Manchester United News Blog

Is a covenant Worth the Paper It Is Written on?

noreply@blogger.com (googiggoo) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:00:08 PST

There has been a lot of talk about contracts in the news lately particularly in the world of football. That's nothing new, after all, I have in the new past talked about contracting issues in a previous blog.

So, in a week when we saw Gordon Strachan tear his covenant up and walk away from the Manager's job at Middlesborough Football club and Wayne Rooney refusing to sign a new covenant at Manchester United, you can't help but ask the question, Is a covenant worth the paper it is written on?

The Encarta dictionary Uk version defines a covenant as a formal or legally binding agreement, e.g. One for the sale of property, or one setting out terms of employment". But what does this definition actually mean, and why in spite of this definition, can parties disregard their contracts without seemingly too much repercussions?

A more detailed definition of covenant found in the free reserved supply thefreedictionary.com defines a covenant as:

an business transaction with exact terms between two or more persons or entities
in which there is a promise to do something
in return for a considerable advantage known as consideration

The existence of a covenant is evidenced by the following factors:

an offer;
an acceptance of that offer which results in a meeting of the minds;
a promise to perform;
a considerable observation (which can be a promise or cost in some form);
a time or event when doing must be made (meet commitments);
terms and conditions for performance, along with fulfilling promises;
performance.

Contracts, terms of reference, agreements anyone name is given to the process, has always been at the heart of most enterprise relationship. Indeed, in days gone by, businesses used to covenant on the gentleman's handshake. The parties would discuss and agree terms and actually shook hands and the deal would be done. It is engaging to note that people did actually honour their words then much more than they do now. Could this be because they had better working relationships then?

So, what is the essence of the covenant in this scenario?

Wayne, you play for Manchester United, scoring millions of goals every season, and in return Manchester United will pay you millions of pounds every season for playing for them. Well, that's the simplistic view, because in the real world, the terms of these types of contracts will be quite detailed.

Furthermore, there would approximately actually be an option open to both parties to renew the contract. Wayne in refusing to enter into further covenant negotiations with Manchester United is presumably exercising this option citing the following reasons:

Manchester United lacks ambition in not signing star players to the club
It is all about winning trophies and because of the lack of venture in star players and despite his best efforts (he was the Club's highest scoring player last year) they haven't been winning sufficient trophies.

But are these reasons sufficient for him to refuse to renew his covenant with the club? Well, if these two things were actually part of his personal covenant with Manchester United, and if it can be proven that Manchester United has actually reneged on these issues, then we could argue that he is not in breach of his contract.

But the word on the road is that there has been a falling out between Wayne and Sir Alex Ferguson. And this is the bit that interests me most, and which I would like to examine further as the whole world knows that no one messes with Sir Alex.

You see, increasingly, in business, it is all about the relationships between parties in businesses. nurture your enterprise relationships and contracts need not be such a thorny issue. If we correlate Rooney's situation with that of Gordon Strachan of Middlesbrough Football club, we can deduce straight away that there must have been a very good relationship between the parties. They were both able to sit down, negotiate and resolve their differences without reference to the contract! No news conferences! No collective squabble. In today's litigious world, that is truly remarkable.

This brings me to believe that the problems between Wayne and Manchester United might actually expand beyond the terms of their covenant and may in fact be attributed to relationship issues. Is there a power struggle between the parties? If there is, who will win the Pr battle in the end, but that is someone else story.

Notwithstanding contracts that would have been drawn up by some of the best lawyers in the country, the parties seemed to be heading for a stalemate. Rooney dug his heels in and Sir Alex insisted that Manchester United had done nothing wrong, and that Rooney should more or less stop being ungrateful. The odds were on as to where Rooney would be peddling his football come January 2011.

But before I could even finish writing the article, the situation changed and there was a faultless turnaround. Rooney and Sir Alex were posing for the cameras because Rooney had just signed a new covenant to stay at Manchester United for someone else 5 years. Hooray!

Now we will never know the full stories until the autobiographies are published, but I can warrant that somewhere along the line there was a clandestine meeting between the parties where they kissed and made up. You see, at the end of the day, it is all about the relationships. Having a good relationship with your clients is worth far more than the paper that your covenant is written on! Time and again we see that where relationships have irretrievably broken down, it can sometimes be very difficult to restore these relationships even where vast sums of money are complex as parties come to be entrenched in their positions.

So all might be blissful in the Rooney/ManU camp at the moment, but I can't help but wonder, for how much longer.

My question for you my readers is: what kind of relationship do you have with your clients, suppliers and contacts, is your covenant worth the paper it is written on? Drop me a line and let me know your thoughts.

Sources of information:

The Encarta dictionary Uk

legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com

Read my previous blog on contracting issues.

Is a covenant Worth the Paper It Is Written on?

