David Moores letter to The Times

[Guest]

Oh I think he's accepted some responsibility, he admits this in the letter. He is just trying to clear out his name, which has been wrongly vilified by people who don't know jack **** of the crap he went through. It's easy to criticise from afar, not every one of us has been through what he has.

[PTP]

“To a great extent, we took Tom Hicks on trust, on George’s say-so.”

Astonishing, absolutely ****ing incredible. His ineptitude is mindblowing.

The club had already ****ed Gillett off as had Aston Villa, yet he brings in a partner and he trusts that? Amazing, just amazing.

unbelievable! that is just shocking

[Kenneth]

Oh I think he's accepted some responsibility, he admits this in the letter. He is just trying to clear out his name, which has been wrongly vilified by people who don't know jack **** of the crap he went through. It's easy to criticise from afar, not every one of us has been through what he has.

Not everyone of us

[the rev leeroy brown]

easily the most worrying bit of that letter by moores is that he claims to have woken up in bed the night after istanbul with the trophy beside him..........the same claim stevie g made!!!!! gay love affair shock to come out in summer perhaps!!!!!!!!!

[Rich]

Appalling. To admit he took Hicks on trust, a disgrace.

[Neil Young]

And yet you're the biggest one on here.

Its quite possible our club will never be the same again yet you're mocking people who are pissed off at that? You really are an utter lowlife.

I wasn't mocking anyone although I can understand why you think you'd be a suitable target.

I said he got too much abuse for his mistakes, not that he hadn't made mistakes.

"Utter lowlife" - what a pleasant person you must be.

Anyone passing comment that holds Moores accountable, will be seen by you to be 'judgemental tosspots'. So either people have no opinion, or share yours, otherwise they cannot avoid that particular title you're bestowing upon them with such dignity.

As for your comparison of the kind of decisions or mistakes normal folk make, against that which Moores made - as i said, staggering to try and compare the two.

Syd, there's a difference between criticising someone and abusing them. So if someone sits there giving out abuse - to me or someone else - then I'll abuse them. If they don't, I won't. See how it works?

[Guest]

Not everyone of us

I meant the trigger happy judgmentalists in here who think they can put themselves in his boots. The level of abuse I've read towards him is uncalled for. It's more of a disgrace than what he has done. He acted in good faith.

[Reece]

Okay this is obviously a very emotive subject, but can we please avoid getting into slagging matches amongst ourselves.

Muchas gracias.

[Galb]

Oh I think he's accepted some responsibility, he admits this in the letter. He is just trying to clear out his name, which has been wrongly vilified by people who don't know jack **** of the crap he went through. It's easy to criticise from afar, not every one of us has been through what he has.

I agree. He f****ed up. He knows he f****ed up. But he's right about the importance of context. You have to remember that at the time, a lot of fans were howling for him and Parry to go to be replaced by the fantasy big investor. The same fans seem to forget that now. They were delighted with Hicks and Gillett - I remember the backslapping online when the deal was announced. Didnt see too many people on here doing the same easy Google searches they're talking about now.

To be fair, a few people did. Some people warned that chasing the money was dangerous - that while Moores was inept in many ways, he were at least always sure he had the club's best interests at heart. If people called him an idiot, at least he was our idiot. But too many people (Moores included) thought we needed our own Abramovich.

The club was pretty well run in the 90s by the standards then. We spent a lot of money by comparison with our rivals and were regularly making record transfers in the market (most expensive defenders ever, strikers, etc). That's what you want from a chairman. His big mistakes were in the choice of manager and in failing to plan ahead and start work on a new stadium at that time. Once the TV money became huge, Champions League money came in (which, again, remember we didnt qualify for for years) and the big investors arrived, Moores couldnt spend the money our rivals were spending. That was why the search for investment started. And it sounds like it dragged on so long, and the calls got so loud, that eventually they just jumped on the best looking option at the time.

Having spent time in Boston, I agree its tragic Kraft said no.

And even more tragic that if the new UEFA rules on spending come in, this will all have been in vain anyway as there will be no more Abramovichs.

While Moores and Parry have a lot of blame to take, there's enough to go round for everyone, including the fans. And Abramovich. It was his distortion of the market that I think made a sale inevitable.

But please, lets not make the same mistake again. There's unlikely to be a fairy godmother waiting for us with a pile of gold. Id rather go back to being a reasonably wealthy club run by die hard fans who cant spend quite as much as rivals who will eventually implode under all the debt than spend the next few years being kicked around as every rich investor group that poses as a benefactor strips us of what they can.

[Guest]

Appalling. To admit he took Hicks on trust, a disgrace.

They made their checks on Gillett who passed them flying colours. Price waterhouse coopers gave them the thumbs up, he didn't make the decision by himself. Sorry to say this mate but you're pulling the trigger too quickly there. He wasn't the only one to make a decision, it was a concerted effort of more than one party, of which were highly credible accounting firms such as Price waterhouse.

[Craig_H]

Syd, there's a difference between criticising someone and abusing them. So if someone sits there giving out abuse - to me or someone else - then I'll abuse them. If they don't, I won't. See how it works?

What a truly heroic figure you are.

[Kenneth]

I don't think it's fair to abuse Moores. He's thick, plain as. Didn't choose to be.

[Vermilion]

Surprised to hear Steve Morgan was 'insistent' about selling to the americans, as Moores says.

edit: well no, surprised is the wrong word....intrigued.

[Craig_H]

I don't think it's fair to abuse Moores. He's thick, plain as. Didn't choose to be.

I believe him when he says he acted with genuine honesty and in good faith.

He did, however, produce the most monumental ****-up in the club's history and whilst i'm not abusing him for it, it was an absoutely disasterous decision which he needs to be made accountable for.

[Guest]

I believe him when he says he acted with genuine honesty and in good faith.

He did, however, produce the most monumental ****-up in the club's history and whilst i'm not abusing him for it, it was an absoutely disasterous decision which he needs to be made accountable for.

He did the right thing. It was his decision as a majority shareholder, but he consulted all respective parties (the other shareholders) plus reputed accounting firms made their checks on them. What could have he done more? There was a lot of pressure on him to sell the club, many misinformed people on here were calling for him to accept whatever silly offer that came forward. Well, he held on for 4 years because he wanted to do the right thing. To criticise him for this is uncalled for. It's been a mistake but one he was entitled because it was untenable for him to hold on for much longer. Moores is a ****ing good bloke and one who holds this club close to his heart. I would take him back in a heartbeat if he had the financial nous to take us forward.