'Over the past couple of weeks, I am aware that I have become the subject of a smear campaign, designed to unsettle our club. As such I am writing to you, the supporters, to explain exactly what is happening.
The truth is that the allegations are baseless and are the result of a small group intent on spreading lies about me.
Unfortunately the sad fact is that Journalists are paid to write stories, and when there is nothing to write about they sometimes resort to just making up whatever they think will sell. This is particularly true of the third rate amateurs that have recently produced sub-standard articles in both the Guardian and the Mail.
Ironically, the Mail printed untrue lies about me last year, so I took legal action, and they immediately admitted to libel, apologised, and paid me a large sum of money and full legal costs to which I donated to one of my favourite Cancer Charities, the Sue Ryder Organisation. I will be taking serious legal action once more against the Guardian and the Mail in the coming days and the good news is that the result will be more money coming to Sue Ryder's great charity.
For the sake of clarity, I will explain the situation. I made some of my money through the building and selling of Real Estate, and I set up a company a decade ago called MRI. This company went onto sell over 30,000 homes throughout the world in 19 different countries.
When I bought the Posh in 2006, I backed away from MRI to dedicate my time to football, and to obtaining success on the pitch. Even though I was not involved day to day with MRI, I left the company in good hands of people who ensured that MRI never sold any property to anyone without the intention that it would be delivered on time, and that the buyer would complete on it and enjoy their purchase.
However, when the recession started to bite a couple of years ago, the property market, like the stock market, and countless other markets, suffered badly. Most Real Estate companies (particularly in the Overseas Market) went to the wall leaving clients high and dry. I could name dozens who did that. MRI never did that. Even though I was no longer involved with MRI day to day, I contributed a lot of my personal funds to the company to help as many clients as possible.
There were clients who had forfeited properties because of severe terminal illnesses in their family, to whom I gave their money back. There were others who could not afford to furnish their properties and I helped them out - but of course the Media never want to print those types of stories. Good news doesn't sell newspapers.
Many clients could not get mortgages to complete on their properties because the banks had stopped lending, meaning that they defaulted on their contracts. MRI helped many of these clients by negotiating with developers on their behalf to either get them their money back, or move them to a different property.
The truth is though, that no matter how many good deeds you perform, there is always a small group that lost money in the boom and bust years out of pure greed. Overstretching themselves, and expecting someone else (namely me) to pick up the tab.
This small group recently decided to write in tandem to each of the newspapers in turn, and blame the entire downturn in the economy on me and MRI. The worst part is that many of these people actually owe MRI money for apartments that they built and the clients failed to complete on.
I am sure the same thing happens to many other companies, but the difference is, those companies are not necessarily associated with a football club, which makes everything so 'newsworthy'.
I know that this type of thing comes with the territory, and I am certainly not asking for sympathy. I am well able to defend myself, even when people resort to underhand smear campaigns. I will be taking action against each of the newspapers, and also against the MP who decided to try and garner a few extra votes by mentioning MRI in the House of Commons. Incidentally, the CEO of MRI wrote to the MP in question and asked him to explain his comments. Predictably, the MP had no answer, no evidence, and nothing to back up his story. It was exposed as a cheap attempt to gain some credibility on the 'big stage' for a little known Belfast MP.
As for comments about MRI being investigated by various regulatory bodies on the subject of fraud. I can tell you that MRI has never received even a single contact from the SFO or any other government body in any country regarding fraud. Any suggestion otherwise is false, and is utterly preposterous.
Recently, I am pleased to have received the support of the Cambridgeshire Police who have begun to actively pursue some of the leading members of a hate group that have threatened my safety, and that of my associates. In fact this very group and its members are the ones who have pushed these various stories to these newspapers day after day and bad mouthed me via forums throughout the Internet.
Most importantly, I am, and remain committed to Peterborough United Football Club. After two successful seasons, this current season has been awful for everyone at the club, and for you as supporters. Some say that 2 out of 3 isn't bad, but for me, it is. I am going to ensure we correct the situation.
There was a report in a newspaper that said that the club's debt has risen. The answer is yes, it has risen, because I have put more of my own money into the club! We even donated our shirt sponsorship to local charities for the second half of the season and turned down a multi-thousand pound sponsorship deal to do so. Let me once more assure our fans that I will be doing everything in my power to help push the manager and the team back to the Championship next season.
We are on a firm footing, and I now believe we have a manager that can steer us to continued success on the field.
I will conclude by saying thank you for your continued support. I am always pleased to get the dozens of emails I do every week letting me know that you are still behind me and the club, and I know you won't let a few poor Journalists dictate otherwise.'
Up the Posh!
Darragh.
