FC Torrevieja ownership in doubt

‘Off with their heads’ used to be the cry in the dark ages and often it seems that football lives to that same doctrine.

In the same week that Real Madrid were knocked out of the Champions League, both Porto and AC Milan were made to look very ordinary by Premiership opposition and Manchester United’s Red Knights want the Glazer family bought out, it seems that football fans are always out for someone’s blood, even if they are winning! The team feeling the heat again locally is FC Torrevieja where a group of unhappy supporters seem happier to kick SAMM Inc into touch rather than look for solutions to a way forward.  

On a positive note, credit where it’s due and so hats off to a spirited performance from the FC Torrevieja team this week, who beat a decent La Nucia team; one – nil, thanks to a goal from a Bailen free kick. Not only that, but for a change they managed to finish a game with 11-players still on the field and received a standing ovation from the supporters at game end. The result was warmly cheered by fans and Director of Football Tommy Taylor must have been happier to see some more commitment from the side than has been evident in previous weeks. Three valuable points put them another step closer to survival this season but it’s still far from the goal of playing for promotion, which was an objective when SAMM Inc took over in January 2010.

For many fans, Sports and Media Management Inc not only threw a lifeline to the club but also presented their vision of the future for the team and the areas’ talented youth players, though their planned Elite Academy. However, this week the management group issued a less than welcome statement about their involvement with the club adding doubt that they shall not fulfil their 5-year contract and may even walk away from the team in the near future.

SAMM Inc COO, Peter Fulford issued a statement this week that has left many loyal fans feeling confused and more than a little disappointed. On the one hand, Fulford has stated that the management team have invested over €50,000 into the club but on the other, they have not paid the remaining wages of the players, which they promised to do at the end of February! Detractors have jumped all over the forum sites pointing fingers of accusation at SAMM and asking why have the players not been paid? A fair question and one that Fulford has tried to answer honestly after apologising for the lack of communication over the past few weeks.

“There have been some very good reasons behind this silence which is sadly as a direct result of our failure to receive promised documentation and vital information which we need to present to our investors. Some of this key paperwork remains outstanding to this current moment, despite numerous requests.” He added “We have been greatly disturbed about false statements about our financial background made by individuals who have absolutely no knowledge of our circumstances and clearly are ‘mischief-making’.”

In essence, it seems that certain individuals have been making allegations about SAMM Inc, their finances, commitment, website, training academies, HQ, phone lines and anything else they can get their teeth into. Not surprising this has not gone down too well with the prospective investors in the club and as such Fulford says of the investment team, “In truth, they have been doing their homework and besides the non-availability of key papers, they have also been unimpressed by the relenting and unsubstantiated negative postings by certain individuals on the Torry Army website. Some of these postings, which in effect accuse SAMM INC of behaving in an improper way (and that is a moderate way of calling it), have led the investors to consider whether it is worth their time and their resources investing substantial funds in the club.”

It’s been pointed out that SAMM Inc could have put their money into a struggling team, such as cash strapped Chester City or possibly Real Murcia or Elche, all established in higher leagues, with their own academies and decent stadiums. While that might seem the more sensible thing to do, possibly a smaller team such as FC Torrevieja has more potential for growth, a smaller wage bill, no immediate expectation fan levels, less pressure to incur huge transfer bills to try and reach the next level, more support from the Town Hall and a smaller initial investment to buy into the club. The big word is ‘potential’. FC Torrevieja have never experienced the big leagues, while Real Murica and Elche both have but couldn’t survive at that level. For them to return to La Liga, and then survive, will take serious cash, not to mention the day-to-day costs of maintaining stadium facilities, player and staff wages and all that goes into the running of a major football team. Last weekend, less than 10,000 spectators chose to watch any of the home or away games played by Elche, Real Union, Murcia or Cartagena. Even Almeria verses Malaga in La Liga only attracted 10,000 while a few season’s ago Torrevieja attracted 4,000 plus to their home games! Starting smaller, learning the ropes and building is probably a safer option for investors rather than trying to induce ‘change’ with an established Spanish team.  

Thus the future of FC Torrevieja’s ownership lies in the balance. At then end of the month the Town Council’s grant money will go directly to cover any outstanding wages and so all players will have been paid up to date and the team can concentrate on winning a few more games and staying out the relegation battle zone. There are those who say that any company with twenty million or so at their disposal should just have paid the wages to date and not given anyone the chance to complain. SAMM Inc would counter by saying that their approach is just good business practice. The other unanswered question would be  ‘what’s in it for them?’ If SAMM Inc were to walk away from the club, they would do so having thrown fifty thousand euros away and most of their credibility! It does not make any sense that they would want to do that!

Maybe now that the issue is out in the open we can come to a quick resolution, which can only be of benefit to the team. One thing is for sure; Torrevieja still has one of the largest and most multicultural supporters groups in their division and everyone is hoping for bigger things for the club in the future. It would be a shame if this ‘mischief-making’ might turn off future investment in the club as FC Torrevieja probably has more ‘potential’ to be a much bigger name in Spanish football than many might think.

Keith Nicol

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