I was once proffered sound advice by a highly respected seasoned journalist. who spent most of his life with a national newspaper; a golden nugget of advice to one young, naive Michael Knighton ... 'Never dare to criticise any journalist or the press" he advised "You simply can't win - it's like lighting a bloody blue touch paper". I have always cherished that advice because it came from a man I deeply respect. Wasn't my journalist friend spot on - as if we didn't already know what to expect!
The newspapers' response to our piece in Tuesday night's Match Programme was entirely predictable - their response was brilliant. As bright as any firework you could ever wish to see - I might as well have thrown a lighted match into a chest of glittering fire crackers. Haven't we just touched a raw nerve? Daring to do a bit of finger pointing ourselves. Pointing a finger firmly at several local hero cult-like (they believe) journalists - never mind lighting a touch paper. we have lit up the sky with their wrath: hell hath no fury like a newspaper scorned!
THANK YOU to all those fans who have telephoned or written to the Club with their support for our stance against these people who serve up their offerings to us on a weekly basis.
Crikey! What a firework display ignited across the following day's local press (22.04.98). A spectacular display (of Edinburgh International Festival proportions) as the press colourfully Catherine-wheeled, rocketed. banged and sparkled to their own pitiful defence.
IF THE CAP FITS WEAR IT. My goodness aren't the hero titan-like columnists wearing the cap as if tailor-made. Their crackerjack indignation is pure November 5th entertainment.... They splutter "a 2,700 word attack" from Knighton ...."nothing like it in forty years"' they hector ...they urge all fans NOT TO "hand over any more of their money to attend Brunton Park' - they squeal in exploding anger - rocketing their hatred of Knighton to new galactic heights.
Yes, a fine jumping jack display. All totally predictable - BRILLIANT. Friends, they are wounded - deeply. David has slung his shot and hit a bulls eye - straight into Goliath's computer screen forehead. Titan is limping and whimpering to a spectacular fizzled out phut - like a dud firework. Our Greek titan-like columnist legend has been truly kebabbed by his own trusty sword and he doesn't like it. His firecracker rocket's trajectory has jettisoned from its milk bottle massively off course straight up his titan backside.
Myself and everyone at the Club, especially our silent majority fan bid are proud to say that WE STAND BY EVERY SINGLE WORD PIECE in last Tuesday's Match Programme.
But do remember - WE CAN NEVER WIN. The press cannot be beaten. The all-powerful Goliath press (even at local level) can swat our club like a fly. The titan columnists in the world of planet football are the true rulers.
But WE CAN let our views be known via our Matchday programme and, from time to time, we will continue to do so.
Remember, the Club's REAL FANS are needed most in the difficult times. This is a very difficult time - made all the more difficult by the hysterical hectoring of the ill-informed and petty columnists that we have to deal with on a daily basis. Amazingly in both the good and the bad times for the club.
I find it particularly sweet that someone at the paper had actually counted the number of words of my piece, such was their indignation at it being 2.700 words. How dare I write so much about our dearly beloved and cherished local press. It would probably take me the rest of my lifetime to count the number of words of vitriol which must surely run in into several thousands of words which have spread out across the pages of the local press about Michael Knighton over these last few years. But I'm not counting. I don't deny for one moment that they have been quick to explode with praise at times. However, I have also never for one moment believed the "sincerity" of that praise. It is a well known adage that "newspapers only set you up to pull you down with a thump and then put the boot in when you are on the floor". They will always cast iron guaranteed, revert to type. That is the way of the journalistic fraternity which mirror. perhaps even create, our modern day society.
The Club takes enormous comfort from the supporter base of real fans who stay with us when we are all on the floor. A VERY BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL for sticking with us. We will continue to do our very best on your behalf.
The glory hunter fans, the bullying-boo-boys, can go forever. They should join their sparkling firecracker hero columnists and dance round their own bonfire of hell and fury. Such titan-like journalist columnists should deem it a great privilege to write for such an outstandingly good, respected and reputable local newspaper like the Cumberland News and the News & Star. It appears that those ill-informed few choose to abuse their privileged status by electing to fill their column inches with vindictive rhetoric against those who are only trying to serve the local community by working so very hard for the local football club. For non-football enthusiasts. I am so sorry all this bunkum has become so pathetically puerile. Can we really believe it of grown adults - silly isn't it!
