Pavis abandons Magpies bid

The one-time chairman of the club, who sold-on his share of the club in 2000, today released a statement to the Nottingham Evening Post supposedly ‘setting the record straight’ on the whole takeover saga.

And now it appears the Magpies’ new chairman is actively seeking, or so it would seem, further investment to help guide the club from more financial hardship.

Pavis’ statement read as follows: "I was formally approached by the chairman of the board of directors of the club, Steve Thompson, in the boardroom at Grimsby Town FC.

I was asked by him if I was prepared to invest further sums of money into the football club, having already donated a substantial sum in 2003 via the Football Trust.’

He advised me that the club were again in a terrible financial state – his words not mine.

My immediate reply to Andrew was to request a meeting urgently with Haydn Green which came about on Thursday, November 3. We had a four-hour meeting when he too made it abundantly clear that the club was in a terrible financial state, and many other things about the club which has to remain confidential.

In Steve Thompson's statement he clearly states that loans are not an acceptable option and yet on November 28, 2003, £500,000 was received as loans from Peter Joyce, Roy Parker, John Mounteney and the Supporters' Trust.

So our question to the board is why are our loans considered to be inappropriate when others were not – and incidentally our loans are all interest-free with no time limit.

With the club now coming to the end of their three-year financial plan, it seems that more time – and, indeed, investment – is needed to guide the good ship Notts County through choppy water.

Although, until any light is shed on the situation from the club’s stance, the fans will remain very much in the lurch.