Archived News from March 2008
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BATCHELOR WANTS TO RENAME STAGS TO HARCHESTER UTD
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28Mar2008, 6.30pm
BBC East Midlands Today feature, here ------------ 28Mar2008, 6.20pm BBC Radio 5 live interview with John Batchelor and TEAM Mansfield chairman Chris Vasper, here ------------ 28Mar2008, 6.00pm Mansfield 103.2 with John Batchelor, here ------------ 28Mar2008, 5.50pm Radio Nottingham interview with TEAM Mansfield chairman Chris Vasper, here ------------ 28Mar2008, Radio Nottingham interview with John Batchelor, here ------------ 28Mar2008, 8.05am Radio Nottingham discussion on Batchelor, here ------------ Radio 1 interview with the odious Batchelor here (recording thanks to CHAD.co.uk) ------------ BBC website Front Page, 28Mar08 
------------- BBC.co.uk, 28Mar2008 'Dream Team' vision for Stags bid A man bidding to buy Mansfield Town is planning to rename the club Harchester United after the former Sky series The Dream Team, the BBC has learnt. John Batchelor, former owner of York City, submitted a bid to majority shareholder Keith Haslam on Wednesday. Producers of the Sky series confirmed Mr Batchelor had made an approach to use the name. However a Football League spokesman told BBC Radio Nottingham they would have to approve any change in name. Crucial match Mr Batchelor said: "Football supporters in general have to understand that if they want professional football in their town, they have to accept it has to be done on a commercial basis. "Harchester is more promotable than Mansfield. That's not any form of insult to Mansfield at all because it's a club with a long tradition but it's just a fact of life. "One club has been on the television for 10 years and the other one hasn't." The businessman changed York City's name to York City Soccer Club when he was at Bootham Crescent to attract American interest. Mansfield are currently second from bottom in the Football League. Mr Batchelor was initially part of a consortium before deciding to bid for the struggling League Two club on his own. The club has undergone a name change once before - from Mansfield Wesleyans to Mansfield Town in 1910. The Stags play Notts County in a crucial local derby at Meadow Lane on Saturday. ------------------ Mansfield Town to be named after Sky Dream Team Harchester United under John Batchelor? Football League likely to veto idea . . . .Also, Red Star Belgrade to come to Mill in Anglo-European tournament? by Tim Morriss, CHAD.co.uk, 28Mar2008 http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Mansfield-Town-to-be-named.3924217.jp UNCONVENTIONAL would-be Stags owner John Batchelor plans to rename Mansfield Town as Harchester Utd - the fictional team featured in hit Sky TV series Dream Team. That is one of his many wacky ideas to raise the club's profile and sponsorship, Chad was told this morning via a leaked e-mail. However, on Friday afternoon the Football League appeared to pour cold water on his plan, telling Chad: "The club's membership of the Football League is in the name of Mansfield Town and this cannot be changed without the League's approval." It is also believed that the League is unahppy at the idea and would be likely to veto any proposal to change the club's name. But the Conference says that clubs in its competition have changed names before. Mr Batchelor - a 'massive Burnley fan' - also wants to set up an 'Anglo-European Cup' tournament in the summer involving Red Star Belgrade, Partisan Belgrade and local rivals Chesterfield. Chad - the first media to break the news of the Dream Team idea for Mansfield Town - understands that he has approached the production company which owns the rights to the programme. It is thought that actors from the hit Sky TV show would be asked to go to Field Mill as part of any sponsorship deal - together with various other ideas to link the soap opera to the Stags. And he would also like some of the actors/players to feature for the Stags, at least in summer pre-season friendlies, including Harchester's star player Karl Fletcher - actor Terry Kiely. A spokesman for the production company told Chad on Friday lunchtime: "None of this has as yet been cleared with any of the rights holders in Dream Team and Harchester United. I haven't spoken to Sky, but their permission and our's would have to be forthcoming." Mr Batchelor - waiting to hear on Friday if his late bid for Mansfield Town FC has been successful after a dramatic two days behind the scenes at Field Mill - told Chad on Friday morning that the Dream Team link made commercial sense. He told Chad: "Do we want professional football in Mansfield or not? "Speculation as to how we could do it is rife. "I can't confirm or deny anything, but this can only be a positive for the club. "Harchester is a virtual club - Mansfield as a town and club would benefit from that name. "Fans have to accept that to have a professional club, it has to be done on a commercial basis and be profitable - Harchester is easier to promote than Mansfield. It is as simple as that. "This would help to make Mansfield more attractive to national concerns, rather than local