TOPIC: Lapping Deal Collapsed! Club Statement Within

www.newsandstar.co.uk/carlisle-united/la...l-collapse-1.1222918

Carlisle United’s owners claim they are close to cutting all ties with would-be investor Andrew Lapping.

Andrew Lapping photo
Andrew Lapping
The Cumberland News understands that board members will step back from more talks with the businessman, whose package to inject £1.26m was put on the back burner after a potential billionaire backer emerged.

Highly-placed Brunton Park sources have revealed that they do not believe Lapping’s plan is the right one for the club.

An official announcement is thought to be imminent.

But lifelong United fan Lapping today insisted he is still interested – despite not having any contact with Blues bosses for six weeks.

A senior united official said: “There are issues that make us uncomfortable with proceeding with this deal.”

When contacted by The Cumberland News, Mr Lapping expressed surprise that his proposed cash injection was about to be rejected. He said: “It’s news to me. I haven’t heard from the club since speaking to John Nixon six weeks ago.

“I’m happy to help and the offer is still on the table.

“But I’m not particularly happy that we’ve had to sit in the wings for eight weeks. I’ve incurred around £35,000 of legal and accountancy fees.”

Lapping’s deal involved pulling a consortium of investors together to deliver a cash injection into Brunton Park.

It had been widely welcomed by fans and supporters’ groups – winning approval from the United Trust, who agreed to dilute their share in the club’s ownership were the investment to be agreed by other owners.

News of a mystery billionaire’s interest in the club has led to negotiations with Lapping’s team being put on hold.

No details about that party’s background have been disclosed, with United managing director John Nixon saying they are bound by a confidentiality agreement.

He has said he understands fans’ frustrations that more details about them have not been forthcoming, but that talks continue.

That would-be suitor is said to be looking at ways of propelling United forward over a lengthy building programme based on the models of clubs such as Swansea and Bournemouth who have made gradual steps to the Premier League.

Mr Lapping, 51, is managing director and co-founder of Hamilton Portfolio, a private equity firm in Glasgow.

He spent 12 years with accountancy giant Pricewaterhouse-Coopers, is a director of three plcs and a former director of Scottish Premiership club Motherwell.

He lives at Stocksfield in Northumberland but was born in Carlisle and grew up at Mawbray, near Silloth. His first Carlisle United match was in 1969.

A senior united official said: “There are issues that make us uncomfortable with proceeding with this deal.”

Yes what makes you uncomfortable is that you will be got rid of and not be able to use us for your freebies anymore IMO.

What a surprise that isn't - they don't want to leave their snouts in the trough posts I guess. How long before Steve Patt is back on the board?

This lot, and the people who still work for them, are FAR worse than Knighton.

It's laughable that the board think we're so naive that we don't know exactly what they're doing.

A disgrace.
Why take this long to announce this? Is it because lapping had not pulled out by now through the appalling treatment awarded to him.
Well it won't be long before we hear the phantom billionaire withdraws his interest .
They must think we were born yesterday.

Oldhamblue wrote:
Not sure you can blame the people who work for them, think that's incredibly harsh.

CLUB STATEMENT:
www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/article/cl...ly-2015-2552795.aspx

Machiavellianism is "the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct". The word comes from the Italian Renaissance diplomat and writer Niccolò Machiavelli, who wrote Il Principe (The Prince), among other works such as how to run a tyre factory and piss people off.

Well it is all pretty much as expected, but perhaps a little earlier than I thought it would happen. This has been allowed because there was the transfer of Dempsey, plus the income from Man Utd and the tribunal fee for Potts. No shock in this for me, it is entirely predictable, the next thing we'll hear (in early August I suspect), is that talks with the billionaire are at a delicate stage, then they'll be able to release the news a couple of weeks later (depending on results) that the billionaire is off to buy another club.

Having read that statement why has it taken until now to provide this information. i think Andrew lapping needs to respond to this as it seems a very good reason to withdraw interest from their point of view.

I for one would still like to believe the billionaire story would come true, but even my wild optimism, after todays statement is all but spent...

Absolute disgrace!!!!

The trio of Jenkins, Nixon and Pattison are scum.

There never wanted this deal to go through at all. It only got as far as it did because it got into the wide media and Lapping was forthcoming it was the best deal for the club.

The money was there as mentioned by lapping on here he's not going too go through with it and hand money over without assurances.

Laughable the bit about lappings business's practices. The current three want a dictarsjip where no info gets released.

Nixon and Jenkins out now!!!!

So according to Carlisle United Mr Lapping is a lieing barsteward who made up a load of investment figures to worm his way in. It'll be interesting to hear his rebuttal. If it isnt true then the shit should be about ready to hit the fan.

cufcdeano wrote:
Andy is having a laugh again, like his twitter post the other day.

These 2 really do think we are all stupid!! Why on earth would John Nixon sit in on a interview with AL and let him have his input on the new MD if they didn't like his plans? Surely they can't believe for one second us paying fans are going to continue with such good support,they have made us a laughing stock

John Nixon will only stay to help handle Football League and FA duties and to liaise with the first-team manager after stepping down from his position as MD and vacating his office by July 31 this year.

Shock Bloody horror.... no wonder you don't want Lapping near the club.... your freebies are under threat!!

Gutless and pathetic the lot of them.

Hasn't came at all as a surprise to be honest, we all knew this was going to happen, just waiting for the "billionaire" to pull out.
Potts and Dempsey sales to fund us for the year, then same old season. No progression, no fan engagement, nothing !!

If you seriously think the Club would release such a scathing rebuttal, without valid reason, then you don't understand business!

Like it or not, they've said AL hasn't got anywhere near the coin needed, rumours of which have circulated for a good while (I raised the very matter when this Board began!).

