PURSLOW - THE BLITZ IS ON... WE NEED YOUR HELP!

[Coro]

This is taken from RAWK posted by FATSCOUSER, credit to him.

 

For those looking to help out -

 

All we are asking for is, a few minutes of your time, from the comfort of your own home without a need to even leave your computer... We intend to bombard the media, on top of all the relevant people and institutions that we have already approached.

 

Over recent weeks we have constantly tried to question our "Managing Director," Christian Purslow.

 

Right here on RAWK and spread across many fan sites and forums on the net, and also through things like the SAVE LIVERPOOL Facebook and Twitter campaigns, we have attempted to pressure Mr. Purslow into answering questions that we feel most of us fans want answering.

 

Knowing what sort of a man he is, we didn't try to question him personally. We turned to other people and institutions politely asking, then demanding, them to quiz him on our/your behalf.

 

We got answers from all the people and institutions that we approached... RBS, Standard Chartered, Secretary of Industry, Vince Cable, and The Premier League.

 

These are the people who have a duty, in one capacity or another, to ask these questions on our behalf. And, as I said, we have recieved answers from them all, but they also all ducked their responsibility to ask these perfectly legitimate questions. So, we think it's high time we forced/embarrased them into what they should have been doing all along as a simple matter of course.

 

In fact, we started a campaign to get some answers when Rafa was first forced out, and for at least a month we have been trying to get answers from Purslow personally. So, it's time to force people's hands.

 

And during this time, our union, SOS, have also tried to question Purslow on at least two seperate occasions... once in public, which he disgracefully ducked out of. And we eagerly await the results of SOS's latest attempt to get Purslow to answer our legitimate concerns.

 

However, even though I am a union member, I want to note that this is in no way, shape or form an SOS initiative. And although, we have worked with our union on this, and fully support their efforts, we are doing this in an attempt to bring Purslow to account to us - the fans and supporters - and force him to finally answer our/your questions...

Questions we think we are fully entitled to ask... questions we think Purslow is duty bound to answer... and questions we feel all fans would want answering.

 

So, please don't go bothering the union or board members with emails or so on. There is no need, and they have more than enough to do as it is without being bothered with all this.

 

Let's just stick to the intended targets and keep focused on the goal. But, knowing our Managing Director, no doubt, he will try to duck, dive and dodge as he has since this started. No problem...

As the old saying goes, he can run but he can't hide.

 

And as in the other parts of this campaign, if we band together, all do this and get as many other Reds as we can to join us, we can pile massive pressure on top of all the pressure we have already heaped on him.... Remember, there's millions of us. We get a tiny percentage on board, and we can have a massive effect.

 

And even if he squirms away, as is his habit, we will, at the very least, highly embarass him and erode any credability he has left.

 

So, here's all the questions we have been asking our Managing Director to answer for a month or so. But, to include a couple of events that have taken place recently, we have added a couple of new questions to the ones we originally posted.

 

Finally... we have found when taking part in a campaign like this, it is best to add a personal cover note to the set questions. It only has to be brief - a quick explanation of why you are doing this in your own words. In fact, you can add whatever you like, but please...

No abuse. No threats. Nothing derogatory. There's no need.... Just a quick personal note imploring every one you contact to ask the questions on your behalf because Purslow has ignored all past attempts.

 

So, here's the questions and I will be adding a list of email addresses in a second.

Finally some of the email contacts will be to the editors at the sports desks of the national papers. So please send them to them contacts in the form of an open letter with a view to having it printed in the letters pages of the sports sections.

Thanks, and good luck...

 

 

OPEN LETTER TO CHRISTIAN PURSLOW

 

Your appointment as Managing Director of Liverpool Football Club in July 2009, was officially reported at the time as a temporary role until a long-term replacement for Rick Parry as Chief Executive is found. One year on, could you confirm the following:

 

1. Are Odgers Berndtson still retained by the club in relation to filling the Chief Executive vacancy?

 

2. If so, how many candidates have been shortlisted and/or interviewed in the last 12 months? And have you been personally involved in that selection process?

 

3. If not, has another executive search company been appointed or is the vacancy considered 'dormant' or 'on hold' at present?

 

4. Is it true that if/when this appointment is made, despite remaining at the the club as a board director, you will cease to have any direct operational responsibility?

