Jason Stockwood (Guardian)

I lived in Newcastle for a while in the late 1990s and absolutely loved my time there. Nights out in the Bigg Market and on the Quayside, dancing on the rotating dancefloor of the Tuxedo Princess, a boat-turned-nightclub, and the occasional short walk from the town centre to St James’ Park to see Newcastle United. As co-owner of Grimsby Town, I know how the football club looms large in people’s imaginations and their sense of civic identity, especially in post-industrial towns and cities. That’s why it struck me as odd when news of the Saudi-led takeover of the club was met with almost universal delight from the fanbase.

It’s been difficult to absorb on a couple of levels. First, Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy ruled under sharia law: how can the notion of independence of ownership make any rational sense for a consortium bound by the customs and practices of that country? Then there are issues such as the attitude towards the rights of women in their own country, the violations in Yemen or the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. If I was a fan I’d be keen to understand the manner of the “legally binding assurances” that there will be no interference from the ruling elite of the country they are from. Moreover, the deal raises serious questions about the Premier League’s own bar for moral and financial suitability, the owners’ and directors’ test. Can they really be satisfied that the consortium will act independently of the Saudi state?

Obviously, the consortium will bring vast amounts of money and investment to the north-east, and undoubtedly, the team will be full of even bigger names over the coming years, but at what cost to the region’s integrity? The primacy of money over every other consideration is a continuation of the issues we saw with the European Super League debacle. Newcastle fans only have to think back a few months to see how international owners really feel about the fans who live in the communities of the clubs, those who walk through the turnstiles at each home game, and realise they are secondary to global audiences and revenue maximisation.

Our view of organisations as purely economic entities can only be a partial version of the truth. Much of what is important and valuable is clearly non-monetary or even measurable. Yet mainstream economics has long been concerned only with profit and competition; as Milton Friedman put it in 1970, the “sole purpose of a business is to generate profits for its shareholders”. It is perhaps time to listen more attentively to the words of Robert Kennedy, who in 1968 stated that GDP “measures everything except that which is worthwhile”.

The belief that profit is the only measurement of value has long characterised the way our economy and our football clubs are managed, often with disastrous results. Last month, Derby County went into administration and, like many football fans, I have followed the story with interest, not least because the club has been docked 12 points by the Football League, sending them to the foot of the Championship, the second-tier of English football.

In the language of economics, the loss of status and civic pride resulting from the closure of a football club would be regarded as a mere “externality”. In recent memory Bolton, Bury and Macclesfield have all “done a Leeds” when their owners could no longer fund the failures of their strategies. Those clubs and their fans now face a potential decades-long climb to reclaim their former glories.

If capitalism is to sustain football for the next 100 years, it will need to put the interests of fans and the local community above those of shareholders. Fans are the most important constituent of football clubs, bar none. Every weekend many travel hundreds of miles to support their teams, home or away. This is why Grimsby Town FC is 17% fan-owned through the Mariners Trust supporters’ group, a fully democratic representation of our fanbase that holds two of the five seats on our board. This type of ownership model needs to be enforced in clubs across the country, giving fans a meaningful seat at the table in every boardroom of every professional club in the UK.

It is the sense of togetherness that has helped Grimsby Town to have our best start to a season since 1982. Despite the football cliches that “nothing gets won in October”, we are quietly pleased about the positive start to our season. A large amount of credit goes to the revitalised fanbase who are embracing the new era in our corner of north-east Lincolnshire.

To prevent another tragedy like Derby, we need a strengthening of the oversight of financial suitability to run clubs through reforms in the owners’ and directors’ test. There are already oversight measures in place to ensure financial stability at the point of purchase but owners should be obliged to demonstrate how they will cover projected losses on an ongoing basis. Issues around ownership are not merely a question of finances, however. For newly monied Newcastle there need to be commitments to the values of the local community to ensure that those steeped in the club’s history and rooted in the local area are the primary stakeholders in the vision for the team. When success is transactional and bought through the brute force of money alone, what’s left for the ordinary fan to call their own?

