| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS 17:22 - Mar 23 with 9468 views | RAFCBLUE |
The Football Association have published the written reasons into Andrew Curran being found guilty of an aggravated breach of FA rules.
You can find this yourself by:
1. Visit: https://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/discipline/written-reasons
2. Type 'Curran' in the search box
3. Click search and the PDF then appears at the bottom of the screen
Or simply click this link:
https://www.thefa.com/-/media/files/thefaportal/governance-docs/discipline-cases
The Daily Telegraph reported in August 2021:
Jarvis said he himself had been on the “heated” Zoom call and that he could not recall the alleged comments being made by Curran, adding: “I don’t think, if he did say it, that he meant it in the way that it would be perceived.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2021/08/05/efl-investigating-homophobic-slu
Captain Sabotage at his finest there.
9.3 gives the testimony of a senior EFL official and says:
The meeting was extremely difficult throughout with AC saying words to the effect of “We own 43%, regardless of what you do. If they want to be a load of nancy boys stabbing us in the back that’s up to them”.
9.5 gives the testimony of a senior EFL official and says:
"AC then challenged the EFL and stated words to the effect of “We own 43% regardless of what you do”. This was aimed at the EFL. He went on ‘If they want to be a load of nancy boys stabbing us in the back, that’s up to them”. This was in reference to the RAFC Board.
Reading the document carefully it looks like Jarvis is up to his neck in it.
And that was before he dropped Curran in it to the Daily Telegraph! |  |
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 17:35 - Mar 23 with 5917 views | kel |
“ The meeting took place on 27th July 2021 and was organised and led by representatives from the EFL, along with AC and DR and an individual called Alexandra Jarvis (AJ) who was acting as the broker for AC and DR, as well as a legal representative.” 😂😂
I’m no legal expert but that reads to me like Roger is in a bit of trouble. What a shame. [Post edited 23 Mar 2022 17:36]
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 18:30 - Mar 23 with 5776 views | finberty |
Alexandra is a girls name.
Like Nancy. |  | | |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 18:33 - Mar 23 with 5755 views | IOMDale |
‘We own 43% regardless of what you do’.
Rochdale supporters: Hold my pint. |  |
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 18:57 - Mar 23 with 5681 views | SuddenLad |
Pretty damning evidence and his mouth is his worst asset. Whatever he might think, there won't ever be a day when he passes the OADT, and his claimed shareholding isn't worth the paper it's written on. |  |
| “It is easier to fool people, than to convince them that they have been fooled†|
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 18:58 - Mar 23 with 5684 views | Sandyman |
"9.4(a) The previous CEO of RAFC was David Bottomley (DB), who was removed from his role on 1 June 2021. Prior to leaving the club, he was in contact with AC (Andrew Curran) and DR (Darrell Rose) and initiated conversations about selling his shares in RAFC. It has since come to light that DB passed on personal information to AC and DR who have since acquired shares. This was all done without any knowledge of RAFC or any communication with the EFL which would require authorisation under OADT."
Who has been a very naughty boy? |  | | |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 19:01 - Mar 23 with 5673 views | UpTheDaleNotForSale |
We have taken some of the snippets and turned them into an easy to read format. Feel free to share as you see fit!
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| Twitter : @DaleNotForSale
Facebook : facebook.com/upthedalenotforsale |
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 19:02 - Mar 23 with 5668 views | RAFCBLUE |
Later that day I wrote to AC, via Alexander Jarvis of Blackbridge Sports to request his availability to be interviewed by the FA in relation to this allegation. On 23 August 2021, I received a response from Mr. Jarvis who had cc’d in AC into the email thread and stated, “Hi James, introducing to you Andrew Curran here via email. Morton House will respond directly.”
Remind us Jarvo, what exactly is the link between Andrew Curran and Morton House?
Is it his family member Denise Valarie Courtnell? | |
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 19:12 - Mar 23 with 5585 views | wozzrafc |
As a preliminary matter, the Commission has considered AC’s challenge that he is not a ‘Participant’ as defined by the FA Disciplinary Regulations. The Commission found unanimously that AC is a participant by virtue of the FA Disciplinary Regulations. This is by
5
virtue of the declaration that AC signed within the EFL Owner’s and Directors’ Test that AC signed on 15 July 2021 and is replicated as follows:
“I, the undersigned, understand that by signing and dating this Declaration I acknowledge and agree to be bound by the Regulations of the English Football League. I further acknowledge that as a Relevant Person I am / will become a “Participant” as that term is defined in the Football Association Rules and, as such will be bound by them." (emphasis added).
If I have read that correctly I would assume AC and DC signed the OADT test then they would fall under the jurisdiction of the EFL [Post edited 23 Mar 2022 19:41]
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 19:44 - Mar 23 with 5400 views | Sandyman |
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 20:27 - Mar 23 with 5225 views | NorthernDale |
Reading the document, it is clear that Rochdale did nothing wrong and fully followed the rules. So the EFL charges against the club seems weak (I accept, I may be proved wrong in respect to this0 and punishment should be directed to former directors and MH.
Our beloved former CEO seems to be exposed as potentially as the chief plotter, selling his shares, breaking the law in respect to data protection, which should reported to the relevant body. The fact he tried to buy shares in the new share issue, to no doubt to assist MH and Southall to gain control of the club,makes his position worse. What I find incredible is that having been caught out previously with Hasbro in breaking the regulations in respect to pricing fixing, he then goes onto data protection rules. He must be finished, if the EFL find him guilty and the document seems to indicate his guilt.
