CRUNCH talks over who leads Nuneaton Borough’s rebirth will continue this week but complications over the old club’s collapse are adding to the pressure of a ticking clock.
Boro withdrew from the Southern League on January 18 having been kicked out of Liberty Way by landlords Arden Tigress – Mark Lowther and Neil Robinson, a former vice-chair of Nuneaton RFC, the rugby club based at the stadium.
Jimmy Ginnelly, Boro’s owner and manager until recently, stepped back to prompt a return but the stalemate continued.
A rescue led by Birmingham-based businessmen Gary Holliday and Steve Harris centred around buying the ground but Arden Tigress “would not engage”, leading sponsor and vicechair Ian Cook to stop play amid unmanageable costs.
Undeterred, Holliday and Harris, flanked by Boro secretary Mark Grimes and Nuneaton legend Kyle Storer, held an open meeting on Wednesday to showcase their vision for phoenix club AFC Nuneaton. Initially groundsharing seven miles away at Hinckley Leicester Road, the duo envisage acquiring land to move back to Nuneaton within two seasons but only if Boro’s sponsors and fans are on board.
The reaction was mixed with the Nuneaton Borough Supporters’ Co-Operative leading calls for fans to have a stake in the club, not just representation on the board. The duo’s lack of a connection to the club or town and the practicalities of playing outside Nuneaton were also questioned.
A steering group involving the co-operative, fans, sponsors and local stakeholders is set to meet again tomorrow with assistance from the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), to discuss what happens next but the situation remains fraught with difficulty. FA rules state clubs that have dropped out can only apply to come back at Step 5 or below and must restart at least two levels below the one the old club left.
Initial applications must be in by March 1
