Brentford fans snub £7m offer from ex QPR boss

Supporters of Brentford Football Club have spurned an offer from former Queens Park Rangers chairman Richard Thompson to refinance their takeover of the club.

They are to enter negotiations this week with club chairman and owner Ron Noades to revive their chances of taking control, after their option to do so expired last Monday.

Bees United, the supporters group, aims to rescue the second division club from a perilous financial position.

Mr Noades is no longer willing to underwrite the losses at the club and the administrators beckon, unless the fans can pull the money together.

Mr Thompson had put in a bid worth £7m that would have included the takeover of £5m of debt. However, this deal would include a share of the money from the sale of its stadium, Griffin Park, in west London – a disposal demanded by Mr Thompson within four years. The supporters group wanted more flexibility on when and how they would sell the stadium, and they say they have other funding options.

Mr Thompson wrote to the group last week to reaffirm his interest. However, a spokesman for Bees United said: "His offer has been rejected. The other offers are straightforward loans and leave us in control of the sale of Griffin Park."

Mr Thompson has a controversial past at Civilian Content, a film-financing and production company where he was chairman until December last year.

He recently struck a deal with Civilian to repay half of a £1.65m loan early. The existence of the loan, which was not due to be paid back until 2004, had angered some shareholders. It related to the revamping of Civilian, whose meat-processing business was sold to Mr Thompson in 1999. Part of the payment was made by the loan, and this has been queried by shareholders who have said they would have preferred cash.

Mr Thompson is also behind a bid for fashion brands Jaeger and Viyella, which are being sold by Coats. The offer is thought to be around £50m. His father, David Thompson, the founder of food empire Hillsdown Holdings, is likely to provide finance for the deal.