I am sure many football fans are keen to see what the government’s forthcoming fan-led review delivers, and how durable and meaningful its recommendations on ownership are. While any reform has come too late for Derby fans (or the few Newcastle supporters who seem to care), perhaps a different way of thinking about football could extend beyond the world of sport, encompassing a different way of thinking about what we value in life.

    Jason Stockwood is a technology entrepreneur, fellow at Oxford University and chairman of Grimsby Town FC

Terrific stuff from the 'boss' (again).

The "legally binding assurances" are just a smokescreen.

If the ruling Saudi "elite" can order the murder and dismemberment of a journalist, does anyone really expect them to take notice
of legally binding assurances?

People who respect the law don't go around killing their political opponents...

Thanks for posting this John.

Expecting the sport (or any area of business) to clean itself up is naive of Jason. A few good eggs like him are helpful, but turkeys don’t for Christmas. And the FA, Premier League  and Football League have proved it time and again. It needs legislation.

We will all watch the upcoming World Cup including Jason I’m sure, but as long as we don’t boo BLM everything’s fine.

Quoted from Humbercod

but as long as we don’t boo BLM everything’s fine.

A quote of yours from Saturday

Quoted from Humbercod

Difference being Emily Davidson was fighting discrimination all her adult life, unlike the woke white middle class idiots!

Spot the contradiction.

Quoted from Humbercod

We will all watch the upcoming World Cup including Jason I’m sure, but as long as we don’t boo BLM everything’s fine.

Thanks, a really useful contribution.

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

A quote of yours from Saturday


Spot the contradiction.

No contradiction at all  BLM cause nothing but division and discrimination.

Aside from the seemingly irrelevant but thinly veiled attempt at a futile argument about something that isn’t related to the article per se, how refreshing is it to see someone connected with our club writing at a level and for once agreeing.

It’s a well written piece and whilst one might argue it’s a tad naive to think the ruling bodies of football will actually reform enough to care about anything other than money I suspect Stockwood is well aware they won’t but surely one can hope?

Could you ever have imagined the owner of GTFC ever writing such an article and being focused on fans and community rather than cash?

Quoted from Humbercod

No contradiction at all  BLM cause nothing but division and discrimination.

it also has nothing to do with the article by Mr Stockwood

are you one of those who boo's taking a stance against Racism?

Stockwood gets coverage in a well-read national newspaper. The cumulative effect of all these articles he writes - in which he always talks about the town of Grimsby, as well as the football club - contributes to the overall effort to improve not just the town but the perception of the town.

That in itself makes me wonder (alongside some on-pitch success) whether it'll attract more investment, more collaborative opportunities, etc. It's the vision he and AP had from the start - use the football club as a catalyst for positive change, so the whole town benefits.

The value of what he says is also in the consistency of it. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but soon, in the not-too-distant future, people might think differently about Grimsby.

You can see this strategy come to life. It's impressive after only five months. Imagine what impact it could have after five years.

Quoted from Humbercod

No contradiction at all  BLM cause nothing but division and discrimination.

You are right. Any mention of BLM allows all the gammons to spew forth their bile and bullsh*t about an attempt to highlight endemic racial inequality.

1100 Grimsby fans at Woking, about 1090 clapping the players taking a knee.

And don't bother replying about the BLM being Marxist; we live in a country with empty shop shelves and queues for fuel, hyper inflation of energy prices, the military delivering essentials and a rich elite who exist to enrich themselves and others like them. Britain is like Venezuela or Cuba without any vestige of Marxism.

Quoted from Humbercod

No contradiction at all  BLM cause nothing but division and discrimination.

Firstly, they don’t take the knee for BLM, they take it as a stand against all forms of discrimination.

Secondly, there would be no such thing as a BLM if there hadn’t been centuries of systemic racism against black people.

You choose to acknowledge that suffragettes had a worthy cause, but fail to acknowledge, and indeed mock, that black people also have.

That is the contradiction, and makes it fairly obvious that you are a racist.

