TALKS FOR NUNEATON REBIRTH TO CONTINUE
CRUNCH talks over who leads Nuneaton Borough’s rebirth will continue this week but complications over the old club’s collapse are adding to the pressure of a ticking clock.
Boro withdrew from the Southern League on January 18 having been kicked out of Liberty Way by landlords Arden Tigress – Mark Lowther and Neil Robinson, a former vice-chair of Nuneaton RFC, the rugby club based at the stadium.
Jimmy Ginnelly, Boro’s owner and manager until recently, stepped back to prompt a return but the stalemate continued.
A rescue led by Birmingham-based businessmen Gary Holliday and Steve Harris centred around buying the ground but Arden Tigress “would not engage”, leading sponsor and vicechair Ian Cook to stop play amid unmanageable costs.
Undeterred, Holliday and Harris, flanked by Boro secretary Mark Grimes and Nuneaton legend Kyle Storer, held an open meeting on Wednesday to showcase their vision for phoenix club AFC Nuneaton. Initially groundsharing seven miles away at Hinckley Leicester Road, the duo envisage acquiring land to move back to Nuneaton within two seasons but only if Boro’s sponsors and fans are on board.
The reaction was mixed with the Nuneaton Borough Supporters’ Co-Operative leading calls for fans to have a stake in the club, not just representation on the board. The duo’s lack of a connection to the club or town and the practicalities of playing outside Nuneaton were also questioned.
A steering group involving the co-operative, fans, sponsors and local stakeholders is set to meet again tomorrow with assistance from the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), to discuss what happens next but the situation remains fraught with difficulty.
FA rules state clubs that have dropped out can only apply to come back at Step 5 or below and must restart at least two levels below the one the old club left.
Initial applications must be in by March 1 with the full submission, “including evidence of security of tenure” at a ground, required by March 31.
If more than one enters the race, the FA decides which is deemed the official continuation, although co-operative treasurer Jim Evans said a battle for supremacy was not desirable and Holliday confirmed his group would “not be somewhere where we are not wanted”.
The other sticky issue is Boro Leisure Limited – the old company – still existing without any directors. With no registered officer, the process of closing it down is likely to be lengthy.
That does not preclude a relaunch under a new firm but its status will inform the FA’s decision on whether any new club is recognised as Boro’s continuation, potentially affecting the level it ends up at. Also, if access to Boro Leisure is acquired then whoever does so could apply to re-enter the National League System, provided they hit the March 1 deadline.
That would seem unlikely with the firm saddled with debts and no assets but it is understood there are stakeholders working in the background to fully understand the terms of the firm’s lease with Arden Tigress, and whether the ongoing existence of Boro Leisure could influence a comeback being launched in Nuneaton.
■ For in-depth Q&As with Gary Holliday and Jim Evans, head to: www.thenon leaguefootballpaper.com