Generic clubs in financial crisis Thread

[Stretts]

Yup it's true. Resulting from a complete twat of a chairman called David Keyte.

He recently sold the club to an ex east end villain called Tommy Agombar, who was supposed to bail the club out by the deadline.

Looks like he bottled it though, or didn't have the money after all.

[AthleticoSpizz]

As is often the case.

Who are the clubs' " financial experts" vetting these publicity seeking jokers?

[Stretts]

Well, David Keyte bought the club from Graham Turner and the club was in reasonable shape when he left.

Keyte employed a useless manager called Simon Davey, who brought his own players in and gave them long contracts. When the club were relegated they had to honour those contracts.

With falling gates, this wasn't possible, so at first he called on the fans to dip into their pockets to help.

Keyte then looked for outside investment on the promise that there was money to be made from the development of the plot of land that the stadium is built on.

It is thought that he has sold the majority of the shares to Tommy Agombar, hoping he would bail the club out in the short term.

The deadlines weren't met and to be fair the Conference went out of their way to help the club, but today it was decided that the club would be able to survive another season in the Conference.

The way out in many people's opinions is to go into administration and start again without Keyte and Ogombar as AFC Hereford or something. The lease for the ground would revert back to the council, so a new club could re-negotiate the lease again.

Alternatively they could ground share with Westfields or Ludlow Town which might be more cost effective.

[Wizard]

I've played football on Westfields' pitch.

A sad day for the club I've watched play more times than any other (I think).

[sandman]

Never heard of them.

[AthleticoSpizz]

I have


Not too comfortable with Vauxhall Motors FC having to voluntarily drop from Conf. North to Step 9 (or wherever they end up) due to lack of sponsership.

Vauxhall are meanwhile throwing millions at their World Cup portfolio....

and there was silly me, thinking that Motors were a team based around their Ellesmere Port plant.

[Badger Finger]

Never heard of them.

Lovely

[tmesis]

I have


Not too comfortable with Vauxhall Motors FC having to voluntarily drop from Conf. North to Step 9 (or wherever they end up) due to lack of sponsership.

Vauxhall are meanwhile throwing millions at their World Cup portfolio....

and there was silly me, thinking that Motors were a team based around their Ellesmere Port plant.

Apparently Vauxhall Motors haven't been sponsored for years.

[paultheroyal]

Never heard of them.

[Stretts]

Fcuking hell - what a mess.

from Bulls News:

Statement From The 13/14 Playing Squad

The following is a joint statement from Hereford United players of the 2013/14 playing squad, issued to Bulls News this morning:

On the Fans: Players idea to get Fans on board and behind us so that the atmosphere would galvanise the team on the pitch. Young players were struggling to deal with atmosphere at home during Feb/March and uncertainty of future

On David Keyte: David Keyte had no regard for fans and knew he was unpopular so got to the point he didn't care. During the time Keyte was in Barbados, Graham Skyped the chairman to negotiate sums of cash to be paid to players through the office.

Senior players negotiated a £500 bonus for each player and member of staff as a loyalty if they managed to keep the club up. Every player has a signed copy which all signatures involved in bonus which the payment coming from Hereford United 1939 LTD signed by David Keyte. A promise it would come out of his pocket on survival, which hasn't happened.

Every week David Keyte assured senior pros he would meet the outstanding wages in full. On survival David Keyte promised to email players every week to keep them informed of what monies were there to pay players. Instead, Keyte has ignored players calls and asked who they were when answering some players after apparently losing phone numbers.

On Money: Players set up weekly monday meetings with Keyte so that Players were informed of monies for that week. Luke Graham with the assistance of Rhys Evans and Rob Purdie was handed cash to divide amongst the players, Roger (kitman) & Johnny (physio), and young players Jarrod, Billy, Corey etc. Graham made a note of percentages that were paid on an Excel spreadsheet to each individual and Evans was counting cash to check what was there. Payments were regularly made to players in the boot room.

Senior Pros regularly asked each individual for update on finances and paid percentages to individuals on priority ie. mortgage, children, debts. It was a weekly battle to get as much money before players left on Apr 26th knowing that it would be a struggle when out of the building.

On January Transfers: One player who left in January still had money oweing to him, which was pointed out to the board and a reply was "they are now bottom of the pile". It was made clear that when players left they would struggle to get their monies owed.

