The Glovers Trust have released a statement today saying the long term future of Yeovil Town FC is at risk, following the completion of SSDC’s deal to purchase Huish Park and the surrounding land and lease it back to the club.
The statement reads:
The Glovers Trust note the sale and leaseback agreement announced by Yeovil Town and South Somerset District Council (SSDC) yesterday, the 20th May. We continue to be concerned that the crucial assets of the club have been stripped away from the fabric of our club. For the first time since the 1930s we no longer own our home. We are worried, that this deal has placed the longterm future of our club at risk.
We are disappointed that limited public consultation with fans by both the South Somerset District Council and the Football Club took place. To state that public consultation took place back in 2020, and that the situation remains similar, seems unreasonable considering the landscape of football, the club, and society as a whole has shifted dramatically since then. We are also disappointed that the immediacy of the deal being completed was not made clear to fans and supporter groups.
Notwithstanding the actual sale of the club assets itself, the Glovers Trust have a number of concerns and questions around the terms of the deal with SSDC. Although not an exhaustive list, these concerns include:
- Within the leaseback agreement, what is the name of the new leaseholder? We would hope this will be Yeovil Town Football & Athletic Club, the footballing part of the business.
- How much money from the deal will be used to cover debts that have been taken on to purchase and run the football club?
After the first rent free year, what are the annual rental payments? What percentage of the annual budget will this represent? What is the long term plan for making these repayments sustainable? - What safeguards or guarantees (if any) are there within this agreement to ensure the club benefits from this deal, both in the immediacy and long term?
- We understand many fans are concerned at this time. We will continue to engage with the owners of the club to seek answers.
Many of these questions are the same questions we asked back in 2020 and failed to receive adequate responses. We hope to meet with Scott Priestnall soon in order to ask those questions and share those concerns. If members have questions or concerns of their own, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
In December 2020 the Trust board activated the Asset of Community Value held on the site, triggering a six-month moratorium period and preventing the sale.
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