By Darren Devine
20 November 2004
THE
Wrexham Supporters' Trust is poised to make a fresh bid for the club as football
fans from across the country prepare to gather at the Racecourse today.
Trust board member Pete Jones revealed the group is ready to increase its last
offer of around £2.5m to owner Alex Hamilton if the club is granted an
administration order on December 3.
He said, "We are looking for a meeting with the administrator (David Acland) to
discuss the situation and to find a way forward for the club.
"We are looking for ideas and ways we can increase our last offer - there might
have to be a loan involved or even an appeal to the fans."
With experts suggesting Hamilton stands to gain between £8m and £16m from
off-loading the Racecourse on the open market, it is unclear whether he would be
prepared to sell to the Supporters' Trust.
Former Wrexham chairman Mark Guterman claims his bid, which was in excess of
£2.5m, has yet to be accepted or rejected by Hamilton.
But the owner is reported to have dismissed Guterman's bid as unrealistic.
Today's gathering will be the fifth time in the last eight years a "fans united"
day has been staged in support of an ailing club.
Organiser Nic Outterside said today's attendance at the Racecourse could be
swelled to almost 10,000 compared with this season's average gates of around
4,000.
Outterside said, "This should not be happening to any club in the country and
certainly not to a club like Wrexham, which is one of the oldest in the league."
Supporters from Manchester, Bury, Carlisle, Cambridge and Brighton are expected
to turn up for the show of sympathy during the League One clash between the Red
Dragons and Bristol City.
And football fans at games around the country are being urged to "wear red for
Wrexham" by the organisers.
Brighton supporters, who saw their club evicted from their Goldstone Ground
stadium eight years ago, have been instrumental in arranging the day.
On the field, Wrexham's Wales U21 midfielder Mark Jones makes his first league
start today.
Dragons boss Denis Smith said, "He has done well over the last month to six
weeks. He has always shown flashes of ability, but now the physical side of his
game has developed too."
Reserve-team goalkeeper Danny Evans returns to the Dragons squad after
recovering from an ear infection, while midfielder Alex Smith (knee) faces a
late fitness test.
Smith must also assess the fitness of Dennis Lawrence and Hector Sam, who
yesterday returned from international duty with Trinidad and Tobago.