Waterford United’s new owner Lee Power is convinced he has Blueprint for success

NEW Waterford United owner Lee Power was recently told about a promotion-relegation play-off between the Blues and Dundalk.

It happened just four years ago — and the teams have gone in opposite directions since.

The Lilywhites have gone from strength to strength, taking three titles in a row, including a Double in 2015.

Now Stephen Kenny’s men are the talk of the continent, confident they can reach the Europa League last 32.

But it has been all downhill for Waterford. They lost that 2012 tie over two legs and have remained in the First Division doldrums since.

Power told SunSport: “It’s unbelievable when you look at it. The job they’ve done there is ridiculous, phenomenal. It just shows it can be done.”

Indeed, Dundalk’s progress in Europe this year was one of the main things that caught Power’s attention.

The Swindon Town owner since 2013 and ex-Ireland Under-21 and B striker began looking towards the land of his grandparents to buy a club after realising this was a domestic league that was on the way up. Waterford were top of his list for emotional reasons. London-born and bred, Power can trace his roots to the Déise. But this move made business sense, too.

He added: “I’ve seen the developments and what Dundalk achieved this year and it was a market that I wanted to be involved in. Everyone wants to be in Europe and so on. Definitely, it is a cheaper route.

“I think the job that John Delaney has done with the league . . . it just looked like a league that is going to take off very soon and I was interested in being part of that.

“There would only have been a handful that I would have been interested in looking at, if you look from a business perspective.

“Obviously I wanted a club down in that part of the world because that’s where my family are from — it was the first place I looked. I wasn’t looking for a Dublin club. When I first asked about Waterford and they were available, it was a no-brainer.

“Obviously I have the family connections which are important to me but, from a business perspective, Waterford is the one that has got potentially the most growth of any club.

“If we can get it right on the pitch, it could potentially be the biggest club in the Premier Division.

“But there is a lot of work to be done before we can get there.”

Power accepts he is “unique” for a football club owner as he played the game at the highest level.

He cleaned Andy Townsend’s boots as an apprentice at Norwich City and roomed with Roy Keane on Ireland Under-21 duty.

Tim Sherwood, the new director of football at the County Ground, was the best man at his wedding.

The former forward said: “I was fortunate to play in the Premier League, managed to play in Europe with Norwich, score against Manchester United. After football I went into business.

“And I like to think I have an edge over most owners, not because I’m cleverer than them or a better business person but because I’ve been involved in football. Football is a bit of a jungle and you need to know how to navigate around that. I can do that quite well.”

Waterford United have not been in the Premier Division since 2007 and not won a major trophy since 1985.

Crowds have deserted the club. Last season, according to extratime.ie, they drew an average of just 277 fans to the Regional Sports Centre.

Power saw it first hand at the Blues’ final home game of the season against Athlone but that only made him more ambitious.

The introduction of the Under-15 league from next season, he believes, will be key for the club’s growth.

Having quality facilities at the RSC and their training base at WIT — which he describes as Premier League standard — can help them attract the best young talent in the country.

Power said: “What John Delaney has done in bringing in the Under-15s next season, it gives you a blank canvas to build an academy, which has never been done before in Ireland.

“Having the opportunity to be able to build some foundations, that’s something you’re aware of as an owner. My first season at Swindon, we got to the play-offs and lost to Preston for Championship football. The good young players, you lose, because you have offers you can’t turn down and you can’t stand in the way of the player.

“It then takes you a while to rebuild and get back to where you were.

“But the way the League of Ireland is set up now, if you do it right in the long term, the football club should have a conveyor belt of very good young players.

“Over the coming years, I think you’ll see players staying in Ireland a lot longer because the league is so competitive that they won’t need to leave Ireland at such a young age.

“And especially with the facilities we’ve got with the college and the training facility — there is a Premier League training facility.

“If we can get the right coaching in place, and have the educational side, I’m hoping we can keep the best young players in Ireland for as long as we can.”

The former agent and publisher accepts that the best ones will still want to go to England to advance their careers — with the biggest budgets in the League of Ireland still half of what the average one is in League One.

Power also plans to take over a Montenegrin club and he is hoping all three can help one another while remaining independent.

And Power, whose playing career wound up at Plymouth Argyle in 1999, added: “You always have to run them as a separate entity because they all have their own identity and everyone, especially locally, will have their own wishes for their own football club

“But I don’t think it does any harm. It’s just the way that football is gone, it’s a very global game and the connection will benefit the clubs.

“There are times where Waterford might want to loan players from Swindon that could do a job there.

“And, at the same time, if there was some good kid, that was looking for a route to England, then at the right time, there is a possibility that it come happen for them.”

So while the long-term aim is domination, short-term success would mean promotion and a return of supporters.

There will be investment this season with Premier Division football the target and Power confirmed yesterday that he hopes to appoint a Technical Director next week. While keeping mum about the new man’s identity, Power is aware that Pat Fenlon has been mentioned in reports.

He added: “Having ties through my grandparents and having played for Ireland at 21 and B level, I’ve got an association there. The name gives away what the accent don’t!

“We’re looking to spend some money on rebranding the club and just a general change . . . it’s a new start, there’s new owners, there is a new beginning, we need the local community to be involved.

“If they don’t get involved, it’s an uphill struggle, you need people to come and watch the football and the only way you’ll do that is if the team’s successful and winning.

“All I’m hoping is that with my contacts and being involved in football all my life, we can get a team together for next season and get out of the First Division.

“You can’t take a football club forward in that First Division, you need to be in the Premier Division.

“We know we have to put a competitive team on the pitch next year and I’m sure we will and I’m sure the people of Waterford will come out and support the team.

“If we get the supporters back, get the town buzzing and the sponsors in, then we want to be competing for those European places. That’s where we intend to be in the next couple of years.”