This saga is unending but I hope it resolves like this

[Interested Bystander]

I don’t know Simon Elliott and I have never met him but I’ve known of him for a number of years because he’s friendly / friends with a fairly prominent figure in my neck of the woods. Based on my dealings with this individual, I’m not sure why Simon would want the association on any basis, but each to their own.

Given that Simon is a former director of the club who has done all right for himself compared to the majority, most supporters will trust his judgement and with it, whether he likes it or not, comes a degree of responsibility. In respect to his own judgement regarding Hilton and his public backing of him, he has been totally irresponsible.

All this, I know what I saw doesn’t wash with me. Simon is an experienced operator and he will have met people from all walks of life. In other words, by now he should have the ability to see through people and be able to establish when further clarification on a subject is required.

Putting to one side Hilton’s background, here are some topics that I would describe as basic issues which, in my eyes, should have required further investigation on Simon’s part or certainly should have raised alarm bells well before he showed his support:

The £3M which Hilton claimed to have put into Ilkeston. I can’t find one iota of evidence in their accounts to support this claim.

Hilton’s claim that any money he was putting into Scunthorpe would not be in the form of loans. This would suggest that he had his own liquid funds to hand and was not reliant on any third party. Yet if Simon had looked at the last set of accounts filed for Hilton’s company for y/e 30/06/20, he would have noticed that Hilton’s business was reliant on the best part of £2.4M worth of secured loans provided by third parties, totally at odds with how Hilton claimed he was going to be funding Scunthorpe. If Simon had also taken the trouble to see who had provided those secured loans, cross referenced their accounts with land registry records relating to the assets the loans were secured against, it would have raised a further issue which required clarification. Simon would have also noticed that the accounts were overdue due (now 18 months), the negative net worth of £455K as well as a bank balance of £2K, another red flag.

Had I been Simon, I would have checked Hilton’s own residential status too which would have raised another question.

Put it this way, if I woke up tomorrow and announced to the World that I was prepared to throw seven figures at a football club and look the part by driving a flash car, it would be on the basis that I had no loans, no mortgages and a bank balance that would make your eyes water but perhaps I’m old fashioned.

I have said it before on here and I make no apologies for saying it again, high net worth individuals, the sort who have sufficient funds to throw at football clubs are not reliant on third party funders, they are the bank. They provide the funds and they charge the interest, they don’t pay interest. They also have a tangible background which demonstrates how their wealth has come about.

I don’t think Simon is a bad person but I am undecided as to his reasons for backing Hilton. Does he have similar character flaws to Hilton’s biggest supporter or was he desperate for Hilton to come good because the spotlight and burden would no longer fall on him? Either way, he should conduct some due diligence in future before opening his mouth and if he doesn’t know how to, he should ask.

I will leave it there.

[Richgy]

Christ does Hilton live in a caravan or something ?(not that I have got anything against people residing in one ,as I did myself for a brief spell in my latter teenage years)

[Apollo11]

Interested Bystander wrote:

I am undecided as to his reasons for backing Hilton.

Positioned himself close to power so that he was able to give the impression of being powerful and important himself, imho.

[Iron-awe]

Richgy wrote:

Christ does Hilton live in a caravan or something ?(not that I have got anything against people residing in one ,as I did myself for a brief spell in my latter teenage years)

I heard he had recently upgraded to Humberston Fitties but was still using a chemical toilet.

[Apollo11]

Iron-awe wrote:

Richgy wrote:

Christ does Hilton live in a caravan or something ?(not that I have got anything against people residing in one ,as I did myself for a brief spell in my latter teenage years)

I heard he had recently upgraded to Humberston Fitties but was still using a chemical toilet.

Lives in a shoe box by the side of the road with 150 of his other names.

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BobbyGmeister

[Awaywego]

Well someone put one hell of a lot of money into ilkeston, it’s only an hour away go have a look ask the natives.

[Interested Bystander]

Awaywego wrote:

Well someone put one hell of a lot of money into ilkeston, it’s only an hour away go have a look ask the natives.

I can read a set of accounts. If you can’t, that’s your issue.

[Siderite]

Can we play a bit more nicely? I believe you’re right, IB, regarding Ilkeston funding. However, awaywego probably hasn’t seen them, but has seen Ilkeston appear to have been helped by him, even if it is only like that on the surface.

[Awaywego]

St Simon in reality is a really nice person to nice for me,So nice he clapped the team off at Gateshead and I can never understand why people do that it annoys me and many others, Will need to grow a thicker skin if he takes over. Not everyone will be as nice to him as he comes across to others.

