FANS’ FEARS

Club want ground

THE owners of a football club have set their sights on taking over one of North Wales’ top stadiums, sparking fears among some supporters.

Bangor City was taken over by a Cheshire-based consortium in June, with the promise of investment to take them to the top of Welsh domestic football.

On the pitch, the club has seen an uprise in fortunes, challenging for a lucrative spot in European competition despite recently sacking manager Andy Legg.

But fears have been raised in some quarters after the Welsh Premier League club’s board revealed long-term ambitions to buy Nantporth stadium, the club’s home since 2012 which is also used for international games.

Bangor City Council, who own the ground and lease it to the club via a community interest company called Nantporth CIC, has not been approached over any potential deal for the stadium, according to its clerk.

But the minutes of a meeting of Bangor City FC’s Supporters Association record the club’s commercial director, Jay Lees, as saying: “We’re in negotiations over this matter because we’d like to control everything.

“It would make more sense from a financial point of view as we would be able to generate more income.”

The club’s director of football, Stephen Vaughan Jnr, is the son of businessman Stephen Vaughan Snr, who is unable to run a limited company because of a £500,000 fraud that took place while he was a director of Widnes Vikings Rugby League Club.

Bangor City has strenuously denied that Vaughan Snr, a former owner of Chester City FC, has any links to the club other than shirt sponsorship via “Vaughan Sports Management”.

Mr Lees told the Mail: “We couldn’t be more clear that Stephen Vaughan Snr’s involvement is only as the main sponsor. He has no say in the day-to-day running of the club.

“He was present at the press conference when the new board took over, and we’ve been honest from the start.

“As regards the stadium, it is fair to say there’s interest on our part but that’s a long-term plan and certainy not something we envisage could happen this year or even next.

“The plan is to regularly qualify for Europe, which brings its own revenue, and the club owning the stadium rather than renting would put it on a sounder financial footing.

“We have a hard working and dedicated board who only want what’s best for the club.”

But Bangor City supporter and Gwynedd councillor Dylan Fernley, who was present at the supporters’ meeting last week, said he’d have “great reservations” if the new board were to take over the ground.

“Although things are going well on the pitch, fans still have lingering doubts,” he said.

“You only have to look at what happened to Chester City and Widnes.

“The ground being in the ownership of the city council means there’s that safety buffer, but I’d be greatly concerned if the situation changed.

“Theoretically, they could take out loans against the stadium – that would worry me.”

Alan Lewer, a former chief scout at Chester City FC, now holds a prominent backroom position at Bangor.

While the signing of player Gary Roberts, who used to play for another Vaughan-owned team, Floriana, has furthered speculation that Vaughan may have a greater influence at the club than previously suggested. City’s new manager, Ian Dawes, was once manager of the Maltese side.

According to Mr Lees, negotiations are underway to improve the ground by purchasing a seated stand from Rushden and Diamonds FC’s former Nene Park stadium.

The club also plans to build an educational facility and the introduction of some full-time playing staff next season.