Barry Pierpoint: the book what I wrote

[LanguedocFox]

https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/barrie-pierpoint-exclusive-rise-of-leicester-o-neill-regret-opinion-on-current-owners-4357044#popup-sso

 

I was in a minority because I liked what Pierpoint did for City, and this piece promoting his new book is interesting - not least because he claims he never actually spoke to Martin O'Neill. And that City's turnover was £500,000 in 1991!

[UpTheLeagueFox]

It's a really good read, lots of input from managers (Little, McGhee) and loads of players too.

Barrie was a bit unfairly maligned - especially when it was pitched as Gang Of Four vs MON when it wasn't clear cut like that.

Did a lot of great work on the business side (we were a shambles before he arrived, on and off the field) and pretty sure we wouldn't have got into the financial difficulties we did had he stayed.

The book doesn't display bitterness, just a bit of sadness at how things panned out.

 

I'm due to interview him soon (which I'll stick on YouTube) so any questions/topics feel free to add here or DM me.

[Miella27]

I have read the book and it is a good read. It certainly offers a view that we perhaps didn't get at the time. 

 

I think Martin O'Neil (An absolute God to us) probably didn't help matters, as us fans would never go against him. Cloughy didn't like non-footballing people around the team, so you can see how it might have played out. 

 

It is obviously Barrie's opinion but it appears that the fans views around the time that a lot of the Directors didn't know what they were doing, weren't too far off the mark. Rodney Walker, John Elsom, Tom Smeeton and to a lesser extent Martin George get some flak. 

 

The reduced sponsorship deals that the club took on post-Pierpoint highlight how important he was to the club. Although I disagree with Barrie's opinion that the Fox Leisure kits were good and as good quality as the bigger named brands. 

 

It's from my era as a teenager, so I really enjoyed it. 

[MPH]

5 hours ago, Miella27 said:

I have read the book and it is a good read. It certainly offers a view that we perhaps didn't get at the time. 

 

I think Martin O'Neil (An absolute God to us) probably didn't help matters, as us fans would never go against him. Cloughy didn't like non-footballing people around the team, so you can see how it might have played out. 

 

It is obviously Barrie's opinion but it appears that the fans views around the time that a lot of the Directors didn't know what they were doing, weren't too far off the mark. Rodney Walker, John Elsom, Tom Smeeton and to a lesser extent Martin George get some flak. 

 

The reduced sponsorship deals that the club took on post-Pierpoint highlight how important he was to the club. Although I disagree with Barrie's opinion that the Fox Leisure kits were good and as good quality as the bigger named brands. 

 

It's from my era as a teenager, so I really enjoyed it. 

 
 

 

he’s spot on with the trainers!

 

 

 

Edited 29 January 2021 by MPH

[nwl fox]

23 minutes ago, MPH said:

 
 

 

he’s spot on with the trainers!

 

 

 

They've lasted you well @MPH, still look in good nick considering you've worn them every day for the best part of 25 years! 

[Collymore]

44 minutes ago, MPH said:

 
 

 

he’s spot on with the trainers!

 

 

 

They are absolutely horrendous. Wish they sold them still though, I'd have a pair. 

[Collymore]

My favourite fox leisure products were:

 

The dressing gown made out of stuff they could insulate the spacecraft they send the first humans to mars in, actually, forget spacesuits, the dressing gown would shield from intense radiation and operate in temperatures from -100 to +100c.

 

The shampoo that claimed it made your hair grow quicker. Don't know why that was much use as it would mean more trips to the barbers... Unless you accidentally cut your hair off and needed it back for an upcoming interview or something. The club store might not have been your first port of call for this cutting edge follicle technology though! 

Edited 29 January 2021 by Collymore

[Corky]

Didn't we have Le Coq Sportif after Fox Leisure?

[MPH]

29 minutes ago, nwl fox said:

They've lasted you well @MPH, still look in good nick considering you've worn them every day for the best part of 25 years! 

 

haha, this isn’t my photo.. although the guy who’s photo it is was on here.. when I pointed it out to him, he confessed that it was one of his toenails to the left of the trainers..

[MPH]

5 minutes ago, Collymore said:

My favourite fox leasure products were:

 

The dressing gown made out of stuff they could insulate the spacecraft they send the first humans to mars in, actually, forget spacesuits, the dressing gown would shield from intense radiation and operate in temperatures from -100 to +100c.

 

The shampoo that claimed it made your hair grow quicker. Don't know why that was much use as it would mean more trips to the barbers... Unless you accidentally cut your hair off and needed it back for an upcoming interview or something. The club store might not have been your first port of call for this cutting edge follicle technology though! 

 

I had the shell suit for Christmas. I was so proud of it! Loved that thing although the colours ran after a couple of weeks! I was devastated!

[nwl fox]

1 hour ago, Collymore said:

My favourite fox leisure products were:

 

The dressing gown made out of stuff they could insulate the spacecraft they send the first humans to mars in, actually, forget spacesuits, the dressing gown would shield from intense radiation and operate in temperatures from -100 to +100c.

 

The shampoo that claimed it made your hair grow quicker. Don't know why that was much use as it would mean more trips to the barbers... Unless you accidentally cut your hair off and needed it back for an upcoming interview or something. The club store might not have been your first port of call for this cutting edge follicle technology though! 

