May 2023 (Page 3)

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New Yeovil Town owner Martin Hellier has spoken for the first time since completing his takeover of the club.

The local businessman and owner of Hellier Group spoke with BBC Somerset’s Claire Carter on Monday morning having announced he had taken over.

In case you had missed it, the owner has acquired the majority shareholding previously held by ex-owner Scott Priestnall in Yeovil Town Holdings Limited, the company which owns the club’s trading business, Yeovil Football & Athletic Club, and holds the exclusive rights to buy back on land at Huish Park which is now owned by Somerset Council.

In a wide-ranging interview, the chairman confirmed the following:

  • The club will remain full-time in National League South next season.
  • Manager Mark Cooper will remain in place for the start of the campaign.
  • On the pitch, the club’s main goal for next season will be to win promotion back to the National League Premier.
  • Off the pitch, the new owner has a number of short, medium and long term priorities which he is working on from his first working day in charge today.
  • Player contracts including those now out of contract will be reviewed between the new owner and the manager.
  • Finances are available to support the club’s develop with “£2m in the bank account” to “assist and feed in order of priority.“
  • The new owner will be communicating on club matters via official channels only and apologised for his “passions” using his own Twitter account in the past.
  • Priestnall has no role at Yeovil Town FC any longer.

You can listen to the interview on BBC Sounds – here – with the interview beginning at 2 hours and nine minutes in to the Breakfast programme.

Here’s how the interview went:

CC: How are you feeling this morning?

MH: I am feeling a mixture of things. A little groggy and tired from the weekend, there was a lot of phone calls, questions and continued speculation but at the same time I am jubilant and very proud.
Off we go – it’s Monday morning, let’s do this!

CC: Can you confirm exactly what you have purchased?

MH: I own the majority holding of Yeovil Town Holdings which in turn owns Yeovil Town FC and, as part of owning Holdings, we have the buy-back rights on the surrounding land and stadium.

CC: Do you intend to buy-back the land?

MH: Absolutely. This has to be the undoing of 13 years of what was a mistake, it is a community club and there is no reason at all why those grounds would be separated without leading to a few questions as to what hidden agenda there may be there.
From this morning, the line is transparency, we have nothing to hide. There are no doubts at all that sometime down the line there will be development on that land, the difference being that development will be on land which belongs to the football club and which the revenues will benefit the football club.
It needed doing and it has been done.

CC: How quickly can you buy back that land?

MH: I can buy it back as quickly and slowly as we would wish. There is clearly a timeline by which we probably shoould buy it, but we have to remember it is Monday morning and the deal (to buy the club) was done on Friday night.
The first thing to ensure was we have that right (to buy back the land) and it is safeguarded and will belong to the club. We have bought enough breathing space to tuck that one away and concentrate on the priorities we have now.

CC: Is the ownership with you or the Hellier Group?

MH: Hellier Group owns all of it and technically I am the ultimate beneficiary of Hellier Group, so whichever name you want to put to it, it is one of the same thing.

CC: What is your top priority for the football club?

MH: Tongue in cheek I would say paying the rent (on the Huish Park stadium to Somerset Council) in a couple of days time, but really stabilising where we are at.
We have not waved a magic wand and all the problems have gone away with cashflow, what the club owes and so on. So there’s urgent audits to conduct as far as finance and the management of the club.
It is really about a stabilising the ship, getting in to some calm waters and creating some breathing space. There are obviously priorities in different verticals of the business.
There is the team, the players, the coach and how we are moving forward next season. We have the financial and management side of it, the brand output, the matchday experience, the decor of the building.
That gives you an idea of the size of the task and that is what I will be doing as soon as I drive up to the club this morning and we start doing that business.

CC: A listener, Nathan, asks that you said you have £2m to pump in to the club – was that to buy the club and the land, or an extra £2m to invest in the club after purchase?

