In defence of Alan Hardy

[Bristolatic]

Yet another post has been turned (by some) into an Alan Hardy bashing although, as one poster pointed out, no-one really seems to say why. OK, he will no doubt have made mistakes and will not always do exactly what the fans want (being blamed for the "undisclosed fee" syndrome springs to mind), but I thought it worth mentioning the only two occasions I have had dealings with AH.

 

Following on from the Chris M**** fiasco when the club was on the brink of extinction, many fans dug deep into their pockets with financial aid, whether it was attending Survival Sunday or dropping coins into buckets. I was living in Bath at the time and sent the club a donation, the amount is immeterial. I did it because I wanted, in some small way, to help save the club I love and expected nothing in return.

 

Just 48 hours (yes, that's right, precisely 2 days) later, I received a wonderful thank you letter from Alan Hardy. Before anyone doubts it came from him, I can assure you it is not a stereotyped letter as it particularly addressed the content of mine and the signature is not a photocopy or a cut and paste job. This, to me, spoke volumes that he could do so on the day my letter arrived, when the club was still in turmoil.

 

Not too long afterwards, my mate and I were heading towards the ticket office at Bournemouth when AH and Barry Chaytow were stepping off the team coach. AH called out to us and the conversation was something like:

 

AH: All right lads, good to see you here.

Me: Just pleased we still have a club to support. Thanks for everything.

AH: The fans have helped us no end in different ways. Travelling all this way down shows us you care.

Me: We've only come from Bath, it was easy.

 

At this point, AH remembered a letter from Bath and realised I had sent a donation, thanked me for it and I thanked him for his immediate reply. He then introduced us to Barry Chaytow and we stood chatting for quite some time after which, AH asked if we had got our tickets yet. When we said we were just on our way to get them, he immediately took two complimentary tickets out of his pocket, wished us well, shook hands and thanked us again for coming.

 

That 10 minute chat told us that Alan Hardy loves the club and does all he can in his professional capacity. Like I said, he may not always get it right and you might not always understand how the club works, but AH is true blue to his core.

 

Others will no doubt have different views and I am not going to discuss them any further. I just wanted you to know that I honestly believe AH is as true a Latic as you can get.

[PlayItLivo]

Good post. I get the feeling a lot of people slate AH on here without really knowing him.

[Macca]

As far as I can see he does his best for the club. He's a bit of a Billy Urmson figure when Ritchie was in charge. Things weren't going well, it can't be Ritchie's fault, must be that no.2 of his!

[RobOAFC]

Yet another post has been turned (by some) into an Alan Hardy bashing although, as one poster pointed out, no-one really seems to say why. OK, he will no doubt have made mistakes and will not always do exactly what the fans want (being blamed for the "undisclosed fee" syndrome springs to mind), but I thought it worth mentioning the only two occasions I have had dealings with AH.

 

Following on from the Chris M**** fiasco when the club was on the brink of extinction, many fans dug deep into their pockets with financial aid, whether it was attending Survival Sunday or dropping coins into buckets. I was living in Bath at the time and sent the club a donation, the amount is immeterial. I did it because I wanted, in some small way, to help save the club I love and expected nothing in return.

 

Just 48 hours (yes, that's right, precisely 2 days) later, I received a wonderful thank you letter from Alan Hardy. Before anyone doubts it came from him, I can assure you it is not a stereotyped letter as it particularly addressed the content of mine and the signature is not a photocopy or a cut and paste job. This, to me, spoke volumes that he could do so on the day my letter arrived, when the club was still in turmoil.

 

Not too long afterwards, my mate and I were heading towards the ticket office at Bournemouth when AH and Barry Chaytow were stepping off the team coach. AH called out to us and the conversation was something like:

 

AH: All right lads, good to see you here.

Me: Just pleased we still have a club to support. Thanks for everything.

AH: The fans have helped us no end in different ways. Travelling all this way down shows us you care.

Me: We've only come from Bath, it was easy.

 

At this point, AH remembered a letter from Bath and realised I had sent a donation, thanked me for it and I thanked him for his immediate reply. He then introduced us to Barry Chaytow and we stood chatting for quite some time after which, AH asked if we had got our tickets yet. When we said we were just on our way to get them, he immediately took two complimentary tickets out of his pocket, wished us well, shook hands and thanked us again for coming.

 

That 10 minute chat told us that Alan Hardy loves the club and does all he can in his professional capacity. Like I said, he may not always get it right and you might not always understand how the club works, but AH is true blue to his core.

