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Monday, June 16, 2014

I'm Not Roman Abramovich Says Agombar


In an interview made and recorded by Hereford United supporters outside the Council HQ, new 'owner' Tommy Agombar spoke about the situation at the club. He said he was going to pay the debts but he wasn't Roman Abramovich.

Below are a few points from the interview.

When the supporters confronted Agombar he wasn't sure who he might be talking to.

"Who are you, who are you, how do you know we ain't paid no debts," said Agombar.

Well have you?

"Yes I have, yes I have, yes we're in the Southern Premier!"

You've paid that?

"Yes, no.

"We're paying debts and we're going to pay all the debts

"I'll tell you what they need. They need all football creditors to be paid which I've paid half of anyway. All the admin staff have been paid.

"The reason we're not in the Conference is that they wanted £350K to put into their bank account and I refused.

"When I come down to this club, they said listen the club would need £350K that's it.

"Since I've been down here it's £1.3M

"I'm a football man. I've come down here. I didn't know nothing about leases, I didn't know nothing, right.

"All I done was to come down to save our club. That's all I've done.

What's David Keyte got to do with the club now? 

"Nothing, David Keyte has got nothing to do with the club. He will be no longer chairman.

"You must understand something, since I've come down to the club, I've had nothing than debts coming out of the woodwork.

"I didn't know we owed the Council.

"Everytime I go into the club, and everyone I paid with admin and everybody else within my club, they've left

"It's not my mess.

"I'm not an endless pit, I'm not Roman Abramovich.

Why didn't you check this out before you took the club? 

"Because we didn't have the facts, we didn't have none of the facts.

"When I went down to that club, I went down and I shook Keyte's hand and I said I'll buy your club.

"I love football, no listen hear me out, I love football right, I love football right.

"Listen I'm not going to blow my own trumpet because I don't need to.

"This club was going to go, I love football.

"People say to me I'm three hours up the road

"I know about communities because I'm from the east end of London, a community just like Hereford.

"I'm going to put my money where my mouth is and save the club.

"I haven't come down to Hereford to earn a pound note.

"I'm not good in front of the media.

"Someone said to me go and buy Hereford and I thought lovely. Hereford is a fantastic club.

"Why should I go into a fans forum and everyone is going crazy."

How much have you pumped into the club?

Agombar consulted his advisors who told him just over £200K

We don't want you part of our club. It's cloak and dagger stuff.

"I've paid admin staff their money, they've all left. What can I do?

"None of you are giving me a chance. You all run up to me like lunatics.

"If it weren't for me, what other mug would have saved the club?

"All my advisors said Tom walk away from the club but I shook David Keyte's hand."

In a second interview recorded after Agombar had met the Council, the new owner said that he had' a rough ride in there'.

"I aint got a bottomless pit.

"Everything that happens with the leases goes back into the club.

"If you leave it to me just putting my money in we're not going to do it.

"The football creditors will be paid by Friday. The winding up orders they're gone, they're being dismissed.

"We are Southern Premier League football club, guaranteed. We'll be higher than that in twelve months.

"And I'll tell you why, we're the only team that will stay full-time. It's going to cost me money and I've still got to plough money into the club to keep it going

"This football club needs to be run by football people. I went to Chris Williams (HUST), I told him all the bits and pieces, we're going to need help.

"None of this is my mess, I'm here to clear it up.

"The first thing on my agenda is pay the creditors, dismiss the court cases. Remember you've still got Martin Foyle. I tried to do a deal with him for £30K, he didn't accept it. I tried to do another deal for £60K he didn't accept. He's now gone to the LMA who has told him he wants £145K I've still got to come to that. 

"And I've also talking to the Council who have given me a hard time. Understandable. How you going to pay all the debts off and everything?

"When I first come down to this club, I had a phone call Hereford is for sale. Lovely. Big club. I'll have a go at Hereford.

"They were 300 bags in trouble. So I thought not a problem. Then every other week I come down, it was another 100 grand. So the club is now in £1.3M debt.

"Hereford's a massive club, lovely club. I know all about Radford, Addison.

"I'm 53 and I know my football. First and foremost I can turn Hereford around which I know I can do."

Have you got a manager in place?

"We've got a consultant, Mark Ellis is my consultant. He works for me.

"What we are going to do is this. We are announcing a manager in the next two weeks. We are going to go on a European tour. We are going through the process of building a new team."