Chairman The Maxwell Era

The thing is Maxwell didn`t really "fund us with millions" like current club owners do.

We weren`t going out and buying world class players and that was the best bit when those kind of players turned up at the Manor.

Briggs & Shotton were "salvaged" from part time leagues to become the best pair of central defenders ever.

If one didn`t stop them the other one would, and if the ball went past them the player didn`t.

In the modern game they would barely last 10 minutes.
 
Essexyellows said:
The thing is Maxwell didn`t really "fund us with millions" like current club owners do.
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Well you say that, but '83 we acquired Rosie and Aldo (for near £100k each), '84 saw Billy Hamilton arrive for over £100k, then the year after Houghton for over £150k. '87/88 saw David Bardsley come in (think he was north of a quarter of a million), Richard Hill, Gary Shelton for over £100K, Colin Greenall cost a bit as well. Add in the arrivals of Neil Slatter, David Leworthy, Jeremy Charles, Brian McDermott, Neil Whatmore over this time...

Before '83 we were paying £10K for players, Maxwell certainly upped our spending power, and we spent a fair amount in the next 5 years.
 
SteMerritt said:
Well you say that, but '83 we acquired Rosie and Aldo (for near £100k each), '84 saw Billy Hamilton arrive for over £100k, then the year after Houghton for over £150k. '87/88 saw David Bardsley come in (think he was north of a quarter of a million), Richard Hill, Gary Shelton for over £100K, Colin Greenall cost a bit as well. Add in the arrivals of Neil Slatter, David Leworthy, Jeremy Charles, Brian McDermott, Neil Whatmore over this time...

Before '83 we were paying £10K for players, Maxwell certainly upped our spending power, and we spent a fair amount in the next 5 years.
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David Leworthy - shudders! The 11 year old me was so excited when we signed him and he became my first lesson in big fee doesnt equal great player 😂😂
 
SteMerritt said:
Well you say that, but '83 we acquired Rosie and Aldo (for near £100k each), '84 saw Billy Hamilton arrive for over £100k, then the year after Houghton for over £150k. '87/88 saw David Bardsley come in (think he was north of a quarter of a million), Richard Hill, Gary Shelton for over £100K, Colin Greenall cost a bit as well. Add in the arrivals of Neil Slatter, David Leworthy, Jeremy Charles, Brian McDermott, Neil Whatmore over this time...

Before '83 we were paying £10K for players, Maxwell certainly upped our spending power, and we spent a fair amount in the next 5 years.
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But don't forget we also sold players for a lot more than we paid out during this period.

When Maxwell took over we were £126,000 in debt. That was it, but the chairman was a local dentist who could not fund it. Maxwell didn't clear the debt, he merely moved our account to the same bank as his other businesses and told them they were giving us an overdraft for that amount.

During his reign we sold players for a staggering £6.9m and had the most successful period in our history, including playing at Wembley. When he "fell" off his boat we were £7m in debt. So where did the £14m go? He most certainly did not "fund us with millions"

Don't get me wrong, I loved those times, and for those of us of a certain age it was the best time of our lives, and something we never dreamed possible before Maxwell came along. But it annoys me when people say we were funded with Mirror Group pension funds, as it simply was not true, and should not be allowed to tarnish our success. We clearly spent beyond our means, but we were not funded by Maxwell in the way the media like to portray it.
 
Colin B said:
But don't forget we also sold players for a lot more than we paid out during this period.

When Maxwell took over we were £126,000 in debt. That was it, but the chairman was a local dentist who could not fund it. Maxwell didn't clear the debt, he merely moved our account to the same bank as his other businesses and told them they were giving us an overdraft for that amount.

During his reign we sold players for a staggering £6.9m and had the most successful period in our history, including playing at Wembley. When he "fell" off his boat we were £7m in debt. So where did the £14m go? He most certainly did not "fund us with millions"

Don't get me wrong, I loved those times, and for those of us of a certain age it was the best time of our lives, and something we never dreamed possible before Maxwell came along. But it annoys me when people say we were funded with Mirror Group pension funds, as it simply was not true, and should not be allowed to tarnish our success. We clearly spent beyond our means, but we were not funded by Maxwell in the way the media like to portray it.
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Yes, agree with everything you put, what Maxwell did was use his name to facilitate transfers of a much larger scale and frequency than we were used to, with the money coming from Mirror Group. The £6.9M figure for player sales initially surprised me, but when you think about it, it makes sense. I'm presuming that will include the sales of Saunders and Simpson which were after he "left" the club for Derby?
 
SteMerritt said:
Yes, agree with everything you put, what Maxwell did was use his name to facilitate transfers of a much larger scale and frequency than we were used to, with the money coming from Mirror Group. The £6.9M figure for player sales initially surprised me, but when you think about it, it makes sense. I'm presuming that will include the sales of Saunders and Simpson which were after he "left" the club for Derby?
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Yes, it does. And I could tell you something very interesting about those transactions between us and Derby, but can't say on a public platform due to people involved who are still alive.
 
bashamwonderland said:
It has always irked me a bit that our existing nicknames are a bit rubbish when compared to other FL clubs.

The latics
The tractor boys
The railway men
The owls
The gas
The tykes

I wish we had something like that.
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The boys from up the hill...
 
Colin B said:
I actually have considered it, as I think I’ve got a fairly unique story to tell. From terrace to boardroom and all five professional divisions.

I’ve got the time now, just not sure I have the discipline to commit that time though?
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Hope you change your mind Colin!
 
Colin B said:
I actually have considered it, as I think I’ve got a fairly unique story to tell. From terrace to boardroom and all five professional divisions.

I’ve got the time now, just not sure I have the discipline to commit that time though?
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Well you can at least make a start on it, obviously the last chapter "Colin vs The Nimbys" is still playing out. It should be done and dusted by the time the rest of the book is ready...
 
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