Lifelong Sky Blues fan and city businessman Mick Parsons becomes the club's first ever Active Ambassador
A Coventry kid, who put his ‘life and soul’ into a school project about the Sky Blues when he was a teenager, has become the first local business person to sign up to an initiative to help improve the club’s playing squad.
Mick Parsons, who runs NSL Automotive components – a city-based remanufacturer of steering products and brake calipers for the automotive trade, is the first Active Ambassador for Coventry City.
The new initiative – devised by chief executive Steve Waggott – will work alongside Sky Blues in the Community, the Supporters Consultative Group, Sky Blues Trust and the Former Players’ Association to help community engagement.
The money it generates will be ring-fenced for Steven Pressley and Neil MacFarlane to draft in new players (aged between 17 and 20) into the development squad.
Parsons, 31, said as a lifelong fan he was thrilled to be the first Active Ambassador.
He said: “I’ve been a supporter since the age of four when my great granddad, granddad and dad took me to my first game. I am sure it was against Everton.
“I’ve now got three children of my own and they are starting to go to games too so the club is important to me and my family.
“I think my favourite era was when we had players like Dublin, Huckerby, McAllister, Chippo and Hadji. In fact, I even did a school project about the club when I was 13 because we had to look at our hobbies and interests and Coventry City meant everything to me.
“I put my heart and soul into the project and one of the teachers organised for me to go down to the training ground to meet Gordon Strachan and the players – it was the day Darren Huckerby signed so it was really exciting.”
Parsons only launched NSL in August 2013 but already the firm has trebled turnover and is growing at a pace.
It means he is now in a position to raise the profile of the company but also to help fund the next generation of Coventry City stars.
He added: “It’s nice to be in this position. Of course, I want to let companies in this region know what we do and raise the profile of NSL, which is named after my three children – Noah, Scarlett and Lilly.
“A lot of our clients are national so if this helps bring us attention in the region, then that would be great.
“But the main motivation is helping the club. We all want the best team possible and I am really excited by what the club are trying to do through the academy, development squad and first team.
“Also, the club has to be a big part of the community and from my conversations with Steve Waggott, they understand that the move to Northampton – although temporary – has affected that but, again, I think they are going about it in the right way now they are back in the city so anything that I can do to help, I will. I hope other businesses in the city see it in the same way.”
Waggott said he hoped more business people would follow suit, saying: "We are delighted to have Mick and NSL Automotive Components on board. This initiative is devised to drive income that can be ring-fenced for Steven Pressley and Neil MacFarlane and, also, to help enhance our work in the community.
“Mick’s a lifelong supporter and, at 31, is developing a great new business. We look forward to seeing a lot more of him in the weeks, months and years to come.”
Active Ambassadors will also receive two seats in the Directors’ Box, pre-match meals in the Board Room, post-match hospitality in the Board Room, an annual dinner with CCFC Board and First Team Management, a VIP car park space and listing in the matchday programme.
Anyone interested in becoming an Active Ambassador should contact Steve Waggott at steve.waggott@ccfc.co.uk or call 024 7621 7671.