Home > Football > Peter Ridsdale, Sam Hammam - and three questions over Cardiff City's mystifying £24m debt
Peter Ridsdale, Sam Hammam - and three questions over Cardiff City's mystifying £24m debt
The FA Cup semi-finalists have been given a reprieve from needing to repay £24 million immediately- allegedly to their ex-chairman Hammam. Sportingo writer Graham Fisher doesn't understand high finance but would love to know what is going on.
by Graham Fisher on 20 March 2008
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Cardiff City players, officials and fans everywhere will be hugely relieved by the ruling of a High Court Judge that they do not have to repay a £24 million loan to the Swiss investment bank Langston immediately. The man behind the bank suing the club is believed to be former Bluebirds chairman Sam Hammam.
Langston wanted £24m of a total £31m in loans to be repaid immediately. Both sides of the argument agree that Langston loaned the club £24 million in 2004 and have not yet received a penny in repayment. Langston demanded it should be paid now, Cardiff said it did not need to be repaid until 2016.
The Judge has given both sides two months to come to an agreement and if they fail, a full trial is likely to be held.
Speaking after the hearing, Peter Ridsdale - Hammam’s successor as Cardiff chairman - said: "I sincerely hope they will sit around the table and realise that an amicable situation is the only way forward for both parties."
Comments (1)
by Nigel Boulton on March 20, 2008
Your points answered. 1. Ridsdale inherited Hammams debt. He has held the amount stable and run the club soundly since taking over. Financially he has nothing to answer for. 2. Yes, the probability is that Sam Hammam lent money unsecured to Cardiff City from personal or business funds he controlled or influenced. 3. The Cardiff City council is paying for a large part of the stadium project and profits from the retail development around the stadium have been ploughed back into the stadium costs. Cardiff City have provided funds from their own resources while maintaining the overall current debt inherited from Hammam. We have also aquired and developed a multi-million pound training ground and facility during Ridsdales tenure. Whatever anyone thinks about Ridsdale from outside or even inside the club, his reign has been effective and steadied the ship. Do we forget how close Sam pushed us to administration before settling with Ridsdale to save the club. That settlement appears to have been a temporary measure and Sam, like a divorced spouse, is hurt, angry and vindictive and now wants his pound of flesh. Sam was good for Cardiff City and we wouldn't be where we are today without him. He was in love with the club just as we are with our spouse when we decide to marry them. Sam cheated on us then Ridsdale dumped Sam to save the club. The Hammam debt is a noose around the neck of the club. One we are hopefully slowly removing - thanks to Ridsdale.
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