The Times article - Eddie Davies

[MickyD]

The Times has a lengthy article in this morning's times. Basically a potted history.

If I'm able, and the site allows,  I'll upload it.

 

 

[MickyD]

Scrap that. The pic is bigger than I'm allowed to post. Can a mood or HW post it if I send it to them?

[MickyD]

 Nice typo

[Chris Custodiet]

2 hours ago, MickyD said:

The Times has a lengthy article in this morning's times. Basically a potted history.

If I'm able, and the site allows,  I'll upload it.

 

 

Many thanks for that. Just read the first bit. Not a Times subscriber so that's all you get on t'internet.

It sounds that, at long last, someone has being doing some proper research. The bit about the match at Old Trafford is exactly what Phil Gartside told me when I met him by chance in the summer of 2003 and asked about how Eddie first became involved.

Must get a copy.

[Johnnyrotten]

3 hours ago, MickyD said:

The Times has a lengthy article in this morning's times. Basically a potted history.

If I'm able, and the site allows,  I'll upload it.

 

 

Thanks for the tip.  I buy the Times every Saturday and wouldn't have spotted that, its on a page I don't normally get to (page 80 of main paper).

Obviously such a generous bloke who loved Bolton and BWFC, I didnt realise he was so generous to other organisations eg Royal Bolton Hospital, Bolton Museum, Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, Manchester Business School.  On the footballing front, there's no denying what impact his input had on the club, but sometimes there are implications that we bank rolled our way to the top 10 of the Premiership but the only major cash signing was Anelka if I'm not mistaken, and that was after years of being established in the Prem.  You hear it said that Eddie Davies milions attracted the likes of Okocha, Campo, Hierro, Davies, Speed, Stelios, N'Gotty, Djorkaeff, Jaidi,  but their combined cost in wages and salaries was probably about the same as Allardyce paid for Joey Barton when he was at Newcastle (£8mil plus wages) and Kalinic at Blackburn (£6.5mil).  We were getting by on free transfers, loans, players on the scrapheap, ageing players.  The only time I felt like we were splashing the cash was the first Reebok season when Todd spent relatively big on Fish, Elliott, Holdsworth.  And we know where that took us, half way down the championship.

[Take Hunt Off]

Aye not at lot on transfer fees but the wage bill was massive ....large % of turnover something like 70% at one stage....the above players were not being paid peanuts !!

[Johnnyrotten]

No, I get that totally.  But how many experienced Premiership 1st teamers were getting paid peanuts?  In comparison Blackburn spent £40mil on Bellamy, Kalinic, McCarthy, Yakubu, Vukcevic, Savage, Chimbonda, Benjani and they will have been paid a fortune in wages.  And those were the days they werent classed as big spenders, we werent spending anything like that on fees and I'd be surprised if our salaries made up that type of shortfall.

[Leyther_Matt]

1 hour ago, Take Hunt Off said:

Aye not at lot on transfer fees but the wage bill was massive ....large % of turnover something like 70% at one stage....the above players were not being paid peanuts !!

Most clubs would kill to only be paying 70% of turnover on wages these days. 

[Take Hunt Off]

14 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Most clubs would kill to only be paying 70% of turnover on wages these days. 

Maybe but not sustainable if relegation comes knocking.

Anyway we have been there & done that so lets treasure the memories of the good times & move on

[Chris Custodiet]

On 28/09/2019 at 08:02, MickyD said:

The Times has a lengthy article in this morning's times. Basically a potted history.

If I'm able, and the site allows,  I'll upload it.

 

 

Now I've read it, there's very little in this that I haven't posted on this and other sites and suspect it to be another tribute and memoriam on behalf of Eddie's widow, Sue. No memoriams in the Bolton News or Grauniad, of course. I don't remember the Grauniad ever recording Eddie's death at all, let alone publishing an obituary.

But Eddie's life was a remarkable one and I'm inclined to think that his invitation to Old Trafford by Sir Roland Smith was a pivotal point in it in more ways than one. Sir Roland was 18 years older but each of them were self-made men both sharing modest upbringings but also sharing a determination and an ability to make their mark in life.

Sir Roland is perhaps best remembered for his part in the bitter battle for Harrods between Tiny Rowland and Mohamed Al Fayed and Eddie himself was involved in a controversial battle for control of BWFC when Sir Roland died in November 2003. I'm not sure that there was a  realistic alternative to the BWFC rescue with Eddies money but the old guard didn't like it and they had  an ally at the Bolton Evening News.

I wonder if, as guest of MUFC's chairman, Eddie celebrated like the of rest of BWFC's fans when Bob Taylor scored the equaliser on that Saturday afternoon in February 1998. I'll bet he did.

Edited September 29, 2019 by Chris Custodiet

[RoadRunnerFan]

Chris - Super Bobby Taylor put us one up at the swamp in that game. Andy Cole equalised late on. Though as it doesn't appear in the accounts, administrator s reports or companies house website, its understandable that the details escape you.

