Norm Anton speaks
By Norm Anton
September 3 2003
Norm Anton gives us his own view on things down Pride Park way. This way he looks at the take over struggle at the ground among other relevent subjects.

Norm Anton speaks

Phew, finally got all me stuff moved in to my new office at Derby Madness. It was a struggle to find all me stuff after I was evicted from the other places offices! I hate rummaging through black bags don’t you? Still unlike GeorgI Kinkladze at least I have a new job. What a shame this once great player used and abused by successive Derby managers can’t find a half decent club. You may laugh but I think he is right he could still do a job in the Premiership given a chance.

Well that didn’t take long did it? The inevitable calls for George Burley’s head on a plate have already started. As I predicted in one of my previous columns, this was my greatest fear and alas it has come true. Of course it must be Georges fault, he has only had the job of rebuilding the squad on a shoestring budget (a kids shoestring at that!). No transfers only frees and Bosman’s, a wage ceiling after the disastrous money thrown away in previous seasons. At the present time we have a very young squad who with a few experienced players are trying to learn how to fight in this division. Confidence must be at an all time low and god only knows what the true atmosphere is in and around Pride Park as far as players and staff are concerned. The club is effectively broke and is run by the bank (yes yawn yawn I’ve said it before but not everyone gets it!). But like an older version of Leonardo Di Caprio in Titanic, Lionel is hanging on to that iceberg and slowly slipping under but he is refusing apparently all rescue attempts, as he wants them to be on his terms.

He remains silent and will not admit the true extent of the problems and it seems that the bank is equally as silent and so are any interested parties.

There was a breath of fresh air provided this week though by the Ramstrust who provided an on-line petition to the Co-Op bank to ask them what was happening to our beloved club, this was an excellent idea and also open to members and non-members alike. This was a correct call by the trust – why should the bank be allowed get away with its apparent silence? At the very least it should be working with the trust to find new owners and ascertain the full extent of Derby’s debts.

I’m always amazed that takeovers of struggling clubs quite often tend to hide the true extent of debt. These are well documented with the Lincoln take over by fans being the perfect example. I truly hope that this is not the case with the Rams.

Above all though and this is beyond any take over that may or may not occur, Mr Burley has to keep his job, the consistency has been lacking with so many managerial changes and this disgraceful ‘scapegoating’ must end.

Please give your support to the team and manager and place the blame where it belongs in the hands of the chairman who must release his stubborn grip on the club and allow it to move forward. Until then we are stuck in no mans land as the roller coaster ride becomes stuck through lack of funding and maintenance. We’re up there stuck in the car on the highest part of the loop the loop, we’re upside down without a hope in hell of being rescued we only have going down to look forward to.

Norm Anton c2003

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