Quoted from RichMariner

Stockwood gets coverage in a well-read national newspaper. The cumulative effect of all these articles he writes - in which he always talks about the town of Grimsby, as well as the football club - contributes to the overall effort to improve not just the town but the perception of the town.

This is an important point; the perception of Grimsby and the wider area is way worse than the area itself, in my opinion. I've often thought the name itself doesn't help; perhaps we should consider changing it to 'Niceby' or something similar.

Quoted from Humbercod

No contradiction at all  BLM cause nothing but division and discrimination.

lmao m8 i know you've got about two brain cells but surely your eyes and ears have noticed the vast vast vast majority of everyone in attendance at town's matches this season supporting the players' decision to take the knee before kickoff?

Quoted from Poojah

This is an important point; the perception of Grimsby and the wider area is way worse than the area itself, in my opinion. I've often thought the name itself doesn't help; perhaps we should consider changing it to 'Niceby' or something similar.

Winsby

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

we live in a country with empty shop shelves and queues for fuel, hyper inflation of energy prices, the military delivering essentials

No we don't. And that fact that you think that shows how lucky and sheltered we are in this country.

The end of the phone call he had tonight on Humberside spoke volumes also, a very simple "thank you for your time" extended to Matt Dean.
A gent.

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

Firstly, they don’t take the knee for BLM, they take it as a stand against all forms of discrimination.

Secondly, there would be no such thing as a BLM if there hadn’t been centuries of systemic racism against black people.

You choose to acknowledge that suffragettes had a worthy cause, but fail to acknowledge, and indeed mock, that black people also have.

That’s is the contradiction, and makes it fairly obvious that you are a racist.

I will take your cowardly unsubstantiated attack on me as a badge of honour! You epitomise everything that is wrong with today’s nasty far left. I happen to just disagree with you, like many famous outspoken black people….. are they racist?

I will let you read this site’s information on the defamation act before deleting your post!
What I won’t let you do is close down an honest debate with vile accusations you can’t and will never back up.

A brilliant article (Thankyou for the c&p) and An interview with Radio Humberside without a ‘shut up’ in earshot! Anyone would think normality and sincerity is prevalent in the boardroom.

I like the fact JS likes the fan involvement in the club and takes no credit for the seamless bond between the board, management/squad, supporters and staff that himself and Ap have created. Ze Germans have set the blueprint for fan owned clubs and I think it’s an ethos that should be implemented by all teams in the top 4 divisions (https://www.bundesliga.com/en/.....explained-466583.jsp). The 50+1 rule basically means that no Russian oligarch, Saudi oil baron, Columbian talc salesman or convicted fraudster will never be able to own the majority share and that the club stays right where it should be. In the heart of the community.  

*****ABUSIVE POST REMOVED****

I wonder what the Yemeni people think of the country that supplies Saudi with a large proportion of the weapons that blow them to bits ?

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

I wonder what the Yemeni people think of the country that supplies Saudi with a large proportion of the weapons that blow them to bits ?

They are probably more interested in getting 3 points on a Saturday afternoon.

I think that all this thread shows is that mixing sport and politics is unlikely to generate peace and harmony

Quoted from HerveJosse

I think that all this thread shows is that mixing sport and politics is unlikely to generate peace and harmony

It’s impossible to separate the two. Whatever line you take is political. Even if it is to ‘keep politics out of sport’, you are, whether you intend to or not, taking a stance which effectively says ‘whatever is going on now is permissible’. So dodgy billionaires or murderous regimes are allowed because that’s what we have owning football clubs in this country.

The very idea of sport is political when it comes down to it.

Personally, I think something more like the German model would be the thing.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

It’s impossible to separate the two. Whatever line you take is political. Even if it is to ‘keep politics out of sport’, you are, whether you intend to or not, taking a stance which effectively says ‘whatever is going on now is permissible’. So dodgy billionaires or murderous regimes are allowed because that’s what we have owning football clubs in this country.

The very idea of sport is political when it comes down to it.

Personally, I think something more like the German model would be the thing.

