George Reynolds

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Maurice_Peddelty
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Re: George Reynolds

Post by Maurice_Peddelty » Mon Mar 15, 2021 9:26 pm

EDJOHNS wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 7:56 pm
Emdubya wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 9:59 am
EDJOHNS wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 9:09 am
TKOA wrote:
Sun Mar 14, 2021 7:02 pm
I wonder if he hadn’t been our ‘Knight in shining armour’ and paid off our debts would we have went bust and lost Feethams anyway?

I like to think if he hadn’t turned up that day we’d have found another buyer or ended up starting again at Feethams and 20 years later we’d be in a much better position than we are now.

Even after 18 years I still miss that place, I still look at old photos and think of what he could have done to improve it rather than moving to the white elephant on Neasham road.
Onewayup has confirmed what I said about the bailiffs being in the ground when GR turned up.
As to reforming and still having Feethams, I think the cricket club would have made it VERY difficult if not impossible for us to get a contract to play there as the old contract would have died with the club.
You think VERY wrongly then.The cricket club did not want the football club to move but it soon became clear that they were dealing with an arsehole in Reynolds,

Would like to hear where you get your info mate as from my youth I remember a lot of antipathy reported from the cricket club towards the football club.
Just 1 example a fund raiser in Strikers was locked out by the rugby club with no notice whatever. As that was in Strikers it was obviously in the last days of us being there though I do not know the exact date
I seem to recall the Cricket Club's Chairman, reportedly Brian Johnstone standing at the gates to Feethams to bar access to an evening function at the football club. That was pre-Reynolds. The Cricket Club may have wanted the football club to remain at Feethams but only on Johnstone's terms.

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Re: George Reynolds

Post by quaker4life » Tue Mar 16, 2021 1:40 am

Darlogramps wrote:
Sun Mar 14, 2021 3:34 pm

Let’s be fair, had he vetoed it, no one would have got anything. Either get some money or zero money. His motives were not out of altruism. He never cared about the club, only his ego.

And if he managed the club properly, not built an oversized stadium we didn’t need, taken us away from the centre of town needlessly, spent money beyond our means, let his ego run rampant, bullied fans, banned press, alienated players and generally been a total shyster, we wouldn’t have been in the mess in the first place.

Never understood why people are so keen to mitigate Reynolds’ actions, and make out he was some sort of decent guy who saved the club.

Reynolds is responsible, more than anyone, for the destruction of the club. It’s taken 15 years to start turning around the damage he did.
Again of all of the above goes without saying but there is still no doubt the outcomes in 1999 and 2004 could have been far worse, as it was in 2004 it was almost the perfect irony as the architect of our destruction was also the one who helped save us.

Also the contribution of two subsequent owners cannot be overlooked, both of whom combined left us in a far worse position than Reynolds did in the end.
Nimrod wrote:
Sun Mar 14, 2021 3:05 pm
Of that £5m debt in 1999, wasn't Hodgy one of the major creditors, so in effect we weren't in as much peril as perhaps was made out as he was never going to call in that debt if it would lead to the club going under?
I remember Hodgy mentioning in his book (Three Times a Quaker) that Mike Peden once came into his office and asked if he could borrow £50,000! I believe he was owed money but I don't think he was a major creditor, or at the very least not influential enough to stop going under, the fact that bailiffs arrived as has been pointed out elsewhere in the thread suggests we were certainly on the brink.
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Darlogramps
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George Reynolds

Post by Darlogramps » Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:26 am

quaker4life wrote:
Darlogramps wrote:
Sun Mar 14, 2021 3:34 pm

Let’s be fair, had he vetoed it, no one would have got anything. Either get some money or zero money. His motives were not out of altruism. He never cared about the club, only his ego.

And if he managed the club properly, not built an oversized stadium we didn’t need, taken us away from the centre of town needlessly, spent money beyond our means, let his ego run rampant, bullied fans, banned press, alienated players and generally been a total shyster, we wouldn’t have been in the mess in the first place.

Never understood why people are so keen to mitigate Reynolds’ actions, and make out he was some sort of decent guy who saved the club.

