Tony Johnson |
"We had a professional person at Edgar Street to change the locks for us.
"The court wound the club up on Friday and we had a meeting this morning to look at our options.
"We decided we couldn't afford to leave like that.
"It's a public asset, the ground belongs to Herefordshire.
"There are all sorts of things, security, insurance .
"Our responsibility is to look after the public asset.
"We went in about mid-day today.
"Peaceful entry, nobody there, changed the locks, put up the notices and written to Mr Lonsdale and his fellow directors to say what has happened.
"The club was untidy to say the least.
"Bits of damage, one of the changing rooms does look a right mess. But it's more mess than damage.
"One door has been smashed off its hinges, and another door has got broken glass.
"There has not been vast vandalism or anything like that.
"There is a lot of tidying to do but it is tidying up rather than rebuilding damage."
As to the future?
"I have a conversation today with Jon Hale who heads up a particular group who is interested in taking it on but it is a public asset so we couldn't just say if you want to take it over we'll give it to you.
"We have to offer it publicly and then look at propositions people are putting forward and Jon Hale and his group, I assume, will certainly be one of those we would look at before we make a decision about continued football at Edgar Street."
And what about Lonsdale?
"I think there's an article in one of the national newspapers today saying Mr Lonsdale is considering an appeal . He said he was going to meet with his advisors tomorrow and make a decision from there.
"My understanding is that he has seven working days, so that will take us into January, to decide whether or not he would appeal the decision made last Friday by the court.
"I've been talking to Geoff Hughes, one of our directors, today. Much of today has been spent on this subject.
"We will be putting together a set of papers and inviting bids from the like of Jon Hale etc, he's not the only one incidently. There's a growing amount of interest in the club.
"So we'll be setting out what the terms and conditions of that offer might be, inviting people to respond and making a judgement about them.
"Bits of damage, one of the changing rooms does look a right mess. But it's more mess than damage.
"One door has been smashed off its hinges, and another door has got broken glass.
"There has not been vast vandalism or anything like that.
"There is a lot of tidying to do but it is tidying up rather than rebuilding damage."
As to the future?
"I have a conversation today with Jon Hale who heads up a particular group who is interested in taking it on but it is a public asset so we couldn't just say if you want to take it over we'll give it to you.
"We have to offer it publicly and then look at propositions people are putting forward and Jon Hale and his group, I assume, will certainly be one of those we would look at before we make a decision about continued football at Edgar Street."
And what about Lonsdale?
"I think there's an article in one of the national newspapers today saying Mr Lonsdale is considering an appeal . He said he was going to meet with his advisors tomorrow and make a decision from there.
"My understanding is that he has seven working days, so that will take us into January, to decide whether or not he would appeal the decision made last Friday by the court.
"I've been talking to Geoff Hughes, one of our directors, today. Much of today has been spent on this subject.
"We will be putting together a set of papers and inviting bids from the like of Jon Hale etc, he's not the only one incidently. There's a growing amount of interest in the club.
"So we'll be setting out what the terms and conditions of that offer might be, inviting people to respond and making a judgement about them.