League One side Oldham Athletic Chair Simon Corney has confirmed that he will "not be selling" the club to Marwan Koukash, according to the BBC. Koukash, the owner of Super League's Salford Red Devils, made "advances to purchase the Latics and the town's rugby league side, Oldham Roughyeds." Koukash planned to build a new stadium "at which both clubs would be based," but said that he wants Oldham to "stay at Boundary Park." Work is under way to build a new stand that will cost in excess of £6M ($9.7M). Corney: "I think the issue he [Koukash] had was that he would want to move somewhere else and build a brand new stadium that would incorporate the rugby. That's fine, and actually that's a very good idea, but it didn't appeal to me because I've been here for 10 years. Of those 10 years, I've spent seven trying to build a new stand." Corney, who said he had not "spoken with Koukash for around six months but described him as a 'wonderful fellow,' repeated his stance regarding financial investment" in Oldlham. Corney said, "It doesn't matter which division and whatever our status is -- if the right person came along and had the interests of Oldham at heart, I would always welcome them in, but it has to be the right person" (BBC, 11/19).
