Leeds United Football Club - Investigation Can Wait
Leeds chief executive Trevor Birch has said that any enquiry into the club's past operations will have to wait until the future of Leeds United has been resolved.
Birch was responding to questions at the AGM, amongst them calls for the dealings of previous management to be opened up for independent examination.
"Shareholders have a right to be angry," said Birch. "On the face of it, it (the club's financial record) is difficult to defend as the results speak for themselves. But John came in, steadied the club and steered it through turbulent waters. The reality is the ship is still afloat. It may well have sunk if John had not implemented pretty difficult decisions in terms of taking cuts out of the business. In terms of an inquiry, all my efforts are concentrated on the club, and I'm not sure who would take it on and how it would be financed. But it's something to look at once Leeds United is safe. For now, we are totally geared towards saving the club."
Asked whether Mark Viduka would be sold, Birch said it was the intention of the club to hold onto the Australian striker to boost their Premiership survival.
"No club can say a player is not for sale if the figure is not the right one," said Birch. "But we don't want to sell anybody and we don't need to sell anybody. Selling a player for £3.5million makes no difference to the level of debt and only weakens the playing squad."
Leeds chief executive Trevor Birch has said that any enquiry into the club's past operations will have to wait until the future of Leeds United has been resolved.
Birch was responding to questions at the AGM, amongst them calls for the dealings of previous management to be opened up for independent examination.
"Shareholders have a right to be angry," said Birch. "On the face of it, it (the club's financial record) is difficult to defend as the results speak for themselves. But John came in, steadied the club and steered it through turbulent waters. The reality is the ship is still afloat. It may well have sunk if John had not implemented pretty difficult decisions in terms of taking cuts out of the business. In terms of an inquiry, all my efforts are concentrated on the club, and I'm not sure who would take it on and how it would be financed. But it's something to look at once Leeds United is safe. For now, we are totally geared towards saving the club."
Asked whether Mark Viduka would be sold, Birch said it was the intention of the club to hold onto the Australian striker to boost their Premiership survival.
"No club can say a player is not for sale if the figure is not the right one," said Birch. "But we don't want to sell anybody and we don't need to sell anybody. Selling a player for £3.5million makes no difference to the level of debt and only weakens the playing squad."