Dougie Freedman EXCLUSIVE: I did not leave Crystal Palace for the money

Just as well Dougie!

Unfortunately I can't post what was said because at the bottom of the article it says this -

The contents of this article must NOT be reproduced in print or online without the permission of the Croydon Advertiser.

The gist is however that apparently he felt Palace could have done more to try to keep him - which doesn't sound too great for us if they were happy to let him leave!

The article is about 15 lines long and really is saying buy the paper tomorrow to read the full story but I post the link below for anyone who wants to read it for themselves -

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All very bizarre. If he is telling the truth then BWFC did not make an approach to him until Saturday evening, AFTER we had beaten Bristol City.

In which case who was leaking tales to Marc Iles and the BEN prior to last Saturday ?

He left because he wasn't wanted any more. Palace clearly thought they could do better, and finding a desperate club willing to actually pay them compensation must have been beyond their wildest dreams.

Where does it say they were happy for him to leave? It doesn't. Palace wanted to keep him but have a financial structure in place that they wouldn't break. Palace had been in administration only two years ago and didn't want to risk gambling getting promotion if it destabilised the club. Even Steve Parish the co-chairman said they'd offered him a new contract to stave off the whites approach but because DF had a burning desire to get in the Premier League, and he thought with the playing squad and facilities already in place, he would stand a far better chance getting there with us than he would with Palace, he decided to leave. The money aspect is just an added bonus and something you would expect to happen if you're poaching a manager from another club.

Brian Damage wrote:Where does it say they were happy for him to leave? It doesn't. Palace wanted to keep him but have a financial structure in place that they wouldn't break. Palace had been in administration only two years ago and didn't want to risk gambling getting promotion if it destabilised the club. Even Steve Parish the co-chairman said they'd offered him a new contract to stave off the whites approach but because DF had a burning desire to get in the Premier League, and he thought with the playing squad and facilities already in place, he would stand a far better chance getting there with us than he would with Palace, he decided to leave. The money aspect is just an added bonus and something you would expect to happen if you're poaching a manager from another club.

Please don't talk sense. Only bullshit and rumour is allowed

Brian Damage wrote:Where does it say they were happy for him to leave? It doesn't. Palace wanted to keep him but have a financial structure in place that they wouldn't break. Palace had been in administration only two years ago and didn't want to risk gambling getting promotion if it destabilised the club. Even Steve Parish the co-chairman said they'd offered him a new contract to stave off the whites approach but because DF had a burning desire to get in the Premier League, and he thought with the playing squad and facilities already in place, he would stand a far better chance getting there with us than he would with Palace, he decided to leave. The money aspect is just an added bonus and something you would expect to happen if you're poaching a manager from another club.

A pretty good opening post.

Brian Damage wrote:Where does it say they were happy for him to leave? It doesn't. Palace wanted to keep him but have a financial structure in place that they wouldn't break. Palace had been in administration only two years ago and didn't want to risk gambling getting promotion if it destabilised the club. Even Steve Parish the co-chairman said they'd offered him a new contract to stave off the whites approach but because DF had a burning desire to get in the Premier League, and he thought with the playing squad and facilities already in place, he would stand a far better chance getting there with us than he would with Palace, he decided to leave. The money aspect is just an added bonus and something you would expect to happen if you're poaching a manager from another club.

I agree with RT - good post, welcome to the Bolton Nuts asylum!

you have to start a thread telling us a little about yourself now though, as is the tradition.

Reebok_Rebel wrote:

you have to start a thread telling us a little about yourself now though, as is the tradition.

It's normally the kiss of death.

Brian Damage wrote:Where does it say they were happy for him to leave? It doesn't. Palace wanted to keep him but have a financial structure in place that they wouldn't break. Palace had been in administration only two years ago and didn't want to risk gambling getting promotion if it destabilised the club. Even Steve Parish the co-chairman said they'd offered him a new contract to stave off the whites approach but because DF had a burning desire to get in the Premier League, and he thought with the playing squad and facilities already in place, he would stand a far better chance getting there with us than he would with Palace, he decided to leave. The money aspect is just an added bonus and something you would expect to happen if you're poaching a manager from another club.

Hi Brian. So what you're saying is Palace are working to a budget and would be willing to forego promotion if there was a financial threat. Whereas Freedman wants to be in the Prem regardless.

So I think you've answered your own question.

I've just read this piece from what seems a very ITK Palace fan, very interesting to say the least. I'll let you judge for yourselves.

It goes on a little bit but worth a read IMO.

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If PaulHolden is in the know then it looks as if Dougie was shafted by the Palace board, in which case, he will have a point to prove.

You have to feel for the Palace fans.

Great, a manager who doesn't really want to be here. I'm revising my December 2013 prediction down to May 2013.

Said all along the Freedman deal didn't seem right and reading this perhaps sheds some light on my suspicions.

You can hardly blame Dougie if the Palace board were not prepared to negotiate a new contract with him until the end of the season.

Reebok Trotter wrote:You have to feel for the Palace fans.

After reading their forum, I really don't!

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does this look like a man who doesn't want to be here? No he looks absolutely enthused!

He looks quite livid.

He's just seen the squad he's had to work with train for the first time... how would you feel!

Now lets give the man our support FFS.

He's watching Kevin Davies attempt the bleep test.

Brian Damage wrote:Where does it say they were happy for him to leave? It doesn't. Palace wanted to keep him but have a financial structure in place that they wouldn't break. Palace had been in administration only two years ago and didn't want to risk gambling getting promotion if it destabilised the club. Even Steve Parish the co-chairman said they'd offered him a new contract to stave off the whites approach but because DF had a burning desire to get in the Premier League, and he thought with the playing squad and facilities already in place, he would stand a far better chance getting there with us than he would with Palace, he decided to leave. The money aspect is just an added bonus and something you would expect to happen if you're poaching a manager from another club.

Hello and welcome Brian.

I'm sorry if my post upset you in anyway but at least it did stimulate you to post which is a good thing!

I've no idea what went on at Palace, I only had the newspaper article to which I linked to, to go on, and that inferred that Freedman thought Palace could have done more to keep him - therefore I assumed (perhaps wrongly) that if they did not fight to keep him they most have been content shall we say, to let him go.

Anyway water under the bridge now.

Hope to read loads more of your views and opinions now that you've started to post.