Kirchner says timetable simple, club’s money runs out on Saturday
PROSPECTIVE new Derby County owner Chris Kirchner has been fielding questions on his takeover of the club.
Kirchner joined the Conservative Member of Parliament for Derby North, Amanda Solloway, on a Facebook Live call on Monday night to discuss the latest on the deal.
Kirchner is Rams administrators Quantuma’s preferred bidder to bring the club out of administration and a deal is close to being done.
The American businessman has said the club runs out of money on Saturday, the day the 2021-22 season ends with Wayne Rooney’s side set to take on Cardiff City at Pride Park Stadium.
Kirchner plans to take control of the Rams on Saturday and with supporters looking ahead to next season he has tried, where permitting, to answer queries on season tickets.
The Slync.io chief executive has also said that transfer decisions can start to be taken when a sale and purchase agreement is signed. “We know by running the club responsibly we can take this forward and that is the base and the platform we are coming from so we are really excited about it,” Kirchner said.
“This (season tickets) is one of the three or four most commonly-asked things, I do not have a date yet. Obviously our timetable is very simple right now, it is that the club runs out of money on Saturday.
“It’s no longer a date in the future, it is Saturday and there are a few hurdles that still need to be achieved by then which namely is now the stadium. And once that is done there will be an SPA in place that has a couple of conditions in it but the main things are coming out of administration.
“Once that is signed then we will be able to start making decisions on players and season tickets and things like that because you can’t sell season tickets while you are still in administration.
“And this is my understanding. So if I am wrong here then I am going to disclose that, but my understanding is that you can’t sell the season tickets for next year while it is in administration for this year so we have got to get it out.
“We are hopeful that date becomes sometime in May or early June, but as soon as we know that it is something we will communicate. It’s in our best interests to sell the tickets!”
DERBY County youngster Marko Borkovic will join Ohio State Buckeyes when his two-year scholarship is up this summer.
The 18-year-old winger had spells with Wycombe Wanderers and Maidenhead United before he linked up with Derby’s Academy ahead of the 2020-21 season.
He has played for the Under-18 and Under-23 teams, and his one first-team appearance came as a substitute in the Carabao Cup defeat by Sheffield United at Bramall Lane early this season.
Head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, Brian Maisonneuve, said: “We are so excited to add Marko to our roster for the fall.
“Marko has the ability to play in our front three positions. He is very dynamic off the dribble with the ability to make the final pass and score goals. He has a high soccer IQ and a tremendous work-rate.
“Marko has played at an extremely high level with Derby County and will add a lot on the field and in the locker room.”
FORMER Derby County boss Phillip Cocu is reportedly in the frame to replace Tony Mowbray as Blackburn Rovers manager.
Last week, Cocu was being linked with the job at Scottish club Hibernian.
The 51-year-old has been out of work since he left the Rams by mutual consent in November 2020 with the team bottom of the Championship.
Cocu had taken over in July 2019 after Frank Lampard left for Chelsea and Derby finished 10th in Cocu’s first season.
He was previously manager at Dutch side PSV Eindhoven where he won Eredivisie titles and also had a short spell in charge at Turkish side Fenerbahce.
Mowbray’s five years in charge of Rovers will end after this weekend’s final game of the season against Birmingham City.
Rovers are ninth in the Championship, six points away from the play-off places with just the one fixture remaining