Paul Heckingbottom is sure Barnsley's new owners are the right people to move the club forward and the takeover has convinced him that Oakwell is the best place for his long-term coaching career.
The new owners are Chinese billionaire Chien Lee and US businessman Paul Conway – who will be co-chairmen – as well as Conway's partner in his business Pacific Media Group, Grace Hung. There is also investment from Indian businessman Neerav Parekh and baseball legend Billy Beane. The new investors will take 80 per cent of the club – with the exact individual percentages as yet unknown– while previous owners the Cryne family retain 20 per cent.
Heckingbottom, who is set to sign a new contract, told the Chronicle: "From a personal point of view, it's given me more confidence that I can stay here and build something at Barnsley. That makes it more satisfying and I feel really positive about my future here.
"But it is important for the players as well because we have been seen as a stepping stone club with some players coming in the door then they can't wait to get out. Other clubs have been ringing me up thinking they can take who they want of our players but now it will be nice taking those phonecalls and saying 'no'."
He added: "We want to be in a position where we are not making players and teams for other football clubs. We want to make a team for ourselves and keep it. We got promoted with a team then lost more or less all of them. We can be in stronger positions to negotiate with our players and buy and sell when we want to. Things have been going well for the last few years but we haven't been able to capitalise on it as well as we could have, now I feel that we can."
Heckingbottom paid tribute to Patrick Cryne, who has terminal cancer. He said: "I would like to thank Patrick and his family for everything they have done for the club. Patrick has put the club before himself in this situation. Everyone should trust the Cryne family in their judgement of the new owners. It's brilliant that they still have a stake in the club. Most takeovers are about getting money but Patrick has just been thinking about what is best for the club. I honestly believe he has done the right thing."
Heckingbottom has met the two new co-chairmen on several occasions and the players met them yesterday. He said: "I have been impressed with them. In every conversation we have had, I come out of it thinking that their way of doing things is the right way. I am really, really excited. It was a massive day for the club, the biggest day since Patrick took over 13 years ago.
"You lose players and managers but the owners are the most important thing. We're at the start of a new era. Everyone who likes Barnsley Football Club should be excited. I am wrong sometimes but I don't think I am wrong with this.
"It's been a long time coming but I always believed it would happen. It's going to be slow burner, it's not someone showing off and throwing money around. It's someone coming in with a desire to improve things and build something sustainable. There is more money to spend but we can't go crazy. We have a wage structure which won't change until we generate our own money to change that."
At a press conference this week with Hung, Conway, Lee and Parekh, the new investors refused to confirm how much the club was sold for and did not reveal the exact make-up of the new board. Previous owner Patrick Cryne's son James Cryne, who was at the press conference but not interviewed, is expected to join Lee, Conway and Hung on the board while current directors Barry Taylor and Robert Zuk were also there.
Conway, the USA film financer who did most of the talking, suggested there would be an increased budget for Heckingbottom but said repeatedly 'we're not going to do anything crazy.' Conway told the Chronicle: "We have to live within our resources and, right now, we have to really stabilise in the Championship and build on the academy.
"Then we just have to readdress the situation every year and, as we work our way up the table, we can look at expanding the business plan. In the January transfer window, we will look to enhance the squad but we will be disciplined about it. We will get the right type of players for Barnsley."
Conway said of the new board: "You have a nice diversified group here of people with different skillsets from different parts of the world. We can't determine the results on the pitch but we can bring resources which improve the academy, the squad and the fan experience."
Conway also paid tribute to Patrick Cryne, who rescued the club from administration, as well as James who is expected to take up an analytical role in Barnsley's process of identifying players. He said: "We want to thank Patrick and James. This is really one of the best run clubs in England. It's been part of Patrick's life work, he saved the club and rebuilt it. It has achieved great accomplishments beyond its means. We are here because of what Patrick and James and Jean (Patrick's wife) have built over the last 14 years."
