Cellino – what is he up to?
Mounting unrest among the unblinkered majority of the Leeds United support is seeing the pressure grow on maverick owner Massimo Cellino to pack up and ship out. After talk of an aeroplane fly-past during the Nottingham Forest home game, the object being to trail a suitably discouraging message to the Cellino regime across the sky, the more mundane method of posters on lamp-post billboards outside Elland Road has garnered media attention in the last 24 hours. For this, all possible credit is due to the people at WACCOE.com, a site I’ve had issues with over the past couple of years – but they’ve undeniably played a blinder here. Given Liverpool fans’ recent success in bringing their owners to heel, someone had to take up the baton for Leeds – nice one, WACCOE. It’s an unerring shot that has hit its mark, alright – when local reporter Adam Pope contacted the beleaguered Italian, who is still under the threat of Football League sanctions, to put him on the spot over the poster’s “Time to go” message, Cellino’s texted reply was “I agree !!!!”
Message from WACCOE for Mr. Cellino
It would be easy and yet probably incautious to read into all of this that the Cellino Out movement is heading towards a successful endgame. It should, after all, be remembered – especially in the context of the owner’s surprisingly frank text to Mr. Pope – that the old maxim of “believe nothing until it has been officially denied” has particular relevance where the King of Corn is concerned. What he says and what he does tend to be wildly differing matters, and predicting his behaviour from one day to the next could lead the most canny gambler to ruin in short order. But the increasing visibility of the fans’ discontent, the fact that Steve Parkin has recently realised over £10m worth of assets into cash – and the whole mood around the club after yet another dreadful anti-climax of a transfer window, with the additional important factor of dreadful performances on the pitch – all of these factors combine towards a growing feeling that the wind of change is blowing in sharp gusts in the LS11 locality.
The next few weeks could see matters clarify themselves somewhat, both on and off the park. There is still talk that the quality of the squad might be improved via the loan market – a possibility which may not be totally unrelated to Mr. Parkin’s newly-enhanced liquidity – and, unusually for Leeds, the club is still in the FA Cup at the 5th round stage, giving some temporary meaning to an otherwise moribund season. With a high profile home match against promotion contenders Middlesbrough to come, live on Sky TV after a last-minute rearrangement which represents many fans’ only area of agreement with an angry Cellino, it could be that events on the field will either add to or detract from the intensity of the pressure being experienced by il Duce at the moment, and possibly in a decisive manner. The cruel reality is that success for United in Cup or League over the next month or so could come at the price of a bounceback factor for a man most of us would rather see bounce away. On the other hand, the bitter pills of a cup exit and continued poor form in the league could come with a sweetener in the shape of self-imposed exile for football’s nuttiest owner.
It’s a sad indictment of the nature of Cellino’s reign that circumstantial evidence is usually a better guide to his intentions than the word of the man himself. For all practical purposes, we can dismiss his probably tongue-in-cheek text to Adam Pope as yet another example of his casual attitude towards communication with the fans – and the truth in general. But other signs would seem to indicate that dark clouds are gathering for a storm which may yet blow Massimo, his family and his notorious yacht Nélie back over the sea to Florida and away from football to a quieter, less notorious life.
That, ultimately, would be the best result for all concerned.
Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything 
Pingback: Leeds Fans’ Cellino Out Campaign Gathering Momentum – by Rob Atkinson – sportsdroid
Gfh out too
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Yup.
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At long last, is there a glimmer of light at the end of a very long dark tunnel. Let’s hope so.
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Then what.?
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Same old story every fucking year sick off it all FUCK LEEDS
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What or who next then mate to many dreamers who seem to think money is on tap and a saviour is around the corner
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Take a look at the LUFC Board members. It’s a wonder we still have a football club left.
It looks like a coke-snorting bunga-bunga party. Has there ever been a full meeting of the Board? You know, with recorded minutes and everything? Aren’t they a legal requirement?
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GFH leeches need to go too.
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I have 3 season tickets for me my son-in-law and grandson. Now the season is over I can’t bring myself to watch them now, one shot on target the whole game – if we are lucky. Add to the mix that Mad Dog who runs the circus and I definitely am voting with my feet. Come on down Mr Parkin! Absolutely brilliantly written, to the point and fills me with optimism. Thanks, Rob.
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Cheers David – I only wish the prospect of Parkin filled me with optimism, but I suspect that, in order to make the difference, he’d have to be one of a number of moderately high rollers.
I truly hope you enjoy next season more.
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So what is the successful endgame ?
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I still don’t understand what Cellino is doing at Leeds.. what does he want ?? He finds it hard to run a Championship club and cant see the club in the PL. So what is the club to him ?? are the fans supposed to give him season ticket money for garbage football ??
Wake up The Cellino family every fan expects and if you can’t deliver you know where the door is. GFH have also been in the background skimming the cream of the top of the money pile, they also need bringing to the bar to account for their actions. The clock is ticking and the fans WILL win in the end.
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Hear, hear.
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In 1984 Ken Bates swore: “I shall not rest until Leeds are kicked out of the Football League. Their fans are the scum of the earth, absolute animals and a disgrace. I will do everything in my power to make this happen”. Has good old Ken been as good as his word, or is he a liar like Cellino?
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If he failed, it wasn’t for lack of trying.
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I think in many ways his hands are still tied , would you buy a ground that would then be part owned by GFH ? The football league keep banning him and for what ? Not paying tax on a yacht , yes he sold byram but let’s face it Sam wanted to go , rob , his true test will be in the summer , or rather it will be if he doesn’t get pissed off and walk away , and mark my words when he does the poster people will not be happy with the next owner or the next or the next … These people are only happy when they are unhappy rob…
That’s just my opinion , take it or leave it WACCOE
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I started out pro, as you possibly are aware – couldn’t see why the anti lot were SO anti, including John Giles. But after so many lies and broken promises, and the unrelenting weirdness of the man – my anti-Cellino position is well entrenched.
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Let’s look at what the ad says:1. Buying back the ground – so Cellino turned out not to be Father Xmas. So ? Ground ownership only matters as collateral- yet loans are the last thing the club needs. What need instead an injection of cash to enable us to buy a couple of key players, that’s all. 2. Promotion by 2015-16 – well we still have a year to go and anyway it is only an emotionally expressed aspiration; 3. Selling young players – Byram has gone but this is because he was determined not to sign another contract: it is not Cellino’s fault – his public statement notwithstanding (besides everyone is guilty of fostering an unhealthy division of the squad into homegrown and others – witness the tactless promotional ad – which last season under Redfearn came dangerously close to if not tipped over into favouritism).
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You’re leaning over so far backwards to support him, you’re risking a spinal injury!
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It seems your happy with Cellino, stand back a bit and look at what’s not happening !! The football is a disgrace for a club of Leeds stature, unable to compete for players that lesser clubs pay good money for. LUFC are a joke club and the fans that give money to Cellino and GFH are misguided by their love for the club. It ckokes me but my season ticket stopped last season and I will not renew until Cellino AND GFH have been driven out of MY club. Too many leeches are sucking on the fallen giant something has to give to get him on his feet again.
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