Michael Owen Fan Club DV To USB Cables

2010 Fifa World Cup - Can England Or Spain Win?

noreply@blogger.com (googiggoo) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:00:07 PST

It has been 4 years since the last Fifa World Cup and it has been 4 years for English and Spanish supporters request the same question, "Will England or Spain win the 2010 World Cup?" Well Spain seems like a likely candidate after they captured the 2008 European Championship. However, under the guidance of Fabio Capello can England take the tournament?

England has a talented squad with the likes of Wayne Rooney at striker, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard at mid-field and John Terry in defence. They have a solid team from defence to mid-field. Even without the likes of David Beckham the mid-field is strong. However, when you look at their depth at the striker position, they are thin. Rooney is the only striker of top calibre. Playing for Manchester United, Rooney has proven himself as an elite striker. However, when you look at his substitutes you have Pete Crouch and Jermain Defoe from Tottenham and Emile Heskey from Aston Villa. Tottenham did terminate fourth, just ahead of Liverpool in the English Premier League, however many critics have claimed that they were quite fortunate and will not fair well next season and will fall to sixth or seventh like they should have this season. Without more elite strikers at their disposal, England will be hard pressed to win the World Cup.

For Spain they too have a very talented squad, with David Villa and Fernando Torres at striker, Cesc Fabregas and Xabi Alonso at mid-field. All are returning to the squad from their triumph in the 2008 European Championship. They are looking to add the Fifa World Cup to their accolades. However, they have to overcome injuries to key players. Torres is coming back from knee surgery. They are trying to bring him back gradually. However, he will need to play in order for Spain to factor into the tournament. Also the health of Cesc Fabregas is in question. Fabregas suffered a fracture to his leg in the quarterfinals of the Uefa Champions League and has been working hard in getting back fitness to take part in Spain's occasion match against Switzerland. Without Torres or Fabregas, Spain will be hard pressed to win the tournament.

When comparing the teams head to head, Spain has a good occasion than England. However, in the Fifa World Cup whatever can happen. That is what makes the tournament so exciting. In just over a month we will find out if England or Spain win the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

2010 Fifa World Cup - Can England Or Spain Win?

Magnetic Encoder Fundamentals

Your 1000 Day foresight

noreply@blogger.com (googiggoo) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:00:07 PST

"You are not given a dream without the capacity to make it a reality.. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull.

This piece is about choosing where you are going to be in 1000 days (i.e., three year's time). Before you skeptics come up with your "yeah, buts," let me say that part of me agrees with you! I'm commonly wary about the idea of having a grand plan knowing that plans and reality can be very different. Real life can sometimes turn out to be much great than our plans! But the idea behind this piece is to recognize key areas in your life and to of course visualise what you want in them. After all, this is about looking at who you would like to be 1000 days from now and production your fantasies a reality.

Step 1

The first part of this is of course writing down all the amazing, remarkable ambitions you have for various parts of your life. This is the first part of production them real. It may take a consolidate of days to do this. The end of a holiday is an excellent time to do this; the chances are you will feel relaxed, unavoidable and more open to change. Then pick a quiet place to do this by yourself. Get some blank paper or open a new file on your computer. Then pick a page for each of the following areas: Career, Relationships, Money, Spirituality/Meaning, Health, Personal or whatever areas you want to originate goals in. Write the heading at the top of each page. Then close your eyes and fantasise about what you of course of course want in each of these areas of your life. Write them in a series of bullet points. Leave the "yeah, buts" at the door. There will be time to look at them later! Then just write and write about what your ideals/fantasies would be under each of these areas. For example, under vocation you want to be earning 150,000 a year, running your own business, being a manager. Under personal goals, you could have that you want to visit Egypt. Do not censor yourself. Allow yourself to write for 10 minutes for each of these headings. Read them back and see what hops up. Now leave them for a while.

Step 2

The next step is to re-visit your goals and see what of course grabs you. Now, re-organise your goals by 1 year, 2 year and 3 year headings. (This is easier to do in a computer file but if you have it on paper; use an additional one sheet for these headings). You should now have a clear set of goals grouped by heading and timeline. At this stage you may conclude to add, delete or amend these goals.

Step 3

For each of the headings (money, relationships etc) you have chosen, take one goal in each of the year brackets and then conclude what is the next step you can take to begin production them a reality. One delightful thing about doing this rehearsal is that it is practically as if the universe conspires with you to help! It also helps to be open to the way this could come about. I did this rehearsal about 2 months ago and one of the things I had on my list was having a makeover. I recently met a woman who does this sort of work and it turns out that we were able to barter our skills! This now means that both of us get to accomplish a goal without it costing us a penny. Those of you that had your "yeah, buts" now get a occasion to rehearsal your sceptic muscle! Do a reality check on these goals. If you are over 40 and have hardly ever exercised, it is unlikely you will get picked to play for Manchester United...but there's no conjecture why you couldn't join an over-40's football team!

