Leeds United: Back on the Brink of Destruction

Article by e-Leeds Correspondent Jeremy Taylor

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The past few days have brought something unusual to Leeds United, something the fans are not used to at all; peace and quiet. Silence.

For a club so used to eventful drama and controversial talking points, the past week has been eerily quiet as the entire club hangs in a state of suspension ahead of the Football League’s decision on the Cellino takeover. A decision that, as the days have rolled by and the exposition of back story unfolds, seems increasingly likely to hold both the short term and long terms future of this club in its hands.

If reports in the media are to be believed, Leeds United could even enter administration by the end of the month if Massimo Cellino, for whatever reason, fails to take control at Elland Road. For this to be a reality, so soon after the last time the club teetered on the brink, is utterly appalling.

One of the things that have become abundantly clear is that GFH and GFHC have failed miserably in their task as custodians of the club. Many followers, myself included, understood that their goal was to steady the ship, find suitable investors and then hand over the reigns to more appropriate hands. Because of this clarity of objective, a certain lack of investment was accepted and progress was understood to require some time.

However, what has transpired now in terms of the shocking state of the clubs finances shows that in fact GFH have been grossly negligent in how they have handled affairs since they took over from the malignant Kenneth Bates. To be in a position now where they cannot even pay staff wages without taking large loans from anyone prepared to offer them shows beyond any doubt that they had no business getting involved with Leeds United at all.

It’s no surprise that Bates sold the club to unsuitable people. He would have sold the club to Bashar Al-Assad should the colour of his money been correct. What’s surprising is that, given his previous comments about people with empty promises and empty pockets, he ultimately sold Leeds United to an outfit with next to no working capital or ability to sustain the business at all. Or did they?

A theory that makes a lot of sense right now is that GFH had a level of investment they were prepared to make in Leeds and that amount has now been exhausted. They probably felt that selling Leeds United on would be no problem at all once Bates was out of the negotiating room and that their return on investment along with the retention of shares would be merely a formality and completed long before their pot of cash ran out.

For whatever reason though the tap has been turned off, investment failed to materialise quick enough and now there is no money left at all, leaving the likes of David Haigh and Salem Patel left to face the baying mob.

It’s also fair to assume that, had the Flowers / Haigh consortium progressed with their initial offer then none of this might have come to light. The executives at GFH would have been slapping each others backs and joking about how close they had come to running the well dry. But when the consortium reduced their offer significantly at the last minute, it swung the door wide open to the Cellino family – simply because they were the only party left at the table with the ability to bail out GFH quick enough.

This idea also accounts for the fact that the Flowers/Farnan consortium is no longer welcome at the negotiating table.

Still, the news that we are losing £1m a month is incredible. What has changed in the past 10 or so months that’s seen the club go from a relatively stable financial footing to an outfit hemorrhaging cash to such a degree?

Or is it just the case that GFH painted a rosy picture to all and sundry when in fact the state of affairs was so bad that they were desperate to sell.

Was this what the Flowers consortium discovered that led to new terms being offered?

If things were so bad then why did GFH buy the club from Bates in the first place?

Far too many questions and unknowns, as usual.

Dangerous Position

Without indulging in a traditional pastime of Leeds United fans and conjuring up conspiracy theories, it’s hard not to be nervous about the fact that the future of the club could come down to the decision of a handful of men at the Football League. A group all hailing from the generation that will have witnessed the rise and fall of the Don Revie era, a generation that, barring the small percentage that supported them, actually watched on with a dislike that has only ripened over the years.

That and of course the fact that the group includes a certain Shaun Harvey; a man so despised by the club that he was run out of Leeds United without any delay. If this doesn’t make Leeds fans nervous then it probably should.

Some sources have claimed that the owner’s test is a mere formality and that Cellino has not only exercised any potential sticking points but also has the legal muscle to blow any opposition to him out of the water.

Still, one cannot help but imagine scenes similar to those from the third instalment to Puzo’s Godfather franchise, whereby Michael Corleone is attempting to purchase a controlling stake in Immobiliare, only for events to turn against him due to not all parties ‘sailing in the same direction’.

Obviously this is fantasy and slightly amusing, but still the concern remains about what will actually happen with this takeover.

While it serves absolutely no purpose to mention, it won’t have escaped McDermott’s attentions how well Reading are now performing under Nigel Adkins. Looking past the fact it’s his previous club, they have attacked the league in a similar way to how they did under McDermott’s stewardship, growing in strength and looking increasingly unstoppable as the league enters the final stretch.

He must be watching on with quiet envy and frustration at how things have unfolded for him at Elland Road so differently. Still, Adkins would point back to Southampton and argue that he had his fare share of boardroom nonsense to put up with there too.

Thankfully though, whatever Brian quietly thinks when at home with his family, he’s far too much of a professional to take it to the training ground. When with the players he’ll be talking of ability, of winning matches and climbing towards the playoffs.

He’ll remind the players that things change quickly in football and, should things actually work out well for Leeds United and Cellino’s takeover is ratified quickly, there will be nothing standing in the way of them ‘doing a Reading’ and stringing wins together. There’s still more than enough run way left for a team to take off towards promotion, but in Leeds’ case they are nothing if not consistent in their self imposed handicaps.

Fans must continue to be patient and calm and support the team, hopeful that justice will be done and Cellino will finally take over at Leeds United.

Cynics would say it’s a given things will all end in tears for the club, but even if they do – they’re still due some laughs first surely!

@jezaldinho

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