Lionel Pickering

[CapeTownRams]

One thing that consistently irritates me is how little fans talk of Lionel Pickering. Folks often talk about the great Jim Smith years (really our last glorious period) but they would never have happened without Lionel.
We also forget that Pride Park was also Lionel’s dream and vision - and he paid a good chunk of his own money to make it happen. In fact one really has to wonder why it wasn’t and isn’t called the Lionel Pickering Stadium.

Lionel in many ways reminds me of David Clowes albeit the latter is a more business-headed person. Lionel was a lovely man- maybe a bit gullible when he listened to everyone throwing their own advice and opinion in his ear at the pub……but a real Rams man.

Crikey, if there was one person who deserves a statue at Pride Park then it’s him.

(I would also like David Clowes to have the Club build a museum at the ground).

[BathRam72]

20 minutes ago, CapeTownRams said:

One thing that consistently irritates me is how little fans talk of Lionel Pickering. Folks often talk about the great Jim Smith years (really our last glorious period) but they would never have happened without Lionel.
We also forget that Pride Park was also Lionel’s dream and vision - and he paid a good chunk of his own money to make it happen. In fact one really has to wonder why it wasn’t and isn’t called the Lionel Pickering Stadium.

Lionel in many ways reminds me of David Clowes albeit the latter is a more business-headed person. Lionel was a lovely man- maybe a bit gullible when he listened to everyone throwing their own advice and opinion in his ear at the pub……but a real Rams man.

Crikey, if there was one person who deserves a statue at Pride Park then it’s him.

(I would also like David Clowes to have the Club build a museum at the ground).

Of course. Let's ask David Clowes who spent a fortune saving us, to spend more of his cash on a museum 😀 

[angieram]

4 minutes ago, BathRam72 said:

Of course. Let's ask David Clowes who spent a fortune saving us, to spend more of his cash on a museum 😀 

I think David is very keen for this to happen. It's about the logistics.

[CapeTownRams]

Sigh…

The Club - which DC Chairs- would /could pay for it as part of the normal business revenue stream . Doh. 
 

Just an idea and something that I would think any Rams fan would like/enjoy..celebrate the Club’s history etc..

[CapeTownRams]

5 minutes ago, BathRam72 said:

Of course. Let's ask David Clowes who spent a fortune saving us, to spend more of his cash on a museum 😀 

 

Just now, angieram said:

I think David is very keen for this to happen. It's about the logistics.

Yes, I know people have spoken to him about it and he is supportive 👍😎 

[uttoxram75]

On 26/05/2024 at 12:20, CapeTownRams said:

One thing that consistently irritates me is how little fans talk of Lionel Pickering. Folks often talk about the great Jim Smith years (really our last glorious period) but they would never have happened without Lionel.
We also forget that Pride Park was also Lionel’s dream and vision - and he paid a good chunk of his own money to make it happen. In fact one really has to wonder why it wasn’t and isn’t called the Lionel Pickering Stadium.

Lionel in many ways reminds me of David Clowes albeit the latter is a more business-headed person. Lionel was a lovely man- maybe a bit gullible when he listened to everyone throwing their own advice and opinion in his ear at the pub……but a real Rams man.

Crikey, if there was one person who deserves a statue at Pride Park then it’s him.

(I would also like David Clowes to have the Club build a museum at the ground).

I've never heard a fellow Derby fan say anything but good about Lionel. He's extremely well respected and remembered for what he did for us, the Stadium, the Jim Smith years.

Top man.

[G STAR RAM]

I think the fact that he took us to the brink of ruin which led to the 3 Amigos taking over us, probably led to his legacy being slightly tainted.

Did much more good than bad for us though, so it was a shame how it ended.

[StarterForTen]

15 minutes ago, G STAR RAM said:

 

I think the fact that he took us to the brink of ruin which led to the 3 Amigos taking over us, probably led to his legacy being slightly tainted.

 

I feel that is somewhat disingenuous.  Lionel had the rug pulled from underneath him by the club’s bankers who got twitchy about the £15m mortgage they held on Pride Park Stadium.  I worked for LVP at that time and while he was a little susceptible to whispers in his ear at the Yew Tree, he did try to do the right things.

