Glenn Collis

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Glenn Collis has officially been removed as a director of the two companies which operate as part of Yeovil Town.

The former director whose departure was announced by the club in April spoke about his decision to quit after “months of soul searching and questions on the club’s direction.”

Glenn Collis YTFC Director
Glenn Collis

In filings made on Companies House, his appointment was terminated as a director of Yeovil Football & Athletic Club and Yeovil Town Holdings, the companies which run the club’s football operations and owned Huish Park and surrounding land until it was was sold to South Somerset District Council last week.

The departure of Collis means that chairman and owner Scott Priestnall is the only director at the club.

When Collis’ departure was announced last month, the club said that Priestnall was assembling a new board of directors including “prominent local businessmen” and, when announcing the sale of the family silver…..sorry, of Huish Park last week Priestnall spoke

He said: “I am pleased to say that I will be announcing appointments over the next week or two. The new board will have a combination of specialist football operations, a voice for supporters and a wealth of experience in business, that will come together and help shape the future of Yeovil Town.”

Gloverscast is aware that former Chief Executive Martyn Starnes is now a regular resident at Huish Park and therefore could fit the “specialist in football operations” profile.

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Glenn Collis has said he decided to quit his role as director of Yeovil Town after “months of soul searching and questions on the club’s direction.”

The club confirmed his departure from the board on Friday evening in a statement which revealed that chairman Scott Priestnall was “currently assembling a new board of directors.”

In a post on his LinkedIn profile, Collis speaks of his frustration at not being able to put his plans in to action.

He said: “This decision has not been taken lightly, however following months of soul searching and questions on the clubs direction, I have decided that the time was right to explore other opportunities within the footballing community and actually be able to put the relevant community based plans into action for the benefit of the club I am involved in.”

He added that he was “devastated to have not been able to deliver my plan to them first hand.”

The post concluded describing the club’s staff and players as “some of the strongest and most inspirational people I have ever met.”

He added: “Their strength of character and family unity has been something I am proud to have been a part of for over two years.”

Whilst it is questionable exactly what impact Collis had during his time at the club, he was a regular in the directors’ box at Huish Park and selected away games at a time his fellow director, Priestnall, was not.

Collis, 41, joined the board in February 2020 and was described as leading “one of Europe’s fastest growing sports management agencies and has also worked as a consultant to several of Europe’s most prestigious football clubs.”

He is registered as a director of Glenn Collis Limited, a company which lists  the nature of the business as “Other service activities not elsewhere classified.”

Announcing the departure of Collis, the club said the new board of directors being assembled by Priestnall would “include prominent local business people.”

It added: “We will issue a further update on board appointments in due course.”

Collis’ resignation epitaph ended a busy day of off-the-field news after it was revealed that South Somerset District Council is closing in on a deal to complete the purchase of the Huish Park site. Find out more – here.

That was swiftly followed by a petition launched by the Glovers’ Trust calling on the council to reverse the decision. To sign and share the petition – click here.

 

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Glenn Collis has left Yeovil Town as a director with chairman Scott Priestnall “assembling a new board of directors”, the club has said.

In a statement, the club confirmed the board would include “prominent local business people” ready for next season.

Glenn Collis YTFC Director
Glenn Collis

The statement said: “Yeovil Town can confirm the departure of Glenn Collis as a club director with immediate effect.

“Collis, who has been a board member since February 2020, departs with our best wishes. All at Yeovil Town thank Glenn for his hard work during his time at the football club.

“Chairman Scott Priestnall is currently assembling a new board of directors ready for the 2022/23 season which include prominent local business people.

“We will issue a further update on board appointments in due course.”

It concluded confirming the chairman will appear on the Gloverscast next week to “discuss club matters” and we can confirm we are scheduled to speak with him on Thursday evening with the recording released on Friday morning.

Collis, 41, joined as a director in February 2020 and was appointed a director of Yeovil Town Football & Athletic Club and Yeovil Town Holdings, the companies which own the club’s football operations and Huish Park stadium and the land surrounding the stadium respectively.

The announcement came hours after news broke that South Somerset District Council is close to completing a deal to buy the assets of both businesses and lease them back to the club. Find out more about that deal – here.

