This fella seems like quite the prick
Everton have written to Garry Cook, the Manchester City chief executive, to demand an explanation following an incident in which he had a stand-up row with a guest of the Goodison Park club who was watching the 2-0 victory of David Moyes’ team from the directors’ box at Eastlands on Wednesday.
George Downing, a successful businessman who is well respected on Merseyside, is understood to be furious at his treatment by Cook.
City, though, are bemused at his and Everton’s reaction to the episode and are denying any wrong-doing from their chief executive, believing that he was merely reacting to Downing’s behaviour, which they claim was inappropriate.
The Eastlands club are asserting that near the end of the match Downing joined the Everton supporters singing of their impending victory while still in the directors’ box. City claim he directed at least one chorus of this at Cook, though this is denied.
Everton, meanwhile, are claiming that it was Cook who initiated the spat and City sources say that he was within his rights to challenge Downing.
After the game Downing is alleged to have continued to the chairman’s suite at the stadium. Cook, it is claimed, was not present at this point but one of his party decided to ask Downing to leave. It is claimed that Cook subsequently had a cordial drink with the Everton chairman, Bill Kenwright, and his wife, following the alleged altercation with Downing, which has added to City’s bemusement at Everton demanding an explanation.
Downing, however, is said to be demanding an apology from the chief executive and is prepared otherwise to take his grievance to the highest level at City by complaining to Sheikh Mansour, the club’s billionaire owner.
Both Everton and City are confident they have at least 20 witnesses who can corroborate their view of the episode. Ian Ross, Everton’s head of media, told the Guardian: “I can confirm that I have written to Mr Cook asking for his observations regarding the incident.”
Cook, a former Nike executive before he joined City, has developed a habit of occasionally wandering off-record. He infamously claimed that Milan had “bottled it” when the deal to take Kaka to Eastlands fell through in January 2009.
At a 60th anniversary dinner for the Official Supporters Club last November Cook inducted the former City favourite, Uwe Rösler, to the club’s hall of fame by saying: “I’d like to welcome Uwe Rösler into the Manchester United Hall of Fame”, which caused watching fans at the gala dinner to boo him furiously.
