Local multi millionaire with money to burn

Wish we could have found a few more people who wanted to to avoid tax in the way the Needlers did.

 

Alf Wood. There's a name I had forgotten

 

Wish I could.

 

True. But hecwasn't being as altruistic as some would believe. And of course nowadays tax avoiders are the devil incarnate, unless they are Bono, Geldof or similar.

Extract from the article I referred to earlier.

There is no doubt that the family as a whole had an influential effect on the club. But I would like to do a little more than just highlight the obvious. Until the 1960's much of the development of Boothferry Park had been achieved with grants and loans. To what extent, if any, companies associated with the family benefited from this work is unknown but it certainly enhanced their investment.

What is a fact is that BP became one of the most praised playing surfaces in the country, many saying that it vied with Portman Road (Ipswich Town) as the best. What few people know is that it was not just Stan Coombs and his team who achieved this. John Needler took a great interest and it was a common sight to see him after a game or on a Sunday morning walking the playing surface replacing divots and, with penknife in hand, removing weeds.

And there is no doubt in my mind that the surface contributed to the success of Wagstaff, Chilton and the rest as they did not have to plough through a quagmire every week. It positively encouraged football and passing and dribbling skills.

But before Wagstaff, Houghton and Butler arrived so did some money. Money that was to purchase them, build a new South Stand, an indoor training centre, and pay for the best floodlights in Europe at the time.

Now, I am not questioning for one minute the fact that Harold Needler and his brothers wanted to see the Tigers be an (old) First Division club. But his gift to the club appears to me to have been one of the finest pieces of tax avoidance I can imagine.

Harold gave the club shares in his Hoveringham Gravels business. Now that had grown exponentially over the years and had he sold the shares and given cash to the club he would have faced a substantial tax liability. By giving the shares he made no gain, although in reality he gave them to a company in which he may not have had a personal controlling interest but through his brothers a de-facto one. Shortly afterwards Harold Wilson and a Labour Government came to power and not long afterwards the top rate of tax was 98%. Now that to me is good business.

Of course, the majority of the money went on the ground infrastructure (of which what proportion of work was done by companies associated with the family we also do not know) and eventually it is known that the ground passed from ownership of the club to a separate company.

 

What was amazing was a 3rd div team paying 40k each for three players within a few months. At the time the english record fee was 115k.

 

Houghton & Butler were signed on the same day if I recall. Wonder what Rotherham's owners did with it ?

 

Harold was a very keen City supporter, and he did it initially for that reason, but like all businessmen, he would try to gain the best advantage he could from doing so. Unlike the Allam's who from the outset, tried to say it as a gift to the people of Hull area, but their main objective was what they thought they would be able to do was develop the site where the KCOM is. After that fell flat, all the bollocks started.

I knew Chris Needler from working with him from time to time, and unfortunately, he didn't have his fathers passion for the club if he had maybe history might have been different.

 

Denis Law was the record, wasn't he?

 

A top local club? Hope everyone in Hull and East Yorkshire boycotts them.
Though you have to wonder why the geniuses at our club didn't have them tied up long before. If only wehad altered our name no doubt these people would have been in the queue to get on board...

 

who owns ebuyer ?

 

We've gone full circle then ?

 

I used to buy quite a lot of gear from them, that will have to stop.

 

Personally I have a lot to thank Harold Needler for as Hoveringham Gravels was instrumental in getting me landed immigrant status in Canada in the early 70's.
My great uncle was a pal of Harold and he paved the way through Harold to get me a letter of reference/introduction to the management team of one of Hoveringham's subsiduaries (The Telephone City Gravel Company in Brantford, Ontario - a couple of hours drive from Toronto). It was a beneficial element for acceptance in those days to have such documentation to smooth the immigration process, as well as other factors of course. Being a City fan may also have helped my cause ?
I have a feeling that Chris Needler may have been the one who actually signed the letter if my memory serves me correctly. I'll have to flush it out.

 

I believe so, when he was transfered from Torino to Man Utd.

 

The previous record inolving a British player was when he was transferred to Torino for £110,000.
Although I am a City fan Denis Law was one of my first football idols.

 

Me too. Cheeky chappie, but natural sniper. First one I recall scoring with a bicycle kick.
I seem to recall when he played for 'Uddersfield, he once scored 6 goals in the first half of an FA cup match, only for the match to be abandoned @ half-time due to a waterlogged pitch. The feat was therefore never recorded officially.

 

As I have often passed the massive warehouse I have wondered if it is still actually in business as I have never seen any on site activity, lorries vans or whatever.

 

Unfortunately he will be remembered most for apparently sending his former team, Man Utd, down to Div 2 whilst playing for local rivals Man City, by scoring with a back heel kick.