HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS fans were today, reluctantly, dragged into the row over shares in the Galpharm Stadium.
The supporters have insisted the bitter dispute over the Town shares should be a private matter between Dean Hoyle and Ken Davy, the respective owners of the two sporting clubs.
But they have hit back at criticism of their stance and today vowed they were 100% behind Ken Davy – insisting he is the man who saved professional sport in the town.
Some Town fans are angry that the soccer club shares held by Mr Davy’s company Huddersfield Sporting Pride have not been returned to the club, despite an apparent agreement between Mr Davy and Mr Hoyle two years ago.
Hundreds have backed a highly-visible lime-green T-shirt protest at recent Town games, calling for the shares to be given back to the club.
Dave Calverley, chairman of the Huddersfield Giants Supporters’ Association, said: “We had not wanted to become involved in the Town shares issue.
“But there is a section on the Huddersfield Town Supporters’ Association website where the chairman states ‘the silence is not enhancing Mr Davy’s reputation and fans of both the Giants and Town and the public of Kirklees are beginning to question why there have been no replies or acknowledgements’.
“The Huddersfield Giants Supporters’ Association know of no Giants fans who are questioning Ken Davy’s reputation.
“Neither have they come across the ‘public of Kirklees’ who are questioning Ken Davy’s reputation.
“There is a feeling that HTSA is aligning the Giants Supporters Association with its shares protest. It has started to turn Giants fan against Giants fan, even though none support the campaign.”
Mr Calverley said officials of both supporters’ groups had met and despite requests not to raise the shares issue, it had been brought up.
Mr Calverley said: “At no time during that meeting did the Giants committee agree to support the HTSA campaign.
“We did think that Ken’s idea of a trust for the shares of both clubs was good.
“We must reiterate that the Huddersfield Giants Supporters’ Association does not support HTSA’s campaign and totally disagrees with the manner which it is hounding the man who saved Huddersfield Town.
“The Giants Supporters’ Association takes the view that the shares issue is a private matter between the owners of the Giants and Town and as such should be left to them and Kirklees Stadium Development Ltd to sort out in the appropriate manner.
“We completely dissociate ourselves from any personal and public campaign against Mr Davy and will encourage all Giants fans to support Mr Davy and thank him for his efforts to preserve professional sport in Huddersfield and for helping make the Giants the successful club they are today.”
Stephen King, chairman of the Huddersfield Town Supporters’ Association, said: “I understand the concerns of the Giants Supporters’ Association but certainly there have been views expressed by individual fans of both Town and the Giants.
“The question of the stadium shares should concern fans of both clubs.”
