Glovers Trust (Page 2)

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Brendon Owen has stepped down as chairman of the Glovers’ Trust, the supporters’ group has announced.

He has been replaced by Roger Pipe, who previously served as vice-chairman, with Barrie David stepping up to the second in command role.

The announcement comes just days after it was revealed Simul Sports, the group the Trust had publicly backed to take over the club, announced it has ended its interest.

In an update to members, the Trust said: “There has been some changes to the make up of our board.

“Our chairman for many years, Brendon Owen, has decided to step down. We are incredibly thankful to him for his fantastic work and dedication over many years, both for the Trust and the wider fanbase.

“Brendon is committed to giving fans a voice, and that work continues now he has left us.”

The update also confirmed that Ian Perkins had left the board to focus his time on a podcast and website called Gloverscast – sounds like a waste of time to us!

Former Trust board member Steve Seaby has returned to the group to replace Ian until it holds its AGM in October.

The update concludes: “We wanted to let you know that we have reached out to Scott Priestnall for a meeting with the Trust board, so that me might be able to ask some important questions at a crucial time for our club.

“We hope that he will be willing to meet with us and answer those questions. If you have questions or concerns as a member, then please reply to this email and we will be sure to include as many as we can.”

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The Glovers’ Trust has called for supporters to protest against the ownership of Scott Priestnall ahead of the final home match of the season against Boreham Wood this weekend.

The call follows the Trust’s regular Pulse Survey which showed that 90% of respondents supported further protests following action taken during and after the recent match with Stockport County, where the chairman was present.

In a statement issued on Friday, the board has encouraged supporters to take the following action:

  • During the Game: Support the team in our last home game of the season. Make your voices heard.
  • After the Game: Remain in the stadium and protest as long as we are allowed, and then move to the main entrance

The statement added: “We know that many fans are frustrated. But, we must maintain our integrity and keep our protests peaceful.

“Whether you are a member of the Trust or not, this is our last home league game of the season, and the last opportunity for us to make our feelings known as a collective.

“Whether the chairman is in attendance or not, let’s make our voices heard.”

Two weeks ago, Priestnall made an address to a group of supporters in the Alec Stock Lounge ahead of the Stockport game – see here.

Since then there has been no further updates to supporters around the potential sale of Huish Park to South Somerset District Council or the club’s vacant managerial position.

The Gloverscast had agreed to interview the chairman on our podcasts last Friday (29 April) and today (May 6) with statements from the club telling fans the chairman would be speaking with us.

Both interviews have been cancelled by the chairman.

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The Glovers’ Trust has launched a petition calling for South Somerset District Council (SSDC) to drop its plans to buy Yeovil Town’s Huish Park stadium and surrounding land.

After news broke on Friday that the council is in talks with club chairman Scott Priestnall about completing a deal, the Trust launched a petition describing the deal as “a potentially catastrophic decision for the long term security and viability of our club.”

The petition is available to share and sign, here: https://chng.it/vGkNJDcsqD

The council deal would see the ‘core’ (red) and non-core (blue) land bought by SSDC.

In its statement, the Trust added: “We are concerned that there will not be the safeguards in place to ensure the football club will see any benefit from the deal, or ever be in a position to buy the assets back. We also do not believe this is a responsible use of taxpayers money.

“We believe that Scott Priestnall, through his action, inaction, and silence over his tenure, has not earned the trust of supporters, to allow him to make this decision unchallenged. We call on all supporters, supporter groups, and local residents to voice their opposition to this deal. United we have a loud voice. We want to make sure that voice is heard.

“We will continue to communicate with supporters in the coming days and weeks to suggest other action we might take to protect our club.”

Due to the local elections taking place on May 5, SSDC is currently in a state of purdah. This means that no announcements can be made by the local authority regarding any major decisions. However, proposals can be completed during purdah.

Gloverscast understands that if the deal is not completed by the end of May 2022, the ability to complete the transaction will becoming increasingly difficult. SSDC merges with other councils to become one new unitary council and there is draft legislation which could prevent deals over a certain value being completed without a new approval process.

