Cobb: We were led up the garden path

Lee Cobb said he felt as if the group had been "led up the garden path" by the board.

Cobb led a consortium of nine other backers who were "prepared to buy the club and develop the ground up to the required A grading by March next year".

He said: "We were asked by Martin Elliott to produce a business plan and list the backers. The plan was submitted on Monday last week and the list of backers were provided on Thursday afternoon.

"On Friday morning at 8am I received an email from Mr Elliott rejecting the proposal as 'no financial offer was made'. All along we were not asked to suggest a figure, just a plan. I made it clear in many emails to Mr Elliott that once he had received the plan we should get together and start negotiating.

"Within one hour of receiving the rejection I sent a bid of 200,000 for the club. I also stated that the consortium also had a further 200,000 for the immediate work for the A grading. In addition to this we had also received pledges in excess of 100,000 in sponsorship on the proviso that the bid was accepted.

"At 3pm on Friday I received another e-mail from Mr Elliott telling me that the matter was closed.

"We were told the bid was rejected because there was no money involved. We offered the money and they didn't even consider it. I feel as if they had no intention of ever considering the offer and that we've been led up the garden path.

"I don't understand how they weren't even prepared to talk to us about the figures.

"Three of our consortium are millionaires. Also, three of the the would-be new board members are fans of the club and have been for many years. Obviously I was going to be one of them. There was a hard core of loyal, local fans putting our own money into it.

"The money is still there. Steve King is still out of a job. But I don't think we're in a position to make another bid because I don't think they are going to talk to us.

"We're prepared to talk to them but they're not prepared to talk to us. If they were to ask to talk to us we would be there within the hour."

Cobb revealed the consortium's business plan, saying it was based on the budget of a similarly small conference club '“ like Salisbury or Histon.

He said that would result in gate money revenue of between 200,000-250,000 for the 21 home league games not involving either Eastbourne Borough or Crawley Town '“ which he claimed would rake in 60,000 between them.

He also claimed that the weekly playing wage bill would have only increased by 1,000, from 6,000 to 7,000.

Cobb also rubbished fears that the new consortium would pull out of the club within a year or two of taking over, saying: "I don't see the point of those kind of rumours. Isn't that potentially the case for any owner of or board of directors at a club?"

Cobb also said the consortium would have employed a full-time general manager on a one-year contract, which would not have been renewed should the team be relegated.

As for next season, he said: "I will attend the first match and see what I see. I was a season ticket holder but I'm not buying a season ticket this season."