Conference club Stafford Rangers has had its problems recently. The current directors have cut expenditure to the bone which has meant, amidst others, that former Hereford United player Steve Bull, who was the manager, has parted company with the club.
However, despite the gloomy predictions for football club takeovers, a group of un-named supporters have put in a bid to buy the club.
According to the Express and Star a letter has been sent out by Birmingham based accountants Law & Co to the 407 people listed as shareholders. The letter says that the group is considering “making an offer for your shares at a price of 50p per share (par value) in Stafford Rangers Football Club Limited.”
“As a result the proposed purchasers wish to acquire control of the company in order to save it from further embarrassment and possible further financial problems,” says the letter, signed by Keith Peters of Law & Co.
The group says it wants to involve fans and would arrange for one to be on any new board.
However Phil Bennett, secretary of Stafford Rangers Independent Supporters, appears wary of the possible motives behind the bid.
"If they are true supporters and we know and can trust them that is fantastic and the fans will be behind them," said Bennett.
"What we have to be wary of is at the moment is we are in recession and if some group came in and acquired a majority shareholding what happens five years down the line, when we are out of recession and prices escalate? Would they then want to pull out and sell the ground? The last thing we want is houses on Marston Road."
The ground is said to be worth about £3m for housing.
Meanwhile, Conference side Northwich Victoria need to find £100,000 for an instalment on a historical tax bill by the end of January. A winding up order is scheduled to be heard in the courts at the end of the month on the outstanding £400,000 sum. The club are yet to pay Telford the outstanding £3,000 from their FA Cup match, and have also been called in to a meeting by Conference chiefs over their current financial predicament.