Phoenix club rescue package launched
A FAN-led group is to lead the rebirth of Nuneaton Borough – but they do not plan to go it alone.
Boro pulled out of the Southern League in January having been kicked out of its Liberty Way headquarters by landlords Arden Tigress Limited.
Boro Leisure Limited, the company behind the old club, has no directors and has yet to be dissolved but looks likely to be liquidated.
Birmingham-based businessmen Gary Holliday and Steve Harris, who had enquired about buying Liberty Way as part of a rescue package for Boro, proposed to lead a new venture but withdrew from the race this week.
Having promised not to be somewhere that they were not wanted, a statement from Holliday this week said that “the town deserves a lot more” than a battle between potential phoenix clubs.
Tokenistic
One of the sticking points was Holliday’s admission that potential investors in his consortium would likely expect a financial return in the future and Nuneaton Borough Supporters’ Co-Operative has proposed the formation of a community interest company (CIC), a model that exists to benefit the community it serves rather than shareholders.
The idea is for fans, sponsors and other stakeholders to form the board.
The co-op’s Mark Axon told The NLP: “This is not about us being a fan-owned or fan-run club, we want to be a part of the process without running it outright. There are people who can offer skills and their time and that will be key.
“There is a lot flying around at th
