News that Manchester City CEO Garry Cook has sent an offensive email to Nedum Onuoha’s cancer-stricken mother is the latest in a very long line of gaffes from the former Nike executive. In recent times Cook, quite hilariously, has incorporated Uwe Rosler into the “Manchester United” Hall of Fame, accused AC Milan of “bottling it” when turning down City’s move for Kaká and revealed City’s transfer target list to Noel Gallagher on the back of a napkin. Classy stuff all round.
The latest gaffe has Cook (allegedly) emailing Onouha’s mother, Dr Antonia, mocking the doctor’s health. Dr Anthonia, who has represented her son throughout his fledgling career, had earlier sent Cook and City’s Director of Football Brian Marwood a message explaining that she would continue to negotiate her son’s new contract despite being “ravaged with cancer.”
“Ravaged with it!!” came Cook’s reply, addressed to “Brian”. “I don’t know how you sleep at night. You used to be such a nice man when I worked with you at Nike. G.”
Typical of the man, Cook denies sending the email, blaming instead an unnamed practical joker at the club. Dr Antonia has written to the FA and Premier League complaining about the club’s behaviour.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised though. After all, Cook, who has a habit of putting his foot in his mouth, once told us that “comedy has always been at the heart of what this club [Manchester City] is all about.” How right he was.
Cook’s best gaffes
July, 2008 – Cook proclaims City owner Thaksin Shinawatra “a nice guy to play golf with” despite the former Thai Prime Minister being indicted on charges of corruption.
“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,” said Cook, ignoring Shinawatra’s dubious human rights record when Prime Minister from 2001-2006.
“I worked at a company – Nike – where we were accused of child labour rights issues. I managed to have a career there for 15 years and I believed we were innocent of most of the issues. Morally, I felt confident in that environment. Morally, I feel comfortable in this environment.”
In February 2010 a Thai court found Shinawatra guilty on four counts corruption, seizing 50 per cent of the former Prime Ministers fortune, and freezing the rest.
January, 2009 – Cook accuses AC Milan of “bottling” a deal for Kaká when the Brazilian midfielder chose not to join Eastland’s Abu Dhabi revolution in a proposed £100 million deal.
“If you want my personal opinion they bottled it,” Cook told the BBC. “He clearly was for sale but we never got to meet with the player, the behaviour of AC Milan got in the way.”
Kaká joined Real Madrid later than summer.
November, 2009 – Cook is forced to write to 70 City fans with a grovelling apology after inducting Blue Nose legend Uwe Rosler into the City Hall of Fame with the words: “I’d like to welcome Uwe Rosler into the Manchester United Hall of Fame.” City fans were still booing Cook when Rosler stood up to accept the award. Cook fled the event early amid a volley of home-spun abuse.
January, 2010 – ahead of City’s 2010 Carling Cup semi-final against the Reds Cook boasts that City would reach Wembley “not if, but when, we beat United again”. Caught on tape at New York’s Mad Hatter Bar, Cook went on to boast that City would become the “biggest and the best” football club on the planet. United won the semi 4-3 on aggregate.
March, 2010 – Cook engages in a stand-up row with Everton supporter George Downing in the Eastland’s directors box, prompting the Merseysiders to demand a formal apology. Everton beat City 2-0, with the row starting after Downing joined in the Evertonian’s chant of “2-0 and we’ve spent fuck-all.”
July, 2010 – Cook scribbles a list of City transfer targets on a napkin for singer Noel Gallagher’s benefit ahead of the 2010 World Cup.
“I just had a big, long lunch with Garry Cook and the revelations you lot are going to hear in the next month are going to blow your mind,” claimed Gallagher.
“Garry was writing out these names on a napkin, about who was going to be in the squad. He put it down on paper, and the 24-man squad we will have will be looking to win everything next season.”
August, 2011 – Cook claims that City’s £400 million stadium sponsorship deal with Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad is “the most important arrangement in the history of football.” The airline, which is controlled by City owner Sheikh Mansour’s half-brother, will pump money into the Blues for the next 10 years. Sadly for Cook the renamed Etihad Stadium means “Unity” or “United” in Arabic.
Cook must be the biggest idiot in the Prem, with him at the helm Mansour is just going to waste a lot of cash chasing a dream that Chelsea haven’t realised using the same methods.
His face when United lifted the Community Shield was priceless :D!!!
Like Taggart’s face at the semi-final. Priceless!
I have to agree with you. Cook is a clown. He should stick to what he is good at (ie: business) and keep his mouth shut.
If he is found guilty of this latest offence which, incidentally, was 12 months ago, then he should be hung out to dry. It is appalling.
However, before you start crowing and feeling superior, it would appear that some of your lower iq fans have been trying to stir up trouble before our first venture into the champions league. Two guys got 4 years for doing something similar during the riots. Your brainiacs shouldn’t be too difficult to track down. I hope we see something similar for them.
