Tree
Well-Known Member
Open letter to Garry Cook,
Mr Cook,
As a season card level 2 east stand holder I write in reply to your recent letter.
This letter has been sent to address more confusion created by you after the late announcement of next seasons ticket prices and your plans to move, sorry "relocate" season ticket holders around the ground.
After months of speculation on next years prices on here and elsewhere. "will they be fixed" "go down" "be cheaper as they want the ground full" "reward our loyalty" - Your outline pack had none of that, what it announced was an across the board increase of 5%. In fact significantly more than that if you have children and you don't want to relocate and/or sit in a family stand.
Getting straight to the point Mr Cook, you have gone too far this time. We all know that your overall media perception is not very positive outside the club as you have done quite a few questionable things since you joined. However, your proposed treatment of season ticket owners, the North, family Stand and East Stand Level 2 supporters is frankly awful.
Your recent letter states " these enhancements will be designed to provide those fans in Colin Bell and East Stand Level two with a significantly improved match day offering WHETHER by means of an updated concourse, improved food and drink, better seating or improvements to the concourse TV network" How vague? you go on "the club has a clear idea of how these areas MAY look" again vague. But do you? If so why not share it with the fans NOW? Is it part of those that you ALTERNATIVELY DO??, OR ALL OF THOSE THAT MAY HAPPEN??? Sorry, that's me being vague now.. Whatever it is, it is a shocking way to treat fans.
But what this highlights more to me is just how out of touch you are again where Manchester City and the history of the club and supporters are concerned. What you fail to understand is the history of the club and specifically the history of the stands. There is a world of difference between the Colin Bell stand and East Stand, but would you know why? I doubt it... After all, you're not local, not a Man City fan, not even a football man and on top of that you have spent countless years out of the country.
I don't think you are aware, but you can trace the East stands (and most of the fans that choose to sit in it) DNA back into City's history. Going back to Maine Road we had a very famous stand called the Kippax. It was an enormous standing terrace running the entire side length of the pitch opposite the Main stand. It had a capacity of over 26,000 standing supporters, generated a great atmosphere, singing bounced off the roof and we loved it. Other clubs had the terracing behind the goals, but not City, we had a whole side of the pitch to stand in move around. As such the majority of fans grew up and were used to watching the games from the side and not behind the goal. After Hillsborough, it was replaced by a new all seater stand. But the spirit of the Kippax lived on and the club (the owners) encouraged Kippax fans to use the new stand. When we moved to Eastlands, the club again encouraged that the East Stand of COMS was the new Kippax and season card holders should directly transfer to this stand. Hence we did. Now we are established in our seats in the new ground, we like and know the fellow supporters around us, it's a good laugh and nice banter at home games. We like it and we don't want to move again!
But now we get this initiative from you. You could be right to offer this package to the Colin Bell (main stand) side of the ground. It could work there. But LEAVE THE EAST STAND ALONE. Not that you have asked us, but the concourse, TV, food and seats are just fine thank you. So please leave us alone.
As it's the end of the season I think a lot more feedback is in order where you are concerned. Think of it in terms of a staff appraisal - know doubt you will be familiar with the format from your NIKE days.
The question needs ask if you've been a positive or negative force at City since you arrived?
Fans on here have pulled apart players and the manager since last Wednesday night. Players have good and bad games, managers make good and bad decisions.. but all are honest mistakes. However, I feel that the biggest negative and destabling influence at City has been you. I can only think of times you have embarrassed the club and left the fans scratching their heads, I can't think of any real positives. As a fan, I really wish I could...
You have what is without a doubt the easiest job on the planet. You were employed by the previous Chairman who was already in talks to sell his business. You then find yourself employed by the new owners and very luckily for you, not only were they new about the country, they were also new to football and the premier league, but most importantly, they were naive about you.
When you arrived at City you ranted in the press within days about established people/staff within the club who knew the club inside out saying “this isn’t America”, “we are not in London” and “we’re not Man Utd”.
