Post by Macmoish on Jul 1, 2010 7:10:25 GMT
Western Mail
Sam Hammam ready for Bluebirds return
Jul 1 2010 by Terry Phillips, Western Mail
RIDSDALE SET TO BE LINK IN TALKS WITH OLD AND NEW
SAM HAMMAM, the man who turned Cardiff City on its head a decade ago, is intent on an extraordinary return to the club.
The maverick Lebanese businessman, who appeared to have left the Bluebirds for good at the end of 2006, wants to work alongside new chairman Dato Chan Tien Ghee – and the two men have agreed to meet, probably within the next 10 days.
And in a further remarkable twist, both parties have agreed that former chairman Peter Ridsdale should be the link man during the talks in the UK.
Dato Chan, ‘TG’ to his friends, will fly in from Malaysia next week now that City’s pre-season tour to the Far East has been cancelled, while Hammam is travelling in from the Lebanon. They are likely to meet in the London area.
“TG and Sam working together – that’s a dream team for Cardiff City, I promise you,” said Hammam last night. “The Bluebirds will be back to their best.”
Hammam is worried the Bluebirds have not yet significantly strengthened their squad for the new season, and that they have so far failed to tie down key players out of contract next summer.
But he says any role he may take up will be far more clearly defined than the all-powerful one he used to enjoy.
“I don’t want to be involved on the financial side – that’s where I made my mistakes,” said Hammam. “But I can put the football back into City. I have the contacts needed.”
Hammam says he has major influence with Langston, who are currently owed £10m by City under a renegotiated agreement. But that could rise back to the original £24m unless the agreement is legally finalised by the end of this year.
Hammam and Ridsdale agreed that would be done this summer, but the £6m Malaysian investment led to Ridsdale’s departure from the club, so the matter has yet to be rubber-stamped.
For now, though, Hammam insists immediate action is needed to ensure Cardiff remain among the leading Championship clubs.
There is growing concern among fans at the failure to strengthen manager Dave Jones’ squad or thrash out new contracts for a large group of players, including Peter Whittingham and Jay Bothroyd, who will become free agents next summer.
“We have to move quickly,” added Hammam. “The work done at this stage decides what happens at the end. There is no time to waste.
“Cardiff City will always be close to my heart and I would do anything I can to help.”
At a time when Joe Ledley is walking away from his home city club after allowing his contract to run down, the Bluebirds are more than aware of the problems ahead unless Whittingham, Bothroyd and Co agree new contracts quickly.
Ledley looks certain to sign for Premier League Stoke City, having met with manager Tony Pulis this week.
And, while Ledley decides on his future, Whittingham is the target for a new and aggressive bid by Burnley.
Their manager Brian Laws has stepped up his interest having decided against increasing a £3m bid to signAndy Driver from Hearts.
Burnley have already offered £2m-plus and – knowing that Nottingham Forest are also keen – are prepared to go higher, possibly as high as £3m.
That would surely tempt the Bluebirds, but Hammam’s personal mission is to put new investment into the club and work to help ensure manager Jones keeps his key men while bringing in new signings.
Hammam has already met with Bluebirds’ fans in London to discuss his proposals and, while the talk will divide them, many would be pleased to see the businessman back.
Annis Abraham, a close friend of Hammam, who is helping him tie up the deal, spoke by telephone to the former Cardiff City chairman.
Abraham said: “Sam is prepared to invest substantial millions into the football club – and he will do that quickly. He has the money available.
“He would also sort out the debt to Langston and insist they work with the club.
“What can Sam bring? He has a unique and supreme ability in handling a football club and football matters. The proof is there.
“He took non-league Wimbledon all the way to the Premier League and they won the FA Cup. He kept them in the top six of the Premier. That achievement was amazing.
“He then took Cardiff City from the dungeon division and twice led the Bluebirds to promotion. He brought belief and delivered on a dream.
“The club is in turmoil. We don’t have a captain – we need a leader.”
When Hammam first arrived at Ninian Park in 2000 the club were struggling financially and the then chairman Steve Borley and fellow directors were helping to pay wages out of their own pockets.
Planned investment by Clive Sullivan, brother of West Ham United owner David, fell through and it was Hammam who came in full of energy, passion, ideas and drive.
The Bluebirds spent a club record £1.7m on Peter Thorne, and £1m on Graham Kavanagh, sums that had previously been unimaginable for the club.
The outlay paid off because the club was promoted twice with Hammam at the helm, his sheer enthusiasm breathing new life into the whole environment.
There were mistakes along the way and Hammam showed he has a quick temper, that he can be foul-mouthed and, by his own admission, can get carried away in financial matters.
And the flip side to Cardiff’s elevation in status was that they were left with debts from Hammam’s time at the helm which have since hampered them badly.
Hammam, though, insists club assets far outweighed what was owed when he left.
“When Sam Hammam left Cardiff City the outline planning permission on a new stadium was worth £30m to £40m after development – and you have to add the value of the stadium to that,” added Abraham.
And there is little doubt that Hammam fired up the whole stadium process, which was finally delivered by Ridsdale after years of uncertainty over whether the diggers would ever get to work.
However, despite Ridsdale’s critical intervention, Hammam stressed he was the driving force behind the whole project.
“The stadium I got, nobody else,” said Hammam.
“I agitated. I stood up to fight for our stadium. It was my dream.
“I created more than £100m worth of assets, including the stadium and players. But we had a cash flow problem and needed a doctor.
“Peter Ridsdale was a doctor. I told him an operation was needed. The patient was healthy in so many ways, but a heart bypass was crucial.