The document also suggests to me, that Curran's inappropriate language, constantly according in his responses to the EFL, says a lot about the man. I remember an old saying 'you can take the person out of the slum, but you cannot take the slum out of the person'. Curran appears to be a man, who after being exposed for acting like the rules did not apply to him or Morton House and when asked about the business and his income source, he refused to co-operate and even the EFL seem to have had doubts about Morton House financial background. Moreover his arrogant attitude of 'we own 43% regardless of what you do', reveals a man who does not like to be challenged and is the behaviour of bully and not the behaviour of a respected businessman. Even the document described his 'bombastic, confrontational manner and responded to several questions defensively', which suggest a level of deceitfulness and this poses why, would a honest businessman act in this way?
One thing, I found interesting the reference to his son and daughter, there was virtually no mention of his son on the forum and I cannot remember the mention of his daughter, I did know he had a daughter. [Post edited 23 Mar 2022 20:43]
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 07:12 - Mar 24 with 4642 views | RAFCBLUE |
Aside from all the useful facts that the Football Association’s written reasons yesterday openly disclosed in the public domain my key takeaway is that two senior EFL officials contributed to the evidence for this.
When you read in 9.5(d) an EFL representative quoted as saying:
” AC then challenged the EFL and stated words to the effect of “We own 43% regardless of what you do”. This was aimed at the EFL.”
This highlights the EFL have a massive problem with their rules and enforcement of them if they report Andrew Curran saying things like that in a closed meeting that somehow the EFL’s rules don’t apply to Andrew Curran / Morton House.
We do have to credit Captain Sabotage Alexander Jarvis with the assist here. The written reasons label Jarvo Andrew Curran’s “legal representative”
I asked AC for an email address to put this request to him in writing, to which he requested for me to email his legal representative, Alexander Jarvis of Blackbridge Sports, rather than emailing him directly.
Alexander Jarvis - the only legal representative who’ll guarantee you end up in the dock! | |
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 08:45 - Mar 24 with 4471 views | wozzrafc |
The interesting thing for me is how this document highlights the web of lies which were being told.
Here is an example
Section 9.1
Having acquired the shares, AC and DR became aware that they were required to pass the EFL's Owners and Directors Test (“OADT”) and subsequently submitted the OADT declaration forms to the EFL
Section 9.4
AC and DR who have since acquired shares. This was all done without any knowledge ofRAFC or any communication with the EFL which would require authorisation under OADT.
AC and DR subsequently did submit OADT forms to RAFC. However, there was a slight delay in submitting these forms. Once the forms were submitted to the EFL, the EFL scheduled a meeting on 27 July 2021.
Section 10
The Commission found unanimously that AC is a participant by virtue of the FA Disciplinary Regulations. This is by
5
virtue of the declaration that AC signed within the EFL Owner’s and Directors’ Test that AC signed on 15 July 2021 and is replicated as follows:
“I, the undersigned, understand that by signing and dating this Declaration I acknowledge and agree to be bound by the Regulations of the English Football League. I further acknowledge that as a Relevant Person I am / will become a “Participant” as that term is defined in the Football Association Rules and, as such will be bound by them." (emphasis added).
Now looking that you would assume that Curran purchased the shares without him or his football advisor not knowing they needed to pass a test with the Relevant governing body the EFL.
On finding out they rushed to comply and finally signed the form on the 15th July then submitted to RAFC.
A simple mistake anyone can make. (Not a great advert for a supposed football broker not knowing the rules)
Ahhhhhhh but think back to how the EFL were alerted and what triggered the investigation!!
Tonight’s Trust email by IOMDale 15 Jul 2021 18:56Brilliant update - I know we’ve said it a lot of late but a massive thanks to all those working behind the scenes to make sure these shysters don’t get their hands on OUR club:
Trust Statement: Andy Curran and Darrell Rose
Supporters will be aware of developments over the past week regarding a possible takeover of the Football Club. We, as a Trust, do not believe this prospective takeover is in the best interest of the Club.
Much has happened over the past fortnight and, while we have updated our members twice during that period, it’s important we continue to bring you as much information as possible at this moment in time. Things are happening very quickly to the extent that even this communication might even be out of date by the time you’ve finished reading it.
We first became aware of the takeover interest two weeks ago, when it emerged that a Football Financier called Alex Jarvis had been contacting shareholders representing Andy Curran and Darrell Rose with a view to purchasing large shareholdings within the Football Club for the purpose of gaining a majority shareholding. We believe that some shareholders were informed by Jarvis that they had already acquired a majority shareholding in the Club, which was not true.
Our immediate response to hearing this news was to email the shareholders we have previously been in contact with in the run up to June’s EGM and warn them of what was developing. We believe Jarvis had been handed shareholders’ details that were confidential to the Football Club and not in the public domain, and this was being used to contact shareholders to purchase their shares.
Obviously, the names of Alex Jarvis, Andy Curran and Darrel Rose were new to us, as they have no previous links to our Football Club.
Andy Curran comes with very little digital footprint so far. For a man with sufficient wealth to purchase a Football Club, we could find very little information regarding his history other than one involvement with a construction company back in 2009. This raised several concerns to us in itself. The only other information that we had involved a link with Swindon Town FC last season, where his son was a member of the first-team squad.
Darrell Rose was been an easier person to track down. We know that he has a family-run car showroom in Worksop and is involved with a couple of housing companies. He, himself, didn’t flag up any immediate concerns.
Alex Jarvis is listed many times on the internet in relation to his previous deals, and one particular person that we have spoken to as part of our due diligence (who has had previous dealings with him) simply said to us: “Do not negotiate with Jarvis.” He has been involved in takeovers and attempted takeovers at Barnsley, Hull City, Peterborough and Woking. He is not expected to be part of any future involvement in the club, and his role is simply to try to acquire sufficient shareholding for Curran and Rose.
We emailed Jarvis on Saturday 3rd July asking for contact details for Andy Curran, with Curran himself emailing us back on Monday 5th, and we emailed back immediately expressing our views on the Football Club and any concerns that we as a Trust would have with regards to any prospective takeover. He replied with aims and plans for the Club, explaining what had gone on so far. A meeting was arranged for Tuesday 6th July.
