In that two years we have had the fiasco which blocked the way for an earlier take over. A failed bid which could have meant our new owner walking away from the club.
Luckily for us they persevered and Markus Liebherr became our new owner with his right hand man becoming chairman.
We have seen how close the pair were and how much trust Markus showed in Nicola by giving him the job of resurrecting our failing club.
Last season we started slowly because of the delay in them acquiring us. A new manager had been found and we began to show signs of recovery after bringing in a couple of good quality League one players.
Markus was with us at Wembley as we picked up our first trophy for some time. Everything seemed perfect and we looked forward to gaining more this season as our expectations rose ever higher.
No sooner had the season begun than we lost our owner. Fears quickly mounted and were heightened when the manager was dismissed.
We waited and began a losing run while waiting for our new manager to be disclosed. When we knew Nigel Adkins had been appointed there were a few moans but generally we waited to see how Nigel would fare.
We were quickly won over, though a lot of us wish Nigel would say in less words what he has to say. It took a little while to see a fundamental change in the way we played but as the players adapted our fortune grew and grew.
Nicola has helped us in many ways and it was soon clear that the manager had his backing and we saw the return O Richard Chaplow to the club and then the emergence of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Our form improved and from the new year once we had begun to show a relentless run of form, we climbed ever closer to our target. 41 points from the last 15 games saw us gain second place and automatic promotion at the expense of the valiant team from Huddersfield.
During his term in office our chairman has ruffled a few feathers but has always had the best interest of the club at heart. He has kept his word and does not make any statements without delivering the facts as they are.
Seeing how happy he was at the end of the Walsall game after the presentations, was a delight for us fans to behold. He showed in that one instance how our club was attaching itself to his heart and I feel safe knowing our club is in his capable hands.
He will undoubtedly make a few moves which will cause comment in the future and will thus annoy some but I believe he has a vision which he will see through.
So I would simply like to say thank you Nicola.
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