The next day, Richard resud his daily routine at Maine Road, just as usual, following the dramatic draw against Leeds United.
After arriving at his office, he began reviewing his notes when he suddenly heard a knock on the door.
It was Jimmy Rouse — the current head of the Team Liaison Office and also the kit manager.
When Richard saw him, he was a bit taken aback. He initially thought it must be about the ongoing jersey issues with Umbro. But unexpectedly, Rouse brought up sothing completely different.
"You need to see this first," Rouse said.
Richard rarely bothered with newspapers—not because there was nothing to read, but because there was simply too much. Despite the absence of a dedicated football publication in the UK, football news flooded the pages of both major and minor newspapers alike.
From match reports to locker-room gossip, from tabloid speculation about players’ futures to wildly exaggerated headlines, the sheer volu made it nearly impossible to separate fact from fiction.
On top of that, Richard had little patience for the notoriously low editorial standards of the British press. He had long since stopped wasting ti on sensationalism. These days, he only skimd BBC headlines over als. For anything truly important—especially when it ca to football—he relied either on his own judgnt or on soone else to bring it to his attention.
When Richard saw the title of the article, he wasn’t expecting much—there was no real substance in the content, just a recap of the referee’s ruling on the two disallowed goals from yesterday.
But then he saw sothing so outrageous that even he—casually sipping his orange juice while reviewing notes—choked and sputtered, spraying juice onto the table. He hadn’t expected that kind of headline to co out of the City vs. Leeds post-match press conference.
"We were raped!"
The word "raped" was in enlarged font, in black and bold.
Richard was already familiar with how the match had unfolded, but seeing it described through soone else’s words gave him a different perspective. And after reading what the dia had written, Richard almost cursed.
Things were not looking so good. Richard couldn’t understand how the reporters had managed to fill the premium section with coverage of City vs. Leeds United.
The dia had mixed opinions about the incident. So said it was no big deal—that special circumstances required special treatnt. But others criticized the City caretaker’s remarks as irresponsible and unprofessional.
Richard picked up the newspaper and began reading it carefully.
And then he saw it...
"...City had good reason to believe their team had been raped by the referees and the Football Association..."
Well, it was ti to call in John Robertson for a chat.
Fifteen minutes later—
"I didn’t say anything bad about the FA!" Robertson defended himself, furious after seeing the outrageous coverage.
Richard nodded at this and continued reading.
’...Our reporter spoke with an official from the Football Association’s refereeing departnt, who confird that the FA is currently reviewing the incident and the match footage, and therefore cannot offer a definitive statent at this ti. However, he did remark that the use of the word ’rape’ was clearly inappropriate. Later, we interviewed the match referee, Mr. Winter, who firmly stood by his decisions, stating there was nothing wrong with his judgnt on the key incidents in question...’
"Then there’s nothing we can do right now," Richard said as he shook his head.
He already knew where this was heading: a hearing.
Just like that ti when he suddenly found himself in trouble with both the FA and UEFA—so much so that he had to take them to the European Court of Justice to get justice. For now, Robertson’s case was still just dia speculation, not an official summons from the FA. So, there was nothing they could do yet. Better to focus on the next match instead.
"What about the next fixture? Are you confident?"
Manchester United.
It was ti for revenge.
After being humiliated by their city rivals last season, this upcoming match was more than just another fixture—it was personal. Naturally, everyone had been waiting for this one. The players, the fans, the staff—no one had forgotten what happened at Old Trafford.
Ah, speaking of the players—Robertson hesitated for a mont when it ca to the situation between Savage and Thuram.
For a split second, he considered bringing it up to Richard. But in the end, he decided against it. After all, things had cooled down between the two. No punches were thrown, no reports filed. It wasn’t worth stirring up again.
"Don’t worry about it," he said casually.
Richard nodded, satisfied with the response. If Robertson wasn’t concerned, then neither was he.
After finishing his conversation with Robertson, Richard imdiately boarded his Porsche and then pulled out of the training ground parking lot, the engine growling softly beneath him.
The next agenda: Triangle Shopping Centre.
It was the first shopping centre under the Maddox Group—or at least, the first fully comrcialised building developed by Maddox Construction and Property Managent.
Thanks to Richard’s insistence on staying in Manchester, Stuart Olm—the CEO—and several top executives from the company had to travel to the city themselves to present the final design of the shopping centre.
Richard paid particular attention to this project because it was the company’s first shopping centre, and it was located right in Manchester—just after the IRA bombing.
