[Tarrantino]

June 2007



“Hello, Mark?”

“Yes Shaun”

“I need to speak to you Mark, be in my office in half an hour prompt.”

“Half an hour? I’ll try. Might be a bit late, I’m busy at home right now.”

“Mark, I need you here now, we have a whole new problem on our hands, a big problem.”

“What is the problem?”

“Mark, just come now, I need you here.”

*Hangs up*

* * *

Somewhere in Beeston half an hour later . . .

*Door knocking*

Shaun: Mark? Come in.

Mark: Hey Shaun, what’s wrong?

Shaun: It’s the chairman. He’s quit the club.

Mark: When? Where is he now?

Shaun: He’s taking a year out from football, he’s off to Dubai right now with his wife. He’s left me and you in charge of everything. We can’t possibly run this club by ourselves, we don’t have the money for it.

Mark: *deep breath* Oh for f*ck sake and we thought it couldn’t get any worse. But yeah you’re right, how are we supposed to take on the club, what should we do? We haven’t got any money, the club is millions in debt and we are falling down the leagues like a brick in water. It’s going to be impossible.

Shaun: Well I’m suggesting that we find someone who will buy the club and supply us the money we need to keep the club going. It would be a travesty if we went out of existence, but w are going to have to get someone quickly.

Mark: Yes we need money, that’s something we have to get now in the next few days really, without a chairman and no money supply we can’t cope. The club will be finished. But Mark, think about it, we can’t just let the club be bought by some random millionaire, the fans won’t accept it. We need someone with passion, someone whose going to try and want to resurrect the club.

Shaun: You do realise how hard that is going to be don’t you?

Mark: Yes, and we are going to have to try extremely hard. The fans will be going berserk when they find out about this. If news gets out about the club needing money, and fast they’ll know the club is entering liquidation. We are already in administration which is already heartbreaking enough for the fans and now we could be on the verge of losing everything.

Shaun slaps the desk in front of him and rises from his chair.

Shaun: Come on then, get your coat on. We are going to hunt for a new chairman right now.

Mark: Right now! This could take weeks Shaun, you can’t expect us to find someone this quick. It’s madness, there is no way we are going to be able to persuade someone to buy a football club in a few hours, let alone days.

Shaun: Mark, we have to try. We owe it to the fans, they’ve been through enough heartbreak over the past few years. Imagine what the atmosphere around the city will be like if the club ceases to exist.

Mark unwillingly nods his head.

Mark: Ok, we’ll try. Where do we start?

Shaun looks at Mark, slides his sunglasses on.

Shaun: Well . . .

Outside In the Car park . . .

Mark: Are you sure this guy will even be interested?

Shaun: It’s worth a shot isn’t it? He has money and he likes football. Just get in the car we’ll sort something out on the way.

*Car speeds off*

[BR]

Interesting start, looking forward to the updates.

[TommyFM]

Nice KIU

[Shedender]

It's a typically great Tarrantino start. Hope you can keep it going. :delighted:

[Tanel]

Absolutely amazing start! I'm already on a cliff-hanger. For heaven's sake, I don't even know the club.

[Poolie Exile]

This has the making of another classic Jamie. I wonder if the club is Leeds as you mentioned the area of Beeston which is where my cousin lives in the afore mentioned City.

KUTGW so far :thup:

[The Skyler]

Guess its gonna be Leeds! Ken Bates runs away!? :fb:

[Tarrantino]

June 2007

Whilst driving out of Beeston . . .

Shaun: Right, I know some businessman down in London who definitely has the money to keep the club going and I know he is also a fan of the club. However, whether he wants to turn this club around I don’t know.

Mark: Well if he has the money and is a fan of the club then surely he would be interested?

Shaun: Yes, if the club was still in top two leagues I’m sure he’d have no hesitation but now we are in a bad state financially and dropping down the league tables then it looks less likely he’ll like to be a part of turning the club around, he’d maybe see it as a waste of money.

Mark: Nah, I’m sure he’d want to help the club. And if he doesn’t want to, where do we go then?

Shaun: Well look at Manchester City, Thaksin Shinawatra has just taken over there and we’ve also seen the Americans come in and take over both Manchester United and Liverpool, so we’ll be jetting off to another country to find someone. Even if this man would like to take over as chairman we should really consider other options and do the best we can for the club.

