Lambert says he has not spoken to Bowkett for years

[RonnieCorbet 0]

Interesting from The Guardian...

The Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert

admits he has not spoken to Norwich chairman Alan Bowkett for two years

as he prepares to face his former club at Villa Park tomorrow.

Lambert

will do battle with Norwich for the first time since he quit Carrow

Road at the end of last season to take charge at Villa. He and the club

are suing each other for breach of contract and the matter will be

decided by a Premier League manager''s tribunal.

But

Lambert was upset last month when Bowkett made the matter public at a

fans'' forum and claimed he had left all of his previous clubs in a

similar manner. Lambert insists his action is only a counter-claim to

Norwich''s charge that he breached his contract when resigning five

months ago.

When asked about Bowkett''s claims, Lambert said: "I

don''t know because I''ve never spoken to the chairman for about three

years. Perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration, maybe two. It''s a good

chunk of time. Why? That''s football. Let him talk. We will see what

happens."

Lambert has the backing of the League Manager''s Association and is confident he will win his case.

He

said: "Could I have handled leaving Norwich any differently? Me, not at

all. I took advice from the LMA and I know what is going on.

"It

will be in the hands of a Premier League manager''s tribunal and

hopefully it will be sorted. But I''ve got nothing to be ashamed of. I''ve

got nothing to hide."

Lambert looks back with pride on steering

Norwich to successive promotions but is unsure what reception he will

receive from their fans.

He said: "When you leave a club,

especially after what we''d done, you''d think we''d be made to feel

welcome. But it doesn''t always transpire that way. I look back at the

three years with pride.

"It was an incredible part of my life

which I''ll never forget and the crowd were magic with me. Football moves

on but I''ll never forget the time there. I loved my time there but I

don''t think I''ll be made welcome to go back, that''s for sure."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/oct/26/paul-lambert-norwich-snub

Sounds a bit odd for a chairman and a manager not to talk at all for 2 years.

[Thirsty Lizard 3,215]

It really depends on how hands on Bowkett is in his role as Chairman. In many companies the role of chairman is largely just that of a figurehead and everything of importance is done by the Chief Executive who is actually paid to do the role.

I would imagine that Lambert and McNally spoke to each other an awful lot while Lambert was here.

[PurpleCanary 6,386]

[quote user="Thirsty Lizard"]It really depends on how hands on Bowkett is in his role as Chairman. In many companies the role of chairman is largely just that of a figurehead and everything of importance is done by the Chief Executive who is actually paid to do the role. I would imagine that Lambert and McNally spoke to each other an awful lot while Lambert was here.[/quote]

 

In some companies, but there is a quote from Bowkett from a couple of years ago making great play of how he and McNally and Lambert were running the club as the executives. And the impression has always been that he was a much more hands-on chairman than Munby, in part because Munby had a full-time job, whereas Bowkett is essentially retired, although with some directorships.

 

[morty 0]

Its a nothing story frankly.And smacks of him trying to garner sympathy about how much the nasty, aloof chairman cared about him.Nothing more than mind games pre game, and also pre courtcase.

[Row D Seat 7 0]

Wish Bowkett would keep his mouth shut.

[nutty nigel 7,902]

[quote user="PurpleCanary"]

[quote user="Thirsty Lizard"]It really depends on how hands on Bowkett is in his role as Chairman. In many companies the role of chairman is largely just that of a figurehead and everything of importance is done by the Chief Executive who is actually paid to do the role. I would imagine that Lambert and McNally spoke to each other an awful lot while Lambert was here.[/quote]

 

In some companies, but there is a quote from Bowkett from a couple of years ago making great play of how he and McNally and Lambert were running the club as the executives. And the impression has always been that he was a much more hands-on chairman than Munby, in part because Munby had a full-time job, whereas Bowkett is essentially retired, although with some directorships.

 

[/quote]

 

I remember a comment from Bowkett saying Paul Lambert had "had a little wobble" previously. This was believed to be back at the time of "Burnleygate". Perhaps there was a falling out then?

 

 

[Row D Seat 7 0]

It wasn''t around Burnleygame time. It was the summer we got promoted to Prem. An offer came in from West Ham and they''d promised him big wages and a big budget.

[nutty nigel 7,902]

Well whenever it was I''m sure it was only ever mentioned by Bowkett which seemed to me that there was always some resentment there. Those comments and the ones at the fan''s forum definitely point to  a falling out from further back than May 2012.

 

 

 

 

[Tim Allman 1]

[quote user="Row D Seat 7"]It wasn''t around Burnleygame time. It was the summer we got promoted to Prem. An offer came in from West Ham and they''d promised him big wages and a big budget.[/quote]

 

Yes that''s correct. The wobble referred to by Alan Bowkett was at the Chris

Hughton unveiling press conference and I know this particular wobble was the one at the

end of the Championship season.  