business. This would help me. "I don't mind if the fans don't like it or call me mad. I have been called worse and I am not in this to be popular to everyone - I tried that at York and it did not work." Mr Batchelor - who took York City into administration a few years ago - has made it clear on Chad.co.uk over the past two days that he is only interested in the Stags to make money . . . and would have no qualms about putting the club into administration as a last resort if it became a failing business. Dream Team ran on Sky 1 for 10 years, and followed the fortunes of fictional team Harchester United - set in the Midlands - and its star player Carl Fletcher. The actor, Terry Kiely who played Carl, featured in the hit film Mike Bassett: England Manager and also featured in Sky's The Match - which pitted professionals against players in a one-off match at St James' Park. Dream Team also has a web-based fans group with more than 20,000 people signed up - which Mr Batchelor says could be used to boost the Stags low attendance figures. The soap-style programme ended in 2007 after falling viewing figures. At one time a storyline featured the club being demoted for financial irregularitiesd and corruption. The rights to its franchise are now held by a film company; though it is thought that Sky would also have a say on any future use of the brand. As Chad has already reported, Mr Batchelor has many unconventional ideas to raise the profile of the club to attract sponsorship. Another includes a pre-season tournament featuring Partizan Belgrade and Red Star Belgrade at Field Mill, together with a second local club - possibly Chesterfield. Mr Batchelor says he has often worked in Serbia, has contacts with Red Star and could make the tournament happen this summer. He told Chad: ""It would be great to have an Anglo-European Cup in pre-season and Chesterfield would be my first choice as the other English team involved. "There could be two semi-finals and then a final played at Mansfield. "Why can't we bring Europe to Field Mill. It would fill the ground." While at York he changed the name of the club to a Soccer Club to appeal to American investors and merged with his motor racing team - and while running his motorsport team he twice changed his name by deed poll to John B&Q and John Top-Gear to attract funding. On Friday morning Chad asked the Football League about the plans of Mr Batchelor to buy the Stags and whether his past history at York City - where he took the Minstermen into administration - could affect any deal. A spokesman said that its fit and proper persons test would not proclude Mr Batchelor from owning the Stags - he would only be affected if he had been involved in two clubs going into administration. Angry fans have already started to bombard websites in protest at the news, sending their views of protest to the official site of the programme harchester.net The club has undergone a name change once before - from Mansfield Wesleyans to Mansfield Town in 1910 . . . and the news is sure to anger fans. Andy Saunders, local businessman and joint chairman of the Stags Supporters Association, said: "A lot of fans would be concerned at Mr Batchelor's involvement in the club. I personally would not be happy." In a statement on Friday evening the SSA condemned the news. Late on Friday afternoon, after a meeting between chief executive Stephen Booth and non executive chairman James Derry, it was announced that Mr Derry had resigned. He said his position had become untenable after the collapse, for the third time in recent weeks, of his consortium's bid to buy the club. That consortium had included Mr Batchelor for a short time and in the same club statement Mr Booth - brought to the club to broker a sale - confirmed that he had been in talks with the flamboyant businessman - as Chad revealed earlier in the week. Mr Batchelor, after spending the last 24 hours answering questions from fans via Chad.co.uk, also issued a statement about his motives for wanting to buy the Stags: "Let's be clear, I want a football club, preferably one in the league. The ONLY reason that I want it is to make money, the only reason that I want to do that is to look after my immediate family. "I can only do that by making it work on the pitch and as a result making it work commercially. This would be MY club, if you like what you see come and watch, if you don't, then stay away. "I am not even interested in discussing it with "fans", however, I will talk to customers anytime. If Mansfield is going to host professional football, it has to accept that there need to be some HUGE changes at this club. "If the fans don't want to host it, all they need to do is not turn up. I have a plan, and I have a vision of what football needs to do, I am going to do my best to achieve it, I am not a multi-millionaire, just a guy who has some idea's who is prepared to have a go and take a risk" ------------ Batchelor wants to buy Field Mill as well as Stags http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Batchelor-wants-to-buy-Field.3925713.jp exclusive by Tim Morriss, CHAD.co.uk, 28Mar2008 CHAD can reveal that would-be Stags owner John Batchelor is also in negotiations with