That ant it could very well be the first major comrcial developnt following the disaster. At the very least, he hoped this building could beco a new symbol of resilience and renewal in the heart of Manchester.
Talking about Triangle Shopping Centre, which was previously nad Corn Exchange—its windows, thanks to the IRA bomb, were all blown in by the blast; the glass do shattered and fell onto the market area below.
Structural and masonry damage were also reported. The landlord invoked a force majeure condition in the lease to evict all tenants. Thanks to this, the building was almost emptied instantly, and also because of the fear of the incident, making Stuart’s negotiation to purchase the building easier.
From what Richard had heard, many businesses that were previously located in the Corn Exchange had moved to new premises in the northern part of the city, leaving this place behind.
In the large conference room, a U-shaped table took center stage. At its head sat Chairman Richard Maddox, flanked by Stuart Olm, the CEO of Maddox Construction and Property Managent. On either side of them were the architect and interior designer for the new Triangle project.
The dimly lit room focused attention on a presentation displayed at the front.
Standing before the screen, the interior designer gestured toward the slide as he detailed the architectural plans for the upcoming Triangle Shopping Centre, set to be built on the recently acquired Corn Exchange.
"Half of the new shopping centre is planned to be constructed with three underground levels and eleven above-ground floors, covering a total operational area of 9,300 square ters."
As he gestured, the staff mber seated beside the slide projector pressed a button, changing the screen to display a cross-section of the new departnt store.
"The second and third basent levels will serve as parking facilities, while the first basent level will house a VIP parking area and a small food court for quick dining options," he explained.
Glancing at Chairman Richard Maddox—who sat with his arms crossed, listening in silence—he raised his voice slightly as he continued.
"The first floor, where custors will form their first impression of the departnt store, will feature luxury brand boutiques and high-end jewelry lines to establish its prestige. The second floor will be dedicated to premium designer labels and luxury watch brands. From the third floor onwards, we’ll have won’s apparel and footwear, followed by n’s fashion and formalwear on the fourth. The fifth floor will be ho to golf, sports, and outdoor brands. The sixth and seventh floors will cater to the rapidly growing ho living and children’s markets, incorporating a variety of brands and cultural spaces..."
Logos of the incoming brands filled the screen, densely packed along the edges.
While departnt store layouts often followed a familiar pattern—luxury and costics on the first floor, apparel on the second—what set this project apart was the sheer number and caliber of the brands involved.
At another cue, the film reel switched with a chanical click, revealing a striking 3D rendering of the new departnt store. The design, commissioned from a renowned international architect at considerable cost, dominated the screen.
"The estimated construction cost stands at £20 million, with an additional £10 million allocated for interior design, ensuring this will be the finest and most luxurious departnt store in the country. That concludes my report."
"There won’t be any issues with the financing, I assu?" Richard asked.
"No, sir. As per our initial agreent, our primary banking partner, Barclays Bank, has committed to providing a full construction loan of £30 million."
"That’s a relief."
Feeling sowhat reassured, Richard nodded. "For our premium strategy to succeed, securing as many luxury brands as possible is crucial. How’s that coming along?"
"We’ve nearly finalized agreents with most brands, including Dior, Prada, and Gucci. However, we’re still in negotiations with Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel."
At the ntion of the three labels—often dubbed the "Big Three" of global luxury fashion—Richard nodded with quiet satisfaction.
"Have you confird whether the large-scale urban regeneration is going ahead?" he asked, eyes focused on the projection.
There had been growing rumors for months: following the devastating IRA bombing, the Greater Manchester Council was preparing to embark on a sweeping redevelopnt plan.
The goal? To transform the heart of the city into a modern, world-class urban centre—one defined not by its industrial past, but by sleek architecture, vibrant retail, cultural landmarks, and new economic life.
That, for Richard, was the key. His real bet wasn’t just on construction or branding—it was on the city’s future.
Until now, the ultra-wealthy in the UK had only looked to West London for luxury: Kensington, Chelsea, Mayfair. That’s where the Bentleys parked in front of boutiques and where the elite shopped for haute couture. Northern cities simply didn’t have that kind of pull.
But what if they did?
What if, through careful timing and vision, Manchester could rise to beco more than a working-class football city? What if the rich didn’t need to go down to London for a piece of exclusivity anymore—because they could find it right here?
That was the proposition Richard was gambling on.
And now, with brands expressing interest, and the city council preparing to rebuild with purpose, it was starting to look like a winning hand.
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