Had to be true or they'd leave themselves open to Legal Action?!

Moorlad wrote:
Andy Bell? where does it say that he is the 'senior united official'?

cufcdeano wrote:
Consistent with the stick that Andy Hall gets though... a lot of which comes from Oldhamblue

Here's a statement from me.

It's John Nixon's plan B....

Take AL idea's, invent a mystery investor, sack off AL then implement his ideas as your own.

I'd have a bit more respect if they had come out with this in the first place rather than making up a load of B S*it about a billionaire investor.....

Scottcufc wrote:
You're right they do, I've been saying this for ages. Not only do they think we're all stupid, but they also know there isn't a damned thing we can do about anything they choose to do.

The move against Lapping is nothing short of nasty and vindictive, it is being done because he was able to get rid (almost) of Pattison, this is all about spite and personal dislike, not about what is good for the club.

If this statement is true then it's a good job Lapping didn't get his deal through. They are basically accusing him of lying about the size of the investment. If this statement is false then Lapping will have reason to sue for libel so we will find out the truth by Lapping's response. My guess is we won't hear a peep from Lapping, so it's a bloody good job he hasn't been able to get his hands on the club.

cufcdeano wrote:
I was joking. Do I have to put one of those ridiculous smiley things on a post to show it is meant in jest?

cufcdeano wrote:
I'm assuming AJ is the senior official, as the statement on the OS is from him.

The level of investors has been fishy and vague all along.
Can't see how AL can do anything else than sue them if any of what said is not true.

Over to you Andrew,this could be interesting.

Could only happen at Carlisle

I guess MR Lapping will have to defend himself and his backers now. The statements say there wad false figures from actual investment from individuals from AL's consortium. I think they now have to come forward and be honest.

That clown bookmaker one of those who are now claiming they were only gonna chuck £100k at it?

Confidential matters involving the club and sometimes also the supporters' trust, including private emails and texts, have been allowed to enter the public domain.
Read more at www.carlisleunited.co.uk/news/article/cl...#quv8DhKCdaXtHPcp.99

How do they know? They don't know what the public domain is!

Quite some time ago mate, a court of people FAR more learned than I will ever be (and I don't consider myself an idiot with two degrees) came to the conclusion that the defence of: 'I was only following orders' wasn't enough.....

People have choices - they stand responsible for their decisions; whatever they may be and why....

AL's intentions were good I thought, he didn't want it be a confrontational or nasty investment/restructure, but it has turned out to be that way anyway.

Probably should of just went for a full takeover.

Funny thing is Nixon got in his position from £1.

"The heart of the new board will consist of Suzanne Kidd (currently the club's finance controller who will become finance director), Phil King (the club's sales & marketing director) and a fans' representative to be chosen by the fans, after advertising and shortlisting, via a website vote for a one year term."

That is interesting, and could well be a great idea.

Moorlad wrote:
The fan in question had better have plenty money then.

I wonder if Andrew Lapping will put himself forward as the fans' representative haha!

So does this mean there is no new Managing Director? Or whoever becomes Chairman will run the club. Isn't the whole point to have someone who is paid and responsible and accountable for the success of the club going forward?

Also; one of the reasons for pulling the plug on the Lapping deal was because information got into the public domain - and the information about the deal being stopped was leaked...

Do the words 'raging hypocrite' leap to mind?

It's a shame it's taken you all so long to realise this, you were all brainwashed by lapping and the idea of change, yes change is necessary but your all just getting desperate, typical carlisle fans always want more than what is realistic. Lapping looked the part of a crook and he acted like one, his necessity for everything to be public was unprofessional and just got you all on his side, I for one would of given carlisle a 5 year life span under him, I'm glad the current board are staying on for the time being, lappings 'consortium' of tramps would of killed us.

Moorlad wrote:
I nominate Piglet... they'd soon regret this idea!!

James wrote:
Aye, because the club's absolutely thriving at the moment,

Aye, because the club's absolutely thriving at the moment,[/quote]


Aye, and it could be a lot worse.. Which it would of been, get out lappings rectum and realise he was a liar.

James, have we a 5 year life span under the current regime? I have heard (and it may be completely wrong) that the year just ended will be a financial loss approaching £400k. That means in the past 3 years the club have made losses of over £1.25m. How long can that be kept up? Certainly not another 5 years, that's an absolute certainty. Lapping may well be a bit of a wide boy, but some of his ideas for change within the club were basic common sense. The days of the dinosaurs are long gone, these 2 old throwbacks need to be out of there as quickly as possible, and fresh blood must be allowed to bring the club, firstly into the twentieth century, and then into the twenty first.

James wrote:
James, is this an alias???

are you Steve Patt??

James wrote:
Here we go.

And I agree with change, but at least we have AJ at the top pumping money out his back pocket to keep the club going, do you think Lapping and his consortium of magic men would do that? They would of lasted a year because his consortium most likely thought it was a one off investment.

I bet the people on hear wanting change and a better financial future are those who were upset when the club wanted to leave BP because redevelopment would cost silly money.

Oh crap, my cover is up I am obviously Steve Pat. Damn you caught me, let me sign out and make a new account and see if you can catch me again.

And the billionaire James?

Do you believe he's real?

And Father Christmas?

Billionaire, no.

Father Christmas, Yes.

If there is any positive to come out of this, surely it is that some change must now occur without any positive and effective changes now the clubs custodians have put themselves directly in line for huge criticism if nothing happens or things continue to spiral out of control???

FishIslandBlues wrote:
I would imagine the new director appointed alongside the FD and S+MD would be a new MD

Fishislandblues, They've been constantly criticised for the last 3,4+ years, what difference will this make? I can smell a court case coming on. Bitter [censored]! Lapping's investment was the answer, but these clowns couldn't handle the fact they were getting moved on.