| Petty breaks his silence 09:47 - Sep 7 with 8316 views | epaul |
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/tony-petty-macclesfiel
Tony Petty: Why Macclesfield defeat showed me I had to hand Swansea City back to the supporters
Sep 07, 2014 07:00 By Chris Wathan 0 Comments
Petty has broken his silence on his controversial time in charge of the Swans, a dark period in the club’s history that had many fearing for its future
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Tony Petty
The man who united a city as they reclaimed their club has spoken for the first time about the moment it was time to hand Swansea City back to its supporters.
And he claims it was a dreary December day in Macclesfield that he realised he could not stop the fans’ fight to end his controversial reign — and set the club on the path to the Premier League.
Tony Petty has broken his silence on his controversial time in charge of the Swans, a dark period in the club’s history that had many fearing for its future and mobilised loyal fans into action.
Having bought the-then lowly Swans for £1, the outspoken Australian-based businessman had outraged large sections of support by extreme cost-cutting measures — including attempts to sack six players — amidst various allegations of his running of the club.
Now, in a new feature-length film documenting the club’s incredible rags to riches story, Petty has revealed how the intimidation from some fans finally got to him and persuaded him to sell-up to a supporter-based consortium — the same group of businessmen fans that run the club today to great acclaim.
And the vilified former owner explains how FA Cup defeat to Macclesfield was the turning point as he realised there would be no bumper third-round gate to try and turn around the club’s finances on his own.
In the exclusive interview in the Jack to a King film, which is released this Friday, Petty claims he was let down by fellow businessmen when he bought the club leaving him with no cash to invest.
Public enemy No.1 in Swansea at the time, Petty reveals: “I was down in Brisbane and it was common knowledge at that time that Swansea had changed ownership. I rang up (then Swansea chief executive) Mike Lewis and he was very open. It wasn’t good. I had a chat with one of the wealthiest clubs in Queensland with a view to rescuing Swansea."
Petty continued: “I flew over to Swansea with the chairman of the Brisbane Lions and they were going to put the money in.
“Mike knew he couldn’t carry on. If we hadn’t appeared then he probably had one month or two at best before he would have gone under. That’s how bad it was.
“Unfortunately for me those guys flew back to Australia and somewhere down the line within the next week or two they decided to change their mind and it left me pretty much holding a baby.
“By that time Mike had relinquished power and I was there without the money.”
That saw Petty try to axe key players and fail to convince supporters he was not overseeing the death of the proud Vetch Field club.
Protests and pleas for him to sell-up had so far fallen on deaf ears before a FA Cup Second Round game at Moss Rose.
Having beaten QPR in an emotionally-charged game the previous round, victory could have brought cash into the coffers that could well have bought Petty time and scuppered fans hopes of the consortium — including former player Mel Nurse — winning the day.
But Petty reveals: “One match turned everything and that was the next round of the FA Cup (Macclesfield). That was it. That was the end.
“I thought at worst we would get a draw and we lost 4-1. The FA Cup had gone and we needed money. End of story.”
Within a month, fans had rallied to pay-off Petty and strike a £1 deal to buy the club in a Cardiff hotel with the Londoner effectively run out of town.
Petty claimed: “There was house bricks being thrown at many a car — mainly looking for my car.
“The intimidation was getting to me.
“I remember driving back and saying, ‘That’s it.’
“I thought there is only one buyer in town whether they are offering a pound or whatever.
“If they wanted to have a go, so be it. I can’t do no more.”
The fans did have a go as the takeover went through in January, with the Supporters Trust that gained huge numbers in protest of Petty gaining a place on the board that they still hold today.
With Huw Jenkins eventually installed as chairman, the Swans stopped the bleeding and — after dramatically avoiding relegation from the Football League the following season — began their rise up the divisions that has seen them reach the top-flight, win a first major English trophy, compete in Europe and head into a table-topping Premier League clash with Chelsea next weekend.
The film, which has its London premiere in Leicester Square 24 hours before the Stamford Bridge fixture, also reveals how Jenkins turned down the chance of playing for the Swans as a up-and-coming goalkeeper — because he wanted to watch the game with his mates on the Vetch’s North Bank.
Jenkins said: “I did train with the Swans and play a couple of times. Then I had the chance to sign for them.
“But I decided I’m not going to sign and I’m going to go around to the North Bank and meet my mates and have a day out watching the Swans.”
One of those mates included Martin Morgan, the businessman who would later be involved in the buy-out to oust Petty.
And the rest, as this fascinating film reveals, is history. |  |
| The hair and the beard have gone I am now conforming to society, tis a sad day
The b*stards are coming back though |
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| Petty breaks his silence on 21:07 - Sep 7 with 1589 views | marchamjack |
Mike Lewis is married to a good friend of my wife up here in Oxon. When my wife's friend told him me and Mrs MJ were Jacks and season ticket holders he very kindly invited us for dinner with him and his wife...
