HUST Statement

HUST acknowledges that it has received a request from Andy Lonsdale to meet with him to discuss potential investment into the club. Under the terms offered, we cannot accept the meeting.

Immediately when the request was made the issue of a confidentiality agreement binding such meeting was questioned. The HUST board is in agreement that any information disseminated to it in any meeting with club officials during the present situation would need to be passed on to it’s members in order for them to consider towards an end of the current boycott, which came into effect from a decision made by the vast majority of the membership.

The boycott terms are that it will continue until the owners of the club make good with the promises to pay the staff and players, meet all football creditor debts, settle the debts owed to Herefordshire Council, and settle all outstanding winding-up proceedings. Since the boycott vote was taken nearly four months ago just one of those terms has been met, with the Council receiving their money after attempting to repossess Edgar Street.

Today’s statement from the club asks for questions and queries to be put to the prospective investors prior to their commitment. In addition to the boycott terms many former members of staff are still awaiting their basic tax documents and payslips from the club, leaving them on emergency tax codes and suffering financially week after week despite not having worked for the club for up to five months. We urge Mr Lonsdale and Club Accountant Philip Gambrill to issue these documents without further delay to help ease the finances of these families as we head towards Christmas.

During the telephone discussion with Mr Lonsdale, it was suggested to him that the investors may prefer to speak to HUST directly. That avenue remains available.