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Former Hereford United chairman Graham Turner has hit back at comments about how he left the finances at Edgar Street when he moved to Shrewsbury just over two years ago. In particular he has spoken about the claim that under his watch an amount of VAT was claimed twice.
"It’s a pile of invoices that appear to have been claimed in one quarter and then mistakenly claimed the next quarter. It was in the year 2008-09," said Turner as reported by the Shropshire Star.
"I take great exception to the implication that we have been responsible for the £45,000 VAT debt there.
"I put a lot of time and effort into that football club.
"I think it is difficult to accept that I am being vilified for debts that we left and that is why the club is in trouble, which is far from the truth.
"I can walk through the door for this FA Cup tie with my head held high and say we left this club in a very good condition.
"My conscience is clear without a shadow of a doubt. I stayed for 15 years at Hereford and I am pleased with the contribution I have made to that football club.
"It upsets me a bit to see the club in the state it is in at the moment and I just hope somehow it can survive."
Turner has also spoken to BBC Radio Shropshire.
"I've asked for the full report from the VAT man so that I can go to our auditors at that time and may be challenge them.
"The £45K VAT debt is just a drop in the ocean compared that are at the club at the moment."
Turner also mentioned the £1M debt at Edgar Street which has since been paid off.
"We had to work with that debt. It would never be paid off in terms of the cash.
"But we negotiated a new lease with the council for the football facilities and round the outside they were willing to give some more land into the project.
"And then we progressed it to building a new stand at the other end of the ground.
"I got reputable football stadium architects in, we designed the stand as a just under 2,000 all-seater, all the facilities you would want.
"And the funding and grants was all there for it to be built.
"So everything was geared up to go.
"The council would have then allowed developers to have develop the outside, maybe a hotel, student accomodation.
"They would have got what they wanted, the club would have shared a part of the profit from those developments and the council would have benefited.
"It was a win, win situation."
Turner has also spoken to BBC Radio Shropshire.
"I've asked for the full report from the VAT man so that I can go to our auditors at that time and may be challenge them.
"The £45K VAT debt is just a drop in the ocean compared that are at the club at the moment."
Turner also mentioned the £1M debt at Edgar Street which has since been paid off.
"We had to work with that debt. It would never be paid off in terms of the cash.
"But we negotiated a new lease with the council for the football facilities and round the outside they were willing to give some more land into the project.
"And then we progressed it to building a new stand at the other end of the ground.
"I got reputable football stadium architects in, we designed the stand as a just under 2,000 all-seater, all the facilities you would want.
"And the funding and grants was all there for it to be built.
"So everything was geared up to go.
"The council would have then allowed developers to have develop the outside, maybe a hotel, student accomodation.
"They would have got what they wanted, the club would have shared a part of the profit from those developments and the council would have benefited.
"It was a win, win situation."