A meeting took place on Tuesday as scheduled following an earlier meeting at the Club between Curran and Jarvis and the Board of Directors at the Football Club. The meeting was attended by Trust Chair Colin Cavanah and Trust member Richard Wild, lasting approximately an hour and a half.
During the meeting, we expressed a number of concerns about the prospective ownership model, the way in which the shares and information about them had been obtained, and the lack of information available regarding prospective new owners. As has been a stock phrase over recent months, we explained how lower league football has been haunted by the likes of Stewart Day in recent years and there was a need for transparency at every step of the way.
Curran explained to us that he had always been interested in football at a lower level. We were pleased that he didn’t just come out with promises of Championship football and beyond, as we have heard in previous weeks. He talked about sustainability for the Club and not over spending and he seemed to be on a very similar page to us.
He explained that he had no desire to personally be involved with the Club on a day-to-day basis and he was very happy to proceed with things at the Club as they currently are. He saw himself turning up on matchdays and treating it more as a social event, with those already in situ continuing with the running of the Club.
When questioned as to why so little information was available about him, he said that this was simply down to him being a very private person. He had made his money through a roofing business and housing, and since then he had preferred to be the money man behind ventures.
We explained how we felt it would be a real concern if we had an owner that fans knew next to little about, as we had seen over the past couple of years with a previous Chairman. Curran accepted what we had said, and agreed to be interviewed by a supporter who is a journalist and to take part in a podcast in an attempt to reassure supporters.
The Trust put out an update following this meeting. The purpose of this was to provide a platform to Curran, in much the same way that we had done with both Dan Altman and Chris Dunphy in previous months. We saw this as being an update to members reporting back on the meeting.
However, we were contacted by the EFL, through the Club, with regards to two lines that appeared in our statement, raising issues that related to shareholding and proof of funds. They stated that they felt they may need to issue a statement regarding this prospective takeover.
We had stated that Curran and Rose had purchased 42% of the shares at that moment in time. We now know this is not the case, and there hasn’t been a single share transfer form handed into the Club. Until this is done and approved, they do not currently own a single share in the Football Club. We amended our statement to state “agreed to purchase”.
The EFL also stated to us that the statement that Curran had provided proof of funds to the EFL was incorrect. We deleted this line.
We communicated a number of times with the EFL, stating our concerns and that we would be very happy should they choose to issue a statement. We asked them what the case was with regards to the Proof of Funding and the EFL stated that they had no evidence of any proof of funding being made available to them with regards to Curran and Rose’s takeover, and we published details of this on our website last Friday evening. To our knowledge, this situation has not changed.
We contacted Jarvis on Friday night who insisted that this information had been submitted to the Club, and it is the responsibility of the Club to pass these documents on to the EFL. We have spoken to the Club about this, who have said some details have been provided but nowhere near to the level of detail that should be expected in this situation, something Jarvis should have been aware of.
Following our talks with the EFL, we spent the weekend digging into as much information as we could find regarding Curran, Rose and the company being used to purchase the shares. Curran is not listed on Companies House as having any involvement with this company. We found a number of further concerns from publicly available information regarding the suitability of those wishing to take over at the Club and we have passed this information on to the EFL.
We have reached out to other Supporters’ Trusts, and information that we have received from our peers at Swindon Town has been passed on to the EFL as well. AWe are contacting the EFL on an almost daily basis to ensure that all necessary checks are investigated and that they are fully up to speed with the goings on. The attitude of the EFL is very supportive and they are appreciative of our efforts to keep them in the loop.
As things stand, we believe that Curran and Rose have made agreements to purchase the shares, but the share transfer forms have not been presented to the Club and, as such, the shares are not in the possession of either Curran or Rose or the organisation they propose to use to purchase the shares. We had made enquiries as to whether any money has actually changed hands but, at this moment, we cannot confirm this either way.
Despite claims they have made to individual shareholders, we do not believe that they have reached agreements to acquire over 42% of the Club. Of course, this does not rule out further share purchases that could take them above 50%, and there is a need to be vigilant to ensure this does not happen.
On the subject of proof of funding, the EFL Head of Governance, Ryan Hyde, wrote to us last Friday and confirmed that they “cannot find any evidence of the source and sufficiency of funding on behalf of the potential purchaser having been provided to us.”
The EFL rules of the Owners and Directors Test (Appendix 3) state in Rule 3.1 that for any Person proposing to acquire Control of a Club: the Person seeking control shall, as far in advance of the acquisition of Control as reasonably possible and in any event no later than 10 Normal Working Days prior to the date on which it is anticipated that such acquisition of Control will take place.
(i) submit to the League a duly completed Declaration in respect of each Person who will become a Relevant person upon the proposed acquisition of Control;
Having consulted with the EFL, we do not believe any person has either (a) contacted the EFL or (b) made the relevant proposal for acquisition of control.
There has been a great deal of work that has taken place over the past fortnight, arguably more so than at any other time in our history and this will continue until this is resolved. This is one of the most pivotal times in the history of the Club.
We have reached out to the Football Supporters Association, Rochdale MP Sir Tony Lloyd and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham for support with this.
We hope that in the next few days, we will be able to present to our members the outcome from some of the work that has taken place, and we will seek further member advice on this.
As always, the direction of the Trust will be guided by the members, so if you have any views on this that you would like to share with us, whether it is in support or against, please send them to info@daletrust.co.uk.
Furthermore, if you have any specific questions with regards to this, please send them as part of our new Q&A initiative to questions@daletrust.co.uk.
We will be writing again to members in the next few days with our next steps in fighting this and ensuring that the Club will never be put in such a position again.
We need all supporters to stand together as a Club at this time. This isn’t a disagreement over the merits of a manager or a debate as to whether or not the Club is doing things right — this is the very future of the Club on the line. We’ve seen down at Bury just what can happen. That doesn’t happen here, we won’t let it. This time last week, I was convinced this was a fait accompli. A week on, I am convinced we can stop this and keep the Club in the hands of the supporters as it should be.
