Interview with Kevin Ward
As you walk through the Mill Farm football stadium, the walls are decorated with photographs of club legend Danny Rowe, photos of the team that won promotion from the National League in 2022 to the Football League, the promotion to League One in 2028, the League One title winning team of 2029 and countless photos of the manager and player of the month awards collected over the years. The corridor then leads to the chairman's office once occupied by Fylde fan David Haythornthwaite who promised the fans promotion by 2022 and it was duly achieved. Fast forward almost ten years and Fylde are under new ownership and are in a different stature to that previously. Kevin Ward opens the office door and offers me a chair at his desk. Ward took the reigns of the club two years ago and in the January of 2030 oversaw the transfer of Jordan Wilson from Hearts for £350k. The following January window saw Mick Wisdom and Neil Foster leave the club for a combined £600k and Jimmy Dube signed for £98k. In the midst of a promotion campaign, the club was rocked to the core and Fylde missed out on play-offs finishing the season in 9th. This added fuel to the fire for the resignation of Kevin Ward with the Fylde fans fearing the club was doomed. Ward sanctioned the transfer of highly rated left back John Jones from Leicester for £400k and the signing in January of left winger Joe Donnelly. Ward stated the club were looking to bring in a defender in the forthcoming window and whilst the club sat top of the League One table entering the Christmas period, the fans discontentedness was temporarily at bay. "I'm a fan of the club, first and foremost" Ward stated. "But I am a business man and there is a lot of money at stake here. I had to allow Foster and Wisdom to leave as the club was not bringing in enough revenue from player sales. Foster and Wisdom both came here on free transfers and as good as they were, they held a high valuation." I asked Ward about where he wants the club to be in the next five years and whether that can be achieved on a shoestring budget. "My aim is the Premier League, what chairman doesn't want that? We came this far from the National League North and nobody expected us to reach League One so soon. Ferguson has the credentials to make it happen. I don't know what you refer to as a shoestring budget, we have spent money and will continue to spend wisely on the right players." Ward was confident Fylde could reach the heights of the Premier League but we saw what happened in The Championship. "We almost survived and I think if we stayed up that season we would be pushing on now to mid-table. I was criticised for not backing the manager but we had limited funds and we wasn't profiting from player sales. I get it's a catch 22 but look at us now, we exploited the loan market and we are top of the table." Ward gave me the impression that Ferguson's job was difficult. The manager is being asked to achieve miracles and not being allowed to build a squad. Player sales can be good for the club financially but if Ward wants the club sitting at the top table then he needs to allow Ferguson to retain his best players. "I want the club to be making money from trophies, we have dropped out of the EFL Trophy too easily year on year, we need to get to Wembley. I'm confident we could sell over thirty thousand tickets there. We are currently enjoying a cup run, a home tie with Swansea in the third round, they are manager-less and they are beatable, can you imagine what could happen if we progress to the fourth round?" It was clear to see Ward's ambition and he was fond of Duncan Ferguson. What would happen if Fylde failed on promotion this season? "We rebuild again, we keep aiming for it, Ferguson has signed a contract extension by a further two years, I fully expect him still here in two years time whether that be playing in League One or The Championship." Before I left I asked Ward if he had a message for the supporters of the club. He sat up in his chair and instructed me to ensure I got every word. "Together we are one, we are one club and we are one fanbase. We all want to see the same thing and that is success on and off the pitch. The fans can expect the club to flourish. We have invested in the backroom staff of the club and improved our training facilities. The stadium has been expanded and if we reach the big time, we could eventually leave Mill Farm for a state of the art football stadium. As long as we are playing in League One, I will keep the ticket prices competitive and be an affluent member of the community here in Fylde. This will benefit us all and we want to be a club that can one day be travelling to Old Trafford and Anfield for the the big occasions. We work tirelessly at the club to bring you a fantastic match day experience. The club shop has been expanded and we are always looking at big commercial opportunities." I concluded my interview with Mr Ward and thanked him for his openness. He is still a fan of the club but he has an eye for a profit. The concern for Fylde is if an offer comes in for a player that's too good to refuse, will Ward be accepting it? He has ambition and wants to see the club progress, he is certainly here for the long haul and wants Fylde to be an established Premier League club. Can that be achieved if Ferguson is hustling in the transfer market bringing in last minute loan deals? It may work temporarily but it means a new squad of players have to gel each season.
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