Bill Bratt

MBE
Born
William Amos Bratt

1945 (age 78–79)
NationalityBritish
OccupationInsurance broker
Chairman of Port Vale
In office
2003–2011
Preceded byBill Bell
Succeeded byMike Lloyd

William Amos Bratt MBE (born 1945) is an English insurance broker and former football club chairman who was the chair of Port Vale from 2003 to 2011.

After decades working in the insurance industry, Bratt turned his attention to his hometown club Port Vale, after the club were facing dark times. Leading the 'Valiant 2001' supporter's trust, he gained control from the administrators and previous chairman Bill Bell in 2003. He then faced a constant battle to steady the club's finances whilst also advancing through the leagues. Though the team fared poorly on the pitch throughout his reign, falling to the bottom tier of the Football League, he managed to keep the club afloat financially, though still the club continued to lose money. He left the club after fan protests against his chairmanship.

Early life

Bratt's stepfather was a World War II veteran who was taken by the Japanese as a prisoner of war. After the war his father appeared to be mentally scarred from his time in POW camps and regularly beat him, he apologised to his son whilst on his deathbed. He died in the 1960s of cancer.[1]

He lived in numerous children's homes in the Penkhull area, before becoming a miner at Chatterley Whitfield pit in 1959.[2] The charity he received from members of the church helped to instil Christian beliefs that he holds to this day (as of June 2009).[2] From an early age he was a Port Vale supporter, something which would have a significant impact upon his life in the future.[2]

Business life

Bratt worked in several coal-mines, but was forced to retire after a motorcycle accident severely damaged his left hand; he is now without a left thumb. He then tried several jobs, including selling encyclopaedias. However, Bratt built up his business acumen and earned a healthy income as an insurance broker over a 30-year period.[2]

During this time he also started a family - a son and a daughter.[2]

Chairmanship of Port Vale

Early years

In 2001, Bratt was involved with a consortium of fans and local businessmen under the banner "Valiant 2001", started by Charles Machin,[3] which started moves towards attaining ownership of the club, including several offers that were rejected by chairman Bill Bell.[4] The club went into administration under Bell in December 2002.[5] Valiant 2001 eventually secured control of the club after a long and drawn-out process as the 2002–03 season neared its close. Their takeover bid beat that of a 'mystery bidder'.[6] Bratt had been a lifelong supporter of the club when he took the chairman position in 2003.[7]

The Valiant2001 Charter, drafted by Charles Machin, listed ten points:[8]

  • One: Set aside a £1.5 million first team budget
  • Two: Introduce supporter-friendly ticket pricing
  • Three: Complete the Lorne Street stand
  • Four: Sort out the pitch (install under-soil heating)
  • Five: Make savings of over £80,000
  • Six: Make Port Vale a fan-friendly football club
  • Seven: Make Port Vale a community-friendly football club
  • Eight: Run the club openly and democratically (at least 2 supporter-directors on the board)
  • Nine: Improve the club's relations
  • Ten: Be open, honest, professional and accountable

Bratt put a large portion of the club's shares up for sale in February 2006. Robbie Williams bought £240,000 worth of the £250,000 worth of available shares in the club. Castle Comfort Stairlifts, the club's sponsors, at the same time bought the remainder for £10,000.[9] Three months later Bratt also took up the role of Chief executive officer.[10][11]

Under Bratt's chairmanship, the club were relegated to the bottom tier of English league football after a dismal 2007–08 season. Bratt and his board of directors appointed five managers throughout their reign; Martin Foyle in 2004, Lee Sinnott in 2007, Dean Glover in 2008, Micky Adams in 2009, Jim Gannon in 2011, and Adams again in 2011.

Troubled relationship with the fans

Under Bratt, the club maintained their League One status, before a drop down the divisions which was only reversed when Micky Adams' appointment sparked a revival.

