The chairman of Huddersfield had just seen his beloved Giants go as close to beating Leeds at Headingley as they have been for 50 years yet there was not the slightest hint of pleasure in the expression of a man who has transformed the fortunes of one of rugby league's founder clubs since he took the helm 14 years ago.

In that time Huddersfield have gone from laughing stock to a team with genuine title credentials, a journey made possible by Davy's financial clout and, just as importantly, his sheer bloody-mindedness and steadfast refusal to listen to those who told him he was backing a lost cause.

"The fact we were bitterly disappointed that we didn't meet our expectations by beating Leeds indicates how far we have come," said Davy. "There was a time when we would have been delighted to have gone to Headingley and only lost 20-12, but not any more."

Davy's dream of establishing Huddersfield as one third of a powerful West Yorkshire triumvirate with Leeds and Bradford has only been denied by the weakness of the Bulls in 2009, a year that has brought the Giants their first win at Odsal for 40 years, and tonight they could become the county's top club if they beat Castleford Tigers by a 38-point margin.

The resurgence on the field under Australian coach Nathan Brown is a continuation of the good work done by his predecessor Jon Sharp, who led Huddersfield to a Challenge Cup final and the Super League play-offs, and has been accompanied by a considerable investment off the field.

As well as spending close to the £1.65m salary cap limit – they would have hit the ceiling had their planned signing of Australian bad-boy Todd Carney not fallen through – Huddersfield have worked hard to put in place a comprehensive talent identification, recruitment and development programme.

The quality of the Giants' Academy and scholarship schemes was highlighted as a weakness by the Rugby Football League during last year's Super League licence application process, a criticism which Davy rebutts.

"We didn't recognise the comments made by the RFL because we knew we were putting a lot of resources into junior development," he said. "It may well be that we did not raise its profile sufficiently. Hopefully we have addressed that now."

The Giants have charged Damian McGrath, the former Leeds Rhinos assistant coach and brother of Yorkshire CCC captain Anthony, with putting in place a complex and comprehensive junior structure to enhance a set-up that has already produced the likes of Eorl Crabtree, Michael Lawrence, Leroy Cudjoe and Andy Raleigh.

Crabtree's presence alongside team-mate Scott Moore in the England team that defeated France in Paris last Saturday, was deserved reward for the giant strides made by the prop and the Giants over the last decade.

That progress is reflected by the exponential increases in the level of support the club have enjoyed since Davy was drafted on to the board in 1995. Huddersfield's average crowd that year was just 2,427, a figure which had more than doubled to 5,142 by 1998, their first year in Super League, and increased to 7,846 last season.

So far in 2009 the Giants' home matches have drawn an average crowd of 8,486, an increase fuelled by some aggressive marketing and cut-price season ticket deals designed to attract a younger fan base and win back the generations lost during decades of false dawns and broken promises.

The presence of so many teens and twentysomethings has added an exciting vibrancy to the atmosphere at Huddersfield matches and resulted in the main stand at the Galpharm Stadium losing its resemblance to the waiting room for heaven, even if the chants of 'Fartown! Fartown!' are still heard.

"Some people are always going to shout 'Fartown!' and good luck to them because as a club we're very proud of our heritage," said Davy. "The difference is that nowadays we hear a lot more cries of 'Giants!' and to me that's a very special sound."