Council rejects football ground takeover bids

The future of a non-league football ground remains in doubt after the local council turned down two takeover bids.

Frome Town Council in Somerset bought Badgers Hill, home of Frome Town AFC, in 2022, and last year leased it to Badgers Hill Ltd, owned by club chairman and US businessman Courtney Fong.

The council invited bids to lease or buy the stadium in January, but said on Thursday that neither bidder was able to provide the "required proof of funds".

A statement from Badgers Hill Ltd and Frome Town AFC said it was "deeply disappointing" that their bid to continue running the stadium had not been accepted.

Badgers Hill Stadium, the home of the side who have just won promotion to the seventh tier of English football, was bought by the council in 2022 after its previous owners ran into financial difficulties.

Supporters welcomed the "new era" heralded by Fong's company Badgers Hill Ltd taking over running the stadium in July 2025, after agreeing to pay the council £32,000 per year in rent, with an option to buy the ground in the future.

But less than six months later, the council criticised the company for not paying any rent, which it said was creating the risk of "losing Badger's Hill for good".

In response, the company said it should not be expected to pay for past financial mismanagement.

Frome Town Council confirmed this week it had received two proposals to lease or purchase Badgers Hill, but neither was able to provide "a viable business plan supported by clear proof of funds to both acquire and invest in the site".

The authority said without this it could not progress either bid at this time.

One of the bids came from Badgers Hill Ltd, while the other came from anonymous organisation One Square Foot that launched a crowdfunder that is no longer visible online.

A spokesperson for Badgers Hill and the club said they were only notified that their bid had been rejected after the council's announcement.

"This is deeply disappointing, particularly given the condition the ground was handed over in last summer and the tens of thousands of pounds already invested by Badgers Hill Ltd, alongside an incredible group of partners and volunteers, to repair and revitalise the stadium," the spokesperson added.

"If our plan is not accepted, the football club will also be forced to move. But Badgers Hill is about far more than football."

Frome Town Council leader Fiona Barrows said the authority stepped in to pay off the debts of Frome Town Holdings in 2022 to prevent the site from being lost forever.

"The site is now owned by the community – by the people of Frome – and with that comes a responsibility to protect it for the future and ensure it is managed in a way that is robust, deliverable, and in the best interests of everyone," she said.

"Having invested significant public money, time and effort into securing the site, we must be confident that any future partner can demonstrate the financial certainty needed to deliver on their plans," Barrows said.

She added the council welcomed further discussions with interested parties.

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