Duke of York's pal was going to buy the cabbage! (Rowland)

[Dan Sarf]

From an article about the Prince's latest financial shenanigans in today's Sunday Telegraph...

Mr Rowland, who is worth £730 million, making him Britain’s 25th richest person, was due to become Tory Party treasurer last year but quit before he took up the post after damaging disclosures about his business affairs.
The 65 year-old was once accused of “looting” millions of dollars from a US company he had bought and which should have been spent on an environmental clear-up operation. Mr Rowland’s representatives said such claims were “false and unsubstantiated”.
He was accused of being “shady” in Parliament after a deal to buy Hibernian football club in Scotland turned sour.




I don't remember that! Did we know about it? (Apologies if I'm the only one who missed the story at the time.)

[Dan Sarf]

I meant the Duke of PORK'S pal, obviously. Damn this cheap Chianti, it's stronger than you think.

[Shrekko]

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I meant the Duke of PORK'S pal, obviously. Damn this cheap Chianti, it's stronger than you think.

He loaned David Duff money to buy Hibs and part of the deal was that he received a big chunk of the shares in Hibs. He wanted to sell them to Mercer when he tried to take us over.

[givescotlandfreedom]

Aa typical poisonous Tory. Thank God we avoided his sort or we'd be well dead.

[Hal Jordan]

As I recall, he received a ****load of shares in the club in lieu of the loan to Duff, and as part of that deal saddled us with a bunch of loss-making hotels in the south of England, which Duff tried to imply was an investment that would bring cash into the club like nobody's business.
At the time of the Mercer bid, Rowland's ex-wife refused to sell her shares to spite him, which effectively saved us, as well as David Duff and Jim Gray showing a bit of integrity (just in time) by doing the same. Then along came Sir Tom.

[Dan Sarf]

Thanks for the updates.

And thank you, Sir Tom

[Phil D. Rolls]

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Aa typical poisonous Tory. Thank God we avoided his sort or we'd be well dead.

If only we had avoided him. We were nearly dead, and it's a lesson on who we should trust with the club in future. (Anti Petrie brigade take note).

[basehibby]

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From an article about the Prince's latest financial shenanigans in today's Sunday Telegraph...

Mr Rowland, who is worth £730 million, making him Britain’s 25th richest person, was due to become Tory Party treasurer last year but quit before he took up the post after damaging disclosures about his business affairs.
The 65 year-old was once accused of “looting” millions of dollars from a US company he had bought and which should have been spent on an environmental clear-up operation. Mr Rowland’s representatives said such claims were “false and unsubstantiated”.
He was accused of being “shady” in Parliament after a deal to buy Hibernian football club in Scotland turned sour.




I don't remember that! Did we know about it? (Apologies if I'm the only one who missed the story at the time.)

I remember clearly that Rowland was every bit as much a villain of the piece as anyone else - the greedy **** would have been quite happy to sell our club into oblivion just so as he could make a nice wee profit on his shares.
If he'd succeeded I would have wanted him dead every bit as much as Mercer. Duff and Grey to their credit refused to sell and were sued by Rowland as a result IIRC - about the only thing they could hold their heads up for during the whole sorry episode.

[Keith_M]

I'm glad this was brought up because I'd like to remind all those who sing the Mercer song that Rowland was the real villian in the piece.

Mercer was a Bawbag, but was doing what he did in his own club's interests (however misguided). Rowland, IMHO, was even worse as he was only ever interested in making yet more money.

Highest contributor to the Tory Party AND total crook. Makes you think...

[sleeping giant]

The team that wouldn't die

[Phil D. Rolls]

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I'm glad this was brought up because I'd like to remind all those who sing the Mercer song that Rowland was the real villian in the piece.

Mercer was a Bawbag, but was doing what he did in his own club's interests (however misguided). Rowland, IMHO, was even worse as he was only ever interested in making yet more money.

Highest contributor to the Tory Party AND total crook. Makes you think...

I see it differently. Mercer was an egotistical little toley, who had no love for football, other than the fact that it made him into somebody people took notice of. He loved to play the pantomime villain, yet his idea of fun actually hurt other people badly.

His number plate was XX1 (double cross). Anybody who thinks it is funny to cheat other people is beneath contempt.