MH: The latter. Any fairly astute business person does not come in, chuck £2m in to the bank account and say ‘off you go, enjoy yourselves’.
That budget is set aside and will be fed in in order of priority, there are things we need to clear first and get sorted, but rest assured that is not an issue.
I would not have been embarking on the six month journey we have been on if that was the case. It is full intention (to invest in the club).
You cannot buy a club and say ‘I hope we score some goals’ and hope that will bring some ticket revenue and then we can improve ourselves. With any business you have to make investment and see it make results.

CC: Did you mortgage the club in terms of how you purchased the club?

MH: Absolutely not. I own it outright. I hope eventually to quash some of the doubters and in two or three weeks or whenever the paperwork is filed in Companies House, it is an open book, you will be able to see the directors, the owners, and any charges on the club.
Therefore that’s the only way that I can satisfy those that, even when you tell them what the facts are, they need to satisfy themselves.
There has been no mortgages, no charges, no loan, there is no secret investor. I, Martin Hellier of the Hellier Group, have purchased Yeovil Town Holdings and therefore the club and therefore the buy-back rights.

CC: Robin has asked on Twitter – Martin, how do you plan on maintaining good communication with the fans as chairman?

MH: The one thing I have never understood was why it was such a problem for the club owner to sit down with the (Glovers’) Trust, fans’ forums, etc on a regular basis.
There will be people who sit at that table who sit at that table who suggest things which are unviable, unfeasible or unreasonable. I will only use a perfect rationale to explain why that might be.
I would suggest a bi-weekly, once a month sit down with the various forums is absolutely simple. I can probably understand if the previous owner might not want to sit face to face with fans who are going to ask questions about the land deal and so on. That is gone, that cloud has lifted, there is no big question mark hanging over it.
The questions we will answer will be about things like our performances on the pitch.

CC: Social media has been a bit of a minefield with the conversations which you have had previously with fans. How should a chairman now behave towards fans on something like Twitter and what position will you take on how you behave and tweet?

MH: I can openly apologies for the passions during the process of trying to buy the club which may have led to a few outbursts.
When you are this person in this community and you are witnessing something which should just not be happening, whether it was done by people who live far away owning the club or by certain people within the council, you are watching these things happen and not being able to control them.
Anyone around me would tell you that I am a passionate person and will say and do things that were wrong. My personal input on Twitter stopped this morning. Any output from me will come via the club.
I activated Twitter in September/October to begin the process to try and buy the club. We can talk about my outbursts and I can list quite a few tweets I could send to anyone which might give good reason why I made outbursts.
There were personal threats on my family and different things and I think that is part of the cloud back there which all contributed to where we are sat this morning and that is part of the past. That is sat on the shelves of history and the beginnings of the future are here and now.

CC: Listeners Toby and Lilywhite Glover are both asking, will the club turn part-time or can Yeovil afford to stay full-time?
MH: We will be full-time. I can confirm that.

CC: What is the situation around who will be running the team in terms of (Mark) Cooper?

MH: It will be Mark Cooper. There was a period where would be owners or stewards were encroaching on his territory of choosing players.
I am not going to ask Mark Cooper to come upstairs and finalise the end of year accounts, no more than I am going to go downstairs and tell him how to manage players.
That is the job he is employed for and he certainly has more experience on that than me.
As far as his performance (as Yeovil Town manager) goes, everyone has a different opinion, but you cannot give a carpenter a bent hammer and a rusty saw and ask him to turn out a Chippendale side cabinet.
(Mark Cooper) has had zero resource in all the time since he arrived, the club has had zero resource in the last four years and it comes back to the fact that if you want someone to do a good job, you have to arm them with the tools and resources to do that job.
If after that we underperform and don’t do what was expected, we review it at that point. I’m not looking to destabilise things, change managers because that would be a desperate approach to things.
We need to look at things which are in place at the moment and ask are we getting the most out of them, rather than throwing them out and starting again.

CC: Ross asks have we been able to secure any players for next season beyond the announcement around Morgan Williams’ contract extension?

MH: There are some player contracts in place. Until I am at the club today, sat down with Mark (Cooper) and various people, I am not going to comment on that side of things.
Very soon we will be able to announce things through the correct channels.
It was difficult to have those sorts of conversations before the deal was done given the wobbly nature of it all, but that will be a first priority.
Fans will start to get solid announcements through the correct media channels, and these are all things which will be resolving and doing at the club this week.
We have removed all the obstacles which has impeded us, we have removed that dark cloud of suspicion and we are now a club that is going to be doing our best. That starts today.

