8:20am Saturday 31st October 2009
By Derek Bish
THE Terras Trust will not be able to rescue Weymouth Football Club from possible extinction unless “new blood” can be found to help it out.
In a statement released by the Trust’s board, it urged potential new volunteers to offer their support and help maintain semi-professional football within the town.
It also recognised that the continuation of that standard of football may be as a reformed club, much like what happened to Aldershot FC (reformed as Aldershot Town in 1992) and Scarborough FC (refor-med as Scarborough Athletic in 2007).
After meeting with a representative of Supporters Direct in Southampton earlier this week, the Trust also said it understood that the three routes out of the club’s current situation would be: l An interested party, with a substantial amount of money to invest, purchases the club as a going concern and pays off the existing creditors.
An interested party comes up with a business plan that they can put to the administrator to run the club effectively. An agreement would then be sought by the administrator with creditors to repay all or a percentage of what is currently owed and the club would be bought out of administration via this route as a going concern.
Weymouth FC would incur a ten-point penalty and relegation under Conference rules.
The administrator carries out its investigations, but a purchaser or interested party is not forthcoming and therefore the business is not seen as a viable concern going forward. Weymouth FC would be liquidated as a result and assets sold to pay existing creditors.
However, the Trust would be unable to help out unless new volunteers could be found to help run the club in the event of a supporter-led take-over of Weymouth FC.
“The Trust has very limited resources in both terms of numbers and finance. The present Trust board do not feel they currently have the ability as they stand to take the club forward.
“Therefore the Terras Trust wishes to hear from any party interested in aiding its cause.
“This does not necessarily mean financially, in real terms it means new blood.
“It crucially needs volunteers to act as board members and take on some of its responsibilities and ground troops who are willing to do the manual work, such as attracting new members, raising funds, helping out in and around the ground and attracting sponsorship.
“If support is forthcoming the Trust would be willing to engage with the Supporters Club and any other interested parties to create a campaign group that will eventually seek a supporters owned and run club, whether that be in its current format or a new club, depending on the outcome of administration.
“If the support is out there, now is the time to step up to the mark and offer your support.”
Anyone interested in helping the Trust should email enquiries@terrastrust.co.uk or telephone 07717 684678.
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