And you have to remember he wasn’t as wealthy as Clowes is. Even in an era for era comparison he would not be able to run DCFC these days.  Very successful with his media businesses - and well off no doubt - his pockets weren’t that deep.

i do think he is well deserving of permanent tribute. 

[Crewton]

The Co-Op Bank certainly stitched him up and effectively handed the club over to a bunch of crooks, There was undoubtedly though a section of the fanbase who were disgruntled that we'd slipped back from the Stimac years who had been vocal well before that pre-pack deal. I think most fans realised that the dial had moved and clubs with wealthier owners were taking spending to levels at which Lionel could not compete. Two of those clubs, Leeds and Chelsea, ironically came very close to extinction, but not close enough.

[Raich Carter]

Lionel is an absolute legend to most, if not all, of the fans of that era. He brought some very exciting times to Derby and as I understand it, spent every penny he had on the club. 

The Three Amigos managed to fool a lot of people - hindsight and all that.

I'd defo contribute to a fund raising campaign for a statue. The man deserves a huge amount of respect and recognition for his role in our history.

[G STAR RAM]

12 hours ago, StarterForTen said:

I feel that is somewhat disingenuous.  Lionel had the rug pulled from underneath him by the club’s bankers who got twitchy about the £15m mortgage they held on Pride Park Stadium.  I worked for LVP at that time and while he was a little susceptible to whispers in his ear at the Yew Tree, he did try to do the right things.

And you have to remember he wasn’t as wealthy as Clowes is. Even in an era for era comparison he would not be able to run DCFC these days.  Very successful with his media businesses - and well off no doubt - his pockets weren’t that deep.

i do think he is well deserving of permanent tribute. 

Not disingenuous in the slightest, just factual. 

He made numerous bad financial decisions which put the club in jeopardy and some that we were still paying for years later.

I'm grateful for the good times he gave but you can't just pretend that he didn't leave us in a mess.

In financial terms he was akin to Mel Morris eventually, the only difference being that we had a period of success on the pitch.

 

[Crewton]

9 hours ago, G STAR RAM said:

Not disingenuous in the slightest, just factual. 

He made numerous bad financial decisions which put the club in jeopardy and some that we were still paying for years later.

I'm grateful for the good times he gave but you can't just pretend that he didn't leave us in a mess.

In financial terms he was akin to Mel Morris eventually, the only difference being that we had a period of success on the pitch.

 

Big difference between Lionel and Mel is that Lionel didn't bale out - the Co-op Bank stitched him up with a pre-pack deal with a bunch of crooks. Mel walked away despite there being no evidence he was actually skint. Lionel didn't walk away, despite being far less wealthy than Mel.

[8Leeds]

I knew someone that used to know him and he often spoke about how generous and kind a man he was. 

There should definitely be something at Pride Park that honours his memory. 

[tinman]

There already is

[G STAR RAM]

1 hour ago, Crewton said:

Big difference between Lionel and Mel is that Lionel didn't bale out - the Co-op Bank stitched him up with a pre-pack deal with a bunch of crooks. Mel walked away despite there being no evidence he was actually skint. Lionel didn't walk away, despite being far less wealthy than Mel.

Yes that's a fair point. 

Doesn't change the fact that he put us in a position where he either did not want to, or couldn't afford to pay off our creditors.

Did much more good than bad for our club but literally could have sent us bankrupt, there's no getting away from that fact.

At June 2003 we were in a financial situation not too dissimilar from the mess that MM left us in.

[Alan Ramage 4 EVA]

On 28/05/2024 at 00:31, uttoxram75 said:

I've never heard a fellow Derby fan say anything but good about Lionel. He's extremely well respected and remembered for what he did for us, the Stadium, the Jim Smith years.

Top man.

He was a lovely man always had time for a chat and a laugh 

[G STAR RAM]

3 minutes ago, tinman said:

There already is

The Lionel Pickering entrance?

[tinman]

2 minutes ago, G STAR RAM said:

The Lionel Pickering entrance?

The clue’s in the name

[G STAR RAM]

26 minutes ago, tinman said:

The clue’s in the name

Didn't even know it existed until I just Googled

[Mucker1884]

2 hours ago, 8Leeds said:

I knew someone that used to know him and he often spoke about how generous and kind a man he was. 

There should definitely be something at Pride Park that honours his memory. 

 

1 hour ago, tinman said:

There already is