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19 years, 120 minutes and fucking penalties


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Got to say I totally loved that quote and the way Milne looked like his heid was about to explode at the end of the game.

 

Given his reactions before the game (the beaming grin checking out the crowd and display) and those ones after including the wonderful chat with Chick the Dick... are people still going to insist that Milne has some ulterior motive to grind Aberdeen into the ground to be able to make a (16 years as chairman) quick buck out of Aberdeen?

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The boy is in it for the love of the club, but he has realised in recent years that he doenst have the personality for the job. I think his reaction to the win and the pictures of him in the stand celebrating will have softened folks attitude towards him.

 

I reckon the appointment of George Yule is a master stroke, cant be coincidence that since his appointment the relationship between the club and the fans has improved dramatically. He has also implemented the changes to bring in McInnes and start tying key players down on long contracts.

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Been putting a lot of thought into this one as it happens.

 

I knew we'd see Milne more in the press before and after this final - particularly if we won. There's been some interviews and some opinions about him in the press, by journalists, McInnes, and Milne himself. I'm not about to say that he's not deserving of seeing us win.... of course he is. He's a fan after all.

 

The thing I didn't take to, and have glossed over in all honesty, was McInnes saying that SM was more deserving of the cup than the supporters (or words to that effect). Stories abound about the cash he's invested, the way he's kept us afload. Andrew Shinie on RedTV said if it weren't for Milne, there's no way we'd have been able to win that cup and would most likely being playing in the Championship. Make of that what you will!

 

I think most of us are wise enough to see through it all. It's not too difficult to come up with 101 examples and reasons of Milne's past failures, his tenure over the club, the way we have amassed lots of debt, the appointment of failed managers, the inability to pinpoint the simple examples of how the club needed turned inside out/upside down in terms of catching up with others in the SPL.

 

He was and still is, the master of his own downfall. But equally, his appointment of McInnes and his decision to allow him a free reign to implement his own ideas, has worked out wonderfully for him.

 

Folk tales will still do the rounds, like how he is our guarantor and stopping us going into admin, how he's pumped in huge quanities of his own personal cash etc. These things can be washed away quite quickly with just a reasonable degree of fact finding.

 

What annoyed me, was that George Yule's appointment has never been mentioned once by Milne during all these interviews. He mentioned Martin Gilbert and AAM, saying how much work they had done for AFC over the years. But surely Yule's appointment at around the same time as the start of our rise from obscurity, can't simply be a coincidence?

 

Again, today, Milne in The Telegraph says how much personal time he's afforded the club, and how he's never stood in the way of anyone with a desire to take over, on the basis they have money and time to dedicate to AFC. Old news stories of days gone by.

 

With a cup to add to his Chairmanship CV, the only thing that remains for him, is to sort out our finances. The issue of a new stadium doesn't really bother me as such. If it forms part of the solution to our debt, then so be it. But resolve the debt hanging over us, and he can walk away with my blessings.

 

Be in absolutely no doubt, whatsoever though - that those MOST deserving of that trophy on Sunday, were the long suffering fans who have done nothing but support the club through thick and thin. Milne is a millionaire with lots of boys toys, a couple of huge houses, and a successful business. He could walk away tomorrow and not be any worse off. But us, the fans - AFC is for many, the biggest thing in our lives, after our family.

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The only way to judge anyone's performance is their results.

 

Milne's job is the balance sheet. We have over 20 years of him being involved at AFC, the last 16 as chairman.

 

This cup doesn't hide the facts. We have gone from the black into the red, the building of the RDS being the "investment"that turned the tide the wrong way.

 

Now, we are technically insolvent, the debt being so large that we have no option but to sell the land our stadium is built on.

 

Interesting that even before he was chairman, he was agitating for a new stadium and the first thing he did as chairman was to propose Kingswells.

 

Why would the club have built the RDS if it was so obvious to our new chairman that we needed out of there?

 

How could two men, working together, see it so differently? Building on his land at Kingswells was just a coincidence.

 

Milne has attended hundreds of games, as he was obliged to as chairman. He felt relief as much as anyone.

