Thaksin Shinawatra Wants To Change Manchester City's Club Crest To Remind Him Of Home In Thailand. Is This A Good Idea?

[monkfish]

http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/sunday/...98487-20607654/

Manchester City's billionaire owner Thaksin Shinawatra is changing the club's crest... to remind him of home in Thailand.

It means City's golden eagle could be replaced by an elephant or even a mythical half-bird half-human garuda, which are both national symbols in Thailand.

"No one can believe that a chairman can just come in and change our badge," said a Man City source. "What about the club's tradition? The fans aren't going to like this one bit. Just because somebody owns the club does not give them the right to come in and change everything."

Yet Shinawatra, Thailand's former prime minister, believes he can do whatever he wants after buying the club for £82million and giving new manager Mark Hughes a £200m transfer chest to match the success of bitter rivals Manchester United.

Designers have already been drafted in to work on the new crest by Shinawatra, who is now living in exile in Britain after being ousted in a military coup two years ago.

The current eagle design comes from the official badge of the City of Manchester, while the three diagonal stripes signify Manchester's three rivers - the Medlock, Irwell and the Irk. But the three stars which also make up the design are purely decorative.

Shinawatra, 58, who's known as Frank in Manchester, believes a new Orientalstyle club crest will make Manchester City more popular in Thailand where there is a huge market in Premiership club shirts.

He is determined to make City one of England's big four clubs and has the money to do it, even though £1billion of his assets are frozen in Thailand. He enjoys a flamboyant lifestyle in the UK with a five-bedroom, £4.5million mansion in Weybridge, Surrey, and he also has a apartment in London, where he answers to the title "Your Excellency".

As well as football, his favourite activities include golf and karaoke, performing with Sarunrat Visutthithada, known as Lydia, queen of Thai R&B.

The club source added: "Who knows what the badge will be in the end, but if it's reflecting Shinawatra it could be a Thai man dressed in golf gear singing karaoke. It's ridiculous."

[MSingh]

No comment..

[Thaddeus]

No comment..

None needed.

[Jockstar]

Get the supporters to boycot the new strip.

[ThaiPauly]

So he never answers anything?

Who in their right mind in the UK would call him "Your Excellency" ???

maybe they will after he has won the EPL ?

Why do I have the feeling that this will all end in tears???

[Asia4Play]

Well at least people in the UK will start to understand what an idiot this man is. He maybe rich but is is without doubt a total tea bag.

[sibeymai]

This is just "smoke and mirrors" stuff by whacky Tacky, same as waiing him at the start of the game. All intended as a diversion to make something else Tacky wants to do at the club seem more palatable to the fans. The wai was the diversion for sacking SGE. What's coming up I wonder.

[bratpack]

utter contempt for the man.Mancity fans will be upset until the top players come in with the 200 million quid spent.They will call him god then.

[5tash]

http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/sunday/...98487-20607654/

Manchester City's billionaire owner Thaksin Shinawatra is changing the club's crest... to remind him of home in Thailand.

It means City's golden eagle could be replaced by an elephant or even a mythical half-bird half-human garuda, which are both national symbols in Thailand.

"No one can believe that a chairman can just come in and change our badge," said a Man City source. "What about the club's tradition? The fans aren't going to like this one bit. Just because somebody owns the club does not give them the right to come in and change everything."

Yet Shinawatra, Thailand's former prime minister, believes he can do whatever he wants after buying the club for £82million and giving new manager Mark Hughes a £200m transfer chest to match the success of bitter rivals Manchester United.

Designers have already been drafted in to work on the new crest by Shinawatra, who is now living in exile in Britain after being ousted in a military coup two years ago.

The current eagle design comes from the official badge of the City of Manchester, while the three diagonal stripes signify Manchester's three rivers - the Medlock, Irwell and the Irk. But the three stars which also make up the design are purely decorative.

Shinawatra, 58, who's known as Frank in Manchester, believes a new Orientalstyle club crest will make Manchester City more popular in Thailand where there is a huge market in Premiership club shirts.

He is determined to make City one of England's big four clubs and has the money to do it, even though £1billion of his assets are frozen in Thailand. He enjoys a flamboyant lifestyle in the UK with a five-bedroom, £4.5million mansion in Weybridge, Surrey, and he also has a apartment in London, where he answers to the title "Your Excellency".

As well as football, his favourite activities include golf and karaoke, performing with Sarunrat Visutthithada, known as Lydia, queen of Thai R&B.

The club source added: "Who knows what the badge will be in the end, but if it's reflecting Shinawatra it could be a Thai man dressed in golf gear singing karaoke. It's ridiculous."

It's not April 1st already is it?

[Samuian]

it's about power ... isn't he 5 foot something "tall"... so he has the craving to be outstanding - let him dream!

"His Exellency"....

[PhilHarries]

The club source added: "Who knows what the badge will be in the end, but if it's reflecting Shinawatra it could be a Thai man dressed in golf gear singing karaoke. It's ridiculous."

Could be worse, it could depict a Thai ladyboy wearing a shimmering light blue evening gown dancing round a chrome pole.

And as a United fan I shall decline to comment further.

It's all very well him giving Mark Hughes 200 million to spend but will he be allowed to buy the players he wants or Thacko nominees. Next thing will be he'll rename the club The Manchester Thaksinettes and replacing the meat pies with khaw phat gai (I don't think Manchester is quite ready for som tam).

btw what's with this "living in exile in Britain" cr@p? I thought he'd just been given a hero's welcome on his return and the government is full of his little buddy chums.

