More businesses are being urged to back the bid to turn Bath City FC into a community-owned club as the clock runs down on its latest fundraising campaign.
Bath City FC Supporters Society – which is spearheading the campaign – has secured nearly 40% of the £300,000 target needed to allow it to take a majority stake in the loss-making club.
That would then allow it to form a new board of directors and achieve its long-held goal of transferring the National League South club into community ownership.
The Society has until September 28 to reach its target – by Wednesday this week it had £112,668 confirmed.
Big Bath City Bid project co-ordinator and potential new Bath City chairman Nick Blofeld called on businesses across the city and beyond to get involved.
He said: “We feel positive that people are getting behind the bid, but will always want more to get involved now.
“We had a very good response at the home match against Whitehawk, when we secured £5,000 of pledges, and the following day we received a pledge of £5,000 from France.
“This shows the wide appeal of the bid. But while we know the traditional fans are behind the bid, we still need more people and businesses from Bath and the surrounding to support this great community project.”
Mr Blofeld, chief executive of Bath Rugby between 2009 and 2014, said the bid was about more than the club itself.
“It is about giving Bath the football club it deserves and helping to improve the Twerton Park area of the city by developing a community-owned asset that will benefit a wide range of people.,” he said.
“A successful and well-run football club can be at the heart of the area’s regeneration, even helping to support local businesses as the number of fans increases.
“There are no downsides to moving the club into community ownership, and we encourage anyone who is proud of their city to support us and to help us reach our target.”
At half time during Tuesday evening’s home match against Oxford Town, club chairman Paul Williams and lifelong Bath City fan, celebrated film director Ken Loach, staged a joint question-and-answer session with fans on the Twerton Park pitch.
They reiterated the importance of supporting the bid and the pressing need to achieve the conversion of the pledges from last year into actual shares now.
The Big Bath City Bid had hoped to raise £750,000 to buy out the club’s directors and take full ownership. It received pledges and investments of more than £300,000 from over 600 people and businesses.
Raising amount would enable it to repay the outstanding directors’ – which are effectively funding the club – in full, giving it the right to buy their remaining shares and increase its stake to 75%. It could then convert Bath City FC Ltd to a community benefit society.
To get involved go to http://www.bathcitysociety.org/community-ownership.html
Pictured: Bath City chairman Paul Williams, left, and lifelong fan, film director Ken Loach, at Tuesday's match
