John Wardle's departure from the club should rank as an extremely sad day for all those who have, like him, the Blues in their heart.
The millionaire Bury businessman, who built an empire from nothing, should be writ large in the club's history as a hero.
Had it not been for his generosity over the past decade and more then City may well have gone out of business.
Known as the reluctant chairman when David Bernstein left in 2003, Wardle has never been one for the limelight or shouting his financial largesse from the rooftops.
He has stuck by City through some extremely parlous times and his devotion to the club has cost him a decent-sized slice of the fortune made from the JD Sports, the company he and business partner - and fellow Blue devotee David Makin - built from scratch in the early 1980s.
It has been my privilege to have known John Wardle since the days, complete with his coaching badge, that he was assistant manager at Radcliffe Borough who were then playing in the North West Counties League.
His love for the game at all levels was immediately evident and eventually Manchester City were the main beneficiaries.
He had the happy knack in business, as in life, of making many friends and precious few enemies.
His quiet manner and understanding ear have been appreciated by managers and fellow directors alike.
Wardle was and is a football rarity - someone admired by those in the dressing room as well as the boardroom.
Respected
He was well-liked and respected by everyone at the club from the Academy upwards. Never once has anyone had anything uncomplimentary to say about Wardle or the job he did at City because those worked for him and alongside him knew just how important he has been to the club's continued existence.
When he took over the reins as City chairman, with the Blues still housed in an ever-decaying Maine Road, his own fortune had already paid for several transfers and kept the banking wolves from City's door.
But he was an astute reader of the game and its trends and he knew that even his riches and those of fellow major shareholder Makin - another hero - would not be anywhere near enough to sustain the Blues at the top table of English football.
He could see the global expansion of the game coming over the horizon at a rapid rate of knots and knew that City needed more investment than he could provide.
Having sold the club to former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra last summer, many expected Wardle to leave there and then. There were even rumours of him upping sticks and buying a majority share in Preston North End.
The new owner, however, persuaded Wardle to stay on as vive-chairman and help guide the board through a transition phase. He did that to some tune, even helping out with a mid-season cash flow problem - again out of his own pocket.
He didn't say so in public but the sacking of Sven-Goran Eriksson did not sit easily with a man who all his working and footballing life has sought compromise rather than confrontation. He was deeply hurt by some of the personal fan criticism attached to the popular Swede's axing when it was out of his hands.
When chief executive Alistair Mackintosh also left - a man that Wardle promoted to the top job - another piece of the City he built and sold was gone and the exit door loomed yet larger.
The lure of board meetings finally completely lost its lustre yesterday and even the optimism and sunshine that every new season brings with it could not persuade Wardle to change his mind and stay on the board.
Now it is incumbent on new executive chairman Garry Cook and Shinawatra not to waste his legacy both in terms of keeping a tight financial ship and in making sure City stays at the heart of the community.
There is no hiding the fact that an era ended last night. We wish John Wardle well in whatever he does next and hope to see him at Eastlands very soon. Tweet
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A big thanks for all his efforts and for keeping City on the upward path to success. Best wishes mate for the future.
John Wardle saved Manchester City, never forget it.
And this is why this club never goes forward, due to the fact that some people lament the old guards departure. And what have the old guard achieved then...? Presided over several relegations and we've not had the proverbial pot to urinate in since 1976. Typical of the British attitude, everybody loves a loser.
here,here Chris! Some may say there is no room for sentiment in football, but I for one would like to thank John Wardle from the bottom of my heart for all he has done for the club I love,and should he ever walk out onto the pitch at Eastlands, I for one would stand and appluad him, the man deserves no less. Interesting the bit about the mid-season cash flow problem,can anyone shed any light on this? anyway,good luck John.
The council should alow us to name one of the stand's after him.
The interesting comment in all of this report is that JW had to help out from his own pocket because of cash flow problems last season when we were supposed to be cash rich and money being no object. That has to be worrying!
I went to sevEral fans forums,JOHN WARDLE WAS A TRUE GENT ,he always had time to talk to you and explain things ,he saved our club and i will always thank him for that,lets not forget David Makin either threw money in,with no real return gOOD LUCK jOHN IN WHAT EVER YOU DO ,and Thank you ,CTID
He did that to some tune, even helping out with a mid-season cash flow problem - again out of his own pocket.
Can anyone explain this?
won't doubt he was a blue - but he also caused a lot of trouble at city. had bernstein not been so angered by a lot of decisions made by wardle and co... city wouldn't have had a lot of the trouble they encountered..