This is my Club. This is your Club. This is our Club!
When Curran met with the trust on 6th July he told them he’d proved to the EFL proof of funds and complied with the OADT tests.
But we now know for a fact he hadn’t even signed the forms over a week later telling the club and the EFL he didn’t know they existed.
That’s the problem when you tell different lies to different people. You have to remember what story you told to what people. Or it could come back to bite you on the arse like signing and dating a form that A) agrees to be bound by the jurisdiction of the governing body, and B) is date stamped proving when you actually filled it in. [Post edited 24 Mar 2022 9:05]
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 10:03 - Mar 24 with 4290 views | jacko_dale |
Probably shouldn't come as a surprise but it's almost impressive how much Curran really comes across as a thoroughly unpleasant bloke in that document. | | | |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 10:06 - Mar 24 with 4286 views | judd |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 08:45 - Mar 24 by wozzrafc |
The interesting thing for me is how this document highlights the web of lies which were being told.
Here is an example
Section 9.1
Having acquired the shares, AC and DR became aware that they were required to pass the EFL's Owners and Directors Test (“OADT”) and subsequently submitted the OADT declaration forms to the EFL
Section 9.4
AC and DR who have since acquired shares. This was all done without any knowledge ofRAFC or any communication with the EFL which would require authorisation under OADT.
AC and DR subsequently did submit OADT forms to RAFC. However, there was a slight delay in submitting these forms. Once the forms were submitted to the EFL, the EFL scheduled a meeting on 27 July 2021.
Section 10
The Commission found unanimously that AC is a participant by virtue of the FA Disciplinary Regulations. This is by
5
virtue of the declaration that AC signed within the EFL Owner’s and Directors’ Test that AC signed on 15 July 2021 and is replicated as follows:
“I, the undersigned, understand that by signing and dating this Declaration I acknowledge and agree to be bound by the Regulations of the English Football League. I further acknowledge that as a Relevant Person I am / will become a “Participant” as that term is defined in the Football Association Rules and, as such will be bound by them." (emphasis added).
Now looking that you would assume that Curran purchased the shares without him or his football advisor not knowing they needed to pass a test with the Relevant governing body the EFL.
On finding out they rushed to comply and finally signed the form on the 15th July then submitted to RAFC.
A simple mistake anyone can make. (Not a great advert for a supposed football broker not knowing the rules)
Ahhhhhhh but think back to how the EFL were alerted and what triggered the investigation!!
Tonight’s Trust email by IOMDale 15 Jul 2021 18:56Brilliant update - I know we’ve said it a lot of late but a massive thanks to all those working behind the scenes to make sure these shysters don’t get their hands on OUR club:
Trust Statement: Andy Curran and Darrell Rose
Supporters will be aware of developments over the past week regarding a possible takeover of the Football Club. We, as a Trust, do not believe this prospective takeover is in the best interest of the Club.
Much has happened over the past fortnight and, while we have updated our members twice during that period, it’s important we continue to bring you as much information as possible at this moment in time. Things are happening very quickly to the extent that even this communication might even be out of date by the time you’ve finished reading it.
We first became aware of the takeover interest two weeks ago, when it emerged that a Football Financier called Alex Jarvis had been contacting shareholders representing Andy Curran and Darrell Rose with a view to purchasing large shareholdings within the Football Club for the purpose of gaining a majority shareholding. We believe that some shareholders were informed by Jarvis that they had already acquired a majority shareholding in the Club, which was not true.
Our immediate response to hearing this news was to email the shareholders we have previously been in contact with in the run up to June’s EGM and warn them of what was developing. We believe Jarvis had been handed shareholders’ details that were confidential to the Football Club and not in the public domain, and this was being used to contact shareholders to purchase their shares.
Obviously, the names of Alex Jarvis, Andy Curran and Darrel Rose were new to us, as they have no previous links to our Football Club.
Andy Curran comes with very little digital footprint so far. For a man with sufficient wealth to purchase a Football Club, we could find very little information regarding his history other than one involvement with a construction company back in 2009. This raised several concerns to us in itself. The only other information that we had involved a link with Swindon Town FC last season, where his son was a member of the first-team squad.
Darrell Rose was been an easier person to track down. We know that he has a family-run car showroom in Worksop and is involved with a couple of housing companies. He, himself, didn’t flag up any immediate concerns.
Alex Jarvis is listed many times on the internet in relation to his previous deals, and one particular person that we have spoken to as part of our due diligence (who has had previous dealings with him) simply said to us: “Do not negotiate with Jarvis.” He has been involved in takeovers and attempted takeovers at Barnsley, Hull City, Peterborough and Woking. He is not expected to be part of any future involvement in the club, and his role is simply to try to acquire sufficient shareholding for Curran and Rose.
We emailed Jarvis on Saturday 3rd July asking for contact details for Andy Curran, with Curran himself emailing us back on Monday 5th, and we emailed back immediately expressing our views on the Football Club and any concerns that we as a Trust would have with regards to any prospective takeover. He replied with aims and plans for the Club, explaining what had gone on so far. A meeting was arranged for Tuesday 6th July.
A meeting took place on Tuesday as scheduled following an earlier meeting at the Club between Curran and Jarvis and the Board of Directors at the Football Club. The meeting was attended by Trust Chair Colin Cavanah and Trust member Richard Wild, lasting approximately an hour and a half.
During the meeting, we expressed a number of concerns about the prospective ownership model, the way in which the shares and information about them had been obtained, and the lack of information available regarding prospective new owners. As has been a stock phrase over recent months, we explained how lower league football has been haunted by the likes of Stewart Day in recent years and there was a need for transparency at every step of the way.