The Trust can also activate the Asset of Community Value held on the site from May 26 2022.

For more about what we understand about the deal, see – here.

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Yeovil Town supporters groups have issued their thanks to former manager, Darren Sarll.

The Glovers Trust have issued a short statement giving their thanks to the work done by Darren Sarll since his appointment in June 2019.

Sarll joined fellow National League side Woking ending a three year stint at Huish Park.

The Trust said the following: “The Glovers Trust would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Darren Sarll for all he has done for our club since 2019. He has led our club through some incredibly difficult times, and we wish him all the best for the future.”

The Green and White Supporters Club also released their statement this afternoon.

“The Green & White Supporters’ Club would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Darren Sarll as he departs as Yeovil Town manager.

Since arriving just weeks after our relegation from the Football League, Darren has been shown a commitment, honesty and passion for our football club which has been appreciated by us all.

He has guided us through some of the most challenging times any of us can remember during his time at the club and the dignity with which he carried himself with has been outstanding.

We will miss his willingness to engage with supporters and wish him well with his future career, but our focus must now be on supporting our team.

Our club is now at a cross-roads both on and off the field and the importance of the decisions which will be taken in the days and weeks to come cannot be underestimated.

For supporters, we must get 100% behind Charlie Lee and the team to finish the job as strongly as we can.”

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Yeovil Town chairman Scott Priestnall has given two bidders seeking to buy the club this week to complete a deal.

In a long statement posted on Sunday night, the chairman confirmed he had agreed deals “with both parties many months ago” and said it was the buyers who had failed to complete a deal.

This statement says a lot but does not name either bidder, referring to “both parties“, so we are left to assume they are the groups led by Priestnall’s fellow director, Glenn Collis, and a group led by former Cardiff City commercial director, Julian Jenkins.

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

The chairman added if a deal is not concluded: “I will go back to my plans for building a better Yeovil Town FC, utilising our infrastructure to be better on and off the field.

“This will not include over-spending on players and bring about further financial insecurity but working towards a financially sustainable position, which at present we are nowhere near achieving but will give Darren every pound possible to have a competitive squad.

“I will present to supporter’s a long-term vision and plan to improve this club for future generations.”

Priestnall went on to say  he had “no interest in selling this football club.”

The statement comes in response to the latest statement from the Glovers Trust issued on Sunday morning which called for those involved in the takeover to give clarity over the future of the club.

In its statement, the Trust said Priestnall had told a meeting of the Supporters’ Alliance Group that he would no longer financially support the club – a claim he denies.

In his own statement, he replies: “I actually stated as part of a larger conversation, why would I invest my family and children’s money somewhere I’m not wanted?

“I never said I would withdraw my support, simply looking for supporters groups to help with decreasing attendances and increasing negativity growing.”

He goes on to claim that changes in the accounts of CV Leisure, the company which the chairman used to buy the club, had written off more than £1m in loans.

Priestnall adds: “The actual reason for the changes is to write off more than £1m of shareholder loans across Yeovil Football & Athletic Club (The) Limited and Yeovil Town Holdings Limited.

“This will become apparent when the changes take effect in company’s accounts, therefore reducing the clubs debts.”

The statement continues to deny claims he is “a property developer” or “an asset stripper” and said the club would require “restructure on and off the field” if it crowds remain at around 2,000.

The developer statement could be a response to the creation of a company, Make Projects Limited, registered at the club’s Huish Park stadium on December 1 with Priestnall as its sole shareholder.

The registration on Companies House classifies the company as being in “development of building projects.”

It is the second company involved in this line of business set up by the chairman, who denied that Max Mae Limited, a company he established with business partner, Jed McCrory, in the summer had “nothing to do” with the club.

He concludes: “I understand there has been a desire from supporters groups and some supporters for myself to give clarity on the position before now, and any progression of a potential deal but I wanted to give the consortiums every opportunity to stand firm on assurances given and conclude a deal.”