Reynolds is responsible, more than anyone, for the destruction of the club. It’s taken 15 years to start turning around the damage he did.
Again of all of the above goes without saying but there is still no doubt the outcomes in 1999 and 2004 could have been far worse, as it was in 2004 it was almost the perfect irony as the architect of our destruction was also the one who helped save us.

Also the contribution of two subsequent owners cannot be overlooked, both of whom combined left us in a far worse position than Reynolds did in the end.
Ah I see now. You’re a little Reynolds fanboy who wants to mitigate what he did because you think he’s some sort of character.

Well you’re talking mince.

Reynolds claimed he was owed £15m by the club. Just like Singh, he ploughed a load of money into the club, then tried to claw as much back from the administration process.

"I am owed £15m and the administrator knows that," he said. "As far as I can see there is not even a pound note on the table. I'll always be there to help. But I am also the biggest creditor and anybody who feels they can do anything has to deal with me."

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/c ... 0.html?amp

He only accepted the CVA after the Sterling Consortium (who he loaned money from, and who bought the club to protect their investment) threatened him with a bankruptcy hearing.
“Reynolds' main bargaining chip was that he was a major creditor of Darlington, having sunk a great deal of money into the club, and his vote could block any CVA giving control to Sterling. The CVA and bankruptcy hearing were both due to be heard last week in a bleak crunch for the club. Ultimately, they settled; Reynolds told me that Sterling released him from his personal guarantees and withdrew the bankruptcy petition, and he allowed them to take over his Darlington shares and his vote in the club's insolvency. However, he told me they still took his home.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foo ... 0.html?amp

So let’s pack in this rubbish about Reynolds “saving the club”. He did no such thing and was no better than Singh or Houghton. All our troubles (which we’re still wrestling with today - particularly the ground issue) stem from Reynolds’ actions.
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EDJOHNS
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Re: George Reynolds

Post by EDJOHNS » Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:44 am

Maurice_Peddelty wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 9:20 pm
lo36789 wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 7:39 pm
Parking at Harrogate Town is Willow Tree Primary School can't be too much difference!
At least there is room for a team coach to pull up right outside Harrogate Town's ground to offload players and kit.
As I remember it the away coaches used to park up just outside Feethams. The club always used to put cones out to the left hand side as you walked towards the gates from the bus station.
Can't remember them ever in the Embankment which is where I used to park

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Re: George Reynolds

Post by theoriginalfatcat » Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:48 am

Journalism like this is crap. From the Independent link.


"After buying the club in 1999, Mr Reynolds, who became Europe's biggest manufacturer of kitchen worktops after a youth spent blowing safes, made three promises: to clear its debts, build a stadium and secure top flight football."

"a youth spent blowing safes" it's hard to take anything else seriously with this gem of a cliche shoehorned in.
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Re: George Reynolds

Post by Maurice_Peddelty » Tue Mar 16, 2021 12:25 pm

EDJOHNS wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:44 am
Maurice_Peddelty wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 9:20 pm
lo36789 wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 7:39 pm
Parking at Harrogate Town is Willow Tree Primary School can't be too much difference!
At least there is room for a team coach to pull up right outside Harrogate Town's ground to offload players and kit.
As I remember it the away coaches used to park up just outside Feethams. The club always used to put cones out to the left hand side as you walked towards the gates from the bus station.
Can't remember them ever in the Embankment which is where I used to park
The road immediately outside the main gates at Feethams is called South Terrace (in error I referred to it as 'South Parade in my earlier post). That meant that the away players together with their kit and equipment had to be walked 200+ metres between the gates and the changing rooms. Whilst that was deemed acceptable in 2003, I doubt that today, the EFL and NL would consider it to be acceptable in terms of player safety/security.

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Re: George Reynolds

Post by quaker4life » Tue Mar 16, 2021 2:54 pm

Darlogramps wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:26 am

Ah I see now. You’re a little Reynolds fanboy who wants to mitigate what he did because you think he’s some sort of character.

No, you don't see.

At no point have I ever advocated Reynolds I resent the man for everything he did to the club not least saddling us with that cavernous monument to himself and let me assure you seeing that banal housing estate which now stands on Feethams still knocks me sick. However I don't think there can be any doubt that had he not stepped in 1999 and had not backed down in 2004 things would have been very, very different if you believe the club could have survived in either set of circumstances without him then fair enough.

