ROVERS IN TAKEOVER TALKS
...BUT SALE WOULD DEPEND ON MOVE TO NEW STADIUM CLOSER TO CITY CENTRE
THE Al-Qadi family are in talks over the sale of Bristol Rovers to a UK-based consortium, with a proposed stadium site at the city’s fruit market central to takeover plans.
The Bristol Post has learned that discussions between the parties have been ongoing throughout 2019 and have reached an advanced stage, with the next two to three weeks a critical phase in negotiations.
The proposed buyers have identified the 11-acre fruit market site in St Philip’s Marsh as the favoured location for a 20,000-capacity stadium and riverside development, although of paramount importance is securing the purchase of the land.
The site’s three majority shareholders are Total Produce, Fresca Group and Arthur David & Company, although it is the former which is seen as kingmaker in the process.
Total Produce regional managing director Nick Matthews detailed on BBC Radio Bristol on Tuesday how a bid for the fruit market was rejected earlier this summer, although the identity of the bidder was not disclosed.
The Post understands that offer came from Rovers’ potential owners, was in excess of £20million and still remains on the table and is under consideration.
Although the identity of the individuals within the consortium is not yet known, it contains experts who possess experience in major inner-city developments and have had conversations with the Mayor’s Office over the project.
Should the consortium succeed in purchasing the land, that will then lead to a full takeover of Bristol Rovers from the Al-Qadi’s subsidiary group Dwane Sports.
To help initiate the purchase of the land, the shareholders of the
fruit market have also been offered a number of locations nearby in Bristol to move their businesses.
Some 300 traders work on the site and inevitably have concern over their future, however provisions have been made to minimise the impact on their livelihoods.
Wael Al-Qadi’s optimistic claims on Saturday that the club hopes to be in a stadium within two years are wide of the mark, with the process likely to take considerably longer.
Mr Al-Qadi’s claim that “technical work” to achieve planning permission is under way also remains confusing – the current board has had no input in the new vision for the club, with the plans exclusivity formulated by the club’s potential buyers.
The Al-Qadis have effectively had the club up for sale for more than a year after becoming frustrated at covering losses, which totalled £65,000 a week in their accounts for 2017/18, and the ongoing inability to find a new home for the club, which would help alleviate that financial black hole.
The desire for a new stadium has dominated the consciousness of Rovers fans for at least a decade and has only been heightened since the Al-Qadis purchased the club in February 2016.
However, Wael Al-Qadi’s numerous declarations down the years have not come to fruition. The most recent plan for a site owned by the University of the West of England, which admittedly began before Dwane Sports bought the club, collapsed in August 2017.
Plans to redevelop the Memorial Stadium have also been considered, but the dense populaton of the area and the volume of housing around the ground, coupled with the fact that two of the stands have height restrictions, have made those an unrealistic prospect.
The Post understands that if the purchase of the fruit market is approved and the purchase of Rovers completed, there is confidence the site at the Mem can then be transformed into a residential development.
The site of the club’s proposed training ground at Almondsbury, known as The Colony, also remains overgrown and undeveloped with no sign of progress and the future of that asset remains unclear.
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Fan’s reward for retro shirt call: Page 8
ABRISTOL Rovers fan who sent a tweet to his club with an idea for their new kit had hoped he might earn a crust from the brainwave.
And he will – as he will get a free pasty for being the creative spark behind the club’s new kit.
Dan Lovering appealed on Twitter to club commercial director Tom Gorringe to commemorate the kit the club played in 30 years ago when they won the Third Division Championship.
And when it was revealed that the new Bristol Rovers shirt was inspired by the historic 1989/90 season, Dan, 38, sent a tongue-incheek reminder to Mr Gorringe that it was his idea first.
In the comical exchange that followed, Dan said that he wanted his five per cent cut – but would also be happy with a pie.
Mr Gorringe responded asking what flavour he would like, and the wheels were set in motion for Dan to receive his payment for the idea.
This Saturday, at Bristol Rovers
home match against Wycombe, Dan will be presented with his very own signed shirt – and a pie.
Dan, a salesman from Hereford, said: “I knew that retro shirts were more popular than ever with football fans, with decent ones going for a lot of money on eBay.
“After our last shirt release I realised that we were coming up to 30 years since our memorable title, winning the 1989/90 season.
“I thought it would be a good idea to have a 30-year tribute kit. So I tweeted Tom Gorringe with the suggestion and then a year later I see it in the flesh.”
Dan said of his tweet: “I am not sure how much impact it had, but if I’ve planted a seed and played a small part in pushing this on then I’m proud, because the kit is a thing of beauty.
“But, to be honest, Tom is brilliant at what he does, a breath of fresh air at the club, so I know he would have probably come up with this himself anyway.”
Mr Gorringe said: “As a club we are always looking for feedback from supporters and ways in which we can improve.
“The kit process had already begun at the stage in which we were contacted last year and a retro kit celebrating the 89/90 promotion season had been suggested.
“However, receiving the message from Dan cemented our plans,” he added.
Mr Gorringe, who has previously worked at Brighton, Portsmouth, and Cardiff City, said that Rovers fans’ response to the new kit has been overwhelmingly positive.
“The kit has definitely been one of the most popular that I have been involved with during my time in football,” he said.
“So we will be delighted to thank Dan for his input by presenting him with a signed shirt and a pasty at the first game of the season.”
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I knew that retro shirts were more popular than ever with football fans,f