CC: Boxer asks do you have any ideas to make the matchday experience more enjoyable and how do you intend to attract supporters back and new supporters to a club which has had some bad headlines following it in recent years?

MH: There are various ideas which range from the short, medium and long term. We don’t want the matchday experience to be a 90 minute experience, we want to give fans a reason to turn up a couple of hours earlier, leave a couple of hours later, make a day of it.
There are issues about the look of the site from smaller things which could have been done anyway to much larger things which may need planning permission to do them.
I want to walk in that club as I would be if I was going to stand on the terraces and I want to recognise the experience they currently get and the one that they could get.
It is a long journey and I would urge that people need to be patient. This is not a quick fix, we would expect when fans turn up for the first game of the season, there will be tangible changes which hope will allow them to invest their beliefs in what our motives are.
We are intent on improving every aspect of that club.

CC: But trust has been broken between fans by previous owners in the past, do you understand why fans need that time?

MH: Indeed. All I can say is that I cannot influence the past, I can only influence the future. Any lack of trust or animosity they have had, I am very sorry for but I was not involved in that at the time.
We are the people that have removed the problem which has been with us for a number of years. We have done that and we ask people to have patience and belief. We will be measured on (what we do from now).
I made statement the other day that I would still like to be able to walk around Tesco on a Saturday morning. I have to because this is my home.
We cannot do much more to convince fans except for them to let us get on with the job and see and believe.

CC: Is the main goal for next season to win promotion back to the National League Premier?

MH: That has to be our aim. In anything you want to do, you need to aim much higher than you might be aiming for because you are going to land a little lower than that in most cases.
That is absolutely our ambition and I don’t think anyone would have a reason why it would not be. We have to be back up there.
There are no guarantees and ultimately it comes down to sticking the ball in the back of the net, but we will try and design the structure and invest in the structure to let that happen.
But, of course, that has to be our absolute ambition at a minimum.

CC: I will just end of Ray’s question – does Scott Priestnall still have any part of Yeovil Town FC?
MH: Absolutely not in any way, shape or form. That can be proven by anyone astute enough to search Companies House in the near future when all the documents have been updated.
Scott Priestnall has absolutely no control, no share, no input on Yeovil Town Holdings Limited, the football club or any of the buy-back arrangements.
It is over, he is gone.

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Well that was a weekend huh? Martin Hellier completed his takeover of everything YTFC, ridding Yeovil of Scott Priestnall once and for all.

On this episode of the podcast, Ian, Ben and Dave talk about the meeting of supporters on Thursday, the prior announcement, the resulting fallout and Saturday morning’s breaking news.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Leave us a review and share the pod with a pal.

We’d love to welcome some local businesses into the Gloverscast family through advertising. If you’re a business that would like to speak to a dedicated audience of more than 1000 monthly listeners, please get in touch. Find out more about advertising with us here.

If you have an idea for the website, want to contribute or just want to send us a message, feel free to email ian@gloverscast.co.uk.

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Local firm Bamfords have been announced as the new sponsor of the Main Stand at Huish Park by new club owner Martin Hellier.

The chairman, who announced yesterday that he had completed his acquisition of the majority shareholding held by Scott Priestnall, announced the deal on his Twitter on Sunday.

He posted: “Hitting the ground running. Pleased to announce Bamfords as the Huish Park new main stand sponsors for the 23/24 season. Official announcement to follow through in due course.”

The new sponsor’s website describes the business as: “With over 30 years experience, we are Somerset’s premier provider of both commercial and domestic plumbing, heating, electric and renewable energy services.”

Bamfords would appear to be replacing the new owner’s business, Hellier Group, as sponsor of the Main Stand. It signed a three-year contract in September 2022.