Luke Graham, on learning two clubs had made a bid in January in March, asked to leave with a club still willing to pay a substantial fee to take Graham on loan and a permanent contract for next season. The club refused it and stated the board would personally make sure Graham got paid every penny he was owed by them, which hasn't happened. The Players supported Graham, which in turn galvanised him.

Players hoping PFA will make an emergency payment to help them get through next few weeks.

On training: Players spoke about striking yet senior pros were concerned how it would look on younger players CV at such an early stage in career so decided against it. A couple of time players went to train and had no where to go, going to a school once and everyone had to jump the fence to use a concrete playground we didn't have permission to use. Next to us were 5 year olds using AstroTurf which we couldn't afford to book up or pay for.

On Tommy Agombar: No contact with him apart from u23s offered contracts with most choosing to move on due to lack of communication and money.

On the rest of the Board: Colin Addison did most of the talking at big meeting with players and told us he 100% trusted Keyte and we would get our money. The board room on certain days, give or take, consisted of Colin Addison, Stuart Blake, Bob Pritchard, Dave Preedy, Keith Dodd, Grenville Smith and David Keyte.

No one connected with the board has rang to apologise other than a text from Dave Preedy to some personnel. There were clear rifts amongst the board with one comment aimed at Preedy "I don't see the great Dave Preedy dipping in his pockets!"

There were other people connected with the board on a match day and were on the match day coach for games who knew the full extent of what was going on. They are all playing dumb and asking what is going on when they knew what went on. They are all to blame for allowing it to get this far in players view but of course Keyte has most to answer for.

On Goodbye: The last two months of season players built a rapport with fans as planned which made a 12th man out on the pitch which all came together against Aldershot -Thankyou

A scene no player will forget and thanks the fans in galvanising the team, every player is as upset about the club being expelled as the fans and hope the club can move forward.

Thank You to the fans of Hereford United.

[Mr Angry]

That is an amazing statement; was that £500 bonus negotiated AFTER the start of the season? if so, its illegal under FA rules.

But frankly, in amongst that statement is an honest down to Earth club that a crap Chairman has treated appallingly, with players and staff trying to survive day to day, hand to mouth. What an awful working environment that must have been for the players and staff.

[Stretts]

Yes, it was negotiated after Christmas.

[AthleticoSpizz]

I have


Not too comfortable with Vauxhall Motors FC having to voluntarily drop from Conf. North to Step 9 (or wherever they end up) due to lack of sponsership.

Vauxhall are meanwhile throwing millions at their World Cup portfolio....

and there was silly me, thinking that Motors were a team based around their Ellesmere Port plant.

Apparently Vauxhall Motors haven't been sponsored for years.

exactly...and to think, all of that free advertising that they have had as well.

[dizzynewheights]

[Uke]

I don't believe he only had 10% battery left

[dizzynewheights]

not sure if serious

[TBM]

lol @ Uke

[Uke]

lol @ Uke

Affers is correct, so lol @TBM

[John Madejski's Wallet]

Salisbury being thrwon out of the Conference, having been taken over by a fraudster. Looks like they're going to try and take the league to court.
Feel a bit bad for them as it seems they were the ones that realised he was a fraudster and grassed to the league

Salisbury's statement:

Salisbury City FC are facing expulsion from the Conference on Tuesday after the leagues board decided to relegate them today, despite meeting certain financial demands placed on them.

On Friday £75,000 was transferred into the club solicitors client account to meet unpaid debts. The Conference board have also been given assurances that in the next seven days, the funds to meet all outstanding club debts will be paid. However, because of a legal issue in relationship to ownership of the club, the Conference board have decided to throw Salisbury City FC out of the league on Tuesday. It staggers belief that this is a Conference board who were quite happy, along with the FA, to endorse the appointment of Otail Touzar but following forensic investigation by the club to expose him as a fraudster, are now using him as an excuse to throw Salisbury City FC out of the league.

Following legal advice, Salisbury City FC will now consider taking an injunction out on the Conference or taking the case to an FA independent appeal board. It is disappointing that the Conference have failed to give the club a 7 day extension to clear up their financial irregularities and as a result of their imminent action it leaves Salisbury City FC with no choice but to take legal steps to safeguard their future

[Yellowcoat]

The same chap who took a look at both Reading & Crystal Palace and claimed to have approached several others. One of the reasons why it does not pay to accept bids as quickly as some fans wish.