-

Corney had the meeting:- "four or five weeks ago.....nothing else came of it then" said Corney as mentioned in a late (19th June) report by the Chron. A day earlier on the 18th June, MEN reported Marwan is buying Latics, not was, not that he was looking into it ages ago. MEN completely blurred out the point where the meeting was a month past and nothing happened, it went down the pan over a month earlier. People picked up on that minor but significant detail and the MEN let it ride for a bit

 

- Dr Koukash made the comments to the World Service on Monday. He says he 'hopefully' going to buy a football club 'in the next month or two'. We revealed that the club he is referring to is Latics. It is. I did not write that he was going to buy us - I just reported that the team he was talking about was us. And how do you know there haven't been any subsequent meetings? It's a strange thing for someone to come out and say if everything went down the pan more than a month earlier.

 

Take a look at what Leveson published on regional newspapers. You might be surprised.

Edited June 21, 2013 by OAFCMIKE

[singe]

Sticking seats in the Chaddy End on a whim was a huge kneejerk reaction and a real lack of foresight by the club. Our main 'kop' had the life and soul torn out of it from that day onwards and most of the bemoaning because of lack of atmosphere stems from then. We didn't need to (as of then) and due to subsequent relegations meant we'd have been able to keep it as a standing terrace. Back in the day, even when Latics had a lowly crowd of 3,000-4,000 it generated a great atmosphere. It's like a morgue unless it's a sold-out capacity crowd like the cup games last season.

Was the Chaddy rebfurb in response to the Taylor report though? I know we had to comply by 1994.

[al_bro]

Come on Mike, I was specifically talking about this article being bull:censored:ted up from something that happened a while back and came to zilch.

 

- Really? The post I saw was a dig at all local papers not being arsed with validity and accuracy and being more interested in 'how much attention they can get by doing as little as possible'. This is nonsense and is the opposite of the truth.

 

Nobody slammed the Chron, and contrary to popular belief on here, the Chron published a seemingly more accurate story and to be honest they did a better job of reporting the "scoop".

 

- The Chron story was a follow-up. They didn't know it was Latics until we revealed it and that is not a dig at them - nobody has the monopoly on news.

 

"IT IS LATICS!". No Mike, it was Latics.-

Corney had the meeting:- "four or five weeks ago.....nothing else came of it then" said Corney as mentioned in a late (19th June) report by the Chron. A day earlier on the 18th June, MEN reported Marwan is buying Latics, not was, not that he was looking into it ages ago. MEN completely blurred out the point where the meeting was a month past and nothing happened, it went down the pan over a month earlier. People picked up on that minor but significant detail and the MEN let it ride for a bit

 

- Dr Koukash made the comments to the World Service on Monday. He says he 'hopefully' going to buy a football club 'in the next month or two'. We revealed that the club he is referring to is Latics. It is. I did not write that he was going to buy us - I just reported that the team he was talking about was us. And how do you know there haven't been any subsequent meetings? It's a strange thing for someone to come out and say if everything went down the pan more than a month earlier.

 

Take a look at what Leveson published on regional newspapers. You might be surprised.

Does this men that in your opinion the takeover is still on Mike?

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

Was the Chaddy rebfurb in response to the Taylor report though? I know we had to comply by 1994.

 

It was and the seats were installed in the summer of 1991. Funnily enough the Paddock remained standing until later. We could have complied had we stayed in the Premiership and converted the Chaddy in the summer of 1994 - as it was we went down and didn't have to comply then.

[jimsleftfoot]

Does this men that in your opinion the takeover is still on Mike?

 

Try not to view this as a black or white situation but vastly grey.

[slider1]

I'd imagine buying a football club is somewhat different to most people's everyday purchases. So discussions between MK and SC were held a few weeks ago. That Fir me doesn't mean it's no longer going to happen. I'd imagine before committing to any purchase of this magnitude you might wanna have a good think about it considering it's likely to cost you millions in the long run. There is every possibility he's taken the time since the meeting to do his homework and to see if buying OAFC is a viable purchase and if he's likely to see a return on his investment. Just my thoughts as I'm not really in the position to buy football clubs.