Is Gartside really that ill....?

Lots of speculation recently regarding the future of the club (our club), as is well documented on here and a wealth of other sites.

Take-over...?

Administration......?

HMRC sniffing round, demanding money owed to them......?

Assets flogged off to pay wages.....?

ED staunchly refusing to do the right thing, hiding behind his own convenient interpretation of due diligence ........

Trevor Birch (specialist in preparing football clubs for going into Administration) coincidentally being brought in to broker a deal with prospective buyers on the same day it was announced that Big Phil was suddenly seriously very ill?

And massive friend of Gartside and BWFC in general The Bolton News subsequently publishing articles using words like "gravely ill" and "going home to be with his family" which purposely suggest that the end is nigh for the guy.....

Let's be honest, it's a rotten pile of steaming shit.

And is all the stuff we're hearing from the club's custodians all a pile of bollocks too?

Is Gartside really "gravely ill" or is it yet more bollocks from the people who have lied to us for years to further their own agenda?

I appreciate that it's perceived as being "bad form" to criticise someone who is (allegedly) unable to defend themselves, so I'm giving you the opportunity to offer your genuine thoughts with impunity or come-backs by voting anonymously .

I know what I think - it's all bollocks and he's on a beach somewhere, laughing his cock off and stroking a white cat on his lap, Mr Bond.......

But I'm not judge and jury - you lot decide.

I'm with you Bread. This mystery "grave illness" is very conveniently timed. Just when every BWFC fan wants answers to the question "Look Phil,just what the fuck has been going on at this club in the last few years" he's suddenly laid low by a mysterious deadly virus or something that's too awful to even talk about. Sorry for being so cynical but when he's been trousering hundreds of thousands of pounds a year during his tenure whilst telling us fans there was nothing to worry about I kind of feel he's taking the piss big time.

I'm quite willing to believe that he is gravely ill. If he genuinely is, and we slag him off as a cheat then we should hang our heads in shame.

If he is kidding us - then all  the abuse he gets is deserved and he should never be allowed back near the Macron in any capacity.
But ,as usual it would be the simplest thing in the world for the club to make a statement that he has suffered a stroke/a mental breakdown/cancer.
Whatever it is - just let us know and we'll accept that.
But the continuing silence from the club about everything tends to suggest that we are unimportant and irrelevant rubbish and so they treat us with contempt.

I think he's taken a leave of absence and teamed up with David Jason to make the definitive Easter edition of Only Fools and Horses.

I believe he could be seriously ill, he probably should've retired earlier and the stress of the job at BWFC got to his health.
I don't agree with how he managed us, I think he tried his best for the club but failed, but i wish him well and hope he gets better .

As long as it keeps the slimy fucker away from our club and dragging us down further I really really couldn't give a fuck - I aint going to pretend to start liking him now whether he's ill or not

Football is only a game.

Gartside is a human being.

The poll IS in bad taste but seeing I'm in a minority when it comes to reality on football, I'll leave it be for others to state their opinions on the matter if they want.

Sluffy wrote:Football is only a game.

Gartside is a human being.

The poll IS in bad taste but seeing I'm in a minority when it comes to reality on football, I'll leave it be for others to state their opinions on the matter if they want.

You are right Sluffy - its only a game - but a massively important one in many ways to its surrounding community and that man has treated the club like his own personal pfiefdom, us like idiot mushrooms and is responsible for the state of the club right now - I aint going to turn into a hypocrite just to assuage the sensibilities of those that couldn't stand him one minute but now wish him all the best, and I for one remain to be convinced of his 'illness' - why? because his record of bullshit is unsurpassed.

What a terrible thread to start, especially at this time of year where people come together in harmony.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:What a terrible thread to start, especially at this time of year where people come together in harmony.

Unless they are Muslims, "liberal twitter mongs" or stewards at the Macron apparently, given some of your recent comments on here.....

