BREAKING NEWS: Town chief ousted after losing big vote
Hucknall Town owner Steve Greaves
HUCKNALL Town Football Club are again looking for a new benefactor — after chairman Steve Greaves quit amid a storm of controversy.
Bus baron Greaves (56) left the club yesterday (Sunday) after losing a vote of no-confidence less than four months into his regime.
The vote was held at an emergency meeting called by the club’s committee.
As well as committee members, those allowed to have their say were social club members and backers who have signed up to a shares scheme to help turn Town into a limited company this summer. Chairman Greaves, a former police officer, was ousted by 28 votes to 19.
The position of fellow owner Michael Johnson, the 38-year-old former Birmingham City, Notts County and Derby County defender, remains unclear. Johnson is currently vice-chairman and director of football.
Manager Des Lyttle has also yet to decide whether to stay with the club.
Both Johnson and Lyttle have arranged a meeting with Town’s chief executive, Liz Morley, on Wednesday night (February 1) to determine the future at Watnall Road.
Greaves, who owns local bus company Premiere Travel, said: “I am devastated. I am bitterly disappointed with the result of the vote.
“We had big plans to take Hucknall Town forward and turn it into a community club.
“I came into this with the best intentions and I would like to thank the fans and everyone involved who have supported me. I wish the club all the best.”
Greaves and Johnson breezed into Watnall Road in October after a traumatic summer during which Town nearly folded under the burden of a VAT debt of more than £87,000. This followed the team’s relegation from the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League, Premier Division.
After the resignation of former boss Tommy Brookbanks, the duo installed ex-Nottingham Forest defender Lyttle (40) as manager. And under Lyttle, Town have remained in contention for a promotion play-off place in Division One South of the Evo-Stik League.
When Brookbanks left, The Yellows sat fifth in the table with 21 points from 11 games. After a 2-1 win at Brigg Town last Saturday, they sit sixth with 45 points from 29 games.
However, off the field, the turmoil and power struggles that have plagued the club in recent seasons continued to rage.
Greaves fell out with chief executive Morley over Town’s cashflow. But Morley and other club officials began to question whether the new owner had the financial clout to realise his vision for The Yellows.
Despite incentives to fans, attendances for home games remained poor. But Greaves became increasingly frustrated at the level of debt the club were saddled with.
Greaves, who says he is a self-made multi-millionaire, insisted he had a business plan — and the necessary funds — to make Town self-sufficient.
“I have a very clear understanding of money issues in football and I am deeply offended by statements that imply an inability to produce the money,” he says.
Greaves’s frustration boiled over when a backer who had promised to buy shares to turn Town from a members’ club into into a limited company had cold feet and asked for his money back.
He called a crisis meeting with committee members and trustees, demanding to be given control of the club’s finances, so that he could see where his investment was going, and also demanding the removal of Morley.
When this move failed, he signalled his intention to step down until the committee had decided on its future direction for the club, and he left the country for a two-week holiday.
While on holiday, he launched a bid to persuade the club to accept his proposals for the future of Town. That bid led to yesterday’s meeting, which rejected Greaves’s plans.
The decision puts the spotlight on Town’s finances again. Greaves claimed he was initially pumping between £2,000 and £3,000 a week into the club, although he later revised this figure to more than £20,000 in total, and he previously promised to continue to honour the players’ wages. The wage-bill includes four players on contract.
Town insist his input was nowhere near £20,000 but they claim thay have attracted new investment, also amounting to about £20,000, that will see them through until the end of the campaign without any help from Greaves.
It needs to be decided whether that new cash will be spent on players’ wages or on paying off other debts. However the club stress that the VAT debt continues to be paid off via the monthly instalments agreed with HMRC. Just £30,000 is now outstanding.
An extraordinary general meeting has now been called for Sunday February 12 to ratify the vote against Greaves and also to appoint a new chairman.
However the saga looks likely to rumble on, with Greaves offering to prove that he did inject £20,000 into the club and also threatening to take legal action to retrieve it.
FOR THE FULL STORY, INCLUDING COMMENTS AND QUOTES FROM TEAM GREAVES AND THE CLUB, DON’T MISS THIS FRIDAY’S PAPER.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Hucknall
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 2 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
ianbrough
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 10:41 PMSteve Greaves has phoned me tonight and asked me to clarify a few things for the record: 1. On the matter of Tommy & Stonner.. He 100% did not appoint Des Lyttle as manager of HTFC until the Wednesday after it was confirmed that both Tommy and Stonner had resigned on the previous Tuesday in October. Des Lyttle was approached by Michael Johnson over the weekend previous as Steve Greaves and Michael Johnson were informed by HTFC that Tommy was meeting with Stamford on the Friday and he was almost certain to leave HTFC. Steve Greaves was lead to believe that the matter of Tommy and Stonner's resignation was on the cards and final and therefore speaking with them was not an option available to him. On no occasion was Steve Greaves told that Tommy & Stonner, and their potential investors would like to speak to him. 2. On the matter of finances.. Steve Greaves is a self made Multi Millionaire, this is not something that he would normally go around boasting about and he prides himself in having kept his feet firmly on the ground when it comes to money. His injection of Cash by way of loan to HTFC amounts to £20k and this is absolutely true. Steve Greaves has a very clear understanding of money issues in football and did not underestimate the financial requirements of Hucknall Town FC. Steve Greaves is deeply offended by statements that imply an inability to produce the money and is willing to show evidence in the form of cheque stubs and invoices that prove his injection if necessary. 3. By virtue of the fact that there was a consortium of members (unknown) that have pledged £35k prior to Sunday's meeting, it is clear that the decision to oust Steve Greaves was predetermined, and we have it on good information that people were lobbied in order to gain support for the no confidence vote, underhandedly in days leading to Sundays meeting. 4. The matter of HTFC's finance was and still is of grave concern to Steve Greaves. 5. Steve Greaves was happy to tidy matters up with HTFC in a respectable manner and sever all ties quickly so that all parties could move forward, however unfounded claims publicised today may result in legal action, creating yet another expense for Hucknall Town FC that they do not need. 6. Steve Greaves is taking legal advice to retrieve his £20k injection of cash from HTFC. Steve Greaves would like to thank the fans and members that supported him during his time with HTFC as Chairman and would like to wish Des, his staff and the team all the very best for the season and the future.
zac
Monday, January 30, 2012 at 10:09 PMnow that he been told to pick is ball and leave town will steve take is toys and buses has well, which will leave trent barton to withdraw the estate buses like last year.
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.