Vincent Tan Named ‘Worst Owner In Sports’ By US Paper
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- Published on Saturday, 28 December 2013 20:30
Cardiff City supporters sit down and hold up a banner to protest against club owner Vincent Tan before their English Premier League match against Southampton at Cardiff City Stadium yesterday./Pic:ReutersKUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Vincent Tan’s controversial handling of English Premier League club Cardiff City has earned the tycoon the title of “worst owner in sports” by American newspaper USA Today.
In an article published on its website yesterday, the newspaper noted that while dislike for team owners was not uncommon among sports fans, Tan’s unorthodox handling of the club he purchased in 2010 had drawn rare animosity among the club’s supporters.
“They also don’t like Vincent Tan because Tan seems to be using the club much like a 12-year-old in ‘owner mode’ on the FIFA 14 video game,” it said.
The club gained promotion into the elite league under the Berjaya tycoon last season, but Tan has also controversially swapped the team’s colours from blue to red and changed its badge from the bluebird, after which the team are nicknamed, to a dragon.
But USA Today said that Tan’s latest fancy — changing the club’s name from Cardiff City FC to Cardiff Dragons — may be the straw that breaks the camels’ back.
“To give you an idea, this would be like someone buying the Boston Celtics, then deciding green wasn’t a great colour, and changing the team’s home colours to red. Then deciding the nickname ‘Celtics’ was stupid and they could sell more jerseys with a different name, and changing the team’s name to the Boston Dragons.
“There’d be riots on Boylston Street,” it added.
Beyond the changes, Tan’s alleged interference in the management and club affairs such as the sacking of Cardiff’s lead scout Iain Moody and an earlier ultimatum for manager Malky Mackay to quit the club or be fired has also reportedly infuriated fans.
Cardiff were on the brink of administration and escaped a winding-up petition at the High Court in 2010 after settling a £1.9 million (RM9.5 million) tax bill shortly after the club was taken over by Tan.
Malaysia’s ninth-richest person with a net worth of US$1.3 billion (RM4 billion), Tan bought a controlling stake in the Welsh club for an undisclosed sum and last season helped finance the team into the top tier of English football for the first time in half a century.
Cardiff embarked on a substantial spending spree during the European summer transfer window, breaking their record signing fee for a player three times, but since then the club has lurched from one public relations disaster to another, unable to bask in the glory of competing at the highest level.
- The Malay Mail
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