[Wanderer]

Winter group to decide this week : Mon Jun 29, 2009 6:31 pm  

The League Weekly reports that the consortium led by ex-Mayor Martin Winter is set to meet tonight to make a final decision on whether or not they are willing to invest.

: Tue Jun 30, 2009 8:38 am  

Winter cold on Dons role
By Steve Hossack
Rugby League
THE former elected Mayor of Doncaster claimed last night that he has no ambitions to take charge of the town's ailing rugby league club.
Martin Winter feels that it wouldn't be in the club's best interests were he to take a prominent role in any successful takeover bid based on his experiences in local politics.
He told The Star: "What I have said to members of the business consortium interested in taking over the club is that I will talk to people. But I am not going to take a formal public role because if I did you may get some people wanting to try and detroy the club."
"As a former player, and former mayor of Doncaster, I'm very sad to see the club in its current situation.
"I've been trying to encourage investors to come forward. I've just spoken to another businessman who wants to come to the next meeting, so the interest is there."
Winter said that he would prefer not to go into details about the members of the group, or the amount of money that they were prepared to inject into the club - thought to be less the amount former chairman Craig Harrison pumped in last season.
"The consortium is a group of business people who want to get involved in Doncaster Rugby League Club," he said.
"They are a variety of different people with different interests.
"Some people I know, some of them are Dons fans and some just Doncaster business people.
"As a consortium, they are very keen, and very serious, about supporting Doncaster and, as a group, they are willing to commit to a three-year funding package."
He appreciated that a lack of progress had led to some fans believing that any rescue bid would not now happen, but blamed other parties for the delay.
"Until the administrator starts talking to interested parties, and showing them the books and explaining the process involved in taking over the club, the consortium can't move any further forward," he said.
Winter said that the consortium, who have held discussions with the Rugby Football League, had e-mailed the administrator last Wednesday asking for information and had yet to receive it.
The consortium met last night, but Winter, who chaired the meeting, denied a newspaper report that the purpose of the meeting was to make a final decision on whether to press ahead with a takeover.

: Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:15 am  

Here we go again all very confusing .

: Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:31 am  

And they wonder why the fans get p155ed off!! Its all he said,she said.

Lets blame the other parties involved. Im sure that the administrator is not as unapproachable as he says.Its in the administrators best interests to speak to prospective takeover parties.

Ill be honest now and say all I want is for the fans to do it! Ive had enough of listening to other people dragging their heels and blaming other folk.Lets face it, if the consortiums that are all over the press and tv were genuinely interested they would have taken over by now.

Also if the fans do take over everyone knows its for the good of the club not the people taking over.

: Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:32 am  

weighman wrote:

Here we go again all very confusing .

I agree Paul/Karlos--and i find it hard to believe that the Administrators would be holding up the procedure--I would have thought that they would been pulling out all the stops to talk and advise any interested parties as soon as possible----------very strange.

"Until the administrator starts talking to interested parties, and showing them the books and explaining the process involved in taking over the club, the consortium can't move any further forward," he said.

I'd be very suprised if the Administrator agree's with that statement.

[Wanderer]

: Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:08 am  

You do start to wonder about some peoples motivations and who is telling the truth. Another week or two gone and seemingly no nearer to anyone taking over the Club.

Perhaps it will be left to the fans and them alone?

[Hillsborough Lad]

: Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:13 pm  

DRAGONFAN wrote:

I agree Paul/Karlos--and i find it hard to believe that the Administrators would be holding up the procedure--I would have thought that they would been pulling out all the stops to talk and advise any interested parties as soon as possible----------very strange.

"Until the administrator starts talking to interested parties, and showing them the books and explaining the process involved in taking over the club, the consortium can't move any further forward," he said.

I'd be very suprised if the Administrator agree's with that statement.

I'd be astounded!! This guy just seems to be keeping himself in the press until he lands himself a cushy job somewhere else. Why on earth would the administrators not talk/give information when it's their job to find a buyer? And especially when there are seemingly no other offers!!

Like Karlos says, if they were that bothered, they'd have offered by now. Carry on with your fight to take over the club and i'm sure you will succeed.

: Tue Jun 30, 2009 2:11 pm  

Would the club want to be associated with him anyway?

: Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:11 pm  

And now a little Shakespeare........
Richard III Act1 Scene1
<cough>
Now is the Winter of our discontent .............

: Tue Jun 30, 2009 8:56 pm  

The administrators may have other parties interested as well as work on other jobs/Projects, You also have to take into consideration that it may take time to get all the right people in the right place at the right time, then there is all the legal wrangling that will be going on behind the scene, anyone who has bought a business or house will know it takes a lot longer than it should.

On a more positive note the Dons development team will be moving into schools in the Goole area and East Riding.