Tuesday 9 October 2007

Dowie to face down Co-op

Former Charlton manager Iain Dowie is not going to apply for the vacant Palace job, but will tough it out at financially challenged Coventry City.

'It shouldn't happen to a club like Coventry, but if it does we'll have to cope,' said the embattled supremo. 'I've got a fantastic bunch of players who are giving me everything and I know they won't let me down, whatever happens. I've always said that more erudite people than me [I thought he was a rocket scientist - ed] have got to deal with the finncial situation.

'The take-over bid has been a longer-running saga than Crossroads.' [Please check if this is his favourite soap - ed]

Departing managing director Paul Fletcher has hinted that he was quitting after failing to provide Dowie with funds, even if not on the scale he had and spent so wisely at The Valley. Dowie commented, 'We all make mistakes in life and Paul at the time thought there would be money available to spend. I think everyone did and I certainly did.'

Coventry City owes the Co-op Bank £18 million and the Inland Revenue £3m, but the Co-op has refused to comment on what it will do, although local sources told me yesterday they were 'knocking at the club's door.' Multi-millionaire Coventry MP Geoffrey Robinson stands to lose a slice of his substantial fortune (around £18m), but had gone to ground yesterday and subsequently refused to comment.

Leave the final word to Dowie: 'everything at the club is set to move forward.' But in reality Project Premiership may be on hold.

No comments: