The Chelmsford City FC Supporters’ Club (‘CCSC’) are, once again, extremely disappointed that yet more time has passed with no further updates on the potential investors and takeover offers of the club. We note that Mr Steve Shore – Chairman – stated in The Essex Chronicle on 30th June that the “reality is we have to clear this up by next week, so come next week, we will be in a position to say that this is happening or no it is not”.
Not only has Mr Shore failed to live up to his own self-imposed deadline to the press, but the minutes of a 28th June 2022 meeting held between Betsi and CCSC detailed an agreement that Mr Shore would ensure that all interested parties would be spoken to by 4th July 2022.
This is clearly not the case as Spencer Gore, one of the interested parties and former sponsor of the EMG Inspire Stadium, until frustrations at Shore’s intransigence grew intolerable for Mr Gore, stated in the press last week that he was “told I could buy the club only for Steve to then change his mind”.
The CCSC understands that Mr Gore has been attempting to obtain a valuation from Betsi for the club, but no valuation has ever been forthcoming, which is obviously a major stumbling block in any negotiations.
We also believe that the other parties interested haven’t even had the courtesy of any contact. News of a third interested party was told to the CCSC Representatives by Mr Shore on 28th June 2022, but no further information has been divulged to us on this at all.
Mr Gore is a long-term fan of the club, has just been named in The Sunday Times Fastest Growing UK Business list and is a former club director.
Mr Shore stated last week that “we are open to selling at the right value”, yet he refuses to give that value despite repeated requests.
The CCSC would like to reiterate that supporters have been clear in their mandate of ‘No Confidence’ in the Betsi tenure. The delays and apparent indifference over such important matters only serves to strengthen the CCSC’s desire to fight against what we see as an attempt to prevent the progression and growth of the club through deliberate inaction.
After all the well-documented issues over share ownership, lack of directors, infrastructure and the delays around commercial activity, the CCSC are, once again, dismayed that the future of our great club is being jeopardised because Betsi are unable to act professionally and keep to deadlines.
The CCSC once again calls for talks to resume around a swift resolution to allow the club to move forward with people genuinely interested in strengthening all aspects of the football club, and not more intransigence on the part of those supposed to be the custodians of the club.