I'm not all that surprised, to be honest. I think he believes that he doesn't have to answer to us fans yet I suspect that he has an ego that would be very interested in writing for a well established publication (even if it's an online one).
On the site there is a bio of him, which taught me some things that I didn't know, and it also links to another article he wrote. He may well be intending to write (or put his name to) more in the future.
Interestingly the bio does make him seem more intelligent than I had been led to believe. I don't believe it is, particularly, easy to be elevated to the position of Director of Finance in a Local Authority.
Go back a few years - if we'd heard rumours that he was involved in taking us over then found and read an article like that, we'd all be saying, "Bring it on - sounds a really decent bloke, believes in understanding the club history and culture, believes in stability" etc.
The Huffington Post takes about 90% of its material from other sources, i.e. it is a news collator. I can't quite make this out yet, this seems to be about rehabilitating and elevating TJ in the US. Little things, I can't find any link yet with Hexagon holdings, he was co-opted onto the crew of the Variety club not as stated a co-director ( at least not that I can find). The accountancy qualification is it real, which one is it, who was he Director of Finance for, he might have just run the coffee fund in a local government office? My instinct is to mistrust everything that is reported, at least until I or anyone else can find any corroborative evidence, but why has he started doing this and just who is he trying to impress/fool now?
Baffling. I will lay a large amount that it's ghost-written. Not to suggest he is thick, simply that this is professionally written and there is nothing in his bio to suggest he would have such training. So why now? And who is the target audience?
Tony Jimenez started his working career in local government, qualifying with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy - he occupied many senior positions including Director of Finance during a 10-year career in Local Government In the 1990￢ﾀﾙs, Tony turned his attention to property development with a focus on the UAE market. As Director of the Hexagon project, he spearheaded the early development of the DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) where he led negotiations and plans, which produced in excess of $100m in profits for the company. In 2000, Tony pursued his keen sporting interests, forming Casa Sports with leading QC, Jim Sturman. Optimising his connections, Tony closed several high-profile sports deals and secured substantial investments into several of Dubai￢ﾀﾙs landmark projects, including Palm Island.
His strong relationships within the UAE - built up over the past 22 years - have been responsible for a number of leading Arab investors making significant investments in Europe. As Vice Chairman of Newcastle United Football Club, Tony was instrumental in negotiations to sell the club to the Dubai government. While the deal was not finalised due to the club owner changing his mind, Tony was nonetheless indispensable when it came to introducing potential buyers and leading negotiations.
A resident in Cyprus since 2003, Tony was involved in JV plans with the island￢ﾀﾙs Petrolina Corporation to develop 8 kilometres of prime beachfront property that included 5-star hotels and deep harbour marina facilities. He is currently working alongside the council of Larnaca to identify and promote development opportunities in the area and secure investment funding to realise these long term projects.
In 2010, Tony acquired a majority shareholding of Charlton Athletic Football Club in the UK￢ﾀﾙs League One division. Since Tony￢ﾀﾙs stewardship, the club has been quickly promoted to the Championship division. Tony￢ﾀﾙs business interests also extend to football clubs in Cyprus and Spain. Tony is particularly accomplished in identifying development opportunities, which produce significant returns in relatively short periods of time ￢ﾀﾓ this is mainly through acquiring significant planning gains. Work for his Family Trust has led to a significant investment portfolio of prime worldwide property and assets.
The Family Trust assets include a major shareholding of the 1,800-acre Les Bordes estate in the Loire Valley, France. The main golf course on the estate has been voted Europe￢ﾀﾙs number one course for the last four years, and in December 2009, Tony and his team were granted planning permission for 3.8 million square feet of construction, to build a landmark resort. This is currently the largest residential development in Europe. A prolific and successful entrepreneur, Tony was co-chairman of the Variety Club and he has also sponsored numerous golf charity events in France, Cyprus and Spain. Tony is a keen golfer, paddle player and shoots regularly - he is President of the holding and operating companies of Les Bordes Golf International.
I just remembered Airman's reminder to us: Don't assume the current directors are in agreement with each other. Maybe that is relevant here. Not sure exactly how though.
Baffling. I will lay a large amount that it's ghost-written. Not to suggest he is thick, simply that this is professionally written and there is nothing in his bio to suggest he would have such training. So why now? And who is the target audience?
I think you are confusing sub editing with ghost writing. I have no doubt it was subbed. I have serious doubts it was ghosted. Huff rarely pays journalists, there's no way they'd pay a blogger, so why would Jiminez pay someone to write his thought for an online newspaper? Makes no sense at al.
