Barnsley FC majority shareholders set to acquire Belgian outfit

According to reports in Belgium, Reds co-chairman Paul Conway has reached a deal with Oostende to acquire a majority shareholding in the struggling Belgian First Division A club - paying off part of the debts immediately, with another part to be paid off in the longer term.

Oostende are second from bottom in the Belgian top-flight.

Alongside Barnsley, the Pacific Media Group (PMG) also owns Swiss club FC Thun - who are currently bottom of the Swiss Super League - and failed in a bid to buy Scottish Championship outfit Partick Thistle last year.

The group's bid to buy Thistle was thwarted due to guidelines put in place by the Scottish Football Association preventing the ownership of multiple clubs.

Reports in the Daily Mail last month suggested that Conway has since made tentative approaches to clubs in the top-flight of the Scottish Premier League - with the Scottish Football Association to compromise over dual ownership to attract investment to stricken Scottish clubs hit by the coronavirus shutdown,

Speaking at the time, Conway said: 'We want to take this opportunity in the current environment to say to clubs in Scotland, we are open for business.'

We are hearing there might be more flexibility with regard to dual ownership, which might be a good thing during this difficult period for clubs.

'We can move fast for the right opportunity in the Scottish League and we are open to creative deals.'

"We would look to bring the same methods we employ with our other clubs such as Barnsley - which is a young team, data-led, balancing a budget sensibly. We would look to run a club as a proper business."