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Man City: Ex-chief executive Garry Cook felt he 'embarrassed' fans
Former Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook has revealed he felt he "embarrassed the fans" with mistakes he made while working at the club.

He told BBC Radio Manchester: "There are no excuses. There are my interpretations and there are the interpretations of the press.

"The thing I always felt when those interpretations were manifested was the embarrassment I'd caused the fans."

Cook resigned in September 2011 after more than three years in the role.

His departure came following accusations that he sent an email to then-City defender Nedum Onouha's cancer-suffering mother mocking her illness.

Cook denied sending the email, claiming his account was hacked, but chose to resign after an internal investigation.

"In the end, I really felt that I didn't want to continue being the scapegoat of Manchester City and the point of attack," he said.

"I am who I am but I was getting more and more concerned that it was becoming more about me than it was about the football club and the fans.

"That's not fair to them, it's their club and they deserve better than that."

Cook is credited with brokering the Abu Dhabi United Group's takeover soon after his appointment as chief executive in 2008, a deal which has transformed Manchester City into Premier League champions in the space of four seasons.

"We built a prospectus to sell the club," he continued. "They were interested in other football clubs and we had to sell the idea that Manchester City was a good investment.

"They liked the vision and we started to meet the key stakeholders. We then realised that we'd got it right and we knew that we were going to make a big, bold statement in the world of sport, not just football.

"It was about getting someone who cared for the football club. They are passionate about it, they want to win and they're ambitious. They knew how passionate the fans were about the club - there was nothing plastic about this.

"I am proud of what I've done, but it's not me alone. What I feel I managed to do was build a team of people who believed and could see the vision.

"I'm not responsible for what happened at Manchester City. I only played my part and I was very fortunate to be given that opportunity."

Use accessible player and disable flyout menusBut along with the success and City's progression on the field, there were also "a catalogue of four of five incidents" that Cook believes "will be his nemesis that he will carry forever".

He inadvertently inducted former City striker Uwe Rosler into the "Manchester United Hall of Fame" at a special ceremony, and accused AC Milan of "bottling" a deal that would have seen Brazil international Kaka complete a world-record transfer to Eastlands.

"I was angry at AC Milan for the way they treated the football club with regards to Kaka," Cook added. "In retrospect, it was disrespectful to make public statements the way I did and I obviously regret that.

"Making a mistake with Uwe Rosler, my biggest concern was if I had dishonoured Uwe Rosler or the supporters' club.

"I deeply regret making a mistake. But I'm also a great believer that if you're not making mistakes, you're not trying hard enough."

Hear Ian Cheeseman's full interview with Garry Cook on BBC Radio Manchester's "In The Spotlight" from 18:00 BST on Thursday, 7 June

opps.
I checked before starting the same thread, but You know... Younger Mother Tongue Lasses are quicker... :-)
I deleted mine accordingly and repeat on here my sentiments towards a Man I do respect very much.

I miss the bloke everyday more: a true Blue - more than I might ever become - who has done wonders for this Noble Club since he broked the "lottery" for the Club.
Cheers Gary.

He was having too much to say in the earlier days & kept making a twat of himself but I think the job he was doing was, on the whole, excellent.

In the latter days of his employment, he was keeping relatively quiet and getting on with his job. Seemed he'd learned a lesson and found a good balance. Pity it ended as it did.

Cheers Gary. saying nice things about the club still....Almost like some PR in making an opening to him coming back!!

No excuse for the retarded comments about the 10 man Premier League. Did well the job he was supposed to do but should've just shut up about football matters.

A bit of the recorded interview: [urlnp=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18250503]Link[/urlnp]

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:No excuse for the retarded comments about the 10 man Premier League. Did well the job he was supposed to do but should've just shut up about football matters.

Mmmmmm, isn't that what he's saying? I think he knows.

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:No excuse for the retarded comments about the 10 man Premier League. Did well the job he was supposed to do but should've just shut up about football matters.

He's a marketing man.
that what he was hired for.
He did well, with some antics in the frame, but it's all about what those kind of blokes (marketers) are trained to do. The Mad Hatter episode, who made some purists talk of shame and embarassment was just a sample of a brand developing attitude.
I am not, neither have been, particularly fond of marketing and marketing men, but that how the world is running...

the very shame is that, it's NOW when his talents would have come up as pivotal for the Club growth.

With the recent rumblings (PR), my money is on him coming back.

MARKMAKAVELI wrote:With the recent rumblings (PR), my money is on him coming back.

I would 'love it' - tremendous commercial acumen and is passionate about the club

We seem to have lost a bit of momentum since he departed and with FFP looming we must address this.