 

Others will no doubt have different views and I am not going to discuss them any further. I just wanted you to know that I honestly believe AH is as true a Latic as you can get.

Good post.

 

Also, i hope you donated the money you would of spent on tickets to the club!

[Bristolatic]

Good post.

 

Also, i hope you donated the money you would of spent on tickets to the club!

 

It was more than covered and I also drove from Bath To BP for Survival Sunday. Please don't ask how much I paid to get in, because I know a lot of people were far more generous than I could afford.

[boboafc]

Yet another post has been turned (by some) into an Alan Hardy bashing although, as one poster pointed out, no-one really seems to say why. OK, he will no doubt have made mistakes and will not always do exactly what the fans want (being blamed for the "undisclosed fee" syndrome springs to mind), but I thought it worth mentioning the only two occasions I have had dealings with AH.

 

Following on from the Chris M**** fiasco when the club was on the brink of extinction, many fans dug deep into their pockets with financial aid, whether it was attending Survival Sunday or dropping coins into buckets. I was living in Bath at the time and sent the club a donation, the amount is immeterial. I did it because I wanted, in some small way, to help save the club I love and expected nothing in return.

 

Just 48 hours (yes, that's right, precisely 2 days) later, I received a wonderful thank you letter from Alan Hardy. Before anyone doubts it came from him, I can assure you it is not a stereotyped letter as it particularly addressed the content of mine and the signature is not a photocopy or a cut and paste job. This, to me, spoke volumes that he could do so on the day my letter arrived, when the club was still in turmoil.

 

Not too long afterwards, my mate and I were heading towards the ticket office at Bournemouth when AH and Barry Chaytow were stepping off the team coach. AH called out to us and the conversation was something like:

 

AH: All right lads, good to see you here.

Me: Just pleased we still have a club to support. Thanks for everything.

AH: The fans have helped us no end in different ways. Travelling all this way down shows us you care.

Me: We've only come from Bath, it was easy.

 

At this point, AH remembered a letter from Bath and realised I had sent a donation, thanked me for it and I thanked him for his immediate reply. He then introduced us to Barry Chaytow and we stood chatting for quite some time after which, AH asked if we had got our tickets yet. When we said we were just on our way to get them, he immediately took two complimentary tickets out of his pocket, wished us well, shook hands and thanked us again for coming.

 

That 10 minute chat told us that Alan Hardy loves the club and does all he can in his professional capacity. Like I said, he may not always get it right and you might not always understand how the club works, but AH is true blue to his core.

 

Others will no doubt have different views and I am not going to discuss them any further. I just wanted you to know that I honestly believe AH is as true a Latic as you can get.

great post, good to know that some people like alan hardy ,who i have known since 1981 and always helped me and sent me things

[RobOAFC]

Good post. I get the feeling a lot of people slate AH on here without really knowing him.

Like your signature.

All without the help of the all powerful Pawel Abbott

[De_La_Vega]

Well said that man. Only a few weeks ago I was discussing the man Hardy with my brother and we came to the consensus that whatever else might be said about the bloke, I have never doubted that he has had the club's best intentions at heart. I think it is sad that we have such a negative fringe of fans at times...

[LeylandLatic]

Well said that man. Only a few weeks ago I was discussing the man Hardy with my brother and we came to the consensus that whatever else might be said about the bloke, I have never doubted that he has had the club's best intentions at heart. I think it is sad that we have such a negative fringe of fans at times...

 

 

I don't think it's so much that they're negative, just instead of forming their own opinions based on actual events they prefer to just go along with what other people say. That's why most people seem to have no actual reason to dislike him, they just say it because their mate says it who also has no reason for it other than their mate says it etc tec.

[Alec1954]

I don't think it's so much that they're negative, just instead of forming their own opinions based on actual events they prefer to just go along with what other people say. That's why most people seem to have no actual reason to dislike him, they just say it because their mate says it who also has no reason for it other than their mate says it etc tec.

 

 

Last season we played Leeds at home in the FA Cup. I was narked that I had ordered my tickets online to find I then had to pick them up at the club. I contacted AH to vent my annoyance.. and guess whast he did? He took my address and on his way home he dropped them off at my front door!

 

Can anyone else think of a single football CEO who would do that?

[Bristolatic]

Last season we played Leeds at home in the FA Cup. I was narked that I had ordered my tickets online to find I then had to pick them up at the club. I contacted AH to vent my annoyance.. and guess whast he did? He took my address and on his way home he dropped them off at my front door!

