John Howard (UK businessman)
Encyclopedia
John Howard is a British
businessman/entrepreneur
who plays a significant role in many companies in East Anglia
, including being a former member of the board of directors
of Cambridge United F.C.
.
He is the MD of Auction House UK, the fastest growing property auction company in the Country, currently 4th largest .
He has also recently invested with his business partner in Fine and Country, the largest and fastest growing upmarket estate agency in the country, owning a large number of franchises throughout Norfolk ,Suffolk and Essex
Outside his numerous business interests he has vast experience in the Equestrian World having been an Owner, Breeder as well as training Racehorses from his home in Suffolk.
__FORCETOC__
from Cambridge United for GBP 1,923,000 in order to lease it back to the club in November 2004 for an estimated annual rent of GBP 200,000. Although at the time the sale itself was unopposed as,
although not welcomed, fans realised it was the only way to keep the financially challenged club afloat, Bideawhile's subsequent dealings have been questioned. This has principally been due to Howard's refusal to sell the ground back to Cambridge United, despite then United director Dr. Johnny Hon
offering the club the money to buy back the ground at a price of GBP 2.2 million (a significant profit for Howard on a four month investment) in April 2005.
Howard's reasoning for the refusal to sell was that "we...do not believe it is in the best interests of CUFC or Bideawhile to enter into negotiations to sell the ground at this present time". This was met with fierce opposition from fellow directors and fans alike. Dr. Hon himself stated that "I'm extremely disappointed that John Howard has decided not to accept the offer of £2.2 million that I made last week, especially because I understand he had told Roger Hunt and the Board that his heart and loyalty was with the Club" while U's majority shareholder
Paul Barry stated that "I am very disappointed that John has turned down the offer for the Club to control its own destiny with its freehold".
The fans' reaction to Howard's refusal to sell the ground has been, and continues to be, negative. Chants of "We want our stadium back" were regularly heard at home and away fixtures while a protest
was organised through Cambridge
town centre
to highlight the club's plight prior to the final game of the 2004/05 season against Notts County by Cambridge Fans United. Growing pressure on John Howard from the fans led him to issue a statement that he would not be attending this fixture as it would be "in the best interests of the Club if I am not present on this occasion". This led to questioning on the Club's message boards and in the local media of Howard's true commitment as a fan, and the irony of his reasoning (the "best interests" of the club) did not go unnoticed, as it was widely felt that this was what he was not serving by refusing to sell the Abbey Stadium back to the Club.
In December 2005 a supporter of Cambridge United made a 16 foot banner with the words: SELL IT BACK in protest of John Howard’s ownership of the Abbey Stadium. On January 7, 2006 the banner was signed by over 800 fans before a home match.
On the 1st of April a Cambridge United fan placed John Howard’s back garden on eBay. John Howard’s house was pictured along with a satellite view of his land. The auction was setup in protest of Howard refusing to sell back the stadium to the club.
Cambridge United rejoiced on the evening of Tuesday August 1 when it was announced that John Howard had been forced to resign from the board of directors. "Everyone involved with the club recognises this as a huge step forward."
It was announced in February 2010 that Howard's company, Bideawhile 445 Ltd., had agreed to sell the Abbey Stadium to a property developer for GBP 3,500,000. The sale was agreed with Grosvenor Estates, and amounted to a profit for Bideawhile of around GBP 2,500,000 - including rental receipts - since they purchased the stadium five years earlier.
The fans trust organisation, Cambridge Fans United, then tried to buy back the stadium by matching the sale price agreed with Grosvenor Estates.[8] The supporters' trust attempted to get extra time to find the cash, but this was rejected by Bideawhile.[9]
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
businessman/entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
who plays a significant role in many companies in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
, including being a former member of the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of Cambridge United F.C.
Cambridge United F.C.
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...
.
He is the MD of Auction House UK, the fastest growing property auction company in the Country, currently 4th largest .