THEY WERE RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!! You had been out of the country for 14 years at this point, but your blind arrogance dismissed those views.
We are Manchester City, we are proud of that, and you should have taken time to understand what that means before your happy clapping/americanised revolution began. Ambition and a "can do" or winning attitude is fine and what we did need.. but a complete disregard to where the club was and the opinions of established staff within the club not. To get somewhere, you need to know where you are starting from.
Mark Hughes.
YOUR first task at City was to employ Mark Hughes and it was you that made that decision, (yes the situation changed after the takeover as he was not the new owners man) the relatively inexperienced manager whose over valued signings of average players (Bridge, Zab, Torre, RSC,) have failed overall this season. What says everything about you is that YOU failed to mention the fact that Hughes was your appointment when you made a complete shambles of his dismissal, your appointment of Mancini and your disgraceful and embarrassing handling of his “welcome” press conference in December. “no questions” was your command. In doing that, you succeeded in turning every single sports journalist against us. Later, when Mancini’s first words exposed you as double dealing at best or a liar at worst. Your reply was to bang the table in frustration as you squirmed in your own mess. Brilliant! You don't take on the English press and expect to bully them like you could have done when multi million dollar Nike advertising contracts were up for grabs. It doesn't work like America here.
Some posters on club forums will say that all media (talksport, SSN, BBC) are against us. The rag and southern club journo's will be threatened by us, thats natural. But that wasn't always the case, once upon a time we were very popular and a lot of fans second club before the takeover and the general feeling was we deserved and were long overdue success when Sheikh Mansour took over. But your actions, arrogance and lack of understanding of where City were has ramped up the media turning against ten fold.
Earlier still, your first major task was the eventually failed bid for Kaka. When he refused you labelled Kaka as “bottling it” to the world's press after they pulled out of your negotiations at the eleventh hour. With £100 million offered to a cash strapped club, you still couldn’t get your man. Kaka’s reasons were that we/YOU were “too cute” with the package offered. Meaning the image rights/shirt deals/marketing shares were part of the players deal. Kaka didn’t want that, they just wanted the cash - A simple EUROPEAN style deal Gary, not some bastardised Michael Jordon AMERICANISED contract from your Nike days. “Too cute” indeed. So far from “bottling it”, you screwed up Gary. “This isn’t America” remember?
The American theme reminds me of this vague “premium experience” you are offering to level 2 sides at the moment as mentioned earlier. The forced relocations from the North stand/Family stands are all well and good, but I for one wouldn't want to sit within thousands of kids... You are forcing season ticket holders in all areas of the ground to renew at short notice, move around the ground and leave THEIR seats that they enjoy and have paid their hard earned cash for. What are you trying to achieve? Some kind of American football “best seats in the house” where you can see the quarter back go for 2nd down along the yardage markers? THIS IS NOT AMERICA or London’s EMERITES stadium Gary.
What you have succeeded in doing is too upset lots of season ticket holders in all sections. In level 2 we look at the amount of corporate seats (most just behind you) in level 2 on both sides that are empty for every home game… so messing the season ticket holders about at short notice is a really good idea?… they are the bread and butter of the club.. WE ARE NOT UNITED Gary, that’s what the Glaziers did by demanding that season ticket holders buy all cup games at the swamp… Or is that coming next season on top of the further 17% increase in price from your letter??
I could write all day about your mess, for a “Marketing Man” you are a PR disaster of Gordon Brown proportions. “welcome Uwe Rosler to the Man Utd hall of fame” You would have got a P45 if you had made the same mistake at NIKE.
The embarrassing New York rant “we'll beat United next week” “biggest club in the world” in the middle of the Carling Cup Semi’s… No Gary, we lost after your rantings.. We can only imagine why you were actually in NEW YORK between the semi’s? We’re you seeing one of your Advertising Agencies based in NEW YORK?? Yes Gary, they’ll know loads about Manchester City, Manchester, Our Fans, Football, sorry Soccer, the Premier League won’t they? You made us a laughing stock again in the national press and news channels as this was shown.