 

5. Can you explain why numerous media outlets (Sky, Trinity Mirror etc.,) not to mention the club's new manager, Roy Hodgson in his first press conference, have begun to refer to you as the "Chief Executive"? Have you been promoted internally without public confirmation from the club? Or are you simply misrepresenting yourself in this regard?

 

6. Do you expect to remain at the club in any capacity once the sale of the club eventually goes through? Do you believe your continued presence will be countenanced by the fans or new owners?

 

 

In relation to the club's financial state and operational matters:

 

7. What happened to the significant investment you were tasked with obtaining for the club, and confirmed earlier this year as being "very likely (by) Easter"?

 

8. How do you account for that failure given Liverpool FC's high profile globally? Does it reflect on yourself, the owners, or the club itself?

 

9. Are you able to explain why you feel empowered to make football-related decisions when you have previously had zero experience in the industry, and were appointed solely on the basis of your financial background? Outside of normal MD supervisory responsibilities, would you agree your primary remit was investment not asset-stripping?

 

10. Do you feel it is acceptable behaviour for any senior executive at a football club to privately brief hand-picked journalists to disseminate false information via the media, in order to further their own agenda to remove key employees and spin-doctor the financial realities of the club?

 

11. Did you earlier this year, personally contact either Jorge Valdano, Miguel Pardeza or any other Real Madrid executive to discuss the potential availability for transfer of Rafael Van Der Vaart, without prior discussion or indeed even the knowledge of the then-manager Rafa Benitez? If so, with what purpose given it is the manager's chief responsibility to identify who to buy or sell, subject to board financial approval.

 

12. Why did you decide to terminate the employment of Rafa Benitez by paying out £6m in lieu of the remainder of the length of his contract, when he was already having discussions with Internazionale who according to their owner Massimo Moratti, were prepared to pay an equivalent sum in compensation to Liverpool FC for Benitez's services? Moratti had, after all, just similarly received €8m from Real Madrid as compensation for the loss of Jose Mourinho.

 

13. Why, having effectively placed a combined £12m in contractual fees as a debit on the club's balance sheet, did you and the board then decide it prudent to appoint Roy Hodgson as the new manager, thus requiring the club to further pay in excess of £2m in compensation to Fulham FC? Nonwithstanding Hodgson was clearly not the choice of a key member of the selection committee, and there were other far more suitable candidates available for the role who were either internal or out of contract and thus required no such payment to be made.

 

14. Announcing the sale of Yossi Benayoun on 2 July to our Chairman's beloved Chelsea, the official Liverpool FC release included the statement "Yossi's departure was agreed between the player and Rafael Benitez a number of weeks ago.". Given you terminated Benitez's contract almost 6 weeks ago, a month before Benayoun's sale, isn't it true that this misleading statement was clearly and cynically designed to lay the entire blame for the player's sale at the hands of the club's ex-manager? Or does this set a precedent in that you plan on implementing all of our ex-manager's long-term plans on squad retention in his very noticeable absence?

 

15. Are you also willing to confirm either the magnitude or the actual fee received for Benayoun, as there is no real need in this context to hide the figure behind the "undisclosed" nature as reported in the media.

 

16. You recently stated in relation to player transfers that "no-one leaves until a new manager is appointed". So given Roy Hodgson's recent appointment, who can we look forward to the club selling now? Does Hodgson have a say in transfer matters or have you usurped full responsibility in that area?

 

17. Given your Machiavellian-like behaviour during your tenure as temporary MD, and your increasingly autocratic actions, are you prepared to accept that for the vast majority of fans, your claims of being a "lifelong Red" and former season ticket holder (not technically true as you well know) mean you are viewed as the worst kind of traitor? As opposed to the lone 'fan within' the boardroom you have attempted to paint yourself as. Do you therefore have any regrets?

 

Here's a list of email addresses. I can't get hold of the person who is keeping the full list that we've got. I will tomorrow though, and I'll be back with it soon as I get it.

But anyway, there you go you lazy bastards. Are we having a go or what?

