An article I saw in on the Evening Post Website. Really good read and reminds us all how far we've come. This is probably the reason why we're diferent to other clubs. TEN years ago tonight, a group of local businessmen wrestled control of Swansea City away from controversial chairman Tony Petty, beginning the revival which has led all the way to the Premier League. Here we look back on an incredible period with some of the key men involved. http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/story-15019204-detail/story.html A DECADE on, Tony Petty would probably argue â as he did when he left â that he was good for Swansea City. ​ â¢â¢â¢â¢â¢..It was ten years ago today that a dramatic, late-night meeting at Cardiff's Copthorne Hotel ended with Petty throwing a pound's worth of loose change on the floor and relinquishing control of the club. The Londoner who lived in Australia did not leave empty-handed â he walked away with a supermarket carrier bag stuffed with around £20,000 in cash. "I had held meetings with him at the Vetch where he'd said he wasn't interested in selling," remembers Steve Penny, a local solicitor and now a Swansea director who was there the night Petty finally walked. "Things suddenly changed. Eventually he said he'd had enough, that he would be leaving the country the following morning and that he would like to pass control of the club over. "Mel Nurse's consortium gave me a figure and we negotiated a price, but he said he was not going to do the deal in Swansea. "David Morgan and I dropped everything, we got the finances arranged and drove to Cardiff to buy the club." Penny, of John Collins and Partners, describes the method of payment as "slightly unusual". Saying something similar about the whole Petty reign would be unfair. It was much more extreme than that. Petty had insisted when he took over at Vetch Field in October 2001 that he was no white knight who would pump big money into the club. He was not lying. Instead he took the cost-cutting approach, attempting to sack seven players and slash the wages of eight others only seven days after arriving in Wales. Within a few more days, the first meeting of the consortium which would eventually oust Petty had taken place. At one stage Petty was offered £50,001 to leave but declined, opting instead to sell star man Stuart Roberts for just £100,000 and then getting another £100,000 bonus when Sky Sports decided to screen Swansea's FA Cup tie with Queens Park Rangers. Petty was by now a hate figure for the fans, but Nurse's attempt to force him out by acquiring an £801,000 debt against the club and then calling it in failed in court. Petty won that battle by claiming he had £1 million of investment lined up, but there was no sign of the cash as the players' wages were not paid over Christmas. Captain Nick Cusack branded Swansea's owner a disgrace, yet Petty was adamant the club were better off thanks to the drastic measures he had taken as he prepared to sell up. "He was a business person who took advantage of something which he could see could be a thriving situation for him," reckons Nurse, the former Swansea player who became the figurehead for those trying to bring Petty down. "But we came together as a city to make sure our football club survived. "I suppose I played a big part in that, and I am proud of what I did. "I put my business aside and the outlay was tremendous, but I never thought about that. "I let my heart rule my head at that time, and I look back now and think about what a risk I took. Thankfully, of course, it was worth it." Morgan, now one of Swansea's associate directors, reckons Petty did not fancy a final trip to South West Wales this time ten years ago because he no longer felt safe in these parts. "The taxman was due to come into the Vetch the next day to seize assets, so Petty's hands were tied," he explains. "He either got something for the club by selling to us, or he ended up with nothing. A phone call came through to me and all he said was something like 'Do you want to buy a football club?' "It was a worrying time, because I really don't think he would have cared if he'd walked away and left no football club behind. "The meeting that night started around 7pm. I thought we would sign here and sign there and say goodbye, but he was very difficult to deal with and it dragged on until something like 11pm. "At the end, those of us who were there â myself, Steve, Mel and Tim Jones (Nurse's solicitor) â had a whip-round to give him the pound he had paid for the club in the first place back. "We gave him it in loose change and he just tossed it on the floor. That was his parting shot." The following morning, as Petty flew home, Morgan, Penny and Co faced the media at the Vetch. "We were like rabbits in the headlights," Morgan remembers. And Penny concedes: "The press conference was an interesting experience for us. "We knew the club had severe financial difficulties, but it was only when we took over that we found out the extent of them. "I spent the next three months basically working full-time for the club, and there were many others doing the same. It was a team effort, and thankfully we were able to keep professional football alive in Swansea. "It's incredible to think that we are now a Premier League club." A debt of around £1.7 million â minimal now, but massive then â had to be cleared by Swansea's new owners, hence the company voluntary arrangement which came that spring. "Everybody feared for the long-term future of the club at that stage," recalls Huw Jenkins, a background figure as Petty