Swansea's most valued supporter interview follows. It is a bit mixed in parts, but it ends on exactly the right note:
Swansea City Takeover: Fans MUST Atay on Board, Says Legend Mel Nurse
By South Wales Evening Post | Posted: April 13, 2016
By Stephen Ware
MEL Nurse, the man who has twice rescued Swansea City from possible oblivion, believes fans must keep their place on the board if the club is taken over.
Talks are continuing over a possible £110 million deal to buy Swansea, with US investors Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien hoping to complete their purchase by the end of the month.
The feeling within the club is that even if there are doubts right now, Swansea's shareholders – aside from the Supporters' Trust – will eventually agree to a sale which could be finalised as early as the end of April.
But if there is a major shake-up at boardroom level, Nurse is against any move to marginalise the fans .
"The football club belongs to the fans," he said. "It belongs to the people of Swansea.
"It's about people. I read that the Supporters' Trust haven't been involved in negotiations, and I think they need to be."
In 1985 Nurse was part of a five-man team who helped save Swansea from extinction after they were wound up in the High Court.
And in 2002 he was again a key figure in wresting control of the club from unpopular chairman Tony Petty, whose reign at the Vetch descended into farce when he tried to sack a number of players.
Huw Jenkins took over as chairman, but the Supporters' Trust have retained a seat on the board.
But they fear that if the Levien-Kaplan group secure as many shares as they are looking to buy, their 21.1 per cent stake in the club could become almost irrelevant.
Nurse said of the current board: "They have been careful what they've spent, which is brilliant.
"They have done a really good job there. They have money in the bank, it is well run and now the majority of the club is going to be sold to Americans.
"You have to put £100 million into context. Swansea will get more than that next year by way of funding from the Premier League, never mind everything else such as ticket sales and merchandise.
"I'm surprised they are selling control of the club to outsiders." [Emphasis added.]
______________
http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Swansea-City-takeover-Fans-stay-board-sa |  |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
