Paul Harrison (Author)

I've got a couple of his CUFC books but don't know the man.

Seems to lead a bizarre life by the sound of it. Anybody know him?

www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/17768570.crim...ls-talks-fake-storm/

Certainly know about him from the days when I was around the club.

Tried to repeatedly shit on the club from a great height and is a serial liar and bullshitter.

He's a Leeds fan, totally denied he was ever a Carlisle supporter at one point.

An fraudulent fruitcake.

No-he wasn’t in my consortium before anyone asks.

How could he be when he is dead?

He has risen apparently.

What a crank.

If his club histories are all bollocks too he could at least have made up a couple of FA Cup wins and league titles back in the 1930s.

I've got The Cult Heroes.....never thought any of it was BS
Signed by him and Hughie Mac

Met him a few times, he was very believable, but definitely sinister. At one time claimed to be media officer and prog editor at Gravesend, even met me off the supporters bus there and was going to give me the tour.. . but then was called away on business!

He told me he was big friends with Andrew Lapping and Andrew was going to buy the club and he would be a director (this was going back to the Courtenay era, not recent).

His crime books seem well written, a decent read, I have no idea on their accuracy. His Carlisle United books are not worth the paper they are written on, riddled with innacurracies, guesswork and downright lies.

I might have guessed he'd be a mate of Lappings.

Maybe time he died again!

Said this before but twenty past six in the morning a manager shouted 'so and so cannot come in today because his Gran has died - again' spitted coffee everywhere and nearly spilt over my cup of Oxtail soup, I needed to have both because I am greedy.

Laffy wrote: No-he wasn’t in my consortium before anyone asks.

So you have had dealings with him then? Care to enlighten us?

nobbyblue wrote: I might have guessed he'd be a mate of Lappings.

Another charlatan pretending to be a Carlisle fan you mean?

I have his book on Carlisle which is quite a good read-to be honest,I have no idea who he is.

As for Melbourne, go and take a cold shower.I have watched Carlisle since my father took me to a Millwall home match in 1969.Everyone who knows me knows the Club has been an important part of my life.Absolutely pathetic Melbourne so go and toddle off now-I dont need to justify myself to you or anyone else on this forum

Aye right Andrew, after speaking to a couple of your supposed backers last night I now know we dodged a bullet with you.

Good-we can then all move on

Laffy wrote: I have his book on Carlisle which is quite a good read-to be honest,I have no idea who he is.

Fully believe you've never met him, just another one of his fairytales.

I think if you read his books on Carlisle as an outsider they read ok, well written for the most in fact , BUT: you cannot have a book like the complete record that is riddled with inaccuracies. It's a huge insult to Carlisle United and to Carlisle United fans. I'm not talking typo.There are stats and facts that are just plain wrong, and because they are in a book that claims to be the complete record folk take them as gospel and the clubs history is changed.

I expect there will be more revelations to come, so I'm not saying any more at the moment.

Bumble is right on one thing-I did have a look at the Club before but it was when MK was in his death dive,not JC-I went from liking what he did at the beginning of the journey to disliking where he went with it-and told him so to his face.There was a headline in the N&S which said’ Carlisle born businessman values club at £1–I’m surprised this never came up in my 2015 jolly.

I met MK in the Hilton in Glasgow-he looked unwell-he was wearing a suit and Jesus sandals and was upbeat but I could see the whole experience was hurting him.Basically it was going nowhere given his valuation aspirations but Martin Hudson was helping me-a great guy and I would have back there in a shot.He gets the Club more than most and was a very decent guy all round.Good on marketing and had respect.

He reads/read this messageboard as for some reason he got in touch with me around the lapping deal time to ask what I knew etc, then in a following message claiming he was to be a director/owner putting substantial money in, similar to what KA was saying. I had no idea who he was.