was toppled but one who would soon become Swansea's next chairman. "I think support for the club was at an all-time low around the city, and the first objective was to make sure we survived. "All we were hoping for was to secure some kind of future. We were not looking any further than that." It was a rough ride for a while â the CVA was no fun for anyone, and Swansea came perilously close to non-league football a little over a year later. The club were forced to do things on the cheap for a time and they almost paid the price. "We were going from day to day," Jenkins adds. "Nobody was ploughing in millions of pounds to start us moving forward. All we had was hard work, commitment and belief in our club. "We brought a bit of common sense into the way the club was run. We realised that everything had to pay for itself, and that started us on the path to where we are now. "I think we can all take a bit of pride from the progress we have made. "It's not for ourselves, but for our football club and our city. People all over the world are now hearing about Swansea City." Whatever he claimed about the good he was doing, Petty would have put paid to any hopes of reaching the Premier League had he stuck around much longer. Yet perhaps the lows he dragged Swansea to played a part in inspiring the highs they are experiencing today. "I don't know where he is now," Morgan says. "But in a sense, he was the reason why an ugly duckling became a high-flying Swan." There is also this one from the Western Mail http://www.walesonline.co.uk/footba...emier-league-fairy-tale-began-91466-30189389/ A special thanks from me goes to all the guys involved in saving us!!! They are real Jacks!!!!
great read and a timely remainder to the doubters and posters who sometimes want instant gratification
Great post Jenkins: "We were going from day to day. Nobody was ploughing in millions of pounds to start us moving forward. All we had was hard work, commitment and belief in our club. We brought a bit of common sense into the way the club was run. We realised that everything had to pay for itself, and that started us on the path to where we are now. I think we can all take a bit of pride from the progress we have made. It's not for ourselves, but for our football club and our city. People all over the world are now hearing about Swansea City." Certain posters take note - it's very easy to forget.
I'm not sure how many people recognise the significance of that day to be honest. There doesn't seem to have been a big reaction to this on the board which is a shame. I'll never forget though!
jenkins was not there at the time and when he was approached he agreed to be chairman just as long as it dont cost him a penny.... fans remember that in our hour of need he refused.... older fans will never forget, we were the ones raising money for our saviour MR Mell Charles, Alan Curtis and the businessmen who contributed to the cause.......
I dont think there is a big reaction to it maybe because i think everyone is actually very aware of our past and what happened, as you said,you will never forget. I feel the same way too . Mad times thats for sure !
our worst time in our history and that says something when we had that pub manager in charge for a few days KC....i thought it must have been an April fool joke or Jeremy beadle was about to jump out.....
Huw was in the background at the time, I don't know why nor do I want to speculate but he came in as Chairman and has headed a very successful board which has brought our club success through it's appointments and frugal approach. Mel Nurse, Steve Penny and David Morgan are absolute legends in my eyes! Still find it hard to believe that we're in the Premier League after all of that.
i can assure you huw was nowhere near at the time of crisis, i was working there at the time, mel wrote to quite a few people for the chairmans job and thats how huw become involved......months later...
"Huw Jenkins, a background figure as Petty was toppled but one who would soon become Swansea's next chairman." That suggests that he was there in the background but I don't dispute what you say, but I do think Jenkins is a great chairman which is one area which we differ. The missus's father is a partner in JCP so I'll try and find out more about how Jenkins became involved as I'm quite interested.
Huw was a fan as i know him quite well and have spoken to him on numerous times, we get on well to fans conception that i hate the guy which i have not or would not say anyway. i am not the only one who have disagreed with huw by a long chalk. i know players who were unhappy about the way he did things but it was his choice, to a lot of us he never had a balance and was to extreme with his lack of backing any manager that asked for help to get us promoted. 8 months ago there was a major boardroom meeting because two board members wanted to leave because huw blocked our chances of promotion two seasons in a row and they were not happy. during that meeting they sorted out their differences and a few small but significant changes were made and huw to give him credit amended some of his policies and now instead of having the final say he now has to get the full agreement of the board......this resulted in huw backing Brendan for the final push and the result is premiership football with all its benefits........The huw today is not the How of 8 months ago and as a club we are better for it.....he is an asset now and someone who will take care of the clubs finances and thats a good thing........i dont hate huw lads i never have....
