Perry Deakin to work at Kassam Stadium

Hugely controversial and heavily criticised former Port Vale CEO Perry Deakin has been unveiled as the new Oxford United stadium manager.

The Firoka Group, the company who own Oxford’s Kassam Stadium have offered Deakin the post after not enquiring with Port Vale’s administrators or the club’s Supporters Group about Deakin’s past performance at Vale Park. This lack of background checks by the Firoka Group could set alarm bells ringing for Oxford supporters.

“It is absolutely appalling and I feel sorry for Oxford’s fans,” Vale Supporters Club chairman Pete Williams told the Sentinel newspaper.

“The way he administered the Vale took us down and down. If they’d have contacted the club or the supporters’ club, I don’t think the reply back would have been too pleasant.”

Deakin was one of the most vilified figures in Port Vale’s recent history. He arrived originally as the CEO in March 2011 and was appointed by the equally controversial Chairman Bill Bratt, but following Bratt’s departure, Deakin made a move to join the board.

Deakin, alongside former Chairman Peter Miller, was part of the nil-paid shares controversy that infuriated supporters. In essence, Deakin wrote to supporters saying that he had “purchased” £100,000 worth of shares and sought election on that basis. But it was soon revealed that neither man had paid for their shares and despite promises that payment would be forthcoming, there was no evidence of any money ever being handed to the club. In effect, Deakin and Miller secured election to the Port Vale board without any money coming in to the club accounts.

Deakin’s reputation sunk even lower when he was involved in the Supporters Club being locked out of their meeting venue (he later claimed this was a misunderstanding despite the SC proving the meeting had been pre-booked), refusing to agree to sanction club hospitality to the legendary Sproson family (whose members have made over 1,000 Port Vale appearances) on the eve of the unveiling of the Roy Sproson statue, a bitter dispute with non-league neighbours Nantwich (after which Deakin admitted that Port Vale were in the wrong), disputes with both shirt sponsors and the programme publishers –  and perhaps most damning of all – being a key member of the board which took the club into administration.

Deakin remains a club creditor as Keith Ryder awaits clearance to take the club out of administration. Despite being at least partially responsible for the club’s huge financial woes, Deakin still found the time to submit a £14.80 expenses claim.

Space prevents us from detailing all the controversy that Deakin was involved in but the following links could prove useful for any Oxford United fans reading this link as could the related links attached to this article:

 

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