Baffling. I will lay a large amount that it's ghost-written. Not to suggest he is thick, simply that this is professionally written and there is nothing in his bio to suggest he would have such training. So why now? And who is the target audience?
I think you are confusing sub editing with ghost writing. I have no doubt it was subbed. I have serious doubts it was ghosted. Huff rarely pays journalists, there's no way they'd pay a blogger, so why would Jiminez pay someone to write his thought for an online newspaper? Makes no sense at al.
Point taken, this is more your area than mine, as I'm aware.
But still he has never taken to writing before, as far as anyone has ever uncovered, yet here we have two articles in a couple of weeks.
Baffling. I will lay a large amount that it's ghost-written. Not to suggest he is thick, simply that this is professionally written and there is nothing in his bio to suggest he would have such training. So why now? And who is the target audience?
I think you are confusing sub editing with ghost writing. I have no doubt it was subbed. I have serious doubts it was ghosted. Huff rarely pays journalists, there's no way they'd pay a blogger, so why would Jiminez pay someone to write his thought for an online newspaper? Makes no sense at al.
Point taken, this is more your area than mine, as I'm aware.
But still he has never taken to writing before, as far as anyone has ever uncovered, yet here we have two articles in a couple of weeks.
Baffling. I will lay a large amount that it's ghost-written. Not to suggest he is thick, simply that this is professionally written and there is nothing in his bio to suggest he would have such training. So why now? And who is the target audience?
I think you are confusing sub editing with ghost writing. I have no doubt it was subbed. I have serious doubts it was ghosted. Huff rarely pays journalists, there's no way they'd pay a blogger, so why would Jiminez pay someone to write his thought for an online newspaper? Makes no sense at al.
Point taken, this is more your area than mine, as I'm aware.
But still he has never taken to writing before, as far as anyone has ever uncovered, yet here we have two articles in a couple of weeks.
Maybe he's taken on board your complaints!
LOL
But his first article was about World Cup 2014....
Baffling. I will lay a large amount that it's ghost-written. Not to suggest he is thick, simply that this is professionally written and there is nothing in his bio to suggest he would have such training. So why now? And who is the target audience?
Not to be rude to professional writers, but it is not a specific area of expertise that few of us have any experience of. It is a mandatory course at school and I would imagine that most half intelligent people (and the CIPFA qualifications are not easy to acquire) can write an article of that length that has little sourced research.
Baffling. I will lay a large amount that it's ghost-written. Not to suggest he is thick, simply that this is professionally written and there is nothing in his bio to suggest he would have such training. So why now? And who is the target audience?
Not to be rude to professional writers, but it is not a specific area of expertise that few of us have any experience of. It is a mandatory course at school and I would imagine that most half intelligent people (and the CIPFA qualifications are not easy to acquire) can write an article of that length that has little sourced research.
This. I see nothing in this article to suggest it was 'professionally written', as opposed to written by a professional (in this case an accountant) with a reasonable degree of intelligence.
I'm seriously starting to think the poor bloke can do no right in some quarters. People have been moaning for months that we never here anything from him - then when he does publish something (albeit not through official club channels), people start jumping up and down about ghost writers and ulterior motives.
I have no doubt that the comments about his local ties with the area are probably trying to build some rapport and empathy with the fans given the criticism which he has come under recently. I also think that the comments about 'unrealistic expectations' and 'instant gratification' are aimed at an element of our fan base. But for what it's worth, I agree with him.
I just remembered Airman's reminder to us: Don't assume the current directors are in agreement with each other. Maybe that is relevant here. Not sure exactly how though.
Just supposing ....
Peter Varney brought TJ and MS together for the 2010 deal. TJ was acquainted with Kevin Cash which helped the deal happen (MS is more KC's friend/business colleague). Whilst MS may have put some money in, mostly he is representing Cash. Also, he is not in the same league, aspiration-wise, as TJ. The deal probably required each 'investor' to provide a minimum level of funds each year. There may even have been an agreement to add additional funds on a pro-rata basis to shareholdings.
Now, TJ has big plans (for himself - see his bio) and when Alex Newell gave up he saw an opportunity to take control. KC didn't like this so they fell out but he has continued his minimum payments and with RM ensures that the club continues to function - just!. Although TJ found the funds to buy out AN his wheeler-dealing has suffered a flat tyre. He is struggling to pay his share but being the entrepreneur that he is (according to the blog), or at least thinks he is, he will not back down. He's the gambler that sees a big win just around the corner. The blog is TJ advertising himself, perhaps in desperation?
