Bantams in ‘positive’ takeover talks with Parkin

BRADFORD CITY joint chairman Julian Rhodes has confirmed fresh talks have taken place with millionaire businessman Steve Parkin over his attempts to buy the club.

As exclusively revealed in yesterday’s Yorkshire Post, the chief executive of Brighouse-based Clipper Group wants to purchase the Bantams as part of his grand vision to set up a Bradford Sporting Club that would include both the city’s senior football and rugby league teams.

Parkin met both Rhodes and fellow joint chairman Mark Lawn at Valley Parade yesterday afternoon in an attempt to move the deal along.

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Rhodes confirmed last night: “We have had a meeting with Steve and those talks are on-going. It was a positive meeting that saw a whole host of issues discussed.

“Steve has now gone away and is going to get back to us in the next few days. What we all want is the best for Bradford City. Steve is someone who sees the potential that exists at Bradford City and we all want what is best for the club.”

It is understood that, along with Parkin’s intention to buy out the existing shareholders, a possible joint venture was also suggested by Lawn and Rhodes that would see all three men work together to drive City forward.

As part of the proposal put forward by City’s joint chairmen, Parkin would invest in the Bantams to purchase a third of the shareholding in the League Two club.

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This would appear to fly in the face of Parkin’s original intention of taking overall control and then installing his own hand-picked management team to run the Bantams on a day-to-day basis.

His grand plan for Bradford sport, which was revealed in this newspaper at the start of last week, would see a similar set-up installed at the Bulls.

The two clubs would also be housed in one stadium with the eventual plan being to build a purpose-built stadium in the city for them both to share.

Rhodes has been on the Valley Parade board since the late Nineties along with his father, Professor David Rhodes, while Lawn joined in 2007. The three men recently bought the office block that stands next to City’s home to ease what was, at the time, a crippling rent bill.

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City, meanwhile, have missed out on Ashley Grimes after the Millwall striker, who was wanted by Peter Jackson, last night signed for Rochdale.

The former Manchester City trainee spent last season on loan at Lincoln City, scoring 17 goals.

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