[0Mix1up]

not knowing much about it.

the bait and switch post seems plausible

[chavy]

maybe a donkey would be more suitable

[monkfish]

I wonder if he has to do a Visa Run?

[Briggsy]

This is just "smoke and mirrors" stuff by whacky Tacky, same as waiing him at the start of the game. All intended as a diversion to make something else Tacky wants to do at the club seem more palatable to the fans. The wai was the diversion for sacking SGE. What's coming up I wonder.

I'll go with this post.

It looks like he has quickly got the hang of manipulating the British press as successfully as he was able to manipulate the Thai Press. Similarly he's not worried that papers like the Guardian are on to him, as were many of Thailand's papers for the middle classes, he knows the 'redtops' are very predictable and fed in a certain manner, will behave as predicted. So here we have the Sunday Mirror banging on about nothing whilst most probably missing the big picture.

On a further point, how do you think they got the story? It wasn't through outstanding investigative journalism, that's for sure.

[monkfish]

Yes of course this is just a publicity stunt to win back his popularity in Thailand and its working!

I don't think even he would even have the nerve to do it for real!

[JetsetBkk]

...a £200m transfer chest to match the success of bitter rivals Manchester United...

I wonder when he realised that he'd bought the wrong club.

[The Vulcan]

...a £200m transfer chest to match the success of bitter rivals Manchester United...

I wonder when he realised that he'd bought the wrong club.

At the end of last season and he'll be reminded again at the end of this season

[mrbojangles]

The current crest has only been around since 1997. So no big deal really. It's not as if it had been in existence since 19 naught plonk.

Some people got annoyed when they changed the old one to the current one. That annoyance lasted what....... 1 week i think. Some of those against the change of crest, have it tattoed on their chest.

[lazeeboy]

he owns the club so he can do what he likes,didnt exactly win anything with the old one so why not change it

[MSingh]

he owns the club so he can do what he likes,didnt exactly win anything with the old one so why not change it

You're either the modern day Premiership Football Supporter or know little to nothing about Football, what one is it ??

No seriously, if my Owner ( from Iceland ) decided to put Igloo's or Beluga Whales or whatever they have in his Country, on our Clubs new Crest, which for the record is probably over 100 years old with a few minor changes along the way admittedly, i'd be absolutely fuming...

[Travel2003]

Are there any Man City fans here at all?

Would be interesting to read their reactions to this.

I know I would have been fuming.

[Rinrada]

he owns the club so he can do what he likes,didnt exactly win anything with the old one so why not change it

Yes indeed a real character and showman just like Buffalo Bill and hopefully he will change the old ritual chants of oop narth from...ere we go...ere we gooo erewe........to Bhai Nai krap...pai nai krup..Pai naaaaaai....make mine a bam cake with garlick......

will it make club play better ?

[mrbojangles]

Are there any Man City fans here at all?

Would be interesting to read their reactions to this.

I know I would have been fuming.

Are you new round here

Would be interesting to read their reactions to this.

Post 19

[Travel2003]

Are there any Man City fans here at all?

Would be interesting to read their reactions to this.

I know I would have been fuming.

Are you new round here

Would be interesting to read their reactions to this.

Post 19

I think I have been around about a year or two longer then you have here.

I see you are from Manchester, but have to admit I did not scroll through your 10 000+ posts to see if you were a ManCity fan.

But thnx for the update mate.

[MSingh]

Are there any Man City fans here at all?

Would be interesting to read their reactions to this.

I know I would have been fuming.

Are you new round here

Would be interesting to read their reactions to this.

Post 19

I think I have been around about a year or two longer then you have here.

I see you are from Manchester, but have to admit I did not scroll through your 10 000+ posts to see if you were a ManCity fan.

But thnx for the update mate.

I can sense a Fight...

[Travel2003]

Are there any Man City fans here at all?

Would be interesting to read their reactions to this.

I know I would have been fuming.

Are you new round here

Would be interesting to read their reactions to this.

Post 19

I think I have been around about a year or two longer then you have here.

I see you are from Manchester, but have to admit I did not scroll through your 10 000+ posts to see if you were a ManCity fan.

But thnx for the update mate.

I can sense a Fight...

Nahhh, more like teasing. Silly issue to fight over.

[mrbojangles]

Are there any Man City fans here at all?

Would be interesting to read their reactions to this.

I know I would have been fuming.

Are you new round here

Would be interesting to read their reactions to this.

Post 19

I think I have been around about a year or two longer then you have here.

I see you are from Manchester, but have to admit I did not scroll through your 10 000+ posts to see if you were a ManCity fan.

But thnx for the update mate.

Sorry Travel. I didn't mean are you new to ThaiVisa, i meant are you new to the footy forum.

[yuggy]

Excellent idea, why has nobody thought of it before.

[MSingh]

Are there any Man City fans here at all?

Would be interesting to read their reactions to this.

I know I would have been fuming.

Are you new round here

Would be interesting to read their reactions to this.

Post 19

I think I have been around about a year or two longer then you have here.

I see you are from Manchester, but have to admit I did not scroll through your 10 000+ posts to see if you were a ManCity fan.

But thnx for the update mate.

I can sense a Fight...

Nahhh, more like teasing. Silly issue to fight over.

I said it tongue in cheek Mate...