Thread by @walesawayfans

A thread on what’s happening at Prestatyn Town FC (seeing as no-one else seems interested in conducting any proper investigation).

The new chairman, “Jamie Welsh”, is the sole director of the club’s 2 limited companies; Prestatyn Town Football Club Limited and Prestatyn Town Football in the Community Limited. He was appointed in 4th Jun & 3 Sep, respectively. All other directors resigned on the same day(s).

Companies House does not show any other appointments for “Jamie Welsh”. There is however, another Jamie Welsh, also born in August 1980. This person holds 1 appointment; Barroom Ltd, a pub/bar registered in Liverpool. This company was incorporated on 22 Jan, 1 director appointed.

Therefore on appointment as chairman at Prestatyn, at best, “Jamie Welsh” had fewer than 5 months experience of running a business; a bar that would have been trading for a maximum of 2 months before it closing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The new chairman was announced as a “Merseyside-based investor”. It appears that this is a new venture, as “Jamie Welsh” hasn’t discernibly made any significant investment before.

It certainly begs the question why, with such limited business experience or any obvious experience of running a football club, someone would feel ready to take the top job at a respected Tier 2 football club.

It has been reported by a local journalist that the chairman has a backer. This would suggest that the chairman himself isn’t the primary investor. No further details of the backer have been forthcoming. It’s unclear who would e keen to invest, given the chairman’s inexperience.

This adds weight to the theory that perhaps the chairman is a frontman for someone else. Somebody who doesn’t want to put their name to anything at the club. Perhaps someone who isn’t able to be a director for whatever reason e.g. having been disqualified.

It’s difficult to find any solid information on “Jamie Welsh” or his credentials for running a football club. He apparently has an advisor, former professional footballer Tony Grant. Grant was formerly a player-coach at Chester City, during the ownership of Stephen Vaughan.

The swift departure of Neil Gibson leaves “Jamie Welsh” a big job in finding a new manager. It will be interesting to see who is appointed.