Notts County chairman Alan Hardy has told the Daily Mirror that the last six months have been the worst of his life and he regrets ever buying the club.
County suffered relegation out of the EFL on the last day of the season after starting the campaign as one of the favourites to get promoted. The 3-1 defeat at Swindon condemned one of the founder members of the football league to non-league football for the first time in their long history.
Hardy describes the last six months as ‘horrendous.’ He put the club up for sale in January after posting a naked picture of himself on social media amid rumours of financial difficulties at Meadow Lane. These rumours soon became real when the club was served a winding-up petition over an unpaid tax bill.
Hardy’s also saw his company. Paragon placed into administration, with all staff made redundant.
The controversial chairman told the Mirror the whole episode had cost him not only on paper losses of £35 million but also his integrity, claiming it had been ‘battered’ and adding: ‘The fans are understandably desperately sad about relegation and I have taken an absolute battering on social media, a lot of it grossly unfair and unnecessary.’
Several media outlets including BBC Sport reproduced the Mirror article, and it is fair to say Hardy’s plight did not garner much sympathy from many Notts County fans still reeling from the devastation of relegation.
Some were astonished while many were angry at what they saw as Hardy once again playing the victim and trying to absolve himself of any responsibility for the club’s position when he was the man making the decisions.
Many fans felt, quite rightly in my view, that he showed no regard or empathy with how they felt about relegation and the damage his stewardship had inflicted on the famous old club.
Many felt the interview was just another example of Hardy once again seeking attention to massage his massive overinflated ego.
Here is a selection of their responses to the interview on Twitter.
He’s actually unbelievable. Even now, after all he’s done, he’s still seeking attention and playing the victim. The man needs professional help.
— Day Anthony (@dayanthony) May 18, 2019
We regret Mr Hardy playing football manager with my club , we regret the poor choices in management he made and the poor player recruitment he meddled in. We also very much regret losing our league status but yeah it's all about you.
— Paul (@paul_lomas) May 18, 2019
Ah, poor diddums! I’m sure there will be lots of sympathy from the County fans…not!!! He is pathetic
— Kathryn Tuddenham (@kathrynt54) May 18, 2019
This guy really needs to keep his head down. Every time he opens his mouth he digs himself in deeper. 🤢
— C.Driffill (@chrisdriff) May 19, 2019
Amazing. Really would be best just to keep quiet. Nobody believes a word that’s said anymore. Trust and credibility 100% and irretrievably gone.
— Phil Randall (@philrandall) May 18, 2019
Never knows when to keep his mouth shut & makes it all about him. Sick of hearing his tales of woe – sooner he’s gone the better! #DontLetTheDoorHitYouOnTheWayOut
— Rob Holland ⚽️🏐 (@fullpeltuk) May 18, 2019
He regrets it?, how does he think the fans feel? Destroyed our club, all for his own ego
— Fraser Dodds (@notts_twit) May 18, 2019
Try to be the big man flashing the dosh, yet it fails and implodes and its a bitter sweet symphony. Everyone else is to blame
— Aaron Gough (@AaronGough8) May 18, 2019
And still the bullshit keeps on coming……£35 million in 2 years ??? You never had £35 million to start off with……you just spent other peoples money on inflating your own ego…….lower than a snakes belly.
— Philip Lea (@PhilipLea1) May 18, 2019
Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving arrogant man. All his troubles are self inflicted- he will actually love the article as it keeps him in the limelight – its always about him. Shame for the fans of a legendary club.
— Ian Lafferty (@ian_ian04449653) May 18, 2019
Instead of writing about how much it hurts him, how about writing a piece about how much it hurts the fans, we would also give what ever you pay to a charity unlike him.
— martin kaye (@martin1862) May 18, 2019
Why is the media still pampering to this narcissistic idiot .
Whether it’s posting his penis on Twitter, relegating Notts County out of the Football League or a continual disregard for the principles of road Safety, his only instinct is to do his sad face in the limelight.— Unofficial SLO (@daybrookpie) May 18, 2019
J. B.
He gave us hope, right up to the Coventry game he gave us hope..so although I can give him stick I thank him for giving me hope…now I hope, next year…..