Statement from the Chairman

Dear Fans, Members, and Sponsors,

I am writing to inform you that, after careful consideration and in light of the “current situation” with the ongoing boycotts, and protests, I have decided to sell the Football Club with immediate effect.

I would also like to announce I am in advance stages with a potential sale to a strong party who have the means, and capacity to take the club forward. We will keep you updated with the sale progression accordingly.

I took over a “distressed asset” in May this year, (2 days before relegation) in a desperate attempt to save the club which was clearly in a very difficult situation both financially, and with stability, having avoided relegation over the past few seasons before we took over that you are all aware of (thanks to COVID restrictions).

Despite Tony Platten writing off a £700,000 directors loan which he accumulated over a 25 year period, the Club needed ongoing financial support, with the skill set to stabilise, improve, and grow. This was an exciting and extremely challenging project that I had agreed to take on with my team.

Proof of funds, along with an effective plan of execution was delivered to Tony Platten ahead of the takeover. We set out a 5 year plan and hit the “reset button” almost immediately upon arrival.

The plan would have helped stabilise the club, add value, and accelerate in challenging competitions for the future growth of the Football Club over time. In the short 6 months we have been here, I invested in the team with an initial cash injection by increasing the playing budget from previous years and built a team of 22 players.

Taking relegation into account, attracting higher end players was not a simple task, nor was keeping a hold of some of the squad players we were left with upon takeover. We took over with 2 players, and had a very short period to build a competitive team of 22 for the upcoming season.

The boycotts and protests are not only damaging the reputation of a long standing and historic football club, but equally having a strong financial impact towards the sustainability and the future of the club.

We lost some key members from our team due to unfortunate circumstances, but we stood strong and pushed for the better of the Club, its future, and it's amazing fan base. Some of our key wins in the short 6 months I have been here:

Furthermore, I have personally injected a cash sum of Circa £63,000 via director loans to date as an investment, and took on additional costs totalling over £100,000 towards the sustainability and growth of the Football Club as I had initially commited. And for the avoidance of doubt, I will be writing off all the loans before the Club is handed over to any new owners.

Lastly I would like to request you continue to support this amazing Football Club, and keep backing the players. There is over 30 games to go, and a few wins with strong support will get us out of the relegation zone.

You have a very enthusiastic first team manager who is continually improving the team, and will also drive them with passion and dedication to get the results we need.

This is your Club, and the club needs you now more than ever.