Is that:-

A/  Heidi Klum

or

B/ Claudia Schiffer

Quoted from Humbercod

The word racism is a well known weapon of choice for the hard left sadly when seeking to close debate!
Interesting that you picked me up on an a mild accusation whilst defending myself, so you must think it’s ok to label someone a racist, based on what? I will tell you…. I along with many many black people do not subscribe to the BLM propaganda and question their true motives.

I have never confused BLM with taking the knee this it s just a convenient excuse, when the facts our players where taking the knee in support of the BLM movement at the time of the American riots, they even had the logo on their shirts for Christ sake! Marcus Rashfords image was used on the BLM website in full kneeling black power salute pose, so don’t try and tell it’s got nothing to do with BLM.

And for the record I do not boo the kneeling more out of respect for the current owners than anything else, and if truth be told I think many people would be happy to see it stop as it achieves absolutely nothing and are just grinning and bearing it for the good of the club.

I’m with Stockwood wanting to take the game forward introducing stress tests etc, but did he really question the legitimacy of the takeover? Because I don’t think he went far enough and I hate to say it and it’s only my view but he came across as just another rich capitalist business man virtual signalling in the Guardian, think about it and change the article name to John Fenty and all the red crosses I’m going to get would turn into green ticks 😀

I would love him to come out and say GTFC do not support this and we will not support the World Cup this year in a country that in his own words …has issues with the attitude towards women in their own country, the violations in Yemen or the killings of Journalists, I think he was being conservative!

This is a bit confusing…

Ironically, people opposed to taking the knee claim it’s having little affect yet here we are again discussing the abhorrent racism in society and exposing folk with flimsy reasons for not wanting to support BLM or taking the knee…

I take your point about Stockwood stopping short but when it’s very clear that the Saudi government/royal family/dictatorship have so much control globally and we’re petrified of them, he’s said just enough without being summoned to some ‘special meeting’. It’s already been made clear that our own urine weak government essentially got involved and told the FA not to dig too much. We live in a country where the rich and powerful do what they want (I notice the Met aren’t investigating the queens precious little nonce)…christ, although he behaves like he’s Bezos, we’ve had our own power mad ‘rich’ idiot ruining our club for 17 years or more…

It is impossible to separate politics and sport, they’re intrinsically linked and it kinda makes sense…interesting that hooliganism was rife in the 80s under a regime that was certainly oppressive for many…tailed off in the mid to late 90s but is seemingly making a comeback of some kind…

Building stadiums, picking club sponsors, buying and selling of players, cash, ethical implications and so forth…all politics.

Naive to say the two shouldn’t be discussed in tandem…

Quoted from DB

Is that:-

A/  Heidi Klum

or

B/ Claudia Schiffer

I think I need to spend more time investigating that question.

Are we to take it that ‘although many black people don’t support BLM’ Humbercod can’t actually provide any examples?

Maybe he’s codding

Quoted from chaos33

Are we to take it that ‘although many black people don’t support BLM’ Humbercod can’t actually provide any examples?

He'll probably rock up shortly going 'look Candace Owens says it's bad and wrong', neglecting to mention she's an enormous grifter and deliberately fires out controversial conservative takes in return for exposure and money.

Quoted from chaos33

Are we to take it that ‘although many black people don’t support BLM’ Humbercod can’t actually provide any examples?

Sorry to urine On your white liberal bonfire that would love to see this crap rolling on for ever but this fraudulent movement is on the way out. Looking at all the recent polls over in the USA it is clear support is waning! More than a third of black Americans now share my views on BLM according to the latest YOUGOV polling. As a whole the USA support for BLM as now dropped to below half 48% from 57%. I think most people have woken up over here to them as well and I’d imagine support is well below half now, even the Guardian produced a poll last year saying the majority of Brits think the BLM just causes racial tension.

The following people have spoken/ made a stand against BLM/kneeling or both and they are black!