Again, the thrust of the newspaper response has, as usual, COMPLETELY MISSED THE POINT. The newspaper has quite deliberately turned the entire issue around to a personal confrontation between the newspaper and Michael Knighton. The result of their inevitable. some would argue, "phoney" 'phone poll - Knighton -v- News & Star ... I had to laugh when Mike Brennan (one of the News & Star's more sensible and reasonable journalists) telephoned me to tell me the result of their poll. I was quick to say 'Wait Mike, before you say a word, I will tell you the result - 90% in favour of the press, 10% in favour of Knighton" .... we both spontaneously laughed out loud .... "No Michael" came the reply "you are out by 1%, 91% in favour of the paper, 9% in favour of yourself". Again, we continued our mutual derision. Continuing on this theme of polls, our fans will not be surprised to learn that so far the letters that the Club has received have produced virtually the precise REVERSE STATISTICS, some 96% in favour of the Club and a measly 4% in favour of the paper!
The point is, the local press and their columnists should simply stick to facts and report the football as it is, rather than seek to ridicule management and coaching staff. Their colleagues in the media at Border TV and CFM Radio could never be accused (at least in this particular debate) of the same style of reporting as that adopted by individual columnists in the local press - and, perhaps, a media colleague or two at BBC Radio Cumbria. Border TV and CFM have played all the incidents and performances encountered this season STRAIGHT DOWN THE LINE in a fair, constructively critical, mature and responsible style. Whilst, at the same time, managing to ask the same piercing questions that every supporter needs answers to. Now that is professional journalism and Border TV and CFM deserve credit for their well balanced, fair-minded and professional reporting.
As was predicted, the inevitable 'phone-in facility was provided in the paper's "MONSTERING" of Michael Knighton. Again, I thought it touchingly sweet that the paper is donating the 'phone poll profit to the PFA. The PFA is an organisation with millions and millions of pounds sitting on bank deposit. It is charged, by some, that it is an agency partly responsible for fuelling the very financial crisis that many lower League clubs are facing - largely via their actions (as a hugely powerful trade union) with their support for the absurdly high wage demands during some players' wage negotiations. This stance by the PFA has massively impacted on all clubs throughout the four divisions - bringing some to near financial ruin. Is this yet another typically crass piece of ill judgement by our local press on behalf of those who elected to subscribe their 'phone poll profits to such an organisation as opposed to a local charity which, I am sure, most people would agree would have been a much worthier cause. A cynic might argue that THE ONLY REASON the paper selected a strand of the PFA organisation, ie the Players Benevolent Fund, is to strike a chord of affinity and co-operation with Carlisle United players so as to prevent their back door stories from drying up - but let's not be cynical.
There are those who allege, that the journalists in question, all of whom claim to be fans of the club, really have appallingly ill-informed views of how a professional football club actually operates. It is argued that they actually misinform their readership by giving the impression that they have some kind of deep inside knowledge about the goings on at Brunton Park. This is nonsense.
In reality, through lack of their own efforts and no desire to communicate with the Club properly, they have ZERO KNOWLEDGE of the day to day workings of Carlisle United. They are long on hectoring, short on reality. These people live in a fantasy dream World of wishful thinking. They believe their football dreams can be realised as soon as they find their very own Jack Walker (Blackburn) Jack Haywood (Wolves) or a Mohammed Al Fayed (Fulham). A gold-plated saviour who will shower their club with untold success bought by a Pharaoh's golden millions.
They dream that this financial Pharaoh, a god-like figure, is lurking in some secret corner of Carlisle - only to rise like a Phoenix from the ashes of Knighton's 'UGLY" mess. The Pharaoh will lead their crusade onward to a football Utopia. They believe their saviour, hitherto unknown, can be found in a Football Pharaoh's tomb hidden deep among the Cumbrian pyramids, possibly somewhere at the end of Botchergate?!
The dreamers believe that the new saviour will soon light a one hundred foot bonfire piled high with crisp brand new fifty pound bank notes, preferably right under Knighton's backside. That will teach the little, fat, arrogant, smarmy capitalist tyrant "not to mess with our football club". The dreamers can dream on and wish. If it is any consolation. I too have looked for some financial Pharaoh since 1992! I apologise for the fruity language but I thought it might add just a tad of realism for these unreal real people that write in the local press.
WHERE'S THE MONEY GONE?