The Glovers’ Trust has launched a petition calling for the council to drop the deal which it describes as “a potentially catastrophic decision“. The petition is available to sign and share – here.

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The Glovers’ Trust has called for all parties involved in the talks about a takeover of the club to tell supporters what is going on.

The last public statement from owner Scott Priestnall from a video posted on the club’s YouTube channel in July.

In a statement issued after Yeovil Town booked their place in the third round of the FA Cup, the Trust confirmed that chairman Scott Priestnall had called a meeting  of the Supporters’ Alliance Group (SAG) on Monday.

It added: “Mr Priestnall informed the SAG that he would no longer be funding the club and that the club was surviving on the prize money from progressing through the FA Cup.

“He asked the group to release a joint statement urging fans to return.

“We believe that it is time for the parties negotiating to explain the situation with clarity.

“Alas, once again, we are releasing an urgent plea to those at the table to bring forth a conclusion to the negotiations and complete a deal which is looking increasingly necessary to save a community club with more than 125 years of history.”

The Trust said that it had not released a statement until after  today’s 1-0 win over Stevenage in the FA Cup second round because it “felt it imperative to not impact proceedings on the pitch.”

It is understood that two groups are in talks with Priestnall about buying the club, with one group led by Priestnall’s fellow director Glenn Collis, and a second group fronted by Julian Jenkins, a former commercial director at Cardiff City and CEO at Swiss side Servette.

Here’s a timeline of the long-running saga of the takeover talks with the club:

  • June 28: Chairman Scott Priestnall announces he has “been approached by a group to buy the club” – see more here.
  • July 30: In a statement alongside manager Darren Sarll, Priestnall said he was continuing to “talk to interested parties, including development partners” – see more here.
  • September 6 – The Glovers’ Trust says it believes two groups are in advanced negotiations to buy the club – see more here.
  • October 12 – The Supporters’ Alliance Group issues a statement calling on Priestnall to invest or sell – see more here.
  • October 13 – A new filing on Companies House shows Yeovil & Athletic Football Club has taken on the club’s £800,000 loan to Sport England – see more here.
  • October 13 – The Gloverscast echoes calls for clarity as rumours grow of consortiums led by Director Glenn Collis and former Cardiff City commercial director Julian Jenkins – see more here.
  • November 22 – The Glovers’ Trust calls on Collis to talk with them about his offer for the club – see more here.
  • December 5 – The Glovers’ Trust issues a second (or is it third?) statement calling for all parties involved in takeover talks to clarify the situation

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The Glovers Trust has invited Yeovil Town director Glenn Collis to speak with it about his rumoured interest in buying the club.

The statement suggests that Collis, who is one of two directors of the club alongside Chairman Scott Priestnall, has yet to take up the offer.

The Trust said: “The Glovers Trust board has, again, invited the group led by Glenn Collis to speak to us about their proposed bid for Yeovil Town FC. We have not had a response.

“There is an open invitation to them, should they wish to talk to us about their vision for the club and their plans for supporter and community engagement.”

In September, the Trust revealed it had been speaking with another consortium, understood to be led by Julian Jenkins,  an ex-Cardiff City commercial director and CEO at Swiss side Servette for a spell.

It said at the time the Trust said Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) were in place which prevented those involved in discussions talking any more – yet the rumour mill has not stopped turning and Collis himself recently said he had “no problem” with talking to fans who contacted him on social media.

Speaking we are sure on behalf of most supporters, can the Gloverscast reiterate its plea for all these people who claim to have the best interests of our club at heart – say something, for the love of God!

Gloversblog – Something Has To Give – here

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It’s the worst kept secret in South Somerset and yet it still appears to be a secret.

The two consortiums bidding for the ownership of Yeovil Town are led by current club director Glenn Collis and another group led by Julian Jenkins, an ex-Cardiff City commercial director and CEO at Swiss side Servette for a spell.

The Huish Park rumour mill is fired on one side by a bizarre string of online articles and now YouTube broadcasts claiming to have knowledge on the Jenkins offer, and the other seemingly from conversations being had between Collis and supporters at matches.

