Whatever happened to Graham white .....

[mill hill claret]

Former chairman of colne dynamoes ??

[Flyingboltclaret]

Read this article about Colne Dynamoes not too long ago ....

We have, in recent years, become rather too accustomed to a boom and bust culture in football, particularly at clubs in the lower divisions. Few clubs, however, have ever boomed and busted with the speed of Colne Dynamoes, and it is the man that was responsible for this, Graham White, who takes the number ninety-seven position on our list. Dynamoes filled almost every stereotype that we have come to expect from this genre of club, but they did it more lavishly than any other. There was, however, one small problem with the money that was poured into a former Sunday League club from a tiny town in East Lancashire. None of it was spent on the boring stuff – the infrastructure required to ensure that a club can propel its way up through the divisions of the non-league pyramid. Rather than this, White blew money on wages, wages and more wages, and when the inconvenience of ground-grading raised what should have been an easily predictable problem, he pulled the plug and the club went down the drain.

White himself had founded the club in 1963 for himself and some old school-friends. For the first two decades of its existence, it bounced inconsequentially around the amateur leagues in Lancashire but in 1982 it became one of the founder members of the North West Counties League. The club was promoted from its Division Three at the end of its first season and after four seasons reorganisation of the league saw it placed into Division One. Another league championship followed – albeit only on goal difference – in 1988, leading to a place in Division One of the Northern Premier League, just two divisions below the Football Conference. That same season saw the club hit something approaching the big time for the first time, with a run in the FA Vase that saw them beat, amongst others, local rivals Glossop and Nelson, Fleetwood Town, Atherstone United, Farsley Celtic and Sudbury Town before beating Emley by a goal to nil at Wembley.

The 1980s had been kind to Graham White, who had business interests in property and the timber industry, and he had begun spending money on the team in the middle of the decade. But with promotion to the Northern Premier League came a sudden increase in spending, and it all went on players. Emley got their revenge in the FA Vase at the first stage of the 1988/89 competition, but the league title was won with room to spare – they lost just once in forty-two matches – and racked up ninety-eight points including a three point deduction. The following season saw the spending hit new heights. Although Colne was a town with a population of just twenty thousand people, crowds had risen to an average of well over 1,000 and the team again rose to the top of the table, this time with a place in the Football Conference on the horizon. As if to demonstrate the teams suitability to play at a higher level, Dynamoes also embarked on a run in the FA Trophy which saw them beat Accrington Stanley, Stockton, North Shields, Altrincham, Northwich Victoria, Farnborough Town and Kidderminster Harriers before losing narrowly to Barrow over two legs in the semi-final.

The Northern Premier League title was sewn up with time to spare, but by this time dark clouds were starting to gather on the horizon. While money had been poured into the team, the clubs Holt House ground didn’t come up to the rigorous standards of the Football Conference. The league had issued warnings throughout the season that considerable work needed to be carried out in order to ensure that promotion would be allowed at the end of the 1989/90 season. It hadn’t, though. Graham White had been rebuffed in an attempt to buy the club that he supported as a boy, Burnley, at the start of 1989 (he had also proposed a merger between the Dynamoes and Burnley had the latter been relegated from the Football League in 1990 – they escaped relegation on the final day of that season), and he returned to the club to try and bail Dynamoes out at the start of the summer of 1990, offering £500,000 to share Turf Moor for two years. He was turned down, as he was with similar approaches made to Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End and, with the Football Conference’s patience having run out after extending the deadline for them on three occasions, the club’s hopes of promotion to the Football Conference were dashed.

What happened next, however, would send shock-waves throughout the whole of non-league football. After a pre-season friendly against Newcastle Blue Star in July 1990, White called the players into a meeting at which they were told that there was no more money and that Colne Dynamoes was to fold. There was no desperate rallying around to save the club. There wasn’t any time. On the thirty-first of July 1990, with Graham White having claimed to have received death threats – a claim that will become a familiar trope throughout the remainder of this series – and amid rumours that crowd trouble at high profile matches had disillusioned him, Colne Dynamoes folded. A new club, Colne FC, was founded in 1996 and continues to play in the North West Counties League, from whence its predecessor had been promoted almost a decade earlier. This club even reached the semi-final of the FA Vase itself in 2004, but without the financial steroids that a millionaire owner can provide, they have otherwise largely failed to replicate the “success” of the club that lived so large and imploded so spectacularly in the summer of 1990. They have plans for a new stadium of their own, though, so perhaps the most important lesson of the Dynamoes debacle has been learned. This time, if the club is to be successful, at least the most fundamental building blocks should be in place for the club to progress.