The News & Star chose our Home Match Day -v- Oldham to blazon the Club's latest financial results in banner headlines across their pages "United in black again" ..."Profits from selling players"; again, a cynic might perhaps argue that the timing of this piece was all in aid of ensuring that the notion for fans was that the management were drowning in profits from transfer dealings but refusing to go out and spend it on player recruits. Is this really the absurd notion that these writers would have you believe??
FOR THE RECORD
The Financial facts under Knighton's reign.
(Compiled
from the Club's Public Record Accounts)
It is clear to all, save for the idiot journalist, that the cost of running a football club, in the last few years has/have massively escalated. Players' salaries, in some instances, have quadrupled. The cost of providing stewarding and policing HAS GONE FROM £23,000 IN 1992 TO SOME £170,000 TODAYie. just to police and steward one single home match costs circa £6,000 from that single day's match receipts. Ground improvements following the compulsory Taylor Report and recommendations in the new Stadium Green Guide Safety Code have meant that the football club during Knighton's reign has spent millions of pounds on the stadium itself.
OVER £4.1 million HAS BEEN SPENT ON BRUNTON PARK SINCE MICHAEL KNIGHTON TOOK OVER THE FOOTBALL CLUB IN 1992Never in the club's history has so much investment been dedicated to the improvement of Brunton Park. How many other local businesses have provided the same level of investment? clearly, questions of this type are of no apparent interest to the idiot columnist and local paper. Such angles simply do not fir their agenda. such issues are not suitable for a 'phone poll ballot.
Despite transfer fee profit of £3.1 million over six years, the table below CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES that your/our football club can only sustain itself with the benefaction of PRIVATE INVESTMENT Club SPONSORS, the HARD CORE 3,000 LOYAL SUPPORTERS and, inevitably, PLAYER SALES. Take away the private investment and sale of players and the Club could undergo no ground development and, indeed the Club could hardly sustain even the wage bill, let alone any infrastructural and administrative costs.
Again, these are facts that the idiot journalists, and their compliant editors who constantly sanction their idiot warblings, have no apparent interest in. yet it is these salient facts that are plain for all to see.
It is important facts such as the above which also serve to demonstrate that the Club is RIGHT to question the absurd lack of understanding and dreamlike world that the targeted journalists constantly write about in the local press. The press can keep publishing the comments of those who want to see a new regime at Carlisle United. This is the democratic process truly in practice and fully endorsed by everyone at Carlisle United. Our job is to ensure that, if relegated, we make a speedy return to Division Two and, more importantly that even Michael Knighton's strongest critics actually have a club to write about. Only by continuing the careful management of this precious institution will we all enjoy what it ha to offer and provide for our Community. Once back in Division Two, I am sure that Michael Knighton will review his position. Lest, of course, in the meantime, the gold-plated Pharaoh emerges from his pyramid tomb before a return to Division Two status can be achieved.
Finally, ALL DEBTS, both of the football club and its parent company, Knighton Holdings. are PERSONALLY UNDERWRITTEN by Michael Knighton. Clearly, the idiot journalists do not really need to hunt Botchergate to find their saviour Pharaoh - albeit an IMPOVERISHED PHARAOH simply trying his very best but without the riches of romantic Egyptian kings.
Carlisle United A.F.C. (1921) Ltd.Financial facts for the six seasons 1992-1998 | |
£ | |
| Match receipts | 6,700,000 |
| Sponsorship/commercial | 5,800,000 |
| 12,500,000 | |
| Staff Costs | 7,000,000 |
| Depreciation/grants | 245,000 |
| Operating Costs | 5,600,000 |
| 12,845,000 | |
| Operating Loss | (345,000) |
| Finance Costs | (900,000) |
| Loss before transfers | (1,245,000) |
| Transfer Income | 3,700,000 |
| Transfer Expense | (530,000) |
| 3,170,000 | |
Nett Profit |
1,925,000 |
| Capital Expenditure | 4,130,000 |
| Less: Football Trust grants | (1,300,000) |
| 2,830,000 | |
| Less: Nett Profit | (1,925,000) |
| Current borrowings | 905,000 |
Borrowings of £1,950,000 were introduced by Knighton Holdings Ltd in April 1996. These monies were on top of the Chairman's original investment and do not include any of the debts or previous guarantees that Michael Knighton personally extinguished in 1992.
All loans or debts of the club, or those of its parent company Knighton Holdings Ltd., are underwritten by Michael Knighton personally.
| RIOA Index |
Chairmen /owners |
Email the webmaster |