“Overall the club was healthy because of the assets, but Peter Ridsdale came in to help.”
end
www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/football-news/2010/07/01/sam-hammam-ready-for-bluebirds-return-91466-26762216/
Sam Hammam ready for Bluebirds return
Jul 1 2010 by Terry Phillips, Western Mail
RIDSDALE SET TO BE LINK IN TALKS WITH OLD AND NEW
SAM HAMMAM, the man who turned Cardiff City on its head a decade ago, is intent on an extraordinary return to the club.
The maverick Lebanese businessman, who appeared to have left the Bluebirds for good at the end of 2006, wants to work alongside new chairman Dato Chan Tien Ghee – and the two men have agreed to meet, probably within the next 10 days.
And in a further remarkable twist, both parties have agreed that former chairman Peter Ridsdale should be the link man during the talks in the UK.
Dato Chan, ‘TG’ to his friends, will fly in from Malaysia next week now that City’s pre-season tour to the Far East has been cancelled, while Hammam is travelling in from the Lebanon. They are likely to meet in the London area.
“TG and Sam working together – that’s a dream team for Cardiff City, I promise you,” said Hammam last night. “The Bluebirds will be back to their best.”
Hammam is worried the Bluebirds have not yet significantly strengthened their squad for the new season, and that they have so far failed to tie down key players out of contract next summer.
But he says any role he may take up will be far more clearly defined than the all-powerful one he used to enjoy.
“I don’t want to be involved on the financial side – that’s where I made my mistakes,” said Hammam. “But I can put the football back into City. I have the contacts needed.”
Hammam says he has major influence with Langston, who are currently owed £10m by City under a renegotiated agreement. But that could rise back to the original £24m unless the agreement is legally finalised by the end of this year.
Hammam and Ridsdale agreed that would be done this summer, but the £6m Malaysian investment led to Ridsdale’s departure from the club, so the matter has yet to be rubber-stamped.
For now, though, Hammam insists immediate action is needed to ensure Cardiff remain among the leading Championship clubs.
There is growing concern among fans at the failure to strengthen manager Dave Jones’ squad or thrash out new contracts for a large group of players, including Peter Whittingham and Jay Bothroyd, who will become free agents next summer.
“We have to move quickly,” added Hammam. “The work done at this stage decides what happens at the end. There is no time to waste.
“Cardiff City will always be close to my heart and I would do anything I can to help.”
At a time when Joe Ledley is walking away from his home city club after allowing his contract to run down, the Bluebirds are more than aware of the problems ahead unless Whittingham, Bothroyd and Co agree new contracts quickly.
Ledley looks certain to sign for Premier League Stoke City, having met with manager Tony Pulis this week.
And, while Ledley decides on his future, Whittingham is the target for a new and aggressive bid by Burnley.
Their manager Brian Laws has stepped up his interest having decided against increasing a £3m bid to signAndy Driver from Hearts.
Burnley have already offered £2m-plus and – knowing that Nottingham Forest are also keen – are prepared to go higher, possibly as high as £3m.
That would surely tempt the Bluebirds, but Hammam’s personal mission is to put new investment into the club and work to help ensure manager Jones keeps his key men while bringing in new signings.
Hammam has already met with Bluebirds’ fans in London to discuss his proposals and, while the talk will divide them, many would be pleased to see the businessman back.
Annis Abraham, a close friend of Hammam, who is helping him tie up the deal, spoke by telephone to the former Cardiff City chairman.
Abraham said: “Sam is prepared to invest substantial millions into the football club – and he will do that quickly. He has the money available.
“He would also sort out the debt to Langston and insist they work with the club.
“What can Sam bring? He has a unique and supreme ability in handling a football club and football matters. The proof is there.
“He took non-league Wimbledon all the way to the Premier League and they won the FA Cup. He kept them in the top six of the Premier. That achievement was amazing.
“He then took Cardiff City from the dungeon division and twice led the Bluebirds to promotion. He brought belief and delivered on a dream.
“The club is in turmoil. We don’t have a captain – we need a leader.”
When Hammam first arrived at Ninian Park in 2000 the club were struggling financially and the then chairman Steve Borley and fellow directors were helping to pay wages out of their own pockets.
Planned investment by Clive Sullivan, brother of West Ham United owner David, fell through and it was Hammam who came in full of energy, passion, ideas and drive.
The Bluebirds spent a club record £1.7m on Peter Thorne, and £1m on Graham Kavanagh, sums that had previously been unimaginable for the club.
The outlay paid off because the club was promoted twice with Hammam at the helm, his sheer enthusiasm breathing new life into the whole environment.
There were mistakes along the way and Hammam showed he has a quick temper, that he can be foul-mouthed and, by his own admission, can get carried away in financial matters.
And the flip side to Cardiff’s elevation in status was that they were left with debts from Hammam’s time at the helm which have since hampered them badly.
Hammam, though, insists club assets far outweighed what was owed when he left.
“When Sam Hammam left Cardiff City the outline planning permission on a new stadium was worth £30m to £40m after development – and you have to add the value of the stadium to that,” added Abraham.
And there is little doubt that Hammam fired up the whole stadium process, which was finally delivered by Ridsdale after years of uncertainty over whether the diggers would ever get to work.
However, despite Ridsdale’s critical intervention, Hammam stressed he was the driving force behind the whole project.
“The stadium I got, nobody else,” said Hammam.
“I agitated. I stood up to fight for our stadium. It was my dream.
“I created more than £100m worth of assets, including the stadium and players. But we had a cash flow problem and needed a doctor.
“Peter Ridsdale was a doctor. I told him an operation was needed. The patient was healthy in so many ways, but a heart bypass was crucial.
“Overall the club was healthy because of the assets, but Peter Ridsdale came in to help.”
end
www.walesonline.co.uk/footballnation/football-news/2010/07/01/sam-hammam-ready-for-bluebirds-return-91466-26762216/