Curran explained to us that he had always been interested in football at a lower level. We were pleased that he didn’t just come out with promises of Championship football and beyond, as we have heard in previous weeks. He talked about sustainability for the Club and not over spending and he seemed to be on a very similar page to us.
He explained that he had no desire to personally be involved with the Club on a day-to-day basis and he was very happy to proceed with things at the Club as they currently are. He saw himself turning up on matchdays and treating it more as a social event, with those already in situ continuing with the running of the Club.
When questioned as to why so little information was available about him, he said that this was simply down to him being a very private person. He had made his money through a roofing business and housing, and since then he had preferred to be the money man behind ventures.
We explained how we felt it would be a real concern if we had an owner that fans knew next to little about, as we had seen over the past couple of years with a previous Chairman. Curran accepted what we had said, and agreed to be interviewed by a supporter who is a journalist and to take part in a podcast in an attempt to reassure supporters.
The Trust put out an update following this meeting. The purpose of this was to provide a platform to Curran, in much the same way that we had done with both Dan Altman and Chris Dunphy in previous months. We saw this as being an update to members reporting back on the meeting.
However, we were contacted by the EFL, through the Club, with regards to two lines that appeared in our statement, raising issues that related to shareholding and proof of funds. They stated that they felt they may need to issue a statement regarding this prospective takeover.
We had stated that Curran and Rose had purchased 42% of the shares at that moment in time. We now know this is not the case, and there hasn’t been a single share transfer form handed into the Club. Until this is done and approved, they do not currently own a single share in the Football Club. We amended our statement to state “agreed to purchase”.
The EFL also stated to us that the statement that Curran had provided proof of funds to the EFL was incorrect. We deleted this line.
We communicated a number of times with the EFL, stating our concerns and that we would be very happy should they choose to issue a statement. We asked them what the case was with regards to the Proof of Funding and the EFL stated that they had no evidence of any proof of funding being made available to them with regards to Curran and Rose’s takeover, and we published details of this on our website last Friday evening. To our knowledge, this situation has not changed.
We contacted Jarvis on Friday night who insisted that this information had been submitted to the Club, and it is the responsibility of the Club to pass these documents on to the EFL. We have spoken to the Club about this, who have said some details have been provided but nowhere near to the level of detail that should be expected in this situation, something Jarvis should have been aware of.
Following our talks with the EFL, we spent the weekend digging into as much information as we could find regarding Curran, Rose and the company being used to purchase the shares. Curran is not listed on Companies House as having any involvement with this company. We found a number of further concerns from publicly available information regarding the suitability of those wishing to take over at the Club and we have passed this information on to the EFL.
We have reached out to other Supporters’ Trusts, and information that we have received from our peers at Swindon Town has been passed on to the EFL as well. AWe are contacting the EFL on an almost daily basis to ensure that all necessary checks are investigated and that they are fully up to speed with the goings on. The attitude of the EFL is very supportive and they are appreciative of our efforts to keep them in the loop.
As things stand, we believe that Curran and Rose have made agreements to purchase the shares, but the share transfer forms have not been presented to the Club and, as such, the shares are not in the possession of either Curran or Rose or the organisation they propose to use to purchase the shares. We had made enquiries as to whether any money has actually changed hands but, at this moment, we cannot confirm this either way.
Despite claims they have made to individual shareholders, we do not believe that they have reached agreements to acquire over 42% of the Club. Of course, this does not rule out further share purchases that could take them above 50%, and there is a need to be vigilant to ensure this does not happen.
On the subject of proof of funding, the EFL Head of Governance, Ryan Hyde, wrote to us last Friday and confirmed that they “cannot find any evidence of the source and sufficiency of funding on behalf of the potential purchaser having been provided to us.”
The EFL rules of the Owners and Directors Test (Appendix 3) state in Rule 3.1 that for any Person proposing to acquire Control of a Club: the Person seeking control shall, as far in advance of the acquisition of Control as reasonably possible and in any event no later than 10 Normal Working Days prior to the date on which it is anticipated that such acquisition of Control will take place.
(i) submit to the League a duly completed Declaration in respect of each Person who will become a Relevant person upon the proposed acquisition of Control;
Having consulted with the EFL, we do not believe any person has either (a) contacted the EFL or (b) made the relevant proposal for acquisition of control.
There has been a great deal of work that has taken place over the past fortnight, arguably more so than at any other time in our history and this will continue until this is resolved. This is one of the most pivotal times in the history of the Club.
We have reached out to the Football Supporters Association, Rochdale MP Sir Tony Lloyd and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham for support with this.
We hope that in the next few days, we will be able to present to our members the outcome from some of the work that has taken place, and we will seek further member advice on this.
As always, the direction of the Trust will be guided by the members, so if you have any views on this that you would like to share with us, whether it is in support or against, please send them to info@daletrust.co.uk.
Furthermore, if you have any specific questions with regards to this, please send them as part of our new Q&A initiative to questions@daletrust.co.uk.
We will be writing again to members in the next few days with our next steps in fighting this and ensuring that the Club will never be put in such a position again.
We need all supporters to stand together as a Club at this time. This isn’t a disagreement over the merits of a manager or a debate as to whether or not the Club is doing things right — this is the very future of the Club on the line. We’ve seen down at Bury just what can happen. That doesn’t happen here, we won’t let it. This time last week, I was convinced this was a fait accompli. A week on, I am convinced we can stop this and keep the Club in the hands of the supporters as it should be.
This is my Club. This is your Club. This is our Club!
When Curran met with the trust on 6th July he told them he’d proved to the EFL proof of funds and complied with the OADT tests.
But we now know for a fact he hadn’t even signed the forms over a week later telling the club and the EFL he didn’t know they existed.