The direct translation of Etihad is Union so stop looking smug. We’re closing the gap on you lot every day.
You sound bitter bertie.
Whats the matter, scared to show your bananas?
The best thing is, you know every word I said is true!
a few points, (1) the title of this article suggests you have also had a good laugh at Dr Onouha’s expense publically which makes you much much worse than Mr Cook – (2) why is slagging off AC Milan a gaffe? Is Mr Berlusconi beyond reproach? (3)(“not if, but when, we beat United again” – I believe he was proven right last April? (4) The napkin thing a gaffe, really? Did Noel Gallagher leak the names and stop deals from happening? (5) Row with Everton fan – again not really a gaffe, the Everton fan was asked to leave because of his bad language (6) The Etihad deal may well end of being a v important deal, if it helps City grow at the same rate as we have been doing why not just wait and see
I think the behaviour of Mr Rooney/Mr Giggs last season was much more entertaining – after all, in the words of “Sir” Alex, Manchester United does not just create great players but great human beings…
matty – you’re off the meds, aren’t you?
Why because I disagree with you and because I happen to think that, despite his gaffes, which are fewer than this article suggests, he’s done a decent job as CEO?
Matty – I’m sure he has, although given the billions at his disposal you’d hope he’d be a safer pair of hands. Given that City was purchased as a vanity Cooks days are numbered if this email turns out to be his. Let’s face it – he sent a matey matey email from his iPad while on the beach, and wasn’t bright enough to tell the difference between “reply” and “reply all”. Blaming an employee is an act of cowardice.
I’d argue that Cook has done a terrible job as CEO when you’re struggling so badly to get players off the wage bill so desperately. To the point that you had your own manager Mancini saying you were priced out of a move for De Rossi. The reserves on too high a wages which is why you were having these discussions with Dr.Antonio at all. Arguments between players about wages in the papers. Players like Bellamy being secreted out on frees to get rid of the wage bill. Couldn’t find a taker for Bridge because of wages? Adebayor for 2yrs on the trot being farmed out whilst you pay most of the wage! The club is being run like a Football manager game, and with the same ability!! The only reason its not been an issue is the money behind the club which at present is hiding the cock-ups…..
City will always be a joke, its in their Dna.
Billions of oil money and a team full of mercenaries maybe, but you cant buy you class and prestige.
Luckily, there’s a lot more to admire than laugh at about city these days. They sure aren’t playing like mercenaries at the moment. If they do, a rooney style mid season pay rise would surely sweeten the pill…
Didn’t realise he’d been found guilty,
Being an absoloute twat is all he is good at!
It seems to be what you’re good at
Anybody who says they felt “morally comfortable” working for a company who, in his words, were innocent of “most” accounts of child slave labour is a total fucking cunt
The debate doesn’t need to go beyond that
But I will say that his comments taking the piss out of the emotive language used by a cancer patient is fucking low
Correct 100%
So is anyone who “chooses” to employ such an individual…
The whole outfit stinks of decadence, and immoral ambition.
What about the club who accepts a shirt sponsorship from that very same company?
you see, this is what happens when mongs on day release are given access to the internet…
ffs
He’ll be gone within 24 hours. If he’d have come clean he might have had a chance. Blaming it on someone else is cowardess – plain and simple.
Shame. You start off as though you’re not a typically deluded City fan, then end like you are. Can’t decide if you’re a Bitter, a ‘proper’ fan or a bit of both. Here’s the test question;
Is ‘The Poznan’…
A) A cheeky approximation of another team’s celebration, taken in good faith and, let’s be honest, just a bit of fun that lightens the atmosphere and gets people involved
B) A shameless rip off of another team’s celebration that encapsulates the dearth of original ideas in premier league stadia these days
C) A bunch of retards jumping up and down
“The longbow beats the crossbow, my idiotic friend”
LUHG
Oh, my two penneth worth on Cook. He should be down the road, not just for his appalling behaviour, but for his shamelessly intelligence-insulting attempt to cover it up. He’s hit ‘reply all’ by accident on his new iPad, sent an email that only a cunt would send, then created an alibi for himself that he was on holiday and someone hacked his email. Like the places he goes on holiday don’t have the Internet. And why would someone hack his email account and then just send one email to a colleague and accidentally copy in the subject? He is a liar, and a shit one at that.
reddread – a very good summary of the truth
how do you know there only one e-mail was sent?
c
*sighs*
You do know who owns umbro don’t you, you moron?
LKHF
faffing
I’m not the one taking the moral high ground on this though am I?
LKHF/ faffing – I’m not with you captain homo, are those some of those highly amusing made up acronyms you pay some bloke in a pub to make up that only the oh so cool Stretford Enders understand?
amazed you could type this doing a poznan at the same time.
