The "Swales Out" Campaign

[Didsbury Dave]

Although a confirmed KIppaxite of about 20 years at the time I spent that season and a couple more as a regular in the Directors box.

The shenanigans that went on through that period marked everyone involved out as rank amateurs, something I have talked about before.

I was as happy as anyone to see Swales move on but I didn't celebrate the anointing of FHL and have very little time for him as chairman.

There was talk at the time of a much richer person being willing to take on the clubs debt, invest what was then the astronomical figure of £10m on the team and develop Maine Road. The person had apparently provided proof of funds but decided against buying the club as he saw the FHL campaign as to powerful.

We got Franny and as you all now know he made some awful decisions, was worse than Swales for getting involved in team affairs and had now real desire to invest in the club.

Swales might well have loved the power as much as the club, but it is my humble opinion, based on conversations I had with all of those big names at that time (including Buzzer BTW) that FHL loved City less, far less. FHL was in it for profit and for profile.

Is the other interested party you refer to the guy who was head of Granada at the time? Not sure how much cash he had if he is. If he isn't tell more, because that's a part of our history I need to know!

Franny was just as bad as Swales, I totally agree. He did the deal on the stadium and sharpened up the merchandise side, but he was an appalling man manager and poisoned the club.

Don't know about profit but he was certainly in it for profile. A deeply arrogant man.

 

[leithblue]

I seem to recall the tannoy announcements at the Kippax candlelit vigil saying that they were a fire risk? Cue hundreds of lighters being held aloft (like watching a power ballad video) to join in.

Somewhere on a video somewhere is Franny walking across the Maine Road forecourt with me in a shockingly bad jacket in the background. I still have one of the Daily Mirror badges too.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Swales basically ran City like one of his TV shops in Altrincham.

I can't help but think he allowed his heart to rule his head, and for all his failings, it was his obsession of being City chairman and overhauling United, which clouded his thinking.

I got swept up when the Franny headlines first hit, but on reflection, Franny was no better.

Colin Barlow was reported to have taken £75k a year out of the club - for poncing around with his silk hankerchief.

One main player was John 'The Rug' Dunklerley, who helped prop up Franny with some cash.

At the time, Stephen Boler was the vital cog. He made his money through the Limelight Group and was the real power behind the throne.

He and his front man, jumped-up accountant Ashley Thomas also propped up the Swales era.

To which time, Boler decided to save the white rhino.

He died on Safari and his son Mark now brown-noses United at Mere Golf and Country.

The fan of the board- Dave Wallace - merely window dressing and lip service.

Only City could be involved in such a script and owned by two dead men, long after they had gone.

As for Franny, he sullied his previous good name. A £12m debt to McCalpines for building the Kippax became a huge burden to carry.

 

[pominoz]

Didn't go in the kippax much at the time and memories are very vague but I remember the protests at the back of the Main Stand after most home games and always found them quite exciting to be honest.

I watched the City: A club in crisis (or whatever it's called) not so long back and was astounded by the boardroom interview when they gave John Bond the job. Unbelievable incompetence

That 1981 documentary, simply called "City!", shows you all you need to know about Peter Swales.

For the young un's
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3KVEy1XKoc[/youtube]

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Although a confirmed KIppaxite of about 20 years at the time I spent that season and a couple more as a regular in the Directors box.

The shenanigans that went on through that period marked everyone involved out as rank amateurs, something I have talked about before.

I was as happy as anyone to see Swales move on but I didn't celebrate the anointing of FHL and have very little time for him as chairman.

There was talk at the time of a much richer person being willing to take on the clubs debt, invest what was then the astronomical figure of £10m on the team and develop Maine Road. The person had apparently provided proof of funds but decided against buying the club as he saw the FHL campaign as to powerful.

We got Franny and as you all now know he made some awful decisions, was worse than Swales for getting involved in team affairs and had now real desire to invest in the club.

Swales might well have loved the power as much as the club, but it is my humble opinion, based on conversations I had with all of those big names at that time (including Buzzer BTW) that FHL loved City less, far less. FHL was in it for profit and for profile.

Is the other interested party you refer to the guy who was head of Granada at the time? Not sure how much cash he had if he is. If he isn't tell more, because that's a part of our history I need to know!