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Marcus Fysh, Yeovil’s MP, has released a statement congratulating the club’s new owner Martin Hellier on his acquisition of Yeovil Town, and say he is ‘seeking a meeting’ and provided a list of questions he would like answers to. I’m left wondering where was this public list of questions was to our previous owner when all this started happening?

The MP arrived at Johnson Park during the Supporters’ Meeting on Thursday as it was wrapping up and stayed around to speak to some of his constituents and the media.

Here’s his full statement:

Congratulations to the new owners of YTFC who have the chance and responsibility to build a football club that can progress up the leagues, provide great football to follow and inspire youth football across our area.

It has been a difficult few years as results going the wrong way have meant falling revenues in the lower leagues. Emergency help for National League clubs was required when fans were not able to attend during the pandemic and I was instrumental in securing that national government loan scheme to stop the club from going under.

Without owner subsidies it has always been the case that business aspects of Yeovil Town have been required to support the club’s football. This was true in the Championship and it is true now.

Development of the ground is controversial for some but an opportunity to garner the income required to sustain a proper footballing structure as the club rebuilds. The club sought development for this purpose since 2014 but was continually knocked back by the Council until the Council got involved financially through the stadium sale and leaseback.

Football clubs are private businesses and the deals they do are for the parties to be responsible. However the arrangements since the end of last year ended up complicating the football at a crucial time and it is a shame the financing flexibility the Club got from its involvement with public bodies didn’t translate into on field success.

I am seeking a meeting with the new owners of the Club, and the questions I will be asking – similar to those I have been asking all the previous owners and parties they have looked at dealing with – include:

  • What is the footballing structure that you will be seeking to implement and who will you be working with to help deliver that?
  • What are the shares of operational and capital income from development that will accrue to the football club for the purposes of maintaining the footballing structure and the stadium and ground and staff? Will the Council or any related parties have any income share?
  • What is the nature of the income from development or operation of developed properties that will accrue to Yeovil town for its footballing purposes?
  • Will there be conference and entertainment facilities that can maximise income from the ground itself including for large scale events?
  • What accommodation facilities if any will be made available for visitors on site and what hospitality revenue might accrue for footballing purposes as a result?
  • What revenue is expected from these sources in each of the next five years, and what is the plan if they don’t materialise?
  • Have any sale and lease back liabilities or options been fully discharged and or exercised on completion of the purchase of Yeovil Town?
  • Have the pandemic loans been discharged as part of the purchase and is there any other debt outstanding?
  • Have any assurances been given by South Somerset District or Somerset Council as to different types or schemes of development being allowed?
  • Has Yeovil town Holdings Ltd itself been purchased or is there another structure that those interested in the future of the football club should be aware of?
  • What is the plan to develop youth football in Yeovil now that the club has lost Academy status and will you work with me to find ways of ensuring a thriving youth football scene in Yeovil?
  • What assurances can you give to the staff and team at Yeovil town about their security of employment?
  • What arrangements will you make to ensure that there is a high quality board of directors which can plan and execute for high quality football and high quality business off the pitch?
  • Will you commit to having at least one board director to represent the fans and at least one board director whose role is to work with that other director and fans to increase positive fan engagement using all available modern techniques?
  • Will you investigate and report on whether there have been any questionable practices in the past in respect of the Club’s dealings and will you ensure that there is full transparency of all dealings with Councils, third parties and other public bodies in the future?
  • Will you commit to regular Board reports that give information about the footballing and non-footballing business of the Club so that fans can be engaged on the basis of fact rather than rumour?

I very much hope that today turns the page on a successful new chapter for Yeovil Town Football Club and that we will all be able to get behind them.

If you want to the reaction to his post, head to his facebook page here.

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The Glovers’ Trust has issued a statement welcoming the takeover of Yeovil Town by new owner and chairman Martin Hellier.

The group said the relief at the departure of former owner Scott Priestnall was “immeasurable” and welcomed the takeover by the local businessman with “cautious optimism“.

In a statement on Saturday morning, the new owner confirmed that the takeover included the majority shareholding previously held by Priestnall in both the club’s trading business, Yeovil Football & Athletic Club, and Yeovil Town Holdings, the company which has the exclusive buy-back on land at Huish Park.