 

admin@guillembalague.com, bill.bradshaw@express.co.uk, james.lawton@independent.co.uk, m.lawton@dailymail.co.uk, martin.samuel@dailymail.co.uk, ashley.gray@dailymail.co.uk, sam.wallace@independent.co.uk, dominic.fifield@guardian.co.uk, martin.lipton@mirror.co.uk, henry.winter@telegraph.co.uk, kevin.mccarra@guardian.co.uk, hugh.mcilvanney@sunday-times.co.uk, leewatson@guillembalague.com, sid.lowe@guardian.co.uk, sport@independent.co.uk, editorial@dailymailonline.co.uk, sport@tribune.ie, mailbox@mirror.co.uk, starsport@dailystar.co.uk, sports@sundayworld.com, sport@liverpoolecho.co.uk, mailbox@mirror.co.uk, sport@guardian.co.uk, sport@independent.co.uk, btsportsdesk@hotmail.com, newsdesk@irishtimes.com, darwin.templeton@jpress.co.uk, feedback@dallasnews.com, 606@bbc.co.uk, 5livesport@bbc.co.uk, u2us@skysports.com, fff@foxsoccer.com, onair@talksport.co.uk, football@bbc.co.uk, tonight@itv.com

[Chinandeler Bong]

SoS are covering this. I suggest we leave it to them.

[Newport]

Carpet bombing the media with this will not do us any good, and he's surely not going to answer these (may I say hostile) questions. Big waste of time to be honest.

[Coro]

Cliché time.

 

Doing something is better than doing nothing.

 

Only takes about 5 minutes to do all that.

 

Fuck the apathy and the let's leave it to someone else attitude.

[Chinandeler Bong]

The intentions are good but everyone knows how the fans feel and this should be left to SOS.

Not some forumite who LFC are not going to pay any attention to.

He (Cecil) will not entertain these questions. Some of which are based on rumours and conjecture.

[Coro]

Who do you mean by 'everyone'? The majority of our fans are still in the dark about what's happening at the club. I doubt most of them have got a clear idea about who Christian Purslow is. I don't think we can afford to leave everything down to a union that, unfortunately, is still only backed by a small fraction of our support. These emails are asking those in the media with a better platform to work from to start asking those currently running our club the hard questions. If these men in the media honestly do still care about the game of football then they should be recognising the concerns of the supporters and trying to find out what exactly is happening at one of footballs greatest institutions.

 

Why is an investment banker in charge of the footballing side of things here at LFC? Why is he still at the club at all? Who's he working for? If the questions are based merely on rumour and conjecture then Purslow wont have a problem answering them. We cant keep treating these people with kids gloves.

 

It's going to do more good than harm sending these emails out and supporting different initiatives such as this. The likes of Purslow know they're in an untouchable position when those active and vocal are seriously outweighed by an uninformed or plain ignorant majority. Absolutely no harm whatsoever in supporting those showing a bit of initiative especially if trying wakes a few more people up along the way.

[razor]

Some of his questions are hostile.

 

I've just read the SoS ones, and defo q7 and q8 need clarification with some kind of evidence or explanation. If not, Cecilia will just ignore them too.

[Coro]

My mind is a blur but i think those questions relate to answers given by Purslow in the minutes with the union. Let's see what Christian Purslow is made of, the more pressure on him the better idea we will have of his intentions. He probably thinks that the 'restless few' will settle down in time or will be shouted down enough by those around them. We cant begin to role over for the man when there are so many questions going unanswered.

 

The OP may serve as a template for others to improve upon. It may inspire some sort of action from others. It may get a few more fans thinking and asking about the real issues going on at the club and push them to look beyond the window dressing. One of those journalists may decide to shape it into an article of their own.

 

All in all, for all it's perceived hostility and possible inaccuracies it's something better than nothing and that is why i thought it was worth posting up.

[bonesman]

is rotherham on that list Coro, you should make sure he gets a copy..

[Chinandeler Bong]

Who do you mean by 'everyone'? The majority of our fans are still in the dark about what's happening at the club. I doubt most of them have got a clear idea about who Christian Purslow is. I don't think we can afford to leave everything down to a union that, unfortunately, is still only backed by a small fraction of our support. These emails are asking those in the media with a better platform to work from to start asking those currently running our club the hard questions. If these men in the media honestly do still care about the game of football then they should be recognising the concerns of the supporters and trying to find out what exactly is happening at one of footballs greatest institutions.

