Is The Takeover As Good As It Seems?

Tom Jenkins on the takeover and whether or not it is good for BWFC…

About bloody time, eh! At long last the Sports Shield Group fronted by ex-Wanderer Dean Holdsworth took control of the club from former owner Eddie Davies on Thursday and, let`s be honest, while there was a feeling of relief amongst the fans that the longest running footballing saga in recent memory had finally come to an end, there`s a sense of worry that still surrounds the takeover.

For starters, there`s the question of whether these guys have got any money. At the end of the day that`s the most important thing. Can SS keep the club running? Dean Holdsworth has spoken consistently of how he has the trust of Eddie Davies that the clubs future is secure, and now that the takeover has been ratified by the Football League (just) it appears they believe so too. Do they, however, have enough money to fund any transfers and negotiate new contracts? This still remains to be seen and certainly is a concern of mine. The future of the club has, supposedly, been protected but, in my view, a big part of that future is the youngsters who have come through and done so well up to this point. If we are to keep going then those are the players who can take us forward and Dean needs to start negotiating contracts with the likes of Holding and Woolery ASAP.

As I have said, Dean has spoken in no uncertain terms about how the previous owner, Eddie Davies, has faith that SS can provide financial stability for BWFC in the future. What hasn`t been clear is what time frame they are talking about. During his first interview with the club`s YouTube channel, Dean was asked about this and said that the Football League were satisfied that we could cope financially whatever league we are in for the next two years. Am I reading too much into this or does that sound like this move is merely a stop-gap. Yes, after two years I`m sure Dean is anticipating that SS will have made more than enough money to continue to back the club, but with little or no transparency as to where this money is coming from or how much of it there is, it all sounds a bit dodgy.

The last concern I have is not only that this takeover took absolutely ages to get over the line (which isn`t promising) but also that even the Football League, who are clearly muppets given that Massimo Cellino still runs Leeds United, thought that the takeover required further examination. The fact that they are still asking that we give them monthly financial reports to ensure we are stable each month, a situation that is basically unheard of, is worrying still. They seemed very unhappy about paying up the tax bill that could have liquidated us too. This tells me two things: they would have loved to have kept the money because it takes a lot out of their bid and maybe they don`t care about the future of this club as much as they claim.

As per usual, despite all of this, I feel there are reasons to be positive. While Dean Holdsworth may not be as much of a ‘club legend` as he is now being portrayed (see That Miss against Villa), he still cares for the club and I`m sure he will do his best to ensure this club survives. The issues surrounding the financial muscle SS possess is one that concerns everyone I feel. But at the end of the day, we will not be in administration, we will not be liquidated, we will still have a club to support. I call that a win and I hope we get another one today. COYWM!