Sacked Dundee manager Gordon Chisholm kept his promise to tell his side of the story last night.
Chisholm painted a picture of chaos behind the scenes as the Dark Blues moved from being a promising project for him and assistant boss Billy Dodds in March, to the devastation of administration last week.
In the firing line were former benefactor Calum Melville, former chairman Bob Brannan, director George Knight and chief executive Harry MacLean.
Chisholm tracked events from the day he and Dodds came in to replace Jocky Scott and Ray Farningham, to Friday, when the management pair and 11 others including nine players were axed as administrator Bryan Jackson took control.
He revealed how early hope turned into frustration and disillusionment in two months.
“I met Bob Brannan, Calum Melville, Ian Bodie (now former director) and George Knight at Bodie’s house to discuss the job,” said Chisholm.
“I was told that even if we didn’t get promotion there would be funds available to build the following season,” he added.
“The club had been spending money on players and I was left in no doubt that it would continue.
“They told me I would be able to build a team to win promotion.Ridiculous”That is why Billy and myself decided to go there, not for money reasons for ourselves some of the things that have been said about our wages are ridiculous but to work with good players and have a chance to build something.”
Chisholm added, “Indeed, Doddsy took a wage cut to come to the club, but within two months the cracks started to appear.
“Bob Brannan stood up at a supporters’ dinner and announced he was stepping down as chairman.
“Twenty minutes later, Calum Melville got up from the table and walked out.”
According to Chisholm, he made attempts to contact both men, only to be ignored.
“During the summer I made numerous phone calls to Brannan and Melville to find out what money was available to bring players in,” he said.
“I phoned, left messages and sent texts but nobody got back to me.
“When you are leaving messages and they just don’t get back to you that is when you realise you are wasting your time.
“So I eventually gave up and went on holiday, hoping that by the time I got back things would have changed.”No clear strategyHowever, the situation wasn’t any better on his return and he was left with no clear strategy going into the new season.
“There was still no communication so I didn’t have a clue where I was pitching in the transfer market,” he said.
“I didn’t know who I could sign and because of that I was getting guys on trial during the season without even knowing if I could offer them deals.
“That is not the way I work.
“I wanted the backbone of the team in place for the start of pre-season but instead I was left signing guys on a Friday before games.
“By that time my only point of contact was Harry MacLean, who at that time was working on the commercial side.
“Right at the end of the transfer window, Calum Melville told me I could sign two strikers and he would be personally responsible for them.
“I signed David Witteveen from Hearts and had a deal lined up for Michael Paton from Aberdeen, but then Melville pulled the funding for that one.”
“It was a few days after he promised me the money to bring strikers in.
“There was no structure. You didn’t know what was going to happen from one day to the next.
“Everything was manic.
“The amazing thing was a few days later, I heard Melville was asking why we were trying to sign players when the tax bill hadn’t been paid.”
Chisholm said he saw trouble after a meeting with Brannan and then fans’ rep Knight at the end of the season-two months after taking the job during which he was advised to look for a job opportunity elsewhere.
“I got rid of 16 players because I had been told the funding would be there to rebuild the squad but Bob Brannan then told me I was still over budget,” said Chisholm.
“He came to see me with George Knight and apologised, saying that he wouldn’t blame me if I started looking for something else because the job wasn’t the one that had been offered to me.
“That was in May, two months after arriving at the club.
“Brannan just washed his hands of us and there was no contact after that until last Saturday morning (the day after the axe fell) when he texted me.
“He has asked me to get the sacked players together with myself and Billy so he can speak to us but as far as I am concerned the damage has been done.
“I will never forgive him for washing his hands of us just two months after bringing us to the club.Audacity”Now he’s got the audacity to text me and ask to come to my house.”
Chisholm claimed Knight did not speak up because, like the others, he was worried Melville would walk away if he did.
“George Knight was put on the board to make sure something like this didn’t happen,” he said.
“He is the one man who should have been standing up and saying, ‘Wait a minute, this is not right.’
“His job was to let the fans know what was going on and he didn’t do it.
“He is a nice guy and down to earth but they all got blinded by Calum Melville’s money.”
Chisholm claimed directors with the exception of Bodie, who was to retire from the board did what Melville asked of them as they feared upsetting the Aberdonian and risking his pulling the financial plug.
“The whole thing was built around keeping Calum Melville sweet,” he added.
“He was the man and the board all danced around him. Everything he said made them all jump to attention.
“They were frightened to upset him because there was always the threat that he would pull out.
“What he said went. It was his way or no way. He did what he wanted and was allowed to do what he wanted.Worried”They were worried that he was losing interest and all hoping that after he got over the disappointment of missing out on promotion it would come back.
“Harry (MacLean) and I went to his house (in May). I took a list of players and their CVs with me. This was my chance to sell it to him and keep him interested.
“This is after the meeting where Bob Brannan had said I was over budget.
“It was a massive worry beforehand that he was thinking of pulling out.
“I had to go up there and talk him into retaining his interest.
“Also, Ian Bodie wasn’t happy with the way things were being run.
“He said he couldn’t work with Calum Melville.
“Ian is a lovely guy who is very straight. That is why he was so upset at what was going on.
“The whole board were not happy with the way it was going but they all knew about it.
“But none of them could win against Calum.”
On Melville’s announcement he was offering his resignation from the board on September 20 came the first mention-by himself- of possible administration.
The run-up to Jackson being appointed last week was badly handled by the club according to Chisholm, who claimed chief executive MacLean sought permission to speak to players Barry Smith and Matt Lockwood three days before they, accompanied by Robert Douglas, took over from Chisholm and Dodds.
He said, “A week before the administrator was appointed it was in the press that myself, Doddsy and 10 players were going to be sacked.
“It was leaked to the press by someone but Harry denied it.
“The following Tuesday I was in my office and he (MacLean) came in. He asked to speak to Barry Smith and Matt Lockwood.
“I asked why he wanted to speak to them and he said that things didn’t look too good for me and Doddsy.
“I then asked him if he knew what the administrator was saying but he said no, he was just making plans.
“I just told him that, as far as I was concerned, until I am told differently I am in charge.
“I told him that if he wanted to go ahead and talk to players, organising things for Saturday, then sack me now.Outrage”It was an outrage and I wasn’t happy. I was raging about it.
“Don’t get me wrong, I knew that as soon as the administrator came in it wouldn’t be good for myself and Billy but the way the whole thing has been handled is a disgrace.”
Chisholm may have taken no prisoners as regards those in charge at Dundee during his tenure but he wished the club as a whole well, particularly the supporters.
“I feel sorry for the fans because they have done enough for the club over the years,” he said.
“They deserve better than they have had from the board.
“Barry Smith has got the job now and will be working under difficult circumstances so I wish him luck.”