Dale Trust requests EGM with Rochdale AFC after allegations of "serious internal issues"

The Dale Trust has formally requested an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) with Rochdale AFC after shareholders Dan Altman and Emre Marcelli released a statement alluding to 'serious internal issues' which 'have not been resolved'.

A statement was released by the American shareholders earlier this week, who had been invited to join the club’s board as directors before putting their acceptance on hold, says they suspended acceptance of the directorships after ‘learning of serious internal issues at the club within hours of accepting’.
 

Read more: Altman and Marcelli step back from involvement in Rochdale AFC due to ‘unresolved internal issues’Published: 13 April 2021

Messrs Altman and Marcelli claim the “aforementioned issues have not been resolved in what we would consider to be a satisfactory or timely manner.” They said that they will continue to hold their shares but have stepped back from involvement with the club, and will now “consider other opportunities.”

Earlier this week, the trust announced intentions to call for an EGM, following “the very serious allegations about the running of the club that were made by shareholders Dan Altman and Emre Marcelli on Monday afternoon amongst other matters.”

Now, with the backing of 54 unique shareholders, the Dale Trust has formally called for an EGM with Rochdale AFC.

An update on the trust website reads: “We’d just like to provide an update to supporters following our announcement earlier in the week that we intended to call for an EGM. We have delivered a letter to the club this morning where we have formally called for that EGM.

“In the past 48 hours, we have been in contact with a number of shareholders, and we were delighted that we had a total of 54 unique shareholders backing our call for an EGM which equated to around 25% of the total shareholding.

“A massive thank you to all shareholders for their backing over this. We will update you once we have a date for the meeting.”

Former Rochdale AFC chairman Chris Dunphy had also recently called for an EGM, also revealing he wishes to return to the club as chairman, after watching the recent fans’ forum, where it was revealed that first team manager Brian Barry-Murphy's contract had been extended to May 2022 and this extension had not been communicated to fans.
 

Read more: Virtual fans' forum reveals Rochdale manager Brian Barry-Murphy has another year on his contractPublished: 12 March 2021

 

Read more: Former Rochdale AFC chairman Chris Dunphy has declared interest in returning to the clubPublished: 01 April 2021

Mr Dunphy left the club in December 2018, after over 30 years as a director and subsequently sold his shares. His role as chairman was filled by majority shareholder Andrew Kilpatrick, who stepped down last month due to personal reasons.

Mr Dunphy sold the shares he owned in the football club to American businessmen Dan Altman and Emre Marcelli. in October 2019. It is unclear if he plans to try and buy these back.

Rochdale AFC has been contacted for comment.
 

Read more: Altman and Marcelli step back from involvement in Rochdale AFC due to ‘unresolved internal issues’Published: 13 April 2021

Recent events at the club has caused concern for supporters, including the sudden resignation of chairman Andrew Kilpatrick and the discovery that the manager's contract had been extended without this being communicated to fans.

• 18 February - Chairman Andrew Kilpatrick resigned
• 24 February - Director Andrew Kelly appointed interim chairman of the board
• 24 February - The club announces that Dan Altman and Emre Marcelli will be joining the board of directors
• 28 February - Dan Altman and Emre Marcelli release a statement saying that they will now not be joining the board of directors
• 10 March - At a virtual fans' forum it is revealed that manager Brian Barry-Murphy's contract had been extended to May 2022
• 11 March - The club confirm that Barry-Murphy's contract has been extended but will not say when the contract extension was agreed
• 27 March - Former chairman Chris Dunphy declares an interest in returning the boardroom as chairman
• 13 April - Dan Altman and Emre Marcelli release a statement about their stepping back from involvement in the football club as a result of what they refer to as “serious internal issues” which “have not been resolved”
• 16 April – The Dale Trust formally requests an EGM