Bath City Football Club is poised to enter a new chapter after a decisive vote by supporters to transfer their majority stake to an investor consortium led by tech entrepreneur Andrew Stalbow.
In a historic ballot, more than 96 per cent of members of the Bath City Supporters’ Society voted in favour of handing over their 50%+ shareholding to the newly established Bath City Holding Company. This significant decision marks a major milestone, potentially concluding a decade of fan ownership at Twerton Park.
The strong mandate followed thorough scrutiny sessions, including a packed town hall meeting where supporters engaged directly with Andrew Stalbow and prospective board members Richard Rivlin, Ivan Hindshaw, and Curt Smith – co-founder of the pop group Tears for Fears.
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During the meeting, the investor group outlined their vision to inject fresh capital, aiming to strengthen the club’s future prospects.
Ken Loach, renowned film director and a long-standing supporter of Bath City, expressed his views: “Like others, I still believe in Community Ownership and I’m sad to see its loss, but it is clear that we do not have the resources to sustain the club or match its ambition.
“Andrew’s enthusiasm and commitment to the club and Twerton Park are inspirational, and I’m sure others will join me in voting for this change.”
Ian McKay, Chairman of the Bath City Supporters Society, commented: “This was a ringing endorsement by the Supporters Society members for the deal. Having heard from Andrew in person and with the Community Share and a seat on the Board, our members were reassured that our club will be in safe hands, with people who appreciate the importance of supporters to the club and who are determined to support our community.
“We really hope that the individual shareholders acknowledge this too, and accept the deal so that the club can move into a new era.”
Club Chair David McDonagh added: “These results show that the supporters of the Club are fully behind the proposed deal. It now rests in the hands of individual shareholders, so it is vitally important that, no matter how many shares they hold, they accept the offer and return their forms ahead of the deadline.
“They can do so with confidence that this is what the Board, the Supporters Society, the Supporters Club, and therefore the fans want.”
For the investment transition to proceed, 90 per cent of the club’s total shareholding must formally accept the offer from Bath City Holding Company. To date, over 80 per cent have already signalled their acceptance.
On receiving the voting results, Andrew Stalbow said: “We are very humbled by the overwhelming vote of confidence from members of the Supporters Society and Supporters Club, who represent the fans – the beating heart of every club.
“Also, knowing that Ken Loach, who has been such an important figure in shaping the community ethos of the club, urged members to back the offer means a great deal to me. We hope that the individual shareholders follow their lead and accept our offer.
“We will then work very hard to deliver for this fantastic club and help it to unlock its potential.”