The Glovers’ Trust said: “We cannot stress enough that any situation where Priestnall retained control or ownership of any part of the club or land would be untenable.

“The all supporters’ meeting on Thursday night was a landmark moment in the recent history of our club. It highlighted the extent of the distrust between the club and its core fan  base, and an overwhelming support for the long-term goal of supporter ownership and democratic representation inside the club.”

The Trust added that it looked forward to having a “constructive dialogue” with the chairman adding: “There is a long way to go for Mr Hellier to rebuild that trust and regain the respect of some supporters after a series of regrettable public arguments, but in the interests of the football club we believe he must be afforded the time and space to do this.”

 

The Glovers Trust statement – in full:

The Glovers’ Trust statement from Martin Hellier and the Hellier Group as a step towards safeguarding the future of Yeovil Town FC.

It is welcome news that the football club and holding company have been purchased, with the option to buy back the land at Huish Park. Hellier’s commitment to re-unifying the two companies and running the club for the “well-being and progression of our community” undoubtedly aligns with most supporters’ wishes.

Our relief at the end of Scott Priestnall’s tenure is immeasurable, and as supporters we welcome this takeover with cautious optimism. We cannot stress enough that any situation where Priestnall retained control or ownership of any part of the club or land would be untenable.

The all-supporters meeting on Thursday night was a landmark moment in the recent history of our club. It highlighted the extent of the distrust between the club and its core fan base, and an overwhelming support for the long-term goal of supporter ownership and democratic representation inside the club.

We look forward to meeting with Mr Hellier, to represent the fans and begin constructive dialogue.

There is a long way to go for Mr Hellier to rebuild that trust and regain the respect of some supporters after a series of regrettable public arguments, but in the interests of the football club we believe he must be afforded the time and space to do this.

There is only one Yeovil Town Football Club and only one supporters trust. We look forward to working with Trust members, fans and the new ownership, towards building a successful, prosperous football club that we can all be proud of.

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It’s been a long, largely unhappy journey, but the reign of Scott Priestnall as owner and chairman of Yeovil Town is over.

There are undoubtedly things we don’t know, or more to the point have not been told, about the whole saga over the past three years, but there is no doubting the club is in a far worse state than when he arrived in 2019.

From a club admittedly on a decline having dropped out of the Football League, we have gone from one which had a relatively stable (in football club terms, at least) balance sheet to one which is a tenant in its own stadium with debts of seven figures and will play next season in regional football.

In short, the reign of Scott Priestnall is a stain on the history books of Yeovil Town and one which cannot be forgiven or forgotten.

But, looking forward, we now have a new chairman, a new owner and a new direction under Martin Hellier. His statement announcing the takeover is wonderfully theatrical and says absolutely everything a Yeovil Town supporter would want to hear about the future on and off the field.

The message to Mr Hellier is the same as it was to SU Glovers – actions, not words, will judge you.

Minutes after the announcement, we issued a poll on our Twitter asking people to give a simple ‘yes or no’ answer to the question – are you happy with the takeover by Martin Hellier?

At the time of writing this, 76% of the 324 people who have voted say they are happy with the takeover – but in the comments there are unquestionably doubts.

The truth is that Martin Hellier’s antics on social media and off it have done nothing to help his cause of winning over the trust of supporters.

There has been language not befitting of a businessman of his stature, there has been open warfare (and blocking) with anyone who disagrees with his opinion,  along with threats to pull out of his sponsorship of the Main Stand, numerous pauses and restarts of his Twitter, and enough ups and downs to need a large glass of red wine to keep up with it.

Just reading the statement he has issued, you get the sense of a love for the theatre of the situation, and, while passion is good, what we need is stability and a solid business head.

In short, if this is going to work out well, Martin Hellier the chairman needs to be VERY different to Martin Hellier the social media user.

We want the businessman who has built up a solid and successful business. We want the passion for the local community. We want the support for the team, the manager (who appears at this time to be Mark Cooper). We want a football club which we all can be proud of.

If we are to achieve by unity, there has to be a willingness to admit and accept wrongdoings in the past and move forward. The reality is, as with Scott Priestnall and Norman Hayward/John Fry before him, we as supporters will have to go along for the ride whatever happens – but if we can create a club where we are listened too, communicated with and one where we can trust those in charge, we will be in a better place.

So, over to you, Martin. If you do what you say you will do – and do it in the right way – you will have the support of us all.

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When he agreed a three-year deal to become sponsor of the Main Stand at Huish Park in September 2022, few Yeovil Town fans could have predicted what would happen next with local businessman Martin Hellier.

Certainly not a name that this author (Dave here, hi!) had heard of in connection with the club prior to this but his Hellier Group business was well-known in the South Somerset community.

When they took over, what we/I knew about the man himself came from his business’ website which describes itself as having “a diverse investment portfolio” as well as an “unwavering focus on shrewd investment strategies, impeccable standards, and shared work ethic”.

It reported then to be valued at £50m – which has now risen to £75m – with annual revenues of £15m. In summary, it’s a pretty solid business as far as this amateur accountant can tell.

The Hellier Group owns the Yeovil Court Hotel, the building which houses the Fitness Yeovil gym on the Lynx Trading Estate and a has been involved in developing a number of properties in to Air BnB lets in the town. Anyone who has passed the Yeovil Court Hotel on West Coker Road cannot have failed to notice a major re-development job going on there.

When they took over as “Main Stand and Conference Centre Sponsor” less than a year ago, Martin Hellier said: “We are committed to supporting the local community and our long term relationship with Yeovil Town Football club does just that. The club has a long and proud history and we are very excited to be part of what we believe will be an exciting future.”

Speaking at that time, director Stuart Robins added: “We are very proud that Hellier Group have chosen our club as one their key marketing partners.

“Hellier Group are an ideal partner for us as they look to further develop their portfolio of businesses in the Yeovil area and we are looking forward to being part of that. We appreciate the commitment Martin has made, and we aim to provide increased exposure for the Group as we try to climb the football pyramid.”

Since that date, Martin Hellier’s name has become very well known to any Yeovil Town supporter with the businessman being vocal on his social media posts giving his views on the club, its ownership, dealings with South Somerset District Council (now Somerset Council) – and voicing his personal opinions on supporters.

He calls it “passion“, others call it “unprofessional” and, for this author, it’s a bit of both, but as as result, Martin Hellier is a Marmite character (other yeast extract products are available) among supporters.

Now we wait to see what Martin Hellier the football club chairman is like compared to his social media personality.

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Local businessman Martin Hellier has released a statement confirming that he has completed the takeover of majority shareholding of Yeovil Town Football Club and Yeovil Town Holdings Ltd securing the buy-back rights to the stadium and land around Huish Park.

The new Yeovil Town chairman has pledged to reunite the land with the trading business, Yeovil Football & Athletic Club, in the months to come and called for supporters to unite around ‘our truly locally-owned, community asset.’

In his statement issued on his Twitter on Saturday morning, Hellier said: “Please allow us to catch our breath, steady the ship, and bring stability, we have a very arduous task ahead of us, but one which we whole-heartedly embrace. I look forward to working closely with Mark Cooper and Josh Staunton who I know share my belief that Yeovil Town can return to brighter times.”

The deal was confirmed by a statement issued by the club from now former owner and chairman Scott Priestnall, who said: “It has been a difficult journey and I appreciate it has been hardest on you, the fans, most of all. I am confident that this transaction is one in the best interests of the club.”

He has also stated his intention to work closely with the Glovers’ Trust and the potential ‘Save Our Club’ Group which was pledged at a fans’ meeting held on Thursday.

Hellier’s announcement follows the SU Glovers confirmation of an ‘unsuccessful acquisition’ on Friday night and sees the sponsor of the Main Stand at Huish Park take over the 72% shareholding of chairman Scott Priestnall, who one assumes has now left the Yeovil Town history books.

What the future now means for the club’s other shareholder, Stuart Robins, appears uncertain. He holds a 20% stake in Yeovil Football and Athletic Club.

