Derby takeover threatens Gregory
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.John Gregory's plans to sue Derby County for unfair dismissal from the manager's job at Pride Park could be complicated now the club has been taken over by new investors.
Derby have been bought by a consortium led by the barrister John Sleightholme, who will sit on the board as chairman alongside the directors Jeremy Keith, a financier and business consultant, and Steve Harding, a marketing and communications entrepreneur.
Sleightholme, who revealed the board was being funded to the extent of £15m put up by anonymous backers, said that the new owners of the club had no connection with Derby County Limited, the former parent company of the football club which had been forced into receivership immediately before the Rams were acquired by their new owners.
Derby County Limited were the company which had owned the football club when Gregory was suspended and eventually sacked in May following what the Rams described as "serious allegations" made against him, with Gregory then initiating a High Court lawsuit for £2m compensation.
When the midfielder Dennis Wise began similar proceedings against Leicester, his case was undermined because the club's owners went into administration and were ultimately replaced by a new company, New Fox plc, which has effectively left Wise with no one to sue.
Sleightholme said: "None of the previous directors have a shareholding in the new company and none of the previous directors are in any way connected with the £15m financing.
"It is a new company which is in control of Derby County. John Gregory was dismissed and has brought a claim in the High Court for damages for that dismissal and a defence has been filed so at the moment the matter is sub judice and I, as a lawyer, know it's entirely inappropriate for me to say anything about it.
Sleightholme, who also acts as deputy coroner for North Yorkshire, set out a vision of returning the Rams to the Premiership position they relinquished last year.
"I'm desperate to get things right and turn things around but it's going to take time and our genuine fans will recognise that," he said.
"And I'll go further, the genuine fans want to see us back in the Premiership and that is of course where we're ultimately looking to return but you can only do these things steadily and within your resources.
"But there's a demand for a successful football club in this area, the gates alone reflect that," he insisted. "Last season we finished 18th and we averaged 25,000 through the gates.
"So we see the potential as great and this is a club which is worth being involved in and worth reviving."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments