Leeds United chief executive Shaun Harvey said today the club's appeal to Leeds City Council for the money to buy Thorp Arch had been made in response to a rapidly approaching deadline and to allow "progress on other fronts".
Harvey insisted the use of public funds to repurchase United's training ground was one of the few remaining avenues open to Leeds with the deadline for activating the buy-back clause due to pass in seven weeks' time.
The club have applied to the c
ouncil for assistance in regaining ownership of Thorp Arch, which was sold to private property developers in 2004 at a time when United were deeply in debt, and the council will decide next week whether to provide up to £6m to prevent the buy-back option from elapsing.
The clause expires on October 10, 2009, after which point the club would have no right to purchase the property near Wetherby.
It was widely anticipated the recent sale of young midfielder Fabian Delph to Aston Villa, allied with the £4.5m profit posted by Leeds in the last financial year, would provide sufficient income to acquire Thorp Arch, but the plea to the council indicates the club do not expect to be able to raise the necessary amount before October 10.
Asked why, on the back of Delph's sale, Leeds were unable to finance the deal, Harvey told the YEP: "The club made the approach to the council having taken into consideration all the options and felt that, if this option (council funding) would be allowed, it would assist us whilst allowing the club to progress on other fronts."
For the full story see tonight's Yorkshire Evening Post
