To be fair, even the CEO will answer to someone. Currently Clarke at Hull will have his orders from Pearson.

Rule did himself no favours with some of our sponsors if stories are to be believed.

'Going pop' was the popular phrasing at the time, iirc. Back when your accounts being published was like a derby win on here.

Saw it for myself, the guy was an idiot and got mickeyed up and threw his weight around (and there's plenty of it), cost us thousands, if not millions in sponsorship, how he ever got another job in the game defies reason.

Textbook case of not what you know but who you know, the Hetheringtons love him and they hold a lot of power in the Sport.

Hang about everyone was lauding him from the rooftops when he was here especially the clubs spokeswoman Barista.

*deleted, I don't want a ban*

I wasn't.

That's two of us.

You night want to check a few facts before you come out with sweeping statements like "everybody"

sorry but that's not how i recall it

Loads of about increasing merchandise and sponsorship being great etc etc - OK, 'Most' rather than 'everybody' loved him and thought the sun shone out of his harris

No they never. Then again, why let facts get in the way of "posting for effect".

So if you absolutely had to take one back now - Cooke or Rule?

Would have to be Cooke surely? I thought Rule was a good marketeer - didn't he oversee that big P&O sponsorship deal (and we had some very good shirts in that era IIRC), plus I think we got Grade A franchises under his regime, so he wasn't completely incompetent or the devil incarnate at that point. Obviously was beholden to Kath and the devotion to Agar was staggering. I remember writing him an email once to complain about retaining Agar and saying in a salary cap era investing in the right coach was a key differentiator and he basically completely disagreed. Reardongate beggared belief, and I posted on here then I was ashamed. And then the drugs cover up did for him, so bye then.

Cooke's an interesting one. I wouldn't be surprised to see him back one day but he does strike me as someone likely to speak about himself in the third person.