Passchendaele, Platini and PCP

5.21pm, Thursday 7th October 2021, in a bar in Ypres Belgium. One of those ‘I remember where I was when that happened’ moments. That is where I was and when I finally received a text from my brother which simply said ‘it’s done!’ The takeover had been completed.

After 18 months of lockdowns and restrictions I had travelled to Belgium with a friend to visit the WW1 battlefield sites and memorials in the Ypres/Passchendaele area of Belgium. Yes... I managed to contrive, after 14 years of Ashley's mismanagement, to be abroad and nowhere near SJP when the news broke.

Anyone who has visited the Passchendaele region or the Somme in France will know what an incredible experience this is. An emotional rollercoaster that leaves you drained and in awe at the sacrifice, utter carnage and futility of a conflict that killed millions of young men most of whom were only teenagers or in their twenties. Chemical weapons (chlorine gas) were first used here and they ushered in an arms race that lacked any moral or ethical consideration. Truly horrific.

It was hard enough taking all of this in but in the background something else was playing out rapidly. Earlier in the week the Saudis reached an agreement with Qatar and beIN Sports to allow broadcast of PL games in their country and pay compensation for alleged piracy of their TV rights. Commentators started speculating that this could be a game changer for the takeover and coupled with the threat of a CAT case put huge pressure on them to get the takeover agreed. When I left England on Tuesday the prospect of this happening quickly wasn’t in anyone’s thoughts. As we know though it quickly gathered pace and the speed caught everyone by surprise.

My ‘takeover day’ started with a tour of some of the memorials close to Ypres, all the while in the background I knew the takeover was starting to play out. In between visits to various Commonwealth grave yards (beautifully kept by the CWGC) and museums, I couldn’t resist a regular glance at my phone to see what was occurring back home. The guilt I felt doing this was awful as I felt I should be giving my full attention and thoughts to what was in front of me. A trip to Tyne Cot cemetery the largest Commonwealth grave yard in the world was particularly moving. On the walls surrounding it, the names of thousands of soldiers who had died were inscribed, including five I found with the surname Waters and one with my name, "J. Waters". Very sobering.

Next stop was the battle site of the famous Christmas Truce on 24/25th December 1914. Late on Christmas Eve, German soldiers were heard singing Christmas Carols. It must have been an eerie, surreal atmosphere after weeks of constant shelling and fighting. On Christmas Day they emerged from their trenches and walked across no-man’s-land and met with their British counterparts to exchange gifts , take photographs and most strange of all play an impromptu game of football. A little humanity, and mutual respect, and a friendly game of football. Normal human beings sharing in something they loved. I would like to think we didn’t lose on penalties on this occasion but sadly I think many that played that day would never return and a much greater loss occurred. This after all was just the start of the war. Truly humbling. The memorial pictured below was opened by Michel Platini in memory of this incredible event. I stood in front of it trying to take it all in and of course inevitably being reminded that things were happening back home with my club - another bout of guilt kicked in.

After a long emotional day we made our way back to Ypres in time for an early dinner and a drink before heading to the Menin Gate to watch and hear the last post being played. It has been played every day since 1926 - truly incredible and I was so impressed with the number of school children who stood there paying their respects.

Sat at the table my phone pinged - it was 5.21pm (6.21pm in Belgium) - ‘it’s done!’ was the message. At this point I felt like falling to bits. On the one hand I had just had one of the most sad emotional experiences of my life and then suddenly my mood lurched in the opposite direction and I was absolutely euphoric at the thought that the club I love had been rescued from the worst owner we have ever had (and by God we have had some bad ones). Dinner finished, we headed for the Menin Gate, my head absolutely scrambled with mixed emotions. If you have never been I urge you to try and make it one day, I think everyone should experience it. For those who don’t get there some pictures and video below will give you a flavour.

So there we are. A day I will never forget, like the day Jack Kennedy was shot or John Lennon died. I will always remember the 7th October 2021. Every time I think of my trip to Ypres/Passchendaele I will also remember the long awaited takeover of my club. Conversely when I think of the takeover my mind will be cast back to Passchendaele. They are now inextricably linked memories and, you know what, despite the guilt I felt at the time, that may be a good thing as neither will be easily forgotten.

Here’s to a bright, exciting future for the Toon. Buckle up and enjoy the ride. Cheers!

HWTL 🤍🖤🤍🖤🤍

John Waters

(aged 66 and a half)

Stop Press: I had to take a PCR test on return from Belgium. Thankful I have just found out the result was negative so I am free to attend the Spurs game on Sunday 😅