 

Can anyone else think of a single football CEO who would do that?

 

Brilliant. It appears there may be more hitherto unkown instances coming out of what the man does.

[Crusoe]

Well, I've never met him or spoken to him, so this is small beer, but on the two occasions I've had questions about the club he's emailed me back with an answer and an offer to call him to discuss over the phone, or a quick note apologising for not being able to give me an immediate answer. Maybe it's not much, but shows some care to pay attention to fans.

[Nickhenryslovechild]

Only believe 10% of the bad stuff about Hardy.

[RoyleArmy]

hardy doesnt reply to fans email so i not back him here

[Crusoe]

He replied to mine.

[singe]

hardy doesnt reply to fans email so i not back him here

He's always replied to me, and very qucikly for someone with his responsibilities too.

[wakefield-oldham]

going back to the few glory days when every man woman and child was buying hats,scarves,shirts,banners and emptying the latique shop everyday,,,i got the impression that alot of people were jelous of alan ,saying anyone could do his sales and marketing job at that time,,,of course they could,,all they had to do was open the door and watch people flood into the shop spending a fortune,,,,of course it doesnt work like that and i think alan should be applauded for his efforts at that time when the club had no experience whatsoever of being successful and it must have been a really challenging experience to combat the huge growth the club was experiencing.....and i just think alans name has been spread throughout the borough by the negative people of that era and the folk who are pleased to slag him off,have not got a clue why they are slagging him off

 

thanks alan for your support you have shown the club over the last 20 odd years and i know if it wasnt for you and a few others oafc would have died a few years ago

 

[RobOAFC]

hardy doesnt reply to fans email so i not back him here

always replies to mine.

Could be you have a e-mail problem, used to have problems sending and recieving.

[singe]

going back to the few glory days when every man woman and child was buying hats,scarves,shirts,banners and emptying the latique shop everyday,,,i got the impression that alot of people were jelous of alan ,saying anyone could do his sales and marketing job at that time,,,of course they could,,all they had to do was open the door and watch people flood into the shop spending a fortune,,,,of course it doesnt work like that and i think alan should be applauded for his efforts at that time when the club had no experience whatsoever of being successful and it must have been a really challenging experience to combat the huge growth the club was experiencing.....and i just think alans name has been spread throughout the borough by the negative people of that era and the folk who are pleased to slag him off,have not got a clue why they are slagging him off

 

thanks alan for your support you have shown the club over the last 20 odd years and i know if it wasnt for you and a few others oafc would have died a few years ago

Really good post that Wakefield

Thing about Alan, is he seems to make it look easy.

Which of course, as you clearly say, it;s not.

[Lags]

I've no need to big AH up. I know what he thinks of me has a fan and likewise he does me of him has a ceo and friend.

[laticsmad]

Last season we played Leeds at home in the FA Cup. I was narked that I had ordered my tickets online to find I then had to pick them up at the club. I contacted AH to vent my annoyance.. and guess whast he did? He took my address and on his way home he dropped them off at my front door!

 

Can anyone else think of a single football CEO who would do that?

 

Wow that is quite a gesture. Good on him!

[Lee Sinnott]

I can never ever understand why Hardy gets all the grief that he does. The amount of work he puts in is monumental. Indeed, he's the only member of that board of directors I trust, and have any kind of respect for.

 

Whilst myself, Beardy, Omar Don't Scare and a few others were at the ticket office in the early hours queuing for Blackpool playoff tickets, he came out at approx 6.30AM with cups of tea and bacon butties for us.

[oafcprozac]

I can never ever understand why Hardy gets all the grief that he does. The amount of work he puts in is monumental. Indeed, he's the only member of that board of directors I trust, and have any kind of respect for.

 

Whilst myself, Beardy, Omar Don't Scare and a few others were at the ticket office in the early hours queuing for Blackpool playoff tickets, he came out at approx 6.30AM with cups of tea and bacon butties for us.

 

I remember the tea, you fat bastards must have quaffed the butties before he got to about tenth in line....

[ghostofcecere]

hardy doesnt reply to fans email so i not back him here

He's always replied to mine, and very promptly too.

[oldhamandy1]

Couple years back whilst at college he gave me the chance to interview him about the football finance for part of my course it was only a 15 minute interview but it meant alot considering the other clubs I e-mailed ignored my resquests. Always struck me as a man for the fans and is a true Oldham Athletic legend.