£300,000 lifeline for the Terras

The South Devon resident’s donation was confirmed yesterday but he does not want to be seen as a saviour or even hold a position on the board.

Mr Beer said that all he wants in return for his investment is to see the non-League outfit get back on its feet again and retain its Blue Square Premier status.

Mr Beer, who has acquired a 48 per cent shareholding in the Terras, has also called upon other businessmen to back the club, which has been losing £9,000 a week. In an exclusive interview with the Dorset Echo, he said: “The club is in desperate need of a structure. “It has not had one in the past and what needs to be drawn up is a brand new business plan in which the club can work within its means.

“I also think the supporters need to be listened to more because they are the ones that pay their hard-earned money and are the lifeblood of the club.”

Mr Beer added: “What everyone needs to do is look at the situation and say ‘right, the club is in a mess, how do we fix it?’ “Local businesses and sponsors need to come back and invest in the club and we need to get families back in here.

“As soon as we get that support and structure in place we will be able to move forward together.”

The 11th hour deal comes in the wake of months of turmoil, which has witnessed the resignation of former chairman Malcolm Curtis, staff at the club working unpaid, and the entire first-team squad becoming free agents.

Mr Beer’s investment will now be used to steady the ship at the Wessex Stadium.

The fresh investment should safeguard that short-term future of the club but chief executive Gary Calder has made it clear that more investment will be required in the future.

He said: “It is not everyday that a person like Stephen Beer drops out of the sky and makes such an investment.

“And the important thing now, for the club going forward, is that the right people come on board and draw up a business plan that makes sure everything is affordable.

“Stephen Beer’s investment is a huge boost and it will help stabilise everything, but for the club to move forward further it will need others to come on board, and invest as well.”

'I just want to help the club back on its feet'

SOUTH Devon investor Stephen Beer decided to come to the aid of Weymouth FC after reading about the club’s plight in the Dorset Echo. Mr Beer has injected £300,000 of his own money into the Terras in a bid to stabilise the Blue Square Premier outfit but will not be involved in the day-to-day running of the club.

He said: “I was staying in Weymouth at the Russell Hotel and that was when I saw the club was in a mess.

“I actually read about it in the Dorset Echo so I called the club up and ended up getting through to Weymouth Supporters Club chairman Ian White.

“I think he had a bit of a shock really when I told him that I was interested in making a substantial investment and from there I was put in touch with chief executive Gary Calder.

“You see, I am just a normal football fan and a private person. I run a cleaning business and I am also involved in the hotel trade and haulage – that is me.

“I do not want to go on the board and I am not interested in sitting in the directors’ box. I just want to help the club get back on its feet.

“I will come into the club now and again, and go to matches but I have also got a business to look after and want to spend time with my family.

“I do not want to be known as a saviour either because the true saviours are the people who have been working hard behind the scenes for nothing over the past couple of months to keep this club going.”

Mr Beer then went on to add: “I do not want to be the owner of Weymouth FC, I just want to be a supporter that has paid extra for his season ticket.

“I love the game of football and as a Christian person I believe, as part of my faith, in the importance of helping people out. And it is just a shame that other people have not come forward to the club already and done the same but hopefully that is something that will happen over the coming weeks.

“The problem with this club over the years is that it has had too many get rich quick schemes. We do not need that.

“If the club is run properly and the structure and everything else is right we will not get in such a mess again.

“And we have to get it right this time because if we don’t it will be bye, bye Weymouth FC.

“I cannot keep putting money in.

“This has been a very big sacrifice already for both my wife and I, and I hope now that other people will come on board and help take the club forward.

“I may be in a position in the future to invest a bit more but that is not going to happen for a while so the next step has to be looking at what kind of budget we have to play with.”

Mr Beer would also like to see a new board of directors put in place with increased representation for the fans. He said: “I think it needs a big change with new people coming in with fresh ideas. It would also be good to get two supporters on the board because at the end of the day it is their club.

“As soon as we get faith back into the club success will naturally follow. We have to learn from the past but not dwell on it and use that knowledge to move forward.

“Forgiveness is hard but life can be so simple if we learn to trust each other. We need to be a football club again and not a circus.

“I believe in this place. It is a lot of money I have invested and a bit of a gamble but if we can get the right structure and work together I am confident the club can move on.”

Mr Beer has also hit back at people who have questioned his investment. He added: “Someone wrote in the national Press last weekend that I am a mug for investing money in the club and I would like to make it clear that I resent such a comment. My family and I have worked hard all our lives and I am here solely for the good of Weymouth FC.”