Northwich Victoria Supporters Trust chairman invites fans to donate to fund to help pay for move (From Northwich Guardian)

Northwich Victoria Supporters Trust chairman invites fans to donate to fund to help pay for move

4:20pm Thursday 26th January 2012 in News By Andrew Simpson

A FOOTBALL fan who has followed his favourite team for more than half a century believes fellow supporters can help to keep their club alive.

Paul Stockton invited Northwich Victoria fans last night, Wednesday, to start donating cash that could pay for the Wincham-based club to relocate in the future.

“I watched my first match along with my granddad,” he said.

“One day I’d like to do the same with my own grandson. Mine is not the only family to have that tradition.”

Mr Stockton, chairman of Northwich Victoria Supporters Trust, told the Guardian that doing nothing is not an option after the club were evicted from their Victoria Stadium home last Thursday.

A firm based nearby, Thor Specialities (UK) Ltd, said the next day that the last ball had been kicked there in Vics’ FA Trophy success against Staines Town the previous weekend.

But the chemicals manufacturer’s plans for the nine-acres site on which the ground is built remain a secret.

“I think all fans would prefer to stay at the Victoria Stadium, but that is near certain now not to happen,” said Mr Stockton.

“We have to start thinking about the long-term future of the club and where it will play.

“Putting money into a pot is a first practical step.”

He said some Northwich fans, upon discovering that Thor had made an initial enquiry about buying the stadium as long ago as last summer, were upset they had not been asked raise money for a rival bid.

But the club’s owner, Jim Rushe, insists he was not told another offer had been made for the ground.

“Non-league clubs like Northwich represent what I call real football,” added Mr Stockton.

“They are the fabric of the game around which towns of our size can rally.

“It’s possible, given enough time, that Northwich fans might have made enough donations to help the club buy back its home.”

Thor revealed on Wednesday that finance experts at Deloitte Touche, hired to sell the ground on behalf of Clydesdale Bank in October 2008, had initially said they wanted to do a deal with Mr Rushe.

The Guardian asked Deloitte on Monday if, and when, it had informed Vics’ owner that a third party had entered the bidding.

It has not yet replied though.

Meanwhile more than 100 fans attended an open forum at Wincham Community Centre last night, where they were addressed by Rushe.

He said: “If you think I made a mistake not asking for your help to buy the ground, then I apologise.

“I didn’t think I would need to because lenders had made offers they later withdrew.”

He admitted that a six-figures sum paid as a deposit to Deloitte by Northwich Victoria Developments Ltd, a firm he set up in March 2009 to buy the Victoria Stadium, had been lost.

He ruled out too the possibility of asking a judge to intervene in Thor’s purchase, due to be complete in the coming days, saying it would be too expensive.