[JEFF]

Once upon a time there was a little football club it was allegedly owned by Cheating Clitheroe, or was it owned by Next Week Neill (aka Billy Liar), I don’t really know, but anyway they both ran the club with the help of Puppet on a String.
The football club wasn’t doing very well and was in danger of being wound up by the taxman so Cheating Clitheroe decided to desert a sinking ship and went. Next Week Neill (aka Billy Liar) and Puppet on a String assured the supporters and the public that the football club would survive and that there wasn’t a problem. Anyway, the supporters, being a kindly bunch, raised money to give to the club to pay the taxman, other football clubs and football supporters also helped, in fact, everybody helped except Cheating Clitheroe, Next Week Neill (aka Billy Liar), and Puppet on a String. The day of the execution came. Cheating Clitheroe sat in the office at the club waiting for the phone call to say that it was all over. But, unknown to him, the Knight in Shining Armour and his sidekick had ridden to the court, paid the bills and saved the club.
Time passed and Next Week Neill (aka Billy Liar) and Puppet on a String were left to run the club. Time and time again they messed up, but Knight in Shining Armour and his sidekick trusted them and left them to do it. The season ended.
The next season started and the club had a new pitch which was known as Knight in Shining Armour’s pitch. The team were doing well and a cup tie against a big club brought in plenty of money. Guess what. Cheating Clitheroe came back onto the scene. I wonder why. Anyway, Knight in Shining Armour trusted him and even allowed him to travel with the players to away games.
Knight in Shining Armour then had a brainwave – “What if I build the club a new ground, gain control of the club and give it to the fans” he thought.
Does this all sound familiar? I thought it might.

Well, this being a fairy tale there are two endings.

Knight in Shining Armour gained control of the club, he built a new ground for the club, gave it all to the fans and everybody lived happy ever after

OR

Behind Knight in Shining Armour’s back, Cheating Clitheroe, Next Week Neill (aka Billy Liar), and Puppet on a String were planning to stab Knight in Shining Armour in the back. “Let’s ruin the club and then save it” they decided. First of all the club got thrown out of a cup competition, then they upset the loyal fans by banning their flags, then they upset the players by paying them late, then they didn’t pay the taxman on time and got another embargo and winding-up order, finally Cheating Clitheroe demanded re-payment of his loans. The club, now not being able to afford this, were forced into administration and Knight in Shining Armour was blamed. Cheating Clitheroe, Next Week Neill (aka Billy Liar) and Puppet on a String saved the club from the administrator, told the supporters that the club could not afford to play in the Football League and returned to Non-League football where Cheating Clitheroe felt safe and had re-gained control of his toy.

This happened because most of the fans at the time said “I’m not interested what happens in the Boardroom, let them get on with it. All I’m interested in is what happens on the pitch”

If they had been interested what happened in the Boardroom and had demanded that Cheating Clitheroe, Next Week Neill (aka Billy Liar) and Puppet on a String be removed the second ending could not have happened.

This is only a fairy tale - or is it ?