Rowlands, on the other hand, never claimed to have a love for football. He was only in it for the money. Yes, he was a shyster, but people who are taken in by a shyster have to look hard at themselves.

[--------]

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As I recall, he received a ****load of shares in the club in lieu of the loan to Duff, and as part of that deal saddled us with a bunch of loss-making hotels in the south of England, which Duff tried to imply was an investment that would bring cash into the club like nobody's business.
At the time of the Mercer bid, Rowland's ex-wife refused to sell her shares to spite him, which effectively saved us, as well as David Duff and Jim Gray showing a bit of integrity (just in time) by doing the same. Then along came Sir Tom.

I don't think iot was "showing integrity" as much as "realising they were dead men" if they sold out.

The lynch-mob was getting bigger and angrier by the minute, IIRC.

[blackpoolhibs]

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I'm glad this was brought up because I'd like to remind all those who sing the Mercer song that Rowland was the real villian in the piece.

Mercer was a Bawbag, but was doing what he did in his own club's interests (however misguided). Rowland, IMHO, was even worse as he was only ever interested in making yet more money.

Highest contributor to the Tory Party AND total crook. Makes you think...

Without mercer there was no takeover. I find him fully responsible, Rowlands had no idea what he was getting into. Mercer did. He's in the best place for **** like him.

[Phil D. Rolls]

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I don't think iot was "showing integrity" as much as "realising they were dead men" if they sold out.

The lynch-mob was getting bigger and angrier by the minute, IIRC.

Indeed, the events surrounding that take-over bid would surely make compelling drama. Life would have been very difficult for Duff and Gray. It certainly was for Mercer, and I reckon he spent the rest of his days watching his back.

[ancient hibee]

Mercer of course actually kept us alive-if he hadn't come in on a takeover we would have imploded and disappear.He helped rally support against him which showed he was nowhere near the top businessman he thought he was.If he'd done nothing he would have achieved his objective.

[New Corrie]

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Aa typical poisonous Tory. Thank God we avoided his sort or we'd be well dead.

And got another sort of Tory Our current owner, a ruthless businessman who has contributed to the Conservative party and made shedloads out of Hibs. I must be missing something, please explain the lucky escape?

[johnrebus]

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And got another sort of Tory Our current owner, a ruthless businessman who has contributed to the Conservative party and made shedloads out of Hibs. I must be missing something, please explain the lucky escape?

Please explain the bit in bold?

[Phil D. Rolls]

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And got another sort of Tory Our current owner, a ruthless businessman who has contributed to the Conservative party and made shedloads out of Hibs. I must be missing something, please explain the lucky escape?

Yeah, Farmer and Mercer are just the same.

[basehibby]

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Without mercer there was no takeover. I find him fully responsible, Rowlands had no idea what he was getting into. Mercer did. He's in the best place for **** like him.

That bit in bold is nonsense - Rowland knew exactly what he was doing and showed an utter contempt for all us Hibees which was beyond belief - Mercer was known to be an unfriendly power so to speak where as Rowland as partial owner of Hibs was in a position of trust which he was just desparate to betray for the sake of lining his pockets - an utterly amoral beast of an individual - sooner he joins Wallet 6 feet under the better IMO - hopefully in a slow and painful manner.

[blackpoolhibs]

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That bit in bold is nonsense - Rowland knew exactly what he was doing and showed an utter contempt for all us Hibees which was beyond belief - Mercer was known to be an unfriendly power so to speak where as Rowland as partial owner of Hibs was in a position of trust which he was just desparate to betray for the sake of lining his pockets - an utterly amoral beast of an individual - sooner he joins Wallet 6 feet under the better IMO - hopefully in a slow and painful manner.

I'm not so sure he did. I dont for one minute think he knew how we would react as a support? He would have bought and sold shares in all sorts of things, none that would create a backlash like Hibs fc would.

I agree all he wanted was to line his pockets, but he'd have been just as desperate if it was chocolate or bin bags.

So again, I don't think he knew what he was getting into and what the repercussions would be?

[camhibby1]

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I'm not so sure he did. I dont for one minute think he knew how we would react as a support? He would have bought and sold shares in all sorts of things, none that would create a backlash like Hibs fc would.

