Related Party Loans
September 11 2009 - 6:45AM
UK Regulatory
TIDMWFC
RNS Number : 9225Y
Watford Leisure PLC
11 September 2009
Watford Leisure PLC
("Watford Leisure" or the "Company")
Funding Position and Related Party Loans
When the Board announced the Company's interim results in March 2009 it
confirmed that it had prepared projections through to June 2010 and that it was
confident that through a combination of operational cash flows, borrowing
facilities, capital raising abilities and shareholder support the Company could
meet all of its financial obligations.
The Board is still confident that longer term finance can be raised and is
currently considering all fundraising options including the potential issue of
new equity to the Company's key shareholders. It is currently anticipated that
significant funding will need to be put in place before the year end and, as a
result, discussions with these key shareholders are ongoing. If no agreement
can be reached then the Company will have to seek alternative sources of
financing.
Related Party Loans
The Company's working capital requirements have been assisted over the course of
the last nine months by Valley Grown Salads ("VGS") which agreed to delay
repayment of a short term loan of approximately GBP1.82 million, which (as
previously announced) was made available to the Company's subsidiary, Watford
Association Football Club Limited (the "Club") in January 2009 (the "January
Loan") and was originally due to be repaid in four equal instalments from monies
due from The Football Association Premier League Limited ("the FAPL") the last
instalment being due on 31 July 2009. These instalments were made available to
the Club with the agreement of VGS when received from the FAPL. Further short
term funding of GBP0.65 million was provided by Giacomo Russo at the end of July
2009 (the "July Loan") and a further GBP1.25 million was provided in August
2009 by Giacomo Russo (the "August Loan").
The Company has today agreed that the January Loan, the July Loan plus a
previously loaned amount of GBP0.16 million, totalling approximately GBP2.63
million, will be consolidated into a single loan from VGS and will be due for
repayment within twelve months of the agreement date and will accrue interest
until that time at an interest rate of LIBOR plus 3.5 per cent. per annum,
payable on maturity, although the Company has the option to repay the loan at
any time. VGS has also been granted security over the Vicarage Road Stadium, by
way of a debenture ranking behind the existing secured creditors, in respect of
this consolidated loan. The security is subject to the finalisation of
appropriate documentation. The August Loan of GBP1.25 million from Giacomo Russo
is repayable in three instalments over the next twelve months on receipt of the
proceeds of player transfers agreed in August and will accrue interest at a rate
of 7 per cent per annum.
The extension of the repayment terms of the January Loan and provision of both
the July Loan and the August Loan are deemed to be related party transactions
under the AIM Rules for Companies. The independent directors of the Company in
respect of these loans (that is, excluding Vincenzo and Giacomo Russo who
jointly control VGS) consider, having consulted with Strand Partners Limited,
that the terms of the loans are fair and reasonable insofar as the Company's
shareholders are concerned.
A further announcement in respect of the Company's funding position will be made
in due course.
Giacomo Russo, Chairman said "I am pleased to have been able to provide
financial support for Watford at a time of difficult cash flow while operational
issues were addressed and look forward to agreeing the basis of the company's
longer term financing with the other major shareholders shortly. I would also
like to thank my co-directors for their continued support".
Enquiries:
Watford Leisure PLC
Tel: 01923 496000
Jimmy Russo, Chairman
Julian Winter, Chief Executive Officer
Strand Partners Limited
Tel: 020 7409 3494
Rory Murphy
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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