THIS IS OUR CITY Gary, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND not NEW YORK.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQsN5I7sX0I[/youtube]
just look at the comments below...
We missed out on the Champions League last Weds night, but one saving grace would be that you are no longer at our club at the start of next season. You may still have Khaldoon and Sheik Monsour fooled (but I doubt it), but the majority of Manchester City fans know that you are a liability and embarrassment at best. But more so you seem to be the biggest distraction and negative influence within the club.
Overall Gary, the buck stops at you, not Mancini, who I’m sure you’ll make him a scapegoat. You have had two seasons of limitless wealth, two seasons to make it into the top four. But no, your main mantra seems to be a self publicist of Simon Cowell proportions. I really hope we don’t have to watch you hug anymore more new players as they walk through the door at Eastlands this summer – It’s embarrassing, but should the manager be doing that, if anyone?
What you should have done was listened to those who knew about the club, about Manchester, the Premier League… But no, that is obviously not your style is it? You walked in and everyone at the club was wrong - How arrogant is that?
It goes on and on Gary, what you have is the easiest job on the planet. Dream club, dream cash, dream bosses and dream supporters.
Just one last point, according to this article
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.designtaxi.com/news.php?id=15085" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.designtaxi.com/news.php?id=15085</a>
you only became “Nike President of the Jordan Brand in January 2008”. Yet only a few months later you were appointed at City who at the time were a mid table club who's chairman (your new boss) was facing jail in his own country. Seems like a unusually short stay in such a globally prestigious international role…
On a positive note, Mr Khaldoon. You come across as a calm, measured and inspirational leader. Just the type of man that should be running our football club without the embarrassing side kick.
But Mr Cook, this being Manchester and not London we tend to tell things like we see it. If you look like a duck, walk like a duck and talk like a duck.. then you're a duck. I hope this isn't lost on you as American's don't usually understand irony.
On top of all that, you are paid at least £1,500,000 a year + living expenses. What a bargain..
Mr Cook,
As a season card level 2 east stand holder I write in reply to your recent letter.
This letter has been sent to address more confusion created by you after the late announcement of next seasons ticket prices and your plans to move, sorry "relocate" season ticket holders around the ground.
After months of speculation on next years prices on here and elsewhere. "will they be fixed" "go down" "be cheaper as they want the ground full" "reward our loyalty" - Your outline pack had none of that, what it announced was an across the board increase of 5%. In fact significantly more than that if you have children and you don't want to relocate and/or sit in a family stand.
Getting straight to the point Mr Cook, you have gone too far this time. We all know that your overall media perception is not very positive outside the club as you have done quite a few questionable things since you joined. However, your proposed treatment of season ticket owners, the North, family Stand and East Stand Level 2 supporters is frankly awful.
Your recent letter states " these enhancements will be designed to provide those fans in Colin Bell and East Stand Level two with a significantly improved match day offering WHETHER by means of an updated concourse, improved food and drink, better seating or improvements to the concourse TV network" How vague? you go on "the club has a clear idea of how these areas MAY look" again vague. But do you? If so why not share it with the fans NOW? Is it part of those that you ALTERNATIVELY DO??, OR ALL OF THOSE THAT MAY HAPPEN??? Sorry, that's me being vague now.. Whatever it is, it is a shocking way to treat fans.
But what this highlights more to me is just how out of touch you are again where Manchester City and the history of the club and supporters are concerned. What you fail to understand is the history of the club and specifically the history of the stands. There is a world of difference between the Colin Bell stand and East Stand, but would you know why? I doubt it... After all, you're not local, not a Man City fan, not even a football man and on top of that you have spent countless years out of the country.
