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'Mansfield Town needs you'


Published on Tuesday 11 December 2007 17:36

NEW Stags chief executive Stephen Booth has made an impassioned plea for supporters and sponsors to return to Field Mill . . . before it is too late.

He said: "I would ask the wider general public and community: 'Do you want Mansfield to have a football club?'

"If the answer is 'yes', then you need to come back now. We would be delighted to see you. They have to make that decision!"

'We need 500 more fans to stem losses'

Already several parties have expressed an interest in buying the Stags since the James Derry consortium was rejected at the end of November — and Mr Booth insists that finding a buyer before the end of the season is 'totally realistic' and one of his two major goals.

The other is trying to persuade fans and local businesses to come back to Field Mill and halt the slide in attendances and commercial activity.

However, the business troubleshooter warned that the club could not sustain its current losses beyond the end of this season.

He told Chad in an exclusive interview on Tuesday: "The club needs stablising in the short-term, by that I mean achieving break-even. If it carries on losing money then serious questions would have to be asked and harsh decisions would have to be taken. The next six months are critical.

"If nothing else changes then come the end of the season there will be no cash left. The money is there for now, but if it continues to haemorrhage there will be problems. We need to stem the losses."

However, he added that administration 'is not an option'. "The club is not in debt . . . in the blackest of situations it would cease to exist like any other businesses losing money. But I am not even thinking about that. That would not happen under my stewardship.

"Mansfield Town is not a basket case, it is a very attractive proposition to suitors . . . and getting the club on a more even keel would make it even more attractive."

Mr Booth succeeded owner Keith Haslam, who stepped down from day-to-day control of the club which is reported to be on course to lose 500,000 this year - following two years of substantial losses.

Already he has met representatives from three major fans groups - Stags Fans For Change (SFFC), Stags Supporters Association (SSA) and TEAM Mansfield (TM) - in a bid to persuade supporters to come back to matches and businesses to sponsor the club.

"I have been impressed by the strength of their commitment to the club," he said. "I would hope that they would see already, by the time I have spent with them, that I want that dialogue with fans - not for my benefit, but for the benefit of the club which has a great tradition.

"I would like to think we can turn any negativity from the past into a positive now.

"It is hard to know what effect the Haslam Out campaign has had, but I hope that those groups would now turn their efforts into a positive support of the club which is clearly close to their hearts - Mansfield Town FC."

He again stressed that the owner is no longer taking a salary out of the club and is not involved in the management at Field Mill.

"In my opinion, Keith will not be involved in the management of Mansfield Town FC again."

He added that as part of his commitment to the club, he would be arranging a raffle/prize draw and donating two tickets - including a meal and drinks - to the England v Switzerland international at Wembley early next year as the prize, with all proceeds going to the Stags.

"The winners would be my guests and I would hope it would give two fans who would not normally be able to go the chance to visit the new magnificent stadium."


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