In February 2009, with the club languishing near the bottom of the Football League, closer to relegation than the play-offs, many Vale fans organized protests against manager Glover and the board, including Bratt.[12] With talks of fresh investment from shirt sponsors Harlequin Property came rumours on the internet that the company were planning to demolish Vale Park and build a supermarket, paying off Bratt to ensure his compliance.[13] Bratt passionately denied these accusations, seemingly angered by the suggestion and claimed that if he were to comply with the protesters demands and remove himself and the rest of the V-2001 directors from the Board, then the club would fold as banks and creditors would seek their money. He also reiterated his prior statements by stating that he would be prepared to leave his position if the right offer were to be made.[14]

As chairman he was sometimes criticized for the perceived unprofessional practices of the board. Critics citing the phone vote that was arranged to sack Sinnott and the way in which experienced midfielder Dave Brammer was released- informing him via voicemail.[15][16] Sinnott later took the club to court for breach of contract.[17] The appointment of Dean Glover was also unpopular with fans.[18] Protests formed by fans against Glover and the board gave Bratt little option than to sack Glover,[19] with season ticket sales seriously affected by disillusioned supporters.[20] With a serious dent into his reputation he built as a player at the club, Glover left the club completely,[21] However, Bratt and the board stayed in place despite growing resentment from some corners.

Bratt was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours for services to sport.[22][23] In the summer of 2009 he collapsed and was paralysed from the waist down, he made a full recovery though after undergoing surgery at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire.[24] Despite the club's recent troubles on the pitch, Bratt was delighted with the overwhelming support he received from the fans during his recovery: "I have had lots of cards, text messages and phone calls, so I'd like to thank everyone for that."[25]

In July 2009, Bratt spoke out to publicly deny rumours spread on Vale fan sites, specifically rumours of sponsorship deals with Basement Jaxx and Maplin Electronics. Bratt said the rumours were "inaccurate, spurious and damaging", claiming the speculation could damage genuine and confidential negotiations.[26] The next month he was able to say "we got the right man" in appointing Micky Adams, following a 2–1 win over Sheffield United in the League Cup.[27] There also came statements that shirt sponsors Harlequin Property would invest £500,000 into the club, though this never materialized. Reports that Andy Townsend would be appointed as a football advisor also surfaced,[28] but never transpired.

Bratt stated that he planned to stand down at the end of the 2009–10 season.[29][30] However, when investor Mike Newton was willing to invest £400,000 in the club and take the chair of the board at the season's end,[31] Bratt claimed to be unhappy with Newton's policy of negotiating in public (who had by then upped his offer to £500,000),[32][33] and so Bratt remained chairman for the 2010–11 season. Newton claimed that his "efforts to become chairman and to invest in the club have been hampered and made almost impossible" by Bratt and his board,[34] and said that the reasons giving to reject his investment were "one long round of excuses".[35] Bratt also denied claims by Newton that the club were heading for administration under his leadership.[36] In September 2010 Bratt gave up his role as Chief Executive, but remained as chairman,[10] denying that this decision was influenced by the recent Newton takeover bid.[37] By this time the club's debts were estimated at £2m, a level described by Bratt as "manageable".[11]

In September 2010 Bratt owned £44,120 of the club's £1.132m shares, with the nine-man board's total share value at £359,400.[38] In December 2010 local businessman and Water World owner Mo Chaudry went public with his investment proposal for the club,[39] However, Bratt said it was the first he had heard of the proposal, despite Chandry's legal advisor's claims they had spoken and that "it was made clear to me the club wasn't interested in selling to Mo Chaudry."[40] The board swiftly and unanimously rejected the £1.3 million proposal.[41] Following another anti-board protest from Vale supporters and the resignation of director Mike Thompstone following a vote of no confidence at a supporter shareholder meeting, Bratt and his team decided to re-examine the Chaudry bid.[42][43][44] In January 2011, another group of prospective investors, this time a group of Texas businessmen, announced they had pulled out of talks with Bratt's board.[45] The group said: "the deal is completely dead because the directors don't want to sell the club... we believe they [the Vale] are run by the wrong people... [and] we didn't get anything apart from a cup of tea before watching a game."[45] Fans began a protest movement called "Black and Gold Until it's Sold" - inspired by Manchester United's anti-Glazer scarf protest - in which fans wear black and gold scarves to symbolize their opposition to Bratt and the board.[46] Despite this Chaudry's takeover deadline passed without comment from the Vale board,[47] though another director, Paul Humphreys, resigned his position.[48] After the board shunned a further joint offer by Chaudry and Mark Sims, Sims stated that he was "thoroughly disillusioned with the current board and, as a lifelong fan, I'm devastated by this season's promotion failure and the demise of our club over the past decade."[49]