I have never met the guy-the book was a Xmas gift from my daughter Charlotte who is also a big fan as you know Richard-has been going since she was 2 though now has more time for Arsenal

Laffy wrote: Bumble is right on one thing-I did have a look at the Club before but it was when MK was in his death dive,not JC-I went from liking what he did at the beginning of the journey to disliking where he went with it-and told him so to his face.There was a headline in the N&S which said’ Carlisle born businessman values club at £1–I’m surprised this never came up in my 2015 jolly.

I met MK in the Hilton in Glasgow-he looked unwell-he was wearing a suit and Jesus sandals and was upbeat but I could see the whole experience was hurting him.Basically it was going nowhere given his valuation aspirations but Martin Hudson was helping me-a great guy and I would have back there in a shot.He gets the Club more than most and was a very decent guy all round.Good on marketing and had respect.

That makes sense, Paul Harrison told me about it in the Courtenay era but now you say PH did say that you had tried to take over in the end of the Knighton era and he (Harrison) had been instrumental in putting the deal together. I'm sure he described himself as a fixer. That was why I asked a little while ago if you knew him.

Laffy wrote: I have never met the guy-the book was a Xmas gift from my daughter Charlotte who is also a big fan as you know Richard-has been going since she was 2 though now has more time for Arsenal

I don’t doubt it! I didn’t have a clue who he was and presumed it was someone fishing for info.

For someone claiming to know you well and being in your consortium he couldn’t spell your surname right.

It was 2015 I think, meaning he was dead with his digging.

There’s as much chance of this bloke being true as there is of finding the Loch Ness monster, maybe why he went.

Let’s be honest-I was trying to get shot of MK at the time l.Taking over the Club was secondary as he was totally screwing it.

I liked MK and his flamboyance-then the cash ran out!

Laffy wrote: Bumble is right on one thing-I did have a look at the Club before but it was when MK was in his death dive,not JC-I went from liking what he did at the beginning of the journey to disliking where he went with it-and told him so to his face.There was a headline in the N&S which said’ Carlisle born businessman values club at £1–I’m surprised this never came up in my 2015 jolly.

I met MK in the Hilton in Glasgow-he looked unwell-he was wearing a suit and Jesus sandals and was upbeat but I could see the whole experience was hurting him.Basically it was going nowhere given his valuation aspirations but Martin Hudson was helping me-a great guy and I would have back there in a shot.He gets the Club more than most and was a very decent guy all round.Good on marketing and had respect.

So Andrew, why did you not get the club on MK? What was the main reason it never happened?

Lakelandterrier wrote:

Laffy wrote: Bumble is right on one thing-I did have a look at the Club before but it was when MK was in his death dive,not JC-I went from liking what he did at the beginning of the journey to disliking where he went with it-and told him so to his face.There was a headline in the N&S which said’ Carlisle born businessman values club at £1–I’m surprised this never came up in my 2015 jolly.

I met MK in the Hilton in Glasgow-he looked unwell-he was wearing a suit and Jesus sandals and was upbeat but I could see the whole experience was hurting him.Basically it was going nowhere given his valuation aspirations but Martin Hudson was helping me-a great guy and I would have back there in a shot.He gets the Club more than most and was a very decent guy all round.Good on marketing and had respect.

So Andrew, why did you not get the club on MK? What was the main reason it never happened?

Reading between the lines MK probably wanted more cash than the club was currently worth.

Doesn't matter if you pay a pound or a million for a football club - if you run it badly it doesn't matter how much money you chuck at it.

Look at Carlisle United since those three took the helm, gradual decline as normal under Jenkins tenure - people say how much Curle spent but we were already massively in debt because of the boards bad decisions on Abbott and Kavanagh, the rot was already set in.

Curle saved us from the drop but also spent a lot of money, just added to a massive financial hole that was already there.

Those three have never been good at financially managing Carlisle United, this is a fact.

Basically he wanted money for the shares-despite the fact the Club was up to its neck with Bristol and West.I actually spoke to them about the debt and maybe buying it off them-I had just done a similar deal with Optical Express where I was a shareholder and director and thought I could take them out at a discount and remove MK that way.Sound familiar?

I basically thought I should try and exit MK for the good of the Club.What a total self interested dubious quitter I am!

King of the failed takeover.

For me it speaks volumes you've only tried to get involved with the club when you think you can pick it up on the cheap. The first time when you thought you could breeze in and pick it up for free, the second time with other peoples' money.

Interesting you haven't tried to join the board of directors and help the club out when times have been better.

I would've thought when Knighton was winning promotions or when Storey was pulling the club up by its bootlaces, you'd have been falling over yourself to get involved, but where were you?

I'd suggest you were absent because the opportunity to make a quick buck wasn't available. These days you're still circling round like a vulture.

A vulture who's been sent packing twice by the titans of the business world that are Steve Pattison and Michael Knighton.

Piglet_Phoenix wrote: King of the failed takeover.

For me it speaks volumes you've only tried to get involved with the club when you think you can pick it up on the cheap. The first time when you thought you could breeze in and pick it up for free, the second time with other peoples' money.

Interesting you haven't tried to join the board of directors and help the club out when times have been better.

I would've thought when Knighton was winning promotions or when Storey was pulling the club up by its bootlaces, you'd have been falling over yourself to get involved, but where were you?

I'd suggest you were absent because the opportunity to make a quick buck wasn't available. These days you're still circling round like a vulture.

A vulture who's been sent packing twice by the titans of the business world that are Steve Pattison and Michael Knighton.

Harsh there Piglet - why would you pay for anything that is in negative equity unless it was for a quid, ask your beloved Jenkins what his thoughts are on this?

Jenkins didn't even have to pay Fred back that million.

Laffy's business is on the up and he is a Carlisle fan, you cannot blame him for not lining Jenkins pockets with any contributions after they shafted him - would you do it?

I doubt it.

What a total prick you are Piglet-might I care to mention I only wanted to get involved when the Club was in a mess.The price for me is always how much goes into the Club-not how much is trousered by those who screwed it up.

Now you toddle off too and get back in the hole you crawled out of.

Forgot to mention Piglet-show me any occasion when this Club has been sold for cash.The answer is never.

So how on earth was I going to make a quick buck?With a broken league 2 side sliding out of the league-same scenario as with MK.

What a coincidence that on both occasions, I offered to take it on.Where were you?Pontificating from your hole-offering nothing but your incredible intellect.How grateful we are for your valuable insight

Think hes caught a Marlin with that one.

Let’s hope it’s got a hand grenade attached to it

The truth hurts Laffy old boy, doesn't it?

Where was I on both occasions you failed to take over the club?

Some might call it "pontificating", others might call it "refusing to get involved with an asset stripping charlatan".

Take your pick, dear.

No doubt you love the Club Piggie-but refusing to get involved flatters yourself given I have no idea who you are.As for asset stripping, the cupboard was completely bare on both occasions.Nothing to strip and that remains the case.

The last messages on this just sum up Carlisle as a City and a Football Club. So much negativity and jealousy from people who do not want to do anything positive, but will moan anyway.
The proposed takeover was overwhelmingly positively received as far as I can see, although it clearly had its potential issues to resolve. It was clear that not all the money had not been fully secured, but Laffy confirmed (reluctantly) that he was actually backing himslef to raise the money through the prospectus, which is pretty normal business practice. He also said form day one if he did not raise the required amount, either the takevover would not happen or would be scaled back. Can't say I agreed with the MD for such a small club, but I accept Laffy knows far more about these things than most.
Instead, we get someone with little experience of business and takeovers (as far as I can see) questioning the morals and practices of the person trying to move things forward. People do not pay more for a business than it is worth (bearing in mind the money goes to the oweners, not the club), and businesses that are well run and operating at profits are rarely sold, or are sold at a premium. Even MK saw an opportunity at the scummers which was used to buy us, and don't recall anyone questioning this at the time, when it was well known what had happened.
We also get people insinuating dubious practices, but give no details. If they are genuine, there is no reason not to share them.
Well beyond the time to move on. Three years later, the downward spiral has continued (£2M worse off?) and we still have the bind of the Trust, whose influence would have been diluted as part of the takeover.
All are entitled to an opinion obviously, but this is just silly and probably proving to Laffy he had a lucky escape not having the privilege of being ripped to shreds by all and sundry.

