New owners make pledge to drive United forward
Last updated 09:39, Friday, 04 July 2008
Carlisle United’s quartet of new Cumbrian owners took charge at Brunton Park yesterday - and stressed their ambitions to establish the Blues as a Championship club.
Existing directors David Allen, Steve Pattison, Andrew Jenkins and John Nixon have bought out departing owner Fred Story, ending weeks of speculation on the club’s future.
Allen, as United’s new chief executive and finance director, is the public face of the controlling quartet and pledged the club could rise to the second tier - and stay there - by following the business model put in place by Story over his four-year tenure.
“We can see the club strengthening on the business model of the last four years and stabilise itself in the Championship,” said Allen, who runs a chartered accountancy firm in Dalston.
Story is yet to make any public comment on either the sale or the failed bid by former supremo John Courtenay to buy back the club. The departing owner will stay involved as one of the club’s main sponsors.
Allen insisted the new owners - who have paid an undisclosed sum for Story’s shares - have complete faith in John Ward and his staff, and pledged the Blues manager will have money to strengthen his squad for a promotion challenge this season.
But there were no reassurances on the future of United’s star players amid reports this week that Joe Garner is close to being sold to Nottingham Forest.
Pattison, the boss of Carlisle Glass, has been appointed football director with special responsibility for United’s youth development and centre of excellence.
Pioneer food boss Jenkins, who has been a director for 49 years, will continue in his role as chairman while former Pirelli supremo Nixon will continue his day-to-day administrative roles as managing director.
Allen, who paid tribute to Story’s successful regime, said:“We are very clear in our ambitions and very determined to drive the club forward.
“We have each got our own responsibilities, which we are going to take very seriously. It’s my job to make sure this club is absolutely solid.
“I’m the new boy. I’ve been here since February 2004. At the time the club was in administration, heading for the Conference, with debts of nearly £4million and under pressure from its creditors.
“It’s now very stable and on a good footing and I appreciate only too well the good position the club is in now.
“The club has four local owners, we are very passionate about taking the club forward and building a stable club for the enjoyment of the wider community.”
The future of Ward - who is running the rule over former West Brom striker Dean Nicholson, 19, in training - appears secure. “We have got faith in John Ward. He is very professional and focused and has ambition and belief in long-term achievement,” said Allen.
“This club has the resources to back the manager and we are going to do so.”
The new owners would not reveal the size of Ward’s transfer kitty ahead of the big kick-off at Bristol Rovers on August 9. The club remains £1.5m in debt to Story’s construction firm but Allen insisted this did not pose major problems for the club with the departing owner still on board as a major sponsor.
Allen added: “We have got a fantastic business model, we have followed it for four years and it has taken us from the Conference to where we are now.
“We had a fantastic season last season and we are going to follow that model. We can only do that by strengthening the squad.
“We have great respect for Fred Story and his remarkable achievements as owner.
“This club is very robust and has an excellent management team in place with a very sound squad we can build on.”
Manager Ward, whose side returned for pre-season training yesterday, is understood to be happy with the new regime.
While Garner’s future remains the subject of strong speculation, with Forest having gone public on their attempt to sign the 20-year-old striker, United’s record signing was on the training ground with his Blues team-mates yesterday, although he still remains months away from a first-team comeback.
