Boost for troubled Halesowen Town after sale of club agreed
Directors hope the long-term future of Halesowen Town has been secured after the club’s absentee owners agreed to a sale.
Tammy Lynch, the wife of the club's banned former chief Steve Lynch, has agreed a deal which should see control of the Yeltz pass to chairman Karen Brookes by the end of the month.
An as yet unnamed investor – who is said to have a long association with the club - is understood to have helped Brookes raise around £50,000 to secure the purchase.
The daughter of long-time Yeltz servant Colin, Brookes has vowed to bring stability after years of mismanagement had threatened the club’s very existence.
“It feels as though a huge light has been turned on at the end of the tunnel,” said Brookes.
“I feel like we are almost there. Once the deal is complete, we will be able to start planning for the future.”
Formed in 1873, the Yeltz are one of the most famous names in Midlands non-league football.
Yet in recent years the club has become synonymous with off-field problems, almost going out of business in 2011 following the disastrous reigns of Morell Maison and the Ingram brothers.
Lynch purchased the club from the Ingrams in May 2011 but then received a two-year ban from all football activity last summer, after breaking the FA’s rules concerning dual ownership.
Tammy Lynch took over as Yeltz owner after the ban came into force but has been rarely seen at the Grove, effectively leaving the club in limbo.
The extent of the situation was laid bare at a fans forum last month. It had been feared the club might have to be placed in administration if a sale could not be agreed.
A subsequent crowdfunding initiative and other donations helped raise nearly £14,000 toward buying the club. Brookes will now ask supporters if those funds can be used to help see the club through till the end of the season.
The Yeltz are currently battling relegation from the Evo-Stik Northern Premier and are set to be docked points for fielding an ineligible player earlier in the campaign.
“The club will need more investment. It won’t be easy,” said Brookes.
“But hopefully this news is a sign we are moving in the right direction. For too long the club has been on a precipice.”
