Man City’s Garry Cook’s Email To Anthonia Onuoha Was Sent From His iPad: Do They Work In South Africa?
CAN Garry Cook hang on to his job as Manchester City’s £1.8 million Chief Executive? Haven’t Man City got a spare CE in a storeroom on £1.6m a year they can call upon while Cook nurses an injury. Given the trend of City to buy anything Arsenal, has anyone seen David Dein?
You can read the story of why Cook is in hot water here. But the nuts of it are that 11 months ago an email was sent from his email address account at City to Nedum Onuoha’s cancer-suffering mother which made light of her illness. It was addressed to Cook’s colleague Brian Marwood.
Dr Anthonia Onuoha wrote to City’s football administrator, Brian Marwood. She said her body was “ravaged with cancer and ongoing chemotherapy” but she was still sharp of mind.
Two weeks later she, reportedly, received this:
“Brian. Ravaged with it!!……I don’t now how you sleep at night. You used to be such a nice man when I worked with you at nike.”
That message was signed “G”.
City release a statement:
“Following allegations made to the football club by Dr Anthonia Onuoha, subsequently reported in today’s media, the club can confirm that a board-led review has been launched into the matter.”
Cook had said the matter was resolved and the culprit – hacker if you will – has been nabbed. He denies that he sent the email.
The story took on new element when Dr Onuotha, who works as her son’s agent, told the Sun:
“When I opened up my emails and saw the message, it was the worst day of my life, even worse than being diagnosed with cancer.”
Conclusions should not be jumped to. But the knives are out for Cook.
Ian Wright tells Sun readers:
They can’t sweep this one under the carpet. Nor can the FA and the Premier League. The FA couldn’t wait to hand Wayne Rooney a ban for swearing last season. Let’s see how quickly they act over a far more serious allegation involving a chief executive.
Utter nonsense, of course. One story is about the internal working of a football club and a misogynistic, smutty, crass email – the other is England’s striker telling the Sky Sports paying public to “fuck off”.
John Hartson tells Sun readers:
“To take the p*** out of a poor woman fighting cancer just sickens me. It’s the actions of the lowest of the low. Whoever sent it should be sacked. It’s shocking and downright despicable.”
The Press Association reports:
Cook attracted a series of negative headlines early in his tenure. At one stage he described subsequently discredited former City owner Thaksin Shinawatra as “a great guy to play golf with”.
And, er, that’s it. Shinawatra, who passed the Premier League’s fit and proper test to own a football club and was voted in as Thailand’s first Prime Minster was convicted in 2008 of abuse of authority over a land deal. If Cook has misjudged the calibre of his golf buddy what of the Premier League’s judgment and that of the Thai people?
As Cook said:
“Is he a nice guy? Yes. Is he a great guy to play golf with? Yes. Has he got the finances to run a club? Yes. I really care about those three things.”
The media is looking for Cook gaffes. The Telegraph comes up with:
November 2009 Cook writes to 70 City supporters’ clubs to apologise after inducting former City striker Uwe Rösler into the club’s hall of fame with the words: “I’d like to welcome Uwe Rösler into the Manchester United Hall of Fame.”
Other than using a sad street handshake when greeting Samir Nasri, Cook’s tenure is light on shocks.
And then what do we know about electronic communications? Alan Duffy relates another football story doing the rounds:
It had been widely reported in the media that former Fulham and Sunderland midfielder Steed Malbranque had recently decided to quit football altogether in order to care for his son, who had been diagnosed with cancer. Indeed, even Rio Ferdinand Tweeted about the sad news: ”Steed Malbranque good luck to you + your family bro through what must be a really difficult time. Really puts it all into perspective. Love.” said the United man.
However, it now seems that the story is all a hoax, with Malbranque’s press people refuting the story, stating that the Saint Etienne playmaker doesn’t even have a son!
On hearing this news, Ferdinand was back on Twitter: “If the Malbranque story is untrue then whoever started the rumour needs to sort themselves right out you scumbag.”
However, get this: The Telegraph says Cook’ email ended with the legend:
‘Sent from my iPad’
He said he was in South Africa and, thus, not being in the City office could not have sent the email. If the email was sent from a mobile device, is his explanation not open to challenge?
But was the email so very terrible?
Posted: 6th, September 2011 | In: Sports Comments (6) | TrackBack | Permalink
