Former League One side Doncaster Rovers Chair John Ryan, who "was set to take over" the club with One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson, "has said the deal is off," according to the BBC. A statement "purporting to be sent on behalf of the Tomlinson Ryan Trust" said the deal was "in serious doubt" because of "issues with the crowd-funding initiative." Ryan said that the deal had "collapsed over a lack of Football League approval." Ryan: "The statement is a fabrication. ... They have made it so difficult now that unless you have a bag full of cash you are going to get turned down." The Football League released a statement to "say that they were not presented with a satisfactory business plan to support the takeover." Ryan added, "Louis and I were just looking to do the right thing but this is the end of my involvement in football now. It has been a long love affair between myself and Doncaster Rovers but it has hit the buffers today" (BBC, 7/18). The PA reported Tomlinson said he had been "misled" but "hopes to stay involved." Tomlinson said "in a series of posts" online, "I'm absolutely gutted the Doncaster Rovers deal is not going ahead. I am desperate for the club to be given the recognition it deserves. I was explicitly told that the deal to buy the club was not dependent on the money raised by Crowdfunding. Unfortunately, I was misled" (PA, 7/18).
