Peterborough United chairman ready to lawyer up and sue critics who 'lie' about the club's financial state
Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony has launched a double-barrelled broadside at critics of his financial handling of affairs at the Weston Homes Stadium.
The chairman has been angered by suggestions, mainly on social media, that he’s failing to re-invest cash made by big-money transfers into the team.
He’s also upset by alleged ‘irresponsible and reckless’ comments by legacy media about the overall state of the club’s finances.
MacAnthony is now prepared to lawyer up and sue anyone repeating the claims.
The chairman made a passionate response to the criticism on the latest edition of his ‘Hard Truth’ podcast.
"I heard some comments before the Wigan game that were both reckless and irresponsible,” MacAnthony said. “It was said we need to raise £5 million from player sales just to survive each season! I’m thinking 'what am I listening to?’ I mean call us out for playing crap and losing. I don’t mind taking pelters for that, but do not tell lies.
"I get annoyed because every time our accounts change with a bit more debt at Companies House certain people get alerts and then can’t wait to talk about it. Well last week we cleared £2 million of secured debt and I know those same people would have been alerted and yet they said nothing.
"For the last 20 years I’ve paid the bills. For the last 20 years I’ve bled for Peterborough United and people need to change the way they talk about me,
"No League One club has spent more than us in the last three transfer windows. We’ve spent a tremendous amount of money this summer and we’re still spending. I paid £300k for a new players just last weekend and yet I hear ‘the chairman is selling our best players and keeping all the money.’
“Well I am not taking it any more. I will sue the a*** off anyone making those comments. I will happily throw £200k down the drain on lawyers just to prove a point.
"You can say we spend some of the money badly. Throw that at me all day long and I would agree with you last summer, but I won’t agree with you this summer.
"We are aggressively going at it with transfers. We are signing some excellent long-term assets. We have not taken in millions and signed freebies, trlalists, vagabonds or people off the street. We have signed assets. Players who we think will become the next generation of stars.
"We are a really well-run football club.”
Posh signed Accrington Stanley midfielder Ben Woods over the weekend.