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INSIDE FOOTBALL: Batchelor fails to halt York's slide into chaos

Independent, The (London), Dec 21, 2002 by DAVID CONN

SEVERAL ACCUSATIONS have been levelled at John Batchelor during his brief, ultimately bitter, stint as the chairman of York City, but shyness has not been one of them.

Before taking over in April, Batchelor promised an era of glasnost with the fans, who were still emotionally poleaxed by the actions of the former chairman, Douglas Craig. He had transferred the club's Bootham Crescent ground, for around pounds 166,000, to a holding company 94 per cent owned by Craig himself and three other directors, then last January announced he was to sell the ground and the club for pounds 4.5m. Batchelor, a former toilet paper salesman turned motor sport impresario, told the then fledgling Supporters' Trust that he would buy the ground as well as the club and offered them 25 per cent of the club's shares and two seats on the board if they backed his bid.

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They did, but, as it turned out, Batchelor bought only the club from Craig, for pounds 1. The shares and directorships for the Supporters' Trust never materialised. Only three weeks ago, Batchelor went on to the pitch at half-time during the home match against Swansea City and promised to give 100 per cent of the club to the trust, but subsequently said he had been advised against it.

Batchelor's plan was to combine the club's fortunes with his British Touring Car Championship motor racing team, which he said could generate media exposure and sponsorship. He soon made the curiosity columns by changing the club's name to York City Soccer Club and redesigning the kit and signs round the ground to incorporate a black and white chequered flag. He made national headlines by claiming he was considering suing the Football League over the collapse of ITV Digital, and more recently presented a plan for a new league, sponsored by an American battery company, which he said could be financed by all clubs mortgaging future gate receipts. He also signed an Argentinian and a Brazilian, Rogerio - no, really - in an attempt to generate excitement.

This week Batchelor's eight months in charge ended as the club crashed into administration with debts of around pounds 500,000. The fans are now bitter in turn about him.

Craig provoked further outrage two months ago when it emerged that a housebuilder, Persimmon Homes, had applied for planning permission to demolish Bootham Crescent and build 93 homes on the site, and had paid an estimated pounds 350,000 to Craig and his three fellow directors for shares in the holding company, Bootham Crescent Holdings. It has now been revealed that as part of the deal Persimmon paid pounds 400,000 in sponsorship to Batchelor. Both said the deal was for the "York Sporting Club", which included the football club and Batchelor's racing team, but the contract was with Batchelor personally to sponsor the racing team, and the bulk of the money, pounds 300,000, has gone to the cars. Batchelor did put pounds 100,000 into York as a loan, but has subsequently withdrawn up to pounds 70,000 of it for expenses and to pay for hospitality at Brands Hatch, tickets for Silverstone and other motor racing activities. Batchelor said this week that was perfectly legitimate because the money was his, and he was trying to associate York with motor racing to generate interest and more sponsorship.

Batchelor said he had worked full-time without a salary to make the football club a success but said it was impossible after ITV Digital was pulled by Carlton and Granada, just 17 days after Batchelor did his deals with Craig and Persimmon. He said this week that he had "known better days", adding that he would now lose between pounds 30,000 and pounds 40,000 of his loan that he had left in the club.

"We lost only pounds 100,000 directly in lost TV income," Batchelor said. "But the major impact was that the transfer market collapsed." York have traditionally survived by selling youngsters such as Jonathan Greening and Richard Cresswell, but were forced to off-load an England Under-21 goalkeeper, Russell Howarth, to Tranmere Rovers for only pounds 25,000. "The League's internet deal also collapsed - overall we have lost perhaps pounds 500,000."

But Steve Beck, a director of the Supporters' Trust, said: "The fans feel very let down. John promised many things, but all he has delivered is a quarter of the Persimmon sponsorship, which went in as his loan and has been steadily withdrawn."

The administrator, David Willis of Jacksons Joliffe Cork, startled nobody with his prognosis for the 12th Football League club to be in administration this year. "The amounts being paid in wages, mostly to players, are simply too high, 120 per cent of the club's total income." The current wage bill is pounds 70,000 a month and while the contracts of 14 of the 23 professional players end this summer, total wage commitments to the end of next season are pounds 800,000. The League warned in the summer that clubs could last for a few months on season ticket sales and other commercial income paid up front, but would feel the chill in winter. This week Willis advised that York had become insolvent and could not pay the Inland Revenue PAYE or outstanding VAT, a total of pounds 150,000.

INSIDE FOOTBALL: Batchelor fails to halt York's slide into chaos

Independent, The (London), Dec 21, 2002 by DAVID CONN

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