Preston North End takeover latest as fans get update on Chris Kirchner interest

There was speculation on social media that it was almost a done deal for Texas-based Kirchner to buy PNE from the Hemmings family.

On Monday afternoon, the Preston Supporters Collective put on Twitter the correspondence they’d had with North End about it.

The PSC has made big steps forward with engagement between fans and club in recent months.

Posting on Twitter they wrote: “Informed by the club the following:

“For any takeover to be concluded it requires an acceptable offer, proof and source of funds, presumably due diligence and the EFL accepting any prospective owners under the Owners and Directors test.

“It also requires an agreed two year funded business plan submitted to the EFL showing us staying within financial fair play limits. Not one of the expressions of interest have yet satisfied the above.

“That’s what we’ve been told officially by the club this afternoon.”

Kirchner, 34, chairman and CEO of tech software firm Slyncio, made two visits to Deepdale in February to watch North End play, watching from an executive box in the Invincibles Pavilion.

He tried to buy Derby County from their administrators last year but pulled out of the deal because of complications surrounding a sale.

Trevor Hemmings, who had owned PNE since the summer of 2010 after being associated with the club since 1973, died last October in the Isle of Man at the age of 86.

The club’s ownership passed to the Hemmings family, with Craig Hemmings having been North End chairman since June 2019.

In terms of talk of the sale of the club, North End put out a statement on February 23 to the media to outline their position.

That statement read: “In response to today's rumours with regards to ownership of the club, we can confirm that since Mr Hemmings' untimely death we have had a number of expressions of interest in the club, including in recent weeks.

“Unless or until there is anything more definitive to say, we will not make any further comment.”

Links emerge between PNE and Chris Kirchner