I don't think you are aware, but you can trace the East stands (and most of the fans that choose to sit in it) DNA back into City's history. Going back to Maine Road we had a very famous stand called the Kippax. It was an enormous standing terrace running the entire side length of the pitch opposite the Main stand. It had a capacity of over 26,000 standing supporters, generated a great atmosphere, singing bounced off the roof and we loved it. Other clubs had the terracing behind the goals, but not City, we had a whole side of the pitch to stand in move around. As such the majority of fans grew up and were used to watching the games from the side and not behind the goal. After Hillsborough, it was replaced by a new all seater stand. But the spirit of the Kippax lived on and the club (the owners) encouraged Kippax fans to use the new stand. When we moved to Eastlands, the club again encouraged that the East Stand of COMS was the new Kippax and season card holders should directly transfer to this stand. Hence we did. Now we are established in our seats in the new ground, we like and know the fellow supporters around us, it's a good laugh and nice banter at home games. We like it and we don't want to move again!
But now we get this initiative from you. You could be right to offer this package to the Colin Bell (main stand) side of the ground. It could work there. But LEAVE THE EAST STAND ALONE. Not that you have asked us, but the concourse, TV, food and seats are just fine thank you. So please leave us alone.
As it's the end of the season I think a lot more feedback is in order where you are concerned. Think of it in terms of a staff appraisal - know doubt you will be familiar with the format from your NIKE days.
The question needs ask if you've been a positive or negative force at City since you arrived?
Fans on here have pulled apart players and the manager since last Wednesday night. Players have good and bad games, managers make good and bad decisions.. but all are honest mistakes. However, I feel that the biggest negative and destabling influence at City has been you. I can only think of times you have embarrassed the club and left the fans scratching their heads, I can't think of any real positives. As a fan, I really wish I could...
You have what is without a doubt the easiest job on the planet. You were employed by the previous Chairman who was already in talks to sell his business. You then find yourself employed by the new owners and very luckily for you, not only were they new about the country, they were also new to football and the premier league, but most importantly, they were naive about you.
When you arrived at City you ranted in the press within days about established people/staff within the club who knew the club inside out saying “this isn’t America”, “we are not in London” and “we’re not Man Utd”.
THEY WERE RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!! You had been out of the country for 14 years at this point, but your blind arrogance dismissed those views.
We are Manchester City, we are proud of that, and you should have taken time to understand what that means before your happy clapping/americanised revolution began. Ambition and a "can do" or winning attitude is fine and what we did need.. but a complete disregard to where the club was and the opinions of established staff within the club not. To get somewhere, you need to know where you are starting from.
Mark Hughes.
YOUR first task at City was to employ Mark Hughes and it was you that made that decision, (yes the situation changed after the takeover as he was not the new owners man) the relatively inexperienced manager whose over valued signings of average players (Bridge, Zab, Torre, RSC,) have failed overall this season. What says everything about you is that YOU failed to mention the fact that Hughes was your appointment when you made a complete shambles of his dismissal, your appointment of Mancini and your disgraceful and embarrassing handling of his “welcome” press conference in December. “no questions” was your command. In doing that, you succeeded in turning every single sports journalist against us. Later, when Mancini’s first words exposed you as double dealing at best or a liar at worst. Your reply was to bang the table in frustration as you squirmed in your own mess. Brilliant! You don't take on the English press and expect to bully them like you could have done when multi million dollar Nike advertising contracts were up for grabs. It doesn't work like America here.
Some posters on club forums will say that all media (talksport, SSN, BBC) are against us. The rag and southern club journo's will be threatened by us, thats natural. But that wasn't always the case, once upon a time we were very popular and a lot of fans second club before the takeover and the general feeling was we deserved and were long overdue success when Sheikh Mansour took over. But your actions, arrogance and lack of understanding of where City were has ramped up the media turning against ten fold.
Earlier still, your first major task was the eventually failed bid for Kaka. When he refused you labelled Kaka as “bottling it” to the world's press after they pulled out of your negotiations at the eleventh hour. With £100 million offered to a cash strapped club, you still couldn’t get your man. Kaka’s reasons were that we/YOU were “too cute” with the package offered. Meaning the image rights/shirt deals/marketing shares were part of the players deal. Kaka didn’t want that, they just wanted the cash - A simple EUROPEAN style deal Gary, not some bastardised Michael Jordon AMERICANISED contract from your Nike days. “Too cute” indeed. So far from “bottling it”, you screwed up Gary. “This isn’t America” remember?