That’s the problem when you tell different lies to different people. You have to remember what story you told to what people. Or it could come back to bite you on the arse like signing and dating a form that A) agrees to be bound by the jurisdiction of the governing body, and B) is date stamped proving when you actually filled it in. [Post edited 24 Mar 2022 9:05]
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You also have to question the role played by the former CE in the sale if shares by 6 individuals.
You would expect that the Chief Executive of a member club of the EFL would understand the rules that applied to being a member, including protocols surrounding share ownership.
But it doesn't surprise me he was so shoddy. Anyone remember his bleating about us having to pay policing costs at Newcastle? He clearly didn't know the rules of the competition he had entered the club into.
I can empathise with Andrew Currans' anger ( but not his choice of words), when it became apparent his cash was wasted based on advice received. To be fair, Mr Curran, we did tell you Bottomley is a tvvat. |  |
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 10:29 - Mar 24 with 4181 views | DaleiLama |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 10:06 - Mar 24 by judd |
You also have to question the role played by the former CE in the sale if shares by 6 individuals.
You would expect that the Chief Executive of a member club of the EFL would understand the rules that applied to being a member, including protocols surrounding share ownership.
But it doesn't surprise me he was so shoddy. Anyone remember his bleating about us having to pay policing costs at Newcastle? He clearly didn't know the rules of the competition he had entered the club into.
I can empathise with Andrew Currans' anger ( but not his choice of words), when it became apparent his cash was wasted based on advice received. To be fair, Mr Curran, we did tell you Bottomley is a tvvat. |
And so say all of us!
He couldn't even put a few cheese n chut sarnies on for the visitors @ KFC Fylde, so anything more complex than that is a pipe dream. Don't say you weren't warned Fylde. Wonder if he's been served with papers yet? |  |
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 11:06 - Mar 24 with 4020 views | BigKindo |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 10:06 - Mar 24 by judd |
You also have to question the role played by the former CE in the sale if shares by 6 individuals.
You would expect that the Chief Executive of a member club of the EFL would understand the rules that applied to being a member, including protocols surrounding share ownership.
But it doesn't surprise me he was so shoddy. Anyone remember his bleating about us having to pay policing costs at Newcastle? He clearly didn't know the rules of the competition he had entered the club into.
I can empathise with Andrew Currans' anger ( but not his choice of words), when it became apparent his cash was wasted based on advice received. To be fair, Mr Curran, we did tell you Bottomley is a tvvat. |
You would also have thought that Jarvis as M.H. 'legal adviser' and who claims to have been involved with investors at other EFL clubs should have been aware of EFL regulations. |  | | |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 11:18 - Mar 24 with 3963 views | wozzrafc |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 11:06 - Mar 24 by BigKindo |
You would also have thought that Jarvis as M.H. 'legal adviser' and who claims to have been involved with investors at other EFL clubs should have been aware of EFL regulations. |
I don’t for one minute believe either of them didn’t know of the requirements to comply with the OADT.
I can only speculate that the plan all along would be secure 50% of the shares before any one associated with the club realises they have lost control or can do anything about it, then work on getting though the OADT test.
They got found our because the trust statement repeated the lies they were told, which alerted the EFL to start asking questions. | | | |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 11:27 - Mar 24 with 3909 views | judd |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 11:06 - Mar 24 by BigKindo |
You would also have thought that Jarvis as M.H. 'legal adviser' and who claims to have been involved with investors at other EFL clubs should have been aware of EFL regulations. |
Indeed, so that begs the question if the erstwhile CE did know and understand the rules surrounding the acquisition of shares, did he just adopt a caveat emptor attitude and sod the consequences for Mr Curran? | |
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 11:49 - Mar 24 with 3832 views | SuddenLad |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 11:27 - Mar 24 by judd |
Indeed, so that begs the question if the erstwhile CE did know and understand the rules surrounding the acquisition of shares, did he just adopt a caveat emptor attitude and sod the consequences for Mr Curran? |
Or was he conspiring with others to circumvent the rules, by waiting for the 51% holding to be secured, before submitting any documentation, in the hope that it would all go through swimmingly and be simply be 'rubber-stamped?
Being charitable, you could say that IF that was the plan, it was very naive.
Others however, may say it was an attempt at criminal deception, whereby a major fraud, using dirty money would result in the ultimate demise of RAFC.
The truth is slowly emerging. We shall see. | |
| “It is easier to fool people, than to convince them that they have been fooled†|
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 11:52 - Mar 24 with 3832 views | judd |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 11:49 - Mar 24 by SuddenLad |
Or was he conspiring with others to circumvent the rules, by waiting for the 51% holding to be secured, before submitting any documentation, in the hope that it would all go through swimmingly and be simply be 'rubber-stamped?
Being charitable, you could say that IF that was the plan, it was very naive.
Others however, may say it was an attempt at criminal deception, whereby a major fraud, using dirty money would result in the ultimate demise of RAFC.
The truth is slowly emerging. We shall see. |
Criminality eh? | |
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 12:22 - Mar 24 with 3740 views | wozzrafc |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 08:45 - Mar 24 by wozzrafc |
The interesting thing for me is how this document highlights the web of lies which were being told.
Here is an example
Section 9.1
Having acquired the shares, AC and DR became aware that they were required to pass the EFL's Owners and Directors Test (“OADT”) and subsequently submitted the OADT declaration forms to the EFL
Section 9.4
AC and DR who have since acquired shares. This was all done without any knowledge ofRAFC or any communication with the EFL which would require authorisation under OADT.
AC and DR subsequently did submit OADT forms to RAFC. However, there was a slight delay in submitting these forms. Once the forms were submitted to the EFL, the EFL scheduled a meeting on 27 July 2021.
Section 10
The Commission found unanimously that AC is a participant by virtue of the FA Disciplinary Regulations. This is by
5
virtue of the declaration that AC signed within the EFL Owner’s and Directors’ Test that AC signed on 15 July 2021 and is replicated as follows:
“I, the undersigned, understand that by signing and dating this Declaration I acknowledge and agree to be bound by the Regulations of the English Football League. I further acknowledge that as a Relevant Person I am / will become a “Participant” as that term is defined in the Football Association Rules and, as such will be bound by them." (emphasis added).
