SWFC Director Geoff Hulley's Incredible Interview on BBC Radio Sheffield

On Friday night, BBC Radio Sheffield's Paul Walker contacted and interviewed SWFC Director Geoff Hulley about the current situation at Hillsborough. It proved to be an enlightening interview...for all the wrong reasons.


From Time To Go's website:

"Paul Walker does a sterling job of trying to put the facts to Geoff Hulley and get a response, unfortunately as soon as things start getting interesting, Geoff cuts the interview short.

PW: What’s the latest on the takeover?

GH: I dont’ know myself, i’m anxious to find out. I’ve heard things, but no, i’ve nothing I can tell you because as I say, no papers for oooh, 3 days and we are just making our way back now.

PW: But you’ll be aware of interest from investors wont you?

GH: I’m still aware yes, I know there was a statement about the err, Norwegian, the err the oil people but that’s all I know so far.

PW: Have you heard the proposal from the Shareholders association, from Wednesdayite?  They want you to put your shareholding up, you and Keith Addy’s shareholding to allow someone to come and rescue the club.   Wednesdayite have offered to give their shares up, are you willing to give your shares up?

GH: Well, it’s something that has to be considered.  But, don’t forget Paul the bank has a big say.  They’ve told us that there can be no shares transactions without there approval.

PW: so you would entertain that offer then would you.

GH: I would give it consideration.

PW: Do you think Keith Addy would as well?

GH: oooh I’ve no idea for Keith.  Really, I haven’t seen Keith for a few weeks now.

PW: Are you ready to do a deal and walk away, is that how you are looking at things at the moment?

GH: Well, I’ve been ready for retirement for quite a while, but the err changes err, we are asked not to make changes because of possible investing groups coming in and the bank doesn’t want to have the upheaval.

PW: Do you think the club will be saved from administration?

GH: I sincerely hope so, that’s got to be the aim.

PW: Two weeks away from it now, less then that infact.

GH: Well yes well it can be within 24 hours cant it.  yes.

PW: Because obviously we heard about Kevin Mundie who had withdrawn his interest.

GH: Yeah well that’s all I read in the paper when we were down in Cannes on Tuesday was it, Monday or Tuesday?

PW: So when are you back?

GH: I’ll be back tomorrow night.

PW: And then what do you look to do?

GH: huh, I’ll look to obviously be back at the club and find out all that’s happened and what is happening.

PW: And you guys, you and Keith in particular have come in for a lot of criticism Geoff you’ve been there for a long long time

GH: Yes, I know we have, go on.

PW: How do you feel about that?

GH: Feel sick about it, its uncalled for, they don’t realise just how big a supporter both of us are at the club, what we’ve done over the years and it’s about time that they realised that it’s not the directors that have lost football matches that it’s the players that have lost football matches.

PW: Well the players have lost football matches yes, but the mess that the club finds itself in is down to the people that have been running it, isn’t it?

GH: Well that’s interpretation. We’ve run it in a businesslike manner as much as we could

PW: But you’ve run it to a point Geoff where the club could go to the wall in less than two weeks time.

GH: No, I disagree with that.

PW: How can you disagree with it, the facts speak for themselves.  You have a winding up order, you haven’t any money in the pot left, you can’t attract investment.  Whose fault is that?

GH: Err, you say that, but I don’t know that we haven’t got any money in the pot, but listen i’m in a lot of traffic, in the centre of France on a D road, and I’m not in a position to sit and discuss things or argue with you so we’ll have to leave it at that Paul.

Not only is a club director on holiday during these grave times, his only means of finding information about the club seems to be via newspapers and he is unaware that we don’t have any money to pay the debt to the HMRC.

He blames the club’s financial woes on the players losing footbal matches and seems fairly insistant that the bank are calling a lot of shots, a claim the bank apparantly disputed when Wednesdayite interviewed them.

He also hasn’t spoke to one of his fellow 10% shareholders, an ex director “for weeks now” – surely Keith still has a vested interest in his shareholding?

Thanks for the interview Geoff.   You’ve shown exactly why we at Time to Go are pushing for change."