He has also recently invested with his business partner in Fine and Country, the largest and fastest growing upmarket estate agency in the country, owning a large number of franchises throughout Norfolk ,Suffolk and Essex
Outside his numerous business interests he has vast experience in the Equestrian World having been an Owner, Breeder as well as training Racehorses from his home in Suffolk.
__FORCETOC__
Controversy
He has attracted controversy through one of his businesses, Bideawhile 445 Ltd, which was used as a vehicle to purchase the Abbey StadiumAbbey Stadium
The Abbey Stadium, known as R Costings Abbey Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Cambridge, England. It has been the home ground of Cambridge United F.C. since 1932, and currently has a maximum capacity of 9,617 spectators...
from Cambridge United for GBP 1,923,000 in order to lease it back to the club in November 2004 for an estimated annual rent of GBP 200,000. Although at the time the sale itself was unopposed as,
although not welcomed, fans realised it was the only way to keep the financially challenged club afloat, Bideawhile's subsequent dealings have been questioned. This has principally been due to Howard's refusal to sell the ground back to Cambridge United, despite then United director Dr. Johnny Hon
Johnny Hon
Johnny Sei-Hoe Hon is a Hong Kong born international businessman and founder of the .Hon set up the Global Group of Companies after gaining expertise in financial planning, lending, portfolio management, tax structuring and trust formation at ABN AMRO Bank in Hong Kong...
offering the club the money to buy back the ground at a price of GBP 2.2 million (a significant profit for Howard on a four month investment) in April 2005.
Howard's reasoning for the refusal to sell was that "we...do not believe it is in the best interests of CUFC or Bideawhile to enter into negotiations to sell the ground at this present time". This was met with fierce opposition from fellow directors and fans alike. Dr. Hon himself stated that "I'm extremely disappointed that John Howard has decided not to accept the offer of £2.2 million that I made last week, especially because I understand he had told Roger Hunt and the Board that his heart and loyalty was with the Club" while U's majority shareholder
Shareholder
A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....
Paul Barry stated that "I am very disappointed that John has turned down the offer for the Club to control its own destiny with its freehold".
The fans' reaction to Howard's refusal to sell the ground has been, and continues to be, negative. Chants of "We want our stadium back" were regularly heard at home and away fixtures while a protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
was organised through Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
town centre
Town centre
The town centre is the term used to refer to the commercial or geographical centre or core area of a town.Town centres are traditionally associated with shopping or retail. They are also the centre of communications with major public transport hubs such as train or bus stations...
to highlight the club's plight prior to the final game of the 2004/05 season against Notts County by Cambridge Fans United. Growing pressure on John Howard from the fans led him to issue a statement that he would not be attending this fixture as it would be "in the best interests of the Club if I am not present on this occasion". This led to questioning on the Club's message boards and in the local media of Howard's true commitment as a fan, and the irony of his reasoning (the "best interests" of the club) did not go unnoticed, as it was widely felt that this was what he was not serving by refusing to sell the Abbey Stadium back to the Club.
In December 2005 a supporter of Cambridge United made a 16 foot banner with the words: SELL IT BACK in protest of John Howard’s ownership of the Abbey Stadium. On January 7, 2006 the banner was signed by over 800 fans before a home match.
On the 1st of April a Cambridge United fan placed John Howard’s back garden on eBay. John Howard’s house was pictured along with a satellite view of his land. The auction was setup in protest of Howard refusing to sell back the stadium to the club.
Cambridge United rejoiced on the evening of Tuesday August 1 when it was announced that John Howard had been forced to resign from the board of directors. "Everyone involved with the club recognises this as a huge step forward."
It was announced in February 2010 that Howard's company, Bideawhile 445 Ltd., had agreed to sell the Abbey Stadium to a property developer for GBP 3,500,000. The sale was agreed with Grosvenor Estates, and amounted to a profit for Bideawhile of around GBP 2,500,000 - including rental receipts - since they purchased the stadium five years earlier.
The fans trust organisation, Cambridge Fans United, then tried to buy back the stadium by matching the sale price agreed with Grosvenor Estates.[8] The supporters' trust attempted to get extra time to find the cash, but this was rejected by Bideawhile.[9]