Owen officially welcomed to board
Last updated : 03 March 2004 By The Chairman
Barry Owen (57), Trust Oldham vice-chairman and season-ticket holder, has been officially welcomed as a new member of the Athletic board. He joins the three new owners, Barry Chaytow, Ian Hill and Alan Hardy to make up the seven man board of the new club, Oldham Athletic (2004) Association Football Club. The trust has bought a 3% share of the club based on the value of the club at £70,000 per. percent. It is the first time that a fan has ever been represented as a director of the club.
Peter Heginbotham, the Trust Oldham chairman said, “We are making history, and we are here to protect the continuity of the club. By holding shares and taking our place in the boardroom, we can make sure the gulf between the club and its supporters never opens again.”
It is possible that Trust Oldham may increase their shareholding in the future but Mr. Owen (pictured) was quick to point out, “We have to be guided by our members, and we will always consult them on how to spend the money. I wouldn’t want fans to think every penny we raised was thrown in a pot for more shares.”
Owner Simon Corney added, “We met with the Trust on our first day here and they have lots of ideas we are keen to follow up. It would be premature to go into detail, but I don’t think you can run a football club without the help of its fans. It makes sense for them to have a place on the board, and we will always take their thoughts and comments very seriously. The Trust’s £200,000 will go towards day-to-day costs. The club is an open book and they can examine our finances any time they want.”