Les Ferdinand
John Barnes
Ivan Toney
Wilfried Zaha
Lyle Taylor
Lil Wayne
Getty Wap
Stacy Dash
Charles Barkley
Flood Mayweather Junior
Raven Symone
Mia Long
Morgan Freeman
Muhammad  Ali’s son
Shaun Baily
Kemi Badenoch
Sean McDowell
Thomas Sowell
Professor Gregory Parker
Calvin Tobinson Bryson Gray
Lennel John Lewis (I think it was him standing yesterday could be wrong someone will correct me I’m sure).

Do you need any more examples Chaos or just accept being wrong again.

Says it all!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ne.....ld-Cup-stadiums.html

I thought the point is do the people taking the knee think it is worthwhile? As long as they do, that’s good enough. We’ve been round the arguments before why you would boo them. Simple answer is that the boo-ers are either racist or thick. You don’t understand or you don’t want to. Or both. Big overlap of the circles on Venn diagrams.

How do those that boo feel when folk refuse to sing our horrific national anthem or when folk boo other national anthems?

Quoted from aldi_01

How do those that boo feel when folk refuse to sing our horrific national anthem or when folk boo other national anthems?

They don't feel anything because they're Brain Dead!

Quoted from KingstonMariner

I thought the point is do the people taking the knee think it is worthwhile? As long as they do, that’s good enough. We’ve been round the arguments before why you would boo them. Simple answer is that the boo-ers are either racist or thick. You don’t understand or you don’t want to. Or both. Big overlap of the circles on Venn diagrams.

You talk some excrement! If people have a strong objection against a political movement in their sport especially one that seeks to increase racial tensions, then they fortunately have a right to boo and let their feelings known. Unless you want to live in 1938 Berlin type world that is.
# Stan Cullis.

The thing is Humbercod you've admitted in this thread that you know the players are not kneeling for BLM, and yet you've also said the only reason you don't boo is out of respect for the owners. That therefore means you would like to boo a general gesture against all forms of discrimination.

How you think you'd have a legal case against me calling you a racist, with the above in mind is beyond me. Especially given all the other nasty bile you've posted in other threads, which would lend a lot of weight to my case.

I've got plenty of screen shots btw, in case you try to cover your tracks by re-editing or deleting anything.

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

The thing is Humbercod you've admitted in this thread that you know the players are not kneeling for BLM, and yet you've also said the only reason you don't boo is out of respect for the owners. That therefore means you would like to boo a general gesture against all forms of discrimination.

How you think you'd have a legal case against me calling you a racist, with the above in mind is beyond me. Especially given all the other nasty bile you've posted in other threads, which would lend a lot of weight to my case.

I've got plenty of screen shots btw, in case you try to cover your tracks by re-editing or deleting anything.

1. I don’t recall admitting the players are not kneeling for BLM? I believe the majority are doing it to just not rock the boat, some may be believe it’s a worthwhile cause and there is a minority of fist clinchers who are extreme followers of the movement. Then you have the players with honour like our own John Lewis who is prepared to stand up for against this crap with his head held high standing against racism!

2. Let’s see these screen shots then you saddo? Again we have someone who can’t stop talking about racism, Probably out of guilt statistically speaking! I know black peoples who cringe at the shut that comes out your mouth.


“ The only way to stop racism is to stop talking about it.”  Morgan Freeman.

Quoted from Humbercod

1. I don’t recall admitting the players are not kneeling for BLM?.

I suggest you re-read this whole thread, you muppet

Quoted from Humbercod

2. Let’s see these screen shots then you saddo? Again we have someone who can’t stop talking about racism, Probably out of guilt statistically speaking! I know black peoples who cringe at the shut that comes out your mouth.


“ The only way to stop racism is to stop talking about it.”  Morgan Freeman.

It may have escaped your notice (probably because your too busy wanking yourself silly whilst watching Farage on GB News), but Sky Sports, BT Sport & the BBC all have ongoing long running campaigns to kick racism out of sport, and to calll it out when you see it. Which is exactly what I'm doing - calling you out.

