Glick hits back at talk of financial trouble at club

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DERBY County have hit back at suggestions that they could be facing financial trouble.

This follows reports in the United States that one of the Rams investors, Jeff Martinovich, is experiencing financial difficulties.

But the Rams' president and chief executive, Tom Glick, told the Derby Telegraph the matter does not impact on the funding of the football club or the operations, nor will it affect the funding of the club in the future.

Glick said Martinovich is not one of the main investors.

"The board comprises of the majority owners which are Tom Ricketts, Bill Luby, Brett Wilson, Jeff Mallett, Andy Appleby and Tom Vertin – these are the key people in the ownership group and they have carried on and continue to invest into the football club to fund its operations," added Glick.

"Jeff Martinovich is one investor, a smaller investor who is not on the board, not involved in the operations of the football club and whatever troubles he has had they have not impacted on the bigger picture."

It was also reported in this country that Glick missed last Saturday's draw at Barnsley after he flew to America becuase of the "mounting crisis".

But Glick dismissed the suggestion and revealed he actually went back home to attend a family wedding.

"It was my cousin's wedding in Portland Maine, and it was a great occasion," he said.

"I scheduled the trip three months ago in terms of booking the flight.

"It was a short trip and I followed the Barnsley game while I was there.

"Then I visited my son at Boston College before I flew back."

Glick also dismissed a claim that the club was for sale this summer.

"That is categorically untrue," he said. "We are baffled by the suggestion. There is nothing in it that is true and our commitment as an ownership group and operating Derby County for the long term remains in place."

There has been frustration among some Rams fans after the club missed out on loan targets James Vaughan and Chris Wood.

Some supporters have been critical of what they perceive to be a lack of investment by the American owners.

But yesterday Rams manager Nigel Clough and Glick insisted finance had "absolutely" nothing to do with Vaughan joining today's opponents Crystal Palace and Wood deciding to move to Barnsley rather than Derby.

"It certainly was not financial in those two instances, it was down to other factors that we could not control," said Clough. "Barnsley had talked to Chris Wood in the summer before he went to the World Cup and so it is a measure of Chris being probably the decent lad he is and loyal to them because they were the first to go in for him.

"We put the same deal on the table, if not better than Barnsley's, but it was just down to Chris' choice.

"There was a possibility of James Vaughan coming here but there are three things needed for a loan to happen. It needs the player to agree, the other club to agree and the finances to be right."

Derby, I understand, bettered Palace's loan offer for Vaughan but Everton decided to accept the London club's offer.

http://www.therams.co.uk/news/Glick-hits-talk-financial-trouble-club/article-2684590-detail/article.html