Yeovil Town supporters hopeful of Huish Park purchase

The Glovers Trust said there were still several interested parties in buying Huish Park

Yeovil Town FC fans have said they are hopeful an alternative buyer for the club's stadium can be found as a six-month moratorium imposed by supporters ended.

In December, South Somerset District Council agreed to an offer from its chairman to buy Huish Park and lease it back to the club.

But fan group The Glovers Trust put together an alternative bid.

Its chairman Brendon Owen said he was still "cautiously optimistic".

The club, who play in the National League, previously said it needed to sell the ground to help secure its financial future due to the impact of Covid-19.

Future "in jeopardy"

The deal with the council is for the stadium and 11 hectares of surrounding land.

Under the terms of the 30-year lease, the club can still buy back the stadium if it wants to.

But the Glovers Trust have raised concerns that it would put Yeovil Town's long term future "in jeopardy".

"Without the delay, the proposed deal between the owners of Huish Park and the council would have been rushed through by January 2021, long before any reasonable scrutiny could have been conducted," a spokesman for the Glovers Trust said.

"The delay has also given others the chance to reflect on the scheme and for the cultivation of a belief that a better route can be found to secure the long-term security of our club."

A South Somerset District Council spokesman said: "The owners of Yeovil Town Football Club are free to sell to whomever they choose.

"We do not believe there is a case for the council to review the offer that was made and approved in 2020, and it remains available if the owners wish to take it up."