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The lottery millionaire hoping to hit the jackpot with Newport County The lottery millionaire hoping to hit the jackpot with Newport County
(5 months later)
It is rare to see a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. Only 253 were sold worldwide in the first year that it came on to the market and when David Beckham bought one while he was playing for LA Galaxy it caused quite a stir, so there is something rather surreal about the sight of a handmade convertible costing £350,000 parked outside a non-league football club in south Wales.It is rare to see a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. Only 253 were sold worldwide in the first year that it came on to the market and when David Beckham bought one while he was playing for LA Galaxy it caused quite a stir, so there is something rather surreal about the sight of a handmade convertible costing £350,000 parked outside a non-league football club in south Wales.
The vehicle's owner is Les Scadding, who drove petrol tankers for 27 years before taking over as Newport County's chairman last August. In between times he won £45.5m on the EuroMillions lottery. "The only reason I brought that car today is because it's been in the garage for seven or eight weeks and I haven't took her out. On a day like this I thought I'd give her a run," says Scadding, looking out across the sun-drenched pitch at Rodney Parade, where Newport beat Grimsby last Sunday to secure a place in Sunday's Conference play-off final against Wrexham.The vehicle's owner is Les Scadding, who drove petrol tankers for 27 years before taking over as Newport County's chairman last August. In between times he won £45.5m on the EuroMillions lottery. "The only reason I brought that car today is because it's been in the garage for seven or eight weeks and I haven't took her out. On a day like this I thought I'd give her a run," says Scadding, looking out across the sun-drenched pitch at Rodney Parade, where Newport beat Grimsby last Sunday to secure a place in Sunday's Conference play-off final against Wrexham.
It must have been tricky deciding which car keys to pick up. At his £1.5m home in Usk, Scadding also has a Range Rover Autobiography and an Aston Martin DBS Volante. The 62-year-old has no idea what happened to the Citroën he used to own when he lived in a three-bed semi in Caerleon– before he spent more than £2m on a property in Barbados where Wayne Rooney, Gary Lineker and Joe Calzaghe became his new neighbours – although he insists, with a straight face, that it was a nice car to drive.It must have been tricky deciding which car keys to pick up. At his £1.5m home in Usk, Scadding also has a Range Rover Autobiography and an Aston Martin DBS Volante. The 62-year-old has no idea what happened to the Citroën he used to own when he lived in a three-bed semi in Caerleon– before he spent more than £2m on a property in Barbados where Wayne Rooney, Gary Lineker and Joe Calzaghe became his new neighbours – although he insists, with a straight face, that it was a nice car to drive.
While some may view Scadding's wealth as a little grotesque, there is absolutely nothing to dislike about the man himself. Friendly and down to earth, Scadding tells some wonderful stories, nearly all of them accompanied by laughter and a genuine sense of disbelief at the way his life has changed beyond all recognition.While some may view Scadding's wealth as a little grotesque, there is absolutely nothing to dislike about the man himself. Friendly and down to earth, Scadding tells some wonderful stories, nearly all of them accompanied by laughter and a genuine sense of disbelief at the way his life has changed beyond all recognition.
It still tickles him, for instance, that when he was pictured drinking champagne with his feet up on a yacht in Cardiff Bay, on the day he was presented with a giant cheque for £45,570,835.50 in November 2009, there was a hole in the sole of one of his shoes. "I'd just grabbed a pair out of the wardrobe and threw them in the bag," Scadding says, chuckling. "I remember I went shopping later that day and spent about a grand on clothes. I hadn't spent that on clothes in more than five years!"It still tickles him, for instance, that when he was pictured drinking champagne with his feet up on a yacht in Cardiff Bay, on the day he was presented with a giant cheque for £45,570,835.50 in November 2009, there was a hole in the sole of one of his shoes. "I'd just grabbed a pair out of the wardrobe and threw them in the bag," Scadding says, chuckling. "I remember I went shopping later that day and spent about a grand on clothes. I hadn't spent that on clothes in more than five years!"
