No China crisis at the EGM

But I've never once used the cliched 'at last night's stormy AGM' sentence in my follow-up reports since I have been going.

If anything, the mood among the 130 people present in the Gold Suite, most of them in their 50s or of retirement age, was one of solidarity against Yeung.

He might not realise it, but he is being cast as the villain by the vast majority of Blues followers.

After re-election formalities were concluded, first question up concerned the memorial for Jeff Hall (and there's good news on that tomorrow), then the prospects of a new ground.

Karren Brady, a slick operator at these kind of events, was assured and impressive with her answers.

Then we got to the nub: televisions, hand towels, hot water, toilets.

Why are there no televisions in the Olympic Gallery stand? Because they keep getting nicked, was the short response.

Why are there no hand towels before half-time in the Family Stand?

Why is there never any hot water in the toilets in the Kop stand? The hand driers are not warm, either.

At least we didn't get queries about how hot the pies were, as happened one year.

We can all have a laugh, I suppose, but these kind of issues do matter to the paying public and it shows that the customer care at Blues on match day needs improving.

In fairness to Brady, she is well aware of where Blues faults are and promised action, asking people to speak to her direct afterwards to outline their grumbles.

The only occasion there was something of a 'heated debate' was when one gentleman took issue with her description of the club's policy of running a 'lean and mean operation'.

"I call it penny-pinching," he retorted, as the subject centred around the catering in the Main Stand. "You are neglecting your duty to provide a service." So there.

Other shareholders got in a bit of a twist about the process of Yeung's failed takeover and Brady stressed that bankers Seymour Pierce, through their checks, rated the Chinese as 'bona fide' and that 'not only could they afford to buy the club, they could afford to take it forward'.

It has transpired somewhat differently, of course, and, after an hour, the AGM closed and it was onto the EGM.

Those expecting Yeung, McManaman or Fan Zhiyi were disappointed. Instead there was someone from a Birmingham solicitors firm representing him, desperately trying to remain low profile.

Brady revealed Yeung had made another resolution, meaning another EGM, but she was not as critical of Yeung as the others gathered. She couldn't be really.

"I have to treat all my my shareholders fairly. I would say the relationship with Grandtop is not hostile. They are acting within their rights," (even though you knew secretly she was hacked off too).

The process of a poll vote - not the usual show of hands or pre-meeting count of proxy votes - was explained and it was all done and dusted within 15 minutes.

It was left to one shareholder to sum up Yeung's hovering presence and the prospect of more and more resolutions to come as a 'nagging sore' Blues could do without.

A nice touch came at the end, when each shareholder received one complimentary ticket for the Arsenal game as a 'thank you' for supporting the AGM and EGM.

You never know, it might entice a few more people to attend next time - perhaps Yeung himself.