By Mark Currie, Daily Post
24 December 2004
A source close to Mark Guterman claimed he has told the Administrators that he would not stand in the way of any deal |
ANDY SMITH has insisted he will complete a
deal to buy Wrexham from current owner Alex Hamilton - despite a hitch he blamed
on a dispute between the Cheshire-based property developer and former Dragons
chairman Mark Guterman.
Smith, a principal in the Surrey-based business, United Plot Owners'
Association, described the delay as frustrating but pledged to achieve his aim
of securing a long-term future for the League One outfit at the Racecourse.
"As far as I'm concerned I'm waiting for lawyers to do their stuff," he said.
"We are close to an exchange of contracts on the purchase of the Racecourse but
the deal for the shares in the club is subject to what I might describe as legal
technicalities beyond my control."
Earlier this week Hamilton told the Daily Post that his freedom to negotiate the
sale of his interests was being restricted by the terms of a High
Court injunction obtained by Guterman in relation to previous business dealings
between the two men.
That assertion was denied by Guterman's lawyers earlier in the week, and
yesterday a source close to the former chairman claimed that Guterman told the
administrators on Tuesday that he would not stand in the way of any deal.
But Smith added: "This could all have been settled by now. It's frustrating but
I'm not giving up however long it takes to do the deal. All I can do is sit back
and hope they (Hamilton and Guterman) have got enough money to meet the legal
bills they must be racking up against each other.
"As soon as the legal technicalities are sorted out the deal will be done and we
can get on with the task of putting the club on a sound financial footing and
taking steps to ensure it comes out of administration as soon as possible."
Smith, who says his future plans include a partial redevelopment of the
Racecourse site, insisted he has no plans to remain in charge of the club in the
long term.
"There's no intention whatsoever of the club being moved from the Racecourse and
we will set up an occupancy deal in perpetuity. Wrexham FC is an integral and
very important part of the community.
"We deal in sustainable communities and that's what we are going to have there.
I hope Wrexham fans will have a role to play and I forsee a time when the club
will be operated and influenced by local people. I've no intention of remaining
as chairman for any length of time."