RIVAL BID FOR ROVERS ON CARDS
FORMER ENGLAND STAR LINKED TO CONSORTIUM INTERESTED IN BUYING CLUB
FORMER Arsenal, Juventus and England midfielder David Platt is part of a consortium who are interested in buying Bristol Rovers, the Post has learned.
It is understood Mr Platt and English businessman Clive Richardson form a rival group separate to the UK-based consortium revealed in August, and have made initial contact with the club’s hierarchy over the availability of the League One side.
Mr Richardson is said to be leading the group, who have emerged over the last seven days amid growing rumours a takeover of the Gas could be completed as early as this week.
The Post understands that is highly unlikely and stems from personal claims by Mr Richardson to senior figures within Rovers that have since been leaked to parts of the fanbase, and he is yet to formally meet president Wael Al Qadi.
He does have links to Bristol with a son still living in the city, and became acquainted with Mr Platt around his involvement with Italian club Palermo.
Until February this year, Mr Richardson was on the board of Sports Capital Group PLC, which purchased Palermo in December 2018 for just 10 Euros and he briefly served as club chairman before stepping down in February.
Mr Platt acted in a consultancy role during SCG’s takeover, appearing at the press conference to unveil the new owners but his involvement ended after that.
Former Wimbledon and Bolton striker Dean Holdsworth was also involved with the group, as he was appointed Director of Football Operations at Palermo, but it is unclear if he has continued his association with Mr Richardson or is part of this Rovers approach.
Despite a series of bold claims when they bought the ailing Serie B club, SCG’s ownership of the Sicilian side lasted just over two months as it was soon sold to two Italian businessmen.
Since then Mr Richardson has left the board of SCG, who are no longer involved in football, and is understood to be involved in consultancy work for a variety of sports and technology marketing firms.
Richardson previously said of SCG that they had the intention, “to invest in a portfolio of football clubs in the UK and Europe”.
“We are actively looking at other clubs. We hope to make probably two further acquisitions in 2019, firstly starting in the UK market and specifically the English league.”
For his part, since his last job in football as manager for Pune City in the Indian Super League, Mr Platt has focused on his business interests and is owner of Approach Associates, a management consultancy firm based in Alderney Edge in Cheshire.
Mr Platt was one of the stars of England’s run to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Italy in 1990 and enjoyed a successful career with Aston Villa, Juventus, Sampdoria and Arsenal, before serving as player-manager at Nottingham Forest and first-team coach at Manchester City under Roberto Mancini.
The emergence of Richardson’s consortium is known to the other bidder for Rovers, who remain in negotiations with Total Produce over the purchase of the Fruit Market site in St Philip’s Marsh.
As previously reported, this consortium, who wish to remain anonymous and have kept their distance from Rovers throughout the process, want to secure the 11-acre site in central Bristol before buying the club from the Al Qadi family.
The Post understands further meetings are expected to be conducted with Total Produce in the coming days with the Dublin-based food company the majority shareholder of the Fruit Market.
The other smaller shareholders are believed to have now universally accepted the consortium’s offer, which is in well in excess of £20m, leaving Total Produce as kingmakers in the deal.
The Al Qadi family remain committed to a sale due to frustration over plans to build a new stadium and training ground, while the club posted losses of £65,000 a week in the accounts for 2018/19.