 

But let's get real, eh? He's never owned 29% of our club and it has been a financial disaster.

 

Here's hoping his feelgood factor from Sunday means he changes his financial strategy and gets it right for a change.

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What annoyed me, was that George Yule's appointment has never been mentioned once by Milne during all these interviews. He mentioned Martin Gilbert and AAM, saying how much work they had done for AFC over the years. But surely Yule's appointment at around the same time as the start of our rise from obscurity, can't simply be a coincidence?

 

 

Great post twl. Yule doesn't have the power but he has the desire and the nouse to do the right thing.

 

Milne has been smart enough to align himself with the key players e.g. the banks, AAM, the first good manager he's appointed and I would guarantee that Milne has had McInnes out to the £30m hoose and treated him and his family as royalty to buy his personal loyalty.

 

That's what politics is. Using people for your own ends. Happens every day of the year in every company and organisation, from the shittest public sector worker level to high-earning boardrooms the world over. You don't get rich without knowing how to manipulate people and play politics.

 

We have been manipulated whereupon it cost us years of good football and many missing thousands.

 

As you say, simple for anyone to examine the facts and establish that Milne has NOT put his own money into the club and has actually put in less cold hard cash than the individual shareholders did for the "value" of his shareholding. No surprise that fawning sycophantic Chick Dung couldn't get his facts right.

 

It will take more than Sunday for the city and shire to trust Milne. His record is unworthy. He must change.

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Milne has been smart enough to align himself with the key players e.g. the banks, AAM, the first good manager he's appointed and I would guarantee that Milne has had him out to the £30m hoose and treated him and his family as royalty to buy his personal loyalty.

 

 

 

There has surely got to be some truth in that. There's no way anyone who has been indirectly connected with AFC, could think otherwise.

 

I mean, if you were McInnes and you'd just came to Pittodrie, beaten us quite easily 1-0 with your St Johnstone side, heard the howls of derision from the home crowd, looked at our league position over the years (as he would have), the how the hell could you justify your admiration for the opposition's Chairman?

 

Perhaps DM is a good politician as well, or at least, a wiley old fox. He must know that in order to get what he wants (good budget, good facilities) he has to sell himself to Milne. Hey, it might not be a bad thing, that they get the best out of each other. I just didn't like the fawning over him - was pretty much the first thing to come out of DM's mouth that I didn't 100% agree with.

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I haven't heard a peep from Yule in months... Last I heard there weren't there some marketing/sponsorship bods hired to generate more revenue ?

 

As has been mentioned this is the monkey off the back, it's also an opportunity. To say we have lucked out with McInnes is an understatement, we've got another year before the Zombies come back into our division and threaten to make it a GPFL again (if they haven't imploded again by then).

 

The targets are there. 2nd (or 3rd) gets you Europa qualifying... That in itself leads you to revenue and mainstream exposure that we could really do with.

 

A 2nd cup win ? Manager of the Year accolades, and hopefully a more fruitful transfer window post season.

 

Cup wins are great, lord knows we've waited long enough for that on Sunday. But they're really just a band aid to looking at the bigger picture with our club. Killie, Hearts, St Mirren, Gretna etc... They've all won trophies in the past few years... It hasn't really helped them in the long term. They had the junkie hit but it didn't help them in the long term.

 

Now we've got our belief back, and have a firm foundation til at least 2017, now's the time to build. New stadiums, bigger and better squad, Expect more.

 

Now's the time to deliver Mr Milne.

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There has surely got to be some truth in that. There's no way anyone who has been indirectly connected with AFC, could think otherwise.

 

I mean, if you were McInnes and you'd just came to Pittodrie, beaten us quite easily 1-0 with your St Johnstone side, heard the howls of derision from the home crowd, looked at our league position over the years (as he would have), the how the hell could you justify your admiration for the opposition's Chairman?

 

Perhaps DM is a good politician as well, or at least, a wiley old fox. He must know that in order to get what he wants (good budget, good facilities) he has to sell himself to Milne. Hey, it might not be a bad thing, that they get the best out of each other. I just didn't like the fawning over him - was pretty much the first thing to come out of DM's mouth that I didn't 100% agree with.