 

Hellier Group – statement in full:

To the fans, players, and staff of Yeovil Town Football Club, and to the wider Yeovil community:

Rejoice. The long winter of discord is over.

It is my greatest honour to announce that Hellier Group have secured the majority shareholding of Yeovil Town Football Club, Yeovil Town Holdings, and the buy-back rights to the stadium and surrounding land, which we intend to reunite with the trading business in the months to come.

As local owners, our hearts are rooted in the wellbeing and progression of our community, and we pledge to every fan, our intentions to form one entity, one club, one community, and to finally, ‘Achieve by Unity’.

This has been a long and stressful process, I have been passionate about my beliefs and feelings because I deeply care about this club.

This has not been a transaction for financial gain, it has involved a vast amount of time and effort to arrange, it is because I have the very best interests of this football club at heart.

I would like to thank the endless patience of the fans, players and the loving support of my family, as well as the tireless efforts of professionals around me, that have dedicated their time and efforts to securing what has been an exhausting process, the outcome of which is immeasurable in terms of unifying the hearts and minds of all that love this club.

Please allow us to catch our breath, steady the ship, and bring stability, we have a very arduous task ahead of us, but one which we whole-heartedly embrace. I look forward to working closely with Mark Cooper and Josh Staunton who I know share my belief that Yeovil Town can return to brighter times.

We ask that you invest your hearts and minds in supporting what is now our truly locally-owned, community asset, and lets collectively focus our ambitions in the progression of Yeovil Town Football Club. For too long, our fan-base has been divided, I would ask that this comes to an end.

Following this week’s Glovers’ Trust Meeting, I look forward to working closely with the trust / the newly formed ‘Save Our Club’ group and show that the club has, as of today, been saved.

I look forward to a bright and successful future for the club. I am very excited for us all to take this journey together.

Regards

Martin Hellier
CHAIRMAN

Up the Glovers!

 

Statement from Scott Priestnall – in full:

I confirm that I have completed the sale of Yeovil Town Football Club to the Hellier Group.

It has been a difficult journey and I appreciate it has been hardest on you, the fans, most of all.

We have not been able to share updates where we have wanted to, as you will appreciate negotiations take place under strict rules and disclosure arrangements. Given previous transactions have fallen through, I was particularly concerned about giving updates that may not materialise.

I am confident that this transaction is one in the best interests of the club.

Yeovil Town Football Club is a club that is, and always will be, very close to my heart. I wish the manager, the players, Martin and the fans all the best for the future.

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The twitter account of SU Glovers have announced the ‘unsuccessful acquisition’ of Yeovil Town FC.

In a statement released this evening the group said they had provided funding to the club to the tune of £400k and claim that the club would have entered administration without it.

“It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we regret to announce the unsuccessful acquisition of Yeovil Town Football Club. We would like to thank the fans for their patience and support but we have not been able to finalise a legal agreement with the existing owners despite our many attempts to do so over the last few months.

Unfortunately, there has now been a complete breakdown in the negotiations which has left us with no alternative other than to end negotiations to purchase the Club. This is despite our providing interim funding of in excess of £400k since January without which the Club we were told would have been placed into administration. Our commitment was unwavering and we had hoped to take Yeovil Town on a successful new chapter in the Club’s long history.”

Matt Uggla also tweeted a message to supporters:

“Lots of messages asking if it’s us. It’s not. We tried our best and ultimately fell into the trap. What the fans did yesterday was amazing and shows what a special club Yeovil is. Keep fighting the good fight and always remember the club without you guys is NOTHING.

If you stick together then you can accomplish what you need to and come out the other side of this tunnel. Don’t let a tiny group dictate to you guys the future when without you there is no future. Like the motto says. Now more than ever ACHIEVE BY UNITY.

We head north but will always love the glovers and watch out from afar. Really hope our paths cross again and thank you for everything. Keep the faith and keep together. @GloversTrust is on the right path hopefully you guys can support and follow!”

The announcement follows a statement from the chairman last night, which said a takeover had been agreed. Over to you Martin…

https://twitter.com/MartinHellier/status/1657097218254331925?s=20