The BEST pre-season Football EVER
Life can be funny sometimes.
Being high profile, I interact with many people from all different corners of the industry. It’s a broad spectrum, from ordinary punters, through customers of Bet Angel all the way up to the board level of betting companies. Over time I’m been lucky enough to see many Bet Angel customers go from small beginnings to something much bigger.
But nothing beats this story…. yet.
The introduction
I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with many Bet Angel customers over the years, and most conversations revolve around the fascinating world of sports in one capacity or another. Some of these relationships have lasted a very long time, and it’s always a joy to catch up with familiar faces. However, as my responsibilities have grown, finding the time for these interactions has become increasingly challenging.
One memorable experience stands out. I befriended a successful trader who was quite prominent at the time. When I started talking to this trader, there was a lot of negativity aimed at him. His detractors were eager to discredit his advice, suggesting he had ulterior motives. Their main issue? He was a Bet Angel user, which didn’t sit well with them.
Feeling a sense of sympathy, I reached out to him. We struck up a conversation and have kept in touch ever since. It’s been a rewarding connection, reminding me of the genuine people and meaningful relationships within the trading community.
Reconnecting
Having enjoyed a successful run, this particular customer decided to venture into new territories. His ventures were quite diverse, but the extent of his ambitions only became clear to me after an unexpected phone call. He announced that he was getting involved in buying a football club.
To my surprise, he revealed he was joining the board of Bournemouth Football Club. At the time, Bournemouth was languishing at the bottom of League One, and their future seemed bleak. Part of the plan involved injecting new money into the club with the ambitious goal of reaching the Premier League. Given their dire position, it seemed almost impossible—they looked destined for relegation.
However, as history shows, they appointed Eddie Howe, who orchestrated a remarkable turnaround. Bournemouth not only climbed out of the relegation zone but also secured promotion, narrowly missing out on the League One title. Their journey didn’t stop there—they made it all the way to the Premier League, where they stayed for four impressive seasons. This incredible journey was a testament to vision, determination, and a bit of audacious ambition.
Incredibly grateful
Witnessing this remarkable period at Bournemouth Football Club was an incredible privilege. It offered me an insider’s view of what it takes to run a football club, encompassing all the highs and lows, and the intricate details of club management. I also built a network of contacts across various clubs we interacted with over time.
This experience provided me with profound insights into the football business, revealing the critical components that influence a team’s performance and the meticulous processes behind it. Being involved with a football club, especially a smaller one in the Premier League, brings immense pressure that escalates significantly.
Through this journey, I learned about the challenging nature of running a football club. It’s incredibly tense and demanding. So it wasn’t surprising when my friend eventually stepped down. A couple of years later, the owner who orchestrated this incredible turnaround also exited the club.
Despite these departures, the journey was nothing short of extraordinary and stands out as one of the most memorable moments in my career.
Tons of incredible memories
I’ve got so many amazing memories from this period, and they will stay with me for ever.
Once the board was late arriving to a match. I arrived ahead of them and had to spend an hour or so covering for them. This included an indepth conversation with the opposing chairman. It was a wide ranging conversation touching on all parts of the club and the current manager.
Each time I found myself in the boardroom of a different club I had to pinch myself. How many people get the chance to do this?
Sitting in the directors box during a match was also surreal. Having spent so many years on the other side, you immediately become very self concious of the amount of attention the box gets. I’d often watch the match back later to see if the camera panned to the box, which it nearly always did. But also the fans usually have something to say to the directors. Especially when you are playing a club down on their luck.
One of the funniest and most surreal moments came when Bournemouth drew Portsmouth in the FA Cup.
I knew a phone call was incoming. “OMG, did you see the draw? Do you want to come, it should be fun”, it was!
Hello Mr Ronaldo & Mr Ancelotti
One of the most incredible moments of this journey was when I got a phone call in the summer inviting me to a pre-season friendly.
“Sure, who are you playing?” That was the obvious question. The answer took a few moments to sink in; “We’re playing real Madrid!”
I paused momentarily and then gave that classic two-word reply, f**k off!
But it was true, Little Bournemouth would be playing the mighty real Madrid, and I was invited with a top seat at the table!
We arranged a bus to gather up people and get to the stadium, leaving additional space in the car park. People mistakenly thought we were Real Madrid when we turned up at the stadium.
As we departed the bus, after a frantic period of shouting and photo-taking, a sense of disappointment descended upon the crowd gathered around the stadium entrance! That was funny, but for a moment, I got a hint at what it must be like to be a top football player arriving at a big game.
We headed upstairs to the ‘Bubbles’ champagne lounge and started speculating with other members on how the match would go. A short while later, Harry Redknapp appeared, on crutches, to join us amongst other board members and dignitaries from both football clubs.
This seemed a long way from the first conversation I had with this customer all those years earlier. Just that moment of getting in touch with somebody had somehow led to all this. We had to pinch ourselves to believe this was where it had led after the intervening years.
The records will show that Real Madrid won 6-0, but that wasn’t the point. Bournemouth had arrived on the scene, and this match was a great spectacle and measure of how far they had come from when they almost went out of business, and people were handing around buckets for loose change to keep the club going.
I’d be lucky to experience anything like it again in my life. I hope that this isn’t the case for Bournemouth fans, as I grew really fond of the club when I was indirectly involved with them.
It was one hell of a day and, quite simply, the best pre-season ever!