[Mounts Kipper]

52 minutes ago, Chris Custodiet said:

Now I've read it, there's very little in this that I haven't posted on this and other sites and suspect it to be another tribute and memoriam on behalf of Eddie's widow, Sue. No memoriams in the Bolton News or Grauniad, of course. I don't remember the Grauniad ever recording Eddie's death at all, let alone publishing an obituary.

But Eddie's life was a remarkable one and I'm inclined to think that his invitation to Old Trafford by Sir Roland Smith was a pivotal point in it in more ways than one. Sir Roland was 18 years older but each of them were self-made men both sharing modest upbringings but also sharing a determination and an ability to make their mark in life.

Sir Roland is perhaps best remembered for his part in the bitter battle for Harrods between Tiny Rowland and Mohamed Al Fayed and Eddie himself was involved in a controversial battle for control of BWFC when Sir Roland died in November 2003. I'm not sure that there was a  realistic alternative to the BWFC rescue with Eddies money but the old guard didn't like it and they had  an ally at the Bolton Evening News.

I wonder if, as guest of MUFC's chairman, Eddie celebrated like the of rest of BWFC's fans when Bob Taylor scored the equaliser on that Saturday afternoon in February 1998. I'll bet he did.

It was a nice article, sad that Eddies wife quoted that her life was now empty, death of your partner really must be grim. RIP Eddie. 

[Chris Custodiet]

5 minutes ago, RoadRunnerFan said:

Chris - Super Bobby Taylor put us one up at the swamp in that game. Andy Cole equalised late on. Though as it doesn't appear in the accounts, administrator s reports or companies house website, its understandable that the details escape you.

Memories can play little tricks but I confess that I wasn't there. I was in Naples Florida at the time trying to find a newspaper with the English footie results in it. Eventually I tracked one down in Books-A-Million. Shame on me.

[RoadRunnerFan]

4 minutes ago, Chris Custodiet said:

Memories can play little tricks but I confess that I wasn't there. I was in Naples Florida at the time trying to find a newspaper with the English footie results in it. Eventually I tracked one down in Books-A-Million. Shame on me.

Not good enough Chris, a rudimentary Google search would have allowed you to check your facts before posting regardless of whether you were at the game 21 years ago or not.

Needless to say I was at the game and such a check was not required.

[Chris Custodiet]

27 minutes ago, Mounts Kipper said:

It was a nice article, sad that Eddies wife quoted that her life was now empty, death of your partner really must be grim. RIP Eddie. 

There I am, agreeing with you 100% again. Becoming a bit of a habit.

Sue was not Eddie's first wife nor the mother of his two children but they were together for over thirty years and I've no doubt that she was absolutely devoted to him and devastated by his loss. I'm sure his whole family have felt the same.

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by Chris Custodiet

[Chris Custodiet]

18 minutes ago, RoadRunnerFan said:

Not good enough Chris, a rudimentary Google search would have allowed you to check your facts before posting regardless of whether you were at the game 21 years ago or not.

Needless to say I was at the game and such a check was not required.

Not sure where I would  have found  it on Google but you are right. I had an inkling when I wrote it that Super Bob's goal might not have been the equaliser. I shouldn't ignore my inklings, they rarely occur for no reason.

[MickyD]

I'm fairly sure I got his match shirt from that game. Not seen it for ages I might dig it out.

[MalcolmW]

1 hour ago, MickyD said:

I'm fairly sure I got his match shirt from that game. Not seen it for ages I might dig it out.

It won't fit you.

[stevieb]

3 hours ago, MickyD said:

I'm fairly sure I got his match shirt from that game. Not seen it for ages I might dig it out.

Some little Goan kid will probably have it! 

[Roger_Dubuis]

I think Bob Taylor day was the day Man Utd had 300 lads in 2 pubs near Salford Crescent because Bolton had advised they would be landing there.In the event Bolton didn't show.Miami can probably confirm

[bwfc2003]

28 minutes ago, Roger_Dubuis said:

I think Bob Taylor day was the day Man Utd had 300 lads in 2 pubs near Salford Crescent because Bolton had advised they would be landing there.In the event Bolton didn't show.Miami can probably confirm

Are any of your posts concerning anything other than the filth??

[RoadRunnerFan]

18 minutes ago, bwfc2003 said:

Are any of your posts concerning anything other than the filth??

Roger Dubuis is an anagram of

Rog u is red u

Edited September 29, 2019 by RoadRunnerFan

[MickyD]

58 minutes ago, stevieb said:

Some little Goan kid will probably have it! 

Not a chance...

Hopefully.

[Burndens Bogs]

1 hour ago, Roger_Dubuis said:

I think Bob Taylor day was the day Man Utd had 300 lads in 2 pubs near Salford Crescent because Bolton had advised they would be landing there.In the event Bolton didn't show.Miami can probably confirm

That FA cup game in 1991 when we took 10k to O.T, Man U lads didn't show anywhere.

Bolton did have a monster mob out that day though and they turned up very early.

[bolton va va]

The Bob Taylor game was on the date of some munich anniversary & there were all sorts of threats from the authorities - cctv trained on us, names to each ticket, plain clothes police amongst us, life bans,etc, etc. There was an idea for everyone to stay outside until the game started but in the end, it was too much of a hassle & loads gave it a miss.