Bristol Rovers say they will appeal after their High Court action against Sainsburys was dismissed today.
The club took the supermarket to Court in a bid to force them to complete the deal that would see the club move to a new stadium. Part of a club statement reads:
"Although the Judge did not ultimately hold Sainsbury's to the contract, this decision turned on a technical drafting point and she nevertheless concluded that if it had not been for the delay in obtaining a satisfactory planning permission for the new Sainsbury's supermarket (which the Club could not do without Sainsbury's consent), the other conditions in the contract would have been completed before the termination date.
"We consider that Sainsbury's acted in bad faith and did their utmost to stall the purchase at every possible juncture. For instance, the Judge found that Sainsbury's could and should have engaged with local councillors and objectors during the planning process and kept the club informed of progress, which they did not do. "
The Pirates are reported to have taken out a seven figure loan to cover legal fees through the dispute.