KC doesn't want the exposure of full control (or does he ???) and the original property play that originally enticed him is now not within his grasp so, knowing TJ's predicament, the only way out is to sell up. However, TJ is still going after that big payback that will ensure his 'reputation' remains intact (Dennis Wise excepted). Hence 18 months of boardroom disagreement and no progression. Its all about power and money (or lack of it).
There are certain rules around good article writing which you only learn if you are either trained to some extent, or take a keen interest in journalism. This article shows awareness of those rules. An accountant wouldn't know them unless he or she is also in one of those categories.
It's also bloody hard work to do it well. More than most people would want to bother with- unless they had a damn good reason. Plenty of people have already demonstrated why, at the very least, this article is out of all previous behaviour patterns of Mr J. So I am interested to wonder why. That's all.
Hex, not completely unfeasible and wouldn't be surprise if certain elements are right.
I am pretty sure TJ & KC already knew each other quite well before this and so doubt Varney put them together, but that is irrelevant.
I am also pretty sure AN does not have even close to enough funds to buy 10% of the club so whatever his rationale for being involved it was almost certainly fronting someone else rather than acting on his own behalf, I have no evidence but for some reason I reckon AN was another of Cash's front men.
There are certain rules around good article writing which you only learn if you are either trained to some extent, or take a keen interest in journalism. This article shows awareness of those rules. An accountant wouldn't know them unless he or she is also in one of those categories.
Sorry, but that's just a ridiculous thing to say. Accountancy is not just about number-crunching, it's an all round business qualification.
If you want to start getting picky, I could point to several things about the article which suggest it wasn't written by a professional writer - poor sentence formation, commas in the wrong place, etc.
As others have said, why would he go to the effort of employing a ghost writer for an unpaid blog? I think we're starting to get just a little bit too paranoid about the bloke now.
There are certain rules around good article writing which you only learn if you are either trained to some extent, or take a keen interest in journalism. This article shows awareness of those rules. An accountant wouldn't know them unless he or she is also in one of those categories.
It's also bloody hard work to do it well. More than most people would want to bother with- unless they had a damn good reason. Plenty of people have already demonstrated why, at the very least, this article is out of all previous behaviour patterns of Mr J. So I am interested to wonder why. That's all.
I am in neither of those categories which could explain why I did not recognise that the article was written in the style of a proper journalist, but I would not say that it was written any 'better' than many of the blogs I read. However, as I say, I'm probably not trained enough to be able to tell the difference.
Well, I've worked in Local Government finance since 1980 and I've never come across a Mr Tony Jimenez as a DOF for any Council. I will make enquiries but I smell something. I think it's Bull droppings....
Well, I've worked in Local Government finance since 1980 and I've never come across a Mr Tony Jimenez as a DOF for any Council. I will make enquiries but I smell something. I think it's Bull droppings....
That would be good, there's an awful lot that has been written that just doesn't fit with the TJ we know and love so dearly. No-one would have had to pay him, it's a hey look at me, I'm really clever PR job. But addressed to whom and why now, that's what interests me?
Comments
On the site there is a bio of him, which taught me some things that I didn't know, and it also links to another article he wrote. He may well be intending to write (or put his name to) more in the future.
Interestingly the bio does make him seem more intelligent than I had been led to believe. I don't believe it is, particularly, easy to be elevated to the position of Director of Finance in a Local Authority.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/tony-jimenez/
Give it a week and he'll be posting selfies on Instagram with Slater and Cash.
It just gets weirder...
So why now? And who is the target audience?
Such as its close ties to the area, its local community and communication with fans Tony?
Tony Jimenez started his working career in local government, qualifying with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy - he occupied many senior positions including Director of Finance during a 10-year career in Local Government
In the 1990￢ﾀﾙs, Tony turned his attention to property development with a focus on the UAE market. As Director of the Hexagon project, he spearheaded the early development of the DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) where he led negotiations and plans, which produced in excess of $100m in profits for the company.
In 2000, Tony pursued his keen sporting interests, forming Casa Sports with leading QC, Jim Sturman. Optimising his connections, Tony closed several high-profile sports deals and secured substantial investments into several of Dubai￢ﾀﾙs landmark projects, including Palm Island.
His strong relationships within the UAE - built up over the past 22 years - have been responsible for a number of leading Arab investors making significant investments in Europe. As Vice Chairman of Newcastle United Football Club, Tony was instrumental in negotiations to sell the club to the Dubai government. While the deal was not finalised due to the club owner changing his mind, Tony was nonetheless indispensable when it came to introducing potential buyers and leading negotiations.
