Swindon Town chairman to step aside when takeover goes through (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Swindon Town chairman to step aside when takeover goes through

6:00am Wednesday 13th February 2013 in Sport By Andy Warren

OUTGOING chairman Sir William Patey believes he will have succeeded in what he set out to achieve if the takeover of Swindon Town is completed today, as the former diplomat prepares to walk away from the County Ground.

The consortium led by Jed McCrory is still waiting to have its takeover of the Robins rubber stamped by the Football League, which could happen as soon as today when they travel to Preston to talk the League through their financial model for the club.

Patey, a former British ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan, was brought in by outgoing owner Andrew Black to facilitate the sale of the club, and will resign his post the minute the takeover is completed.

The 59-year-old sees no reason why the Football League will not ratify the takeover, and will be pleased when his work in Wiltshire is done.

“As soon as the Football League approval is through and the transfer is done, my resignation takes immediate effect, then the new consortium will appoint their own chairman and their own board,” he said.

“We hope the Football League approves the sale, and we don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t because the new owners are committed to taking Swindon forward.

“That is what we set out to achieve, and the club will move forward on a new basis which is basically debt free, and that would be a big success in our book.

“I will be pleased if it all goes through, and we keep our fingers crossed it does.

“We are pleased it has come about in the end, even though the fans have gone through a period of anxiety and uncertainty, and if it is all done then Swindon will be a lot stronger in the long run.”

Patey has been impressed with McCrory and his consortium, and believes they offer the best chance for the club to move forward in the future.

“They seem generally interested in football and Swindon, and some of them have Swindon connections, and they have experience in the property side as well which is important given the redevelopment of the stadium has been planned for a while, so hopefully that will all go forward,” he said.

“I am sure Swindon will emerge from this stronger, especially considering where it has come from, after Andrew Black saved it from administration some years ago.

“I don’t want to get carried away with a state of euphoria or anything like that, but they have certainly ticked all the boxes.”