Archived News from February 2006
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TM PROTEST MEETING AND MARCH
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BBC East Midlands Today, 04 Feb 2006
To view the video, (file is 5Mb): click here ---------- Central East News, 04 Feb 2006 (lead news story) To view the video, (file is 5Mb): click here If you have any other video footage, please contact martin-shaw@thestags.freeserve.co.uk ----------- Mansfield 103.2 summary of the march, 04 Feb 2006 To hear the audio, (file is 1.7Mb): click here ---------- 600+ March on Field Mill Story by Editor 4 February 2006 Stagsmad.co.uk A superb turnout on todays Team Mansfield protest, has perhaps seen the heat turn up just a little more on chairman Keith Haslam.... An informative meeting was held in the Civic Centre at Noon and was very well attended, speaking at the meeting were joint chairmen of Team Mansfield, Jeff Barnes and Colin Dobell, spokesman Chris Vasper, SSA chairman Dean Folkes, and Phil Tooley from Chesterfield Supporters Trust. Jeff Barnes summed up the events of Friday, where Keith Haslam had paid back his directors loan, and had given Team Mansfield 21 days to make an offer for the purchase of the football club (Quote from the CHAD website - http://www.mansfieldtoday.co.uk) "It gives us some information for us to make him an offer for the football club," he said. "So we need to show that all supporters are behind us. "This is a real chance of changing the regime at our football club. "We can't say the meeting was a result. It was just the start - a chink of light at the end of the tunnel. "Keith Haslam rang us, we didn't call him. So I think the pressure by ourselves, the FA, the DTI, the David Conn article is all telling on him. I don't think he needs that anymore." We need to put together a plan that will make Mr Haslam sit up," added joint chairman Jeff Barnes. "This has never been a bluff. "If we can only raise £50,000 then this will be all over. Keith Haslam is fed up and has had enough of all the protests. He may well accept a cheque from us. We want everyone - fans, businesses, the council, everyone to get behind this bid." ------------------ Marching fans told - you have 21 days to buy your club CHAD website, 04 February 2006 Mansfield Town supporters have been given 21 days to make a serious bid for the club. Chairman Keith Haslam called a surprise meeting with supporters' campaigning group TEAM Mansfield yesterday afternoon when he told them that, although he didn't want to sell, they could make him an offer. He also showed them legal documentation that showed he had paid back his controversial personal loans from the club - another major bone of contention with fans. This morning's planned rally at Mansfield Civic Centre, which was to get supporters behind TEAM Mansfield, still went ahead, followed by a march of over 500 fans to Field Mill before this afternoon's game. But the focus of the rally quickly changed as TEAM Mansfield called on fans to show their backing and treated it as a 'celebration' of a breakthrough. Joint TM chairman Colin Dobell said this morning that the chairman had given them some financial information which was subject of a confidentiality agreement. "It gives us some information for us to make him an offer for the football club," he said. "So we need to show that all supporters are behind us. "This is a real chance of changing the regime at our football club. "We can't say the meeting was a result. It was just the start - a chink of light at the end of the tunnel. "Keith Haslam rang us, we didn't call him. So I think the pressure by ourselves, the FA, the DTI, the David Conn article is all telling on him. I don't think he needs that anymore." TM press officer Chris Vasper added: "The chairman has said we are a group of 10 or 11 people. But we have shown here today how much support we have. We are not a minority." Dean Foulkes, Stags Supporters Association chairman, also spoke at the rally and said: "The chairman has always seen SSA money as his own money and always wanted it for nothing. "But we have never done that. We have always bought things for the club ourselves. The fans have to be our priority. "After we put our support behind TEAM Mansfield and refused to deal with him again, we were stunned when he then asked us if we would pay £8,000-£9,000 for the hire of frost covers at Christmas. "With the million he has taken out the club we could have had under-soil heating installed! "We feel Mansfield needs a change of ownership. Managers and players can move on elsewhere. But it's not like that for a supporter. "I have been a Stags fan since I was six. And in the 13 years Keith Haslam has been here only once have we had a season in a division other than the basement division. "We are bigger than that and fans deserve better than that." Phil Tooley, of Chesterfield FC Supporters' Trust, told the meeting what had happened elsewhere and how successful Supporters' Trust takeovers had been. "Even at clubs like Stockport and Rushden, which were owned by very rich men, they couldn't make it work and have handed them over to Supporters' Trusts," he said. "Fans have had enough of being turnstile fodder." TEAM Mansfield are giving fans a few days to think about how they can support their bid and will be giving telephone numbers and addresses for pledges later in the week. They will then take that backing to the banks and investors to see just how much they can actually bid in the end. Mr Haslam has given them no indication what he would want to leave and, indeed, has again said does not really want to sell. Immediately at the meeting local businessman Andrew Saunders pledged £20,000 while another fan, who pointed out he wasn't a businessman, pledged £500. "We need to put together a plan that will make Mr Haslam sit up," added joint chairman Jeff Barnes. "This has never been a bluff. "If we can only raise £50,000 then this will be all over. Keith Haslam is fed up and has had enough of all the protests. He may well accept a cheque from us. We want everyone - fans, businesses, the council, everyone to get behind this bid." Club sponsor Andrew Perry has also made a bid for the club this week while there are other rumours about another local businessman doing the same. =---------- |
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