 

Why is an investment banker in charge of the footballing side of things here at LFC? Why is he still at the club at all? Who's he working for? If the questions are based merely on rumour and conjecture then Purslow wont have a problem answering them. We cant keep treating these people with kids gloves.

 

It's going to do more good than harm sending these emails out and supporting different initiatives such as this. The likes of Purslow know they're in an untouchable position when those active and vocal are seriously outweighed by an uninformed or plain ignorant majority. Absolutely no harm whatsoever in supporting those showing a bit of initiative especially if trying wakes a few more people up along the way.

 

Ok you say SOS represents a small fraction of support but when you compare that to RAWK it is huge in comparison.

 

You also say a majority of our fans are still in the dark about whats happening at the club. Are you using RAWK or other fora to gauge this opinion ? How do you know this ?

 

And you are expecting the media to ask these difficult questions and recognise the concerns of supporters but at the same time saying only a small fraction are actually aware of the problems.

 

No harm in supporting what this guy is doing or trying to do in principle but who is he and what are his credentials ?

[Coro]

is rotherham on that list Coro, you should make sure he gets a copy..

 

Alright mate, i think Mr SCOUSER is going to provide more contacts later on today and Rotherham maybe one of them. If not then it's definitely a suggestion worth making.

[Coro]

Ok you say SOS represents a small fraction of support but when you compare that to RAWK it is huge in comparison.

 

You also say a majority of our fans are still in the dark about whats happening at the club. Are you using RAWK or other fora to gauge this opinion ? How do you know this ?

 

And you are expecting the media to ask these difficult questions and recognise the concerns of supporters but at the same time saying only a small fraction are actually aware of the problems.

 

No harm in supporting what this guy is doing or trying to do in principle but who is he and what are his credentials ?

 

I don't post on or view RAWK that often but it's viewed by thousands just like this forum. You spread this post across most LFC sites and you're reaching out to thousands upon thousands of people.

 

I've got first hand knowledge, handing out union leaflets at the match, speaking to a good deal of people on the web and in public about the clubs situation and knowing that the internet is used by a fraction of our support, then yeah, i think it's fair to say that the majority of our fans are still in the dark about a lot of what's currently going on at the club.

 

I've heard there are journalists investigating Purslow's background but it would be nice if more journalists were asking the questions we're asking and raising the issues we're raising to a wider audience albeit it in a more considered and articulate manner. Shine a bit of light on those now in charge rather than letting them continue working unquestioned and unopposed.

 

I think the OP is just a supporter, like you or me.

[Chinandeler Bong]

I don't post on or view RAWK that often but it's viewed by thousands just like this forum. You spread this post across most LFC sites and you're reaching out to thousands upon thousands of people.

 

I've got first hand knowledge, handing out union leaflets at the match, speaking to a good deal of people on the web and in public about the clubs situation and knowing that the internet is used by a fraction of our support, then yeah, i think it's fair to say that the majority of our fans are still in the dark about a lot of what's currently going on at the club.

 

I've heard there are journalists investigating Purslow's background but it would be nice if more journalists were asking the questions we're asking and raising the issues we're raising to a wider audience albeit it in a more considered and articulate manner. Shine a bit of light on those now in charge rather than letting them continue working unquestioned and unopposed.

 

I think the OP is just a supporter, like you or me.

 

This is my point, as much as the guy should be given a pat on the back for his efforts and intentions, he will not be taken as seriously as perhaps SOS would be by the club.

 

We all want the same thing at the end of the day so if it helps then it can only be a positive I suppose but I just dont believe it will make that much of a difference, if any at all.

 

I sincerely hope I am wrong.

[Coro]

This is my point, as much as the guy should be given a pat on the back for his efforts and intentions, he will not be taken as seriously as perhaps SOS would be by the club.

 

We all want the same thing at the end of the day so if it helps then it can only be a positive I suppose but I just dont believe it will make that much of a difference, if any at all.

 

I sincerely hope I am wrong.

 

I don't mean to keep repeating cliché's and i don't want to sound like i'm having a go because sincerely i'm not, but it boils down to simply saying doing something is better than nothing. The union can and will take on the bigger schemes but if we can support them with other smaller initiatives, whatever they may be, then that can only be for the good of the cause, so to speak. The internet, as has been proven, can be a very powerful tool for us supporters and provides a very decent platform to further our cause.

 

The union are just supporters the same as me, you and the FATSCOUSER. All volunteers, one way or another.

