- First, we'd like to ask if you have any thoughts
about Barrow?
I've got no comments or reflections. I made those at the
FA Appeals hearing held to review our decision to expel
Barrow, which found that we had acted correctly. We are
delighted that Barrow AFC, in liquidation, are continuing
to play football.
- What about any second thoughts over the decision
to expel Barrow?
None. That decision was wholly correct under our own and
the FA's regulations.
- Why?
We can't have a club in receivership, administration or
liquidation. To allow Barrow to continue was against the
rules.
- Couldn't you have discussed this with the
liquidator?
We did. On 25 January we discussed with Mr. Duckworth,
the receiver appointed at Barrow, to make sure we were
being fair in the decisions we were making. We sought
legal advice then to clarify our position and he was
aware of our situation. On 6 February we received
information from the FA warning us we couldn't allow a
club in liquidation to continue.
- But you acted too hastily. You allowed no time at
all after the last game of the season for the assurances
you required. Couldn't you have set a deadline of say the
end of June?
We did give him a deadline. In our rules, we had to make
a decision at the end of the season including issues of
promotion, relegation and any other matter.
- Why did you refuse Barrow any right of appeal? The
management committee recommended Barrow's expulsion in
early May, but this wasn't put to the clubs until the AGM
on 5 June. Yet Barrow were told they couldn't appeal
because they'd had fourteen days to do so from the date
of the management committee's recommendation! So Barrow
would have had to appeal before the decision had been
finally taken by the member clubs of the
Conference.
To be fair to us and what people don't appreciate was
that Mr Duckworth was informed on the day of the
management committee's recommendation. We gave him the
opportunity to appeal that decision immediately. He could
have appealed. In fact we encouraged him to do that, to
the FA, as it was in Barrow's interests to get a quick
decision.
- You must have known that the situation at Barrow
was very confused; it was difficult to be sure of the
legality of all the debts and the true ownership of the
ground. Surely it would have been fairer to wait, rather
than expel Barrow in the first half of May, days after
the last match?
Fair comment. The situation came about because of the
activities of the previous regime in charge at Barrow. On
the surface Stephen Vaughan seemed exactly what Barrow
needed. It hasn't turned out that way. That's no one's
fault. What is not so well known is that we had meetings
in Manchester with people at the club before liquidation.
We were concerned at the situation and we were trying to
help. Nobody knows this, but we did care.
- Who did you see?
We had meetings with Dave Murgatroyd, Pat Brewer and
others at the club.
- But nothing came of these meetings?
No. The people may not have been in possession of the
full facts or were misled, but they gave us assurances
that Barrow would continue.
- You've had to endure a lot of criticism. What
message do you have for Barrow?
I have broad shoulders. I'm just delighted to see them
playing football.
- If Barrow are champions of the UniBond in May,
will they go up to the Conference?
It depends if they are still in liquidation.
- If they are, then the answer is no?
That's right.
- So there needs to be a rescue package, an
agreement with the liquidator?
Yes, but I would say that it's only September, there's a
lot of football to be played before the end of the season
and I hope that an arrangement can be made so that if
Barrow succeed on the pitch we can welcome them back into
the Conference.
Issue 041 - October 1999
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