NEW Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra has promised fans the club is safe in his hands - and vowed to bring back the glory days.
The Thai billionaire sent a personal message to Blues supporters in an interview with the M.E.N.
Shinawatra said he has the long-term commitment - and the funds - to make City a major force in football once again.
He said: "I have heard a lot about the club and that it is a very long- established club with a good history and what English people call 'a sleeping giant'.
"I want to make the giant wake up from its sleep."
Shinawatra is facing a corruption probe and allegations of human rights abuse in his home country. As prime minister he initiated a war on drugs in Thailand in which 2,500 people died.
But he insists he is innocent of charges laid against him by political opponents among Thailand's current military leadership and is confident he will eventually be cleared.
He also assured fans the seizure of £1bn of his assets in Thailand will not affect his takeover or his investment in new players. He said: "Don't worry, the money that we plan to use to work with Manchester City I got permission to bring from Thailand a long time ago.
"Bringing that money out of Thailand had been planned several months before this thing happened. In addition, I have friends all over the world I can ask for credit from until I get the justice system to unfreeze my money."
He added: "The club's lease on the City of Manchester Stadium is 250 years. I said I will do the contract extension myself in the next life!"
Shinawatra, 57, a former policeman who made his fortune in telecommunications, became the first foreign owner in City's 127-year history as he completed a £82m takeover yesterday. He was prime minister of Thailand for five years before he was overthrown in a bloodless military coup last September and has since been living in exile in London.
One of his first tasks at City will be to find a new manager. He confirmed that he and his advisers have been in talks with former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson but that no final decision has been reached. But while City fans were relieved the club will now be able to move on after weeks of delay in takeover talks, many remain concerned that the new owner's troubles in his home country may disrupt the club.
Shinawatra said: "Please tell the fans that the events in Thailand are not happening in a democratic way. I was a democratically-elected leader ousted by a military dictator. Now everything in Thailand is under a military dictatorship.
"It will be back to normal when democracy returns to Thailand in December. I hope that justice will prevail after that. But everything they do is politically-motivated.
"The money I have is money that the whole family earned over more than 20 years by working hard. They said that I have made that money through corruption. That is ridiculous."
Human rights
Shinawatra also defended himself against claims of human rights abuse by Amnesty International over the high number of deaths that resulted from his hard-line anti-drug policy in Thailand.
He said: "I have explained this several times. The policy was clear. We had to get tough, but within the law.
"If you can find drugs in Bangkok as easily as chewing gum or cigarettes, that is not good for the young generation.
"Before I came in, there were about one million people using drugs, and 300,000 addicts. So I cleaned it up by using tough enforcement of the law. I didn't just sit idly and let them sell drugs. And the police got tough. It was tough but under the rule of law."
Shinawatra will install his 27-year-old son Panthongtae and daughter Pintongta as City directors, but has asked three current directors - chairman John Wardle, chief executive Alistair Mackintosh and Bryan Bodek - to stay on the board.
Continuity
He added: "I believe the continuity that brings is very important to the long-term future of the club. When I run a business, I make sure there are professionals in place to do the job professionally, and that is what I have done here."
Shinawatra is expected to spend up to £50m on new players. He added: "If necessary it may cost £50m, it may cost £30m or it may cost £20m. I will leave recruitment to my advisers, but I know we need two strikers, two midfielders and maybe some others. I will bring some equity and capital to the club so they can invest more on players and other infrastructure if this is necessary.
"The existing players are very good but we have to bring more good players to the club.
"When you want effectiveness you drive for the target and that is my style - strong leadership, not dictatorship."
Comments
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Come on even the most rabid Blue knows where this is going. So I wont be the last to say "He Did it Thai Way".
On a serious note, if any Blue is happy with this takeover then you really do deserve all you are going to get. Tears by bedtime..
little jockey, crawl back under your stone just remember city is a rollercoaster so hold tight!!
I love this guy!
There's nothing wrong with a bit of zero tolerance in my book.
way i see it we have two choices.
1 we sit back and do nothing, appoint warnock, play crap football, buying basement bargains and yo-yoing up and down the league or
2 we go with the flow and try to match the big boys, get in europe, broaden the fan base, see some good players in a blue shirt.
the lily livered on here surely cant want option 1. ive been going since 1977 home and away so i think i can safely comment on what i want for my club and its not mediocrity for ever...give it a go eh..be positive for once. if it goes pear shaped so be it but you have to dream
Thai green chicken curry pies!!..can't wait!!