If he is ill, I wish him well.
However, he's always been an arrogant know-all, and dismissive of the fans and their views for a very long time. He's managed to take a multi-million pound going concern, and driven it into the ground, jumping ship at the very last minute, whilst it crashes to pieces. 
To me, the timing is too suspicious for anything other than that he's either saving his own hide, or been moved to one side, and I genuinely believe it can do the club nothing but good.
If he comes out of this without any penalty, I for one will be very disappointed.
I didn't vote as I don't think its so black and white.

I suspect it may be a little of both. He's overtaxed himself in a job he wasn't competent to perform and the stress eventually got to him. But rather than simply sacking him Eddie has called it a "serious illness" that will most likely lead to "retirement on health grounds" as a means of allowing his friend to keep his dignity intact. I don't doubt Gartside is ill, I simply don't think he's as ill as the club has suggested because they haven't named the specific condition. It could simply be exhaustion brought about by all those years of trying to put on a good show while Rome was burning in the background.

I don't feel comfortable speculating on someone's health. He must have been under extreme strain given circs at the club, irrespective of whether or not he was responsible directly for the state we are now in, was merely doing what the owner wanted, or some other eternal pressures about which we know nothing. That being the case, him not being at the front end right now has to be the right thing for him, and the club

Breadman wrote:

Hipster_Nebula wrote:What a terrible thread to start, especially at this time of year where people come together in harmony.

Unless they are Muslims, "liberal twitter mongs" or stewards at the Macron apparently, given some of your recent comments on here.....

Chairmanda wrote:I don't feel comfortable speculating on someone's health. 

Me neither. Also think that claiming to have had a stroke is not something that would be done lightly or without basis.

Why, is that what's wrong with him?

Because no one at the club has said so.

And therein lies the problem - it's all very vague and non-specific.

And that leads to speculation and rumour.

Why not just come out and say what's supposedly wrong with him?

Chairmanda wrote:I don't feel comfortable speculating on someone's health. He must have been under extreme strain given circs at the club, irrespective of whether or not he was responsible directly for the state we are now in, was merely doing what the owner wanted, or some other eternal pressures about which we know nothing. That being the case, him not being at the front end right now has to be the right thing for him, and the club

Amanda, no disrespect, but I feel there is much more to it than his personal health. Look at the enormity of what he has done, or not done, and lets be honest, if he isn't responsible for this dreadful situation, then who is?

I'm with Breaders on this, why are we, yet again, being kept in the dark. The vast majority of us have paid/invested a lot of time and money, not to mention the heartache and anguish, over the years, for the upkeep and development of an institution we all love and respect. When the key holder of some years suddenly falls ill, and disappears from view, whilst at the same time all hell falls down on the club, don't you think we are entitled to, at least, the same consideration that is being given to the man that played a major role in its downfall?

Whether we blame him, or wish him well, surely an update on his situation and/or welfare would be, at a minimum, courteous, or better still, considerate?

major role that should read on line
6

wanderlust wrote:

Chairmanda wrote:I don't feel comfortable speculating on someone's health. 

Me neither. Also think that claiming to have had a stroke is not something that would be done lightly or without basis.

lusty I haven't seen anything that says Phil has had a stroke; in fact I haven't seen any kind of statement saying what his illness is full stop so what do you base your comment on? Not being combative, just asking if you have a source that I've missed like maybe a small article on SSN or in the BN?

A stroke is very serious and ive had dealings with it first hand.  As nothing "official" has been said as far as i know i would hope that isnt the case as i wouldnt wish it on my worst enemy.  If there has been some official say that he has had one when he really hasnt then i think that would be the end of it with me and this club as it just seems to be getting seedier and dirtier by the day.  I can handle us playing shit, getting beat by shit teams because it wont last forever.  What i cant stand is the downright ignorance of the senior members of the club not even communicating with the fans one bit.  I understand there has to be come cards played close to the chest but it just seems to be getting worse by the day.  Lennon needs to go.  Hes not a role model to the players. Maybe madine could have a crack at manager, hes probably beter than he is as a striker (which wont take much)

Overall i think this has been a massive cock up from the start. As the club have said he is "seriously ill" is it wrong to say i hope so as then i know the club arent lying to us.  When in reality he is a human being and like sluffy has said countless times........its football.......so i hope he isnt.  Not looking forward to monday thats for sure.