BAILIFFS chased Swindon Town officials around the County Ground for a £16,000 debt at the height of the club’s power struggle this summer – and it’s on television tonight.
Cameras followed Brian O’Shaughnessy and Graham Aldred to the home of the Robins in the summer for the Channel 5 programme, Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away.
In a preview clip shown at the close of last week’s episode, the pair are seen haring through the bowels of the stadium.
Speaking through a closed door, one of the men said: “I’m going to get the removal vehicles en route because I’m not going to sit here all day.”
Gary Robinson, the managing director of Direct Collection Bailiffs, the firm used by the High Court to recover the debt, said: “The money was paid in full and it was sort of amicable in the end, when it was all sorted.
“The club was going through a change of ownership at the time and the debt had come about when they were between chairmen.
“I don’t think the new or the old chairman knew who should be clearing it.”
Lee Power was confirmed as Swindon Town’s right and proper owner by a High Court judge following his own case, on July 1.
Gary said the bailiffs had been sent to claim back the money this summer, in the midst of the battle for control at the club.
“The agents were there for quite a while,” Gary said.
“There was a lengthy delay in anybody coming to speak to us and eventually we did mention we might have to move on to the next stage.
“At that point, somebody who had been going on holiday came back from the airport and cleared up a large part of the debt on the day.
“The rest of the balance was cleared within the next 30 days.”
Gary did not know who the returning official was, but he would not have been able to reveal their identity if he did.
He said that would be revealed in tonight’s 9pm broadcast on Channel 5.
The bailiffs were allegedly kept waiting for two hours by the club before they began making it clear the claim would be escalated.
Had the debt not been settled, or a large proportion of it paid on the day, the bailiffs, empowered by the High Court, would have been within their rights to seize articles on the premises.
Gary said this was the first time his firm had had dealings with theclub, but his nationwide team of agents dealt with football clubs a couple of times every month.
The strapline for the Channel 5 series is: “Following people on the sharp end of bad debt – and those whose job it is to get the money back.”
The club has declined to comment ahead of the broadcast, but said a statement was likely after the programme.
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