Matthew Harding
| Matthew Harding | |
|---|---|
| Born |
26 December 1953 Haywards Heath, West Sussex |
| Died |
22 October 1996 (aged 42) Middlewich, Cheshire |
Matthew Harding (26 December 1953 – 22 October 1996) was a British businessman, vice-chairman of Chelsea football club and a major financial supporter of New Labour (the Labour Party).
Early years
Matthew Harding was born in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, the son of Paul Harding, an insurance executive. He attended Abingdon School in Oxfordshire, but did not enjoy the school ethos. He did however return to the school just weeks before his death to speak to a small group of sixth formers about his road to success. He left school with a single 'A' Level in Latin and went to London. Through his father's friendship with Ted Benfield, he joined the insurance brokers Benfield, Lovick & Rees and it was in the insurance industry that he made his fortune, starting out by making the tea and going on to be a director. By 1980 he had acquired a 32% stake in the company, becoming one of Britain's 100 richest men.
Chelsea FC
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A lifelong fan of Chelsea football club, Harding responded to Chelsea chairman Ken Bates' call for new investment in the club in 1993 and invested £26.5m and joined the board. However, his time there was marked by frequent clashes with Bates, club chairman and majority shareholder, a man in many respects Harding's antithesis, over the new direction to be taken by the club. Ken Bates eventually banned Harding from the Chelsea boardroom and effectively limited his input and influence over the club. The dispute between Bates and Harding was continual and was only stopped after his death in 1996. Bates caused more controversy and upset many Chelsea fans, as well as friends and family of Harding, by calling him "an evil man" just a year after his death.[1] Chelsea Football Club named one of the stands at Stamford Bridge the "Matthew Harding Stand".
Personal life
His son Patrick Harding is now a semi-professional footballer who plays for Burgess Hill Town F.C..[2]
Death and inheritance
Harding died in a helicopter accident in October 1996, while flying back from a Chelsea match at Bolton Wanderers, along with the pilot and three passengers, including journalist John Bauldie and Raymond Deane. The crash of the Eurocopter AS355 Écureuil 2 aircraft took place at night and in poor weather, near Middlewich, Cheshire. An investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Branch found that the pilot did not have the experience or qualifications necessary to safely pilot by instruments in such conditions.[3]
His inheritance was to be divided according to instructions left with two executors, Mark Killick and Margaret Nugent. Their instructions were to include provision for his twin sons by his wife Ruth and for Ella, his daughter by girlfriend Vicky Jaramillo. In the will Harding, aged 42 at the time of his death, also named Jessica, Ms Jaramillo's daughter from a previous relationship. The shareholders in his former business, The Benfield Group, would also benefit. Harding organised a successful management buy-out of the company in 1988. The will was witnessed by England football coach, Glenn Hoddle and by a London taxi driver called Grant Davis.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ "Bates: Harding Was Evil". Harry Harris. Glasgow: Daily Record. 20 October 1997.
- ↑ Cuckfield Cosmos crowned winners of Matthew Harding Cup final, West Sussex Today, 4 May 2014
- ↑ "Pilot 'unable to control' Harding helicopter". BBC News. 27 November 1997. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ↑ "Harding fortune goes to wife and mistress". The Independent. 1 January 1997. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
Sources
- Matthew Harding: Pursuing the Dream by Alyson Rudd Mainstream Publishing (16 Oct 1997) ISBN 1-85158-957-0
- A Question of Honour by Lord Michael Levy Simon & Schuster (12 May 2008) ISBN 1-84737-315-1
