Pearson tight-lipped over takeover reports

Derby executive chairman Adam Pearson today refused to confirm holding talks with a consortium headed by a member of the Disney family.

Reports today suggested Pearson has been in discussions with the Shamrock hedge fund, spearheaded by Roy Disney, nephew of Walt, about the possibility of a takeover at Pride Park.

The former Hull chairman was unhappy with a headline branding the Rams a ’Mickey Mouse club’, calling it “cheap and potentially damaging”.

He added on www.dcfc.co.uk: “This morning’s headline is disappointing and does not reflect well on Derby County.

“I stressed when I took on the chairmanship that I would not engage in media speculation with regard to investment and I will restate again here that I won’t be saying anything until a deal is done.

“At that stage, the fans of Derby County will be the first to know.”

Pearson paid a reputed £3.5m last month to buy a controlling share in the Barclays Premier League club from predecessor Peter Gadsby.

As well as backing manager Billy Davies, despite the club’s increasingly desperate-looking position at the bottom of the table, he made it his immediate aim to seek new investment.

Pearson has confirmed that the USA and Asia are two key sources of potential investment but has denied that any deal is imminent.

Were County to be taken over by Shamrock or any other US investor they would become the fourth top-flight club to fall into American hands after Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester United, while tycoon Stan Kroenke owns a significant stake in Arsenal.