After weeks of little visible movement on the takeover front, the man who owns the Umbro sportswear franchise in Ireland is all set to make a bid to wrest control from the Knighton family nearly ten years after they took over at Brunton Park. Courtney, of whom little is known outside his native Ireland, comes with the personal recommendation of Carlisle boss Roddy Collins. The two men, who are good friends, have talked extensively on the phone and Collins will drive him up to Brunton Park tomorrow when he will be a guest of the club's at the home game against Leyton Orient. "He is a football man through and through," explained Collins. "He's deadly serious about buying this club and hopefully he's aware of its potential. He'll make an offer which hopefully will be accepted and I can tell you he'll be good for this club because he has serious amounts of money and solid plans for the future." Collins hopes his own future could be cemented by the potential deal. He hinted if Courtney's bid fails, he might be tempted to walk out on United and take on another job. He claims to have had at least three offers from other clubs. CCUIST march on Brunton Park The twice-postponed protest march by the Carlisle & Cumbria United Independent Supporters' Trust (CCUIST) is definitely on tomorrow after milder weather ensured the home game with Leyton Orient will go ahead as planned. Fans are asked to gather outside the Turf Inn at 1.45pm for the start of the march to Brunton Park which will set off at 2pm. The last march, before the home game on December 1 with Scunthorpe United attracted over 300 supporters and organisers are hoping to match that again tomorrow. CCUIST secretary Alan Steel said the Trust was now being held up as a shining example of what a supporters' body could achieve and was being used as a model by recently formed trusts at clubs such as Swansea City, Wrexham and York City. "Few aspects of professional football in the county have given Cumbrians cause for pride over the last few years," he said. "However the Supporters' Trust's size, organisation and financial muscle, is admired by other clubs around the country and held up by Supporters Direct, the Government-sponsored organisation which promotes the establishment of Supporters' Trusts, as a shining example of what can be achieved by determined and well-organised supporters." Mr Steel said the achievements of CCUIST had "not gone unnoticed" among those interested in acquiring United and all the prospective purchasers had kept in close contact with a view to ensuring the involvement of supporters once the ownership changes. The Trusts' objectives are, under new ownership, to achieve a shareholding for fans and representation on the board of the club. Rovers fixture switch The trip to Bristol Rovers, originally intended for Saturday January 26, has been moved to Tuesday March 12 following Rovers' success at Derby in the FA Cup last week. The match will kick off at 7.45pm. |