Mrs MJ told her friend it would probably be better if a polite thanks but no thanks was proffered to a night at chez Lewis as my husband would probably smack him in the mouth on entering the house! He wasn't put off, he sent on to me a signed cop of his book (yes he wrote an autobiography if you didn't know...it rivals Hans Christian Anderson for what a big shot in football he was). Book was binned needless to say fat tw@t. |  |
| Oh,..Dave, what's occuring? |
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| Petty breaks his silence on 21:11 - Sep 7 with 1574 views | Highjack |
Hang on, aren't there some sort of rules that stop people convicted of fraud from taking directorships at companies? Or am I thinking of bankruptcy? |  |
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| Petty breaks his silence on 23:02 - Sep 7 with 1471 views | dameedna |
| Petty breaks his silence on 10:19 - Sep 7 by exiledclaseboy |
I'm fairly sure that Petty sold the club for more than a quid. He bought it for a quid but sold it for more than that. £20k is the figure that I seem to remember. |
If he gets publicity I would not worry. Martinez is in the film and he was merciless in his pursuit of the top job and his career. |  | | |
| Petty breaks his silence on 02:19 - Sep 8 with 1413 views | Glyn1 |
| Petty breaks his silence on 21:00 - Sep 7 by Uxbridge |
Regularly see him in and around Gorseinon. That's punishment enough for any man in fairness. |
He should upgrade and move to Gowerton. |  |
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| Petty breaks his silence on 07:28 - Sep 8 with 1360 views | owainglyndwr |
| Petty breaks his silence on 18:34 - Sep 7 by Catullus |
It wasn't really thousands, come on, don't exaggerate!
He got a hard time, deservedly so. Lucky mot to be hospitalised. |
It was thousands and I am not exaggerating at all, the pitch was lined with fans and many behind climbing on to the pitch which was invaded. |  | | |
| Petty breaks his silence on 09:38 - Sep 8 with 1277 views | headcleaner |
That night was poison it was now or never. I dread to think what might have become of our football club had us fans not turned on Petty quite like we did. Some of the plots were very sinister and whilst I don't condone violence I can sometimes understand it. As for Pettys sidekick I remember him needing bouncers and a police escort out of a Swansea nightclub one night, he wasn't expecting that and didn't return to the city thereafter.
Petty was a piece of work no doubt about it and hearing a lot of stories at the time about turnstyle money going straight into a car boot sound about right. A hidden camera at the pay off would be one of the finest hours of this football club and seeing the grin on Mel Nurses face when he got hold of the car park must have been a fantastic feeling. |  | | |
| Petty breaks his silence on 09:48 - Sep 8 with 1266 views | ScoobyWho |
We were talking about this last night in the club, all sorts of stories about at the time, certain fans and fans groups really putting themselves on the line. Lewis had a visit one night I am told too, early in the morning he was awaken by two masked men and an ultimatum, and it was Lewis then that persuaded Petty it was all too dangerous. |  |
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| Petty breaks his silence on 10:08 - Sep 8 with 1245 views | owainglyndwr |
| Petty breaks his silence on 09:48 - Sep 8 by ScoobyWho |
We were talking about this last night in the club, all sorts of stories about at the time, certain fans and fans groups really putting themselves on the line. Lewis had a visit one night I am told too, early in the morning he was awaken by two masked men and an ultimatum, and it was Lewis then that persuaded Petty it was all too dangerous. |
Masked men bit is true.
There was also plot for Petty luckily for him he went | | | |
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| Petty breaks his silence on 10:15 - Sep 8 with 1237 views | ScoobyWho |
| Petty breaks his silence on 10:08 - Sep 8 by owainglyndwr |
Masked men bit is true.
There was also plot for Petty luckily for him he went |
Which fits in I suppose with the film. | |
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| Petty breaks his silence on 11:48 - Sep 8 with 1195 views | Highjack |
As much as I hated lard arse lewis, masked men putting the frightners on him in his house was completely out of order. | |
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| Petty breaks his silence on 15:36 - Sep 8 with 1119 views | swancity |
How much was Petty paid to take part in the film? |  |
| Only an idiot would eat a turkey curry on Christmas day |
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| Petty breaks his silence on 16:14 - Sep 8 with 1089 views | lifelong |
Petty was involved in the Timeshare business in Tenerife, that should tell you all you need to know about him. |  | | |
| Petty breaks his silence on 21:03 - Sep 8 with 1005 views | Swanseajill |
| Petty breaks his silence on 21:07 - Sep 7 by marchamjack |
Mike Lewis is married to a good friend of my wife up here in Oxon. When my wife's friend told him me and Mrs MJ were Jacks and season ticket holders he very kindly invited us for dinner with him and his wife...
Mrs MJ told her friend it would probably be better if a polite thanks but no thanks was proffered to a night at chez Lewis as my husband would probably smack him in the mouth on entering the house! He wasn't put off, he sent on to me a signed cop of his book (yes he wrote an autobiography if you didn't know...it rivals Hans Christian Anderson for what a big shot in football he was). Book was binned needless to say fat tw@t. |
Imagine arriving, and the come dine with me camera was rolling, we could have all had that on repeat.
I was there when he was biffed outside The Harry Griffiths bar. I didn't actually see it, but in the bar that night when he had the audacity to come in for a drink.
One long term fan ( sorry I can't recall his name) Went into a tirade at him, he had a very loud voice and ML was getting very nervous and very red faced, and when the fan screwed up and threw his season ticket in ML face, he made a sharp exit.
Someone followed him outside.....and the rest is hearsay about a smack. But a fraudster should know ...to expect it one day. |  | | |
| Petty breaks his silence on 21:09 - Sep 8 with 988 views | ScoobyWho |
| Petty breaks his silence on 11:48 - Sep 8 by Highjack |
As much as I hated lard arse lewis, masked men putting the frightners on him in his house was completely out of order. |
I suppose they could have not done it and let the pair of them carry on .....
Thinking they are winning, thinking they can take our club.
It was an option. | |
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