Now looking that you would assume that Curran purchased the shares without him or his football advisor not knowing they needed to pass a test with the Relevant governing body the EFL.
On finding out they rushed to comply and finally signed the form on the 15th July then submitted to RAFC.
A simple mistake anyone can make. (Not a great advert for a supposed football broker not knowing the rules)
Ahhhhhhh but think back to how the EFL were alerted and what triggered the investigation!!
Tonight’s Trust email by IOMDale 15 Jul 2021 18:56Brilliant update - I know we’ve said it a lot of late but a massive thanks to all those working behind the scenes to make sure these shysters don’t get their hands on OUR club:
Trust Statement: Andy Curran and Darrell Rose
Supporters will be aware of developments over the past week regarding a possible takeover of the Football Club. We, as a Trust, do not believe this prospective takeover is in the best interest of the Club.
Much has happened over the past fortnight and, while we have updated our members twice during that period, it’s important we continue to bring you as much information as possible at this moment in time. Things are happening very quickly to the extent that even this communication might even be out of date by the time you’ve finished reading it.
We first became aware of the takeover interest two weeks ago, when it emerged that a Football Financier called Alex Jarvis had been contacting shareholders representing Andy Curran and Darrell Rose with a view to purchasing large shareholdings within the Football Club for the purpose of gaining a majority shareholding. We believe that some shareholders were informed by Jarvis that they had already acquired a majority shareholding in the Club, which was not true.
Our immediate response to hearing this news was to email the shareholders we have previously been in contact with in the run up to June’s EGM and warn them of what was developing. We believe Jarvis had been handed shareholders’ details that were confidential to the Football Club and not in the public domain, and this was being used to contact shareholders to purchase their shares.
Obviously, the names of Alex Jarvis, Andy Curran and Darrel Rose were new to us, as they have no previous links to our Football Club.
Andy Curran comes with very little digital footprint so far. For a man with sufficient wealth to purchase a Football Club, we could find very little information regarding his history other than one involvement with a construction company back in 2009. This raised several concerns to us in itself. The only other information that we had involved a link with Swindon Town FC last season, where his son was a member of the first-team squad.
Darrell Rose was been an easier person to track down. We know that he has a family-run car showroom in Worksop and is involved with a couple of housing companies. He, himself, didn’t flag up any immediate concerns.
Alex Jarvis is listed many times on the internet in relation to his previous deals, and one particular person that we have spoken to as part of our due diligence (who has had previous dealings with him) simply said to us: “Do not negotiate with Jarvis.” He has been involved in takeovers and attempted takeovers at Barnsley, Hull City, Peterborough and Woking. He is not expected to be part of any future involvement in the club, and his role is simply to try to acquire sufficient shareholding for Curran and Rose.
We emailed Jarvis on Saturday 3rd July asking for contact details for Andy Curran, with Curran himself emailing us back on Monday 5th, and we emailed back immediately expressing our views on the Football Club and any concerns that we as a Trust would have with regards to any prospective takeover. He replied with aims and plans for the Club, explaining what had gone on so far. A meeting was arranged for Tuesday 6th July.
A meeting took place on Tuesday as scheduled following an earlier meeting at the Club between Curran and Jarvis and the Board of Directors at the Football Club. The meeting was attended by Trust Chair Colin Cavanah and Trust member Richard Wild, lasting approximately an hour and a half.
During the meeting, we expressed a number of concerns about the prospective ownership model, the way in which the shares and information about them had been obtained, and the lack of information available regarding prospective new owners. As has been a stock phrase over recent months, we explained how lower league football has been haunted by the likes of Stewart Day in recent years and there was a need for transparency at every step of the way.
Curran explained to us that he had always been interested in football at a lower level. We were pleased that he didn’t just come out with promises of Championship football and beyond, as we have heard in previous weeks. He talked about sustainability for the Club and not over spending and he seemed to be on a very similar page to us.
He explained that he had no desire to personally be involved with the Club on a day-to-day basis and he was very happy to proceed with things at the Club as they currently are. He saw himself turning up on matchdays and treating it more as a social event, with those already in situ continuing with the running of the Club.
When questioned as to why so little information was available about him, he said that this was simply down to him being a very private person. He had made his money through a roofing business and housing, and since then he had preferred to be the money man behind ventures.
We explained how we felt it would be a real concern if we had an owner that fans knew next to little about, as we had seen over the past couple of years with a previous Chairman. Curran accepted what we had said, and agreed to be interviewed by a supporter who is a journalist and to take part in a podcast in an attempt to reassure supporters.
The Trust put out an update following this meeting. The purpose of this was to provide a platform to Curran, in much the same way that we had done with both Dan Altman and Chris Dunphy in previous months. We saw this as being an update to members reporting back on the meeting.
However, we were contacted by the EFL, through the Club, with regards to two lines that appeared in our statement, raising issues that related to shareholding and proof of funds. They stated that they felt they may need to issue a statement regarding this prospective takeover.
We had stated that Curran and Rose had purchased 42% of the shares at that moment in time. We now know this is not the case, and there hasn’t been a single share transfer form handed into the Club. Until this is done and approved, they do not currently own a single share in the Football Club. We amended our statement to state “agreed to purchase”.
The EFL also stated to us that the statement that Curran had provided proof of funds to the EFL was incorrect. We deleted this line.
We communicated a number of times with the EFL, stating our concerns and that we would be very happy should they choose to issue a statement. We asked them what the case was with regards to the Proof of Funding and the EFL stated that they had no evidence of any proof of funding being made available to them with regards to Curran and Rose’s takeover, and we published details of this on our website last Friday evening. To our knowledge, this situation has not changed.
