Archive for June, 2008

It was a nice line from a profile piece in The Times – Peter Cullum was “the deal junky's deal junky…”

Today he officially stepped into the ring with one eye firmly on his next big deal – wresting a controlling interest in Norwich City Football Club out of the hands of the club's principal shareholders, Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones.

And every other shareholder, for that matter. Maybe 'wresting' is too strong a word; in fairness to the …

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As the rest of the sporting nation watched the drama unfold on the Centre Court of Wimbledon this evening, Norfolk's sporting nation were wholly engrossed in a tennis match of their own as the Canary board smashed the takeover ball back into Peter Cullum's court.

This morning had belonged to the 57-year-old insurance billionaire and his promise to pump ?20 million into the Championship football club – provided that the controlling interest in the Carrow Road club was his.<br …

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News that billionaire insurance tycoon Peter Cullum was prepared to pump ?20 million into Norwich City Football Club in return for a controlling interest in the Championship outfit this morning merely prompted more questions than answers – and left the existing City board walking the tightest of PR tight-ropes.

To dismiss out of hand a man ranked 40th equal in the Sunday Times Rich List with a personal fortune estimated at ?1.7 billion – give or take – would be to court widespread …

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It was the interview that launched a thousand rumours. Before The Independent stirred the pot again this spring, rumours of Towergate Partnership executive chairman Peter Cullum taking a financial interest in the Canaries were merely numbered in the hundreds.

Tonight and that same rumour mill was back into over-drive as the Eastern Daily Press promised its readers a “sensational” story in the morning; of a “potential investment” that would put the Canaries in among the really …

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City legend Kevin Drinkell has urged Rangers misfit Alan Gow to take the plunge this weekend and join Glenn Roeder's new-look Canaries.

The Daily Record yesterday reported that Gow, 26, had been given the weekend to decide whether or not to complete a ?250,000 move to Norfolk.

The Record claimed that the attacking midfielder – linked to a make-weight role in the Kyle Lafferty switch to Ibrox from Burnley – was reluctant to leave his boyhood idols; that with …

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City striker Chris Martin has vowed to put his nightmare season behind him as the Beccles teenager enters his make-or-break year at Carrow Road.

After bursting onto the scene in 06/07, Martin endured a disappointing campaign last time out with only 10 league and cup appearances to his name.

But it was his off-the-field antics which grabbed the headlines after an incident in his home town ended with him being banned from a number of pubs in the Waveney area.
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Darren Huckerby's whereabouts next season could be decided in the next seven days after the long-time Canary favourite was reported to be on a whistle-stop tour of the MLS – first stop Toronto, second stop sunny California and the San Jose Earthquake.

According to the San Jose Mercury tonight, the 32-year-old two-time City Player of the Year will visit both clubs over the next few days – though under the MLS' complicated draft system Toronto continue to enjoy first …

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After one of the most prolonged transfers for many a year and rumour after rumour, finally the Canaries have secured the services of the highly-rated Wes Hoolahan.

The arrival of Sammy Clingan last week was generally met with approval amongst the City faithful, but given that Hoolahan was undoubtedly one of the star performers in the Championship last season, we can only hope that the calibre of any other subsequent additions to the squad here at Carrow Road are as impressive …

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City goalkeeping coach Tommy Wright has hinted that the Canaries will be in the market for a new shot-stopper after Matty Gilks returned to the North West today as part of Wes Hoolahan's move to Norfolk.

Gilks has struggled to make a first-team impression at Carrow Road after arriving from Rochdale last summer and his departure makes sense for all parties.

The transfer figure remains 'undisclosed' but after joining on a Bosman free, any sort of fee will …

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Young Declan Rudd's hopes of parking himself somewhere near a first team bench next season received something of a boost today as Canary No2 Matthew Gilks headed back up north as part of the deal to secure Wes Hoolahan's signature.

The Blackpool Gazette this afternoon reported that Hoolahan was due to complete his long-mooted switch to Carrow Road later today once the final details of a three-year contract were finalised. That was duly officially confirmed by the Canaries …

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