You have very anti Gibson feelings and of course that’s fair enough. You have been very consistent about that over the years from reading your posts.
Just curious to know. Have you ever met him personally to feel this way? I sense you must have done and didn’t like what you saw. That’s not surprising. He can be a very ruthless individual with people who cross him. You definitely come across as somebody who has had personal experience with the man.
I recall what somebody told me in MSS years ago who, accidentally mind, happened to cross him. I don’t want to repeat the details but they were best intentions. He was summarily hauled across an open fire with a sharp response. Gibson is very passionate that there is no doubt. He’s has also proved to be fiercely loyal at times ( a strength in some respects and a weakness in others) and he has been politically Ill advised on other occasions. He has proved to be an excellent businessman and a talisman football chairman Do I trust his judgement? No I’m not sure I do, but do I trust him as a person of honour? Yes I think so.
Yes I have spoken to Steve Gibson on a number of occasions. Most have been for a relatively short time in relatively public settings, but I have spoken to him personally and privately on one extended conversation lasting nearer two hours than one.
I have spoken with wealthier and certainly more powerful people in my career, not that I'm anybody of importance myself.
In my experience and to my knowledge Steve is a bully who tries to steam roller. Inside the club he can do that. One to one and for a long time, I personally found him hugely underwhelming.
I will always try to be fair and balanced.
Nobody needs to tell me about the leadership, ambition, vision, passion, courage and energy Gibson brought to MFC from 1993. We have so much to be thankful for that.
Nobody needs to tell me that without his conversion of £64m debt into equity in 2012-16, then Middlesbrough would have gone into administration after the Global Financial crisis snuffed out access to external finance.
As a man there are a number of reasons why I do not respect Steve Gibson and wish our club was not in his control. I don't respect people who use position to intimidate, stifle and suppress.
I'd prefer either a rich benefactor who actually injected money in, or brilliant leadership that delivered our potential through being outstanding football professionals. Ideally both.
At the moment we have neither.
We have an arrogant bully who has no intention of actually investing, or letting somebody much more capable take control.
But whatever, nobody can tell me that a man who has had absolute control since 1993, has made all the big calls around people and strategy, is not ultimately responsible for the remarkable decline of the club from a football and financial perspective since 2006.
I appreciate that many simply will not countenance criticism of Gibson, but that is just not healthy.
I appreciate that most have not had first hand experience of Gibson.
I appreciate that many will think I'm just making things up, or am bitter and twisted about something.
Let me be clear, I'm not, even remotely. Gibson could never have impacted me, and in any case I'm very grateful for what I have and the position I am in.
I honestly believed - and posted through the summer - that Gibson seemed to have his mojo back. We were FFP secure, had reduced the wage bill, cleared the dead wood, increased revenue and had a financial windfall to help partially bridge the gap to Parachute Payment clubs.
It has been a wasted opportunity, not as bad as 2016, but a huge waste nonetheless.