Update from acting CEO Paul Conway

Earlier this evening Barnsley FC’s acting CEO and co-chairman, Paul Conway, met with the media and members of various supporter groups in an open forum to discuss recent news from Oakwell and the start to the new season.

A more detailed full update will follow in the coming days from various sources, but headlines are listed below:

• Dane Murphy came to Barnsley Football Club on a fixed term Visa which had expired, allowing him to leave his role and join Nottingham Forest without having to work a notice period
• Brexit has had a detrimental impact on getting International clearance for Oulare and Iseka. It’s an unclear picture but both players were cleared to join before we ran in to issues. Dealing with the Home Office can be frustrating, but when we send players abroad the visas are sorted literally the next day, yet when we bring players here getting answers from the Home Office is extremely difficult. There is no reason why these players shouldn’t have clearance by now. We find it strange that Premier League clubs don’t have the same problem, but perhaps they have a better relationship with the Home Office than we have at this moment in time
• The ultimate goal for everyone is for Barnsley FC to continue playing their football at Oakwell. The dispute around investment in to the stadium when we’re currently tenants continues, but as a club we’ve highlighted to the council what we’d like to do with the facilities if we owned the property
• Buying Oakwell outright is currently on hold due to not being able to get clear title. Several insurance companies have refused to give title insurance on a potential sale, but money was paid in to escrow to buy the ground share so the appetite to own the stadium is there. No interest in building another stadium in Barnsley and looking to work with ground owners in other ways to improve facilities
• We’re still in discussions with the Cryne Family to resolve recent challenges, but this has no impact on James Cryne’s continuous involvement with the football club
• The money paid to the Cryne family in the last set of accounts was part of the agreement on the original deal. No further comment was made
• We’re still active in the transfer market and hope to bring in one, if not two, new signings before the window closes. No star players will be sold this window.

You can also find Paul Conway’s interview with Radio Sheffield, filmed earlier today, by clicking here and skipping to the 48 minute mark.

We’d like to extend our thanks to Paul Conway and the media/marketing team for organising tonight’s update.

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Ben Lockwood

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