Scottish Football - Worst Owners/Chairmen

[sjc]

40 minutes ago, Lebowski said:

I mean they weren't good, but it was Duff, Gray & Rowlands ex wife refusing to sell their stakes to Mercer (plus the certain death of Mercer in any protracted sale) which actually stopped him. If he got 66% (iirc?) then the takeover could take place immediately and Hibs would have been closed down. As it happened he got about 60%. Any one of them selling took him over the threshold. If Mercer had over 50% then it had to take place over (again iirc) 12 months. That was the point where Mercer knew he would die if trying to go ahead.

 

All three of them knew administration was going to happen if the takeover didn't, and they'd likely lose all the money invested in Hibs.... They weren't competent, but they weren't total c***s either.

What is also forgotten is that Hearts fans didn't want the merger/takeover to happen either.

I think it's only because the deal never took place that some Hearts fans use(d) it as a stick to goad Hibs fans.

Both sets of fans I think you'll agree know it would have been a disaster for football in Edinburgh. 

[Ged]

9 minutes ago, sjc said:

What is also forgotten is that Hearts fans didn't want the merger/takeover to happen either.

 

Some Hearts fans. Plenty were more than happy for it to go ahead.

[sjc]

38 minutes ago, Ged said:

Some Hearts fans. Plenty were more than happy for it to go ahead.

Not sure about that tbh.....why would they want to lose their team also in order to follow a "Edinburgh Utd"?

I was amongst many Hearts fans that gave money to "Hands off Hibs".

[Lebowski]

What is also forgotten is that Hearts fans didn't want the merger/takeover to happen either.
I think it's only because the deal never took place that some Hearts fans use(d) it as a stick to goad Hibs fans.
Both sets of fans I think you'll agree know it would have been a disaster for football in Edinburgh. 

There were about a couple of hundred Hearts fans who turned up to the Hands Off Hibs rally. I'll certainly say they didn't want it to happen. They took about 40k to Hampden 4 years previously...

The Jambos I know were probably split about 40/40 between not wanting it to happen and no caring. The other 20% absolutely wanted it to happen. They're the ones you see kicking about after every Hearts derby defeat saying "we should have killed them when we had the chance".

[sjc]

3 minutes ago, Lebowski said:

There were about a couple of hundred Hearts fans who turned up to the Hands Off Hibs rally. I'll certainly say they didn't want it to happen. They took about 40k to Hampden 4 years previously...

The Jambos I know were probably split about 40/40 between not wanting it to happen and no caring. The other 20% absolutely wanted it to happen. They're the ones you see kicking about after every Hearts derby defeat saying "we should have killed them when we had the chance".

This 20% you mention are probably the first ones to stop going to the games when times are bad.

I didn't live in Edinburgh in those days so can't really comment on the everyday feelings amongst fans other than day trips through at the time. I and my Hearts supporting mates certainly didn't want it to happen. 

[Ged]

26 minutes ago, sjc said:

Not sure about that tbh.....why would they want to lose their team also in order to follow a "Edinburgh Utd"?

I was amongst many Hearts fans that gave money to "Hands off Hibs".

It wasn't going to be Edinburgh United though. It was going to be Hearts, playing in maroon, at Tynecastle.

It was no merger.

[sjc]

3 minutes ago, Ged said:

It wasn't going to be Edinburgh United though. It was going to be Hearts, playing in maroon, at Tynecastle.

It was no merger.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/edinburgh-united-the-plot-to-merge-hibs-and-hearts-1-4563317/amp

Not sure where you're getting that from.....

[DA Baracus]

Why would you want to kill your rivals? Surely it would be better to pump them and laugh when they're shite (I'm looking at you Wee Team). 

[Afro]

The whole Massone thing still seems a bit surreal, would make an excellent book in years to come. Best memory of that time was my old primary school teacher offering him a fiver for the club in the summer of 2009 live on television. Halcyon days.

[Lebowski]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/edinburgh-united-the-plot-to-merge-hibs-and-hearts-1-4563317/amp
Not sure where you're getting that from.....

The clubs were to be "merged" and called Heart Of Midlothian, play at Tynecastle, and wear maroon. The merging part was getting Hibs players. Since that included Goram and Collins it wasn't even going to cost that much for Mercer, never mind the value of the land at Easter Road, and at Straiton which Hibs already owned (where IKEA etc is now).

Mercer was a property developer. He seen Hibs being in a shambles due to mental investments in a failing chain of pubs in Devon (previously owned by Rowland). He seen a way of acquiring land, eliminating a football rival, and eventually making a killing based on that. He called it a merger. It wasn't, it was a takeover with the aim of killing Hibs and acquiring the assets they owned.

[Ged]

6 minutes ago, Lebowski said:

The clubs were to be "merged" and called Heart Of Midlothian, play at Tynecastle, and wear maroon. The merging part was getting Hibs players. Since that included Goram and Collins it wasn't even going to cost that much for Mercer, never mind the value of the land at Easter Road, and at Straiton which Hibs already owned (where IKEA etc is now).

Mercer was a property developer. He seen Hibs being in a shambles due to mental investments in a failing chain of pubs in Devon (previously owned by Rowland). He seen a way of acquiring land, eliminating a football rival, and eventually making a killing based on that. He called it a merger. It wasn't, it was a takeover with the aim of killing Hibs and acquiring the assets they owned.

