'I was probably impatient' - Kevin Nagle reflects on Huddersfield Town learning curve
Kevin Nagle has reflected on his three years as owner of Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town owner Kevin Nagle wishes he had been “a little bit more of a student of the game” in his early days in West Yorkshire - and a bit more patient.
The 71-year-old completed a takeover of the Terriers in the summer of 2023, with the club competing on the second rung of the English football ladder.
It has been anything but plain-sailing for Nagle, who saw Huddersfield drop out of the Championship in 2024 and then miss out on the League One play-offs in each of the two seasons that followed.
Kevin Nagle reflects on learning curve
In an interview with The i, Nagle was asked if there was anything he wished he had known when he first walked into the club.
He said: “Well, to be a little bit more patient. I do typically tend to be patient, but I was probably impatient for a period here.
“Also, I should probably have been a little bit more of a student of the game in the early days rather than being a doer. Would that allow me to make some different decisions over the course of the last three years? Maybe.”
Improvements to Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield have made off-field strides, with Nagle keen on breathing life into the wider community as well as the football club.
While there has undoubtedly been progress, the club must now match the pace of their off-field development with growth in the EFL pyramid.
Nagle said: “The one thing is: we’re in this sport to win. But at the same time, in the journey, there are a number of other things that you can do. The investment has been far, far greater than any return so far. But I feel the community needs economic vitality. We can help with that.
“Even though I’m not here very often, we want to get more involved, and we are starting to get much more involved in the community. I’ve really pretty much done that my whole life, whether it’s been in my own business or as a member of the community. I think economic prosperity is really important.
“Look at the big picture: Huddersfield Town is always going to be here. It was here before me, and it’s going to be here after. And that’s why I reiterate: we want to leave it better off. We need to help Huddersfield too. There’s a lot of fantastic things that are going on here, but we need to elevate it. And we can. And we will.”