Fair enough, does it matter?

not realy just pointing you in the wright direction.

So Duffen's gone, the arrogant tw'i't. On a personal level I'm pleased because I couldn't stand the man and thought he only worked for one of the tenants - the one which put most profits in his boss's companies' coffers.

However, City and the SMC are still in a financial mess and Duffen the scapegoat going does not change that. This Russell Bartlett character who has emerged out of the woodwork in recent months still sits proudly at the helm of both companies. As owner, I guess he has full say in who he appoints as CEO of both. This probably means another Duffen.

For all the council say the CEO of the SMC could be different to City's, I can't see how that can be implemented by them unless there was a caveat in the original agreements. So was Minns lying to FC Voices?

So, we're stuck with Barlett's choice. That makes me feel that Hull are a little bit like a King on a chessboard. A player with a right to be on that board that can't be got rid of until the end, but without any control over what happens on the rest of the chessboard. Perhaps we will be safely castled, shoved into the corner and ignored again.

It is crazy that the Council gave up their rights completely to control of the SMC on it's conception - a short sighted view that Pearson could be trusted is inexcusable. I like Pearson (and hope the SMC gets him back) but with the best will in the world Pearson could only be trusted as long as he was there, as soon as he was gone look what happened. The precedent was set for whichever bankroller who decides to buy City to come in and have complete control over OUR city's community stadium. This is so wrong it makes my blood boil.

Who IS this Bartlett? Someone whose business strategies are veiled in confusion and uncertainty? Someone who has nothing to do with and no interest in this town apart from what profits he can made out of our stadium and the football club? How do his multiple businesses work? Can he leech funds from one to prop up others that have no relation to the SMC or Hull City? I don't know the answers to any of these questions. But I bet our oh-so-generous Council doesn't either.

If the SMC goes bust what happens then? Is what's left of the company sold to it's creditors? Does control even pass back to the council or does yet another indiscriminate third party shove his hand up in the air for a whirl around the dancefloor? Who pays for the upkeep of the stadium in the meantime?

In any event, whoever Barlett appoints as the new CEO of both will be working for Bartlett. Not just City and the SMC, be it Pearson or whoever. Just like Duffen was.

Wonder if the white Lambo is going back then.....

So Duffen has gone, what a shame!

brown to follow when the new man is in place (Pearson)

Evidently some of the Bookies have stopped taking bets on Brown going.

TBF , not many managers with such a poor record over the last year would still be in the job.

Swann is correct in his appraisal in the HDM - get rid of Brown now.

Sounds like it's Burns Alone, then.

Defeat this weekend and Brown will be dismantling his tanning booth.

To me the best thing that happened when Duffen and co bought city was that they did not get there hands on the ownership of the actual stadium.They were and probably still are into property development and wanted the stadium and the surrounding area to develop a casino and hotel , they thought the council would just roll over and give them what they wanted.
In regards to the SMC i like others feel that neither of the tenant clubs should head up the board but both should have a representation.The stadium was built for the whole community of Hull but in two years nothing has been done by Duffen who's only interest was the premiership.It has to be a priority for the SMC under Pearson to get back to attracting other things to the staduim especially international rugby.

and U21 internationals

IMO that's the only reason they ever rolled into town.

i agree. and we can live in hope.

The difference then, though, was that Pearson was working for himself as owner. Now, he'll be working for Bartlett as one small cog in a wheel. The thing is, that wheel looks a bit loose and the various cogs will be used to whatever effect to ensure that wheel is still capable of trundling it's owner along.

As is always the case in these matters, rumour and counter-rumour fly back and forth, but one already coming to the fore is that Pearson is coming back to secure new funding for Hull City, possibly in the shape of new owners.

Just something for you to ponder.

Wasn't Pearson the front for the money man last time though?

Don't think I'll waste my time if it's all the same to you.

Not so much a front man. He borrowed the cash to buy City in 2001 from his mate Pete Wilkinson (internet squillionaire from Harrogate), and gradually paid it back, on top of helping get the KC Stadium up and running.

ah is that why you replied then?

Not sure what your issue is with Russell Bartlett, but he most definately has not made a profit our of the football club and I couldn't give a flying fook about any profits his makes from the stadium Management Company because at the end of the day that is HIS. If anything he has heen shafted by Duffens business incompetence.

Nice to meet you Russell.

It took about 10 seconds to reply. I'm certainly not bothered what goes on with the tiggers. Obviously, I will have an interest who is going to be the new face of the SMC, but as Hull FC will have no bearing on this I certainly arne't going to ponder anything



What will be, will be. I just hope the tiggers get what they deserve, which would be a fall from grace along the lines of Southampton, Charlton, Leeds, Forest, Sheff Wed etc, I'm sure you get the picture.

Why do they deserve it? Genuine question.

Absolutely nothing against him at all, or, TBH, any of the money men who come in to make a go of Hull City.

I guess my issue is with the council who have appeared to have mis-managed the whole set up of the SMC by gifting it's control to whichever entrepreneur cares to have a crack at City. I suppose the warning bells started ringing when Duffen the Mule first took the helm not even knowing of Hull FC's existence.

Flippin Heck Marlon King getting bed & breakfast courtesy of her majesty..no wonder they got rid

Hull city have obviously come a long way and grown over the past 10 years, but unfortunately, so has their ego imo.

The opening of the KC stadium coincided with the Hull City resurgence, and as someone who has always been a Hull FC supporter, but used to attend Boothferry Park regularly in the late 80’s and early 90’s, I was over the moon. That was until the large chip started to appear on many tiggers fans shoulders, with the continued claim that the council funded stadium was theirs, not a community stadium, not a shared stadium, but theirs. I was also not best pleased when someone who was directly involved with Hull City was allowed to effectively run the stadium, this should never have been allowed to happen and I am sure City fans would have had something to say if Shane Richardson had taken on the role instead.

Pearson did at least acknowledge Hull FC and RL and was certainly better than Duffen, but he still made sure that he (SMC) or Hull City made gains from Hull FC fans. When the stadium first opened, half way through the football season, the first signs of this were exposed. A close friend, who at the time was a season pass holder for both clubs bought a car parking pass for the remainder of the football season from the stadium. He paid by cheque and was informed to make it payable to Hull City AFC. However, a few months later when buying his Hull FC season pass he wanted to again pay for a parking spot, but was told this time to make the cheque payable to the SMC. The gentleman in question smelt a rat and let his feelings be known, but was told that it must have been a mistake when he made the cheque payable to Hull City a few months earlier. But when it came to renewing his Hull City season pass and paying for the parking again, yes you’ve guessed it, the cheque would be paid to Hull City. He told them to ram it, along with the season pass and has never been to watch them since.

Throw into the mix the general arrogance of a large proportion of City supporters and that of the club, then it is quite easy for someone who used to at least have a general interest in the team to grow a strong dislike for them.

Any interest or feelings of good will I had for the tiggers was blown out of the water when Duffen denied the RL fans in this City the opportunity to watch International RL in the community stadium of Hull because he didn’t know when City would be playing. As clear an example of his general incompetence as you will ever get. England v Australia at the KC would sell out no problem, and he dismissed that out of hand, but I suppose he was wearing his City hat as opposed to his SMC hat when he made that decision. Can you imagine what would happen should England be awarded the World Cup and the KC be selected as a potential venue only for Kath Hetherington (who for the sake of this argument is the chairperson of the SMC) to say “unfortunately the fixtures for the 2018 super league season are not available yet so the FA/FIFA can’t use MY stadium”.

When City get relegated and everything goes t**s up, the only people I will feel sorry for are the 7-8000 true fans who would still go and watch them.