Salisbury City chairman in Truro City ground deal

Source BBC Sport Salisbury LINK

Salisbury City chairman William Harrison-Allan has been revealed as the businessman behind a deal to keep Truro City afloat.

Harrison-Allan's CGA Holdings company is hoping to go into partnership with City chairman Kevin Heaney.

They want to buy Treyew Road from a firm run by Heaney's lawyers.

The deal has been approved by the Football Conference as Harrison-Allan will not be involved in the running of the football side of Truro City.

Truro City are currently facing a winding-up petition for unpaid taxes from HM Revenue and Customs at the High Court, but Harrison-Allen says he will ensure that the club's debts are paid.

"It's taken quite a long time to get to where we are and at the same time unfortunately Kevin's come under immense pressure with the creditors at Truro," Harrison-Allan told BBC Radio Cornwall.

"I've helped him through CGA with monies to pay off previous HMRC winding-up orders, he's got another one in September which we'll sort out for him, and the players are up to date with wages and the PAYE will be up to date at the end of August."

Harrison-Allen says his motivation for the deal is to help out Heaney, who he says is a friend who is going through a difficult time both in business and with his health.

"Sometimes people need a helping hand and that's what we did.

"The whole thing is to secure Truro City Football Club and it's ground for a long time to come.

"He (Kevin Heaney) wants to make sure Truro City won't go down the drain after all his hard work," Harrison-Allan added.

And he says the long term aim is to try and resurrect plans for a stadium for Cornwall so the club can eventually sell Treyew Road.

Earlier this year Cornwall Council voted against plans to help fund a stadium at Threemilestone which would have housed Truro City and Cornish Pirates rugby team.

"If they could join forces, following the land deal, with Cornish Pirates and Truro College and do what was proposed originally, which was a brand new stadium, then that would be even better.

"You'd have even greater facilities for everybody in Truro and Cornwall," Harrison-Allan said.