 

It's a damn good thing that the senior management at an organisation all get on and are pulling in the same direction. Absolutely.

 

But facts are facts. And the balance sheet is the ONLY thing that matters.

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Radio Scotland last night he was asked about Dundee United and Kilmarnock clearing their debt in the last couple of months and is there anything Aberdeen can do. He admitted the debt has been a burden and they have been working very hard over the last few months and hope to announce a solution in the next six months. ??

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Why would the club have built the RDS if it was so obvious to our new chairman that we needed out of there?

 

 

 

He didnt build that monster, Ian Donald built that monster. He built it in memory of his Dad, cant blame him in a way for that but if he had any vision whatsoever he would've built a new stadium instead, called it the Dickie Donald Stadium, sold Pittodrie to Milne for building the stadium and most of Milne's tenure would've been a lot different to what we have seen. Milne got the club because Ian couldnt pay his debts, debts built up by idiot managers, useless players and a monument that was built to last 20-30 years.

 

All ifs buts and maybes like but I have always said Ian Donald is just as responsible for the mess we are in as Milne. He started it, he signed off deals like Bernard, he brought the club debt when the club had never been in debt before and then he handed it to the man we have in charge now when he couldnt afford to pay for the stand.

 

Milne - made some good choices and some bad ones. Worst thing he did to begin with was to surround himself with DoF's that knew very little about football and carry on with the spending that was getting us into the shit and has us where we are now. Wyness being the exemption to that statement. He isnt a football man at all, he's a local businessman that did well. Christ, all his degrees are bought...

 

He took over a club already in financial free fall and instead of putting a stop to it he carried on with a signing policy that The Rangers would be proud of and spunking money to then try and keep up with a man that had and was willing to spend 10 times more than anyone else.

 

I'm delighted for Milne. He's made an arse of it, he's now finally getting things on track. If he could leave in 5 years time with a team as good as we have now, a training ground and a new stadium that has a mortgage and a club that may have debt but that debt is more than manageable and is only for the stadium itself then he'll make up for any mistakes he's made getting to that point IMO.

 

If you are so willing to forgive the spiv between the sticks then that also has to be extended to MIlne. I'm more willing to forgive Milne than the spiv, Milne is no wage thief and he never threw the rattle to go to Rangers.

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He didnt build that monster, Ian Donald built that monster. He built it in memory of his Dad, cant blame him in a way for that but if he had any vision whatsoever he would've built a new stadium instead, called it the Dickie Donald Stadium, sold Pittodrie to Milne for building the stadium and most of Milne's tenure would've been a lot different to what we have seen. Milne got the club because Ian couldnt pay his debts, debts built up by idiot managers, useless players and a monument that was built to last 20-30 years.

 

All ifs buts and maybes like but I have always said Ian Donald is just as responsible for the mess we are in as Milne. He started it, he signed off deals like Bernard, he brought the club debt when the club had never been in debt before and then he handed it to the man we have in charge now when he couldnt afford to pay for the stand.

 

Milne - made some good choices and some bad ones. Worst thing he did to begin with was to surround himself with DoF's that knew very little about football and carry on with the spending that was getting us into the shit and has us where we are now. Wyness being the exemption to that statement. He isnt a football man at all, he's a local businessman that did well. Christ, all his degrees are bought...

 

He took over a club already in financial free fall and instead of putting a stop to it he carried on with a signing policy that The Rangers would be proud of and spunking money to then try and keep up with a man that had and was willing to spend 10 times more than anyone else.

 

I'm delighted for Milne. He's made an arse of it, he's now finally getting things on track. If he could leave in 5 years time with a team as good as we have now, a training ground and a new stadium that has a mortgage and a club that may have debt but that debt is more than manageable and is only for the stadium itself then he'll make up for any mistakes he's made getting to that point IMO.

 

If you are so willing to forgive the spiv between the sticks then that also has to be extended to MIlne. I'm more willing to forgive Milne than the spiv, Milne is no wage thief and he never threw the rattle to go to Rangers.