Mansfield Town owner Keith Haslam to buy Field Mill. Mr Batchelor launched a late bid to buy the Stags this week as the agreed deal with the Derry consortium appeared to stall - and hit the headlines on Friday when Chad uncovered his plan to rename the club Harchester United, the team in the fictional Sky TV series Dream Team. At first it was thought that the flamboyant Mr Batchelor was just trying to match the consortium's deal for the football club - buying the majority shares for £1 and renting the stadium, with an option to buy it in the future. But now Chad can confirm that the controversial former York City owner also wants to buy Field Mill as part of his takeover - and may also be interested in buying the often talked about land at Skegby owned by Mr Haslam's own company Stags Ltd. That land at Beck Lane was bought by money loaned - and still to be repaid - from the football club for a training academy which has never been built. It is known that Mr Haslam wants just over £4m for the stadium - and Mr Batchelor has confirmed to Mr Haslam that he has the funds in place to buy the ground. Mr Batchelor said: "I can't control what the vendor wants to do. But I want everything . . . I wouldn't rule anything in and I wouldn't rule anything out." When at York Mr Batchelor, who bought the club for £1, also promised to buy the ground, Bootham Crescent - but that never materialised, although he did take a £700,000 option from a property developer to build houses on the land. It was alleged at the time that while £300,000 of that went to the football club, the rest went straight to Mr Batchelor's own company. Mr Batchelor has made it clear through Chad.co.uk that he is interested in the Stags to make money - and would take at least 25% commission from any sponsorship deals he brings to the football club. Chief executive Stephen Booth, brought to the club to broker a sale, is meeting with non executive James Derry on Friday afternoon - after it appeared late on Thursday that Mr Derry's consortium, which had an agreed deal to buy the club, had pulled out of a takeover. It is believed that the consortium had wanted to renegotiate the rent levels. Chad was recently leaked an e-mail allegedly containing the details of the Derry takeover - which Mr Booth announced last week left the consortium 'in effective control' at Field Mill. As well as the £4mplus option to buy Field Mill at a future date and having to inject £0.5m into the club as working capital in return for Mr Haslam's majority shareholding for £1, the consortium would also have had to pay an annual rent of £275,000 - reduced to £175,000 if the Stags was to relegated from the Football League. It is not yet known how Mr Haslam intended to transfer Field Mill out of MTFC Ltd and/or repay the £584,000 loan his company Stags Ltd owes the football club. It is believed that it is that rental figure which became the sticking point between the consortium and Mr Haslam. Recently Rotherham went into administration for a second time, blaming a £66,000 rent for its demise. Mr Booth said today he would not comment, but a statement is expected after his meeting with Mr Derry. Mr Haslam - rumoured to have already agreed a deal with Mr Batchelor - has not been answering his telephone to Chad. ------------- League would block renaming of Mansfield Town as Harchester United But John Batchelor remains undeterred - calling League short-sighted by Tim Morriss, CHAD.co.uk, 28Mar2008 http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/League-would-block-renaming-of.3926343.jp JOHN Batchelor's plan to rename Mansfield Town as Harchester United - after the fictional Sky TV team in soap opera Dream Team - has hit a major stumbling block . . . the Football League. On Friday afternoon it reacted to Mr Batchelor's plan - should he be successful in his bid to buy Mansfield Town - by saying it would be unlikely to happen. A spokesman told Chad: "The club's membership of the Football League is in the name of Mansfield Town and this cannot be changed without the League's approval." It is also believed that the League is unahppy at the idea and would be likely to veto any proposal to change the club's name. However, if the Stags were to be relegated to the Blue Square Premier - then the League would have no say over any renaming. The spokesman added that the League still held jurisdiction over the Stags' name until its annual conference at the beginning of June. After hearing the news, Mr Batchelor - who fell out with the body during his short-time as owner of York City - lambasted the League for its 'short-sighted approach'. He told Chad: "In my experience of working with the League - and my observations of it since - they are likely to be underused, over-paid and short-sighted. "If their opinion is that Mansfield Town can't be re-named Harchester United while in the Football League, then there is an easy solution - get relegated and then get promoted. "Or, alternatively, if they were an elightened group, they could fully understand the benefits of having Harchester United in the League with all the publicity and commercial activity that would surround it. "It is upto them, but it is no surprise to me if