By 1990, it was being reported that White was pouring £10,000 per week into the club, which would be a colossal sum by today’s standards, never mind twenty-two years ago when there were practically no other full-time professional non-league clubs. In some respects, Graham White’s folly has acted as a first-rate cautionary tale for those with some cash to burn, an ego to feed and the belief that they can get a football club to the top by merely throwing money at it. We may never know the exact circumstances surrounding the very sudden closure of Colne Dynamoes – rumours, both plausible and implausible, some hinting that all may not have been what it seemed behind the scenes at this club, have been circulating for years – but there are many questions about this story which remain unanswered. Why did White close the club down so quickly, as soon as promotion was denied to his club in the summer of 1990? Why did Burnley turn down a very large amount of money to share Turf Moor with the club? Why were the repeated warnings of the Football Conference about the importance of ground-grading apparently ignored? At least, we might conclude, Colne still has a club and it still has Holt House and that, perhaps, is something.

[Jimmymaccer]

Certainly some strange dealings going on in the property world in Colne around that time........

[cricketfieldclarets]

I remember visiting his house as a kid. My dad and his mate had sampled a few beers should we say... and they decided to turn up at his house not far from us in foulridge and ask him what his intentions with our club were

I was only very young so memories are vague. Tim Noone who posts on here was with us and will remember the story in more detail.

[houseboy]

Good piece but the writer does seem a tad out with one major date. Spot the deliberate mistake.

[mdd2]

1990 relegation

[IanMcL]

Only Clarets remember the Orient year!

[tim_noone]

Good piece but the writer does seem a tad out with one major date. Spot the deliberate mistake.

It's to long winded to spot the deliberate mistake... Yes he did let us into his security gated property and had a chat about his intentions with Burnley fc. We were a little inebriated ..well more than a little and god knows what he was thinking anyway I'm sure it was on the day of the Bradford fire which was on the news at the time...so we bade him farewell after talking a load of sh!te. I do recall apologising for p! ssing on his toilet seat! Very unlike me. he did seem a nice chap.

[Guitargeorge]

Played against him in the 60’s when Dynamos were in the Nelso & Colne league

[Sausage]

According to Companies House, the many businesses he was involved with have either been dissolved or he has resigned his directorship. Assuming he's not dead (such news would have been reported widely) then it's fair to assume at the age of 74 that he's retired with his £millions.

[ClaretTony]

Last time I saw him was in 1998 when CISA organised the night with Peter Shackleton. He was sat directly behind me and was on the phone to Ingleby in America for most of the time.

[Spijed]

So it was all rubbish when Graham White said the football authorities had put obstacles in the way of Colne progressing the season they folded?

[Sausage]

So it was all rubbish when Graham White said the football authorities had put obstacles in the way of Colne progressing the season they folded?

No. It is true that the football authorities put obstacles in front of Colne Dynamoes, but they were reasonable demands. Graham White chose to call the Conference's bluff. And lost.

[Spijed]

No. It is true that the football authorities put obstacles in front of Colne Dynamoes, but they were reasonable demands. Graham White chose to call the Conference's bluff. And lost.

Was it to do with changes to the ground etc.?

Can't remember the full facts.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Pretty amazing that they were paying for houses and cars for some of the former professionals they signed.

[Sausage]

Was it to do with changes to the ground etc.?

Can't remember the full facts.

It was all to do with the ground. Holt House was nowhere near good enough for the Conference, let alone the Football League, which is where Dynamoes aspired to be. White unveiled plans to develop Swinden Playing Fields in Nelson in the late 80s, with something like a 10,000 seater stadium and training facility. Pendle Council didn't want to play ball, though. That was the catalyst for White approaching the Burnley board of directors to consider a ground share. If you dare to cast your mind back to the 1980s you'll remember our board wasn't the most forward-thinking or cash-rich collective, so this young(ish) upstart offering £500,000 to share the ground was seen as something of a trojan horse. I know it's hard to believe, but Dynamoes were on a massive charge up the leagues and more than a few people thought they were capable of overtaking Burnley within a few years, given their financial backing. I think the Burnley board were delighted when White eventually pulled the plug.

