Is our chief executive a United fan?Updated: December 20th, 2006
Exactly who does City’s chief executive, Alistair Mackintosh, support?
In November 2004 he gave an interview to the MEN, who were quite clear about his football allegiances:
Alistair, who grew up in Cheadle Hulme, supported City as a youngster and empathises with the fans.
Alistair attends every City match but, when the opportunity arises, can be found on the terraces supporting his other great footballing love, AFC Bournemouth.
So it was City when he was a young kid in Cheadle Hulme, then Bournemouth after his family moved to the New Forest. All pretty straightforward, except for this snippet I found in the McVittee newsletter from August 1999.
The Guardian newspaper has revealed the dark secret of City’s Finance Director Alastair Mackintosh. The truth emerged in an interview given by the accountant’s father to his local newspaper in Lymington, Hampshire. It seems that at the age of ten, Mackintosh, who joined the City board at the start of June, was the Manchester United mascot for a game against Stoke. Mackintosh’s board appointment coincided with a similar promotion for Chris Bird, and at the time much was made of Bird’s City-supporting credentials. Oddly enough, Mackintosh was a little more reticent about his own allegiances.
A City fan who was a Man United mascot? Hrmm…
Last October he gave another interview to Chamber magazine:
“My family were particularly impressed by my career choice as they are all ardent City fans,” Mackintosh told them.
But he failed to mention who he supported, and according to this story in the Daily Telegraph, his attendance at City games is a more recent phenomenon. Noting how empty the Maine Road directors’ box was looking following the resignations of David Bernstein and Chris Bird in 2003, the paper made this observation:
As for the finance director, Alistair Mackintosh, few people have ever seen him - in or out of the directors’ box.
Maybe he just had better things to do on a Saturday, like putting on a fedora hat, false nose and sunglasses and watching United play.
Alistair Mackintosh news archive
Nov 29 2001: Blues chiefs gag funny-man Manning (MEN)
Dec 24 2002: City announces boardroom reshuffle (MEN)
Feb 27 2003: Bird’s Blues exit sparks civil war (MEN)
Mar 05 2003: Blues in turmoil as Bernstein quits (MEN)
Mar 06 2003: Mystery meeting triggered upheaval (MEN)
May 19 2003: Wardle named City’s new chairman (MEN)
May 30 2003: Collapse won’t hurt City (MEN)
May 31 2003: Home sweet home for City (MEN)
Aug 08 2003: Cash boost for Blues (MEN)
Oct 22 2003: Split City rue missing out on Birch (The Guardian)
Dec 08 2003: City boost off-the-pitch team (MEN)
Dec 16 2003: Blues target Russia (MEN)
Feb 26 2004: City are putting out Red carpet (MEN)
Apr 12 2004: Red carpet for Blues billionaires (MEN)
Jun 15 2004: City’s US mission (MEN)
Sep 07 2004: Mr Money’s City job (MEN)
Sep 09 2004: Mackintosh wins Young Director of the Year award (Institute of Directors)
Nov 02 2004: Factfile: Alistair Mackintosh (MEN)
Nov 03 2004: The only way is up says Alistair (MEN)
Feb 07 2005: City: We won’t do a Leeds (MEN)
Jun 14 2005: Eastlands impresses UEFA (MEN)
Sep 30 2005: Blues exile hatches soccer city theme (MEN)
Oct 2005: Modern day City slicker (Chamber magazine)
Dec 16 2005: City: Blues pay the price for cheap tickets (MEN)
Mar 09 2006: Profile: Manchester City CEO Alistair Mackintosh (AccountancyAge)
Jun 14 2006: Makeover for training HQ (MEN)
Oct 07 2006: Wage bill must be justified with success (MEN)
More on the Mackintosh Mystery
I received an email yesterday from someone who had contacted the club over yesterday’s claims that chief executive Alistair Mackintosh was once a Man United mascot.
Mackintosh emailed him back to point out that the original piece in The Guardian was inaccurate, and that he was actually a mascot for Stoke City for a game against United.
What hasn’t been cleared up is why the MEN claimed Mackintosh was a City fan as a youngster, when he himself has never made that claim.
Mackintosh also pointed out that he has been to every City home and away game in the last seven years. Which makes me wonder where the author of this story from the Daily Telegraph got his information from.