JOHN Fenty has responded after being inundated with complaints about the Chairman of the Conference League' s comments regarding the finances of Grimsby Town Football Club PLC.

Mr Lee had said that the Conference were taking two clubs down from the Football League and that they were coming down because they were in a financial mess.

The Town chairman responded by saying: "Clearly Brian's comments have offended many Grimsby Town fans and I can understand that too after listening to the recording of them on the Conference league summer show.

"Brian suggests that the Conference only takes clubs from the Football League who are in trouble and when they do come down, the Conference rehabilitates them from a financial mess.

"It's fair to say that Football League clubs do get relegated due to administration and financial problems. However, that is not the case with Grimsby Town.

"Grimsby Town Football Club as a public limited company, one of only two locally, the other being Cosalt PLC, has more stringent financial practices than a normal limited company.

"Proudly, Grimsby Town have never been in administration and it is fully supported by its directors when making a decision to spend money that it cannot self generate, just like many clubs - something not to apologise for. "

But Mr Fenty has reiterated that he does agree with the Conference League's hard-line stance on clubs who do not operate within their means and get into financial difficulties.

He continued: "Brian's problem with insolvency in football is that clubs cheat when they spend money they do not have, and then go into administration, and receive nothing more that a slap on the wrists. We too want to see an end to this and welcome the stance that clubs must commit to pay 100p in the pound to its creditors to remain eligible to play in the Conference.

"This board inherited many unaffordable contracts and considerable unpaid Tax debt relating its past, soon followed the collapse of ITV digital. After months, it became clear that the Football League had failed to obtain parent company guarantees from its owners Carlton and Granada.

"I hope the Conference learnt from the Football Leagues mistake and when Setanta failed last year I hope that Conference clubs were not also left out of pocket.

"Several millions adrift left our club in big trouble, but proudly we have managed to pay the final installment to the Inland Revenue for that past Tax debt.

"Fans have been asking are there any foundation to Brian Lee's comments. I have to say a strong 'no'. The club operates a healthy overdraft facility backed by director guarantees and any other debt (benign debt) is owed to directors the major shareholders of the company.

"I am sure everyone will join me in wishing the manager and players for the coming season, all the very best and hope for a swift return to the Football League."

John Fenty
Chairman