negativity abounds. "There is always a way around things." A spokesman for the Conference added: "Any name change would have to go to the board of directors and also be approved by the Football Association. "I cannot speak about the Mansfield Town idea as I have seen nothing about it and it is all hypothetical. "But all applications to change names of clubs are given serious consideration. "This has been done in the past, for instance recently Gravesend and Ebbsfleet became Ebbsfleet United and they have done ok out of it. "But the name of a club means a lot to people and any attempts to cvhange a name for commercial reasons can backfire. "For instance Margate changed to Thannet to reflect the area and the fans did not like it and voted with their feet." ------------------- Mayor calls Stags' Harchester United plan 'bizarre' exclusive by Tim Morriss, CHAD.co.uk, 28Mar2008 http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Mayor-calls-Stags39-Harchester-United.3926163.jp MANSFIELD mayor Tony Egginton has hit out at would-be Stags' owner John Batchelor's plan to rename Mansfield Town Harchester United from the fictional Sky soap opera Dream Team. Mr Egginton also tried to calm fans' fears that Mr Batchelor's 'wacky ideas' could end in Field Mill being bulldozed for a housing development - one of his plans during his ill-fated time as York City boss. The mayor told Chad: "It is absolutely bizarre and he is not endearing himself to the fans at all. "He doesn't seem to be interested in the supporters or the community at all . . . and after all they have have to put up with over recent years this really isn't good or doing the town any good at all. "We need an owner who has a desire to build a strong foundation at Mansfield Town FC and get the club back to where it should be. "He seems to be playing games with all this Harchester nonsense . . . it will not help the club at all. "We need the club to be at the hun of the community as it once was, with, for instance, all schools finals being played there. It should be part of the community spirit." However, Mr Batchelor has made it clear in comments at Chad.co.uk this week that he has no interest in engendering a community involvement at Field Mill. In response to one of the questions posed on this website, he replied: "As I said in an earlier answer, I do not buy into the club being a community resource, it's a business in the sport and entertainment industry, if we don't provide an appropriate level of service/performance, people won't come and it won't succeed. "My job is to ensure that the club works at all levels, but if anybody else wants a say in that, then they have to invest and take risk. "Frankly, I got sick to death of football fans saying that they wanted a say in how the club was run when I was at York. Do you get a say in how Tesco's is run? "No, But we all use it every week don't we? If any fans want to share the not inconsiderable burden of running the club, then they are welcome, but not for free." In response to fans' fears over the future use of the ground, should Mr Batchelor be successful in his bid to buy the stadium, the mayor added: "The Regional Spacial Strategy, in effect planning guidance, is just being adopted now and says that the Field Mill area has to be used for leisure use. "If he had plans for the site, he would first have to build a new stadium elsewhere." --------------- MP promises to fight Stags name change to Harchester United exclusive by Tim Morriss, CHAD.co.uk, 28Mar2008 http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/MP-promises-to-fight-Stags.3926686.jp MANSFIELD MP Alan Meale says he would campaign against any move to change the name of Mansfield Town FC. He added his voice to the growing protests against would-be owner John Batchelor's plan to rebrand the Stags after the fictional football team Harchester United, which features in the Sky TV soap opera Dream Team. Mr Meale told Chad: "I know of him and he is full of madcap ideas, but I haven't yet been given the privilege to see if any have worked yet. "This is a typical Batchelor approach . . . He wants to get into bed with Mansfield Town Football Club, but he does not want to marry it." Mr Meale added that he would not support such a name change and would campaign actively against it. He told Chad: "I would use every endeavour to stop a name change. I would not agree to anyone coming in and closing Mansfield Town or changing its name. "I will play no part in redundancies or closure of the club at all. We need a club that is able to pay its staff and work in the community. "My vision for Mansfield Town is to be a thriving club at the heart of the community. "14 years ago when the new owners took over we safeguarded the jobs and increased the staff from 102 to 164. We don't want a return to the uncertainty of that time, we need a healthy club." When asked about Mr Batchelor's plans to buy the club, the MP said: "Keith (Haslam) does not want to stay, he has appointed people for 14 months to run the club and keep it going while trying to sell. "There have been people trying to do a deal for several months and they have had more than ample time to complete a deal. This is not a time for