I agree all he wanted was to line his pockets, but he'd have been just as desperate if it was chocolate or bin bags.

So again, I don't think he knew what he was getting into and what the repercussions would be?

Don't you believe it - Rowland knew precisely what he was doing - I worked in the Stock Exchange in both Glasgow and London in the late 60's until 1979 and the man's name was poison. Time and again he hoodwinked good honest people and had he not fled the country when he did he might well have ended up in you know where. Totally odious and untrustworthy. He knew alright.

[blackpoolhibs]

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Don't you believe it - Rowland knew precisely what he was doing - I worked in the Stock Exchange in both Glasgow and London in the late 60's until 1979 and the man's name was poison. Time and again he hoodwinked good honest people and had he not fled the country when he did he might well have ended up in you know where. Totally odious and untrustworthy. He knew alright.

I understand he is a nasty piece of work, and he did not care one jot who he screwed. i just wonder how committed he'd have been, had he found a bomb under his car, or was attacked in the street. As that would have happened had this gone through.

[thebakerboy]

At the time of the Rowland business I was considering buying some shares in the deal that was on offer. A few weeks before the offer closed I was going on holiday and in the pocket on the plane someone had left a copy of the Financial Times open at an article about Rowland. After reading it I told my wife to pick a watch in the duty free and I did the same and never bought the shares and have never regretted it.

[Diclonius]

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And got another sort of Tory Our current owner, a ruthless businessman who has contributed to the Conservative party and made shedloads out of Hibs. I must be missing something, please explain the lucky escape?

Isn't Farmer SNP?

[fatbloke]

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And got another sort of Tory Our current owner, a ruthless businessman who has contributed to the Conservative party and made shedloads out of Hibs. I must be missing something, please explain the lucky escape?

IMHO - One of the most ill informed posts I have seen for a very long time on here, what a crock o 5hit. Do us a favour stay away from the keyboard for chrissakes. Posts like yours hurt my eyes.

[DarlingtonHibee]

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IMHO - One of the most ill informed posts I have seen for a very long time on here, what a crock o 5hit. Do us a favour stay away from the keyboard for chrissakes. Posts like yours hurt my eyes.

[The Falcon]

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And got another sort of Tory Our current owner, a ruthless businessman who has contributed to the Conservative party and made shedloads out of Hibs. I must be missing something, please explain the lucky escape?

There's some nonsense posted on here. There's some utter pash posted on here. But congratulations are in order New Corrie as you have just taken it to a whole new level.

[basehibby]

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And got another sort of Tory Our current owner, a ruthless businessman who has contributed to the Conservative party and made shedloads out of Hibs. I must be missing something, please explain the lucky escape?

Do you really need an explanation???

In case it escaped your attention Rowland was desparate to sell out to Mercer and thus deliver Hibs into extinction.

Farmer on the other hand saved the club from oblivion and has overseen it's transformation from a ramshackle club on the verge of liquidation to a viable business that can stand on it's own two feet.

The difference is stark and blindingly obvious - one is a lowlife who would happilly sell his granny into prostitution - the other a man of principal who has seen through his promises to us with skill and dedication to leave the club in as good shape as it has ever been.

Even if Farmer HAD made shed loads of cash out of Hibs (something I am quite sceptical about), well, it would be a price worth paying for what he has delivered.

I still can't believe the contention in your dumb assed post that there's no difference between Farmer and Rowland - you deserve another shedload of these... .......

[Phil D. Rolls]

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That bit in bold is nonsense - Rowland knew exactly what he was doing and showed an utter contempt for all us Hibees which was beyond belief - Mercer was known to be an unfriendly power so to speak where as Rowland as partial owner of Hibs was in a position of trust which he was just desparate to betray for the sake of lining his pockets - an utterly amoral beast of an individual - sooner he joins Wallet 6 feet under the better IMO - hopefully in a slow and painful manner.

I think that's in pretty poor taste.

[bighairyfaeleith]

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And got another sort of Tory Our current owner, a ruthless businessman who has contributed to the Conservative party and made shedloads out of Hibs. I must be missing something, please explain the lucky escape?

If anyone else posted that I would be surprised, possibly shocked. However.....