For all the talk about flashy cars and palatial homes, the one moment when Scadding's eyes light up is when the conversation turns to Sunday's all-Welsh play-off final against Wrexham. Scadding never misses a Newport game, home or away, and admits he gets "a big buzz" from watching them win. This match, though, is special. Newport, who were wound up with debts of £330,000 in February 1989 and jettisoned from the Conference without fulfilling their fixtures, are 90 minutes away from returning to the Football League for the first time in quarter of a century.For all the talk about flashy cars and palatial homes, the one moment when Scadding's eyes light up is when the conversation turns to Sunday's all-Welsh play-off final against Wrexham. Scadding never misses a Newport game, home or away, and admits he gets "a big buzz" from watching them win. This match, though, is special. Newport, who were wound up with debts of £330,000 in February 1989 and jettisoned from the Conference without fulfilling their fixtures, are 90 minutes away from returning to the Football League for the first time in quarter of a century.
It has been a remarkable journey to get to this far, especially for those who have loyally followed the club from its rebirth in June 1989, when Newport, who had been evicted from Somerton Park, were forced to start at the bottom of the football pyramid and play their home matches 85 miles away, at Moreton-in-Marsh, in Gloucestershire. "Every game was an away game, that's where the nickname The Exiles came from," says Scadding, who has read up on his history.It has been a remarkable journey to get to this far, especially for those who have loyally followed the club from its rebirth in June 1989, when Newport, who had been evicted from Somerton Park, were forced to start at the bottom of the football pyramid and play their home matches 85 miles away, at Moreton-in-Marsh, in Gloucestershire. "Every game was an away game, that's where the nickname The Exiles came from," says Scadding, who has read up on his history.
Scadding is keen to play down his own impact at the club, preferring to pay tribute to the manager, Justin Edinburgh, whom he predicts will go right to the top, and his fellow board members and staff, but others at Newport recognise the Bristolian's huge impact. "People keep reminding me that the club wouldn't be where it is now without that little bit of help from myself," he says.Scadding is keen to play down his own impact at the club, preferring to pay tribute to the manager, Justin Edinburgh, whom he predicts will go right to the top, and his fellow board members and staff, but others at Newport recognise the Bristolian's huge impact. "People keep reminding me that the club wouldn't be where it is now without that little bit of help from myself," he says.
"We went out after the game on Sunday and for me it was a massive eye-opener. We went to a little pub around the corner called The Dodger. It was absolutely heaving in there, guys were coming over, grabbing hold of me, kissing me on the head and telling me they loved me. And when a whole pub starts singing your name … to me that's special."We went out after the game on Sunday and for me it was a massive eye-opener. We went to a little pub around the corner called The Dodger. It was absolutely heaving in there, guys were coming over, grabbing hold of me, kissing me on the head and telling me they loved me. And when a whole pub starts singing your name … to me that's special.
"If I can do something here and it needs to be done, and I'm in that position where I can do it, I will. But I'm not a sugar daddy and I never will be. I want this club to be able to open the gates on a Saturday afternoon and get 3,500-4,000 people in here because we're in the league, and that [attendance] pays the wages. Then, if the odd player comes along for £50,000-£60,000 and maybe we don't have it in the bank, we'll bring him in. But I'm not here to do £100,000 a month.""If I can do something here and it needs to be done, and I'm in that position where I can do it, I will. But I'm not a sugar daddy and I never will be. I want this club to be able to open the gates on a Saturday afternoon and get 3,500-4,000 people in here because we're in the league, and that [attendance] pays the wages. Then, if the odd player comes along for £50,000-£60,000 and maybe we don't have it in the bank, we'll bring him in. But I'm not here to do £100,000 a month."
