US firm in talks for deal which ‘would save Dale’

ROCHDALE AFC are in talks with American firm World Soccer Holdings in a deal which could save the football club.

Last week, club chairman Simon Gauge revealed Dale could go into liquidation by the end of March if a new buyer was not found.

The football club needs £2m in investment.

It can now be revealed that World Soccer Holdings last Thursday signed a letter of intent to buy the 117-year-old football team.

Clubs in this situation generally enter exclusivity agreements before a deal is done.

World Soccer Holdings have already invested in other footballing ventures.

Representatives from the company are expected to attend Dale’s home game at Spotland against Oxford City on March 9.

But, the club’s shareholders must agree to change the share structure at Rochdale in order for a deal to take place.

Currently there are a large number of shareholders who own a part of the club.

An upcoming Extraodinary General Meeting (EGM) set to be held on Thursday, March 7 will include a vote where shareholders can rubber stamp an emergency restructuring that would create nine million new shares. Essentially this would give the club’s board the ability to sell 90 per cent of Rochdale without a potentially buyer having to make deals with each individual shareholder.

It would mean current shareholders would see their shares in the club dilluted. But, Mr Gauge has urged fans to vote for the deal, saying that without it there would be no club to support at all.

“We are delighted to receive the LOI from World Soccer Holdings,” Mr Gauge said. “Investment in the club is essential for our survival, and WSH tick so many of the boxes that we have been looking for in an investor.

“They have a track record in sporting investments and have a longterm sporting plan for the club and come with expertise in the field.

“We look forward to engaging with them, shareholders, local politicians, and suppliers to meet the conditions that are required to conclude the sale of the club.”

World Soccer Holdings CEO Scott Dyer added: “We are really pleased to be moving forward with investment in Rochdale AFC.

“We have great respect and admiration for the history and the culture of the club, and we are grateful for the hard work and sacrifices undertaken by both the staff and board and the supporter’s trust to make this partnership possible.

“We look forward to engaging now with the Dale Trust to answer any questions that they may have regarding our investment and with local politicians to gauge the level of support we can expect to receive to support our investment in RAFC.

“We could not let 100 years of history go to waste, and we believe we can work together to elevate The Dale back to its previous heights and beyond. We look forward to visiting Rochdale for the game on the 9th March against Oxford City.”