Correct.

[sjc]

1 minute ago, Lebowski said:

The clubs were to be "merged" and called Heart Of Midlothian, play at Tynecastle, and wear maroon. The merging part was getting Hibs players. Since that included Goram and Collins it wasn't even going to cost that much for Mercer, never mind the value of the land at Easter Road, and at Straiton which Hibs already owned (where IKEA etc is now).

Mercer was a property developer. He seen Hibs being in a shambles due to mental investments in a failing chain of pubs in Devon (previously owned by Rowland). He seen a way of acquiring land, eliminating a football rival, and eventually making a killing based on that. He called it a merger. It wasn't, it was a takeover with the aim of killing Hibs and acquiring the assets they owned.

From my inference of the attached article,  that would have been the case at first with the change to Edinburgh Utd once the proposed stadium was built on the outskirts of the City (Hermiston Gate area).

Logically, I agree with you regarding asset stripping but killing off your City rivals makes as little sense as merging to form an Edinburgh Utd.

Just look at Celtics resurgence since Rangers* "returned" to the top flight!

[Lebowski]

From my inference of the attached article,  that would have been the case at first with the change to Edinburgh Utd once the proposed stadium was built on the outskirts of the City (Hermiston Gate area). Logically, I agree with you regarding asset stripping but killing off your City rivals makes as little sense as merging to form an Edinburgh Utd.

Just look at Celtics resurgence since Rangers* "returned" to the top flight!

 

The article is talking shite. I was at the old main stand within an hour of hearing about it. Mercer had told all of the board members at Hearts about the actual plan. It was confirmed by John Robertson at a Hands Off Hibs rally at the Usher Hall. 

Worth mentioning also that Mercer did have over 50% of the shares committed to be sold to him. But he couldn't do the merger without 75% immediately. Hibs would have continued to exist for another year before the merger was completed. Mercer wouldn't have. The police were checking his car for bombs every day. And they were correct to do so. He would have been killed. That was the reason he pulled out.

 

Mercer lived on Essex Road, his hotel in Monaco was the Metropole when he left Scotland during it fwiw.

[Mr. X]

9 minutes ago, Lebowski said:

The clubs were to be "merged" and called Heart Of Midlothian, play at Tynecastle, and wear maroon. The merging part was getting Hibs players. Since that included Goram and Collins it wasn't even going to cost that much for Mercer, never mind the value of the land at Easter Road, and at Straiton which Hibs already owned (where IKEA etc is now).

Mercer was a property developer. He seen Hibs being in a shambles due to mental investments in a failing chain of pubs in Devon (previously owned by Rowland). He seen a way of acquiring land, eliminating a football rival, and eventually making a killing based on that. He called it a merger. It wasn't, it was a takeover with the aim of killing Hibs and acquiring the assets they owned.

I was never convinced it would actually happen. I was not bothered either way,  but enjoyed a huge sense of schadenfreude when the works resident arse hole Hibby was losing the plot daily.  In fact I actually began wearing a club tie to work for giggles. 

[Lebowski]

I was never convinced it would actually happen. I was not bothered either way,  but enjoyed a huge sense of schadenfreude when the works resident arse hole Hibby was losing the plot daily.  In fact I actually began wearing a club tie to work for giggles. [emoji6]

As I said, the myth that most Hearts fans were against it is a myth. Some were, most didn't care or were in favour.

[Killiefan]

Worst chairman in my book was Michael Johnston , the best had to be Craig Whyte , what a legend killed a horrible team.

[Mr. X]

1 hour ago, Lebowski said:

1 hour ago, Mr. X said:

I was never convinced it would actually happen. I was not bothered either way,  but enjoyed a huge sense of schadenfreude when the works resident arse hole Hibby was losing the plot daily.  In fact I actually began wearing a club tie to work for giggles. 

As I said, the myth that most Hearts fans were against it is a myth. Some were, most didn't care or were in favour.

A lot of  Hearts fans would have happily traded the Edinburgh derby  if it meant Hearts would start winning trophies again . At that time it had been decades since Hearts had last won a trophy,  and the promise of Edinburgh becoming a one club City and that club being Hearts was hugely tempting.  In many fans minds gates would improve substantially and so would the clubs fortunes, finally able to compete with the Old Firm .

[sjc]

3 minutes ago, Mr. X said:

A lot of  Hearts fans would have happily traded the Edinburgh derby  if it meant Hearts would start winning trophies again . At that time it had been decades since Hearts had last won a trophy,  and the promise of Edinburgh becoming a one club City and that club being Hearts was hugely tempting.  In many fans minds gates would improve substantially and so would the clubs fortunes, finally able to compete with the Old Firm .

The reality would have been very different. Just look at how Celtics support drifted away after Rangers died and their reappearance since Rangers* "returned".

Football is built on local rivalries. 

[third lanark]

1 hour ago, Killiefan said:

Worst chairman in my book was Michael Johnston , the best had to be Craig Whyte , what a legend killed a horrible team.

Worse than bill hiddelston who murdered a perfectly decent and proud club?

[Mr. X]

3 hours ago, sjc said:

The reality would have been very different. Just look at how Celtics support drifted away after Rangers died and their reappearance since Rangers* "returned".

Football is built on local rivalries. 

We'll never know what the reality would have been..