The fact that Bank of Dave has stormed to the top of the Netflix film charts above Oscar nominees tells us all we need to know about our fascination in seeing the underdog thrive against the odds.
The real-life Dave, Dave Fishwick, heralded from Burnley and was not supposed to become a self-made millionaire, having to rally against London institutions to set up his community bank. But he did. Eerily similar to what Andy Holt has done with Accrington Stanley in a remarkable eight years that has taken the club from near insolvency to League One and the FA Cup fourth round against Leeds.
Even he doesn’t know how he quite got here, but the Burnley-born businessman has transformed the Lancashire club in his own unique, outspoken way.
“I feel like an empty Bank of Andy,” Holt tells i. “It’s all for a good cause and I’m really proud.
“When I joined football I didn’t like the way it was run, the people operating in it. I thought I’m not going to let football change me, if anything was going to change it had to be football. The gap between the Premier League and the rest is the problem. But hopefully that is changing.
“Owning a football club was never something I wanted to do. Everybody told me not to, lawyers, my family but Accy were in dire straits, so against their better judgement I had a go. My accountant said I was mad. Sometimes I regret it, but to get to look after 10,000 people, it’s quite a cheap investment.”
More from Football
Everton plan to give Dyche 'three or four' signings after £40m Gordon transfer to Newcastle27 January, 2023
Sara Bjork's pregnancy story shocked women's football, but it's different at Chelsea27 January, 2023
‘It's not the same Sunderland’: Why Joe Gelhardt loan typifies Black Cats' transfer overhaul27 January, 2023And invest he has. Holt has spent around £5m on renovating their stadium, Crown Ground – known commercially as The Wham Stadium – they have one of the best playing surfaces in the Football League and a brand new hospitality suite to rival that of any Premier League club, complete with Coley’s Bar, named after long-serving manager John Coleman. Stanley have come a long way from being a team only famous for a mention on a 1980s milk advert.
“It’s the same people who collected old railway advertising boards to make a fence around the ground not so long ago,” Holt continues. “It’s a special club, it has a heart and soul. Our supporters help deliver shirts to kids, it’s different here.
“It’s not like we have spent five million on a player, our facilities will stay beyond me. Accy will still have a club in 50 years because of all this.
“Generating income had to change. We didn’t have any fans to start with, so matchday income was nothing. Staff used to let mates in for a pound, but we needed to become more professional. On some days, hospitality income doubles matchday revenue. There was an old shed before. Now we have sold £50,000 of Madri since last March.”
There are not many owners of third-tier football clubs who Premier League followers are familiar with. Andy Holt is one of them.
Not many football club owners, at any level, spend several hours every day answering fans on Twitter. Holt, however, is taking a break from the platform, a decision not taken lightly. Gary Neville, once on the wrong end of a Holt rant, will be pleased.
“My daughter got me into it, pointing out some speculation from fans,” Holt adds. “I wanted her to respond to explain what was going on and she said you do it.
“I have ducked it for now. Before Christmas we were having problems with the council. Twitter was getting on my nerves. I just needed a break. There is a blocking button, which helps, but you can’t take things too seriously. People’s comments can be misread. I don’t mind people calling you rotten, though, bring it on. Remember – nobody kicks a dead dog.
“I’m in touch with him (Neville) anyway. We see things differently, that’s how it is. I think he’s a great pundit. He just read what I was saying wrong. But there is a general communication problem between owners and fans, who just want to know what’s going on with their club. I miss it for that, being honest with them. We all want the same.”
The problem with the local council was a noise complaint, with Holt giving back his Freedom of the Borough, the highest civic award a council can give, in protest, in a typically forthright show of displeasure.
Disputes with the authorities have never been far away, with the Football League in particular feeling Holt’s disdain over the distribution of streaming service iFollow revenue, among other things.
Accrington Stanley’s best interests, however, have always been why he fights the battles he does. Now, with Premier League Leeds in town, the team his father supported, Holt can enjoy a welcome distraction from the rigours of running a working class League One club, just for a day.
“I met the best, 1970s Leeds team at Butlins in Filey,” Holt adds. “We couldn’t afford many holidays, but my Dad definitely somehow made sure we were there at the same time.
“Man Utd may prefer to play a friendly in China for their finances, but for the football pyramid below the Premier League, matches like Saturday are critical. We all have to put something back, Premier League clubs too.
“We play a lot of games in League One. A lot of it isn’t sexy, so to have Leeds in Accy, in the FA Cup, it gives everyone a lift. It also lifts the whole town, and it needs it. It has just had a load of cash in this levelling up fund. So hopefully things are turning around for the area, too. If we get a draw, you won’t get much sense out of me Saturday night.”
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/pAd3jvF
Post a Comment