After an EGM was called on 1 June 2011, Bratt and his four fellow directors faced a vote to remove them.[50] With major shareholders Robbie Williams and Broxap owner Robert Lee throwing their support behind Chaudry, few believed Bratt could survive the EGM.[51] Despite a vote of no confidence in the board and directors Peter Jackson and Stan Meigh being voted out, Bratt and two other directors survived their individual votes.[52] This was thanks to a last-minute decision by Lee to sell to an unnamed director and not Chaudry.[53][54] Despite this, Bratt resigned as chairman on 29 July 2011,[55] citing his wish to unite the fans and to leave behind the "hate" levelled at him in "the last 12 months" by his detractors.[56][57] He remained a director, and he was a member of the board in September 2011, when it was announced that sports construction firm Blue Sky International were planning to plough £5 million into the club in twelve months, as well as a further £2.5 million by 2016.[58] This sum would secure the long-term future of the club.[59] He resigned as a director in October 2011.[60] Two months later, the deal was shown to have had no substantive basis.[61] He later became chairman of minor non-League side Stone Town.

References

  1. ↑ "Football chairman beaten as child". BBC News. 4 December 2007. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bill Bratt MBE". BBC Stoke & Staffordshire. 16 June 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  3. ↑ "A GREAT PLAN FOR A GREAT CLUB - your questions answered". Archived from the original on 23 July 2001. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  4. ↑ "Valiant 2001 urges Bell to agree terms". 15 January 2002. Archived from the original on 12 October 2002. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  5. ↑ "Vale go into administration". BBC Sport. 16 December 2002. Retrieved 21 December 2008.
  6. ↑ "'Stark future awaits the Vale?' Asks Valiant 2001". 7 January 2002. Archived from the original on 9 December 2002. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  7. ↑ Bill Bratt named as chairman bbc.co.uk
  8. ↑ "Valiant2001 Charter". Archived from the original on 2 October 2001. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  9. ↑ "Robbie buys into Vale", BBC.co.uk, 27 February 2006
  10. 1 2 Shaw, Steve (1 September 2010). "Port Vale: Bill Bratt to relinquish chief executive role, but to remain as chairman". The Sentinel. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  11. 1 2 Shaw, Steve (2 September 2010). "Port Vale: Chairman Bill Bratt defends record in duel role". The Sentinel. Retrieved 2 September 2010.
  12. ↑ "Vale fans stage post-match protest". The Sentinel. 28 February 2009. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
  13. ↑ Shaw, Steve (27 March 2009). "Breaking News: Shirt sponsor set to invest £1/2 million into Port Vale". The Sentinel. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
  14. ↑ "Vale chairman happy to walk away". BBC Sport. 27 March 2009. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
  15. ↑ "Brammer denied new Vale contract". BBC Sport. 13 May 2009. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  16. ↑ Shaw, Steve (14 May 2009). "Port Vale: Brammer slams his voicemail farewell". The Sentinel. Retrieved 14 May 2009.
  17. ↑ Shaw, Steve (19 January 2009). "Port Vale: Axed Vale boss to take club to court". The Sentinel. Archived from the original on 20 January 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
  18. ↑ "I am a dead man walking - Glover". BBC Sport. 22 March 2009. Archived from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
  19. ↑ "Boss Glover escorted from protest". BBC Sport. 26 April 2009. Archived from the original on 29 April 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  20. ↑ Shaw, Steve (16 April 2009). "Port Vale: Bratt refuses to panic over slow season-ticket sales". The Sentinel. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  21. ↑ "Glover ends Port Vale love affair". BBC Sport. 21 May 2009. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
  22. ↑ "No. 59090". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 2009. p. 14.
  23. ↑ "Port Vale: Chairman Bratt named MBE". The Sentinel. 13 June 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
  24. ↑ "Port Vale: Bratt returns to work after operation". The Sentinel. 25 July 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
  25. ↑ "Vale chairman Bratt thanks fans". BBC Sport. 28 July 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
  26. ↑ Bratt, Bill (30 July 2009). "Port Vale: Valiants in talks with regeneration expert". The Sentinel. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  27. ↑ "Port Vale: Chairman Bratt 'over the moon' with new boss". The Sentinel. 15 August 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2009.