Hahaha. Hahaha. Haha. Ha. That was laughter, not admiring sighs.
Considering you have players of half of Rooney’s talent on a similar wage to him, you’re hardly in a position to comment on wages. Can’t wait for the highly questionable, ludicrously overinflated in-house sponsorship to be reviewed and deemed illegal, and then see you fall within the financial fair play regulations…
“The longbow beats the crossbow, my idiotic friend”
LUHG
Wishful thinking reddread. Bet you wish iccle old City were back in Division 2 and you were free to win the league at a canter just like the old days – then you would have no problem at all deciding whether to carry on “supporting” United. Funny how the FFP regulations were only brought in when City started spending serious money, when Chelsea have been doing exactly the same thing for years. Reading some of these posts you would think that United is the moral arbiter of football. Running the club based on debt is, of course, a much fairer and more ethical way of generating money than real investment isn’t it?
Matty – I think the blue tinted specs are diverting your attention away from the matter at hand. That 1) your CEO mocked a cancer victim and 2) was too stupid to hit reply and not reply all.
IF he did he will no doubt pay the price for it. He was due to leave and go back to the States at the end of the season anyway.
Sorry, I’ll be sure to stay on topic in the future. The wider issue is the fact that you are focussing much more on City these days because, understandably, you are scared that our “team of mercenaries” may stop you from winning the league this season.
Matty – Am I… really… first post mentioning City in months. But frankly that’s because Cook managed to keep his powder dry for a year. Miraculous really given his penchant for embarrassing your club.
Man City, to me anyway, have always been that retarded cousin you have that you have nothing to do with, but always take the piss out of.
It’s fine for United fans to mock “retards” on a public forum then whilst at the same time criticising Cook for allegedly sending what was intended to be a private e-mail to a colleague. If Dr Onuoha was so offended by it why did she wait nearly a year to publicise it?
He is just another stupid idiot of an administrator who will be removed the second he is no longer any use to City, we had worse stuff with Martin Edwards over the years in fairness.
It’s no surprise a moral-less cunt like Cook works for Mansour, when you see how the Mansour family conduct their business
Half-brother of Manchester City’s owner is seen on video shooting at, setting fire to and running over a helpless Afghan he had accused of cheating him in a business deal
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/26/torture-tape
And then there’s Liverpool’s owner/saviour Phillip Morse who rented out his private jet (the one the Boston Red Sox use) to the CIA to fly illegal rendition flights to secret US bases. Nobody suspected it because of the baseball teams’ logo
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/31/us-firms-torture-flights-rendition
They’re all cunts that don’t belong in our game. Gill and the Glazers included.
sidney – I don’t know why City fans get so indignant about criticism levelled at Cook. It’s like the United fans who apologise for the Glazers because they “support the club through thick and thin”… very odd thinking.
No we are mocking City fans….’tards are higher up the food chain
Don’t fuck with LKHF, and the bloke in the pub got paid with a severe bumming.
Everyone was a winner that night.
Anyway, I hear half the city squad is starring in the sequel to the expendables…Stallone couldn’t hire enough has been stars to play mercenaries so he went for the real thing instead.
Can’t blame him tbf.
If you can’t see what is wrong with that post, you are seriously misguided. Everyone and everything is fair game on Rant. The only line drawn is racism, really. I personally don’t like some of the stuff people post here, but hey, it is, as you rightly say, a public forum and everyone has right to reply, even, it seems, City fans. Cook sent a snidey, nasty little e-mail mocking a cancer victim to a colleague and accidentally copied her in on it. The difference is pretty bloody obvious, I’d say.
She had to be persuaded to go public with it, apparently, and didn’t tell her lad about it initially either. There are rumours that this has come out because City refused to subsidise a proposed loan move to Everton by paying some of his wages, and so the family used the story they’ve been sitting on for 11 months to make him look a cunt. Which he’s done enough times himself in the past, but hey, one more for the road, eh?
Finally the guy’s found some decency……or was he pushed with a nice little bonus to ease his pain?
Either way – the odious bastard’s gone:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/sep/09/garry-cook-resigns-manchester-city
He denies sending the email, but has resigned.
So basically he’s resigned for doing nothing wrong. Yeah right
The cunt is guilty, and he knows it. He’s gone before he was sacked
Absolutely. Surprised he didn’t first try to fit up some imaginary member of City staff to take the blame for…oh, wait.
Mancini said he signed Hargreaves because of the wage bill
He pointed out how many high earners they have out on loan – 5, is it?
So he’s having sign crocks on a free because Cook & Mansour couldn’t be fucked to sort out the loanees and get them off the clubs books once and for all
Don’t you mean Cook-ups?