Franny was just as bad as Swales, I totally agree. He did the deal on the stadium and sharpened up the merchandise side, but he was an appalling man manager and poisoned the club.

Don't know about profit but he was certainly in it for profile. A deeply arrogant man.

The other interested party was former newspaper tycoon Eddie 'Fat Man' Shah.

 

[fbloke]

Although a confirmed KIppaxite of about 20 years at the time I spent that season and a couple more as a regular in the Directors box.

The shenanigans that went on through that period marked everyone involved out as rank amateurs, something I have talked about before.

I was as happy as anyone to see Swales move on but I didn't celebrate the anointing of FHL and have very little time for him as chairman.

There was talk at the time of a much richer person being willing to take on the clubs debt, invest what was then the astronomical figure of £10m on the team and develop Maine Road. The person had apparently provided proof of funds but decided against buying the club as he saw the FHL campaign as to powerful.

We got Franny and as you all now know he made some awful decisions, was worse than Swales for getting involved in team affairs and had now real desire to invest in the club.

Swales might well have loved the power as much as the club, but it is my humble opinion, based on conversations I had with all of those big names at that time (including Buzzer BTW) that FHL loved City less, far less. FHL was in it for profit and for profile.

Is the other interested party you refer to the guy who was head of Granada at the time? Not sure how much cash he had if he is. If he isn't tell more, because that's a part of our history I need to know!

Franny was just as bad as Swales, I totally agree. He did the deal on the stadium and sharpened up the merchandise side, but he was an appalling man manager and poisoned the club.

Don't know about profit but he was certainly in it for profile. A deeply arrogant man.

I never found out who the other guy was, but I was once sat at a table with someone who had 'invested' money with FHL as part of the takeover and in very simple terms even he was gutted that the other party walked away.

(Why would someone backing FHL ne so 'gutted'?)

I don't think it is fair to name some of the lesser known names involved as many of them we're so focussed in getting Swales out they quite literally wrote cheques out backing FHL to do that.

I would say there were expectations that were very seriously not met once Franny got into the club.

 

[ALL OUR LIVES]

He loved City and had things worked out on the pitch would have been a hero.

The campaign to oust him was a disgrace. Forward with Franny. Well that worked didn't it.

Peter Swales remains entrenched in our history.

 

[DTKOAG]

Does anyone know if Bernard Halford is considering writing a book about his time at City.
That would be a bombshell.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Is the other interested party you refer to the guy who was head of Granada at the time? Not sure how much cash he had if he is. If he isn't tell more, because that's a part of our history I need to know!

Franny was just as bad as Swales, I totally agree. He did the deal on the stadium and sharpened up the merchandise side, but he was an appalling man manager and poisoned the club.

Don't know about profit but he was certainly in it for profile. A deeply arrogant man.

The other interested party was former newspaper tycoon Eddie 'Fat Man' Shah.

Do you know, that's rung a little bell somewhere. How keen was he? Is FBloke right that it was the momentum behind the Forward With Franny campaign which kept him out?

 

[fbloke]

Swales basically ran City like one of his TV shops in Altrincham.

I can't help but think he allowed his heart to rule his head, and for all his failings, it was his obsession of being City chairman and overhauling United, which clouded his thinking.

I got swept up when the Franny headlines first hit, but on reflection, Franny was no better.

Colin Barlow was reported to have taken £75k a year out of the club - for poncing around with his silk hankerchief.

One main player was John 'The Rug' Dunklerley, who helped prop up Franny with some cash.

At the time, Stephen Boler was the vital cog. He made his money through the Limelight Group and was the real power behind the throne.

He and his front man, jumped-up accountant Ashley Thomas also propped up the Swales era.

To which time, Boler decided to save the white rhino.

He died on Safari and his son Mark now brown-noses United at Mere Golf and Country.

The fan of the board- Dave Wallace - merely window dressing and lip service.

Only City could be involved in such a script and owned by two dead men, long after they had gone.

As for Franny, he sullied his previous good name. A £12m debt to McCalpines for building the Kippax became a huge burden to carry.

Colin Barlow, John Dunkerley and Franny Lee or

Freddie Pie, Steve Boler and Peter Swales

You choose :-)