Mark: We don’t have a lot of time though. Like you said we have around a few days not months. This man realistically could be our only hope. And if this fails the club will be finished. We need money from somewhere, in administration is bad enough but being on the verge of liquidation is a scary possibility.

Shaun: Well if this man does decide to not want a role in the club then we’ll have to consider what is best for the club. Right now we just have to remain confident and make a good impression when we meet this man.

[Tarrantino]

June 2007

Three and a half hours later and the two arrive in London, step out of the car and buzz at the front gate.

The Butler: Good afternoon, who is it?

Shaun: It’s Shaun Harvey and Mark Taylor. We have a proposition for Mr.Barker.

The Butler: Please come in. The front door will be open.

Shaun and Mark walk past the black gates and through the front of the garden, the gates shutting behind them. They walk through the front door.

The Butler: Mr.Barker is waiting for you in the room to your left.

Shaun: Thank you sir.

The two walk into the room. A medium sized office with a desk and a board room table, possibly for meetings.

Greg Barker: Come in Shaun, Mark, take a seat. Would you like a drink? Whiskey perhaps?

Shaun: Yes please, Mark?

Mark: *nods head* Please.

Shaun: Yes, two please Mr.Barker.

Greg Barker: Call me Greg.

Greg Barker pours the drinks and puts them down on the table in front of Shaun and Mark, he then looks at them and smiles.

Greg Barker: So what do I owe this pleasure?

Shaun: Well we have a proposition for you. The chairman of our club left this morning and we are in a bad state of administration. Our club could enter liquidation within the next few days, or less.

Mark: We need a buyer to keep the club going and fund for transfers and also wages, not to mention keeping the club going.

Greg Barker: So you want me to buy your club?

Shaun: Basically, yes.

Greg Barker: What’s the catch?

Mark: No catch whatsoever. We just see you as the ideal buyer, we know you are into football and both think that you would find it appealing to own your own football club and make tens of thousand fans happuy when the club is back at the top of English football in the premier league.

After a long two hour conversation Shaun and Mark manage to figure out a possible deal with Greg Barker who decides he will buy the club. They then leave to get back to the stadium. On the way they decide to pop into the shop where they catch the headline of the newspaper . . .

[Tarrantino]

June 2007

Shaun and Mark study the paper in silence, it was something they did not want to see.

Shaun: *Angrily* I guess Ken went and told the press, we’re going to be knee deep in Leeds fans now when we get back to the stadium, I bet they are already protesting.

Mark: Shaun, you seem to be missing that Dennis has gone aswell, which means we don’t have a manager either. Just as we think everything is fine now we’ve got an owner this comes along. The press are going to be parading the club and we now have to try and find the right manager.

Shaun: Finding a manager will be fine, it’s getting the fans back on our side now. I knew this would get out. We’ll have to call a press conference when we get back to the stadium, we’ll have to explain everything that is going on.

The two get back into their car and speed back to Elland Road, the turbulent day about to get worse.

[Greenbeard]

He's going to go for Leeds United ow I love you if you do

[Tarrantino]

June 2007

Shaun and Mark arrived in the Elland Road car park to see the stadium surrounded by reporters, cameras and fans, police had cordoned off the area around the front of the stadium. Shaun and Mark stepped out of the car and began their walk towards the stadium entrance.

Reporter: *shouting* Shaun, Mark, is the club dead then?

Shaun: All questions will be answered at a press conference at nine o’ clock tonight, that’s all I’m saying at this moment in time, thank you.

It was a warm evening, the sun shining and Leeds fans were not at all down at the news the club may be ‘dieing’, chants were being sounded and scarves were being waved above heads.

* * *

Shaun and Mark walk into the conference room and take their seats, the room almost immediately goes silent and heads turn to face the two Leeds directors.

Shaun: Thank you for coming here this evening, I would like you to refrain from asking questions until I and Mark have said are bit, again thank you.

Mark: Right, I’ll start with the least important matter which is the departure of Dennis Wise. We did not find out until this afternoon that he had left the club and have not yet managed to find the reason why he has chosen to do this however I am determined to find out as soon as possible for the fans as I am sure they would like to know.

Shaun: Now on to the big reason why we are here tonight. Ken Bates this morning did leave his share of the club open for sale, this has already been bought. Earlier today myself and Mark travelled to London to meet Greg Barker. He has decided to purchase the club and we can now announce that he is the new chairman of Leeds United football club. But it will be myself and Mark that will be taking care of most of the work behind the scenes.

