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This is a first for me, and suspect last, but well done Gary Neville on getting one over on FC Glasier who had put in an objection to his planning permission request for a hotel to be built near the swamp.

They had objected, claiming the scheme on the site of a former lard factory (couldn't make that up) undermined the "holistic vision" of its "strategic plan" for the area. Can anyone explain what that means?

Apparently the 20m quid is coming out of his testimonial divvy and he's "doing it for the fans" not seeing the irony in the fact that "the fans" would need a hotel as none of them are from Manchester.

On the principal that my enemy's enemy is my friend etc

Saw this the other day.

Clearly it's a business venture but fair play to him for doing the part of this with his testimonial funds as part of the development is a supporters' club.

I was amused by the fact that the club opposed it and lost....holistic vision my arse

Evenmydoghatesunited wrote:They had objected, claiming the scheme on the site of a former lard factory (couldn't make that up) undermined the "holistic vision" of its "strategic plan" for the area. Can anyone explain what that means?

Basically, it means he had a good idea that the Rags wanted to nick for themselves.

Holistic eh ? They were going to build a 20,000 seater aromatherapy centre ?

What this underlines is that the rags are nowhere even close to City when it comes to this kind of stuff. They have had decades ( backed by big money & success ) to look around that area, decide which properties they would like to aquire, what they would like to build there & how much money could be made.

The fact that they've had their arses spanked by Gary fucking Neville, just shows what a bunch of amateurs they truly are. They have been working for decades without serious competition from anyone in this country. We will wipe the fucking floor with them even at this aspect in the coming years, both here and worldwide.

I mentioned in the Cook thread about the progress he made for us. I am not suggesting it was 'his' vision - more Khaldoon on behalf of the Sheik - with Cook someone to implement it. I raise this here because what I do think is that we are a street ahead and accelerating in terms of off-pitch development – beyond the simple media and sponsorship areas that the scum have handed to them over the years.

What we have done (such as CITY square) and how we develop the surrounding areas will be copied by other clubs.

Of course the scum were assuming that the area around the swamp was theirs to do with as and when they wanted. Well done rat-face – other companies should move in – it will be revenue generating – but not for the scum!!

United have never got close to the football in the community ethos that City have been leaders of for 30 years. They just miss the point because there are no bucks in good intentions Unless of course it helps their "brand" then they're interested. So they are more likely to help south east Asian projects or wherever than Trafford, Stretford and Chorlton.

Just a titbit of info on the rags links, even with their own fans.
Their Official Supporters' Club went bust many years ago. Maybe because the club forgot to support it back. The Supporters' Club that existed was not administered by the club. It was disbanded when the "Membership Schemes" were put in place.

Allegedly, the club asked for the supporters club membership list to help them market and set up their membership scheme but it was refused.
City's scheme cost £1 per season. If I remember correctly, the rags priced theirs at £5 per season. They offered club shop discounts to scheme members at much lower rate than they had enjoyed as supporters club members.

In the 1970s, City set up the Junior Blues. It met regularly, with kids able to meet players, watch films, play foorball teams and it even set up branches for inter branch comps. I personally know of two young raglets from Moss Side who arrived at the City Social Club and asked if they could join. Both were wearing rag scarves. Their father explained that they were jealous that theri City schoolmates could meet players etc. He had spoken to the rags and was told "We a re football club and not a nursery for children."

The rags have never in there history made any effort to interact with their fans. Rags' fans are simply treated as customers who can always be replaced by another mug, who'll buy a rag shirt or two.

john68 wrote:Just a titbit of info on the rags links, even with their own fans.
Their Official Supporters' Club went bust many years ago. Maybe because the club forgot to support it back. The Supporters' Club that existed was not administered by the club. It was disbanded when the "Membership Schemes" were put in place.

Allegedly, the club asked for the supporters club membership list to help them market and set up their membership scheme but it was refused.
City's scheme cost £1 per season. If I remember correctly, the rags priced theirs at £5 per season. They offered club shop discounts to scheme members at much lower rate than they had enjoyed as supporters club members.

In the 1970s, City set up the Junior Blues. It met regularly, with kids able to meet players, watch films, play foorball teams and it even set up branches for inter branch comps. I personally know of two young raglets from Moss Side who arrived at the City Social Club and asked if they could join. Both were wearing rag scarves. Their father explained that they were jealous that theri City schoolmates could meet players etc. He had spoken to the rags and was told "We a re football club and not a nursery for children."

The rags have never in there history made any effort to interact with their fans. Rags' fans are simply treated as customers who can always be replaced by another mug, who'll buy a rag shirt or two.

I was a proud junior blue. Remember meeting Brian Kidd at a meeting in Failsworth. He was my favourite player after that. I also remember going down to Platt Lane to meet the players after training and getting autographs. That's the one thing currently missing and hopefully, when the campus is ready, something the club could do something about.

Blue Since 76 wrote:
I was a proud junior blue. Remember meeting Brian Kidd at a meeting in Failsworth. He was my favourite player after that. I also remember going down to Platt Lane to meet the players after training and getting autographs. That's the one thing currently missing and hopefully, when the campus is ready, something the club could do something about.

It's taken time but I do believe we have built the club on solid foundations. United's "heritage" is ephemeral and is nought but a marketing facade. Yes they have had the silverware but the so have many clubs over the years from The Wanderers onwards.

Give it 5 years of nothing and they will ramming 28000 core supporters into OT

So basically, what I get from all this, is that Neville didn't give his testimonial money to charity and is instead using it for a money-making scheme.

Dameerto wrote:So basically, what I get from all this, is that Neville didn't give his testimonial money to charity and is instead using it for a money-making scheme.

In his defence (although I'm loathe to say it), we don't know what he does with his personal finances. It's all fine and well making a grandiose gesture with a big one-off payment to a donkey sanctuary, and getting a few press inches out of it, but creating a sustainable business which brings 150+ jobs to an area (alongside all the construction, delivery, etc. contracts involved in the creation of the business) is a bit more 'in tune' with what the country needs at the moment...

But will he be getting an ongoing cut of the profits though? I thought the noble thing for today's highly (over?) paid footballers was to give their testimonial cash to a worthy cause. Why not set up a charitable trust and let the profits go to that, if his intentions are altruistic?

Dameerto wrote:But will he be getting an ongoing cut of the profits though? I thought the noble thing for today's highly (over?) paid footballers was to give their testimonial cash to a worthy cause. Why not set up a charitable trust and let the profits go to that, if his intentions are altruistic?

I assume he will. But, like I implied above, who's to say what he does with his own money? He might give a considerable amount to charity, and just not publicise it. Also, this is reportedly a £20m investment. I can't imagine that much having been made solely from the testimonial.

To be honest, I think it's far better for someone to invest in a business and create jobs at this moment in time than to make some grandiose gesture with their excess cash for self-publicity. Also, I reckon it'll be a considerable amount of time before an investment like this turns a profit. He seems to be planning long-term here (one of the things that United seem to be so afraid of), and probably won't break even from the returns from this for 25+ years.