CRISIS-HIT Rochdale are on the brink of being saved after a US firm entered a "period of exclusivity" to buy the club.
Dale chairman Simon Gauge warned that the future of the cash-strapped 117-year-old club was in serious doubt unless a new investor was found by the end of this month.
Shareholders met at an EGM last week and decided to dilute their holdings to create nine million new shares, thus allowing Texas-based World Soccer Holdings (WSH) to conclude the takeover deal.
A second company, The Football Club LLC (TFC) - headed by businessmen Justin Corrado and David Dwyer – also threw their hat into the ring, but the Spotland club this week confir med they had entered into a "short period of exclusivity" with their original bidders.
A club statement read: “Rochdale AFC can confirm that it has entered into a short period of exclusivity with World Soccer Holdings LLC.
“This period of exclusivity is in relation to the proposed acquisition of the newly created shares in the club, following the recent EGM. Further updates will follow in due course, and the club will endeavour to keep all stakeholders up to date during this period.”
World Soccer Holdings already has a majority shareholding in Dutch second division side MVV Maastricht having previously been linked to league rivals ADO Den Hag.
The CEO of WSH Scott Dyer, was in attendance for Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Oxford City and said: “We could not let 100 years of history go to waste, and we believe we can work together to elevate the Dale back to its previous heights and beyond.”
But while talks with the National League club continue, rival bidders The Football Club LLC say they are 'disappointed' at the exclusivity agreement with WSH, insisting an “open, full, and fair process” had not been carried out and called for “a fair evaluation process” for all bids to be lodged.
Fortune
In the statement, TFC said: “We were disappoint