Step 4 - retention It Real

No doubt when you do this rehearsal at the beginning, you will be full of enthusiasm but it's very easy for our most secret and dearest hopes and ambitions to get swallowed up in the rush of daily living. Therefore, this last step is the most crucial in some ways. Write down your goals and keep them near you, at your computer, by your bedside...somewhere where you are constantly reminded of them. Only pick 3-4 as more will probably seem remarkable and make a decision to take some operation (no matter how small) to production them a reality. Do not get too fixed on the exact nature of your goal. For example, if you desire to meet the man/woman of your dreams and then meet a great man who happens to earn less than you or is living 50 miles away, don't immediately dismiss them! Your foresight is something that needs to be revisited every 3-6 months. Set aside time in your diary to revisit, re-evaluate and re-write your goals. Enlist the reserve of a friend or a coach to keep you on track. On the other hand, don't be surprised to find that some of your goals have come true practically readily once you take the time to write them down and think about them. As Walt Disney said "if you can dream it, you can do it!" Go for it!

Your 1000 Day foresight

Wireless Network Repeater

Manchester United - One of the World's Most predominant Football Clubs

noreply@blogger.com (googiggoo) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:47:08 PST

Manchester United Football Club play at Old Trafford, Manchester and are one of the most recognised names in world football.

Club legacy - Formed as Newton Heath L&Yr F.C. In 1878 they changed their name to Manchester United in 1902. They also changed their strip from green and gold to the red and white colours that they wear today.

One of the club's most illustrious managers in the 20th Century was Matt Busby. He became boss in 1945 and led them to league championship titles in 1952,1956,1957. They became the first English club to play in the European Cup and reached the semi-finals where they were beaten by the Spanish team Real Madrid.

The Munich Air Disaster- In 1958 tragedy struck. The team were travelling back from a European Cup match in Munich when their plane crashed on take off. Eight of the team were killed. Matt Busby survived and set about rebuilding his team. They won the Fa Cup in 1963 and league titles in 1665 and 1967. Then in 1968 Manchester United won the European Cup beating Benfica 4 - 1 in the final at Wembley becoming the first ever English Club to win the competition.

Treble Winning Year - One of the most memorable years in the club's up-to-date history was 1999 when they won the treble - the Premier League, the Fa Cup and the European Champions League. The Champions League Final was played at the Nou Camp, Barcelona where Manchester United famously came back from 1-0 down to beat Bayern Munich 2-1 with an injury time winner.

In 2008 they again won the Champions League beating Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after playing out a 1-1 draw in Moscow.

Manchester United are the most flourishing ever Premier League club having won the title an foreseen, 11 times since it was formed in the 1992/93 season under the leadership of boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

Premier League Titles

1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009

Manchester United - One of the World's Most predominant Football Clubs

Chelsea FC Goals Portsmouth FC Goals Clip

Get the Best Value Office Rentals at Tameside

noreply@blogger.com (googiggoo) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:46:59 PST

If you want your business to succeed, then it is considerable that you incorporate of getting good office premises before anyone else. Your office space and its location is what will draw the consumers and your clients to your business. If your office is placed out of the way then chances are most would not like to tour a long length and would probably determine down for something closer at hand to save the transportation or the delivery costs, even though it is a bit inferior. Your office should be placed in an area that is frequented by the population of the business world, so that more and more population come to know about it. In addition, Tameside is one such location that has grown to be the one of the busiest industrial and business centers of Uk.

Hyde Park House business Center: They are excellent office- space rental organization and their offices are spectacular and low priced at the same time. They believe in giving capability assistance and that is not compromised by the rates. If you take up office space from them then you will automatically be able to avail services like office cleaning, car parking, fax and photocopying, catering, along with high end conferencing facilities and round the clock safety services. So if you are taking up places here, then you can be literally tension free about the daily maintenance and incorporate fully on your business. This is an added advantage for those who have newly shifted to the area and do not know much about the details from where they should start looking for these services.

Tameside business Park: whether you business is big or small, you can always find suitable office space here. The sizes of the spaces start from as low as 200sq feet, which is suitable for a studio or just for storehouse purposes and goes up to grand scale of 10,000 sq feet office suites. The park is placed on the eastern fringes of Manchester, so the close nearnessy to the city, which is very well associated by roads and rail is the biggest advantage this place has. There are separate industrial units and the buildings are all fitted with the newest amenities that you can imagine. Add to that, superb office services and maintenance staff and you have exactly what it takes to have a great pro environment.

Therefore, it is obvious that Tameside is one of the best places to get office premises. And once you set up your new office here, you will soon see a marked revising in your business.

Get the Best Value Office Rentals at Tameside

Watch Free Pro Wrestling USB Cable iPod Parallel To USB Cables