A MYSTERY consortium’s 11th hour bid to save Malvern Town Football Club is set to be submitted to receivers this weekend.
The club is facing being forced to sell its Langland Stadium home after defaulting on a debt of about £100,000 owed to Marstons Brewery.
But as we exclusively revealed last week, the club has found new hope in the form of a consortium of unnamed local businesses and sports professionals, who have united under the banner of Save Malvern Town Football Club Consortium (SMTFCC).
Marstons is not the club’s only creditor, with a substantial amount – believed to be about £60,000 – also owing to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
But SMTFCC has put forward a bid which it believes can save the club from bankruptcy and place it on a firmer financial footing long-term.
Club members were given more information about the consortium’s bid to save the club during a special meeting on Sunday.
Malvern Town spokesman John Banner said he had been “very impressed” by the bid and believes it could be a realistic solution to the club’s financialproblems.
He said there is also a second consortium-based bid waiting in the background as a contingency plan “if all else fails”.
A club committee meeting has been called so that members can have the chance to consider all the options and agree exactly which proposal they want to put forward to receivers in time for this weekend’s deadline.
SMTFCC has said it would like to bring “new leadership and guaranteed stability, so the supporters and players can focus on the football and not worry so much about the club’s finances”.
Mr Banner said: “I have been extremely impressed by the consortium and its plans and I personally believe there is now real hope.”
However, if the club did decide to sell the Langland Stadium, then Malvern Hills District Council would have the first option to buy the land from them.
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