Town have dismissed claims that owner Marcus Evans has put the club up for sale for £35 million.

Quizzed on the report, which appeared in The Sun this afternoon, a Blues spokesman told TWTD: “It’s rubbish.”

The story claims Evans has put the club up for sale at £35 million but is not prepared to write off the debt which stood at £95.5 million at the end of June 2018, according to the Financial Highlights document issued to shareholders yesterday.

That would be a surprise even if there were any truth in the story with the club having previously said on a number of occasions that Evans’s loans weren’t made with the expectation they would be paid back.

As has been the case with other clubs in similar positions, such as Bolton Wanderers in 2015, the loans which make up most of the debt would almost certainly be written off in order to facilitate a sale.

Speaking about his continued ownership of the club, which he took control of 11 years ago, when speaking to iFollow Ipswich in April, Evans outlined his position.

“If I didn’t feel we had a chance [of winning promotion], then, yes, it would be time for me to move on,” he admitted.

“But I’ve got no desire to sell, I think the plan that I’ve got in place has a chance of success and I want to be here to carry out that plan.

“But money is always going to make a difference and more money in this league would give us a better chance, particularly if it’s spent wisely and particularly if someone came along who could do a better job, had the personal and financial credentials to do a better job, I’d always do what’s right for the club.

“I suppose I’m in the fortunate personal position where I don’t have to recoup the investment I’ve made in the club.

“So, I suppose, yes, if the right person came along, offered the right prospect for the club, it would be wrong for me to stand in their way and I’d have to look at that very seriously.

“But I have to be honest with you, I’m not too sure why, but I haven’t seen too many Chinese or Russian oligarchs racing up the A12 in the last few years.”

Meanwhile, football finance expert Kieran Maguire has assessed the Financial Highlights document released yesterday in a series of tweets, which can be found here.

Maguire says what should be of greatest concern is the potential drop in media income if Town are relegated to League One.

Last season this totalled £7 million, almost half the club's income, but would drop to around £700,000 in the third tier.

Photo: ITFC

MeenoITFC added 16:08 - Dec 5 I'm not really sure how to take that last comment there.....
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kizaitfc added 16:09 - Dec 5 The title is spot on "Rubbish club up for sale" As much as it pains me to say it!
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istanblue added 16:11 - Dec 5 “If I didn't feel we had a chance [of winning promotion], then, yes, it would be time for me to move on,” Does he mean from the Championship or League 1?
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BlueBlood90 added 16:11 - Dec 5 The whole Marcus Evans era has been total disaster from day one. I'd love to see us be taken over but who in their right mind would take on a stagnating club with 13k attendances and nearly £100m in debt? I really can't see how we're going to get out of this mess any time soon.
15

ernie added 16:15 - Dec 5 take away the word 'claim' and it begins to make more sense
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ernie added 16:15 - Dec 5 take away the word 'claim' and it begins to make more sense
3

BlueandTruesince82 added 16:22 - Dec 5 People say sell up but if you read between the lines it's clear that if someone came along with deeper pockets and the will to invest he would. Read the comments and I think that's clear. That's not a defence of his ownership, I'm just saying, the club may not be for sale but if Evans got the right offer he'd take it, run and save himself about 5 million quid a year

7

deano85 added 16:32 - Dec 5 Hmmm, no smoke without fire...
3

GlebeTractor added 16:33 - Dec 5 FAKE NEWS.
0

CraigEdwards added 16:39 - Dec 5 Would that still be the five point plan that he made to bring the youngsters though the academy for the first team only to let them be sent out on loan !
7

portman_blue added 16:44 - Dec 5 When this appeared on my phone it said 'Town Rubbish Club'. Seemed a strange comment for TWTD to make........🤔
0

tomitfc added 16:46 - Dec 5 To anyone that thinks going down might be a good thing, read the last two paragraphs of this article!
11

Carberry added 16:56 - Dec 5 Of course it is. He would get shot of it tomorrow if he could. The only reason he might invest in January is to keep us up and make us saleable - how times have changed.
4

Cloddyseedbed added 16:56 - Dec 5 I for one would like Mr Evans to now come out and confirm or deny it.
2

blueboy1981 added 17:14 - Dec 5 Just like most things in life, if the right offer comes in - who says no ? Football Clubs most certainly not exempt from that. It's all about what makes financial sense !
4

algarvefan added 17:19 - Dec 5 It would be nice to have an owner who actually cared about the club.
10

brendanh added 17:19 - Dec 5 "money is always going to make a difference" - but not yours, because you are abysmal at the strategy that underpins everything. You talk a great game now, but every major decision in the 11 years since you arrived has been wrong.
2

rfretwell added 17:20 - Dec 5 Guys, comments from you like " ITFC are a rubbish club" really dont help. PL has demanded that we all stick together to get out of this mess. He is right, it is the only way. Of course ME would sell to a fit and proper suitor. However whilst it has been un bearable for us to think our great club is heading down it may well be a new beginning. Plenty of clubs have risen again pretty quickly eg Norwich, Bristol City, Sheff U. All those have overtaken us. The main thing is that PL stays then we have a great chance of doing the same.

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rfretwell added 17:20 - Dec 5 Guys, comments from you like " ITFC are a rubbish club" really dont help. PL has demanded that we all stick together to get out of this mess. He is right, it is the only way. Of course ME would sell to a fit and proper suitor. However whilst it has been un bearable for us to think our great club is heading down it may well be a new beginning. Plenty of clubs have risen again pretty quickly eg Norwich, Bristol City, Sheff U. All those have overtaken us. The main thing is that PL stays then we have a great chance of doing the same.

4

DurhamTownFan added 17:21 - Dec 5 If he sold up, he'd write off the debt. He'd have to. Nobody is going to pay him £135m. Newcastle were only valued at £70m, and that's with a huge stadium and premier league football. I'd be surprise if anyone paid more than £20m if we go down.
1

blueboy1981 added 17:22 - Dec 5 What difference does it make to the average punter / supporter anyway ? Why ask for clarification Cloodyseedbed ? - as if you think you'd get the answer. Probably more likely found in my previous post.
0

Millsey added 17:30 - Dec 5 And how much are some of you paying each year to help the financial situation?
0

DoseOfReality added 17:31 - Dec 5 Er there are plenty Chinese oligarchs in town Mr Evans, just pop round the corner at St Joes & you'll meet their children.. shame none have the apetite to buy you out. For all your words & promises your tenure can only described as abject failure. Put up or shut up. Sooner you find a buyer the better.
0

Radlett_blue added 17:43 - Dec 5 “If I didn't feel we had a chance [of winning promotion], then, yes, it would be time for me to move on,” he admitted. Well, one of Mr Evans's conditions has been met. He must also realise that, with relegation a probability, Town's value has fallen. Can someone make him an acceptable offer before January & give Lambert the funds to keep us up?
1

terryf added 17:47 - Dec 5 Reading between the lines the most worrying statement is '' if someone came along who was willing to invest in the club, then of course I would have to consider the offer''. This clearly means that there is no way he will be investing big time come January or the end of the season, particularly if we are relegated, which is increasingly likely. Evans should have been investing in the club on a bigger scale over the past ten years instead of being happy to tread water. If he's half-hearted about the project and wants to do it on the cheap, it will not work in this division. Trouble is I cannot see us as being a very attractive proposition for anyone.

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