Leeds United Ladies forced to rebrand

[dangermouse]

http://www.yorkshire-voice.com/leeds-un ... es-launch/


I have to say I just can't get my head around this shameful decision by Cellino. I know very little about Ladies Football, but I can appreciate the good work they do getting young girls out playing sport. I always thought of Leeds United as a community club, with roots in the local community, helping to support and develop. I could understand if he decided to reduce funding, even though it is not a significant sum in the grand scheme of things, but to withdraw all funding and then demand the club no longer use the Leeds United name to me seems downright mean and spiteful.
It just goes to show how far removed some modern football clubs are from their roots. It really is only about money. You can have all the slick PR and social media campaigns you want about getting behind the club, but actions like this show them for what they really are.

[Leonickroberts]

This is pretty awful news. I heard a rumour last week but couldn't believe it; it's pretty poor PR in the name of a £25k saving (when you've allegedly got £20m working capital, or whatever it was).

[NottinghamWhite]

I'm not surprised by anything Cellino does. I do however agree that it's a PR own goal. Think there'll be loads of other stuff he does that we the paying fans don't agree with.

[dangermouse]

I understand we will not always agree with Cellino with decisions regarding players, managers etc. , but to act in such a way that could put the ladies club out of business, for me that is just wrong. Most clubs would be working with their ladies team to forge closer ties and support them, where at Leeds we remove our support and threaten them with legal action for using a name they have used long before Cellino had ever heard of Leeds United. Let's be United, eh?

[Leonickroberts]

Yep, it's a properly poor decision. Even down to the revelation that when Cellino turned up he stated very early (to Phil Hay maybe?) that he just didn't care about ladies football.

Even if the money were an issue, why pull the branding/association too? Why not let them find their own funding but continue the affiliation?

[SiMamu]

Didn't realise we had a sexist for an owner. What a despicable decision.

Is he going to sack Lucy Ward now too? Someone who knows more about the club than anyone he's hired, like most of the people he's sacked (Gray, Lorimer, Naylor).

[Selby White]

Didn't this happen back in 2008 when they changed their name to Leeds Carnegie Ladies.

When did they change back ?

[stephenneilwhite]

This is just badly thought out. There is no saving as the money was coming from the foundation a charity, if it doesn't go to Leeds United ladies it should go somewhere else to another good cause ( New ladies team in Leeds could probably use it). If he doesn't care about ladies football a poorly performing team wouldn't bother him and anything else would be good promotion of the brand. I'm left thinking of spoiled children that won't share their toys

[Deleted User 1076]

Really poor this.

[Deleted User 728]

MC is Italian and of a certain vintage.
It's hardly surprising that he doesn't care for women's football, but what worries me most is that he's being poorly advised.
I hope Salerno actually stands up to him if he does become his number two again because at the moment it would appear he's surrounded by yes men.