Kevin Russell used to swear by that shampoo

[UpTheLeagueFox]

8 minutes ago, nwl fox said:

Kevin Russell used to swear by that shampoo

It's served me well too...

[5waller5]

Pierpoint went on to show how talentless he was with various failed businesses after his time with Leicester. 
 

He got very very lucky - in charge of generating income when Sky were throwing money at football, and fans wanted anything with a crest on it.

 

He’s also an odious hippo.

[Collymore]

7 minutes ago, 5waller5 said:

Pierpoint went on to show how talentless he was with various failed businesses after his time with Leicester. 
 

He got very very lucky - in charge of generating income when Sky were throwing money at football, and fans wanted anything with a crest on it.

 

He’s also an odious hippo.

FNF was probably the best thing he ever did, and one thing they did better back then compared to now.

 

I think the U23 model is just awful as a spectacle (I know this was a league decision), at least the reserves back in the day had an actual taste of a proper atmosphere and the reserve league actually felt like it it meant something. 

 

I feel sorry for some of players who can get to their mid-twenties and have only experienced the doldrums of U23 football with Beagenhole.

[kyleolly]

Football chants aren’t as creative these days like the one we had for Pierpoint 

[5waller5]

33 minutes ago, Collymore said:

FNF was probably the best thing he ever did, and one thing they did better back then compared to now.

 

I think the U23 model is just awful as a spectacle (I know this was a league decision), at least the reserves back in the day had an actual taste of a proper atmosphere and the reserve league actually felt like it it meant something. 

 

I feel sorry for some of players who can get to their mid-twenties and have only experienced the doldrums of U23 football with Beagenhole.

Yeah I agree FNF was good - I thought it was Family Night Football not Friday?? It was on a Monday from memory too?? 
 

I also doubt that it was Barrie’s idea. He’s fantastic at taking credit for anyone else’s ideas!  

[Collymore]

8 minutes ago, 5waller5 said:

Yeah I agree FNF was good - I thought it was Family Night Football not Friday?? It was on a Monday from memory too?? 
 

I also doubt that it was Barrie’s idea. He’s fantastic at taking credit for anyone else’s ideas!  

Yeah it was Family, where does it say Friday? 

[Vlad the Fox]

I remember 20,000+ turning up for a FNF game against man u one night. In the end they just opened the exit gates and let people in. If I remember correctly we won 3-1. I thought Sam McMahon was going to be our next midfield superstar that night as he controlled the game, I think injuries set him back however unfortunately. 

[Collymore]

1 minute ago, Vlad the Fox said:

I remember 20,000+ turning up for a FNF game against man u one night. In the end they just opened the exit gates and let people in. If I remember correctly we won 3-1. I thought Sam McMahon was going to be our next midfield superstar that night as he controlled the game, I think injuries set him back however unfortunately. 

I also remember the excitement of Davor Suker rolling up for West Ham reserves. People flocked down to get a glimpse but It was Lawrie Dudfield who ended up stealing the limelight on the night ...

[Vlad the Fox]

5 minutes ago, Collymore said:

I also remember the excitement of Davor Suker rolling up for West Ham reserves. People flocked down to get a glimpse but It was Lawrie Dudfield who ended up stealing the limelight on the night ...

Ha yes, I remember that. The fact that these little known players preformed so well in some of theses games against some of these players was the real beauty of FNF.
 

I’m sure man u turned up with a really strong team that night as well due to a number of players returning from injuries looking for fitness etc.

[dynamark]

One of the last games we went to I walked along to the ground with Martin George pleasant  guy but amazed he didnt get his own parking space in the VIP area -past chairman.John Elsom I do not think was a very good businessman a lot of these guys it was a bit of an ego trip in their world/circle to be a director of the fooyball club.I knew Trevor Bennett who had ambitions to be top dog but he was hard nosed and wouldnt just throw his money about -finished up on the board at Newcastle strangely.Another gent who I wouldnt name was in a position to be a director but didnt like the look of it financially.

Better than the old days of Len Shipman and cash at the turnstile when the ground would be packed with 40,000 and strangely the attendance in the paper was only 25000

[UpTheLeagueFox]

3 hours ago, 5waller5 said:

Pierpoint went on to show how talentless he was with various failed businesses after his time with Leicester. 

He got very very lucky - in charge of generating income when Sky were throwing money at football, and fans wanted anything with a crest on it.

He’s also an odious hippo.

Ouch. 

 

[David Hankey]

Wasn't Pierpoint only in it for what he could get out of it?

[MPH]

1 hour ago, David Hankey said:

Wasn't Pierpoint only in it for what he could get out of it?

 

 

i guess that’s possible...

 

 

but then again, I wouldn’t work for free either.

 

He makes a packet, creates an income for the club far above what he takes out of it and everyone’s happy, surely?

[David Hankey]

2 minutes ago, MPH said:

 

 

i guess that’s possible...

 

 

but then again, I wouldn’t work for free either.

 

He makes a packet, creates an income for the club far above what he takes out of it and everyone’s happy, surely?

I wasn't suggesting for a minute that he or anyone should work for nothing but I wonder what his real ambition was?