We contacted Jarvis on Friday night who insisted that this information had been submitted to the Club, and it is the responsibility of the Club to pass these documents on to the EFL. We have spoken to the Club about this, who have said some details have been provided but nowhere near to the level of detail that should be expected in this situation, something Jarvis should have been aware of.
Following our talks with the EFL, we spent the weekend digging into as much information as we could find regarding Curran, Rose and the company being used to purchase the shares. Curran is not listed on Companies House as having any involvement with this company. We found a number of further concerns from publicly available information regarding the suitability of those wishing to take over at the Club and we have passed this information on to the EFL.
We have reached out to other Supporters’ Trusts, and information that we have received from our peers at Swindon Town has been passed on to the EFL as well. AWe are contacting the EFL on an almost daily basis to ensure that all necessary checks are investigated and that they are fully up to speed with the goings on. The attitude of the EFL is very supportive and they are appreciative of our efforts to keep them in the loop.
As things stand, we believe that Curran and Rose have made agreements to purchase the shares, but the share transfer forms have not been presented to the Club and, as such, the shares are not in the possession of either Curran or Rose or the organisation they propose to use to purchase the shares. We had made enquiries as to whether any money has actually changed hands but, at this moment, we cannot confirm this either way.
Despite claims they have made to individual shareholders, we do not believe that they have reached agreements to acquire over 42% of the Club. Of course, this does not rule out further share purchases that could take them above 50%, and there is a need to be vigilant to ensure this does not happen.
On the subject of proof of funding, the EFL Head of Governance, Ryan Hyde, wrote to us last Friday and confirmed that they “cannot find any evidence of the source and sufficiency of funding on behalf of the potential purchaser having been provided to us.”
The EFL rules of the Owners and Directors Test (Appendix 3) state in Rule 3.1 that for any Person proposing to acquire Control of a Club: the Person seeking control shall, as far in advance of the acquisition of Control as reasonably possible and in any event no later than 10 Normal Working Days prior to the date on which it is anticipated that such acquisition of Control will take place.
(i) submit to the League a duly completed Declaration in respect of each Person who will become a Relevant person upon the proposed acquisition of Control;
Having consulted with the EFL, we do not believe any person has either (a) contacted the EFL or (b) made the relevant proposal for acquisition of control.
There has been a great deal of work that has taken place over the past fortnight, arguably more so than at any other time in our history and this will continue until this is resolved. This is one of the most pivotal times in the history of the Club.
We have reached out to the Football Supporters Association, Rochdale MP Sir Tony Lloyd and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham for support with this.
We hope that in the next few days, we will be able to present to our members the outcome from some of the work that has taken place, and we will seek further member advice on this.
As always, the direction of the Trust will be guided by the members, so if you have any views on this that you would like to share with us, whether it is in support or against, please send them to info@daletrust.co.uk.
Furthermore, if you have any specific questions with regards to this, please send them as part of our new Q&A initiative to questions@daletrust.co.uk.
We will be writing again to members in the next few days with our next steps in fighting this and ensuring that the Club will never be put in such a position again.
We need all supporters to stand together as a Club at this time. This isn’t a disagreement over the merits of a manager or a debate as to whether or not the Club is doing things right — this is the very future of the Club on the line. We’ve seen down at Bury just what can happen. That doesn’t happen here, we won’t let it. This time last week, I was convinced this was a fait accompli. A week on, I am convinced we can stop this and keep the Club in the hands of the supporters as it should be.
This is my Club. This is your Club. This is our Club!
When Curran met with the trust on 6th July he told them he’d proved to the EFL proof of funds and complied with the OADT tests.
But we now know for a fact he hadn’t even signed the forms over a week later telling the club and the EFL he didn’t know they existed.
That’s the problem when you tell different lies to different people. You have to remember what story you told to what people. Or it could come back to bite you on the arse like signing and dating a form that A) agrees to be bound by the jurisdiction of the governing body, and B) is date stamped proving when you actually filled it in. [Post edited 24 Mar 2022 9:05]
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Cast your mind back to the aljazeera documentary it was the same there they see the OADT as a box ticking exercise and deal with it when they need to. They don’t see it as a problem and they believe they can sail through. | | | |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 14:30 - Mar 24 with 3435 views | finberty |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 11:27 - Mar 24 by judd |
Indeed, so that begs the question if the erstwhile CE did know and understand the rules surrounding the acquisition of shares, did he just adopt a caveat emptor attitude and sod the consequences for Mr Curran? |
'Conflict of interest' doesn't come close to describing this. As one of the five main financial beneficiaries of this exercise, I bet DB couldn't make the entire transaction go fast enough.
Oddly, it seems to be the Board and Trust that are being sued by the losers in this fiasco. | | | |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 15:25 - Mar 24 with 3257 views | EllDale |
What I still can't really get my head round is how Bottomley did all this when he didn't stand to make an absolute fortune personally.
12,500 shares x £12 wouldn't have set him up for life. | | | |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 15:41 - Mar 24 with 3197 views | James1980 |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 15:25 - Mar 24 by EllDale |
What I still can't really get my head round is how Bottomley did all this when he didn't stand to make an absolute fortune personally.
12,500 shares x £12 wouldn't have set him up for life. |
Because the arrogant onanist never thought his little scheme would fail. That he would have been reinstated as a senior employee at the club by Morton House earning a hefty salary | |
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| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 16:05 - Mar 24 with 3096 views | kel |
| MORTON HOUSE / Andrew Curran WRITTEN REASONS on 15:41 - Mar 24 by James1980 |
Because the arrogant onanist never thought his little scheme would fail. That he would have been reinstated as a senior employee at the club by Morton House earning a hefty salary |
I reckon he wasn’t the only one who though that.
Anyway, can’t stop. My tea is in the oven and I don’t want it to go Black and Burn. | | | |
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