Simon Jordan is known for his honesty about his role as a football club owner, which led to one of his former strikers coming under fire.
The The Pitch Prospect presenter became the youngest chairman of a Football League club when he bought his childhood club Crystal Palace in 2000 at the age of 32.
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Jordan was responsible for the Eagles’ promotion to the Premier League during his ten years at Selhurst Park until his retirement in 2010.
Despite numerous links with other clubs in recent years, the businessman insists that he will not become the owner of a football club again.
One player may be more responsible for that decision than any other, and Jordan had no doubts when asked about his worst signing at Palace.
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“Ade Akin Bad purchase [Akinbiyi]. He was just useless,” the White and Jordan host replied emphatically. “I wasted my time and money, and he wasted his own time.”
“The reality is how weak you can be when you say, ‘I don’t want to do that’ and get worn down by the manager’s processes. At some point you know something is wrong, but you do it anyway and then you’re surprised by the result.”
Akinbiyi was bought from Leicester City for a reported £2.2 million and the London-born Nigerian striker managed just three goals in 24 games.
When asked who was responsible for this disastrous transfer, Jordan distributed the blame evenly.
“It was the player, it was the manager and it was me,” he said.
“I should have said no, but the problem is that as the owner of a football club you either have to support him or fire him.
“I’m in a situation where this is my champion and he says he wants him. This guy looks damn useless to me and is going to cost me a fortune.”
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However, manager Trevor Francis prevailed and Akinbiyi became an Eagle. But Jordan already regretted the purchase.
He recalled hilariously: “I remember standing next to Eddie Jordan on a pier in the south of France.
“I looked at the boat he was buying and thought, ‘I could buy that boat if I didn’t buy that clown with the clubfoot who I know isn’t going to do me any good.’
“And that’s exactly what I ended up doing, and that’s what he showed. I didn’t get the boat or a decent player.”