FLEETWOOD TOWN OWNER and chairman Andy Pilley has been unveiled as the new sole owner of Waterford FC.
The 52-year-old completed the takeover of the Blues from Richard Forrest and faced the media in a press conference held at the SETU Arena on Tuesday afternoon.
Pilley attended Friday’s game against Galway United, that saw the Blues win 2-1, before witnessing Monday’s scoreless draw with league leaders Cork City.
He has finalised a deal with Forrest to secure the club in what he describes will be a “long term project”.
The immediate focus for Pilley is to stabilise the football club. Having purchasing Fleetwood Town 18 years ago before buying football clubs in Dubai and South Africa, the Blackpool native is now excited by the next challenge in his football journey.
“The immediate vision is one of stability and to put together a professional infrastructure, which will replicate what we have in the UK,” Pilley said, speaking on his vision for the football club.
We’ve had enormous success in the UK with Fleetwood. When I took Fleetwood over 18 years ago, the first gate was 80 people. A small population with a football club five leagues below the football league.
“We won six promotions. It’s not just an injection of money. It’s an infrastructure with a secret of success of everyone pulling in the same direction.
“I think what immediately needs to happen is that the football club needs come aligned with the community, the business community, the council, and this sports facility (SETU Arena). It needs to make the very most of what is in the offering in the city and county of Waterford.
“The potential here in Waterford is enormous. Of course as the prospective new owner, you look at the Irish Premier League, you look at Europe, but there’s an order of events, and in that order of events, the first thing this club needs is stability.”
Since arriving on Thursday last to attend the two games, Pilley has been impressed with Waterford has to offer.
“My thoughts are that it couldn’t have gone any better on Friday for the game against Galway. The weather was so glorious that it felt I was in the Costa Del Waterford rather than Waterford. It’s a beautiful city and the people were incredibly friendly.
“I didn’t really know what to expect when I arrived at the stadium for the game. The first thing that struck me is how enthusiastic and passionate the supporters were. They were loud, right behind the team, and I thought that the players were great as well.
“They started slowly in the first ten minutes, but they put on a hell of a show. That was a really, really enjoyable football match. I went away with a great buzz, and I thought that this club has great potential.
“It’s in a good place now, but with an injection of infrastructure, some of the tricks of the trade, and the secrets of success that I’ve learned in the last 18 years that things can be even better.
“I really enjoyed Monday night in Cork as well because again against all odds for the club to get a point away at Cork after losing a man after eight minutes. I thought that was an immense effort. Again the supporters were fantastic, and they were there in numbers.
“That’s great to see because as an owner, you want to have a fan base. It was clear to see how proud they were of their club.”
So why Irish football?
I believe that Irish football in on the incline,” he added. “I think that there’s good times ahead. You’ve only got to do a little bit of research and you can see that Irish football is being recognised, [and] perhaps [with] Brexit and the Good Friday Agreement, that there is a pathway and roadmap to get them across to the UK.
“If I can help some of these boys fulfil their dream and get them across to the EFL — who knows then, if they progress, nothing would make me happier than shaking their hand and watching them on Match of the Day on a Saturday night.
“I think that these boys need that roadmap and need that pathway. Having a sister club in the UK gives us the opportunity. Equally, I see the potential for moving the players the other way. Maybe we’ve got fringe players that need football that we could bring over here.
“I would see it that it would be something that would benefit both parties. I really enjoyed the game in Cork last night because that really felt like a Football League game. I think that there is good times ahead. It’s going to get better.
“I think that stadiums will be developed, hopefully and potentially that there might be a broadcasting deal. It feels like it’s a good time to get involved with a natural understated market right now.”
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I trust Joe. He is at the centre of everything. He is also the best and really knows best.
One of the beauties of having Joe Schmidt as head coach – the first world class head coach, with the exception of Warren Gatland, that Ireland has ever had – is that he has created a system in which every player in the squad can slot into seamlessly. Everybody knows their role and what is expected. Unlike previous Irish head coaches, such as embittered ones currently employed by RTE, Joe Schmidt can see the bigger picture in the World Cup: he doesn’t panic and send out old reliables, who are not fully fit, in the first match. Joe Schmidt’s dispassionate and beautifully professional approach is what has seen Ireland enter the Rugby World Cup as the Number One ranked team in the world, an incredible achievement which shows Joe Schmidt’s ability, unique among Irish head coaches, of getting Ireland ready to peak at the right time.
