MANSFIELD Town Football Club is dying. It is in the most perilous position it has ever been in its proud 110-year history – both ON and OFF the pitch.
Today Chad calls on controversial owner Keith Haslam to end the protracted sale negotiations for the club and part with the Stags NOW . . . before it is too late to save the club from relegation from the Football League – and probable oblivion.
Mr Haslam is no longer attending Field Mill on matchdays. But his much criticised running of the Stags, a perceived lack of investment on and off the pitch and the delay in concluding any sale is taking its toll on the WHOLE club – from results to attendances, commercial activity to safety worries.
On Saturday an abject defeat to League new boys Dagenham – the eighth defeat in 10 matches this season – left the Stags rock bottom of the whole League.
The lowest League crowd at Field Mill for six years – just 2,028 – booed the players off the pitch to chants of 'What a load of rubbish'.
Before the match supporters had taken part in a protest organised by four fans' groups - Stags Fans For Change, the Stags Supporters' Association, Team Mansfield and the Ollerton Stags Supporters' Club - to show their anger at Mr Haslam.
ConsequencesDesperate fans feel the fabric, the heart, the history of the club is being ripped out. Even victory in last night's match against MK Dons would still have left the club in the relegation zone.
Worryingly, most observers now fear relegation as a distinct possibility, even though we have only just entered October.
And relegation from the League would have far reaching consequences for the town, far beyond the football club and its long suffering fans.
As Mansfield mayor Tony Egginton told Chad exclusively last week: "It is the economy of the whole town that is at stake. It is vital that we have a Football League club."
Furthermore, relegation might be the least of the fans' worries. Slipping out of the Football League, coupled with the current alarming lack of sponsorship and falling attendances, would surely put the very future of the club at stake?
Off the pitch, for instance, the 'new' stadium — built just seven years ago — has long since attracted the attention of safety officials, who have now clamped down and restricted capacity to 50 per cent after ticketing problems and faulty turnstiles exposed by Chad.
The subsequent safety restrictions will probably mean missing out on at least £25,000 for this month's big local derby with Notts County.
LossesFigures revealed at the last AGM for the two financial years up to 2006 showed losses of £258,000 and £238,000 (despite a windfall FA Cup tie at Newcastle and the repayment of £500,000 personal loans by Mr Haslam).
Despite the club's perilous position, Mr Haslam — the first director to ever receive a salary from the Stags — increased his wages by 20 per cent.
Now fans are asking: With a distinct lack of income this season so far, how will the club meet its wage bill over the coming months?
Going into administration is a drastic step that has already been mentioned around Field Mill – and one which would surely condemn the Stags to relegation.
On the pitch, things are going little better for manager Billy Dearden's small squad – despite the fans through the Stags Supporters Association (SSA) paying for training facilities.
Ahead of last night, they had won just one and drawn another from 10 League and cup matches. They won just one of the final 10 matches last season.
Keith Haslam (not for the first time) officially announced the football club was for sale in March – when fed-up fans were protesting and also boycotting matches.
Mr Haslam, who will probably sell the club and rent Field Mill to new owners, has since:
- Rejected a bid for the ground AND football club from chairman James Derry.
- Rejected a bid for the football club from an Australian interest – a bid rekindled over recent days.
- Frustrated bidders by wanting to keep the £585,000 loaned to his company Stags Ltd, from the football club, to purchase land at Skegby.
- Spoken of an interest from London.
Last week Mr Haslam told Chad the ball was in the court of the would-be owners. WRONG! The ball is firmly in Mr Haslam's court.
Negotiations are still taking place between Mr Derry's consortium and Mr Haslam – a quick conclusion to any sale and then investment in the club has to be the way forward for the Stags.
Mr Haslam, sell now and give the football club a chance of survival.
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