A YouTube “banter broadcast” from earlier this week where it was claimed Julian Jenkins is in the running to buy the club.

As a result, on Tuesday the Supporters’ Alliance Group, which represents the club’s main fan groups including the Green & White Supporters’ Club and Glovers’ Trust, issued a public demand to owner Scott Priestnall to act.

The chairman and owner who bought the club from in the summer of 2019 has consistent in promising to do what is best for the club.

What he has been less consistent at is keeping to his commitments.

When we last heard from our AWOL owner, he promised improvements in the matchday experience, strengthening of the squad for a tilt at the play-offs and regular communication to with supporters.

To that end, we have seen a burger van appear behind the Thatchers’ End which was selling warm cans of beer, a squad filled up with young loan players in place of the experienced heads which departed in the summer, and a owner who no-one has seen or heard from in months.

The last public statement from owner Scott Priestnall from a video posted on the club’s YouTube channel in July.

On the pitch, manager Darren Sarll is under increasing pressure after less than convincing performances in the past three matches and a massive FA Cup tie with local rivals Weymouth coming up at the weekend.

In fairness to the boss, he has made mistakes tactically this season, but with the options he has he is doing his job with his hands tied behind his back.

And you can say that about just about every part of the club which feels both rudderless and taking on water, combination puts us in serious danger.

When it comes to  the owner’s promise of communication, this week supporters seem to be finding out more about/completely guessing at what is happening at the club from filings on Companies House.

With the club purchased with a loan secured against its own asset, and now seemingly being propped up by a Sport England loan (we’ve had no evidence of the contrary so how can we know?) it appears there’s a genuine possibility of a total catastrophe if a deal doesn’t get over the line.

The final line of the Alliance statement reads: “As a group of united supporters, we believe the time is now for genuine change and only one group at the table offers that hope for the future of Yeovil Town FC.”

It doesn’t take a genius to read between the lines and understand who the Supporters Alliance Group are in favour of.

The most galling thing of all is the sheer contempt which Yeovil Town supporters having to publicly call on those in charge of the club to have the decency to communicate with their supporters and their customers.

All those who put their hands in their own pockets to raise more than £50,000 for the club this summer, can rightly feel this complete lack of action from those who claim to be in charge is a slap in the face.

The voice of Alliance echoes that of supporters from all corners of the fan base – do what you’ve said you’ll do, Mr Priestnall, and do the right thing by OUR club.

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The land which sits around Yeovil Town’s Huish Park stadium has never really been anything which has probably bothered many supporters.

However, the land is now the centre of attention with speculation around a takeover of the club by one of two unidentified consortiums, according to a statement from the Glovers’ Trust – see here.

It was back in 2010 that then-chairman John Fry and owner Norman Hayward created Yeovil Town Holdings Limited, a company which the pair then transferred the freehold of the land which borders the stadium in to.

That land covers the astroturf, small car park and land where the club’s marquee stands at the front of the stadium, along with the top pitches, a good chunk of the main car park and the area behind the Thatcher’s Gold terrace.

Land owned by Yeovil Town Holdings Limited is bordered in red – except the bit in mint green which is owned by Yeovil Athletic & Football Club Limited.

A slice of land which includes part of the car park and borders Western Avenue is owned by South Somerset District Council.

Today, Yeovil Town Holdings Limited  has two directors, Glovers’ chairman Scott Priestnall and his fellow director Glenn Collis, following the takeover led by Priestnall and is (now former) business partner Errol Pope in 2019.

The land which the stadium sits upon is owned by another company, Yeovil Football & Athletic Club Limited, whose directors are also Priestnall and Collis.

The division of land has been this way since John Fry and Norman Hayward asked the club’s shareholders to vote in favour of the decision to divide the assets and won the vote – unsurprisingly given the pair held 92% of the shares.

The restructuring was sold as a way to enable the development of the land for the benefit of the club and the former owners tried – and failed – to get developments through. Who can forget the proposal with Chris Dawson, the owner of The Range, which promised a 3,500-seater stand where the away end now is back in 2011?

And who would disagree with that principle? The idea of developing land around the stadium to make it generate income seven days a week – as opposed to between midday and 6pm on a Saturday matchday – should be actively encouraged.