[JimmyMac'sMate]

Tim seems a naughty boy for doing things like that how dare you utc

[ClaretTony]

Pretty amazing that they were paying for houses and cars for some of the former professionals they signed.

I went to watch them play a friendly on one occasion at Rolls Royce at Barnoldswick. The only reason we went is that they had Billy Hamilton on trial. They had a massive coaching staff and they were all turning up driving their big Mercs. Quite a few ex-Burnley players too.



The ground issue was an interesting one. I think they had an agreement with Bury to play at Gigg Lane but the Conference said it was too far away and then other attempts at ground sharing failed. Obstacles were seemingly put in the way at every turn according to info leaking out of Colne but I think the league had real concerns over the club being totally dependent on one man and, as it turned out, those concerns were correct.

The new Colne FC was set up in 1996 and in the summer of 2002 James Webster took control of the club, to become the youngest chairman in the league at the age of 24. James was a player at the club with plenty of experience and along with his father who was vice chairman, had a strong desire to see the current side emulate the success of its predecessors.

When Colne FC was set up, James Webster was an apprentice at Burnley FC. His links to Burnley were deeper than that though, his granddad was Harry Potts.

[Spijed]

It was all to do with the ground. Holt House was nowhere near good enough for the Conference, let alone the Football League, which is where Dynamoes aspired to be. White unveiled plans to develop Swinden Playing Fields in Nelson in the late 80s, with something like a 10,000 seater stadium and training facility. Pendle Council didn't want to play ball, though. That was the catalyst for White approaching the Burnley board of directors to consider a ground share. If you dare to cast your mind back to the 1980s you'll remember our board wasn't the most forward-thinking or cash-rich collective, so this young(ish) upstart offering £500,000 to share the ground was seen as something of a trojan horse. I know it's hard to believe, but Dynamoes were on a massive charge up the leagues and more than a few people thought they were capable of overtaking Burnley within a few years, given their financial backing. I think the Burnley board were delighted when White eventually pulled the plug.

Why were Pendle not in favour of helping them out?

[Spijed]

="ClaretTony"Obstacles were seemingly put in the way at every turn according to info leaking out of Colne but I think the league had real concerns over the club being totally dependent on one man and, as it turned out, those concerns were correct.

Being dependent on one man seems to be the way many clubs are run these days.

[Quickenthetempo]

Half a million for two years would of been enough to push Burnley up the leagues and got crowds back.

Mind you they should of got that from the Sherpa van Wembley gate money. Or did they just get the van?

[Sausage]

Why were Pendle not in favour of helping them out?

I can't quite remember the exact details, but the loss of playing fields and the opposition of residents were two factors.

[UpTheBeehole]

Being dependent on one man seems to be the way many clubs are run these days.

Like Burnley under Kilby, or when Flood was buying the players once Kilby was skint.

[TractorFace]

Why were Pendle not in favour of helping them out?

Not sure, but Swinden Playing Fields in Nelson is, or was, council owned land. Selling off a public asset to a private company might not have gone down too well. Basically, what Sausage said upthread.

[tim_noone]

Tim seems a naughty boy for doing things like that how dare you utc

Was only a quiet word...an informal chat.Burnley football club was possibly at stake.

[Seasideclaret]

Last I heard, from a very reliable ex employer of Colne Dynamo , was that he is living with his family in Northern Ireland, and only keeps in touch with very few of the ex Colne players / management . I am told also that whilst he did owe money to a number of people on the football side(players /manager etc) he did over a period of time pay those people what thy were owed.

[WadingInDeeper]

It would have been interesting to see what happened if the ground share had gone ahead. Maybe it would have give the extra incentive, and funding, for a new stadium.

We did some preliminary work for him for the stadium, so he must have had some indication from the la that it was feasible to build where he wanted. Several other plots along there were also subsequently developed.

[elwaclaret]

It would have been interesting to see what happened if the ground share had gone ahead. Maybe it would have give the extra incentive, and funding, for a new stadium.

We did some preliminary work for him for the stadium, so he must have had some indication from the la that it was feasible to build where he wanted. Several other plots along there were also subsequently developed.

