MORELL MAISON has explained the difficulties in trying to gain control of Chester City Football Club.
The club’s newly-appointed director of football, who saw the Blues suffer a miserable 4-0 league defeat at Mansfield Town on Saturday, admitted the crisis club has a window of opportunity to resolve it’s on-going struggles.
Maison said: “There is a lot of emotion as far as the Vaughan family are concerned, particularly Stephen Vaughan senior.
“There is a lot of emotion from the Vaughan family in this situation. There is a lot of personal stuff which is involved with various individuals which I didn’t know about before I arrived, and things can get in the way, and some things have which has made the situation difficult.
“In the time I’ve been at Chester I’ve learned what he has achieved at the club with the promotions and with lots of different things. He is emotionally bound to the club and I’m not sure the amount of money that he has put into the club in the past, and the character assassination has helped.
“If any of us were in a similar position I’m sure we wouldn’t find it pleasant, and I know that he’s not finding it pleasant at the moment.
“He has come from a position in which he received quite a bit of adulation when the club was in the Football League, and even though he accepts that the club wasn’t managed the way it should have been, he has moved from that position to not even a tenant’s position because he has been forced out of the board, and from a position which is quite dear to him.
“Whether people agree with that sentiment is almost irrelevant because that’s how he feels, but that complicates the whole negotiation process in trying to sell the club.
“These are my words and my opinions – even though he realises it may be time to let go I think it is proving difficult for him to do that, and that maybe reflected in the price that he is asking and from what he is hoping to receive from the football club.
“I think time is going to prove relevant in this instance, but the club has only got limited time. There is a window of opportunity to get this done.
“There are several groups to see, the fans, the custodians of the football club, and there are several resolutions to the problems.
“Everybody is tired of being embarrassed, everybody is tired of reading about negative news on the back pages, and we want to see the football club moving forward now and seeing a positive era for the club.
“Every story at the moment about the club becomes relevant even if it is irrelevant.
Everybody understands that and you don’t see me in the press every day because I am determined to get the club back on track.
“There are two parts to the issues: The playing staff who are living it all day to day and are showing immense character, but on the flip side the business end of the football club has been poorly managed, which is indefensible. But what we have to do now is try and rectify it.
“We’re in an unfortunate situation and I understand the anger because football is an emotive business in all areas whether you’re the owner, the chairman, the manager, the players, the press. Everybody has an opinion about their football club.
“I understand the disappointment and despair of the Chester fans. A lot of people have phoned me over the last two weeks and I’ve been stopped in Chester I don’t know how many times. I’m now working hard to try and pull everything together and get a resolution to the problems.”
Maison said he was confident that Chester City could overcome Wednesday’s winding up petition served by HM Revenue and Customs in London’s High Court, revealed he had been asked to stay out of negotiations between potential investors and the current Chester club owners.
He added: “I’m confident that Wednesday’s court case can be resolved, but I’m not in control of the situation, so I’m as confident as I can be in the troubled situation the club are in.
“Assurances have been given, negotiations and discussions are going on with HMRC, the two sides are drawing very close but I understand it’s a long-running situation over several different things. Some of the discussion is fractured, but I’m very confident that both parties can get to the place where they want to be.
“I don’t believe that Chester City Football Club is going to fall over at that particular hurdle.
“We are quite a way down the road since Boxing Day in bringing investment to the football club.
“But we are at a tricky part where Mr Vaughan’s family have to make some decisions. They have rejected one offer they have received, they are mulling over another, and there are negotiations going backwards and forwards.
“We can bring as many potential investors to the table as we like, but they have to make a decision. In the meantime there is a serious situation at the football club.
“I have been in consultation with the PFA and the Conference all week to try and get more players squeezed through. We are facing a tough time trying to get players in, but I am trying to get the rules relaxed, but they have refused.
“We have managed to reduce the debt at the club over the last week, but it is tough work.”