This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

There has been a significant development in the running of Huddersfield Town as chairman Phil Hodgkinson has stepped down as a director of the club.

Hodgkinson purchased 75 per cent of the Terriers in June 2019 from former owner Dean Hoyle, but ran into financial difficulties with his other business interests in late 2021.

 

 

 

 

It led to Hoyle - still a minority shareholder - resuming financial control of the Yorkshire side and now with Hodgkinson wanting to focus on his other businesses, it has opened the door for his shares to be bought by Hoyle.

The two parties are currently in discussions in regards to those shares, but there's every chance that once that transpires, Hoyle could try and find a fresh buyer for the club.

FLW's Huddersfield fan pundit Graeme Rayner thinks that if Hoyle is going to try and find another buyer for the club then he needs to let go completely and not hold any shares, but if he is going to stick around then he would like him to show the kind of commitment that saw his running of the club get the Terriers to the Premier League.

"It's taken too long to reach this situation," Rayner said.

"It's been something like three months since the news hit that Phil Hodgkinson's other business ventures were going into administration and the rumours at the time were Dean Hoyle was basically back in control of the club.

"Then we heard he'd made himself CEO and it's been an open secret that what has been announced today was happening or had happened and no-one's really surprised by it.

"We've had rumours of various interested parties wanting to take over, the Marcus Evans rumours aren't ones that really wet the appetite but being pragmatic it could be an interesting move.

"Most Town fans would love some ludicrously rich billionaire with a love for football, which would be great, but whether Dean would stay on I don't know.

"When he sold up he had his reasons for selling three-quarters of his shares and the events that followed in terms of repaying the loans to him have soured his reputation with some Town fans.

"I for one will always be grateful for the way he came in and took over the club at the time he did and where he got us to in his tenure, and having met him and his family I think they are good people and I have a lot of respect for him

"But I have shared concerns with other fans about repaying those loans in the way that we did and at the time we did and how that affected our prospects over the last couple of years.

"We're only just recovering from that so whatever happens now, Town fans I think deserve and would probably demand openness, honesty and the kind of levels of respect that we know that Dean can show in terms of being straight with us.

"I think that's what we want, we want to know what the future holds, we want to know what we can realistically expect and we don't want to left in the dark forever.

"If he stays then I hope that he is fully committed to on-field matters and gives us our best chances of success, and if he goes I hope that this time he goes with a clean break.

"I think if he does sell the club he needs to sell everything and make a clean break for everyone's sake including his.

"But whatever happens I'm grateful for him and I wish him well."

The Verdict

It remains to be seen whether or not Hoyle is in it for the long haul, but if he is then he will have to show the commitment he did when he was previously the chairman of the club.

Under his guidance, Huddersfield reached the promised land of the Premier League but for his own reasons he decided to sell up once they were relegated back to the Championship.

He's seemingly been in the background for a number of months though and it seemed inevitable that this day would come - Hodgkinson despite his best efforts has been struggling it appears.

It's an uncertain period now off the field for Huddersfield despite their good form on the pitch, but they won't be in any immediate danger and with their situation being in the open, it could attract some potential lucrative buyers.