Media Thread 2020/21

[bluealf]

Surely one of the biggest criticisms of this insistence that somehow there’s sportswashing going on is the fact that everything MCFC does gets picked up on and turned into a negative story about Abu Dhabi? If sportswashing was the motive then it‘s failed.

Nail on head.

 

[burning blue soul]

Some very good points. I would argue that Khaldoon is the face of City and he is regularly seen in attendance. Mansour put his top man in charge. We are an investment not a photo opportunity.

Modern football doesn't allow an owner to blend into the background.
Most owners, these days are front and centre.
I like Khaldoon, he is a very good CEO and club front man, but the images of the Leicester owner on the Wembley pitch is what fans and media want to see these days.
The day after the media are glorifying Leicester ownership model as organic!!!.... fucking organic, lol!!!!!
But this is where we are now, bullshit gazumps brilliance!

 

[leithblue]

The likes of Delaney and Cohen have backed themselves into a very tight corner. They can criticize the human rights record of Abu Dhabi but very soon one of their darling clubs will be taken over and not by a local car dealer. How will they squirm out of it when they have to justify new owners from the gulf or China? Probably the same way they stay silent on clubs like Liverpool going to Dubai for warm weather training

Given Ireland didn’t decriminalise homosexuality until 1993 nor did it permit abortion until even more recently, will Delaney soon produce a retrospective saying that the Jack Charlton teams should have been shunned?

I’m not criticising Ireland by the way and am gratefully aware that the laws and environment created since the 80s are a model for tolerance and acceptance. But it shows that a state, with institutionalised beliefs, cannot change overnight. You cooperate with those states, not scream at them from the sidelines- if anything the way that the owners have funded the women’s team, city in the community etc are a glimmer of hope that there is a willingness to reform in some areas back home

 

[burning blue soul]

Of course in the past none of us seemed to know whether our majority shareholders were in attendance or not. We expected our chairman or CEO to be there and Khaldoon usually does attend, as does Ferran. But in the past did we ever make a big song and dance about whether David Makin (I’m sure he did attend every game but it wasn’t broadcast) or Stephen Boler (who kept Swales in power with his large shareholding) were there?

No media person pointed to our ownership and questioned whether they attended.

Bottom line is some newspapers want to sell content; some journalists want to get headlines and readers... MCFC and us fans are an easy target.

As someone who has received abuse off one of these so called professional journalists I’ve decided to ignore them. My words won’t stop them and their editors and owners (let’s not forget ALL newspapers are owned by someone and journalists have to write content that their editors and owners want otherwise they’d be moved on).

Let’s not fuel their need for readers and attention.

I agree with you, but we must make ourselves a harder target.
Times have changed.
The media put the battle for hearts and minds at the centre of everything. And we all know, as football fans, this is one sport where the heart overrides the mind at every turn.
We have suffered, basically, a nationwide bullying campaign against the club AND fans (especially fans), happening for the last 12 years!
It has escalated since Pep become unstoppable because we show how badly other clubs are run, and how well football can be played when done right, the scale of imitation from premier league right down to school level is testament to that.
And that is part of the problem, we are too good, too well run, too successful, and the only recourse from jealous rival fans (and the leech type journalists who feed them) is to question the integrity of the owners and financial (mis)management of the club. It is the only way oppo fans can make peace with their own clubs mediocrity.
A few more surprise visits every season by the big cheese is a win-win approach, as far as I'm concerned.
We are in desperate need of a human face for the clubs fans and to look to, it is also harder for the media to abuse somebody in their presence than from afar.
At present our club is perceived as state owned, because that what it looks like.... as unpalatable as that is.

 

[bluealf]

At present our club is perceived as state owned, because that what it looks like.... as unpalatable as that is.

A fair post but I have just pulled this one bit out to ask...

Why does it look like it is state-owned?

Nobody says Godolphin racing is state-owned, neither do they say it for all the other Arab-based owners, in fact their input and investment into British racing is only heralded as a good thing for the BHA.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Crown Prince of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum the deputy ruler of Dubai and the minister of finance and industry of the United Arab Emirates. He was the second son of the late ruler Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, its Minister of Defence, and ruler of the Emirate of Dubai.

Could you get any more state-owned than the last example but nope not a single word against them for what they do for racing.

