TEAM Mansfield Press Release
27th February 2006
TEAM Mansfield announce decision on a formal bid for MTFC
Following meetings with their financial advisers TEAM Mansfield have been advised by them that, based upon the limited financial information available, the true value of the club is far less than Mr. Haslam would be willing to accept and is significantly lower than a current bid that has already been put on the table by Andy Perry, the current club shirt sponsor. TEAM Mansfield will therefore not be submitting a formal bid for the club at this stage as it is clear that Mr. Haslam’s desired selling price is way in excess of any realistic valuation and TEAM Mansfield will not pay vastly over the odds for the club as the financing of such an offer could jeopardise its future.
TEAM Mansfield would like to say a massive thank you to the hundreds of loyal Stags fans who have pledged money over the past three weeks in a bid to raise sufficient cash to make an offer for MTFC and without whose help the recent successes achieved would have been impossible . Colin Dobell, Joint Chairman of TEAM Mansfield says, “In November last year TEAM Mansfield set out to force Keith Haslam to repay the Directors Loans he had illegally taken from our club. In three short months we have given the issue a national profile, Haslam has publicly apologised for his appalling behaviour, has repaid his personal loans and 650 Stags fans have marched through Mansfield to protest at the way their club is being run. The long suffering Stags fans can feel proud that their voices have been heard and progress has been made.”
TEAM Mansfield have been accused by Mr. Haslam of having had six years to raise money but not unusually, Mr Haslam’s notoriously selective memory seems to have forgotten that TEAM Mansfield actually completed a deal with MTFC in August 2002 and £33,000 was invested. Conditions were inserted into that deal at the time which Mr Haslam broke, including not taking any more loans from the club. The activity recently instigated by TEAM Mansfield was a direct result of Haslam’s failure to respect the deal and the supporters. Following the complete lack of progress on the pitch during Haslam’s reign, countless controversial sagas off it and his dreadful public relation skills, TEAM Mansfield find his allegations that they are hoodwinking the supporters appalling. What has Mr Haslam’s business plan or blueprint for MTFC been over the years of stagnation? Mr Haslam is never proactive but always reactive and the recent direct action taken by TEAM Mansfield has resulted in his alleged repayment of his personal loan account and apparent progress of planning permission for the new football academy. Sadly Mr Haslam has run the club in such a poor manner that success this season has to be seen as survival in the Football League. The supporters of our great club deserve better leadership and real progressive ambition and should not have to be satisfied year in year out with mere survival and existence as we do under Mr Haslam.
Mansfield Town continues to be run by an individual who uses our club as a personal cash cow. It is clear to anyone who follows the fortunes of our club that it has had its financial heart ripped out and is in danger of terminal decline. The dismissive way the Chairman has treated the large number of fans who have backed the recent campaign is a perfect illustration of a man who is out of touch with reality and has no care for our club. TEAM Mansfield looks forward to participating in Mr Haslam’s much publicised restructuring of the club that is already overdue and will look to use the process to strengthen the position of fans in the ownership and governance of MTFC. Similarly if any other potential buyer is successful in acquiring the club TEAM Mansfield will look forward to working with them for the benefit of the club and its fans.
The fight is far from over and we look forward to more success in the coming months.
Any questions about TEAM Mansfield should be directed to the Joint Chairmen, who are:-
Colin Dobell, Jeff Barnes. Contact us