(The Guardian) Crystal Palace: A 45 per cent stakeholder in Crystal Palace, who has been the subject of some wordy, derogatory banners shown by fans at recent games, John Textor also has majority stakes in Lyon, Brazil’s Botafogo, Belgian top-flight outfit RWD Molenbeek and US academy side FC Florida.
The American businessman sat down for an interview with the BBC and is unlikely to have endeared himself to Palace ultras with his response to their protests about his involvement with their club. Protests which he dismissed as “nonsense". Oof.
“I read these banners, which are nonsense,” he said. “I showed up a couple of years ago and I do nothing but support as one of four members of the board and then I see banners which say ‘Textor we don’t trust you’. I don’t care.
“They don’t need to trust me, I’m not running the club. People say they want fan ownership and transparency but there’s nothing more transparent than a US public company that reports material contracts within four days.
“I developed a belief that I work for the anonymous fan that I don’t know, and he or she is 10 years old and they love the club because their father loves the club. I don’t work for the ultras.”
While Textor may leave the running of the club to Steve Parish, he did, later in the same interview, concede that the pair do not always see eye to eye and that there is plenty of friction during their weekly boardroom meetings.
The American businessman sat down for an interview with the BBC and is unlikely to have endeared himself to Palace ultras with his response to their protests about his involvement with their club. Protests which he dismissed as “nonsense". Oof.
“I read these banners, which are nonsense,” he said. “I showed up a couple of years ago and I do nothing but support as one of four members of the board and then I see banners which say ‘Textor we don’t trust you’. I don’t care.
“They don’t need to trust me, I’m not running the club. People say they want fan ownership and transparency but there’s nothing more transparent than a US public company that reports material contracts within four days.
“I developed a belief that I work for the anonymous fan that I don’t know, and he or she is 10 years old and they love the club because their father loves the club. I don’t work for the ultras.”
While Textor may leave the running of the club to Steve Parish, he did, later in the same interview, concede that the pair do not always see eye to eye and that there is plenty of friction during their weekly boardroom meetings.
