Silkmen deal in question

Macclesfield Town’s prospective buyer, businessman Joe Sealey, has said he will pull out of his takeover deal if the club is hit with a points deduction.

The Silkmen could be docked points after the Football League suspended their match against Crewe Alexandra last weekend, ruling that their players were unable to take to the field over the turmoil at the club.

In a statement last week, the EFL said it was clear that the “health and wellbeing of both the players and staff had been adversely affected by the ongoing late payment of wages and, as a result, would be unable to focus on on-the-pitch matters”.

Macclesfield were served with a misconduct charge in November for failing to pay their players, who have not been paid on time for 11 months.

Unfortunately, Sealey has met opposition from Macc Town owner Amar Alkadhi, who has branded him a ‘fake buyer’.

Sealey has said he is ready to move forward with the deal, but is yet to hear back from Alkadhi.

“On Friday we got a phonecall out of the blue and somebody asked us if we would you go to this price including debt, and I said yes not a problem,” he said.

“We moved the money on Friday and it hit yesterday, so it’s all sent over. Half a million.”

Asked if he’s had a response from Alkadhi, Sealey said: “Not yet.

“We’re all sitting here waiting to go. For the last six or seven weeks we’ve gone back and forth on the price and the figures, and I was always told once the money hits we’ll be allowed in the door. So I’ve literally got accountants and lawyers waiting to go in to do the due diligence as quickly as possible, because not playing and not being paid is unacceptable going forward.”

“The actual figure we’ve got to get to is more than double that [The £500,000 he has transferred], this is just to show we mean business and I’m not a fake buyer, which he has called me a couple of times.”

After last week’s game was postponed, there has been no indication so far as to whether Saturday’s trip to face Wallsall will also be called off.”

Macclesfield face a trip to Wallsall on Saturday, but there is every chance that game could be called off too which could lead to a points deduction for failure to fulfil their fixtures.

Last month, an independent commission handed Bolton a £70,000 fine and a five-point deduction suspended for 18 months for failing to play against Brentford last season and Doncaster Rovers this term.

And Sealey has made it clear he will take his offer off the table if Macclesfield suffer a similar fate.

“I’ve told them from the start, if the club is going to be in the bottom two on minus 10 points, I’m going to walk,” he added.

“So this game needs to be played because the club can’t afford to get minus points. I won’t be buying it if it’s minus 10 or 12 points and I think they’ll find it hard to find a buyer while the club is facing relegation.”

“I don’t want to walk, but I’ve made it clear from the start if there’s big points deduction then I will.”