  28. ↑ "Townsend set for Port Vale role". BBC Sport. 19 October 2009. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  29. ↑ Shaw, Steve (5 November 2009). "Port Vale: Bratt ready to quit Vale". The Sentinel. Archived from the original on 8 November 2009. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  30. ↑ "Port Vale: Bratt ready to quit chief executive role". The Sentinel. 17 December 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  31. ↑ "Potential investor Mike Newton outlines Port Vale aims". BBC Sport. 2 August 2010. Archived from the original on 5 August 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  32. ↑ "Mike Newton increase Port Vale takeover offer". BBC Sport. 13 August 2010. Archived from the original on 18 August 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  33. ↑ "Port Vale chairman Bill Bratt unhappy with Mike Newton". BBC Sport. 3 August 2010. Archived from the original on 6 August 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  34. ↑ "Port Vale: Mike Newton releases open letter to fans". The Sentinel. 12 August 2010. Archived from the original on 18 August 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  35. ↑ Shaw, Steve (23 August 2010). "Port Vale: Newton hits back at Vale board". The Sentinel. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  36. ↑ Shaw, Steve (19 August 2010). "Port Vale: Bill Bratt denies Mike Newton's administration claims". The Sentinel. Archived from the original on 24 August 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
  37. ↑ "Port Vale chief executive Bill Bratt steps down". BBC Sport. 1 September 2010. Archived from the original on 4 September 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
  38. ↑ Owen, Jon; Michael Baggaley (8 September 2010). "Port Vale: Mike Newton could make individual offers for directors shares". The Sentinel. Archived from the original on 12 September 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  39. ↑ "Mo Chaudry may consider Port Vale investment". BBC Sport. 3 December 2010. Archived from the original on 9 December 2010. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  40. ↑ Shaw, Steve (7 December 2010). "Port Vale: Media informed us of investment bid, says Bratt". The Sentinel. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  41. ↑ "Port Vale reject Chaudry's £1.3 million bid". The Sentinel. 11 December 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
  42. ↑ "Port Vale board will meet Mo Chaudry". BBC Sport. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  43. ↑ Shaw, Steve (14 December 2010). "Port Vale: Vale U-turn seems unlikely to lead to Chaudry deal". The Sentinel. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  44. ↑ Tideswell, Martin (14 December 2010). "Port Vale: Mo keeps counsel as board are cast as panto villains". The Sentinel. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  45. 1 2 Shaw, Steve (12 January 2011). "Port Vale: American consortium pull out of takeover talks". The Sentinel. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  46. ↑ Shaw, Steve (27 January 2011). "Port Vale: Gannon urges fans to beware of hurting promotion push". The Sentinel. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  47. ↑ Shaw, Steve (12 March 2011). "Port Vale: Angry Mo slams board after they ignore his bid deadline". The Sentinel. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  48. ↑ "VALE director resigns". The Sentinel. 12 March 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  49. ↑ "Port Vale: Would-be investor angered by board snub". The Sentinel. 29 April 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  50. ↑ Steve Shaw (17 May 2011). "Port Vale: Major shareholder ready to vote against board if Chaudry agrees to buy his £50,000 stake in club". The Sentinel. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  51. ↑ "Port Vale: Williams's decision leaves board on the brink". The Sentinel. 28 May 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  52. ↑ "Shareholders vote "no confidence" in Port Vale board". BBC Sport. 1 June 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  53. ↑ "Port Vale EGM: Meeting lived up to its billing... it was extraordinary". The Sentinel. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  54. ↑ "Port Vale EGM: Lee defends Broxap's 11th-hour U-turn". The Sentinel. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  55. ↑ "Port Vale: Bill Bratt quits as chairman". The Sentinel. 29 July 2011. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  56. ↑ "Port Vale chairman Bill Bratt resigns after eight years". BBC Sport. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  57. ↑ "Port Vale resignation was not difficult - Bill Bratt". BBC Sport. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  58. ↑ "Port Vale receive £5m Blue Sky International investment". BBC Sport. 13 September 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  59. ↑ "Port Vale Welcomes Blue Sky Investment". port-vale.co.uk. 13 September 2011. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  60. ↑ "Chief executive Perry Deakin becomes Port Vale director". BBC Sport. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
  61. ↑ "Port Vale: Investment deal is dead, says Blue Sky chief executive". The Sentinel. 8 December 2011. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
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