If we can accept Tevez back surely we can invite Cook back

I would prefer this to any number of high-profile player signings

Beefymcfc wrote:

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:No excuse for the retarded comments about the 10 man Premier League. Did well the job he was supposed to do but should've just shut up about football matters.

Mmmmmm, isn't that what he's saying? I think he knows.

Yes but he really should've realised it at the time. Talking about draft system, closed league and whatnot. That one interview after he had been appointed (sham I can't find it) was biggest fucking nonsense I had seen in years (including Platini and Blatter) and really brought bad press to club.

We havent signed anyone since he left and he was in charge of negotiations correct?i guess we wont know how much we miss him on that front until after this window if we fail to get our targets.

Didnt like him at the start but he grew on me and seemed to be doing a good job on the non football side of things, that being said the whole onouahas mother thing was horrendous, hopefully it has blown over as wouldnt mind seeing him back.

Id love to see him back.

Cannot believe he got crap for calling it striaght on AC Milan - bunch of crooked cunts trying to fuck us over and the world (and unfortunately including some CITY fans) expecting us to just take it - why??? because they are one of the old guard clubs???

Delighted that he had the bottle to say it as it was!!

mcfc1632 wrote:Cannot believe he got crap for calling it striaght on AC Milan - bunch of crooked cunts trying to fuck us over and the world (and unfortunately including some CITY fans) expecting us to just take it - why??? because they are one of the old guard clubs???

Delighted that he had the bottle to say it as it was!!

I concur with that. His worst gaffe was the Uwe ManU one, far worse than the Ned's mum episode ....

I would absolutely love to hear his real side of the story about neds mum......and his thoughts/feelings about the involvement of Kia in the whole subject blowing up a year after it actually happened, just as Kia would have been applying maximum pressure over the tevez situation - recall Tevez saying it was the execs he couldnt stand.

I do have a feeling he was in some ways a scapegoat, but at times he brought ridicule on himself.....although who in the media would be too quick to bring up the new york bar incident now......he looks like he wasnt far wrong at this stage in proceedings

Re the Ned’s mum incident - it looked really bad and of course all thoughts go out to her - there is no place for ridicule of that subject if it is made in an intended personal manner.

The reason that I did not jump on Cook's case so much about that was because I did not at all see it as a nasty remark aimed personally to cause distress and offence.

I saw it as more likely an interaction between two colleagues - some banter made in the way that colleagues do.

I did not see it as a deliberate and personal slight.

Who on here has never made a 'wisecrack' or 'remark' which could be positioned as clearly dreadful taste if taken and presented in a different context to the 'aside' manner in which it was meant. I would believe that if any can put their hands up they need to be either canonized or buy better mirrors to have around their house.

I laughed at some of the jokes doing the rounds after the Tsunami and after the Morecombe bay tragedy – it did not mean that I thought anything other than they were tragic situations.

Of course his mistake was simple in that incident - he made an 'off the cuff' aside to his work mate and pressed 'reply all' rather than just reply. I would guess that a number on here have also done that - and very many come close to it. I do not mean to belittle the situation - it was clearly crass and clumsy.

I would have in back in a heartbeat – and I think that our commercial progress and with the MCC with whom he seemed to have built strong relations needs him – or a (more polished) clone

mcfc1632 wrote:

MARKMAKAVELI wrote:With the recent rumblings (PR), my money is on him coming back.

I would 'love it' - tremendous commercial acumen and is passionate about the club

We seem to have lost a bit of momentum since he departed and with FFP looming we must address this.

If we can accept Tevez back surely we can invite Cook back

I would prefer this to any number of high-profile player signings

I find this delusion funniest of all.I think the Vincent going to Vietnam video seems to suggest our marketing is going fine.He says in the piece we are where we are without him.He did what he was paid for if that makes you money men think he was something special then it seems your in disagreement with the people who sacked him.

Rag_hater wrote:

mcfc1632 wrote:

MARKMAKAVELI wrote:With the recent rumblings (PR), my money is on him coming back.

I would 'love it' - tremendous commercial acumen and is passionate about the club

We seem to have lost a bit of momentum since he departed and with FFP looming we must address this.

If we can accept Tevez back surely we can invite Cook back

I would prefer this to any number of high-profile player signings

I find this delusion funniest of all.I think the Vincent going to Vietnam video seems to suggest our marketing is going fine.He says in the piece we are where we are without him.He did what he was paid for if that makes you money men think he was something special then it seems your in disagreement with the people who sacked him.

2 things to think about:

1. Who set all the marketing infrastructure in place?

2. Was Cook sacked?