Dean Hoyle confident he has chosen a frugal custodian for Huddersfield Town

OUTGOING owner Dean Hoyle is confident that Huddersfield Town will be in good hands under his successor Phil Hodgkinson – a responsible custodian who he believes will not jeopardise the club’s financial health.
By The Newsroom
Published 6th May 2019, 07:00 BST

Hoyle, speaking after his final home match in charge, against Manchester United, which ended in an uplifting 1-1 draw, has reached an agreement with lifelong Town fan Hodgkinson to purchase a 75 per cent stake.

Hoyle will retain a minor shareholding, subject to approval from football authorities.

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On handing the reins to Hodgkinson, founder of legal services firm Pure Business Group and director of Conference North side Southport, Hoyle said: “I have spoken to lots of people over the last few months from around the world and most of them wanted me to go for a figurehead at the club with some foreign investors.

Huddersfield Town Chairman Dean Hoyle earned heartfelt applause from Terriers fans after his farewell home game in charge. (Picture: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire)Huddersfield Town Chairman Dean Hoyle earned heartfelt applause from Terriers fans after his farewell home game in charge. (Picture: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire)
Huddersfield Town Chairman Dean Hoyle earned heartfelt applause from Terriers fans after his farewell home game in charge. (Picture: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire)

“But they may turn up three, four or five times a year to watch games. That is not what Huddersfield Town is about.

“It needs to be a hands-on chairman and someone who can understand the football club and feel the tone and expectations and manage it in a professional way.

“Going back ten years nobody knew a thing about myself and nobody knows much about Phil. I have chosen him because I think he will put his heart and soul into the club.

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“If Phil had come to me and said, ‘Okay, Dean, here’s £25m into the cash pot for this and that’ and we are going to do what a lot of Championship clubs do then it would really scare me.

“If you go back 15 years to administration and selling our best players with fire sales, we cannot afford to do it.

“We cannot afford to ‘blow our brains’ (embark on a major spending spree) next season and then have a fire sale in the season after and then in the season after, hope for survival. It cannot happen.”

Hoyle received a heartfelt farewell from Town supporters during and after yesterday’s game.

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He said: “It was amazing. Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward said that in all his time in football he had never seen a response like that for any chairman.

“I have done my best and been honest, truthful and transparent with supporters.

“I have told them what they do not want to hear as much as what they do want to.”

Premier League: Page 2

Related topics:Phil HodgkinsonManchester United