Council Leader Says Agombar Has Enquired About Moving Leases

Herefordshire Council Leader Tony Johnson has told BBC Hereford and Worcester that Hereford United new majority shareholder Tommy Agombar has enquired about moving two of the three leases at Edgar Street to his company.

"We are very anxious to see football stay at Edgar Street," said Johnson.

"There are three leases altogether. One for the ground itself and one for each of the two ends.

"The new owner has asked if we would consider assigning the two end leases to his company.

"If the new owner wants us to assign the leases we would be happy to look at that and if we did there would be conditions on such an assignment to make sure there was never any asset stripping. 

"We don't want somebody coming in there building houses and selling it off for profit and leaving the club in the lurch.

"There are three leases and they are currently with Hereford United and we can only react.

"If the club went into administration for example the leases would revert to us and then we would be looking for any people to take it over.

"The ground is covenanted to football anyway. So even if the club goes into administration and the leases came back to us and we wanted to pass those leases onto another interested party it would have to be for football." 

Meanwhile another councillor Jim Keynon has also spoken to BBC H&W.

"I managed to look the lease earlier today, I'll look at the other two tomorrow.

"Within the lease it says they have to pay the utilities, if they don't they are in breach of their lease. 

"They have got to pay the Council. They haven't paid any rates or rent in 18 months.

"The Council should up the anti and say we want our payment. This is taxpayers money at the end of the day."

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