Liverpool-based property developers Kieran Malone and David Cunningham are set to take over of Southport Football Club.
The pair confirmed that the Big Help Group, headed up by Peter Mitchell, have left the club.
The Big Help Group remains the subject of a Charity Commission inquiry which Southport FC has admitted is affecting progress towards a full majority share transfer.
A statement from Southport Football Club on Wednesday said: “Dear Supporters, we want to inform you of recent developments regarding the ownership of Southport Football Club. As many of you know, The Big Help Group, along with Peter Mitchell and the rest of their board, are no longer involved with the club. Liam Watson and Steven Porter remain as Directors.
“The ownership of the club has now been transferred to myself (David Cunningham) and Kieran Malone. We are preparing a more detailed statement and look forward to meeting with you all soon to discuss our plans.
“In the meantime, we want to clarify the current situation. The formal completion of the takeover has been delayed due to an ongoing investigation into The Big Help Group’s activities by The Charities Commission. This investigation has implications for the ownership transfer.
“We have been in regular contact with the National League and are working towards fulfilling all the necessary procedures for us to be formally recognised as the new owners. However, it is crucial that The Charities Commission understands and is content that this takeover represents a fresh start for Southport Football Club, allowing us to rebuild with a clean slate.
“We were delighted to announce the appointment of Neil and Mark as our new management team on Monday. Recognising the urgency, we prioritised these appointments to enable them to begin working on player contracts and recruitment immediately.”
A Charity Commission spokesperson said: “We have an ongoing statutory inquiry into Big Help Project to assess a number of concerns, including whether the charity has accurately accounted for its funds and assets in line with legal requirements and if conflicts of interest have been adequately managed.
“We have recently issued two legal orders, which are temporary, protective measures to ensure Big Help Project’s assets and / or funds are protected. This includes any proceeds from the sale of shares Big Help Group Ltd has held or still holds in Southport Football Club on trust for the charity. We have similarly previously issued an order preventing Big Help Group Ltd from disposing of any funds it holds on trust for Big Help Project without the prior consent of the Commission.
“The purpose of these orders is not to prevent the sale of Southport FC, but to ensure we can protect funds or assets that belong to the charity.”
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