Yeovil Town director Stuart Robins has said he believes the club is “getting close” to a deal which would see an unnamed party take over as majority shareholder at Huish Park.
Talking on BBC Somerset’s Claire Carter on Friday morning ahead of tomorrow’s relegation clash with York City, he said talks between an unnamed party which signed an “exclusivity agreement” and chairman Scott Priestnall to take a majority shareholding in the club were taking “a lot longer” than either party would want.
Asked if a deal was imminent, he said: “It will be done when it’s done, these things have to be done properly and they are. My sense is we are getting close and we are hopeful.
“There is a lot of goodwill on both sides to get this completed as quickly as possible, it has accelerated just recently and all parties are nose down to get this completed and there is an awful lot of goodwill on both sides.”
Asked why Priestnall was not speaking to supporters about the discussions, he added: “There is an awful lot of energy expended when you are going through some form of acquisition and that includes the Chairman. It’s his transaction and he’s got a lot of work to do and it’s not easy.
“I am heavily involved in a lot of that as well, there is a lot of due diligence to go through, and it’s taking a lot longer than any of us would like, but it is complex it’s not one of those things that can be done in the work of the moment. (Scott) is heavily involved in that.”
The last statement – see our article here – was made on New Year’s Eve when Priestnall confirmed the agreement with an unnamed party which would see them take the Chairman’s majority shareholding in the club. Robins holds a 20% stake in the club with the Chairman understood to hold a further 72%, the remaining shares being made of a number of smaller shareholders.
Speaking on Friday morning, Robins praised Priestnall’s decision to recommend manager Mark Cooper for the job at Huish Park following the sacking of former boss Chris Hargreaves in October.
He said: “It was Scott that recommend to me that we employ Mark and that has been an unbelievably good decision. It has helped us develop the players tremendously.
“I work with Mark on a day to day basis and I never knew him before he came to the club and it has been an unbelievably good decision and recommendation by Scott. I have the highest regard for (Mark) because he is doing an unbelievable job in difficult circumstances.
“All I want to do is make sure we do what we can to help him.”
On other matters, the director said the club had been close to appointing a new physio this week – only for the candidate it had been interviewing to pull out.
It is understood that winger Will Dawes, who has physiotherapy training, has been combining his playing role giving treatment to the first-team squad. The club has been without a physio since Kai Hepworth departed at the end of last year.
Robins added: “We were hopeful we would make an appointment this week but after a number of interviews the candidate decided he wanted to go elsewhere which was disappointing.
“It’s been very difficult, not just now but historically, to get qualified physios in to the club. Clearly we are covered on a match day, we have to be, and we are very fortunate we have some resource in the club which helps – it’s not perfect.
“We are still searching for a physio, we might have to look at an alternative which might be a little more expensive than we would like, but I understand Mark’s frustration there but we are doing everything we can.”
Asked about plans to build 250 houses around Huish Park, revealed published by documents from South Somerset District Council, Robins said that he could not comment until he sees the full plans.
However, he agreed that the loss of parking and pitches behind the away terrace at Huish Park through any developed were “quite rightly being looked at.”
He added: “It’s nothing to do with me, I am not involved in any of those developments, all I am concerned is how the football club is protected and the big issue is parking.“
15 minutes that told us nothing. We should press ahead with the planned protests because this club WILL go down unless there are additions very quickly. I appreciate Stuart has had to do Priestnall’s dirty work whilst he slithers off with a pocketful of taxpayer’s money and due dilligence means he can’t give us details but we need players NOW.
You have to ask if we would still be taken over if we go down?
Jesus, building houses so close, that the grass training pitch and parking are built on. I better buy a house and I can watch for free! ??