negotiations. "I understand that a deal and terms have been agreed on several occasions, but it has not been completed and it is on the buyers side where the difficulties have occured. "I don't know what more he (Keith Haslam) can do. Everyone wants him to leave, he wants to leave and he has been trying to sell. "I brought James (Derry) to the club and I still hope that he can do a deal. "The risk is that if a deal cannot be done then others may step in. "It is purely a commercial decision for the owner who he sells to. My concern would be to ensure the future of its staff . . . but I would not agree to anyone coming in with the intention of closing down the club. "I would play no part in redundancies and closure. I would actively campaign against that." --------------- CHAD John Batchelor answers YOUR questions - Updated 09:08 28/3 By Tim Morriss CONTROVERSIAL businessman John Batchelor - who now seems to be in pole position to buy Mansfield Town Football Club - answers some of the questions you have posed on Chad.co.uk today (Thursday). Mr Batchelor - hated by some football fans for taking York City into administration - has promised to be 'open' with Stags fans about his plans for the club. Chad has exclusively revealed over recent days how he first was in talks to join the James Derry consortium, came to Field Mill last weekend and then appeared to go it alone with a solo bid for the Stags. Derry consortium OUT of takeover talks I have asset-stripped companies, admits would-be Stags owner If you have a question for Mr Batchelor, post it below or via e-mail to Tim Morriss before 5pm Friday, and Mr Batchelor has promised to answer. Here are his replies to questions posed by fans: robbie33: Is it really such a wise idea to invest in MTFC? After your previous history in football, Mansfield fans are all doom and gloom and a number are not going to buy season tickets next year because of your involvement in the club. How can you turn MTFC into a money making business if there is no confidence in you from businesses and fans alike? How will you persuade people that you will be trying your upmost to make MTFC successful again? In what way do you differ from Keith Haslam, in terms of running a football club? After 6 weeks of knowing him, I'm sure you will have some idea of the way KH works. JB: People will make their own decisions, if (in the words of my illustrious predecessor at York, Douglas Craig) they don't like what we have on offer then they don't have to come do they? I will budget for no fans turning up at the ground, which really every club should do. As you will have seen from my replies, I am not trying to attract negative thinkers, either get behind this, or watch football somewhere else. IF I am successful in achieving ownership, this will be MY club, MY business and up to me to provide entertainment, it is MY risk. Come and watch if you want. I'm sorry if all of that sounds a bit brutal, but those would be the facts of life, and I do not want to get off on the wrong foot by telling anybody something that is misleading, as I said in an earlier response I have that T-shirt. What do you want? I would have thought that it would be better to start off with honest responses. I am in this to make money, I'll only achieve that if MTFC works on and off the pitch. Dot: Ok John, how many companies have you bought? How many have you closed/liquidated/sent into administration? How many do you own now? How many ever survived very long, say 12 months? How many ever improved/thrived under your ownership/stewardship? It just sounds as though you make your money from buying companies, selling the assets upon administration and leaving behind unpaid debts. Or am I being cynical? JB: You are not being cynical at all, that is the way it works when companies are in trouble, however, I can and will point you in the direction of some that have worked. I would however, need the permission of their current owners as I sold them on. About 13 have survived and about 15 have failed. But I have made a profit out of most. Wise Man From York: "I increased season ticket sales by blah blah blah". Was this the act of desperation when you sold season tickets for 2003/04 in OCT 2002, at HALF THE 02/03 PRICE, WEEKS BEFORE YOU DISAPEARED? For any doubters, check the link (and more worryingly, note the way that the local press and the fans fell for this 'scheme')... http://archive.thisisyork.co.uk/2002/10/1/280060.html JB: Well, once again we go there, we sold more tickets that year than any other, not only that, I underwrote the tickets, so in effect the Trust that eventually owned the club managed to get two and a half times the income that it would have received. You may not want to accept it but those are the facts. We sold them once, the trust sold them again, and I contributed a third figure, which would have been even greater, if the club had adhered to the agreement we had. (sorry if this boring those of you who were not involved at the time) It is illustrative of the mindless arguments that club owners have to put up with though Wise Man From York: Good evening John - I see you've ditched the shocking shirts from 2002, but picked up a matching tie for your latest plaything. 