Corney’s fight to save Latics

QUESTION TIME... midfielder Dean Furman (left), chairman Simon Corney, manager Paul Dickov, his assistant Gerry Taggart and head of sport science Paul Butler.

ATHLETIC chairman Simon Corney says he will do “everything in his power” to halt the club sliding into administration.

Fears of impending financial meltdown were stoked by the news that the Boundary Park outfit were late to pay player wages for February, a situation expected to resolve itself today.

Despite no longer having the support of withdrawn backers Simon Blitz and Danny Gazal, Corney said he would do all he could to keep the club going up until the end of the season — by which time he hopes plans for a new stadium away from Failsworth could be in motion, in turn leading to extra money coming into the club from developers.

“I will do everything in my power not to put the club into administration and I don’t think we will go into administration,” said Corney, speaking at a fans’ forum at Tara Leisure in Shaw last night.

“But you just never know. If it happens, it won’t be because of a lack of effort.

“There are a lot of good things at the club still.

“We have a fantastic hardcore of fans, as I have said from day one.

”The mood around the club is the best it has been in the seven years since I have been here.

“You go to work every day and it is a pleasure.

“We have a good management team and a good bunch of lads who are, if anything, too nice this year.

“If we can keep the squad together for next year I think we have an excellent chance of doing something special.

“And if we do go into administration it won’t be because of anything we do. It will be because of circumstances out of our control.”

Corney stressed that concrete plans for a new stadium were an absolute necessity if the club was not to slowly slide into oblivion.

He said there was now a “slim to none” chance that the proposed relocation to Failsworth could be rescued following the recent Charity Commission ruling.

Staying on at Boundary Park next season is still an option, Corney suggested, though there was no indication that a viable alternative future site for a new stadium had been identified.

“I don’t think we have got the will at the club to fight that one (Failsworth),” he said.

“It could happen but it would take many, many years.

“We are not going to hang around for that. At least, I am not. It is too long, too complicated and probably won’t end up happening anyway.

“I have got ideas for sites and other people have as well, but whether they are deliverable or not is a different story.”