Cellino...No place at Elland Road

Updated 17.05 Friday 31/01/14

Clicky...  The Football League Owners and Directors Test
Can we make representation to the FL as fans, can we voice our opposition? Please comment below, time is against us and Brian McDermott

So on a day when all other looking forward club are trying to bolster their side, GFH are doing their utmost to dismantle ours as they flog off what’s  left to any convicted criminal they can find with sufficient gold to cross their dirty palms.

We knew little of Mike Farnan and his rival consortium but if nothing else we admired him because of that very fact. No heralded tours of the ground, nor the training ground, just biding time and let’s be honest if your owners can stay anonymous then that has to be a good sign.

As we learnt today he and his consortium including Lucas Radebe have found it difficult to even get a foot in the door. In today's statement Farnham appeared to be issuing a last minute plea to be allowed over the threshold. Pleading his case that the funds were in place and that his colleagues were people of good Yorkshire and Leeds stock. Now the fact that Lucas is involved is clearly a good thing. No man has a bigger heart dedicated to Leeds but we kid ourselves not, essentially a figurehead, a talisman but not with an equal share at the table. Nevertheless sound worthy of a listen you would think.

So at the time of writing it seems the convicted criminal, fraudster and all round bad egg Cellino has secured the purchase of Leeds subject to FL approval. He hopes to take over the reins and as we understand it, oust Sir Brian McDermott and install the deeply proven and hugely unsuccessful Uncle Festa.

Of course we understand that any new owner has the right to install whoever they want and will all due respect to Brian, he means nothing to the Convict. It’s odd though that with GFH retaining around 25% of shares they seem not to have a vested interest in making the club stable, successful and build upon the generally good PR work done. Why the almost indecent haste to sell to the criminal and deny a hearing to Farnan. If you were selling your house, would you only listen to one person?

Convict

Given the season we have had, it speaks volumes that we have the level of respect we do for Mr McDermott. He comes across as a top bloke, considered, knowledgeable and would, given the chance take Leeds up. Of that I am certain. He has however been dealt the shittiest of all hands by GFH throughout, strangled by a lack of cash. More damning and illustrative of the contempt GFH hold for Leeds and Brian was the request from the convict to have Uncle Festa on the bench alongside him for the Ipswich game. Quite how that meddled with mind-set of manager and players alike we can only guess. Positive it could not have been. But such a request should never have got anywhere near Brian. Misguided and insulting as it was it should have been fended off much further up the greasy pole.

I have today seen several tweets on my timeline @jmyorks suggesting we cut the new guy some slack, for the good of the team. Well to that I say, bollocks.  Someone who can come into our club and show such disregard, be so insulting in action has no place. We have come out of the darkness of Uncle Ken, this move places us into much darker territory.

All that seemingly remains now is for our good friends at the Football League to continue their unbounding support for LUFC by finding the criminal an unfit person. Well society has already judged that to be the case so what odds on the FL concurring. It was suggested heavily during previous attempted English takeovers that he would fail and thats a few years ago. His stock has not improved since.

If anyone knows if or how we can make representations to the FL opposing this offensive takeover..or help persuade them just how unfit he is please please let me know urgently. Time is not on our or Brian Mcdermotts side.