The question comes down to who benefits from the sale/development of the land.

Scott Priestnall has spoken of a desire to develop the land around the stadium and he told Somerset Live in December 2019 that he would only make decisions on development which were “right for the football club.”

However, within just a few months of making this statement, the COVID-19 pandemic struck with the jigsaw pieces going up in the air.

The next we heard of plans for ownership of the land was the sale and lease back deal offered by SSDC – if you need reminding about that, see here.

But with that deal seemingly off the table, what do we now about who owns of the land around Huish Park and the land the stadium itself is built on?

The simple answer is somewhat unsurprisingly – Scott Priestnall and Glenn Collis as the directors of the two companies which own the different parcels of land.

The Land Registry documents which confirm the ownership of both pieces of land both include a charge from MSP Capital, a Poole-based property finance firm, which the chairman raised money from at the time of his takeover.

In the recent accounts of CV Leisure, the company set up by Priestnall and his former partner Errol Pope to complete the takeover from Fry and Hayward in 2019, the loan facility from MSP Capital is worth £1.35m.

Back in 2019, Somerset Live described the charges as “effectively mortgaging” Huish Park and its land to complete the deal.

The same article explained that no development of the land can take place without the say so of MSP Capital and that the lender had the right to take control of the land in the event it did not get its money back.

In the article, Priestnall was quoted as saying: “Those charges may well change. They may well come off over the next couple of months depending on what we decide to do.”

The presence of the charges more than two years on would suggest that what the chairman decided to do did not involve removing the charges from the club.

In summary, what we know both the land which Huish Park sits on and the land around it are in the ownership of Scott Priestnall and, at least in name, Glenn Collis.

This is where the unanswered questions lie. If there is a takeover, will the deal be the assets held by both companies – Yeovil Town Holdings and Yeovil Athletic & Football Club, in case we’ve lost you by now.

One assumes that such a detail will only become public if and when any takeover is completed and presently the silence on that is deafening.

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Yeovil Town have increased the amount borrowed from Sport England by a further £112,000.

The club now owes £801,538 which it said in a statement will cover “lost revenue from last season’s lockdown period” enabling it to pay “costs and creditors from last season.”

The statement was published after the new charge was made public through a Companies House filing made by Yeovil Town Holdings Limited, signed by Chairman Scott Priestnall and Director Glenn Collis.

The statement said  the club had also paid back all its debts to HM Revenue and Customs after taking a ‘payment holiday’ offered to National League clubs during the pandemic,

It added: “This loan is a top up on loans given to clubs due to the lost revenue from last season’s lockdown period.

“This means that the loan itself is in relation to the costs and creditors from last season, and that is what the loan will be used for.

“The loan itself is a 20-year term, which includes a four-year holiday period at a 2% interest rate per annum.”

The statement goes on to say that the club is one of a number of National League side which are lobbying Sport Minister Nigel Huddleston for “or the loans to be eventually turned into grants, as has been previously suggested.”

You can read the statement in full – here.

The filing listed on Companies House shows that the £689,538 loan taken out by Yeovil Town Holdings Limited in February has now been extended to £801,538.

The filing includes the following:

Pursuant to an amendment and restatement deed in the Original Facility Agreement dated on or around the date of this Supplemental Guarantee and Debenture, the Original Chargor, the Additional Chargor, the Lender and the Programme Manager have agreed to make certain amendments to the Original Facility Agreement, including but not limited to increasing the total Facility amount to £689,538 to £801,538 (the ‘Amendment and Restatement Deed’, with the Original Facility Agreement being amended in accordance with the terms therein being the ‘Restated Facility Agreement’.).

I mean, what could be clearer than that?!

Chairman Priestnall and  Collis are the only two registered directors of Yeovil Town Holdings, the company set up in 2009 by then-Chairman John Fry to own the freehold  the club’s assets including its Huish Park stadium and surrounding land.

That move saw the assets of the club hived off from its football operations which are run by Yeovil Football & Athletic Club which also has Priestnall and Collis as its only directors.

You may recall it was the response to a Freedom of Information request by the Gloverscast published in June which confirmed the original loan amount, see – here