 

[Dubai Mark 0]

....and apparently when he did speak to him Bowkett couldnt understand a word he said!

[canarydan23 4,762]

The man is a total rat. I hope he takes Villa down and is dumped on the management scrapheap. Self-obsessed, narcissistic ego-maniac so obsessed with creating himself a legacy that his own family got shelved in his quest.

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,708]

That''s one way of looking at it I suppose.

[Supermarket Prodigy 0]

Simple mind games.

He''s ruthless, doesn''t care about many people but himself.

I firmly believe he''s trying to get under our skin. Why let it?

Let''s get out there, let the boys do the talking and make sure it''s another miserable weekend for Lambert and Villa.

[Militant Canary 0]

Yeah, okay. The guy is just shoveling s**t now. A passing swipe at Norwich after the LMA has advised us not to mention the legal action in public again.

What really gets me is that he is portraying himself as the big man, but still feels the need to say something like this. Why? Surely he''d say nothing and let the legal action decide the matter?

[Supermarket Prodigy 0]

[quote user="Militant Canary"]Yeah, okay. The guy is just shoveling s**t now. A passing swipe at Norwich after the LMA has advised us not to mention the legal action in public again.

What really gets me is that he is portraying himself as the big man, but still feels the need to say something like this. Why? Surely he''d say nothing and let the legal action decide the matter?[/quote]

Agree with you completely. I feel he would, he seems a man under pressure already. Trying to drum up some hate for us or mess us up or something... Who knows. Hasn''t gone as he thought it would yet at Villa.

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

[quote user="Dubai Mark"]....and apparently when he did speak to him Bowkett couldnt understand a word he said![/quote]

 

Now that is entirely possible.

 

OTBC

[Hackedoff 0]

He said: "When you leave a club, especially after what we''d done, you''d think we''d be made to feel welcome.

This did make me chuckle. I suppose you felt like that at Wycombe and Colchester too.

[crabbycanary 2]

So, reading between the lines, ''Bowkett hasn''t spoken to Lambert for 2 years plus'' is exactly the same as ''Lambert hasn''t spoken to Bowkett for 2 years plus''. Obviously, NEITHER of them have had reason to speak to EACH OTHER ffs

Please spare me the ''woe is me'' story Paul.

[NeonYellow 4]

[quote user="Supermarket Prodigy"]Simple mind games.I firmly believe he''s trying to get under our skin. Why let it?

[/quote]

Didn''t seem to fluster Hughton too much he was very cool and pragamatic about Lambert in the pre-match interview.

It''s a breath of fresh air having a manager who can actually communicate to the fans rather than being grumpy, defensive, and often rude to journalists (admittedly their questions are often tedious and badly timed).

[RonnieCorbet 0]

[quote user="NeonYellow"][quote user="Supermarket Prodigy"]Simple mind games.I firmly believe he''s trying to get under our skin. Why let it?

[/quote]

Didn''t seem to fluster Hughton too much he was very cool and pragamatic about Lambert in the pre-match interview.

It''s a breath of fresh air having a manager who can actually communicate to the fans rather than being grumpy, defensive, and often rude to journalists (admittedly their questions are often tedious and badly timed).[/quote]Yeah because that is essentially what you need for a football club manager, I mean those back to back promotions from obscurity and 12th place finish are just a nice bit on the side... We''ll see what Hughton can do over time, great result against Arsenal, but if we lose to Villa and don''t perform great the doom mongers will be back out.

[ricardo 8,034]

Well, they were certainly talking to one another at the AGM last November so that statement is a load of bollocks.

[......and Smith must score. 1,600]

Bit of an odd ball is Lambert.I remember hearing somwhere that Lambert had said he never went into Norwich other than on business. Of course Norwich isn''t everyone''s cup of tea but it isn''t the Bronx so it does seem a bit strange that on his odd days off when he wasn''t flying back to Scotland he didn''t bother to make make the odd sortie or two to have a look round.If that''s just how he is then maybe talking to Directors isn''t on his '' to do '' list ?

[sjs7 0]

I''m thankful for the large part Lambert played in our rise from the depths of League One to the Premier League, but they way he went about leaving us and the tit for tat since then i couldn''t give two hoots about the guy, just hope we can beat them on their own patch tomorrow with our fans singing ''your getting sacked in the morning''.. that''ll be hilarious :)

Also it will be interesting to see how our players respond to the game tomorrow, will they up their game to prove to Lambert he was wrong to ditch them for a so called bigger side, and i have a feeling Holty will score a goal or two tomorrow.. would be fun to see the players all celebrate with Hoot''s on the touchline in Front of Lambert....(or maybe thats just the bitter and twisted side in me coming out) OTBC.