Reynolds was the first of three who were ultimately responsible for our demise.
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Re: George Reynolds

Post by jjljks » Tue Mar 16, 2021 3:27 pm

Reynolds, Houghton & Singh. Can someone please remind me of the name of the 4th horseman of the apocalypse?

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theoriginalfatcat
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Re: George Reynolds

Post by theoriginalfatcat » Tue Mar 16, 2021 3:40 pm

Singh did the most damage. After he had split we had 1 player, nowhere to play and demoted down to the deep dark depths of hardcore non league.
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Re: George Reynolds

Post by Darlogramps » Tue Mar 16, 2021 3:47 pm

quaker4life wrote:
Darlogramps wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:26 am

Ah I see now. You’re a little Reynolds fanboy who wants to mitigate what he did because you think he’s some sort of character.

No, you don't see.

At no point have I ever advocated Reynolds I resent the man for everything he did to the club not least saddling us with that cavernous monument to himself and let me assure you seeing that banal housing estate which now stands on Feethams still knocks me sick. However I don't think there can be any doubt that had he not stepped in 1999 and had not backed down in 2004 things would have been very, very different if you believe the club could have survived in either set of circumstances without him then fair enough.
At no point have I talked about whether things would have been different had a CVA not been agreed.

What I’m disputing is your bizarre belief Reynolds is some sort of altruistic white knight who deserves credit for agreeing to a CVA.

I’ve provided quotes from him showing he only wanted to look out for himself, and only backed down when faced with a bankruptcy threat.
I’ve shown categorically that Reynolds didn’t give a damn about the club. He initially wanted to get £15m out of that administration. Like Singh he chucked money at the club and then claimed it was all loaned when things went wrong.

If anyone deserves credit, it’s the Sterling Consortium for forcing Reynolds to back down and cleaning up the mess he left (albeit they did it to protect their own investment, rather than some loyalty to the club).
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Re: George Reynolds

Post by EDJOHNS » Tue Mar 16, 2021 4:19 pm

Maurice_Peddelty wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 12:25 pm
EDJOHNS wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:44 am
Maurice_Peddelty wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 9:20 pm
lo36789 wrote:
Mon Mar 15, 2021 7:39 pm
Parking at Harrogate Town is Willow Tree Primary School can't be too much difference!
At least there is room for a team coach to pull up right outside Harrogate Town's ground to offload players and kit.
As I remember it the away coaches used to park up just outside Feethams. The club always used to put cones out to the left hand side as you walked towards the gates from the bus station.
Can't remember them ever in the Embankment which is where I used to park
The road immediately outside the main gates at Feethams is called South Terrace (in error I referred to it as 'South Parade in my earlier post). That meant that the away players together with their kit and equipment had to be walked 200+ metres between the gates and the changing rooms. Whilst that was deemed acceptable in 2003, I doubt that today, the EFL and NL would consider it to be acceptable in terms of player safety/security.
Cleared that 1 up. I could not remember what the road was called but I was always there before the gates opened and I remembered many drivers having problems turning to the right then reversing to park.
I also have a vague recollection of a coach breaking down and the replacement basically got stuck trying to turn round.

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Re: George Reynolds

Post by quaker4life » Tue Mar 16, 2021 4:21 pm

Darlogramps wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 3:47 pm


What I’m disputing is your bizarre belief Reynolds is some sort of altruistic white knight who deserves credit for agreeing to a CVA.
I hold no such beliefs and nor am I suggesting he deserves credit I'm pointing out the fact without his intervention the first time round the club would almost certainly have folded and I already acknowledged Sterling forcing his hand in an earlier post. It's clear had he refused the CVA regardless it would also almost have certainly resulted in the club folding, as I said before it was almost the perfect irony that the man who brought about our destruction in the first place was also the one who helped save us.

As for Singh how Houghton managed to persuade him to invest over £1m into his venture shortly before putting the club into administration I'll never know, he foolishy chased his losses and the rest is history.
love it! wrote:Considering we are Darlington 1883 I'm happy that we are named correctly

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