Chorley FC hit with winding-up petition amid Boyzone and Westlife investment talks
Chorley FC have been hit by a winding-up petition by HM Revenue and Customs in a shock twist in the non-League club’s bid to lure former members of Irish boybands Boyzone and Westlife into investing in them.
The news the taxman has sought to liquidate the National League North side has added a whole new complexion to talks over ex-Boyzone bandmates Ronan Keating, Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy, and one-time Westlife star Brian McFadden, becoming “the face” of the club.
Chorley’s chief operating officer, Tom Clarke, had confirmed those discussions on Wednesday in an interview with the Daily Telegraph but made no mention of a winding-up petition filed the previous day.
Asked about the move by HMRC on Thursday, he said: “That looks like an oversight on our part and HMRC’s part and it’s dealt with. And, in 24 hours, that should be non-existent.”
The petition was filed less than nine months after the club were taken over by Reset Events Ltd, the head of which, Prince Yemoh, said he wanted to restore the “buzz” around Victory Park.
An HMRC spokesperson said: “We take a supportive approach to dealing with customers who have tax debts and only file winding-up petitions once we’ve exhausted all other options, in order to protect taxpayers’ money.”
Clarke had also said on Wednesday that Keating, Lynch, Duffy and McFadden would attend Chorley’s FA Trophy fifth-round tie against Solihull Moors on Saturday ahead of further talks over the quartet becoming the latest celebrity investors in British football.
News of the discussions came barely a week after another former boyband member, ex-Take That star Robbie Williams, was unveiled president of boyhood idols Port Vale.
Clarke said Chorley’s move had been inspired by the likes of Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s hugely successful investment in Wrexham, whose 15-year exile from the professional game ended last season.
That was chronicled in a fly-on-the-wall documentary, Welcome to Wrexham, and Clarke said Chorley could follow the same model.
Reynolds and McElhenney’s ultimate goal is to take Wrexham into the Premier League and Clarke said there was no reason why a boyband-backed sixth-tier Chorley should not aim as high despite having never previously played in the professional game.
He added: “Naturally, that comes with growing pains. Naturally, that comes with challenges that we’ll have to overcome along the way. I fully recognise that.”
The club said in a statement: “This is a game-changer that has the potential to bring our town into the limelight like never before, generating a buzz and publicity that will shine a bright light on Chorley.”
