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Post by jdl on Dec 15, 2014 15:41:48 GMT
I missed the 'away years', so my only knowledge of those times was via the minimal coverage in the newspapers.
With that perspective in mind, I was never sure if PBB was a hero - the man who rescued the Stones - or, ultimately, a failure, because he couldn't bring them home.
Then there was the confusion over the sale to Ash and Casey - it was virtually impossible to find out what was really going on. The story, as I understood it (or the KM wished to portray it), seemed to be one of PBB becoming resigned to his inability to attract enough funding to bring the club home and having, reluctantly (but probably with some relief) to sell it to those who could put the money in. But why didn't he stay involved in the club? And what was all that about when he apparently wasn't invited to the opening of the new ground?
In it's own way, the story (or at least what little we knew about it) was as confusing as the one involving Jim Thompson and the initial collapse of the club. Hero or villain? Over 20 years later I still have no idea.
So, now the Cup is out of the way and we have time to dwell on other things, and on the assumption that some on here know what did actually go on - could they enlighten me please?
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Post by jt on Dec 15, 2014 15:44:33 GMT
I would guess that Paul, Terry, Oliver and Bill know. Everything else will be speculation.
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Post by headstone on Dec 15, 2014 15:50:10 GMT
I would guess that Paul, Terry, Oliver and Bill know. Everything else will be speculation. Well that should put an end to this thread pretty sharpish! (Oh no it won't).
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Post by jdl on Dec 15, 2014 15:54:13 GMT
From what little I've picked up about the away years, it seems that the fans were much more involved than at London Road and knew the principal characters better and what went on behind the scenes. So surely someone has some idea of what really happened?
What was PBB like as a person? I assume he was connected in some way with the old club, as he took over when Thompson was banned. Was he one of JT's mates, or an outsider? Was he a decent bloke, out of his depth, or a control freak who could have got the club home a lot earlier if he's been prepared to share the load?
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Post by ronaldostone on Dec 15, 2014 16:00:10 GMT
Looking forward to reading this thread once someone in the know puts fingers to keyboard but will they? how exciting ... (it doesn't take much for me these days). Ok back to work now.
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Post by tim on Dec 15, 2014 16:20:55 GMT
I missed the 'away years' Blimey, quarter of a century, do you find your way home ok?
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Post by signalstone on Dec 15, 2014 16:23:42 GMT
I all ways had time for Paul. Stones fan at heart who should be remembered for resurrecting the Stones. And that was his failure too, ran the club with his heart and not his head, pissed off too many in the business world and so he got no help. Or it could just be the fault of the town end yobs. Lol
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Post by tim on Dec 15, 2014 16:28:24 GMT
So surely someone has some idea of what really happened? Yes I do, along with about 200 other die hards, or sad b@stards! All I will say is he tried his best but got out of his depth I still shake his hand when I see him, but rejoice we've now got Oliver and Terry!
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Post by tim on Dec 15, 2014 17:45:03 GMT
So, now the Cup is out of the way and we have time to dwell on other things, and on the assumption that some on here know what did actually go on - could they enlighten me please? I still have several email conversations with Paul, in the months leading up to his departure Unfortunately this information is only available to members of the 'proper' and original supporters club for real supporters!
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Post by stainese on Dec 15, 2014 18:12:24 GMT
I agree with Tim, Life with Paul at the helm was seldom boring . He tried his best but got way out of his depth . They were fun years that us saddos i'm sure are glad we didn't miss . But be thankful Terry & Oliver are now in charge
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Post by steveh21 on Dec 15, 2014 18:18:51 GMT
Anyone who knew PBB from 1992 knows he always had the Stones at heart. I remember how in the County League when we'd gone about 10 games without a win he was chairman, manager and even came on to the field at Rusthall as the physio. It is amazing where the club is today but we must not forget the struggles of the nineties and noughties. They were,indeed, fun times. But not as much fun as now!!
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Post by kentishragstone on Dec 15, 2014 19:12:42 GMT
I think it was over a very large unpaid tax bill, not disclosed to the new purchasers (Oliver and Terry) I could be wrong. On another note I would like to thank Paul for buying the club from Jim Thompson for a £ and finding a place to build our future home. If he hadn't done that we may not had a team today. I also like to thank all those supporters who kept the dream alive. I started following them again when they were elected to the Kent League 2001/02 season, I hardly missed a home Game since. I'd to thank Sittingbourne FC for the use of their pitch, even though some of our supporters thought it was a rum deal, Ashford was a worse move,but a pitch, is a pitch wherever it is,something we never had at the time. I still wonder why some of the Stones fans would rather go to places like Leatherhead,Walton Casuals, Slade Green,etc, etc, etc,rather than go to Sittingbourne. The past is in the past and the future of the club is with new owners,with a good business plan to take the club further. We'll still have our ups and downs, that's Football for you.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2014 20:05:04 GMT
Looking forward to reading this thread once someone in the know puts fingers to keyboard but will they? how exciting ... (it doesn't take much for me these days). Ok back to work now. Looking at your partner in your profile ... is there a reason why you should be excited !! Such a lovely couple !!
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Post by Raymondo316 on Dec 15, 2014 20:45:06 GMT
Pretty sure PBB actually brought the club off David Folb
Anyway i remember a meeting at the Russell Hotel 3-4 years before PBB left & he stated that someone had approached him with the funding to build the ground
The person or persons would only invest their money if PBB & everyone currently involved with the club was gone.......PBB said NO
PBB did alot of good for the club & kept us running thru some very depressing years.......For that i'm truly thankful
But his stubbornness to let anyone else takeover nearly killed the club again!!
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Post by jdl on Dec 15, 2014 21:18:02 GMT
Pretty sure PBB actually brought the club off David Folb Anyway i remember a meeting at the Russell Hotel 3-4 years before PBB left & he stated that someone had approached him with the funding to build the ground The person or persons would only invest their money if PBB & everyone currently involved with the club was gone.......PBB said NO PBB did alot of good for the club & kept us running thru some very depressing years.......For that i'm truly thankful But his stubbornness to let anyone else takeover nearly killed the club again!! This is pretty much my understanding (although it's an understanding based on very little actually reliable knowledge). So, we have a situation very similar to the one with Jim Thompson - a man who made/saved the club, but who also killed/nearly killed it. Was there something about PBB that made potential investors insist that he was no longer involved as a condition of their investment? (Presumably Oliver and Terry made the same stipulation.) I can understand someone who had almost single-handedly saved his club, not wanting to be kicked out of it, but did that mean that we had to wait even longer for the Stones to come home? When you look at other clubs who have gone out of business or had a similar calamity (e.g. Dartford, Aldershot, Hereford, Wimbledon), they all seem to have recovered far quicker than we did. So, whilst we are eternally thankful to PBB, Terry, Oliver, Bill, etc for saving our club and bringing it home, could it be that someone else could have saved it and brought the club home much quicker? Or was there only one person crazy enough to try to rescue MUFC, and we should be grateful to him, no matter how long it took?
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