2 questions for you JB: I thought those shirts were quite fetching………judging by the number we sold, so did the fans! Wise Man From York: Q1. do you recall this Q&A from March 2002: Q - If it costs (say) X million to acquire York City Football Club and Bootham Crescent, where precisely is this money coming from? That is, who are the parties? How much are they each investing? Is any of the funding from a property development company? A - Details of the take-over will almost certainly be subject to a confidentiality clause. However, where possible I will make known the names of the individuals who will become board members of York City Football Club. JB: Different this time, I think I'm allowed to have learned from previous experience. No property developers involved, no other investors involved and proof of funding already provided to the club. No such problem in this case, given up trying to hide anything. I just haven't decided who will be on the board yet, if anyone. Wise Man From York: Q2. Do I recall rightly that you disappeared into the Cheshire sunset and your nice new abode sometime after the £400K from Persimmons Homes went walkies from York City, leaving York City 'Sporting Club' far further up the creak than when you arrived wielding your golden £1 coin? JB: You recall correctly. bramble stag: hey mr joker. you say we have to stay in div 2, tell us all what happens if we go down in the next four weeks. JB: Then we have to deal with it, but I'd rather try and keep us up. Martin Shaw: From what we can gather, you are the most hated man in York. Do you understand why that is? Our colleagues at the York City Supporters tell us that we should not let you anywhere near our football club. Why would they tell us that? Are you a reformed character since you were at York? JB: No not reformed, just better informed, and part of that knowledge has led me to an understanding that supporters clubs are usually "all mouth and no trousers".You make the judgement of me yourself, not based on what these brave web warriors have to say, but on what I do or don't do. If I make a mistake I'll hold up my hand, I can, and have got it wrong, but I'm hiding nothing. Croceus Laurus: Ok Mr Batchelor - What exactly are you buying from Mr Haslam ? Is Field Mill part of the deal ? What about the 3.3% Team Mansfield own - Will they recieve monies or a place on the board? Will you be Chief Executive and Chairman - I assume not due to regulations so whos coming with you ? Will the fans have any say at all in the running of the club - 15 years under Haslams leadership has seen us relegated from the league ( Only a miracle will keep us up) and York City had a particularly rough time under your stewardship so I, and I expect everyone connected to MTFC has concerns over any deal – Surely you must understand this ? JB: I do understand this, I am buying the club, I don't know about the land yet, but the club will confirm that I have funding for it.As far as I can see the 3.3% is not relevant, other than the rights that they would have over their shareholding in relation to the shareholders agreement which they have. I will, if successful, be Chairman, and as we sit here tonight, I don't think anyone is coming with me. No, the fans don't get a say, a seat on the board or any of that stuff, been there before, it doesn't work because all you have is a mouth with no responsibility or risk, any fool can do that. I will listen to customers, if they are level headed and constructive, my experience of dealing with mouthy fans is that they are usually "armchair critics", no doubt, if they don't like what we put on the pitch, then they won't turn up, and that wouldn't be a very sensible way for me to go would it? I am sorry if throughout the course of the evening I sound blunt, but this whole event has sent memories of my time at York flooding back, when I was there I tried hard to get everyone onside, and for a while that worked. This time I just want to tell the truth, get things sorted and try to make it work, there are no guarantees in life and I do not have a crystal ball, all I will promise, is that given the level of investment, I'll do my best. Robbie: Who were all the businessman (excluding Derry and Hymas of course) who you were chatting to in the Village in Bury on Saturday? Are any of them going to be involved in your bid? JB: No Robbie: Does the fact that you are answering these questions imply that you are the new owner of MTFC? JB: No Robbie: Is this just another money-making scheme or do you have any sympathy with long-suffering MTFC supporters? JB: I hope so and Yes! andy stag: How much rent are you paying for the ground? JB: I'd like not to pay any, but to do that I have to buy the ground andy stag: How do you intend to increase the commercial activities at the club? JB: Sponsorship and a Media deal andy stag: How much of the commercial income will you take as a commission? JB: At least 25% andy stag: Do you intend to appoint a new manager immediatly if you take over? JB: No, but I can offer him some support bux46: I have read all your answers and not one mention of trying to buy back the ground has been mentioned JB: That's because