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Lee Hagipantelis on the warpath: sponsorship pulled, Tigers put in their place

westerntiger

Juniors
Messages
1,964
Does anyone think there will be any further consequences of Lee’s unhinged behaviour? Media leaks, rants etc? 89F16D2F-DFB6-4584-A081-2C31A7423E96.jpeg
 

Hoofhearted

Juniors
Messages
752
I find it very interesting how we were having major issues with leaks to the media, then they put a broom through the board and all of a sudden the leaks stopped. Now a former board member writes a letter to the club and it's leaked to the media, makes you wonder.
Also note that Richo seems to be on the Buzz hit list, he's been a regular in the 'Whats the Buzz' column lately. I'd suggest this is directly linked to the leaks being blocked, no more free lunches for journo's etc. Every complaint Buzz has made in his columns, Richo has addressed in various interviews over the last couple of months and I feel comfortable with his answers.
 

Ned Kelly

Juniors
Messages
1,900
Also note that Richo seems to be on the Buzz hit list, he's been a regular in the 'Whats the Buzz' column lately. I'd suggest this is directly linked to the leaks being blocked, no more free lunches for journo's etc. Every complaint Buzz has made in his columns, Richo has addressed in various interviews over the last couple of months and I feel comfortable with his answers.
Richo said a while ago that Buzz has been after him for years now and he doesn't expect it to change nor will he change the way he operates to get Buzz off his back.
 

Ned Kelly

Juniors
Messages
1,900
Does anyone think there will be any further consequences of Lee’s unhinged behaviour? Media leaks, rants etc? View attachment 87626
I just read the article..


He has gone out of his way to remind us all why he had to go with comments like " The club's former chair took aim at interim Tigers' CEO Shane Richardson, described the review into the club as a "sham" and labelled key stakeholders at the Tigers "cowards" in a withering spray.

The reality is the review was much better than anyone would have expected given how things had been done when Lee was chairman. The key stakeholders where gutsy in their decision and the majority of true Tigers fans would have seen it that way.

Lee also said he feared the success of the club would be "compromised" while those he hit out at remained at the club.

I suppose he is making a comparison to the success he brought to the club.

Apart from that I believe he is making a huge business mistake. I'm pretty sure a huge majority of Tigers fans and maybe Rugby League fans after reading this would turn to an alternative company for legal advice.

There will be no shortage of sponsors ready to take is place.
 

Ned Kelly

Juniors
Messages
1,900
Exerpts from Lee's letter.

“There has been consistent criticism by your CEO of the previous Club administration....

“Obviously, this is of no concern to your CEO given that he has doubled down on the criticism in the recent Australian Financial Review article wherein he referred to, ‘Business people, (who) take their head off and put a pumpkin on. They think they know all about running a sports organisation.’
“Again, how could this criticism not be construed as being directed to me?
“To allay any concerns of paranoia on my part, I have been contacted by multiple persons expressing disdain at such comments and their obvious reference to me.”


When Richo said "Business people, (who) take their head off and put a pumpkin on. They think they know all about running a sports organisation.’" I actually thought he was talking broadly of experience he has had over the years and maybe past members of our board so yeah, I think Lee is paranoid.

As far as the leaking of this letter goes Richo also said a while ago people give certain journo's a scoop by leaking information to them do so with the understanding that journo will write favorably of them.

Hmmnn.
 

Nutz

First Grade
Messages
5,418
I just wish we could start winning because it would further prove the ineptitude of the previous administrators.
Unfortunately there's going to be dark clouds until at least next year.
 

Wizardman

First Grade
Messages
9,321
Lee has every right to no longer sponsor us. I'd have had no issue if he just did it quietly. But, his song and dance routine about things is just another affirmation that pushing him and Pascoe out the door was 100% the right call.
Im just hoping fans are realist in the fact that this will take some time to fix. I've probably never been more confident in the history of the joint venture than now in that our front office appears to finally be in order. Results will come if the front office goes well.
 

Fordy20

Juniors
Messages
2,297
Richo looks to be doing a better job of keeping things under wraps than the previous administration, but he's operating in a very different environment to Pascoe. It's good that he's signed on for longer, but Lee is 100% correct, until something is done about the ownership model and governance layer the threat of those cowards ripping the rug out from under Richo remains.
 

Nutz

First Grade
Messages
5,418
Richo looks to be doing a better job of keeping things under wraps than the previous administration, but he's operating in a very different environment to Pascoe. It's good that he's signed on for longer, but Lee is 100% correct, until something is done about the ownership model and governance layer the threat of those cowards ripping the rug out from under Richo remains.
Wests Tigers need to be a completely stand alone identity.
Remove both Western Suburbs and Balmain from their clutches and have them as feeder clubs. They need a stand alone Wests Tigers Leagues Club and a home ground that is owned by them.
The only way for this to happen is either the NRL owns the club or it is taken over by billionaires in a private ownership.
If we continue the way we are going then it will always be a fractured club and muppets will always rule. They're too many people with their fingers in the pie for my liking.
I support Wests Tigers not Western Suburbs or Balmain.
 

Nutz

First Grade
Messages
5,418
Lee has every right to no longer sponsor us. I'd have had no issue if he just did it quietly. But, his song and dance routine about things is just another affirmation that pushing him and Pascoe out the door was 100% the right call.
My sentiments exactly.
Lee's a sooky wookie.
 

Tigerm

Coach
Messages
11,033
I think we should stop beating ourselves up.
WA are not going to relinquish the club, why would they?
TBH, the WT’s are probably a tax right off for them.
I just don’t see the board being the problem for our footy woes, what could anyone else do, that we’re not already doing?
 
Messages
773
I find it very interesting how we were having major issues with leaks to the media, then they put a broom through the board and all of a sudden the leaks stopped. Now a former board member writes a letter to the club and it's leaked to the media, makes you wonder.
Also note that Richo seems to be on the Buzz hit list, he's been a regular in the 'Whats the Buzz' column lately. I'd suggest this is directly linked to the leaks being blocked, no more free lunches for journo's etc. Every complaint Buzz has made in his columns, Richo has addressed in various interviews over the last couple of months and I feel comfortable with his answers.
Spot. On.

This just goes to show he was never interested in the success of the tigers. The whole thing was just a massive ego trip and vanity project on his behalf. It appears he thought he owned the club. This would mostly be like a trinket that he could wave in front of his other rich mates when they get together for their wine and cheese circle jerks, or whatever it is they get up to.
 

WA Tiger

Bench
Messages
4,770
You stole my thunder..Lees a fkn sponsor for goodness sake. For him to think he could jump from being a sponsor to running an nrl club, especially with massive swagger and the threat of law suits at every turn, could only be ego driven and was really just asking for trouble. To take the fall that he has, must be torture for him. It’s certainly not what he expected but it’s prob a humble pie lesson that he needs... He has no one else to blame but himself.
 
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Wizardman

First Grade
Messages
9,321
You stole my thunder..Lees a fkn sponsor for goodness sake. For him to think he could jump from being a sponsor to running an nrl club, especially with massive swagger and the threat of law suits at every turn could only be ego driven and was really just asking for trouble. To take the fall that he has must be torture for him. It’s certainly not what he expected but it’s prob a humble pie lesson that he needs... He has no one else to blame but himself.
That 1 million sponsorship money a year he was paying us has cost us more than a million a year as a whole. Im so glad we have seen the back of him and Pascoe. I rate him a bigger prick than Pascoe. Pascoe was plain incompetent, Lee was an incompetent asshole.
 

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