Lennox : City Investors in for long haul - Examiner

[yiddo]

Lennox : City investors in for the long haul

Interview with Brian Lennox in todays Examiner by John ORiordan .

Just a few quotes:

Cork City chairman Brian Lennox has called for patience from club supporters, asking for “people to judge us over time”

“I don’t want to talk figures but all I want to say is that I still have a share holding”

“I started talking to Arkaga a year ago. The option was to scale back or to continue with the progress we had been making by me offloading a portion of the club”

“The plan is to set up a committee with three people on board. I’ll be chairman of that committee and the other two members will be from Arkaga. But it would be premature to reveal their names just yet. Very soon though”

“They like Cork as a place, and as Irish people do with British clubs, they took an interest in Cork City – before I ever spoke to them – and just decided to invest. They’re not in it to make money but they want it to expand and if it does work out well, then that will be a bonus. There are big plans, that’s about as much as I can say. But I firmly believe they’re in it for the long haul”

“The thing is there are no hidden agendas. Of course we want to keep our supporters informed and avoid misunderstandings or confusion because that doesn’t help anybody, but when you’re running a business, you just cant tell people everything (that) goes on”

Also said that the Arkaga staff who are based in London will be able to deal with English clubs on a more level playing field. Said that Fulham and Watford were the “most honourable people I came across”.
Finally called on the people of Cork and the Munster public to return to Turners Cross if they want to see the best players playing at Cork City.

[pete]

Thanks for putting that up.

PR has been shockingly bad up to now but it should be remembered that Lennox is a businessman of a private company. I would not think he used to sharing his business dealings with anyone.

I think overall this is a good deal. We don't own any assets such as a ground so its not like the owners can sell that & skip town. I suppose the worst case scenario would be something similar to Shels were current company folds & need some new owners to rescue the club but that would seem unlikely with new owners.

I don't think we would have got as good a deal for Roy O'Donovan without Arkaga involvement.

[Risteard]

I don’t want to talk figures but all I want to say is that I still have a share holding”
Going by what's already been said, this must mean he's a client of Arkagas, along with Jim Little.

[Shelsman]

Well, at least the owners don't have arrest warrants out for them in other countries ( as far as we know! ).