Jordan is confident club will not be liquidated
RIDE THEY NEVER WANTED TO STEP FOOT ON’
SIMON Jordan maintains “unequivocally” that Derby County will not be liquidated as the race to find a new owner intensifies.
Administrators Quantuma are in talks with interested parties over a deal for the club which has been in administration for the last nine months.
TalkSport pundit and former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan said: “I am of the understanding that, in the short term, and immediate short term and in a reasonable intermediate-term, Derby are funded enough to be able to get themselves into a position where they can get a buyer to complete.
“If you’ve got enough funding to get through a period of time like a season while you are trying to find a buyer because the transaction is more difficult than originally understood, the Football League should be acquiesent and flexible.
“The bottom line is that I still maintain unequivocally that Derby will not be liquidated.”
Former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is still interested in the club while ex-Wolves chief Steve Morgan has reportedly also shown an interest.
Ashley has made no move to hijack a takeover of Sheffield United and remains determined to save the Rams.
He has been linked with a takeover of the Blades, with reports back in April claiming he was monitoring developments. American businessman Henry Mauriss is currently trying to seal a deal for United but has yet to be given the green light by the EFL. His period of exclusivity is now over but he is continuing his bid to buy HRH Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s shareholding having made a £115m offer.
Mauriss is still trying to complete the deal and it had been claimed that Ashley was keeping an eye on the situation. But according to the Sheffield Star, Ashley has shown no indication that he is interested.
Derby’s squad is due to report back for pre-season training at the end of the month with the League One campaign due to start on July 30. • Sponsored by:
FROM dawn’s early light until their heads hit the pillow, Derby County fans have established the same routine over the last nine months.
Social media is relentlessly scrolled from morning until night while media outlets are examined for every little bit of news in the hope they strike gold with the story everybody wants to read.
But the wait for the headline that Derby County has been saved goes on and so, too, does the exhausting day-to-day life of the fans desperately hoping for a breakthrough.
Ever since the club were plunged into administration last September, it is clear that the club’s plight has taken a serious toll on the mental health of some of the supporters.
Fear and anxiety as to what the future holds are the dominant emotions when, in normal circumstances, there would be excitement and anticipation over transfers, season-ticket renewals and the new kit.
The fans have essentially become dragged onto a ride they never wanted to step foot on. What’s worse is they can’t get off until somebody finally puts a bid on the table that will end the darkest chapter in the club’s history.
The Derby Telegraph reached out to supporters to hear about the impact it is having on them on a daily basis. Some spoke on the condition of anonymity, while others were happy to be named.
One Derby fan, who has been supporting the club for 22 years and has had a season ticket for the last 11, admits the strain has, at times, impacted his relationship.
“As someone who hasn’t really suffered from mental health issues in my life, there has been a very noticeable impact on my mental health over the past two years, particularly since Derby County went into administration,” he said. “It has been both extremely tough and very stark.
“The day it happened, I cried, and have done as a result of what’s happened at various times, on more than one occasion over the past nine or so months, which is not an easy thing to admit.
“As a result of feeling helpless, angry, anxious and very frustrated for large proportions of my waking hours, it has put a strain on my relationship at times. I acknowledge I have been very difficult to live with, with my moods seemingly intrinsically linked to the occasional updates/rumours (either official or otherwise) seen on social media, or heard on the radio with regards to administration.
“The last point to mention is the sheer amount of time I spend doomscrolling. It is the first thing I do in the morning, the last thing I do at night and countless times (genuinely hundreds) throughout the day. That in itself is unhealthy and not good for productivity at work either, on which my income obviously relies upon.
“I personally feel this whole process is doing untold damage to many (potentially thousands) of people’s mental health and we are now at a point where someone, somewhere needs to step in and put an end to the pain, uncertainty and seemingly never-ending timeline we are all struggling to endure.”
There are many others who have similar tales to tell. Supporting a football club is not just about turning up and cheering the team at 3pm on Saturdays.
It is an emotional investment often passed down generations.
Families knit together and strangers become friends. Derby is a club that beats loud in its community when, regardless of the result, bonds are formed and memories are made.
“I’ve been a Derby County fan for all the 22 years I’ve been on this earth,” says Jay. “It’s always been something that brings me, my three brothers and my dad together.
“Other than going to the matches we don’t get together much so it’s always been something I look forward to.
“Unfortunately for the past few months, I’ve been in a constant state of anxiousness, constantly refreshing Twitter, checking in on the BAWT telegram group, just really consuming my life with any Derby update, praying something positive comes out.
“I felt a sense of relief when Chris Kirchner was named the preferred bidder and I was excited to finally stop searching for updates. But then that fell through and it’s looking bleaker than ever currently.
“I wish I could just chill out but I simply cannot. Derby County was