WTID Statement on Fan Investment in SWFC

Wednesday ’til I Die, Supporters Direct, Wednesdayite, The Co-operative Enterprise Hub and Sheffield Community Enterprise Development Unit can confirm that last night (Nov 3) they held a productive meeting to discuss how they can move forward together to help to secure the future of SWFC.

Further details of this meeting will be issued in due course when all of our plans are finalised. An enormous amount of time and effort has already been put into this project by many people. It is essential that this process continues in a thorough and professional manner and as such, further updates will only be issued when it is appropriate to do so. Having said that, we are fully aware of the current time pressures that face our club and you can be assured that everything possible is being done to complete this process in a timely manner.

In the meantime, we urge all fans to continue to support the club and rest assured that we are working hard to provide an opportunity to return the club to the fans. The fans are the club.

SA Press Release - The Continuing Peril Facing SWFC

Sheffield Wednesday Shareholders Association Press Release

4^th November 2010

Re: The Continuing Peril Facing Our Club

It is a matter of public record that our famous club stands at the edge of a financial abyss like none it has ever faced before.  In 13 days time we face our second Winding Up petition at the High Court, and only a payment of £600,000 to HMRC will save our club from administration.

48 hours ago we requested that the 4 major shareholders in our club pool their shareholdings to allow a potential saviour to pay that £600,000 in return for a 40% shareholding, effectively a controlling interest. This would ensure that the club lives to fight another day.

In the 48 hours since that call the club has moved even closer to the edge of the abyss, with the news that the major financier involved in the consortium has withdrawn from the investment process. 

Also during that 48 hours both Wednesdayite and Dave Allen have responded publicly to our call by announcing they would make their shares available at no cost. Mr Allen even suggested he would write off the interest on his loan notes – an unprecedented but clearly welcome move.

Unfortunately – that leaves 2 shareholders still to announce whether they would support this incentive.

Dave Coupe, SA Chairman states “We are running out of time. We are halfway to delivering this solution, and currently are only being delayed by Geoff Hulley and Keith Addy, and their lack of commitment to this. We would urge them to announce today what their intentions are”

Nigel Short, SA Secretary states “As its clear now that this is the only tangible plan we know of to keep the club alive beyond November 17^th, we are amazed that there has been no commitment yet from 2 of the clubs longest serving directors. As each day passes the future of our club looks more and more precarious. Let’s not find ourselves sleepwalking over the edge”

Wednesdayite Press Release: SA Share Pooling

Sheffield Wednesday Supporters' Society (Wednesdayite) Press Release
2nd November 2010


Following the press release issued by the Sheffield Wednesday Shareholders Association this morning, suggesting that the four major shareholders in SWFC PLC (in conjunction with a further 14% of individual shareholders) should offer their shares in the club to an incoming investor in return for the settlement of at least the outstanding HMRC debt, Wednesdayite would like to offer its full support to this initiative and all like it that have the aim of safeguarding the immediate future of Sheffield Wednesday FC. 

As part of the wider Save Our Owls campaign, any proposal that can generate the revenue required to keep the club out of administration is welcome and the Board of Wednesdayite is committed to working with all Owls fans groups to fully explore all possibilities. Given the time constraints under which all efforts to save the club are working, Wednesdayite furthermore commits to preparing for a full ballot of its members on the sale of its shareholding immediately that a firm offer be made. 

Wednesdayite would urge the three remaining major shareholders (Keith Addy, Geoff Hulley and Dave Allen) to make a statement of their position as regards this initiative as soon as possible, to give the maximum amount of time to interested parties to respond. 

Pooling of Major Shareholdings - SA Press Release

Sheffield Wednesday Shareholders Association Press Release

2^nd November 2010

Re: The Future of Sheffield Wednesday

Following discussions last night re our clubs future and the imminent winding-up order to be heard in 15 days time, the Shareholders Association would like to urgently propose the following solution.

We would like to call on all 4 major shareholders of SWFC (Wednesdayite, Keith Addy, Geoff Hulley and Dave Allen) to pool their shareholding and make these available to any investor approved by the Bank and prepared to pay a minimum of £600k to HMRC.  This will ensure that on the 18^th November we still have a club, established in 1867, playing at its own ground and not subjected to a 10 point penalty in what we still hope will be a promotion season.