If you want to brave reading the statement in full, you can do so – 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.

https://twitter.com/GCollisYTFC/status/1434128502186516480?s=20

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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The Glovers’ Trust has appointed three new board members.

Ben Wood, Mark Kelly and Mike Hudson has joined the board, replacing Adam Skinner, John Oakes and Steve Seaby, who have all stepped down.

In an update to members, the Trust said:  “Nominations for the board closed last Monday and we can confirm that there is no need for an election process this year.

“As per our constitution, half of the standing board must put themselves up for reelection if they wish to continue on the board.

“Three members of the board have opted not to stand for reelection, two have stood again and we have had three members apply to join.

“This brings us up to ten board members and means there will be no vote.”

Barrie David and Vernon Edmunds will remain on the Board.

The Trust will hold its Annual General Meeting on Monday, October 18, starting at 7pm.

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Talk about potential new owners at Huish Park is unsettling for the club’s players, according to manager Darren Sarll.

The boss was asked about the statement issued by the Glovers’ Trust saying that two consortiums were in talks about buying the club ahead of the trip to Stockport County.

Speaking at his weekly press conference, Sarll said he had been made aware of the statement but was “not privy to anything” about the details of the discussions.

Yeovil Town manager Darren Sarll.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

He said: “It has absolutely nothing to do with me, all I can say is it does not help the players.

“The first thing they were talking about especially on Tuesday was that and then they start thinking about ‘what if that happens?’

“Whilst they are thinking about all those permutations they are not thinking about football.

“I can control lots of things, but I can’t control these things.

“I want to enjoy my football this year and working with a group of people who are as ambitious and as focused as I am.

“The rest is down to the business owner and at the moment that is (current Chairman) Scott Priestnall and whatever happens, happens.”

In a statement issued earlier in the week, the Glovers’ Trust said it has been speaking with a consortium is “in the latter part of negotiations” around a takeover with a second group is also “at an advanced stage.”

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Two groups are in discussions to buy Yeovil Town from its current owner Scott Priestnall, according to  the Glovers’ Trust.

In a statement, the  Trust says it has been speaking with a consortium is “in the latter part of negotiations” around a takeover with a second group is also “at an advanced stage.”

The Trust added that it believes Priestnall “is willing to sell the football club” and that it had spoken with a number of potential investors including “one of the most high-profile names in English football“, businessmen and supporters about a takeover.

Chairman Scott Priestnall, left, with manager Darren Sarll talking to the club’s YouTube channel.

The statement said: “We are now able to confirm, that a consortium who have held, and continue to hold regular meetings with the Glovers Trust board, is now in the latter part of negotiations to take over the football club.

“Due to Non- Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), we are not able to offer any detail on exactly what this entails, however we would like to assure supporters, that our preference is that the whole Huish Park site and football club is sold together.”

“We are also aware of a second bid to purchase the football club, and we believe this bid is also at an advanced stage.

“We held conversations with the head of this second consortium early in 2021 and have reconnected this week after not hearing anything for some time.

“We have requested a meeting with this group so that we can gather a greater understanding of the detail. We await their response.”

The Trust added that it had been made aware of plans from supporters to protest following the club’s announcement it had increased its loan from Sport England to more than £800,000.

It added: “We absolutely understand and share the frustration of fans, and we call upon the current ownership to communicate and offer some clarity on the situation.

“Nobody wants this to escalate to that stage, especially after such a promising start on the pitch.”

Read the statement in full – here.

In July, the club issued a statement from Chairman Priestnall which revealed he was talking to “interested parties including development firms” about the future of the land at its Huish Park stadium.

Speaking at the time, he said: “We are in discussions with a couple of people at the moment and hopefully I will be able to update on progress.

“The immediate concern is making sure we are competitive and structured operationally and we can have fans back in the stadium in a safe environment.

“We have to be competitive on the pitch and have the resources to be competitive, so that has been a focus for the last couple of months.”

The previous month the Chairman told supporters on social media that he had been “approached by a group to buy the club.”