Little Jockey... at least no matter what happens with this deal, whether it comes off or goes pear-shaped, I will still be a City supporter. What about people like you, though? Didn't you abandon your "one love" and turn into an FC United fan! Dearie me... loyalty is ceratinly not one of your strong points is it matey? Anyway, now the rags are champions again you can become a supporter again, can't you. But if they don't win it next season, you can blame the Glazers again and get yourself off down to Gigg Lane with all the other traitors. The one thing the rags and the FCUM's have in common is an obsession with City. Let it go man, you'll never understand...
Bob on Mad Pierre. Better to try and fail rather than never try at all. No matter how bad things turn out, can they ever be worse than the last two years? I really do wonder what all these romantics want from City. Football is business these days. Wake up and smell the lemon grass...
this is just wonderful we have all waited a long long time for this maybe all the pain and suffering will be worth it we have now come to a blank page in our clubs history god only knows where we are going from here so Mr Shinawatra a big thank you from all the blues on the emerald isle
One way or another this is going to be a heck of a ride.Iwould not miss it for all the world.See the rags are already trying to spoil the party.CTID
What a prospect....Shinawatra,wantedfor corruption in his own country, wearing his Fulham cap and MU shirt,lording it over Eriksson and Nancy. How long before Eriksson brings back the Beckham circus to complete the fiasco?
OK, enough euphoria, it's time to get down to business - who do we want Sven to buy? Owen, Wright-Phillips, Bent, Drogba??? Come on, now, more than ever before, we can speculate wildly...
A great day for City fans worldwide.To those hand wringers who doubt Frank I SAY ask yourselves this question,why does Abramovich drive around in a bomb proof car,live in a bomb proof house and sail in a bomb proof boat ??precisly.!!NOW LETS GET IN SOME TOP DRAWER SIGINGS not journey men or has beens.Ok Sven aint everyones choice,Ramos would be mine but hey,look at it this way,what do the Salford Red Socks hate more than anything? thats right not being the centre of attention,like a spoiled child they wail and stamp.Well Sven and Frank will certainly make them lot throw their dummy out,big time.!!
Cant see what you really want for the club little jockey.........as people have said do you really want mediocracy??
You`ve got to give it a go and this way is FAR better than where we were going over the last two years.
10 Goals at home in 19 games says it all for me, I want more than that from my club and for the price of my season ticket.
Bring on the thai revolution!
I don't know what it takes to make some of you people happy. I can't believe there are negative "supporters" already. I know we are all entitled to an opinion but hell fire guys some of you are manic depressives.
Hands up if you actually enjoy ridicule and being in the doldrums. I'll gladly swap locations with you. I know people over here that would give anything to be on the rollercoaster next year.
I know you depressives, you're desperately awaiting the day when you can gleefully say 'I told you so'
When I first heard about the proposed take over I was only marginally in favour of it. The more I look into it the more I'm warming to this guy. He sure is saying the right things and for the first time in ages I'm excited again at being a City fan!
I've been impressed by Frank's cmments so far but if he thinks 'the existing players are very good' he is in for a shock!
We'll need 5 or 6 top class players in my opinion. It would be great to see City go for Defoe who could be surplus to requirements at Spurs if they sign Bent.
Offer the rags 30mill + Corradi for Rooney - that should wind them up nicely! Make sure it's done in public CTID!
Albert Walker - You talk of fiasco- surely that was when you were all cheering Michael Knighton!!!!! Jealousy is a terrible thing are the rags getting a new green 4th strip. BLUE MOON RISING
xecutive chairman of Seymour Pierce Investment Bank Keith Harris, the man brokering the deal for Thaksin said: "... money has been in my client's bank account for some time now. It is sufficient to be able to finance the takeover and, equally significant we think, in a sensible budget, to provide funds for the manager."
A SENSIBLE BUDGET!! Doesn't sound like we're going to get a fortune to invest in players does it?
Love this guy! Love his idea ..
He will lead Man City football club to new era ..
Forget your dosey supporters trust. I'm joining the 'Manchester Loves City' party!!!
thanx frankie we have waited a long time for days like this . All you so called waverers go and buy your season cards or miss out on the party.
noob jockey more like,cTid
When Shinawatra is extradited and all his funds and assets (City) are broken up and sold off, where will this leave us?
Nice to see Dave Wallace JUST PASSING the ground yesterday & getting himself on camera again ? Nice suit Dave ...... Not !