“ANFIELD EXPOSED”: money-grubbing wannabe author plans to drag LFC thru’ the mud

by Rupert Insider

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LETS LOOK AT THE FACTS BEFORE WE DEAL WITH THE FANTASY

Fact 1 – The title of the book is “Anfield Exposed”. The cover shows the official LFC shield which is used without permission of the club.

Fact 2 – The author is Duncan Oldham – still a wannabe because he has not written it. Not even excerpts or quotes for marketing or advanced reviews.

Fact 3 – The publication date has been repeatedly postponed. In 2003 it was set for 2004, when that date passed it was postponed to 2005, then 2006. Now it’s 2007.

In the summer 2006, he admitted he had not written a word of it but it would take only “a few minutes” once he could find time from his busy schedule.

He promised an announcement for the first week of the 2006-2007 season but failed to make it.

In September he closed the free Koptalk sites to make room for “writing” – actually a euphemism to disguise the fact that 85% of the users had already abandoned his sites.

Recently he promised publication for December 2006. But a few days ago he pushed it back again to the end of the 2006-2007 season – in other words no sooner than May 2007.

This is what he wrote on Koptalk.com post number #1685842 – Sun Oct 29 2006 03:03 PM

“My book’s out this season and I’m looking forward to you reading the last chapter if everything goes to plan over the next few months”

Fact 4 – He is a money-grubber. From the moment he first announced the scheme until and including today, a period of three years, he has used his bedroom based website, to request advanced orders. He wants a “deposit” of ₤5 against an open-ended full price which he suggested may be ₤10 or more.

(Click here for his request for deposits – we have taken screen shots in case he pulls it).

In July of this year he claimed that on the basis of the number of deposits he has received the first run would be 20,000 copies (for a potential minimum sale of ₤200,000). Subsequent runs would depend on demand.

He also used the claims he made for the book on his site to convince people that he has a close relationship with LFC, its executives, players and ex-players and specialist LFC journalists. He claims that Anfield legends like Kenny Dalglish and Robbie Fowler will be buying the book.

On the basis of those false claims he sold memberships to his site at ₤30 each. In the summer he claimed 6,000 such memberships (at various prices). More recently he has trimmed this to “thousands”. Divide by ten and you will be nearer the truth.

Recommendation

If you have submitted a $5 deposit for this non-existent book you can demand repayment. If you don’t receive repayment immediately you should report the facts to the authority which is currently investigating complaints into the trading practices of Duncan Oldham and Koptalk.com:

Alan Burnett
Senior Trading Standards Officer
Environment, Regeneration & Housing
The Killingworth Site
PO Box 113
Killingworth
NE12 6WJ

Tel:0191-2192634 Fax:0191

-2192642
e-mail : alan.burnett@northtyneside DOT gov DOT uk ________________________________________________________

NOW LETS LOOK AT THE FANTASY

The wannabe author is a former office-cleaner and security- guard from Yorkshire who lives in Wallsend, near Newcastle. In 1999, desperate “to be a somebody” in the media he changed his name by deed-poll to “Mr Manchester United”.

When that failed to attract attention he attached himself to Usenet groups for supporters of Liverpool Football Club, changing his allegiance from Leeds United. He realised there were more LFC than Leeds supporters using the net – all potential marks for the illegal Sky and other satellite card scams that he carried on under the false name, Del Johnson, and for which he was investigated by:

Mark Lacey,Trading Standards, Standard House, 48, High Street, North Allerton, North Yorkshire DL7 8Y.

He had left a technology school at 16 years, with a low level of literacy. He begged readers of the Usenet group for a PC which he installed in his bedroom. Then he traded the email addresses of the Usenet users for a position at Koptalk – a website for LFC supporters started by a supporter. In time he wangled his way into taking over Koptalk. He never had any training or employment in journalism but immediately referred to himself as editor of the one-man website, then executive editor and now wannabe author and self-publisher.

The history of his site and especially of the phantom book should be enough to suggest that his claims for it are false.

What are those claims? Click here:

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* The CCTV footage of one of Anfield’s biggest stars that is locked away in a vault in the city. The media know it exists and offers of £50,000 have so far been rejected!

* Details of a threatening phone call from a Liverpool based journalist who warned about not publishing a certain article and how he begged for his identity not to be revealed on the site when the editor informed him he was going to publish his threats on KopTalk – the article was published!

* The national journos who wanted to rock the Anfield boat and how they wanted to do it

* The numerous requests to create fake transfer speculation from various people in the game

* What really happened the night before Robbie Fowler’s shock move to Leeds and why did KopTalk insist on the eve of that transfer that he was not leaving when we knew he was

* How the editor was swooped on at a bank when paying money into a VIP columnist’s bank account because they thought the account holder was laundering money!

* Every tale and experience relating to the suits that made attempts to buy KopTalk and the deals that were rejected. For the first time you’ll discover who made substantial offers and learn if Liverpool FC really did make an approach following rumours at the time

* You will learn how the editor begged solicitors to take him to court when they tried it on over the years

* Why the proposed share offer had to be withdrawn following in excess of £1million worth of applications

* The VIP apology from Anfield when a certain individual was trapped by the editor following a planned attack on the site

* The upsetting tale of how the editor was threatened to turn his back on the site’s passionate readers in return for financial incentives or face possible legal action in the courts – who would ask such a thing?

* A former Liverpool legend caught with his pants down in the editor’s house!

* The relationships formed with those at Anfield, those associated to the club and those in the national media

* Details of the threats put on the editor’s family for printing controversial articles and news items

* The columnist threatened with the sack if he continued to be associated to KopTalk

* The Liverpool players the editor desperately tried to protect and why

* Learn his true feelings about various subjects associated to the club and why he has them

* Why did Liverpool FC threaten to take his season tickets off him

PLUS much, much more!

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This blog will deal with some of these specific claims in greater detail in subsequent reviews of the phantom book.

In the meantime, if you are a newcomer to this blog, you might want to take a look at the tool bar at the top of the page especially 2. Summary.

If you are interested in finding an honest, LFC supporter’s site that is free, we recommend any of the unofficial sites listed under LFC Sites on the right of this page.

This blog takes in no revenues directly or indirectly.