Mark: Mr.Barker will fund for players and staff wages so we are now ok in that department but we will need to raise money from player sales and gate receipts to keep the club open for the next few months.

Shaun: Now what‘s needed to be said has been said, does anyone have any questions?

Most people in the room raise their hands

Reporter The Sun: Shaun, are the players aware of the departures of Dennis Wise and Ken Bates?

Shaun: I’m sure they are aware although not in the circumstances we would have liked them to find out but then again we did not know that Dennis Wise had departed so we cannot be fully blamed for the situation. The players themselves will be called in for a meeting tomorrow to discuss their futures with the club and what will be happening in the next two to three months.

Reporter BBC: Mark, the new owner of the club, Greg Barker. Why has he decided to buy the club?

Mark: Mr.Barker is someone that we know of that supports the club and wants to help get the club back to the state we were in a few years ago football wise. Playing in the Premiership and being in European competitions. We are far away from that at the moment but given time we will be back where the club well and truly belongs.

Reporter Daily Mirror: The club is in administration, with the arrival of the new owner, has he got the money to bring you out of this position?

Shaun: Of course, he is willing to give a large amount of money to the club and when we find the right man for the manager’s job he may be lucky enough to have a four to five million pound transfer budget. It may not sound like a lot but for a league one club, it’s quite enormous, you could say we are the Chelsea of the lower leagues, ha ha.

Reporter Sky Sports: Liquidation was suggested, from what you are both saying it looks as if these thoughts have vanished?

Mark: Correct, vanished would explain it perfectly.

Fifteen minutes later and the press conference had come to an end, questions answered and outside the fans jubilant after hearing some unexpected good news. Shaun and Mark walked out of Elland Road an hour later to get their cars to drive home.

The chants from the Leeds fans in the background echoed a day saved by the two Leeds directors.

Leeds Fans: We’ll never die, we’ll never die, we’ll never die, we’ll never die, Thanks to Shaun and Marky boy, Leeds United will never die!

Tomorrow the players get their say.

[Johno]

good write up Tarra keep it going :thup:

[Greenbeard]

Marching on together!!!

[David Ruscoe]

Great story so far. KUTGW!

[_cruel_]

KIU KIU!!

[Tarrantino]

July 2007

Shaun and Mark arrived at the Leeds training ground this morning with two objectives, one to talk to the players and tell them what will be happening. Secondly, to find out why Dennis Wise decided to leave. Manager hunting is on the list during the week.

The players were called into a large room during their training session so Shaun and Mark could update them with going ons in the club.

Shaun: Thanks guys for coming, sorry to interrupt during your training session but myself and Mark would just like to inform you of what will be going on in the next few weeks.

Mark: Right, as I’m sure you know we now have a new owner. It will not disrupt your place in the team in anyway and your wages will not be affected. However, Dennis Wise has left with of course no known reason of which we know.

Shaun: We will go through our pre season as planned. Gus Poyet your assistant manager will take you under his wing until we have found the right man for the manager’s job. Greg Barker has arranged a pre season tour of the United States for you to all take your minds off of what is going on here.

Mark: You will first face the New York Metrostars in Seattle, then DC United in Boston and also Houston Dynamo in of course Houston. Then when you are back you have a game at home to Paris Saint Germain and an away game at Stevenage.

Shaun: We hope to have a new manager sorted out before you go to the United States as it would be good for you to all gel and get to know each other a lot better whilst having fun state side.

Mark: Remember though, when the new manager does come in you are playing for futures at the club so don’t take this all to lightly.

Gary Kelly: Shaun, have you got any ideas yet of who your going to try and get as our new gaffer?

Shaun: Well, I have one or two names in mind but I don’t really want to discuss anything with you guys until I know for sure we will be asking them so sorry about that.

Mark: Capello is free but we may not be able to afford him.

The players have a little chuckle at Mark’s absurd comment.

Shaun: Anyway lads, have a good day and hopefully we’ll see you before you jet off to the States in a few days time. Thanks for your time.

The players head back to the training ground outside whilst Shaun and Mark head back to their offices at Elland Road to get an explanation from the departed Dennis Wise.

[Shedender]

Now, how did I know this would be a Leeds United story? This is a great start Jamie and I hope you keep this going for a long, long time because it’s amazing as usual.

[Jonas]

Looking good as usual Tarrant. :thup:

[Keav]

Looking very good so far mate. I read the whole thing there and I'm impressed. KIU