by A. D. Rogers
His popularity reflected well on the company he worked for and he quickly rose through the ranks to become a director. Finally – helped by Alex’s father – Luke and his partner Toby bought out the other partners and the business was theirs. The contracts with the UK government continued as before and the new partnership thrived.
All went well until a couple of years ago when both Luke and Toby realised that it was all getting too much. Toby had an ultimatum from his wife – unless he spent more time at home he would soon be divorced. Luke didn’t want that to happen to him and in addition – he had simply had enough of being away from home nearly all the time. They were both pondering what to do when they were approached by a large Global IT firm who wanted to buy them out. The amount of money they offered was staggering but there were also a few strings attached. However, after nearly two years of wrangling – they had managed to get the deal signed and now both Toby and Luke were wealthy men. However, part of the deal was that neither man would set up a similar IT company – anywhere in the world – for the next five years.
There had also been another small price to pay that neither Toby or the takeover company were aware of. The government didn’t want to lose Luke – or his expertise. They insisted that both he and Toby had a seat on the board of the takeover company but they also wanted something more clandestine from Luke. In exchange for the government not raising any concerns over the takeover bid, they encouraged Luke to start up a small, secret enterprise that could be used to continue some of the work that Luke had been doing. This time there would be no travel – all the work would be done remotely.
The new company would work exclusively for the government and would mainly look into security concerns. There had to be complete secrecy and no apparent link to Luke Linden. Luke had no choice but to agree – if he didn’t then the takeover bid would have fallen through. After taking advice from various sources he rented some offices in a run-down industrial estate about 15 miles from Wishton and set about transforming it into a discreet but impregnable operation. He assembled a small team of around 6 experts who would be based mainly at the office but could also work from home. The new company had a cover name of Album and on the face of it seemed to be concerned with Kitchen design and everything about it was very low key. The other occupants of the industrial estate hardly knew they were there.
The new company was now up and running and Luke rarely visited the office – he would either video-conference or he would meet up with some of the staff at different locations around the North West of England. At the moment things were going well and everyone wanted to keep it that way. At the very least it could be embarrassing if the company that had bought him out found he had broken one of the terms of the takeover deal. Even Sue didn’t know about Album – and Luke intended to keep it that way.
Luke considered all these issues as he ploughed up and down the pool and he chuckled to himself when he thought back to Harry’s earlier comment about Luke having an easy life these days. He did seem to have more time on his hands but he compared the situation to the appearance of a swan – on the surface the swan appeared to glide along without any effort but below the water his feet were kicking like crazy.
That’s what Luke’s life was like these days – though very few people knew about it. In addition to the new start up Information Technology company, Luke still owned the property company – and this had turned into a sizeable operation. Sue and Luke now owned dozens of properties and Luke insisted that all were rented out to local people who needed them. Bert had expanded the building side of the company and they now employed several men. Once again Luke insisted that they took on a number of unemployed local youths as apprentices and this arrangement was working very well.
There was also another part of Luke’s hidden empire. A few years ago Sue’s younger brother Rob had been in trouble with the police for stealing cars. He was well-educated but bored and had fallen in with the wrong company. The main problem probably was that Sue’s father had died suddenly and Rob didn’t seem to handle it too well. The only thing in life that he seemed interested in was cars. The next time Rob crossed the line he would be going to prison and Sue and her mother didn’t know what to do. Luke suggested that he take Rob to one side and have a quiet word but Sue knew what that would mean so that wasn’t an option.
Instead they came up with a plan to have Rob work at a local, old-style garage run by yet another Linden family friend – Bill Round. To Luke’s great surprise, Rob and Bill became firm friends and when Bill had to slow down due to ill-health after a few years, Rob approached Luke for advice. Luke offered to lend Rob the money to buy Bill out but with a few strings attached. Sue and Luke would lend Rob the money but only to buy fifty per cent of the business. Sue would own the other half of the garage as a sleeping partner – just in case Rob was tempted to fall back into old ways. Rob grinned and agreed – they shook hands. Luke added another condition as an afterthought. Rob should offer Bill a part time managerial position – it would be a good deal for everyone. Once again Rob agreed and the business was up and running.
The new venture prospered and soon they had opened another garage across the other side of town. They catered for the more specialised vehicles and also provided a more friendly service than the larger chains of garages. In addition they opened another service dealing with tyres and exhausts – once again, the friendly touch proved to be a winner and all 3 workshops were constantly busy.
Indeed – Luke smiled to himself as he swam up and down – it was great to have so much time on his hands!
CHAPTER 14
It was early morning on the Friday after the last home game of the season and Ed was already at his desk high in the stand overlooking the pitch. He was in a relatively good mood – the first two pop concerts had been sold out and had gone off without incident. So far it had been a very profitable venture and three more similar events were planned over the next three evenings, then on Monday morning the covers would be removed and he could get the groundstaff off his back.
