Halifax Town Takeover Nears - 30/09/2007

Takeovers don't just happen at the top level of football and the consortium hoping to take over Conference side Halifax Town look like they are nearing their goal. The Halifax Town Supporters' Trust have agreed to hand over their shares to the consortium led by Yorkshire businessman David Bosomworth after a ballot of their members. Early in September the consortium were given 28 days to secure the 75 per cent shareholding needed to complete their takeover and pay back debts of £100,000 to the taxman when a winding up over was staved off at the last minute at the High Court. Picking up the trust's eight per cent stake for a nominal fee of £1 is believed to have brought the would-be owners to the brink of 75 per cent. One of the conditions the trust have insisted on is that if the consortium want to sell their shares in the future, they will be given first option to buy them back at £1. Even when they were in the Football League, Halifax have often found it a struggle to survive. They are in an area where Rugby League is very popular. Huddersfield is quite near, Leeds is not too far away and it is a reasonably easy journey to Manchester to see top flight football.