Chesterfield FC project bailed out by top sports figure

Chris Turner's troubled venture into a football academy business is to be transformed by the intervention of a global sportswear firm and a major sporting administrator, we can exclusively reveal.

Sir Rodney Walker, prominent in the UK arm of Thailand-based FBT, is behind the deal. It makes FBT joint owners of the controversial coaching school based opposite Chesterfield FC, where former Wednesday player and manager Turner is chief executive.

As an independent enterprise, Turner launched CFC Football Development School Ltd believing it to be a more cost-effective way of developing talent for the club. But the company ran up debts reportedly rising to around £77,000.