PORT VALE BOSS BUYS BORO GROUND

AND CLUB REVERTS TO OLD NAME AFTER LANDSLIDE FAN VOTE

A NEW owner has been found for Nuneaton Town’s football ground.

Norman Smurthwaite, who owns Stoke-on-Trent club Port Vale, will be the new owner of the Borough ground, Liberty Way, after the deal was approved by the EFL.

The Telegraph reported earlier this month that the Coventry-born businessman was looking to buy the ground, which has been on the market since the end of the season

Smurthwaite was approached by Nuneaton ‘s chairman Lee Thorn to buy the stadium to help the club through financial problems.

As a result, it is believed the club has been able to pay off debts which in turn mean it is able to stay in the National League North.

The deal had to be approved by the EFL because of rules which limit the involvement one person can have in two clubs.

However, Smurthwaite has revealed they have this month approved the deal.

He told our sister title The Sentinel : “I was approached on the Thursday and bought the club the following Friday. There was a (EFL) board meeting to cover lots of things and one of the things raised was me purchasing that stadium.

“There are certain conditions as you would expect because you can’t have dual ownership. So, I have no influence over what happens football wise, I am just the landlord.

“I am spending a little bit of money bringing the stadium up to the level it should be.”

Nuneaton will now pay rent to the Vale owner for the use of the Liberty Way ground. Nuneaton Borough Supporters Co-Operative board member Ben Bruce told the Non-League Paper that selling the stadium had helped secure the club’s immediate future.

Now supporters are hoping to buy the football club for the community.

As for the Vale owner being Nuneaton’s landlord, Bruce said: “He saw what was going on. He’s a developer and owns a number of properties around the country. He saw the potential the ground has in terms of what it’s done in being rented out to the football club, the rugby club and how the FA have used it for international fixtures. He saw there was a facility there that can make money and his priority was buying that.”