Athletic deny Wardle link-up

ATHLETIC have again quashed rumours circulating that John Wardle is set to invest in the club.

Speaking at a supporters’ forum at Radclyffe School, Chadderton, managing director Simon Corney told fans that though he had held a meeting last season with the former Manchester City chairman — whose JD Sports company was a shirt sponsor during Athletic’s Premier League days — he had declined the offer of stepping on board.

“We have spoken with John Wardle but he has no interest in coming,” said Corney, who assured fans the owners were “100-per-cent committed” to assuring Athletic’s future.

“We sat down and had a chat when Joe Royle was here. But John said to me ‘you are mad — why would I want to be as mad as you?’

“I think a combination of the proposed move to Failsworth and the team not doing as well as last year, though the budget is the same, has led to this sort of speculation.

“But as an example, when Dave Penney came here he asked us to provide breakfast and lunch for the players every day.

“For 30 players, it costs us £1500 a week and £60,000 a year. We don’t need to do that, but we do it because it will hopefully make players stronger, fitter and less injury-prone.

“We have had no approaches but at the same time, if the right guy comes along, we would sell part or all our shares if it was the right thing to do for the club.”

Corney, who stressed the importance of the Failsworth venture to the club’s financial health in the future against a background of falling attendances at Boundary Park, also spoke on the topic of under-pressure manager Dave Penney.

Cursing the sort of bad luck which added Andy Holdsworth to the list of long-term injuries this week, Corney said there would be provision to bring more players in on loan should the prospect of relegation loom large.

“We have had a huge amount of loans and not cheap loans either,” Corney added, assuring fans that a drop into League Two wouldn’t affect the Failsworth plans.

“It is not really working for Dave Penney at the moment. But I feel for him as we have had an incredible amount of injuries.

“I have never known a situation where you have four players out for months — key players, too.

“If we think it will make a difference then we will try to find the money to bring in another one or two loan players as we don’t want to get relegated.”


ATHLETIC are hopeful of a big crowd for Saturday’s must-win home game against Exeter City at Boundary Park. Ticket prices have been slashed to £2 for adults and £1 concessions.