A deal to sell Telford Tigers ice hockey team has collapsed, the couple selling the club said today.
The future of the club – which had already pulled out of the league – is now in jeopardy following the statement from David and Rachel Candlin.
However, there was a glimmer of hope with Mr Candlin saying they were investigating the possibility of a fans’ consortium coming forward to run the team if a deal is not concluded in coming weeks.
In a statement published on the Tigers’ website, Mr Candlin said: “It is with great regret that, following weeks of speculation and uncertainty, my wife Rachel and I have to inform fans of Telford Tigers the agreed sale of the club has fallen through.”
However businessman Neil James, who was involved in a partnership hoping to buy the club, said he was hopeful a deal may still be concluded within the coming weeks.
The club has already pulled out of the forthcoming English Premier League season, set to face off in September, with Mr James saying the aim was to develop a “stable and sustainable” base for the club to progress in the future and to re-enter the league for the 2010-11 season.
Mr Candlin said a payment had been missed in the sale, leading to the collapse of the deal.
“We are currently considering our legal position,” he said.
“To say we are disappointed by the events of the past two months would be an understatement.
“We personally managed and financially underwrote the club for nearly six years and, although we felt we could no longer run the team ourselves, we genuinely believed it would continue to progress and succeed under new ownership.
“We entered into an agreement in good faith and with the expectation this was the best option for the team, players and the club’s supporters.”
He said the possibility of a fans’ consortium was being investigated and urged anyone who wanted to support the move to e-mail interest@telfordtigers.co.uk
Mr James, a training design consultant, said today: “I am out of work at the moment, one of my biggest contracts fell through. I can’t put up the money until I rearrange this contract on June 29.”
By Simon Hardy
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We are currently looking at setting up a supporters consortium to take the club forward, similar to the scheme AFC Telford Utd adopted.
Anybody that would like to be a part of the consortium should e-mail interest@telfordtigers.co.uk to let us know.
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