Ed loved being busy – and he expected those around him to follow his example. This last week had been busier than usual. He seemed to have had meetings at all times of the day and night, he was trying to pull together all the details for next season in addition to running the TxT business and he seemed to have spent all week dashing between the TxT headquarters and the Wishton ground. Today was hopefully the culmination of the week’s activities as far as the football club was concerned. A full board meeting was scheduled to start at 9am and it was scheduled to last until all the details for the forthcoming season were resolved.
The agenda for the day should have involved all four members of the Wishton Clough board and at certain intervals relevant staff would be wheeled in and out to give their input. That, in theory, was the plan but already there was a fly in the ointment – there were only three current members of the board – the CFO still had to be appointed. Hopefully that was something that would be resolved today.
Ed worked on for a while then his phone rang, it was his PA telling him that they were ready to begin. He liked to be the last person to enter the room – it was only a little thing but it was one of several little tips that he had picked up during his time in the US. Ed grabbed some papers and his laptop and headed into the boardroom.
He saw that the large room contained only a few occupants. Harry Green and Dave Bycroft, the Director of Football – sat at one side of the table – across from the Stadium Manager and Sarah, Ed’s PA. Ed took the seat at the head of the table and greeted everyone.
“Sarah – what’s the first item on the agenda?” he asked – even though he knew exactly what the schedule for the day consisted of – because he had drawn it up.
“First up is the discussion regarding admission prices for next season – including season tickets.” replied Sarah.
“OK.” Ed said. “Let’s hear what you have to say Jeff.”
Jeff Myers provided a summary of several
hours of prior discussion with Ed. Harry knew that Ed wanted the board meeting to appear to be as democratic as possible but in reality Ed had already made his mind up about most of the decisions that would be taken today – the other people in the room were there just in case Ed may have missed something. As far as the admission fees were concerned for example, all the costs had been meticulously worked out and Ed had decided to keep the prices artificially low. This decision was not because he felt any sense of loyalty towards the Wishton public but because he simply wanted to make the ground look as full as possible. The public and media didn’t know that of course and they would praise him for his benevolence. The other bonus as far as Ed was concerned, was that the more people came through the gates, then the more pies and pints were sold! It all fitted together very well.
Jeff finished his presentation with recommendations for price levels for both home and away fans for next year. It was proposed that the away fans pay the same price as the home fans. Again there were a couple of advantages to this, first of all the price was so low that it was the cheapest ground in the division to visit – again providing great publicity but the second bonus was even cleverer. Because the price for home and away fans was the same, there was little or no danger that the away fans would try to sit in the “wrong” part of the ground. This meant less chance of any trouble in the ground which in turn meant that there wasn’t a need for as many stewards.
After a brief discussion Ed proposed that they accept the prices that Jeff proposed with an added incentive that if fans bought a season ticket within the next month they would receive a 10% discount. The motion was passed and Sarah duly noted the agreement.
Jeff went on to discuss the price and range of refreshments that would be available at various sites around the ground next season. He took a deep breath and then proposed that they used a new source for pies next season. Harry glanced up quickly. In most grounds this kind of decision was part and parcel of the season’s preparations but pies were always a tricky subject in the North of England – especially in Lancashire.
“What are you proposing Jeff?” Ed asked.
Jeff gave the name of the new pie company and Harry snorted.
“No chance!” he said. “They’re made in St Helens and they taste awful – they won’t eat them in Wishton.”
Ed smiled. “Look Harry, I know how much the natives love their pies but when they see they are 10p cheaper then they will love them!”
Harry shook his head and voted against the proposal but his fellow directors voted it through. He thought that Ed looked very pleased with himself and it was a few weeks before he found out why. The pie company in question had been in financial difficulty for some time and Ed had picked it up – before the board meeting – for a bargain basement price. Another addition to the Tierney empire.
Jeff then left the room and the Corporate Sales Manager took his place. He went through a range of proposals concerning every day of the week at the stadium – ranging from match days to weddings and corporate events. One of the first things Ed had arranged when the stadium opened was that it could be licensed to perform marriages and the venue was full every weekend. Harry began to lose interest as proposals for different themed match days and menus flashed up on the screen at the end of the room. As expected, all the proposals were voted through and the Sales manager quickly departed.
Ed proposed a quick 10 minute break whilst they checked their messages and when they returned he was smiling. “Good news!” he cried. “Sue has accepted our job offer and will be handing in her notice tomorrow. Once she has worked out the necessary details she will be all ours!”
Harry was also very pleased and he and Ed shook hands. What he didn’t tell him was that Sue had given him the news the previous evening and they had discussed a few concerns that Sue brought up. Harry had settled her fears and she seemed happy.
Next up was an item that Harry was genuinely looking forward to – it was time to hear from the team manager. Sandy was warmly greeted and for the next couple of hours they discussed the current squad, talking about which players would soon be out of contract, who should be on the retained list – and probably most importantly – who the manager had his eye on to bring to the club. Wishton was similar to other clubs in that it used a network of scouts to watch games at all levels and they had to sift through a lot of information before Sandy finally left the room.
If it all worked out then Wishton would have their strongest team ever next season – but it would come at a cost and Ed was determined that he would see a big return from his investment, he now wanted Premier League football sooner rather than later.
They decided to carry on working through lunch as both Harry and Ed had other duties to attend to so they had sandwiches as Sarah read through “Any other Business”. Several minor items were quickly dealt with until they reached a proposal from the Chairperson of the Supporters Club. Fran Lafferty was in her late fifties and had been a supporter since she was a little girl. Her whole family was Wishton mad and they hardly missed a match – home or away.
She proposed a competition for all supporters club members to win a chance to become a member of the first team squad for a season. Ed’s reaction was immediate. “No way.” he said. “Move on to the next item!”
“Hang on,” said Harry, “we haven’t even taken a look. I’ve known Fran for many years and she is a clever cookie – let’s at least have a quick glance at what she says – in fact here is something on the first page that should appeal to you Ed.”
“What’s that?” said Ed irritably.
“Fran claims that there is no cost involved with this plan!”
Even Ed had to smile when he heard that.
“OK,” he said, “but I’m not having some overweight old man or worse pulling on a shirt and making us look stupid.”
“I agree,” said Harry, “but it looks like Fran has already thought of that. She proposes that you have to join the supporters club to enter – so at least it will be real fans who get involved – and her next suggestion is also quite clever.”
“Go on.” said Ed.
“Well Fran proposes that all entrants have to pass a fitness test. They have to run a mile in a certain time, do so many sit-ups, press-ups, chin-up’s etc, etc. before they can go into a draw to win the competition. Also she proposes that each entrant has to agree to write a short column for the local paper each week. It’s quite brilliant really – she proposes a competition that will cost us nothing to run and all the entrants will be fit, educated people.”
Ed gazed thoughtfully back at Harry. “I have to agree that I see a lot of merit in this scheme – but I do see one potential, delicate problem.” He paused for a second and glanced at Sarah before he continued. “What if a young lady wins the competition? We can’t include her in the first team squad – it must be against FA rules?”
Harry also glanced at Sarah before he replied. “The fitness levels will be the same for all.” he murmured. “We will encourage everyone to enter but I will be very surprised if there are any ladies who pass the test.”
Sarah went red but passed no comment.
“In that case I take back my objections.” said Ed. “I like the idea of a competition with no cost involved and a chance of some great publicity. However, I’m going to make you personally responsible Harry so don’t mess up.”
“Don’t worry Ed,” said Harry, “in fact another thought has just occurred to me – let’s make it another condition that as well as being a member of the Supporters Club you have to purchase your season ticket in the next month in order to be eligible to enter the competition?”
“Excellent Harry,” said Ed, “but remember – it’s on your head if there are any problems.”
The final item on the agenda was a report from Harry concerning the medical situation at the club. He spoke about a couple of players with long-term injuries and the various methods being used in their convalescence. He went on to talk about the need for one
or two pieces of new diagnostic equipment and a summary of the rest of the facilities.
Ed then brought the meeting to a close and they left to pursue their various appointments. They all seemed happy with the outcome but none seemed to be smiling more than Harry.
CHAPTER 15
Sue claimed that Luke’s favourite night of the week was Wednesday – she actually went as far as to say that he preferred to be with his friends than his family! Luke always strenuously denied this but he had to admit that over the last 18 months or so he had began to look forward more and more to meeting up with his mates for a game of five a side football.
Once again it was Harry he had to thank for putting him back in touch with old friends from his younger days. When Luke was travelling frequently for work he didn’t get chance to commit to any long-term projects at home but now he relished the prospect of running around like a daft kid every Wednesday evening. Even though Sue was joking when she spoke about Luke’s night out – she saw how much he enjoyed it – and it did him good.
Harry and his friends had been playing for many years but sadly Harry had picked up too many silly knocks and strains so he had reluctantly decided to call it a day. He couldn’t afford to get injured anymore – his research was at a critical point – but he still came down most weeks to cheer the team on and to have a few pints afterwards.
Until Luke had arrived, the small group of forty-something’s enjoyed their weekly run-around but they never actually looked like winning anything. Most of the competition were much younger and fitter so eventually the older guys would run out of steam. This year, however, was different. They now had a new secret weapon.
Luke had always been a very good footballer. Tall and strong he made the perfect centre forward with a very nice touch for a big man. He also had something that most of his team mates didn’t have – stamina! Some of his friends were still quite good footballers but they just didn’t have the staying power to run around like children anymore. However, Harry had worked out a system whereby he rotated the team so that none of them spent more than a few minutes on the pitch at a time – apart of course, from Luke who just seemed to be able to run all night.