Deal to takeover Blyth Spartans officially signed off ahead of National League North relegation heartbreak

The deal, announced in February, was officially signed last week prior to the final game of the National League North season, which saw the team lose 5-1 and be relegated from the division.

Outgoing chairman Tony Platten has owned the club for 24 years and has sold it to Winners Worldwide, a “trade and investments” company run by Irfan Liaquat that was incorporated in March 2023 and registered in Newcastle.

Mr Platten called for supporters to continue to back the club, added that the club’s financial model “required average gates of 1,200” to break even.

He said: “It is time for me to retire and enjoy a different way of life away from the football club. I, along with Kevin Scott, will still be on hand to carry out any maintenance jobs at Croft Park or any advice we can pass onto to Irfan and his team.

“I would also like to pass on my gratitude and appreciation to all that I have worked with and who have been associated with the club over the years, as well as the current staff, volunteers, and of course our passionate supporters. Without them the club would not exist.

“The future of Blyth Spartans does not just lie with Irfan and the Winners Worldwide team, who, may I say, have a greater bandwidth, commercial acumen, and a community plan to make this club a success.

“It is also up to our existing regular supporters, the people of Blyth and the surrounding areas, to support the club by turning up in numbers. This is the main source of income for any non-league club and is key to our future.”

According to the Winners Worldwide website, the firm is “operational in the world’s most desirable locations, from golden beach fronts to iconic city centres.”

It claims to count “properties from desirable European boutiques to iconic Italian buildings and pristine European resorts” among its properties.

Mr Liaquat said: “It is so exciting for me and my team to finally close out the deal and pick up the baton to take this famous football club to the next chapter in its history.

“It is our plan to raise the profile of Blyth Spartans by integrating into the community at all levels, including schools, social and support groups, junior football, local businesses, local authority projects, FA well-being and inclusivity projects, other outreach initiatives, and, not least, engagement with our supporters.

He added: “It is our intention to run the club on a firm commercial footing. This ultimately translates to the quality players that the team manager can put out on the pitch, the level of support, and the success of Blyth Spartans.

“Allied to this, we appreciate the dedication and efforts of our volunteers, management, and staff who make it happen on the day and without whom the club could not function, and look forward to their continuing support to make this a success.

“Importantly, we have a management team onboard at Winners Worldwide with a breadth of skills and disciplines that can be input into the key areas of the business.”