The American theme reminds me of this vague “premium experience” you are offering to level 2 sides at the moment as mentioned earlier. The forced relocations from the North stand/Family stands are all well and good, but I for one wouldn't want to sit within thousands of kids... You are forcing season ticket holders in all areas of the ground to renew at short notice, move around the ground and leave THEIR seats that they enjoy and have paid their hard earned cash for. What are you trying to achieve? Some kind of American football “best seats in the house” where you can see the quarter back go for 2nd down along the yardage markers? THIS IS NOT AMERICA or London’s EMERITES stadium Gary.
What you have succeeded in doing is too upset lots of season ticket holders in all sections. In level 2 we look at the amount of corporate seats (most just behind you) in level 2 on both sides that are empty for every home game… so messing the season ticket holders about at short notice is a really good idea?… they are the bread and butter of the club.. WE ARE NOT UNITED Gary, that’s what the Glaziers did by demanding that season ticket holders buy all cup games at the swamp… Or is that coming next season on top of the further 17% increase in price from your letter??
I could write all day about your mess, for a “Marketing Man” you are a PR disaster of Gordon Brown proportions. “welcome Uwe Rosler to the Man Utd hall of fame” You would have got a P45 if you had made the same mistake at NIKE.
The embarrassing New York rant “we'll beat United next week” “biggest club in the world” in the middle of the Carling Cup Semi’s… No Gary, we lost after your rantings.. We can only imagine why you were actually in NEW YORK between the semi’s? We’re you seeing one of your Advertising Agencies based in NEW YORK?? Yes Gary, they’ll know loads about Manchester City, Manchester, Our Fans, Football, sorry Soccer, the Premier League won’t they? You made us a laughing stock again in the national press and news channels as this was shown.
THIS IS OUR CITY Gary, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND not NEW YORK.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQsN5I7sX0I[/youtube]
just look at the comments below...
We missed out on the Champions League last Weds night, but one saving grace would be that you are no longer at our club at the start of next season. You may still have Khaldoon and Sheik Monsour fooled (but I doubt it), but the majority of Manchester City fans know that you are a liability and embarrassment at best. But more so you seem to be the biggest distraction and negative influence within the club.
Overall Gary, the buck stops at you, not Mancini, who I’m sure you’ll make him a scapegoat. You have had two seasons of limitless wealth, two seasons to make it into the top four. But no, your main mantra seems to be a self publicist of Simon Cowell proportions. I really hope we don’t have to watch you hug anymore more new players as they walk through the door at Eastlands this summer – It’s embarrassing, but should the manager be doing that, if anyone?
What you should have done was listened to those who knew about the club, about Manchester, the Premier League… But no, that is obviously not your style is it? You walked in and everyone at the club was wrong - How arrogant is that?
It goes on and on Gary, what you have is the easiest job on the planet. Dream club, dream cash, dream bosses and dream supporters.
Just one last point, according to this article
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.designtaxi.com/news.php?id=15085" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.designtaxi.com/news.php?id=15085</a>
you only became “Nike President of the Jordan Brand in January 2008”. Yet only a few months later you were appointed at City who at the time were a mid table club who's chairman (your new boss) was facing jail in his own country. Seems like a unusually short stay in such a globally prestigious international role…
On a positive note, Mr Khaldoon. You come across as a calm, measured and inspirational leader. Just the type of man that should be running our football club without the embarrassing side kick.
But Mr Cook, this being Manchester and not London we tend to tell things like we see it. If you look like a duck, walk like a duck and talk like a duck.. then you're a duck. I hope this isn't lost on you as American's don't usually understand irony.
On top of all that, you are paid at least £1,500,000 a year + living expenses. What a bargain..