[ironfromafar]

i assumed rightly or wrongly Simon Elliots whole stance with regard to DH and circumstances in general was one of positioning for the future … running with the foxes and the hounds more than often doesnt work out.

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lesgeo, Apollo11

[Northumbiron]

Yes, Apollo, really!

Honestly guys you want to look at yourselves. The lengths of some of the posts are crazy.

Mark B is spot on. The fact that we’ve had a decade of pantomime villains to boo seems to mean that we are desperate to seek out the next one even before they have arrived.

3 users thanked author for this post.

steelworks iron, B.gray, Just Iron

[Awaywego]

He ran with Swanny don’t forget, when he clearly didn’t have to at the time, from what posters have always told me it’s the way professionals act guess that what he was doing with Hlton, I am not a professional.

[Siderite]

Northumbiron wrote:

Yes, Apollo, really!

Honestly guys you want to look at yourselves. The lengths of some of the posts are crazy.

Mark B is spot on. The fact that we’ve had a decade of pantomime villains to boo seems to mean that we are desperate to seek out the next one even before they have arrived.

I don’t think asking Elliott to make an apology is really that much or making him a pantomime villain. Nor is wanting Herbert nowhere near the club. We’re forever hearing how sceptics need to behave, but those who berated others for not backing Hilton, who proved to be a very bad and dubious owner, seemingly need to do nothing to foster unity and the onus is on everyone else. If this is the way to be, I suspect there could well be friction and it won’t be driven by those sceptical of Hilton, because without proving trust people like Herbert and Elliott will cause irritation, without any kind of contrition. If Elliott apologises, fair enough, we move on and hope he has learned. However, after his berating of fans for being sceptical of a dubious owner I don’t think it can be so easily forgotten. There was very little of these calls for moderation for unity aimed at him when he, and others, were making such snipes at fans. Two wrongs don’t make a right, and I am not saying he should be forever written off, but I would like to see some effort to rebuild trust from him.

I mean, Herbert was actively trying to get fans banned, stirring division and throwing phones on the pitch. Are we supposed to just say “oh well, none of that matters now, he can carry on as before”, or should we expect everyone to make an effort to unify and not just those sceptical of Hilton?

[ironfromafar]

I never really got who this Herbert character was , just thought he had chosen to latch on to DH and morphed into his rent boy.

[Apollo11]

Northumbiron wrote:

Honestly guys you want to look at yourselves. The lengths of some of the posts are crazy.

What has the length of posts got to do with anything?

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Siderite

[Deereyme66]

‘The lengths of some of the posts are crazy.’

Lol, don’t give 64 ideas about bringing back the shortlived post length rule! Only joking. He-heh!

[64]

The most abusive trolls will get banned anyway if ever anyone unravels their burner accounts, which they won’t I guess,as should anyone who committed violence. My focus is purely on the make up of the business and I believe that anyone with an elevated profile who took part in the dog whistling and other character assassinations that led to my friends getting the abuse documented above should not be in positions at the club.
Had they wound it in when the results of their dog whistles started emerging I could have been more forgiving but it didn’t stop.
It got worse one person attacked this site and suggested it was A Swann supporting site, parroting Davey Toomanynames to the letter in order to promote themselves and their little emerging podcast. This accusation led to Matt being threatened with his throat being slit, remember this was from a councillor who even when Hilton’s house of cards started falling had the nerve to claim they who were banned brought it on themselves.
We can’t ban all the silly little soldiers but we can ensure people who want elevation and responsibility earn it property.

[Apollo11]

64 wrote:

The most abusive trolls will get banned anyway if ever anyone unravels their burner accounts, which they won’t I guess,as should anyone who committed violence. My focus is purely on the make up of the business and I believe that anyone with an elevated profile who took part in the dog whistling and other character assassinations that led to my friends getting the abuse documented above should not be in positions at the club.
Had they wound it in when the results of their dog whistles started emerging I could have been more forgiving but it didn’t stop.
It got worse one person attacked this site and suggested it was A Swann supporting site, parroting Davey Toomanynames to the letter in order to promote themselves and their little emerging podcast. This accusation led to Matt being threatened with his throat being slit, remember this was from a councillor who even when Hilton’s house of cards be started falling had the nerve to claim they brought by it on themselves.
We can’t ban all the silly little soldiers but we can ensure people who want elevation and responsibility earn it property.

All good points.

Herbert – if he doesn’t get banned from the club (just for the phone thing alone, never mind any of the other ‘stirring it up’ stuff) then there’s a serious abrogation of responsibility by the powers that be. Rules are rules – you’re not allowed to do that sort of thing, home or away. So he has to go.

