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Prospective owners 'plan to rebuild club's ground'

OMZ Media Barrie and Scott Drewitt-Barlow standing on the pitch at Maldon & Tiptree FC with other club members. A stand with blue seats is behind them. Barrie is wearing a blue suit and has slicked back hair. Scott is wearing a black suit with a black rollneck jumper and is smiling. The other people in the picture are looking at the camera while smiling, except one man who looks seriousOMZ Media
Barrie and Scott Drewitt-Barlow (centre and second right) have been in talks over a "multi-million pound" takeover of Maldon & Tiptree FC

The prospective buyers of a non-league football club have unveiled a plan to rebuild its stadium.

Barrie and Scott Drewitt-Barlow have been in talks to purchase Maldon & Tiptree FC and its 20-acre stadium site.

The couple, from Danbury, told BBC Essex they had spoken "in depth" to a TV production company about documenting their ownership if their bid was successful.

"My plan is to rebuild the stadium, rebuild the clubhouse and bring the community together," Scott Drewitt-Barlow said.

Maldon & Tiptree play in the eighth tier of English football, but reached the first round proper of the FA Cup in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

The Drewitt-Barlow Organisation, based in Chelmsford, announced on Thursday that it was planning a "multi-million pound" deal.

Barrie and Scott Drewitt-Barlow on why they want to buy Maldon & Tiptree FC

Scott Drewitt-Barlow said he wanted to create a "decent football team" that would progress up the football pyramid.

"I want to bring in specialist people to make things work and make a huge leisure centre, a gym set-up and make it a proper football ground," he told BBC Essex's Fans' Football Phone-In.

'Like Fawlty Towers'

The Essex side was founded in 1946 has close ties to League Two outfit Colchester United, whose chairman Robbie Cowling owns Maldon Stadium.

Barrie Drewitt-Barlow said he had great respect for Cowling but claimed the incumbent owner had "lost focus" on the club.

"Right now it's like Fawlty Towers with one man running around doing almost everything," he said.

"It needs to have the right people in place to make it work and also to bring those supporters back in.

"Otherwise, you're going to see clubs like this close down and they'll be gone."

Barrie Drewitt-Barlow Barrie and Scott Drewitt-Barlow standing on a glass balcony, with trees and a fence in the background. Barrie is wearing a white shirt with gold patterns on it. Scott is standing in front of Barrie, wearing a white shirt with black braces. They are both looking at the camera with a serious expressionBarrie Drewitt-Barlow
Barrie Drewitt-Barlow said Scott (right) would be the club's new general manager following a takeover

Self-made millionaire Barrie Drewitt-Barlow and his ex-husband Tony became Britain's first gay dads in 1999, fathering twins through surrogacy.

He later gained fame by appearing on television shows such as Rich House, Poor House and Below Deck Sailing Yacht.

The Drewitt-Barlow Organisation, a real estate firm, said it hoped to use the Maldon Stadium to host non-football events.

Barrie Drewitt-Barlow stressed he had no plan to build houses on the club's land.

"The aim is to make it – and keep it – a leisure place for the community," he added.

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