Prospective new owner Andrew Stalbow reveals an ambitious plan to transform 7th tier club Bath City and get them into the EFL.
After suffering relegation from the National League South last season, they now play in the Southern League – Premier South, winning their first game of the season, a 2-1 victory away at Sholing.
But just as the 2026/27 season gets underway, the Board of Bath City, together with the Bath City Supporters’ Society Committee have announced an agreement in principle for the sale of the club to an investor group.
The club said on the 7th of August: “The Board has been advised by leading football advisory firm Carteret, in a year-long process designed to attract fresh capital and a strong management team to support the longer-term ambitions for the club.
“The investor group is led by Andrew Stalbow, an entrepreneur with experience in mobile games and entertainment, and who would become the full-time Chair of the club. The investor group comprises investors with impressive backgrounds in sport, technology, finance, games, healthcare and consulting.”
Exciting times on the horizon for @BathCity_FC.
A deal has been agreed in principle for new owners to buy the club. Andrew Stalbow is the prospective new owner. @bbcbristolsport @BathCityWFC #bathcity #nonleague #football pic.twitter.com/by2DR1Jhfy
— Jack Killah (@jackkillah) August 7, 2026
An open letter from Andrew Stalbow to the shareholders of Bath City FC.
⚫️⚪️ #Romans pic.twitter.com/jxm6A4pJu9
— Bath City FC (@BathCity_FC) August 9, 2026
A letter has since emerged, posted on the 9th of August, from Andrew Stalbow, take a look below…
THE LETTER READS:
Dear Shareholder
It is a great pleasure to write to you.
Over the past 15 months we have met volunteers painting barriers on the terraces, watering the pitch after games, selling pasties at half time, recording video for social media, booking coaches for away match travel, welcoming guests into the TR Hayes Premier Lounge, and making financial donations to keep the club afloat.
Bath City is made up of a wonderful community of people, who all love the club. And without you, the shareholders, the club wouldn’t be here.
We’ve heard how you grouped together to save the club nearly 10 years ago, and some even before that.
And when the club ran out of money during Covid, many of you loaned the club money to stay alive. You can feel that connection between fans and club when you walk into Twerton Park. It’s an old ground; it’s a proud ground; it’s got a football soul.
Twerton Park encapsulates a little bit of what we all love about football – the rugged, the vulnerable and the beautiful.
As an investor group, we are passionate football fans. Our love for the game runs deep.
We understand the impact football can have on a community, and we believe it offers players, coaching staff, fans, management, and investors the chance to be the best versions of themselves.
There’s no journey like supporting a small team which has the potential to make an outsized impact. When we got the call that Bath City was looking for investors, we knew immediately the club was a great fit.
A gorgeous city, with an incredible history, a backdrop that attracts people from all over the world. A club that hasn’t yet made it into the Football League but sounds like a top tier team. If you didn’t know football well, ‘Bath City’ might sound bigger than a Brentford or a Bournemouth or a Burnley – it’s got a name and a promise that feels like a club which should be in the upper echelons of English football.
And then there’s Twerton, where football and the people can play a role elevating each other.
On meeting the management team and the leadership of the Supporter’s Society, we immediately felt we were a good fit. I know the Board and the Supporter’s Society Committee unanimously approved us; we also unanimously approved them.
As we got to understand the club through conversations and ultimately due diligence, we learnt how much the club needed a partner.
The club is losing money and has survived thanks to donors who choose to be anonymous. The football budget in the National League South last season was a fraction of many competitors. Even in the Southern League Premier South, as currently stands, the playing budget is lean.
And our surveyor described the stadium as being ‘end of life’ – the management just haven’t had the resources to make the changes they would dearly love. The potential we all know the club has, can only be realized with a big injection of cash, some good decision making, a positive cultural energy and some serious hard work.
And while the £6M+ of initial funding we are bringing will power Scott Bartlett with a competitive budget for what should be a cracking season, it’s only a part of it:
We want to communicate with you openly and regularly about our priorities and prove that we can be great custodians and operators of the club.
We want to show that we’re smart financially, setting the club up for the long term.
We want to build a clearly depicted football philosophy based on attacking football to attract the best talent on and off the pitch.
We want to build Football League ready infrastructure, to eliminate all excuses as we work to achieve our goals.
We want to keep costs for fans seriously low, and we can’t wait to share our first season ticket offer.
We want the stadium to be a hub for everyone, beer should be cheap, food should be good, and the fun should be plentiful.
We want to create an experience that attracts many thousands of fans to prove that Bath is a rugby and a football city.
We are incredibly excited about women’s football and want to invest and make a difference there, having made such a strong start since launching in 2022.
We want to build a club you are proud of that people round the world know and follow.
And if we can stay humble and together. If we can stay focused on doing the right thing. If we can work brilliantly with people in Twerton. If through our work ethic and our good decisions we can be a shining light. And if we can deliver well on our vision and ambition over the next few years, then this round of funding will be just the start, and we’ll attract many more people to join the journey with us, as we work to build top tier men’s and women’s teams, a modern stadium that Twerton deserves, and a much-needed training facility. To attract the best, we must earn the right one season at a time.
If we focus on the inputs and give the players a platform to shine, maybe we’ll be together at Wembley for a play-off final to the Football League over the coming five years or so; proud of each other for all having done our bit to get there and determined to reach new heights.
If you vote to approve this deal, we know we’re standing on the shoulders of giants.
And I hope to see many of you at the Town Hall on 13th August to talk further. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and I look forward to meeting you soon.
Best wishes
Andrew
Here’s how fans reacted as the prospective new owner reveals an ambitious plan to get the 7th tier club into the EFL…
@Not_Quite_Pro: It’s a really positive & engaging message, but the Football League in 5 years 😳 Really? How many times before have we heard this twaddle from misty eyed money men at this level? Take a good look at Ebbsfleet’s accounts for a slap of reality.
@mickbrownwriter: I’ve known Andrew for more than 30 years, professionally and as a friend. He’s a football fan through and through, passionate, committed, hard working, someone of the highest integrity who brings life and fun to everything he does. Bath City could not be in better hands.
@KeithLeake68539: Sounds very positive, something that usually happens to other teams not Bath City. It gets the vote of my few shares, as I don’t think we can miss the opportunity and we have to do something.
@AdamMatravers4: @stalbs a brilliant letter, everything talked about is backed up by sound principles and recognises the history and what’s gone before. ❤️⚫️⚪️
@finrazielfran: Love this. Exciting times ahead 🙏🏼⚫️⚪️
@OllieBrooke16: Good Luck On Thursday
@M_Woff16: Makes great reading Andrew!
@JackDedmannn: Great read!
@BCFCStickers: Excited for what’s to come!!
Dave Clarke: This letter & mission statement from Andrew Stalbow should be music to the ears of every Bath City fan & shareholder. It is very clear Andrew & his team are buying the club 100% for the right reasons, with a great desire to run it properly and achieve as much success on the pitch as possible. This success will also bring further investment later on to push on further. After years of financial struggle, especially last season when the loss was again well into 6 figures, this is wonderful news for the club and provided it gets the ‘go ahead’ at Thursday’ big meeting – if it doesn’t that will no doubt be it for Bath City – a new & extremely exciting era will commence! 👍🏼⚽️
Keith Archer: Glad he mentioned the quality of food. Nothing wrong with a burger, but make it a nice one and have some alternatives. But the other stuff sounds visionary too.
Paul King: Thank you Andrew. Look forward to meeting you on Thursday. 😊👍
Dean Lye: Liking it so far!