 

Everybody knows that Ian Donald pushed the button on building the RDS. Everybody knows he contracted a local tradesman who had never built anything that big before to do it. Everybody knows that this contract, and the subsequent negotiations regarding the payment schedule, was the vehicle by which Milne drove his way onto the board of AFC. Everybody knows that Ian Donald's business acumen is zero whereas Milne's business acumen is sharp.

 

When you bring a fool and a hungry highly-ambitious person together, there was only going to be one outcome. The fool was ousted and the ambitious one assumed control, despite never having even 29% of the shareholding, still, to this day.

 

During the power shift, the first shares issue was done. At the Capitol, Milne delivered soundbites that we all wanted to hear and Donald was his usual bumbling self. Even his relating of the Kilnnsman fax got us thinking that 20k a week was potentially do-able if it added 2,000 on to the gate.

 

Milne spoke about the product. Who's to say that it wasn't him, as 2IC, urging the hapless Donald to spend big? Donald certainly doesn't have the balls to make big decisions and would happily be swayed by his fellow board members, of whom Milne had engineered himself as the most influential, the closest to Donald and his right hand man. Let's face it, the rest of the board were local lawyers and other ineffectual wanks who were just happy to be there.

 

When Milne took over as chairman, the debt was manageable. Even after the UEFA run, the debt was trade out-able, having receiving an extraordinary financial boost that not even he could have imagined and a turnover of £12m, a 50%+ increase. Now, the debt has escalated so far out of control - in the last 6 years alone - that what was threatening to happen has now been forced upon us.

 

I'm not "forgiving" Langfield for his years of ineptitude. I'm thanking him for his valuable contribution to the best day of our history for the generation after me. Even categorising the discussion of one footballer with the record of stewardship of our current chairman is stupid. What I object to is people being told lies and being so stupid as to believe them. We're no better off this week than last week in balance sheet terms and without a strong balance sheet, we could be nothing. It's up to Milne to change his strategy because the current one, the one he's been pursuing for 20 years, the last 16 with total control, has been a disaster.

 

The biggest gripe I have is the shite that we get told about how much money he's put in. I don't blame any of you for believing it because you don't have the facts and you're not used to thinking for yourselves, thus the tabloids being so influential. But having received the annual accounts for the best part of 20 years, we know he's made money OUT OF the club, we know the club has been grossly mismanaged to the point of insolvency but I've yet to read of a single quid that he has put in.

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Show me him actually making money RS

 

I dont mean a loan with deferred interest or one that is extended every year under new terms and no interest to be paid for x amount of years.

 

I mean him withdrawing more than he has put in. Taking a dividend or two or something else that actually puts cash in his pocket.

 

I dont go on about the money he's put in, I just dont buy into the myth that his only interest is building flats at Pittodrie and how he was only in it to drive the club down to a point he'd get it for a penny and sell the flats for trillions, as the stories sometimes go.

 

I could point you to several directors loans (he cant just give the cash, it is a floated business after all), the youth money he's put in, CHrist he even put money in for the displays.

 

There's a lot more than just the £2.25m of loans that have just been changed to pref shares thats come out of his pocket over the last couple of decades....

 

Not saying he's done a good job, just that you're just as blinkered in the opposite direction than those you claim have been blinded by media hype.

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Show me him actually making money RS

 

I dont mean a loan with deferred interest or one that is extended every year under new terms and no interest to be paid for x amount of years.

 

I mean him withdrawing more than he has put in. Taking a dividend or two or something else that actually puts cash in his pocket.

 

I dont go on about the money he's put in, I just dont buy into the myth that his only interest is building flats at Pittodrie and how he was only in it to drive the club down to a point he'd get it for a penny and sell the flats for trillions, as the stories sometimes go.

 

I could point you to several directors loans (he cant just give the cash, it is a floated business after all), the youth money he's put in, CHrist he even put money in for the displays.

 

There's a lot more than just the £2.25m of loans that have just been changed to pref shares thats come out of his pocket over the last couple of decades....

 

Not saying he's done a good job, just that you're just as blinkered in the opposite direction than those you claim have been blinded by media hype.

 

The first loans from SMG were at an interest rate 2% above base, were they not? Whatever they were, they were at an extortion level that was taking advantage of our weak financial position.