we haven't arranged that so far bux46: What is your long term objective for the club and i am not talking the obvious of promotion or staying in the league JB: To use it as a vehicle to show that football can be done in a different way. i.e. that sometimes tradition and fixed idea's get in the way of a business, and in footballs case an industry, and prevent it from moving on. As I said in an earlier answer, I do not buy into the club being a community resource, it's a business in the sport and entertainment industry, if we don't provide an appropriate level of service/performance, people won't come and it won't succeed. My job is to ensure that the club works at all levels, but if anybody else wants a say in that, then they have to invest and take risk. Frankly, I got sick to death of football fans saying that they wanted a say in how the club was run when I was at York. Do you get a say in how Tesco's is run? No, But we all use it every week don't we? If any fans want to share the not inconsiderable burden of running the club, then they are welcome, but not for free. burned, lancs: I cant believe this guy is allowed to keep getting away with this. He goes into companies puts them under and then moves onto the next one. unbelievable, this guy has no conscience. JB: Don't always put them under, but you are right, I have had to develop a skin thicker than a Rhino. Claire: He's said that he's made money by closing several companies, won't buy any property incase one of his creditors actually wants their money back and he has no consideration for any of the lives he has wrecked? Is this all true Mr Batchelor? JB: I do not set out to ruin companies, I set out to save them. If the management teams can't deliver I close them, it's a simple scenario either it works, because everyone delivers what they say they are going to do, or it doesn't because they don't. I have lost all emotion in it (normal business), but in any event, even, hard as this has made me, I am prepared to gamble on MTFC. As far as protecting assets that I have acquired, YES that's true, if you worked hard to own something, would you risk it being taken off you, if you worked in the shark tank that I do? No, I suspect you would want to protect your immediate loved ones. 50 years a stags supporter: Mr Batchellor, If you are as stated only interested in the survival of the club, WHY DID YOU SCUPPER AN EXISTING BID (in which you were invited to be part of)IN FAVOUR OF YOUR INDIVIDUAL BID? An honest answer please!!!! are you genuinely interested in the continuance of MTFC within the football league,or merely to assett strip yet another company? FINALLY WHY SHOULD WE TRUST YOU???? JB: I would, if this was a normal deal, consider asset stripping the club if it didn't work. In this case, however, I am having to put a substantial sum up to acquire it. There are no assets to strip that I can get my hands on that would be equivalent to the amount invested. In other words, I think that the ONLY way to make this club pay back its investment to me is to make it work, and I mean by making it work, make it pay its own way and make a profit. There are a number of things that can be done to do that, but until I own it, and although the vendors know about them, I can't reveal them. Everybody involved, knows that I wanted a football club to make these things happen, everybody has had it proven to their satisfaction that these things are real, everybody knows that I have looked at other clubs, I cannot say anything other than I would support any club I was involved with, in the same way that a player transferred to us would or a manager that moves clubs would. But please understand that this is business, and anyone buying a business would want it to succeed. Aye Up Me Duck asks:HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN KEITH HASLAM? JB: About six weeks Bermuda Viper:You say you stopped motorsport due to a lack of time, how would you make enough time to run a club like Mansfield? JB: I've done it before, and I am putting a fair bit of investment into it, so it is worth my time. Infoman, Lancs: ok where the salary's for the staff at Besglos. wheres your Bentley? does your wife know whats going on? Why did you screw over one of your closest friends? JB: The salary for the former staff of that company is a matter for the administrator, I've swapped my Bentley for a Jag (to do this!) and my wife hates what's going on, she cannot understand why I want to be involved in football Ste1053: Who are the team of 3 that would come in to manage the team ?and have you got any other backers? JB: Can't say, as I promised them I wouldn't until the deal was done Bermuda Viper: It would appear that your other companies aren't in too great shape either if taking Plasline UK Ltd as an example. What's to say MTFC wouldn't end up with a similar amount of county court judgements? At the end of the day the people of Mansfield want a solution to the problem, not to be in a situation where they are saying "come back Keith, all is forgiven". JB: Plasline isn't, wasn't and never has been mine, either directly or as a nominee, I know it, I looked at it, but we never exchanged on it. MTFC could be in that