GIVING IT HA’WAY?
Shock reports now reveal Short willing to for go price for S AFC if new owner takes on £137m debt Supporters tell of new hope for future and 8,000 fans sign petition urging Ellis to sell up
Supporters have told of their fresh hope for the future after it emerged Sunderland AFC owner Ellis Short could be prepared to give the club away for free.
Fresh reports suggest the wantaway Black Cats supremo is willing to give the club away for nothing, if a new owner is willing to take on Sunderland’s huge debts.
Short is now based in the US and has handed over dayto-day control of the club to chief executive Martin Bain, with the American billionaire looking to sell the club.
The club was valued at upwards of £80million last summer but, as reported in the Echo earlier this week, the price tag had been slashed to £50million with the club struggling for Championship survival.
Now BBC Sport reports that Short is now ready to give the club away for nothing – provided the new owners take on the huge debt.
The last set of accounts, up to July 2016, showed the gross debt was £137million.
About half the debt, £69million, is to Short himself and BBC Sport claim the billionaire may forgo some or all of that figure as part of a deal.
The balance of £68million is owed to Security Bank Corporation. There are significant annual interest payments per year too.
Short is reported to have held talks with several prospective buyers in recent months but no deal has yet been agreed.
Sunderland are not commenting on the fresh reports.
Paul Dobson, part of the editorial team on SAFC fanzine A Love Supreme, said: “I don’t care if it’s sold for £50million, £500million or 50p. As long as the person or people who come in is willing to have a go at it, that’s all that matters.
“Hopefully this news might attract people who may not have felt they had enough money to buy the club and then make the necessary investments.”
Meanwhile, a petition calling for Short to sell the club has now been signed by more than 8,000 supporters.
Sunderland supporters’ group Red and White Army have launched the petition as well as writing an open letter to Short, urging the football club’s owner to sell up.
Disillusioned fans have come together to call for Short to ‘treat the club with respect’ and find a buyer as quickly as possible.
The petition was only launched on Tuesday afternoon but has already been signed by thousands of Sunderland supporters.
Sunderland are bottom of the Championship ahead of the game against Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light tomorrow afternoon, three points adrift of safety with just 13 games to go.
The petition can be viewed at www.change. org/p/safc-an-open-letterto-safc-from-the-red-whitearmy-supporters-organisation.
“If someone took over, it would give fans something to hope for” PAUL DOBSON