In a world of chasing the BIG BUCKS $$$, INTEGRITY still counts for something....

I was fortunate to be living in Cape Town in the years leading up to and during the FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 - the first world cup to be held on African soil.

As a passionate soccer, I mean football, man it was always going to be an exciting time for me but to witness first hand the effect it had on my family, the country of South Africa, the continent of Africa and on internationals visiting South Africa.

At that time I became an investor and Executive Director in a Football Talent Search TV show with a select few high profile co-investors and Directors including Brian Barwick (former CEO of The English FA) & Keith Young MBE (a serial Entrepreneur of note).

Our TV show was in a partnership with the world's leading Reality TV producers Freemantle Media (Got Talent, Idols, etc) and with Liverpool FC.

It was designed to find football's next top talent from developing football nations with the 16/17/18 year old winners earning a one year placement in Liverpool FC's academy - truly a prize that money can't buy.

We had early success in China with the first season attracting a viewing audience of 130million ??

I met some amazing people and heard some amazing stories.

Highlights included my meetings with Francois Pienaar (former Springboks Captain from 1995 with Nelson Mandela.... Surely you'll have seen the images with Mr Mandela wearing Francois' no. 6 jersey) and a car lift I gave to Football TV commentator Jim Rosenthal during the FIFA World Cup 2010.

I gave it EVERYTHING including money I could NOT afford to lose at the time.... which caused an awful lot of stress within my family.

However we struggled to get new deals done and the financials were starting to look really bad. As a result a board meeting was called for late 2010 in Manchester.

The board was comprised of six Executive Directors and the Board meeting that day was a tough one. The two founding Directors were passionate in their belief about us being close to turning a corner and wanted more money to be invested to see us through to that point. Whilst the other four Directors (including Brian, Keith and myself) had lost confidence in the two founding Directors. The meeting adjourned without any resolutions on a way forward and it was a tense situation.

Us four non-founder Directors convened a conference call in the days that followed to try to figure out a way forward. It seemed there was appetite from at least one of the Directors to invest further IF Brian and myself were appointed to take sole charge (something the two founding Directors had vehemently resisted at the Board meeting).

As we reviewed the financials and forecasts from the two founding Directors, it seemed apparent to me the business was in danger of continuing to trade without any confidence it could meet its financial obligations. There were employees to think of back in Manchester who could shortly be without an end of month salary.

I really wanted this to work and I mean REALLY and I couldn't afford to lose my financial investment either.

?? I N T E G R I T Y ??

Then it KICKED in (? - sorry couldn't resist - humour helps keep me sane)..... my INTEGRITY that is (thanks Mum & Dad).

I advised the three non-founding Directors we were in imminent danger of wrongful trading.

So, with little hesitation, we collectively agreed to appoint an Administrator as this was the only right and proper thing to do to ensure staff got paid and hopefully also Creditors got paid at least something.

BANG... that was it. GAME OVER, Investment lost, no prospect of continuing.

It was a tough time but life lessons learned and more stories/experiences to utilise and pass on in the future.

In looking back on this, I have no regrets.

I gave it EVERYTHING.

Financially it didn't work out.

But there was one huge positive as, since then, and still to this day, I have myself a confidant and best friend in Keith Young MBE.

So on reflecting further, my take on all this is that INTEGRITY counts for everything.?

I believe we should all work hard to preserve and maintain INTEGRITY at all times and then demonstrate it whenever we can and even in the most trying of times......

..... because INTEGRITY can also lead to BIG BONUSES just like I have received every year for the last 10 years through my friendship with Keith.

#integrity

#lovefootball

China TV promo link: https://youtu.be/EHXxgXMz8rE