 

What did he pay for his 1.5m shares? Did he pay the same per share as almost 3,000 of us did?

 

I don't buy into any myths, ever. It's only facts that count. We were £6m net debt less than six years ago, according to Milne at the AGM. Now look at our situation.

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The only thing that matters in business is today and tomorrow, not yesterday. Yesterday gives us clues of what we might expect in the future but the amounts involved are so small to him and the effects so massive for all of us, the whole city and shire, as we saw two days ago, that here's hoping he does the right thing.

 

If the best thing to come out of Sunday is that Stewrat changes his spots, then fantastic. If he didn't know now what a cunt he's made of it for a very long time, then he sure as fuck knows what we've been missing for all these years now.

 

It depends if he thinks our interests are bigger than his own personal interests. The future will dictate.

 

Marginalising Yule in the success and euphoria may be an oversight or deliberate. Milne has had no effective opposition for his whole tenure and even when we all voted against him in the late 90's - most memorably the night of the farcical John Stephen/AFCST questions, even though he had in heart in the right place - he still managed to persuade the board and the majority shareholders to vote against the fans.

 

He's been operating his own agenda the whole time. The past has been woeful. The future is his to determine and the balance sheet - hopefully swollen by an extra 50k/100k every home game at least to the end of the season, and bonus monies etc. - will be the record of his financial management, as it always has been and always will be. Hopefully Sunday will go some way to encourage him to run AFC plc like a proper business for a change.

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The first loans from SMG were at an interest rate 2% above base, were they not? Whatever they were, they were at an extortion level that was taking advantage of our weak financial position.

 

What did he pay for his 1.5m shares? Did he pay the same per share as almost 3,000 of us did?

 

I don't buy into any myths, ever. It's only facts that count. We were £6m net debt less than six years ago, according to Milne at the AGM. Now look at our situation.

 

 

So now he's increased the debt, not made loads a money?

 

OK

 

Not arguing with that.

 

Doesnt make him the AFC soul selling, money grabbing, wanting nowt but his grubbies on the land ogre he's made out by some to be though does it?

 

Let him have his moment, he's suffered like the rest of us. Probably more because he's responsible.

 

Lets just enjoy winning a cup finally, enjoy the fact that we are hopefully on the way up again, wait to see the difference finishing 2nd or 3rd, winning 1 cup and being in the semi of another does to the books and with a bit of luck we might have some UEFA cup (or whatever they call it this week) group games to look forward to next season that will, once again, take some money off that massive debt mountain.

 

I still cant believe you'll now take clangers spunk in your face after a flap at a cross and a 50/50 guess yet you'd still wipe that spunk onto Milne rug as soon as clangers stopped grunting. That RS is a shocking state of affairs, I hope you're suitably embarrassed by your choice of bukkaker.

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So now he's increased the debt, not made loads a money?

 

OK

 

Not arguing with that.

 

Doesnt make him the AFC soul selling, money grabbing, wanting nowt but his grubbies on the land ogre he's made out by some to be though does it?

 

Let him have his moment, he's suffered like the rest of us. Probably more because he's responsible.

 

Lets just enjoy winning a cup finally, enjoy the fact that we are hopefully on the way up again, wait to see the difference finishing 2nd or 3rd, winning 1 cup and being in the semi of another does to the books and with a bit of luck we might have some UEFA cup (or whatever they call it this week) group games to look forward to next season that will, once again, take some money off that massive debt mountain.

 

I still cant believe you'll now take clangers spunk in your face after a flap at a cross and a 50/50 guess yet you'd still wipe that spunk onto Milne rug as soon as clangers stopped grunting. That RS is a shocking state of affairs, I hope you're suitably embarrassed by your choice of bukkaker.

 

I didn't say he made "loads a money". I said he made money OUT OF the club, which he plainly has.

 

I never said he was this "wanting the land ogre" that you claim.

 

There are only facts, history and the future.

 

You keep on bringing Langfield into this, your disgusting metaphor exhibiting your complete lack of appropriate context.

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i dont know how you couldnt be happy for him when his beaming face showed up on the screen!!!

