Archived News from September 2007
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DERRY ON BID WHILE TURNSTILE MON`STILL NOT WORKING
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James Derry has told mansfieldtown.net that he expects Tuesday's match against MK Dons to be last home match of which Keith Haslam is owner of the Stags. He also told mansfieldtown.net that the money which has been received as a result of the Giles Coke transfer will go to the manager Bill Dearden in order to improve the playing squad.
Derry said: "As I said last week, discussions are still ongoing, but we are in the final stages and I am hopeful that something will happen very soon." To read the full story, click here ---> http://www.mansfieldtown.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/LatestNewsDetail/0,,10325~1124034,00.html ----------------- Why I still want to buy Stags - Derry CHAD.co.uk, by Tim Morriss, 29 Sep 07 WOULD-BE Stags owner James Derry has revealed why he still wants to run Mansfield Town Football Club – just a few hours after the club sunk to the bottom of the Football League. Mr Derry, who hopes a takeover deal with chief executive Keith Haslam will be completed before the local derby with Notts County later this month, told Chad: "I just feel that there is a lot of potential here. "I know that might sound odd after we have lost five matches on the trot, had another low attendance and are suffering other problems with the safety restrictions. "But I know this club can move up the league. And I know that we can attract a lot more fans into the ground." The Stags went bottom of the whole Football League after a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to League newcomers Dagenham - their fifth successive defeat and eight from 10 matches this season. "With Keith Haslam gone the fans would come back, the sponsors would return and there would be a lot more support for the club. "I know we are in a perilous position now on the field and something needs to be done very quickly. "But I do believe we are being held back by the hostility towards Keith (Haslam). "He has realised that, he is not coming to matches - which is why today's fans' protest was disappointing to see - and he does want to sell. "Anyone taking over would need to shake things up a bit, new faces, new ideas . . . but I am sure that there would be a feelgood factor following the takeover and the club could benefit hugely from that on and off the field. "New owners would make changes and the fans see that things will be different." Mr Derry heads a consortium of local businessmen and is unsure that his rivals in the race for the football club – including an Australian group which renewed its interest this week - have the necessary financial backing. The chairman will meet again with owner Keith Haslam – now staying away from Field Mill on matchdays – later this week. Earlier he told Chad before Saturday's match with Dagenham: "We have pretty much concluded a deal. "I would hope that we could announce something before the Notts County game. We are meeting again at the end of the week and, although I know I keep saying this, I am hopeful we can announce something very soon. "I hope the fans will remember that I only put my bid in back in July. These things take time." Mr Derry added: "Other people float in and out to talk to Keith (Haslam), but they haven't the wherewithal to buy the club. And now the Australians have muddied the waters. But I am confident we will win through." Turnstile monitoring still not working, say Stags CHAD.co.uk, by Tim Morriss MANSFIELD Town will still have its ground capacity restricted for Tuesday's match against MK Dons after it failed a safety test today. And if they can not get the rogue turnstile working on Tuesday, it is unlikely that the Field Mill capacity will be lifted above 4,684 for the visit of neighbours Notts County laster this month - a game which last season saw more than 6,000 pack into the ground. The football club had seen its capacity halved by county council safety advisors to 4,684 after problems at the last home match against Chesterfield. The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) slashed capacity when the Stags sold too many tickets to Chesterfield fans, allowed too many fans into an already full North Stand and could not monitor the number of fans passing through the turnstiles. Tonight Stags chairman James Derry admitted that there was still a problem with one turnstile at the North Stand, which failed to work properly again for this afternoon's match against Dagenham. He said that he was frustrated at the news, which came after several days of work to solve the problem, and insisted that the work would continue on Monday. "Plainly we need to get it right on Tuesday to have a chance to alter the figure for Notts County. It is very disappointing." The Stags remain hopeful that the council's SAG will restore the capacity to 70 per cent (6,553) as promised, ahead of the big local derby clash with County later this month, if the turnstile works on Tuesday evening. If it doesn't, the capacity restriction could cost Mansfield Town FC a potential loss of £25,000 gate receipts. Chad.co.uk was the first media to highlight the ticketing problems at Field Mill and the police and safety officials' subsequent concerns. And we reported on chairman James Derry's concerns that SAG restrictions were costing the club money. |
Latest | September 2007