Aðdáendur Stoke eru þakklátir Íslendingunum

Ég hef tekið eftir því í umræðunni í gær og í dag hér á blogginu og í fjölmiðlum, að sá misskilningur virðist útbreiddur að stuðningsmenn Stoke beri einhvern kala til íslensku fyrrum eigenda liðsins.  Ég er búinn að fylgjast með umræðu á spjallvef Stoke í nokkuð mörg ár og hef vissulega orðið var við dæmigerða óánægju stuðningsmanna til eigenda á hverjum tíma, en Stokarar eru almennt ánægðir með Íslendingana og þá sérstaklega Gunnar Þór Gíslason og Guðjón Þórðarson.  Hér er t.d. nokkur ummæli af Oatcake Fanzine síðu stuðningsmanna Stoke, sum frá því núna í morgun:

Fornside (einn af þeim er hlustað á): I certainly hope that Gunnar was there - he would have been chuffed to bits. Despite everything that happened he was emotionally involved in the club in a way that many of his compatriots were not.

I think GT would also have had a few tears in his eye and I hope he was there as well so see his dream fulfilled - even though he was not at the helm.

The rest of the Icelandic board would have at least been happy with the £2 million cheque.

 

OldStokie (einn af öldungum úr hópi stuðningsmanna): John, the Icelanders simply weren't big enough to take us to the Prem but they laid the foundations for it. Our success owes as much to their failed venture as it does to Coates finishing it off. They deserve their extra couple of million. Did you stay and celebrate last night or did you have to go back home?

Mick.

 

Fornside: Yes, I don't begrudge them the £2 million Mick. They underestimated the money needed to make the final push. But, as you suggest, they certainly stopped the rot when they first bought the club from Coates. My reason for distinguishing Gunnar and GT from the rest is that for Gunnar and GT it was a labour of love whilst for the rest it was much more a venture capital operation. 

 

Swampy: I hope Gudjon was there. He was never a yes man and wanted the best for Stoke.

deserves his place in our history

 

ted1965:Thanks to the Icelanders especially Gudjon, who lets be totally honest stepped in and saved the club from possible oblivion, people can criticise them for many things near the end but they took a chance when very few were willing to even consider us, yes they were a little naïve as to what was really required to take this club to where they hoped it would go.

 

Tube: the Icelandic consortium came and bought us in a time when we were slipping down the football league and no-one else wanted us. They saved this club and undoubtedly we would not be where we are now without them. They were definitely not perfect, and in the end took the club probably as far as they could, but we owe them a debt of gratitude. I think Gislason was really gutted about leaving Stoke, and we still have many friends over in Iceland.

 

Surreystokie (Monica, samviska stuðningsmanna): "Halted the slide"? The Icelanders saved our club!

There are no hard feelings and some of them come, from time to time, and sit in the directors' box. Quite right, too.

 

lordb:Gunnar seemed,if not quite an out & out football man,a true gent as borne out by his statement when the club went back to PC.

 

dandare: Wouldn't it have been a nice gesture to have invited the Icelanders and Gudjon Thordasson to the party on Sunday? For all their faults it was Gudjon and Icelanders who halted the slide and had the courage to invest in a club which was in rapid decline. Gudjon in particular has a soft spot for this club and did well for us for the brief time that he was manager. I think we owe them something and a view from the directors box would have been nice.

 

 Ég gæti haldið svona áfram endalaust, en þetta eru ummæli sem viðhöfð hafa verið síðustu daga.  Það er gaman að sjá, að Lárus Sigurðsson hefur ennþá sérstakan sess í hugum stokara og það hlýtur að hafa verið gaman fyrir hann að sjá þau tvö lið sem hann spilaði með á Englandi (Stoke og WBA) bæði tryggja sér Úrvalsdeildarsæti í gær.

Athugasemdir

[Hjörvar (IP-tala skráð) 7.5.2008 kl. 21:06]

Ég held að þetta sé besta spjallið í boltanum.

En það margt til í þessu sem þeir segja þarna. Klúbburinn var á hraðri leið til andskotans.

[Marinó G. Njálsson, 8.5.2008 kl. 00:34]

Ég hef skoðað margar svona spjallsíður í kringum leiki og þegar sumir ná kannski 10 þráðum, þá fylla Stokarar 3 síður með 30 þráðum hver.  Menn eru tilfinningaþrungnir og sveiflurnar á milli gleði og depurðar eru alveg ótrúlegar.  Þetta eru svona Jekyll og Hide sveiflur.