position, BUT only if people don't perform (and if I hadn't produced proof of a significant investment in it), both on and off the pitch over the next two years, in this instance I have had to raise and invest a significant number, most distressed businesses can be purchased for less. Stags til I die: in your interview you quoted that you made a profit of about 120,000 pounds over 18 months in total. and you did not take a salary'and you could have made far more than that elsewhere.Is that why you intend to buy M.T.F.C and make a bigger profit and be another K. Haslam? also you stated that you gave the management 6 months to deliver, they didnt so you closed them down.Are you going to do that to M.T.F.C if successfull? to be honest mr Batchelor i dont belive in you, however if you take over M.T.F.C i want you to prove me wrong.I would be the 1st person to say i was wrong.all the best and good luck. JB: I hope that I do prove you wrong, but I am not doing this for a laugh, there is a business here, it can make money, but only if it is run as a business, I have already told chad that I will publish what I make out of my input. I love football, clubs can work, but only if you don't start out by trying to be popular (I have worn that T-shirt) we all know that the best way for all of us, moving forward, is to make sure we stay in the league. From your perspective because you love your club, from mine because I want to make a profit, how much clearer can I be? At York, I tried to be everybody's best mate………..and tried my best, however, it didn't work, so you might as well all know who I am from day one. There is no point in me trying to pretend to you that I am something I am not. I am an opportunist, I try hard and I can make things work, but we ALL need to get together and behind this if we are going to keep the club up. As is well known, I am a Burnley fan, but over and above that I am a football fan, it can be done differently, let's make Mansfield the example for that. infoman, Lancs: he also screwed over a company called Moornate. left the owner with nothing after promising him monies JB: His Lawyers failed him in a property deal, didn't register the deal and I took advantage of it. simon burrows: Will you be starting with a zero balance ala Derry circus (I mean consortium)? Have you had any say on Paul Holland releasing six players? JB: No say in anything yet adopted Stag: Given your "dubious" past business dealings do you think that local businesses will be queuing up to provide sponsorship, and how do you plan to get supporters to back you in the short term with all this negativity surrounding you? JB: By winning on the field, I can make money from sponsorship, however, if we don't win on the field, it makes no difference what I do off it. Nobody has to like me, they just have to judge me on results. A lesson I learned at York, however, we did avoid relegation, and were never out of the play off places when I was there. infoman, Lancs: Where on earth has he got 1/2 million from? He lives in a rented house under his girlfriends name he owns nothing. Has had is cars taken away and was thrown out of his last home which he rented but never paid for months. Just ask Lord Houghton. What about the companys Cobco 846 and 847 JB: You are speculating on the amount, I own nothing, because I choose to own nothing, if I make a mistake, nobody can chase me for anything, it is a standard practice in my world. If you buy something, make sure that nobody can take it off you. Sir Bernard de Houghton, is who I think you mean, and I rented a wing of his stately home for a while, he didn't like me using it as an office/workplace, and I didn't like being told what to do, we parted company! Cobco 846/7 were acquisition vehicles run by my nominees, we used them to acquire and close down Besglos and Moornate. adam999: We dont need another asset stripping. Reading what youve said the reading the facts ur not at all different from mr haslam. Football is a business ur supposed to invest in not take money from. If you are not prepared to invest without taking back in assets or in money then we dont need you. What makes you any different than haslam? JB: Why can you not be allowed to make a profit from football? The players do, the managers do the owners should. It is then up to the owners to decide how much they want to re-invest. That will probably dictate how successful they are going to be. I do not buy into the idea that Football is a community resource, if that is the case, the community need to support it. robbie 33: Would you work with the community, SSA, TM etc and employ people from the respective fans' groups onto the board to allow MTFC fans to have a say in the running of the club? JB: See above, but if the fans want a say in how it is run, then they can buy some shares…………I've had to. Working with the community is always a good idea, BUT it shouldn't be assumed that the club is doing it for any other reasons than to catch fans at an early age. Any club that says anything else is lying to you GB1: Have you recieved any positive press in your carear? Could you blame anyone for not trusting you? JB: Yes and No ---------------- |
Latest | March 2008