BLUEREED THE RAGS SITE IS ONLY A CLICK AWAY YOU MUPPET
Pravda; ignorant ingratitude is more typical of the current British attitude. All fans of City deserve to thank this man and Mr Makin for saving the club with their own hard earnt fortunes back in the day.
The bottom line with John Wardle, is that he is and always will be, one of the most dedicated City fan's that the club has ever had.
On behalf of all true blues everywhere, Thanks a lot John, because without you the club would have no future.
I cannot comment on JW the man, as I never met him or attended any function at which he was present. Anecdotal evidence suggests he was a very nice chap who very much had Manchester City at heart and did his best for the club. For that, I wholeheratedly applaud & respect him.
Nonetheless, as has been alluded to below, he presided over a period of continuous decline from the time he took over, the managing officers of the club clearly out of their depth and the club's financial position so perilous that had Frank not bailed us out, we would have been sunk. Let us never forget the 'the club's financial position is secure' mantra that preceded the mandatory sale of SWP nor the failure to act decisively over the shambolic last months of Keegans reign and the evident shortcomings of Pearce.
Wardle may well have done his best but his best was not good enough and it was the collective failings of the club's senior management that precipitated the decline in the share price and the consequential financial loss to Wardle & Makin.
As always in this country, people look to blame others for their own failings when the true culprits can be found in a mirror.
No longer, it seems, is our club being run like a corner shop and so there is no space for the romantic notion that people who love the club and have made money selling sportswear should be in charge of it. Thank God for that.
Pravda, there is a difference between supporting a loser and being grateful for what somebody has done for you. Its called appreciation, something that based on your post, you seem to know little about.
The final straw for Wardle was probably Mark Hughes banning non-football staff from Carrington: no more cone collecting for JW!
I have criticised Wardle in the past but also praised him. There's no denying he is a gentleman or that he spent more money supporting MCFC than most of us will ever earn in a lifetime (Giles excepted) but his final legacy is yet to be decided: we don't know how his decision to sell to Frank will ultimately turn out.
I think that it is kind of sad to see him go and whilst I appreciate the need for some toughening up etc at MCFC, this has always been seen as a club with a bit of heart and soul; let's hope it hasn't just been ripped out.
How and why when we have a supposedly very wealthy chairman, did Wardle have to, maybe more than once, bail the club out of cash-flow difficulties. Mr. Bailey please expand on this.
A Manc and blue
Well click then RAGHEAD
a sad day this and let us all thank Mr Wardle for dignity whenever things got bad moreso for the manner of which he has helped to turn the lub round.
I'm indebted to you Mr Bailey, for reminding me, (and all other True Blues) of John Wardle's magnanimous contributions to MCFC.
Although a shrewd and successful business man in his own right, John Wardle showed the depth of his loyalty to City by his personal generosity.
I humbly propose that JW must rank amongst the highest echelon of City Greats. Put him right up there with Eric Alexander and Bernard Halford.
A stand named in his honour would indeed be just reward. A future monetary adjustment from City, to offset the personal outlay, would be justified as a token of our appreciation. However, in the modern climate I realise that just won't happen.
May no True Blue, present or future, ever mention his name in a disparaging manner. Where would we have been without him?
I completely agree with those who ask the question why was JW bailing the club out in the middle of last season when Dr T (a supposed bilionaire who must surely have quite a bit not "thai'd"?) up was the 100% shareholder from the start of last season?
I don't want to hear from peter jones again but this is alarming?
Typical City!
One step forward, two steps back.
The Realist, SW14
10/07/2008 at 12:29
I agree with what you're saying in part, but why the hell was Wardle financially bailing out city when Frank is now a majority share holder and owner of Manchester City football club!
Worrying is not the word!
The Kippax Kid, Irlam (Now London
The difference is i've put money in the club and had nothing back, and yes i have invested significant sums of it but i'll not go into that. Whereas Wardle et al have had their money repayed and at a handsome rate of interest i may add, much better than any high st bank. Nothing to do with appreciation it's to do with being honest. And you don't get to become a multi-millionaire by being a gentleman i can assure you.
A decent blue who helped stabilise us in a very difficult time in the club's history. I can't help wondering though if he has gone because Frank might go down, which would leave Wardle, as deputy chairman, to take the reigns again and sort out the mess! I can't say i blame him though if its true.
"He did that to some tune, even helping out with a mid-season cash flow problem - again out of his own pocket."
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I refer you to the loan to pay wages I mentioned on this site just after Christmas.