[lawrie]

Although the OP isnt acting on behalf of the SOS, I believe his actions (and those of many others) are done with the support of SOS

[Durango]

SoS are covering this. I suggest we leave it to them.

SoS AREN'T covering this,

 

it's completely unrelated to the Union,as FS get of ye arse and do your bit!!

[zigackly]

Some people seriously missing the point above. These questions are obviously not intended for Purslow to sit down and answer politely but to place them in the minds of journalists and others whose interest it serves to investigate them a little and see if there is any story to be made of the answers. Of course some of them are a little hostile. Would you prefer these journalists to be investigating if he likes sugar in his tea?

 

The problem I have with this exercise is not the particular questions being asked, nor who they are being asked of, but that the nature of this carpet bombing of journalist's inboxes is likely to simply piss them off and stop them from giving a damn.

 

I'm pretty sure RAWK has pursued campaigns just like this before to gain only angry responses from journalists who are losing other correspondence through being flooded with what is effectively malicious spam from their perspective.

 

If we look at what the likes of StevieH have achieved through carefully and persistently emailing individuals and journalists and establishing a rapport with them through ongoing correspondence then this carpet bombing technique looks both naive and counter-productive.

 

I'm left wondering why FAT SCOUSER thinks it needs thousands of emails to each individual when one is enough both to make them aware and give them the information they need to carry out their own enquiries. Does he think it will guilt-trip them into running a story they may not otherwise have run? If it's a good story they will run it regardless of how many emails they get. If it's a bad one then they are not going to run it no matter how much we pester them.

 

Also would it not be better to present some of the background behind some of these questions, rather than just dropping them in without any context? If we are to get off our arses and do our bit as Durango eloquently puts it, then surely it would be much, much better for everyone to construct their own emails lamenting the state of the club and the efforts of Christian Purslow and to try to establish a rapport with these journalists in the way StevieH does.

 

The list of addresses is useful for that and I will be taking the time in the next week or so to write my own email asking why these individuals are not writing more pieces in the traditions of investigative journalism into all aspects of what the yanks and their flunkies are doing to the club. I'm not going to take part in a campaign to clog them up with spam and piss them off though. I honestly don't see the point in that.

Edited July 16, 2010 by zigackly

[Whelan]

Zigackly is 100% correct!

 

Bombarding journalists on mass will not achieve anything positive, a co-ordinated campaign will.

[zigackly]

One other thing I would say is that the carpet bombing technique has it's place when it's directed at the likes of the RBS, or local MPs, or the premier league, or Standard Chartered. I just don't see how it helps to do it to journalists who we need onside.

[Chinandeler Bong]

SoS AREN'T covering this,

 

it's completely unrelated to the Union,as FS get of ye arse and do your bit!!

 

I was referring to putting questions to Purslow. Which they are doing.

And I do my bit mate, thank you very much.

[me1]

Gotta be done.

Any which way.

[Whelan]

Gotta be done..

 

Yes, I agree.

 

Any which way.

 

Nope, it has to be done properly, it has to be done so that we look like an organised group of supporters who care about the future of the club, not a gang of fans on a vendetta!

 

Lots of people have a perception of scousers as whingers, I think, David Anderson writing for the Mirrow about neutrality some time last season, stated that we were the worst for taking umbridge with journalist!

 

So bombarding the likes of him, on mass is not going to do anything other than confirm his prejudice and make him more likely to listen to the calmer, more pragmatic Cecil!

 

That is all Cecil has to do, point to the Email and say 'This is what I am working with, see how hard my job is'?

Edited July 16, 2010 by Whelan

[gkmacca]

They really need to think much more carefully about strategy. One email campaign is okay, but once you repeat it you merely encourage the recipients to brand Liverpool fans as raving 'green pen brigade' nutters. Try things by all means, but don't go hurtling into clichedom.

[Horus]

Did RAWK learn nothing from the Rafa email campaign? Journalists weren't happy and were openly mocking them. Just because they declared it a success, it doesn't mean it actually was.

 

I may be a bit old fashioned, but I always believe it's better to try and have people onside, rather than angry and mocking.

[Original202]

Oh great, more mass emails to journalists. They'll love that, just as they loved having their inboxes jammed with the equally crap Rafa email campaign.