The Peterborough United chairman has had several high-profile dealings with his ex-Nottingham Forest counterpart.
Former Nottingham Forest owner Fawaz Al Hasawi
Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony delivered a witty response when asked for a few words about the departing Nottingham Forest owner Fawaz Al Hasawi.
Al Hasawi sold his stake in the Reds to Greek ship owner Evangelos Marinakis on Thursday, ending a turbulent five-year reign.
In that time, the Kuwaiti had several high-profile dealings with MacAnthony’s Peterborough, such as Britt Assombalonga’s 2014 switch to the City Ground, which led to Forest being slapped with a transfer embargo over a missed payment.
However, another memorable incident occurred 18 months earlier, when then Posh midfielder George Boyd looked to be heading to Trentside, only for the Reds to pull out at the 11th hour – blaming a failed eye test.
Burnley midfielder George Boyd [right]
As quoted by the Daily Telegraph earlier this month, Peterborough director of football Barry Fry explained: “The owner [Al Hasawi] wouldn’t sanction it. Alex McLeish [the then Forest manager] came on to apologise and we later found out it was the manager who replaced him a few weeks later, Billy Davies, who didn’t want Boyd.”
And MacAnthony’s message read:
Forest narrowly avoided joining Peteborough in next season’s League One, with a final day win against Ipswich Town keeping them up on goal difference.
However, Marinakis has vowed to restore stability to the club, which he believes belongs in “the elite of the Premier League” [BBC Sport].
Is Marinakis really any better than Al Hasawi for Nottingham Forest?
New Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis [centre]
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