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Former weekly correspondent in Leeds Utd takeover

A former community correspondent at a weekly newspaper has become one of the new directors of Leeds United Football Club, following its sale to a Dubai-based investment bank.

David Haigh, left, who worked for The Cornishman as a teenager, is now on the board of directors of the football club after spearheading the bid for GFH Capital to take full control of the Championship side.

He is deputy chief executive officer and chief operating officer of the Dubai-based bank and will join the board of directors with fellow bank executives Hisham Alrayes and Salem Patel.

David grew up in Sancreed in Cornwall and joined the Cornishman’s Down Your Way team at the age of 13, continuing in the role for seven years.

The deal by GFH Capital has seen it start a one-month transitional period and, following Football League approval, it will become a 100pc shareholder of the club.

He said: “A brief but important transitional period now begins in terms of the changeover of ownership: we have today injected further funds into the club and now we look to the future and start the exciting journey to take Leeds United FC back into a prime position in English football once again.

“From a Leeds family myself and a supporter of The Whites since childhood, I know that football is at the very heart of the people of Leeds and the wider community.

“We want to thank all the fans in UK and around the world for their patience and support while the negotiations have been taking place. Let’s now march on together, taking the club back to the Premier League as soon as possible.”

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  • November 23, 2012 at 8:18 am
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    Quite the most tenuous link in the long and distinguished history of HTFP!
    I think you’ll find Alan Sugar may have once delivered the Romford Gazette as a paperboy – worth a line or two?

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