[AccyJay]

This is the original text from the Lancashire Telegraph

ILYAS Khan has permanently withdrawn all financial offers of support to Accrington Stanley – and Peter Marsden has resigned as vice chairman – following an emergency board meeting after Saturday’s game at Chesterfield.

Marsden called all present board members back into the directors’ box just minutes after the match at Saltergate to reveal a number of financial details he was currently concerned about and urge Stanley to accept Khan’s offer of assistance.

But, after his pleas were not met with support, Marsden opted to resign yesterday and Khan has now withdrawn his offer to save the club should they not be able to pay a £308,000 tax bill by October 28 – when they are otherwise due to face winding up proceedings.

Khan had made two separate offers – first, as the benefactor behind the Accrington Stanley Supporters’ Fund, pledging to pay off all of the club’s debts if they issued new shares.

The investment banker had also expressing his intention, on an individual basis, to match or possibly even double the sum total of all money donated by current directors before the tax deadline.

But Saturday’s meeting, which did not involve joint chairman Dave O’Neill because he was not at the game, brought things to a head.
Supporters’ Fund chairman Peter Shaw last night said: “Ilyas has indicated that he has withdrawn all support. I asked him if there was any way back but he said no.
“Peter Marsden has offered to mediate and the fund has taken him up on that.
“I’m hoping against hope that the club won’t go bust, but the options are diminishing by the hour.”
The Supporters’ Fund will now hold a private meeting tonight to discuss the way forward.
In a statement, Khan said: “I confirm that I have withdrawn all offers of financial support for ASFC.
“I made this decision with a very heavy heart, and after a great deal of consideration. The club and its directors have been particularly focused on assuring everyone that they will see the situation through.
“In the circumstances I can only wish the club, its players, supporters and staff the very best.
“I also confirm that I have spoken with Peter Marsden.
“I know he made a statement to the directors at the board meeting yesterday, and I admire his courage and his integrity, and wish him well in the future.
“Finally, I confirm that the loan that I made in June of £25,000 through the ASSF will be written off by me.
“I do not wish to receive the money back, and it will therefore become an unconditional donation to the club and thereby lessen its debt by a small margin.”

He added: “Over the past three or four weeks it has become very clear that they don’t want to deal with me and there is only so many times you can make an offer and keep having that offer turned down.”
Marsden has resigned as vice chairman but like Khan, who he met in London on Wednesday, remains as a shareholder.
Marsden, who is still considering putting money into the club, said: “I was in favour of trying to get Ilyas involved but I was unable to whip up enough enthusiasm.
“Ilyas is a genuine man who wants to help Accrington Stanley, and I was probably his biggest supporter on the board.
“The club could go bust without Ilyas and, although I still think the club can survive with or without him, I would dearly love him to have some involvement. For the last few weeks I have been saying that I am in favour of a share issue.

“I have resigned because I have just got so disillusioned with the in-fighting. There are a lot of stubborn people at the club. There are a lot of strong characters involved and that’s not necessarily a good thing at the moment.

“I brought a few things into the open at the meeting that I thought should be in the open. It will no doubt all be revealed in time. I did my job and now it’s up to them, because even I don’t have a huge idea of everything that is going on behind the scenes at the moment.

“I’d just like to see an end to the bickering because it is taking the fans’ minds off the SOS fund, and that needs to be the priority. This is becoming deadly serious now.”

Board members were said to be shocked by Marsden’s resignation.
Stanley chief executive Rob Heys said: “Peter has clearly explained his reasons for stepping down and I empathise with him.”