Paul Duffen

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Paul Jeremy Duffen is the chairman of Hull City football club, and was formerly Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst Media Group plc (formerly Newsplayer Group plc), where other board members included Sir David Frost and Steven Smith. He had previously worked in sales and marketing roles for Procter & Gamble and distribution company P J Holloway.[1]

Duffen, in a consortium with Russell Bartlett and Martin Walker, purchased Hull City from Adam Pearson in June 2007 and replaced him as chairman.[2] They had already made unsuccessful attempts to take over West Ham United and Cardiff City.[3] He pledged to invest in the team with the aim of achieving promotion to the top flight for the first time in the club's history.[4] He said for the 2007-08 season he wanted the team in the top half of the Championship, and the season after that he wanted the team in the play-offs.[5] He delivered on his promise of investment with the million pound signing of striker Caleb Folan from Wigan, shattering City's previous transfer record,[6] and bringing in other high earners such as former Nigeria captain and BBC African Footballer of the Year Jay-Jay Okocha and his former Bolton teammate Henrik Pedersen to almost double the club's wage bill.[7]

Under Phil Brown's management, Hull City exceeded Duffen's ambitious targets by finishing third in the Championship in his first season at the helm, equaling their highest ever finish in 1909-10. They went on to make their first ever appearance at Wembley, defeating Bristol City 1-0 in the Championship play-off final to secure promotion to the Premiership.[8] He once again pledged to invest in the team, stating (prior to the final) that "the vast majority of the money that would come in from being in the Premier League would go to Phil for team strengthening and increasing the wage bill".[9] He also offered to fund a 7,000-seat extension to the KC Stadium.[10]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Paul Duffen. streamingmedia.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
  2. ^ "New owner takes over at Hull City", BBC Sport, 2007-06-11. Retrieved on 2007-06-16. 
  3. ^ "A Look At Paul Duffen", Vital Football. Retrieved on 2007-06-16. 
  4. ^ New Man Reveals Plans. Retrieved on 18 June 2007.
  5. ^ "New Man Reveals Plans", Hull City AFC, 2007-06-15. Retrieved on 2007-06-17. 
  6. ^ Hull break record to land Folan. BBC (2007-09-01). Retrieved on 2007-09-01.
  7. ^ "Wembley return for hometown boy Barmby", Yorkshire Post, 2008-05-23. Retrieved on 2008-05-28. 
  8. ^ McNulty, Phil. "Bristol City 0-1 Hull", BBC Sport, 2008-05-24. Retrieved on 2008-05-26. 
  9. ^ Sutcliffe, Richarrd. "Duffen plans for the long term in event of taking Premier prize", Yorkshire Post, 2008-05-23. Retrieved on 2008-05-28. 
  10. ^ "It's time to build up KC Stadium", Hull Daily Mail, 2008-05-28. Retrieved on 2008-05-28. 
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