I remember the over riding feeling at the time of Colne imploding as being massive relief around the stands of Turf Moor. People forget what a REAL danger Colne Dynamoes were seen as at a time; they were bombing up the pyramid as Burnley were hurtling down. They were not just taking fans in droves they were offering better wages for players than us. Colne's crowds were often within a few hundred / less than a thousand less than Burnley, on much lower overheads. It was never viewed as a ground share by the majority, rather a foot in the Burnley boardroom by fans who saw the likely eventual outcome as a merger and the death of Burnley Football Club and the birth of Burnley &Colne Dynamoes.

For those who remember many of our fans fearing Accrington's rise to League football (and what it would do to our gates) times that reaction by at least fifty.

[wilks_bfc]

On the topic of ground share, wasn’t there mumblings of Keighley Cougars wanting to use Turf Moor in the early/mid 90’s?

[scouseclaret]

I went to see them play a pre-season friendly against (the also long-defunct) Haslingden not long before they folded. Think there was at least one ex-claret playing - maybe Derek Scott? - and also Alan Kennedy. I remember thinking that bloke’s won League championships, FA and European Cups - what the hell is he doing on Ewood Bridge??? Still, I suppose top footballers didn’t earn as much back in those days.

[TheFamilyCat]

It was definitely talked about but not sure if there was ever any official approach.

Cougar fans were all a bit of a smug bunch boasting that we wouldn't share the ground because they would get bigger gates.

If they were a bit more gracious I may have had a bit of sympathy for them when The Super League seemed to do all they could to stop them from joining

[TheFamilyCat]

I went to see them play a pre-season friendly against (the also long-defunct) Haslingden not long before they folded. Think there was at least one ex-claret playing - maybe Derek Scott? - and also Alan Kennedy. I remember thinking that bloke’s won League championships, FA and European Cups - what the hell is he doing on Ewood Bridge??? Still, I suppose top footballers didn’t earn as much back in those days.

I'm pretty sure Kevin Hird played for them as well.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

I went to see them play a pre-season friendly against (the also long-defunct) Haslingden not long before they folded. Think there was at least one ex-claret playing - maybe Derek Scott? - and also Alan Kennedy. I remember thinking that bloke’s won League championships, FA and European Cups - what the hell is he doing on Ewood Bridge??? Still, I suppose top footballers didn’t earn as much back in those days.

Wouldn’t get much football on Ewood Bridge these days!
Marshall Burke, Billy Rodaway and Alan Kennedy to name a few.

[joey13]

Played against him in the 60’s when Dynamos were in the Nelso & Colne league

I remember by brother playing Padiham St Johns against Colne Dynamos in some final 68/69 at Padiham Arbories.
Seem to remember St Johns won

[conyoviejo]

It was definitely talked about but not sure if there was ever any official approach.

Cougar fans were all a bit of a smug bunch boasting that we wouldn't share the ground because they would get bigger gates.

If they were a bit more gracious I may have had a bit of sympathy for them when The Super League seemed to do all they could to stop them from joining

TBF to the Cougars ,that was one of the sporting injustices of the Superleague Era.. Unbelievable how the hierarchy treated them..

[tim_noone]

I remember the over riding feeling at the time of Colne imploding as being massive relief around the stands of Turf Moor. People forget what a REAL danger Colne Dynamoes were seen as at a time; they were bombing up the pyramid as Burnley were hurtling down. They were not just taking fans in droves they were offering better wages for players than us. Colne's crowds were often within a few hundred / less than a thousand less than Burnley, on much lower overheads. It was never viewed as a ground share by the majority, rather a foot in the Burnley boardroom by fans who saw the likely eventual outcome as a merger and the death of Burnley Football Club and the birth of Burnley &Colne Dynamoes.

For those who remember many of our fans fearing Accrington's rise to League football (and what it would do to our gates) times that reaction by at least fifty.

Not to far away with that....and colne was awash with everything red and white.

[levraiclaret]

Back in the early 70s my Sunday League team used to train in the gym at Gawthorpe school on a mid week evening and sometimes Colne Dynamos trained at the same sessions. I remember Graham "chalky" White as being driven but amiable however some of the other players were quite fierce. One "frenchy" used to put in leg breaking challenges and bounce players off the walls on Colne Dynamos' players.

We were clearly a significant way below them in the pyramid.

[Buxtonclaret]

Article here, with a photo.

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