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

It may have escaped your notice (probably because your too busy wanking yourself silly whilst watching Farage on GB News), but Sky Sports, BT Sport & the BBC all have ongoing long running campaigns to kick racism out of sport, and to calll it out when you see it. Which is exactly what I'm doing - calling you out.

Screen shot? 🤡

Pxssing myself knowing you are now frantically searching though my old posts for something that isn’t there🤣

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

I suggest you re-read this whole thread, you muppet

Come out of your Racist closet!

Quoted from Humbercod

Screen shot? 🤡

Pxssing myself knowing you are now frantically searching though my old posts for something that isn’t there🤣

https://ibb.co/jf78gGk
https://ibb.co/m0BWjyY

Pissing yourself now, buffoon?

And since you like calling everyone else snowflake
https://ibb.co/WsVSmJ6

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

https://ibb.co/jf78gGk
https://ibb.co/m0BWjyY

Pissing yourself now, buffoon?

And since you like calling everyone else snowflake
https://ibb.co/WsVSmJ6

WTF 😂 there is absolutely nothing in that what are even you on about???
You’re sounding desperate you’re going to make yourself ill give it a rest, maybe go see a psychologist and get your past racist tendencies put away once and for all, It’s so obvious now a deeply ingrained white guilt syndrome. Don’t suffer in silence anymore get the help and be white and be proud just like black people are black n proud without even having to say it!

Quoted from Humbercod

WTF 😂 there is absolutely nothing in that what are even you on about???
You’re sounding desperate you’re going to make yourself ill give it a rest, maybe go see a psychologist and get your past racist tendencies put away once and for all, It’s so obvious now a deeply ingrained white guilt syndrome. Don’t suffer in silence anymore get the help and be white and be proud just like black people are black n proud without even having to say it!

It's like arguing with a toddler.

Let me spell it out for you:
On the 11 October, I pointed out to you that taking the knee was a general anti-discrimation protest and nothing to do with BLM - something that had been widely communicated by everyone involved.
On the 13 October post, you acknowledged that the knee was no longer linked to BLM, and then proceeded to discuss how it was at the time of the riots in america. In the very same post you go on to say that you only don't boo it because of the owners (despite having admitted that you know it's now got nothing to do with BLM)

I called you out and called you a racist
You didn't like it and threatened me with legal action
You didn't think I had proof of what you'd said
I proved I did
You then attempted to belittle the argument
The end.

I'll see you in court when I receive notice from you solicitor.

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

It's like arguing with a toddler.

Let me spell it out for you:
On the 11 October, I pointed out to you that taking the knee was a general anti-discrimation protest and nothing to do with BLM - something that had been widely communicated by everyone involved.
On the 13 October post, you acknowledged that the knee was no longer linked to BLM, and then proceeded to discuss how it was at the time of the riots in america. In the very same post you go on to say that you only don't boo it because of the owners (despite having admitted that you know it's now got nothing to do with BLM)

I called you out and called you a racist
You didn't like it and threatened me with legal action
You didn't think I had proof of what you'd said
I proved I did
You then attempted to belittle the argument
The end.

I'll see you in court when I receive notice from you solicitor.

You absolute idiot!!!!
Here is my unedited post in full -

“”I have never confused BLM with taking the knee, this is just a convenient excuse.
When the facts are that our players were taking the knee in support of the BLM movement at the time of the American riots, they even had their logo on their shirts for Christ sake! Marcus Rashford’s image was used on the BLM website in full kneeling black power salute pose, so don’t try to tell me it’s got nothing to do with BLM.””


Funny how you missed all that out 😂 you thick twit, do you work for the BBC by any chance!!!
Any normal person would understand straight away that my post most definitely linking kneeling with BLM you helmet!
Let’s try again….there is no confusion for me regarding BLM taking the knee ….. IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT BLM.

As for court keep it up sucker the admins on here has been notified, I am lucky to be in a Union with free legal access I have been in conversation and they want all the screen shots😂

I thought you would of dropped this crap by now but seeing as you are so brave on here send me some contact details (I don’t want to drag the fishy into it). Where my union solicitors can contact you????