Scadding first became involved with Newport a couple of years ago, when the club's former chairman Chris Blight encouraged him to come along to a few games. As someone who "always had the football bug", he enjoyed being on the inside and his interest quickly grew. When Blight resigned last July, Scadding was the natural choice to take over.Scadding first became involved with Newport a couple of years ago, when the club's former chairman Chris Blight encouraged him to come along to a few games. As someone who "always had the football bug", he enjoyed being on the inside and his interest quickly grew. When Blight resigned last July, Scadding was the natural choice to take over.
"I get the mickey taken out of me because I'm a Bristol boy born and bred. People say: 'Why a Welsh club?' But I've lived here now for 14 years. I would never forget my roots but I look on this as my home now. I like to support where I live and I was in a fantastic position to do that.""I get the mickey taken out of me because I'm a Bristol boy born and bred. People say: 'Why a Welsh club?' But I've lived here now for 14 years. I would never forget my roots but I look on this as my home now. I like to support where I live and I was in a fantastic position to do that."
In the end everything comes back to that lottery win. Scadding laughs as he remembers how he cleaned his house from top to bottom on the morning after the EuroMillions draw was made, oblivious to the fact that he was worth more than Jamie Oliver and Sir Michael Caine. He recalls how the till assistant at Tesco, where he took his two Lucky Dip tickets to be checked that evening, told him that "the machine was probably broken" when it printed out a pink slip she had not seen before. "Please contact Camelot" read the message on the slip.In the end everything comes back to that lottery win. Scadding laughs as he remembers how he cleaned his house from top to bottom on the morning after the EuroMillions draw was made, oblivious to the fact that he was worth more than Jamie Oliver and Sir Michael Caine. He recalls how the till assistant at Tesco, where he took his two Lucky Dip tickets to be checked that evening, told him that "the machine was probably broken" when it printed out a pink slip she had not seen before. "Please contact Camelot" read the message on the slip.
Scadding, as he discovered when he got home, had become the UK's biggest lottery winner at the time. "The main feeling is disbelief," he says. "It's as though you know something has happened but you keep thinking: 'Is it actually happening?' The following morning we had guys from Coutts, the private bank, come around. They came in with a suitcase with about £15,000. They said: 'You're going to need some cash.' I was thinking: 'Oh my God, what is going on?'Scadding, as he discovered when he got home, had become the UK's biggest lottery winner at the time. "The main feeling is disbelief," he says. "It's as though you know something has happened but you keep thinking: 'Is it actually happening?' The following morning we had guys from Coutts, the private bank, come around. They came in with a suitcase with about £15,000. They said: 'You're going to need some cash.' I was thinking: 'Oh my God, what is going on?'
"I honestly don't think winning the lottery has changed me as a person, but if anyone says it hasn't changed their life, they're talking out of their backsides. I've got a lovely house, I've got cars, everything is paid for, I owe nobody anything. How many people can say that? Before this happened there wasn't enough in the bank for me to draw a tenner out.""I honestly don't think winning the lottery has changed me as a person, but if anyone says it hasn't changed their life, they're talking out of their backsides. I've got a lovely house, I've got cars, everything is paid for, I owe nobody anything. How many people can say that? Before this happened there wasn't enough in the bank for me to draw a tenner out."
Newport know what it feels like to be in that financial position but those dark days in the late 1980s, when they auctioned everything from the club kit to black armbands, will be a distant memory if the result goes their way at Wembley. Scadding is full of optimism. "I really do feel that it's our day. I just think we're going to be too good for Wrexham," he says. "I'm hoping our boys are lifting the trophy come the end and taking it around to show the crowd. After that I'd just like to hold it up once, say thank you to the fans and put a photo of that up in my snooker room. That's my dream."Newport know what it feels like to be in that financial position but those dark days in the late 1980s, when they auctioned everything from the club kit to black armbands, will be a distant memory if the result goes their way at Wembley. Scadding is full of optimism. "I really do feel that it's our day. I just think we're going to be too good for Wrexham," he says. "I'm hoping our boys are lifting the trophy come the end and taking it around to show the crowd. After that I'd just like to hold it up once, say thank you to the fans and put a photo of that up in my snooker room. That's my dream."
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