A resident in Cyprus since 2003, Tony was involved in JV plans with the island￢ﾀﾙs Petrolina Corporation to develop 8 kilometres of prime beachfront property that included 5-star hotels and deep harbour marina facilities. He is currently working alongside the council of Larnaca to identify and promote development opportunities in the area and secure investment funding to realise these long term projects.
In 2010, Tony acquired a majority shareholding of Charlton Athletic Football Club in the UK￢ﾀﾙs League One division. Since Tony￢ﾀﾙs stewardship, the club has been quickly promoted to the Championship division. Tony￢ﾀﾙs business interests also extend to football clubs in Cyprus and Spain.
Tony is particularly accomplished in identifying development opportunities, which produce significant returns in relatively short periods of time ￢ﾀﾓ this is mainly through acquiring significant planning gains. Work for his Family Trust has led to a significant investment portfolio of prime worldwide property and assets.
The Family Trust assets include a major shareholding of the 1,800-acre Les Bordes estate in the Loire Valley, France. The main golf course on the estate has been voted Europe￢ﾀﾙs number one course for the last four years, and in December 2009, Tony and his team were granted planning permission for 3.8 million square feet of construction, to build a landmark resort. This is currently the largest residential development in Europe.
A prolific and successful entrepreneur, Tony was co-chairman of the Variety Club and he has also sponsored numerous golf charity events in France, Cyprus and Spain. Tony is a keen golfer, paddle player and shoots regularly - he is President of the holding and operating companies of Les Bordes Golf International.
huffingtonpost.co.uk/tony-jimenez/
But still he has never taken to writing before, as far as anyone has ever uncovered, yet here we have two articles in a couple of weeks.
LOL
But his first article was about World Cup 2014....
Hmmm...more often than Simon Church?
I'm seriously starting to think the poor bloke can do no right in some quarters. People have been moaning for months that we never here anything from him - then when he does publish something (albeit not through official club channels), people start jumping up and down about ghost writers and ulterior motives.
I have no doubt that the comments about his local ties with the area are probably trying to build some rapport and empathy with the fans given the criticism which he has come under recently. I also think that the comments about 'unrealistic expectations' and 'instant gratification' are aimed at an element of our fan base. But for what it's worth, I agree with him.
Peter Varney brought TJ and MS together for the 2010 deal. TJ was acquainted with Kevin Cash which helped the deal happen (MS is more KC's friend/business colleague). Whilst MS may have put some money in, mostly he is representing Cash. Also, he is not in the same league, aspiration-wise, as TJ. The deal probably required each 'investor' to provide a minimum level of funds each year. There may even have been an agreement to add additional funds on a pro-rata basis to shareholdings.
Now, TJ has big plans (for himself - see his bio) and when Alex Newell gave up he saw an opportunity to take control. KC didn't like this so they fell out but he has continued his minimum payments and with RM ensures that the club continues to function - just!. Although TJ found the funds to buy out AN his wheeler-dealing has suffered a flat tyre. He is struggling to pay his share but being the entrepreneur that he is (according to the blog), or at least thinks he is, he will not back down. He's the gambler that sees a big win just around the corner. The blog is TJ advertising himself, perhaps in desperation?
KC doesn't want the exposure of full control (or does he ???) and the original property play that originally enticed him is now not within his grasp so, knowing TJ's predicament, the only way out is to sell up. However, TJ is still going after that big payback that will ensure his 'reputation' remains intact (Dennis Wise
excepted). Hence 18 months of boardroom disagreement and no progression. Its all about power and money (or lack of it).
Sound feasible ?
It's also bloody hard work to do it well. More than most people would want to bother with- unless they had a damn good reason. Plenty of people have already demonstrated why, at the very least, this article is out of all previous behaviour patterns of Mr J. So I am interested to wonder why. That's all.
I am pretty sure TJ & KC already knew each other quite well before this and so doubt Varney put them together, but that is irrelevant.
I am also pretty sure AN does not have even close to enough funds to buy 10% of the club so whatever his rationale for being involved it was almost certainly fronting someone else rather than acting on his own behalf, I have no evidence but for some reason I reckon AN was another of Cash's front men.
If you want to start getting picky, I could point to several things about the article which suggest it wasn't written by a professional writer - poor sentence formation, commas in the wrong place, etc.
As others have said, why would he go to the effort of employing a ghost writer for an unpaid blog? I think we're starting to get just a little bit too paranoid about the bloke now.
Publish Online Blog
?????
Profit
There's no pulling the wool over the Charlton Life smart party's eyes