Joe Schmidt’s Ireland’s confident, back-to-back defeats of Wales in the RWC warm-ups were not only important for proving which team had the greater strength in depth, but were timely in the event of a potential meeting with Wales in the World Cup semi-finals. Those results proved, yet again, lest any of the doubters and begrudgers had any doubts, Joe Schmidt’s permanent class. Schmidt and his team have given Irish supporters a sweet gift in the run-in to the RWC: the great pleasure of clicking on the World Rugby website and seeing Ireland ranked on top of the world, even before we go on to lift the Webb Ellis trophy!
@J. Reid:
We are not number 1 in the world :: NZ ::: S A :: England ::Ireland/Wales
But it will be nice to look back at the numbers in 5 years’ time to see we were No. 1 in the world in September 2019 (the number will still be there and the memory will have slipped )
@J. Reid: Stan
@Martin Quinn: Why do you constantly use colons in your posts? It’s really odd.
Our pack is superior, but the backrow battle will be immense, need to nullify Barclay & Watson.
Fingers crossed our lineout functions properly.
Looking forward to seeing Conway & Larmour, hope their eagerness to impress doesn’t lead to any brain farts though. Conway is fearless contesting the high ball, but sometimes mistimes & takes the jumper out in the air. We can’t afford to be down to 14 men.
Seems pretty silly to have Carty come off the bench with McGrath, when Marmion, Carty and Aki have a telepathy between them and would be playing at the same time. Anyhow, hope McGrath has a stormer and makes me eat my words with regards him being picked ahead of Marms.
@Joe Vlogs: Well he couldn’t come off the bench with Marmion as he’s not in the squad. If Joe sees McGrath as the better option for whatever reason, be it he thinks he’s a better player or Marmion hasn’t been fully fit, it would have made little sense to bring a scrum half to the world cup that he didn’t fancy just because he’s bringing his club mate as what will most likely be 3rd choice fly half as the tournament progresses.
@Joe Vlogs: or maybe McGrath has the same with sexton Ross Byrne , henshaw, larmour Kearney etc. it’s Ireland playing not a bunch of mates who play down the road
I trust Joe. He is at the centre of everything and, with his intimate knowledge of everything rugby and his excellant judgement, seldom if ever lets us down.
Looks like he throwing the first match
@Colm: how do you figure that
Conway should be playing full back.
front row will put pressure on Scots.
overall pack will dominate Scotland.
must stop Hogg on gain line.
Hopefully Stockdale won’t jump out of the line
@john fleming: I disagree, he’s great in the air but runs the ball back which is great but too frequently gets turned over…unlike Kearney and to a lesser extent unlike Larmour. Ball presentation is key in that position with little room for error. He had a great game against Wales but did see him turnover ball twice against Wales
Realistically I think we all expected this starting 15. Some might have put Conway at 15 and Larmour on the wing, I would have too, but it’s obvious that Joe sees Larmour as a better option there than Conway. Because of injuries the backs pretty much picked themselves. He’s also gone with the tried and tested in the backrow. In the absence of Toner I think it’s fair to say that POM will start all the big games when fit for his lineout prowess. Leaving Stander and Conan to fight it out for number 8. Only real surprise might be Scannel on the bench instead of Cronin but Scannel is a good player and is my bet for the starting hooker come the 6 nations. Looking at both teams and not permitting for weird weather I think Ireland will have too much for Scotland. Ireland by 10
I probably would of preferred Conway at fullback but to be fair, larmour has been our back up fullback to Kearney and it would of been a slap in the face to larmour if he didn’t start him there. It’s a very potent back 3 but I just have a small fear of that 3 defensively but coybig!!!!
Wales/England would look to exploit recent aerial form and set piece worries, but don’t think the Scots like playing tactics, they wont switch up their formula and will just hope Russell doesn’t have a howler. Cracker of a game hopefully.
With Kearney fully fit I would expect a 7-12 point win but without him it will be a nailbiter. Can see Laidlaw and Russell sending deep box kicks and garryowens for Hogg, Maitland and Seymour to test Larmour all day.