Bell – as much of a loose cannon as Herbert, in a way. Seemed to be quite aware of what he was doing, imho, with his dog whistle stuff. Appears to be another one really into shoving his face into situations, just to be seen. I hope he apologises to Bru, with no caveats.

Elliott – if it turns out that in some way he’s involved in Scunthorpe United going forward, then I would expect him to work to earn his status, and also to set an example. He really should address his part in promoting the pro-Hilton thing, in the way that he did. It would be crucial to go some way to winning back trust.

[Richgy]

Don’t mind it there , have not taken the wife and kids though – they didn’t like Butlins bognor so not much hope for there – always had a good time at skeg butlins ,maybe I’m easily pleased .

[Apollo11]

Richgy wrote:

Don’t mind it there , have not taken the wife and kids though – they didn’t like Butlins bognor so not much hope for there – always had a good time at skeg butlins ,maybe I’m easily pleased .

Ho-de-ho!

[cassidystash]

When Hilton “saved” the club he was an instant hero with supporters. Things started to go downhill later when many early rumours became reality.
It is likely that any new owner(s) will immediately be hailed similarly, lets hope the hero status is more permanent this time.
(I appreciate that any new owner will not receive 100% approval – that’s life!!)

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SODIron, Siderite

[Northumbiron]

Apollo11 wrote:

Northumbiron wrote:

Honestly guys you want to look at yourselves. The lengths of some of the posts are crazy.

What has the length of posts got to do with anything?

Seventeen posts on this thread, most of them lengthy? Fansy put it succinctly in the OP.

Dunno why it’s turning into a witch hunt?

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steelworks iron

[Interested Bystander]

Northumbiron wrote:

Apollo11 wrote:

Northumbiron wrote:

Honestly guys you want to look at yourselves. The lengths of some of the posts are crazy.

What has the length of posts got to do with anything?

Seventeen posts on this thread, most of them lengthy? Fansy put it succinctly in the OP.

Dunno why it’s turning into a witch hunt?

It’s called a discussion.

Given recent events, you should be actively encouraging discussion and debate not trying to suppress it.

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Apollo11, Siderite

[Siderite]

I don’t think there are many more than three paragraphs long. This is a forum, not twitter, where posts are limited.

I would hardly describe it as a witch hunt. It’s mostly people airing their opinion on the actions of Elliott, where most have not completely written him off as a person. My own piece has essentially boiled down to he has made errors and should apologise and rebuild trust. Hardly a damnation of him. I don’t think it’s beyond him or much to do, but without it there may be people aggrieved after how he acted with Hilton for reasons already described by several above.

We have had months of Hilton sceptics being slammed as club killers, wanting the club dead and more. All of which divisive rhetoric and not very much called out on the platforms they are common on. I find it a bit much to have a go at those aggrieved for mild comments about how Elliott needs to rebuild trust after siding with them and engaging in poor judgement himself. Same with Bell and especially Herbert. Such behaviour at the time was bound to lead to irritation and discontent to some degree. All I am saying is that this would be rebuilt if he makes very simple steps to change. Much like telling others to not say “I told you so”, which is a fair point, but asking others for similar contrition is like pulling teeth.

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Just Iron, Apollo11

[Deereyme66]

Personally I think it’s good this discussion is being had. I’m just a bit weery of it all after many months of this sorry, miserable, paranoid saga, orchestrated by one corrupt nasty individual. I don’t have the energy or will left to contribute much more. Just hanging on for some positive news about the takeover and the despicable one being on his way.

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Heath, Just Iron, B.gray, Iron-awe, Apollo11, Siderite

[64]

Not every Hilton man has comes out of it badly, look at Jimmy Dean, a romped chequered past but has behaved impeccably in my opinion. We don’t need a new broom completely

5 users thanked author for this post.

Just Iron, Iron-awe, Apollo11, Siderite, Deereyme66

[Deereyme66]

Do think 64s point on another thread about hollow apologies is pertinent. Even if you get one how do you know its not just appeasement, not genuine regret? Even with an apology the mistrust will be there in the background. The damage is done.

[Apollo11]

Dunno why it’s turning into a witch hunt?

I hope that’s a joke. To claim this thread is a witch hunt is MAGA-level crap. People are allowed to express less than favourable opinions on a situation and on the people in it. If more than one person expresses the same it does not become a witch hunt. It is a shared opinion.

[Apollo11]

64 wrote:

Not every Hilton man has comes out of it badly, look at Jimmy Dean, a romped chequered past but has behaved impeccably in my opinion. We don’t need a new broom completely

I’ve been undecided about him up until recent times – but, as you say, lately he has behaved impeccably.

[64]

I’m sure decency will prevail

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Apollo11

[Author]

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