Our owner has come in and done so much for East Manchester and beyond but he is never given any credit for that at all.

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

Today’s Mirror
Wow just ....WOW , English football just gets better and better , we are truly blessed in this country . Swashbuckling Chelsea have brushed aside Europe’s elite to storm their way to the pinnacle of the beautiful game, the champions league final. Magnificent Manchester United’s mixture of free transfers and academy players have gone all the way to their own European final , where they face the big spending juggernaut that is Villareal. And finally we saw Alisson produce the highlight of highlights when he eclipsed Panenka failure Aguero’s winning goal a few years back. The shot stopping bravery of the best Brazilian keeper in the league is well known. But who knew he was so deadly with his napper. The scenes of joy from the 30 people connected to Liverpool in the Hawthorns was amazing. Think 93.20 at the Etihad and times it by 100. What a goal, what a keeper, what a team, what resilience. Liverpool we salute you.

Kenny Toshack StJohn

haha oh dear

 

[burning blue soul]

A fair post but I have just pulled this one bit out to ask...

Why does it look like it is state-owned?

Nobody says Godolphin racing is state-owned, neither do they say it for all the other Arab-based owners, in fact their input and investment into British racing is only heralded as a good thing for the BHA.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Crown Prince of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum the deputy ruler of Dubai and the minister of finance and industry of the United Arab Emirates. He was the second son of the late ruler Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, its Minister of Defence, and ruler of the Emirate of Dubai.

Could you get any more state-owned than the last example but nope not a single word against them for what they do for racing.

Our owner has come in and done so much for East Manchester and beyond but he is never given any credit for that at all.

I agree with every word you say, every last one.

But, what is right and what is true doesn't always transpose into what is accepted (or spun). Football is not racing.
Football was born in the working class suburbs of Northern England. Racing is most certainly not a working class sport, in fact racing has a very rich Arabian history (well, the animals do, anyway). Horses for courses (if you will excuse the pun).
Arabian interest in racing is encouraged and welcome, for those into their 'istry stables! ;)
Prem Football is, these days, held to a higher degree of inspection of owner identity than ever before. As usual the red pricks kicked all that off with celebrity wanker owners doing keepie-ups in the ctr circle in the 90s!!!
Then in roles Roman at Chelsea and you have a guy "in it for the love of Chelsea and Football. Just look at how much love-money he throws at Chelsea"
An owner who is absent is automatically perceived as suspect by other fans and media. It's bullshit, but to quote 3 guys from Queen's, NY "It's like that, and that's the way it is, huh!!!"

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

For all lurkers...... We are City and we don't give a shit what you think, we're winning and it hurts you soooo much.

 

[StillBluessinceHydeRoad]

The likes of Delaney and Cohen have backed themselves into a very tight corner. They can criticize the human rights record of Abu Dhabi but very soon one of their darling clubs will be taken over and not by a local car dealer. How will they squirm out of it when they have to justify new owners from the gulf or China? Probably the same way they stay silent on clubs like Liverpool going to Dubai for warm weather training

Sorry but this isn't the case because they are not concerned in the slightest in justifying anything or anybody. Their sole concern is to criticise City and anything connected with City. The truth isn't any concern of theirs either - if the truth won't provide any grounds for criticism lies will do just as well and they don't have to feel embarrassed at all about a good dose of hypocrisy. Liverpool go to Dubai for warm weather training? Arsenal get revenue from Dubai? United from a Saudi Bank, Aeroflot? Bugger that, they'll just keep quiet on that. The aim is to put the boot into City not to give a damn about human rights, fairness or any of that crap. Don't mention anything that shows the rags or dipperpool in a negative light: if they don't mention any of that, no-one else will ask any awkward questions.

 

[Chris in London]

It obviously is too much to ask.

It doesn't matter how busy the owner is, 1 visit in 12 years, no matter what, is not a good ratio.

No, that’s not right.

The main problem is security. Sheikh Mansour is a very high profile target. There would have to be extremely thorough security measures put in place for any prearranged visit. It’s a very big deal. Every indication we get is that he is emotionally as well as financially invested in City. Even his son’s birthday cake was City.

Of course, he can do it under the radar, like he did when we first played Barcelona. But again there are diplomatic issues that arise from a person very close to the head of government of one country making flying unannounced visits to another. City may be a private investment but Sheikh Mansour is not a private individual.