I think Laffys intentions were honourable but I doubt whether the other people involved were going to take the club forward.

Having said that they couldn't have been much worse than the present incumbents but I've a feeling it might have been a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire!

Believe me, I feel like I have a lucky escape.I had no comprehension of the level of vitriol that can be stirred in Cumbria.No money, asset stripper, developer, dubious-had the lot, yet the fire should surely be on those who created the mess?

I never suggested that £1.25m investment was the final number.The recovery plan was to tidy the balance sheet up, inject a limited amount of new cash, employ people who know how to run a football club and run it on a break even basis.

Once stabilised, decide whether to raise more money to push on.But without a stabilised position, no chance of raising further money-something the present stakeholders have eventually worked out-the days of shovelling money into a football club without a clear path are gone.

I would suggest this is exactly the strategy followed by EWM though they clearly have no interest in long term ownership-neither did I of course, as I wanted to step back and watch from the stand.Something Piglet chooses to ignore too.

Piglet suggests I had some asset stripping agenda-I challenge him to prove it once and for all as I can assure you that there is zero substance in his allegations.There is nothing to strip!!

There was a Man City fan on talksport the other day slagging off Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan!

It must go with the territory!

Definitely, an issue with Cumbrians that they don't like change, don't like the successful and put up and shut up.

Aye it's a local club for local people. we don't want no strangers here.

In PWC, we called it FIFO

Fit in or [censored] off!

"Nothing to strip"

Comedy gold, this one.

Ok oh great one-given the cash flow is in a one way street and the stadium is falling to bits and the land cannot be built on because of flooding, give us all a clue what I was going to steal?

You might also note that the Club’s assets have always been charged, be it from a bank or FS or EWM-pray tell how one can strip in that scenario?

The only comedy here is your inability to read a set of accounts or charge sheet-both of which are on Companies House

On Companies House? On the roof?

Anyway, nowhere did I say you were going to steal anything. Although in fairness, buying yourself onto the board with other peoples' money is cutting it fairly close.

It's not correct to say the club's assets "have always been charged". You're also contradicting yourself by admitting the club does have assets after all...

Interesting you mention "the land which cannot be built on". That's a statement which holds as much water as saying one minute the club has no assets, then the next minute changing your mind and talking about "charges" against assets.

In real terms the ground isn't worth much, or the land for that matter.

Before the floods it must have been worth loads.

I might be wrong but isn't there something in place where the land needs to be used for sporting facilities and the likes?

"In real terms"

Designated land usage can easily be changed, it's not set in stone forever.

Ask yourselves why there was all that hoo-ha a few years ago when JC was prevented from taking ownership of a small packet of "worthless" land...

People like Laffy will try and convince you the land is worthless so they can get their hands on it for free.

Laffy was after the big Carlisle United sign on the warwick as it has 5 of the letters ("ANDRE") needed to spell ANDREW and I reckon you could make a decent "W" out of the two L's. Once he'd bought the club, he'd have been free to put that in his house. Fact.

Anyways, seems Paul Harrison's attracted the attention of the posh papers too

www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jul/15/tr...illers-paul-harrison

Ok-let me clarify.Charged assets means the stadium though EWM have gone the whole way and nailed everything with a debenture.

There are easier ways of making money from land without buying a football club Piglet-particularly on a floodplain.

I think you will find that my proposal to the Board included putting a restrictive covenant on the stadium and land so that nobody would be able to steal it-clearly you weren’t aware of that one.

As for money,I think you will find I was putting in £250k alongside other money-how much were you offering for your insight and sniping?