We believe this solution offers a number of advantages:

• It means that whoever keeps the club afloat immediately gains 40% share of the club
• It means that the Bank are given the initiative in vetting potential future owners
• It gives the incoming owner the opportunity to purchase additional shares from shareholders who committed to our prior scheme to co-ordinate shares and give a minimum 55% ownership of the club
• It gives the loan-note holders the opportunity to still receive payment for their loans as the club continues to trade
• It delivers the immediate survival of our club in a very short timescale

Dave Coupe, SA Chairman says “We sincerely hope that supporters group Wednesdayite can support this initiative as this will give a major indication to all fans of the club that they are prepared to sacrifice their shareholding for the good of our club, and deliver a strong message to the other 3x 10% shareholders.”

Nigel Short, SA Secretary says “This plan is simple, effective, is a win-win for all parties and delivers our club from the abyss, resolves many of the problems of the past, and gives an opportunity for the club to move forward with a new credible owner. The scheme also allows for the admirable work of groups like Save Our Owls 2010 the opportunity to continue to work on their initiatives to deliver funds to our club on an ongoing basis.”

ENDS

--

As part of the wider SOO coalition, the SA has proposed a radical short-term solution to safeguard the immediate future of SWFC. For more information on this initiative as part of SOO, please contact info@saveourowls.com.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Sheffield-Wednesday-supporters-have-launched-a-Save-Our-Owls-campaign-to-save-the-club-from-debt-article616925.html

"Worried Sheffield Wednesday fans have launched a Save Our Owls campaign.

The Hillsborough club are £27million in debt and facing their second winding-up order of the season on November 17 over their failure to pay a £600,000 debt to the taxman.

The Owls were hoping to push through a £17m takeover deal with a consortium backed by Middle East oil wealth and fronted by former Wednesday player and manager Chris Turner in time to pay the tax bill.

Turner’s group had pledged an up-front payment of £2m to secure the League One outfit’s short-term future, but three weeks on, there is no sign of the cash hitting Wednesday’s bank account.

Four fan groups have got together in a bid to raise the money because they fear their club could be heading for administration.

A statement warned: “There is little sign of any agreement on investment from outside and, at this late hour, it is vital that the whole Owls fan base come together so that administration can be avoided.

“The initial aim is to maintain the club as a going concern. By November 17, there needs to be £600,000 available, and we hope to be the party to provide it.”"

Our first national press - the snowball has started rolling!

Sheffield Star Article on Launch of SOO

http://www.thestar.co.uk/sportheadlines/Owls-Sheffield-Wednesday-fans-launch.6606031.jp

SHEFFIELD Wednesday supporters have launched a Save Our Owls campaign.

Fan groups are banding together to raise funds and help the club to pay its £600,000 debt to the taxman and see off the November 17 winding-up order.
Fans discussed their concern about the winding-up order at a meeting at Hillsborough and formed a coalition involving Wednesdayite, Wednesday Till I Die, the Shareholders Association and Time To Go.
A statement released via Wednesdayite, who hold a 10 per cent stake in the club, says that there is little time left before the court hearing and there is "little sign of any agreement on investment from outside."
The campaign seeks help from wealthy fans and rank-and-file supporters. Ideas include raising money by offering fans a seat for life.
The coalition supports chairman Howard Wilkinson and chief executive Nick Parker in their efforts to seal new investment.
The Wednesdayite statement says: "At this late hour, it is vital that the whole Owls fan base come together in the hope that administration can be avoided in the first instance and then a funding plan developed to secure the future of the club."
Wednesdayite director Eddie Hoyland told The Star: "The initial aim is to maintain the club as a going concern.
"By November 17, there needs to be £600,000 available, by hook or by crook, whether that's through investment, the Co-op bank, or another party; we hope to be that party.
"The intention is to put a package together if the work that Howard and Nick are doing does not come to fruition.
"This is the sort of campaign that can bring everyone together, not only people with means but also the mass of Wednesday fans who might not have wealth but can be part of rescuing the club."

This is just the beginning! Thanks to Paul Thompson and the Star for giving us our first mainstream publicity.