TERRIERS SET TO SIGN MOOY
Promoted Huddersfield to smash transfer record in £10m deal
IT was on the magical trip back from Wembley to Yorkshire when Sean Jarvis was quickly made aware of just what Huddersfield Town had achieved late last month.
The club’s commercial director was inundated not just with congratulations at Town’s stupendous achievement in clinching promotion to the Premier League for the first time, but was deluged by interest from prospective new sponsors and businesses seeking to get involved with English football’s most endearing story of 2016-17.
While events of May 29 brought unbridled joy for fans, there was the realisation for those in the corridors of power at the club that a mountain of work awaited.
It is, in every way, a brave new world for Town and a huge challenge not just on the field but behind the scenes, too.
The John Smith’s Stadium is already a hive of activity as Town get ready for the big time with the Premier League having strict regulations governing stadia and facilities – covering everything from press box capacity to TV camera vantage points and floodlight bulb strength. Several millions will be spent to get the ground match-fit for August.
In the offices in the bowels of the stadium, the activity is similarly feverish. For Dean Hoyle, chief executive Julian Winter, head coach David Wagner and new head of football operations David Moss a successful summer of player recruitment is the obvious priority.
For Jarvis, it is about the club tapping into the infinite opportunities that Premier League status brings, with a commercial pot of gold adding to the £170m that Town are guaranteed following their promotion.
Interest has arrived from across the globe and it promises to be a summer where there is little rest or time to relax, but the rewards are glittering.
Jarvis, in his 10th year with Town after previously working for seven years at Oldham Athletic, said: “It is a new era for Huddersfield Town and exciting times. For us, it is how we cope with it.
“As a club, it is probably the worst way to get promoted as you have a limited time. Having that time-frame is hard for us as you have all the player-recruitment and behind-the-scenes and commercial stuff to get ready. Every minute of every day counts.
“But, for a fan, it is probably the best experience to go up by the play-offs. It is phenomenal and everybody who was there at Wembley and watched on TV will remember that for a lifetime. I think it will go down in history.
“For us, we are getting a lot of interest from people across the world about Town.
“The story of Leicester was a fairytale one and, to a degree, ours is a bit like that. We have had interest from America, Canada, Thailand, Australia – and Germany, of course. And China are very interested in us. All territories where the games are broadcast are now taking an interest.
“The ‘revolution’ started last year. But it has kind of now gone literally off the scale in terms of interest in the club.
“Commercially, we cannot forget where we have come from and have got to look after those businesses who have stood shoulder to shoulder with us for 10 years.
“It is about finding that balance. Yes, it is about generating as much income as we can, but at the same time remembering our history and roots and look after those people.”
Jarvis says that being a topflight club could treble Town’s yearly commercial revenue – possibly to around the £6m mark, with merchandise sales having already gone through the roof following promotion.
Town pocketed more money from merchandise sales in 10 days after their semi-final playoff win over Sheffield Wednesday than they did in December – their busiest month last year. It is likely to be a drop in the ocean compared to what they will generate in the weeks and months ahead.
All corporate boxes are now full for 2017-18 and Town are exploring the prospect of opening a separate match-day facility.
Jarvis, who says that the club have taken soundings from the likes of Burnley, West Brom and some London clubs regarding their step to the Premier League off-the-field, said: “Commercially, we are doubling or even trebling where we were. You are probably looking at five to six million with off-the-field activities, so that is easily double or treble.
“The boxes are all sold out and we could have probably sold them three times over. We are now investigating whether we can have a facility outside the stadium, so we can have more corporate people who want to come in.
“The merchandise sales have gone off the scale. Just have those words Premier League to put on a mug or T-shirt and other branding, people want that and associate us with that which is fantastic.
“We cannot sell enough of the T-shirts which the lads wore when we got promoted and at the civic reception. Everyone in Huddersfield has probably got one of the blue T-shirts which says: ‘We are Premier League,’ and they are proud to wear them.”