 

 

Exactly

 

And just so you dont derail this thread by asking me daft Langfield questions...

 

Yes I am just as delighted for him as any other player bar Anderson who I am over the moon for.

No I havent forgiven him for the last 10 years

Yes he was instrumental in winning this cup and where we are in the leafue

Yes I'd still rather have Gordon in the side

No I wont be slagging Langfield off again for a while unless its deserved but I think I could honestly say that I've only ever done that anyway

 

MIlne didnt become a god of chairmen overnight

Langfield didnt become a great keeper overnight either.

 

Both however deserve to be left alone if all anyone has to say about them is bad, for the moment.

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I didn't say he made "loads a money". I said he made money OUT OF the club, which he plainly has.

 

I never said he was this "wanting the land ogre" that you claim.

 

There are only facts, history and the future.

 

You keep on bringing Langfield into this, your disgusting metaphor exhibiting your complete lack of appropriate context.

 

 

To make money he would have had to have collected more than he's put in. I asked you to show me that happening as you claimed you'd seen it for years while pawing over the annual reports. I've looked through those inna, cant see him making money. I see him loaning cash to the club under the usual terms for a business to business loan but I dont actually see him getting the money back, with interest. Just some interest then a repackage and a new, larger loan. Look into any club with our financial structure and you'll see the same. Thats business I'm afraid.

 

Did I say you or did I say some people?

 

Why, cuz it caught you out.

 

Sookin on clanger boaby as soon as he guessed right

Still spanking Milne even though Langfield has been just as corrosive in the first team as he has in the back office.

 

Just admit it, last night you had a dream

Today I guessed that dream

 

I just hope you wash your face before you go home to Mrs RS if you ever realise that dream, why shouldnt you realise it, thats what dreams are for after all. Mind you it'll have been a while since Mrs RS's hormones will have been stirred by the whiff of young man testosterone so you may just get lucky having the manjizz smell of Langfield on your cheeks instead of the old Bruit 33.

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What's the debate spam x 3? I can see you're trying real hard for an argument but you fail to answer my basic questions you jumped in on a misinterpretation, twisting my words - or failing to understand context - and you then say that Donald is as equally culpable as Milne.

 

You must know more about the finances of AFC than the rest of us but have yet to spit out the exclusive knowledge that you have. All I thought we had was facts. That's the only currency we should be using. What did I say that was so offensive that makes you show how offensively sick your true nature is?

 

Unless you are a bored little boy with nothing better to do?

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What's the debate spam x 3? I can see you're trying real hard for an argument but you fail to answer my basic questions you jumped in on a misinterpretation, twisting my words - or failing to understand context - and you then say that Donald is as equally culpable as Milne.

 

You must know more about the finances of AFC than the rest of us but have yet to spit out the exclusive knowledge that you have. All I thought we had was facts. That's the only currency we should be using. What did I say that was so offensive that makes you show how offensively sick your true nature is?

 

Unless you are a bored little boy with nothing better to do?

 

You asked why he signed off on building the stand, I reminded you of the real timeline instead of the slightly out of sink with what happened, the one you were putting forward. When you didnt like that you then said he made money from the club, didnt invest to keep us afloat and all the positives were press led but it was really the negatives that were true.

 

I've asked you twice now to back up your claim that Minle has made money out of the club

I've asked you twice how you can forgive Langfield of all wrong doing yet not Milne

 

You have not answered either.

 

I'm not looking for an argument, I just find it amusing that you'll sook Langfield off for a guess yet will carry one painting Milne as someone that makes money from the club yet when asked how cant actually show the how, just harp on about loans you've seen yet know nothing about obviously. I'm not saying I do know about them, just that if you have information to share that will show me you had a point I'd be happy to look at it.

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You're right. It really doesn't matter.

 

I'm nae interested in your Langfield change of heart min but any danger you can answer spamx3's question on how Mr Milne has made money out of the club?

Probably fair enough to say that the club has lost a fair bit of dough under his chairmanship but do you real;ly believe some of it has went into his own hipper? Do you think he's been fiddling his petrol expenses or something??

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