Leigh Pomlett: Walsall edging closer to Bescot freehold
Chairman Leigh Pomlett says Walsall are edging closer to securing the freehold for Bescot and he 'will not rest' until that goal is achieved.
Reuniting the Saddlers with the ground – the current agreement seeing them pay around £500,000 a year to former owner Jeff Bonser in rent – has been the aim of Pomlett since taking over in 2019.
In an exclusive interview with the Express & Star, he revealed they are 'closer than ever' to getting it done.
"When I'm not here, that's where I am," said Pomlett.
"We work – you wouldn't believe how hard I've worked on that. When I leave here as chairman, that will be my legacy.
"I can't give you specifics, but we're working on it and genuinely working on it.
"We are closer to it now than we probably ever (have been).
"It's completely pointless to pursue that agenda during the Covid crisis.
"Who would want to buy anything during the Covid crisis, particularly a football stadium, or even get into a negotiation about it?
"But we are pursuing that agenda extremely hard now.
"I have spent more hours with lawyers and finance people in the last six to seven months than I have ever done in my whole life.
"We are pushing that agenda very, very hard.
"I will not rest until this club owns the freehold."
As well as securing the freehold, Walsall want to revitalise the rundown and out-of-use Saddlers Club.
"We have a plan for the Saddlers Club. This year promises to be an exciting year in terms of those sorts of changes," said Pomlett.
"We've still got a lot of work to do to bring it to fruition, but there are plans. We're closer than we've ever been to that.
"Again, when I leave as chairman, I want us to be reunited with the freehold and for that mess to be fixed.
"I'd also want us to be in League One, and then I'm done. That's always been – from the day I stood here three years ago – what I've said I wanted to do, and that agenda will not change."
He added: "We're closer to it (the freehold) now than we've ever been, and that's because it's where my focus has been post-Covid.
"During Covid, my focus was survival. I still maintain that not all clubs are out of the woods yet with Covid, and do not be surprised if some more bite the dust."
