Bromsgrove Rovers chairman considers legal action

Rovers have played at the Victoria Ground for 100 years

Bromsgrove Rovers chairman Mike Ward is considering his options after the club lost out in their bid to lease their long-term home, the Victoria Ground.

The town's District Council awarded the lease to new club Bromsgrove Sporting but Ward says he will fight on.

"We are taking legal action and we will be addressing the council directly," he told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

"The council didn't even inform Bromsgrove Rovers they were putting the lease out [for tender]."

Ward, whose Rovers side are in administration, claims the bidding process for the lease was flawed and says that would be the basis of any legal challenge.

"Bromsgrove Rovers were unaware of the bidding process while Bromsgrove Sporting were already in the process of compiling an application," he said.

"Neither was the Rovers administrator informed which is why they had to extend the deadline as they realised they hadn't informed the people who were in the premises."

If we have not a ground to play on then the FA are quite within their rights not to allow us to play in that league.

Bromsgrove Rovers chairman Mike Ward

But in a statement issued to BBC Hereford & Worcester, the leader of Bromsgrove District Council, Mike Hollingworth, insisted the proper procedures were followed.

"The opportunity to lease the ground was public and to further facilitate a robust application process we even extended the deadline by 28 days upon the request of the administrator of Bromsgrove Rovers Football Club," he said.

Bromsgrove Sporting, who were founded by disaffected Rovers supporters, have offered Ward's club the chance to share their ground and in his statement Hollingworth said this was a key factor in their application.

"I understand that they will naturally be disappointed but I am delighted that the much-loved Rovers club will have the opportunity to continue to play at the Victoria Ground and look forward to a successful 2010/11 season," he added.

"As part of their successful proposal Bromsgrove Sporting stated they will make the Victoria Ground available on match days to allow the Rovers Football Club to play from there," he said.

"The council is aware that conversations on these arrangements have taken place between the two parties, and that a meeting is being held this week to discuss the future," he added.

But Ward said there had been no formal offer to him of any ground sharing arrangement.

He believes the loss of the lease could be a terminal blow to the club as the Southern League are not likely to allow Rovers to compete at that level next season as they are technically without a ground.

"We have applied to enter into [the league] for next season but if we have not a ground to play on then the FA are quite within their rights not to allow us to play in that league," he said.