A Knight’s tale: BHAFC life president Dick Knight
BHAFC life president Dick Knight talks to Mark Brailsford about 1997, Archer & The Amex
The title of your book, Mad Man, how did that come about?
“For me it was obvious. I worked in advertising in New York in the ’60s, and if you know the TV series Mad Men, I think I was probably Don Draper. Also, I was travelling all over the world, Los Angeles, Shanghai, New York, and anyone who gives that up and takes over a football club that was near death, to travel to places like Rochdale, Darlington and Accrington obviously must have been mad, so it’s a very appropriate title.”
As life president of The Albion, do you feel your efforts have been appreciated by the fans and the club?
“I know they have by the fans, people come up to me all the time, saying thanks for saving the club, and for winning the battle for Falmer. That’s what I worked for all those years. Remember it was 14 years since I took over in 1997 and it was August 2011 before we played the first league game at the Amex – 14 years! Now I come from the world of advertising, fantasy if you like, but even I would never have believed it would take that long.”
Taking you back to 1997 and a man named Bill Archer, have you had any contact with him since 1997?
“It took 18 months to prise his sticky fingers off the club. Effectively we were in stalemate, he stayed on as director for while, and he thought he could see me off. I’ve dealt with tough businessmen before and I was pretty used to dealing with pretty sharp business people like New York lawyers, but I’d never come up against armour plating of the type put into the field by Bill.”
At what point did you become engaged in the process of saving The Albion?
“I was observing the sad tale of the deterioration of The Albion over a couple of years, but my first wife was desperately ill, so I couldn’t really pay a lot of attention to it initially. I was viewing it from afar and was horrified by what I saw happening, then I had to get involved. This was a team I had been watching since 1946. When I worked in advertising, I used to fly back from New York on the Red Eye, have a shower then stroll along to the Goldstone to watch The Albion.”
Your era as chairmen was inarguably the most successful period in the club’s history. How would you like to be remembered?
“I hope to be remembered as a good chairman who did what he did for the good of the club and the community and as a fan. I loved the club so my legacy comes down to the offer of my shares. I want The Albion to be a fans’ club, not a corporate club. I know these big companies, but I’m very concerned that the club doesn’t lose its heritage or forget where it came from. I’ve got dover a million shares in the club, and I am still the second biggest shareholder in the club after Tony [Bloom]. I pledged in 1997 that no one person will have total control of the club, but now thanks to a combination of the global economic meltdown at the time of getting the planning permission and Tony’s incredible generosity to come forward with the money, one person has over 90% control of the club. Now, I’m not seeking to launch an overthrow of Tony, [chuckles], I need, however, to feel comfortable that the club always listens to the supporters, and if you have one share, you have a voice at the club AGM. In my view that’s the way forward to ensure the fans always have a voice. If it weren’t for the fans, would there even be a Brighton and Hove Albion?”
POST SCRIPT: After the interview, my production team (Treason Media) remarked what a lovely man Dick was and that they could imagine him as a favourite grandad. And perhaps that sums up Dick Knight for me. He is the man, without whom the fans could not have saved The Albion, and will always be for me, The Albion’s favourite grandad.
Mad Man: From the Gutter to the Stars, The Ad Man who Saved Brighton,(Vision Sports Publishing) is out now in all good bookshops.
Watch the entire interview here
Pic: Paul Hazlewood
