Paul Topping interview, Montegnée

[Zonnebloem]

Does anybody really understand the deal Bradford City have struck with Royal Racing Montegnée of Belgium? Let the club President, Paul Topping explain. Dutch and I went to meet him on Sunday 25 November and here is part 1 of the transcript of our chat with him.

I confess to there being some gaps in the conversation because of the noise in the club bar drowning out some of what was said on the dictaphone recording but there is already enough fascinating detail to explain the arrangement.


http://www.claretandbanter.co.uk/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=4

Paul Topping interview part 2 is now live.

Part 2 addresses how the link-up between Montegnée and Bradford City came about, possibilities of City players going to Montegnée, the coaching staff, details of the financial deal between the 2 parties and a hint of an exciting prospect going to Bradford City.

http://www.claretandbanter.co.uk/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=5

[Ed]

May I add, that Zonnebloem owns the right's to this interview not C&B.

[Serium]

Seems a lot of money to goto uni

[Zonnebloem]

May I add, that Zonnebloem owns the right's to this interview not C&B.


And Dutch. He has more to follow after my part of the story.

[Jantje simoen]

Fascinating stuff Z, i look forward to the next chapter. Topping certainly seems tuned in to what he wants and thinks he can achieve.

[Mallorcabantam]

Interesting stuff, thanks Z

[Blue Monday]

Yep good read Z, Glad the effort was worth while for you and DB

[Zonnebloem]

Paul Topping interview part 2 is now live.

Part 2 addresses how the link-up between Montegnée and Bradford City came about, possibilities of City players going to Montegnée, the coaching staff, details of the financial deal between the 2 parties and a hint of an exciting prospect going to Bradford City.

http://www.claretandbanter.co.uk/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=5

[Lofty]

Excellent stuff guys tup:

If this comes off the future's looking very bright! As Paul said it's a win win situation!

I can't believe he didn't get the Willy joke though!! jawdrop:

[Zonnebloem]

I've added part 3 of the journal but it is still awaiting clearance from admin check.

[Ed]

Approved.

[Zonnebloem]

Part 3

http://www.claretandbanter.co.uk/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=6

Whether there is a part 4 depends on whether I can make any sense of what's on the dictaphone over the general row from the bar during the match.

Or whether people say "STOP! It's boring".

[Bantam Jay]

Great read!

[Willy Topp]

is good, si

[Clayton Bantam]

PT. Well if you want to, next time we go over come with me and I'll introduce you to Mark Lawn and go in the President's lounge and meet the players. They're nice people. I think that's why we went with them, they're such nice people. We had so many clubs come in when they found out what we're doing but they're such a good club. They're not on cloud 9. I hear all these rumours about Julian Rhodes but what a great guy he is. Really astute. My God. I wouldn't like to do business with him. Some of the deals he's got done for Bradford are incredible. Super nice guy.


ha ha... perhaps they can be introduced to chucks and see what he has to say?;);)tup::D

[Dr Wisey]

Some really positive talk there - fingers crossed it can become reality - everything seems to have been thought of.

[Mallorcabantam]

Loots of work for you Z -- thanks

[wykie]

Thanks Ztup:

[BBB]

it seems a bit too sickly to me obviously i hope he is right but to call JR very astute is just brown nosing is it not:cool:

[BingleyBantam]

Great read. Lets hope that it is as good a deal as he says.

[Zonnebloem]

There's a bit I think I missed out.

Now that Willy Topp is cleared to play, I remember that I asked Paul Topping about where Willy plays best. I had the impression that he was quite small and would be a winger but Paul says he is very quick and can play on the wing but is best used as a striker. He's 5'10" tall and Paul reckoned that Thorne would be the ideal striking partner for Willy because he's a good footballing forward.

[Serium]

There's a bit I think I missed out.

Now that Willy Topp is cleared to play, I remember that I asked Paul Topping about where Willy plays best. I had the impression that he was quite small and would be a winger but Paul says he is very quick and can play on the wing but is best used as a striker. He's 5'10" tall and Paul reckoned that Thorne would be the ideal striking partner for Willy because he's a good footballing forward.
Use thorne as the target man or even conlon to hold play up for topp to run onto and leather it in!

All sounds good.

[bctid]

Keep the posts coming, Zonnebloem, its interesting to hear what Topping has to say.

A post above says that you own the rights to this interview, do you mind if I use a few bits from your three interviews for an article I am writing for my own site (www.bctid.co.uk (http://www.bctid.co.uk))?

I started writing a bit on the Belgian set up a while ago using the scraps of info off the BBC and then the offical site. However, in your interviews you manage to get Topping to mention names of coaches etc which is something missing from previous reports. Good work.

[thecitygentuk]

Great read, thanks for the effort you and DB have put in

[DutchBantam]

Zon, I have finished editing the interview, not actually been able to add that much to it as you got pretty much everything down. A few little edits here and there, a little bit added on the end and a few extra's added here and there in the rest of the existing interview.
I have used artistic license to add snippets from later on into where it fitted earlier as I had a load of little bits of conversation that I didn't know where they fitted into the timeframe.

I'll email you the new copy later so you can post the whole thing in one go on here somewhere.

[Zonnebloem]

Thanks Dutch.

So far I have just updated part 3 to take on board your added material.

http://www.claretandbanter.co.uk/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=6