THE men behind a new £2 million investment offer to Carlisle United say they are still ready to help the club despite their approach having been rebuffed.

Businessmen Robin Brown and Graham Mossop, in partnership with the Carlisle United Official Supporters’ Club, launched a proposal that would have seen United move into “community ownership”.

After talks with the club, they say they were informed by United’s owners that they did not want to pursue the idea.

But they say the initiative, which is said to involve 12 to 15 local business people, will remain on the table in case the Blues’ top brass change their minds.

Brown, chairman of System People and a former United vice-president, said the idea was designed to put the club at the heart of the community and drive the Cumbrians forward.

He said: “We understand the current owners want to continue in the present circumstances, but we are happy to stand by and still be there as a safe pair of hands for the future.

“Supporters are crying out for a successful football club and we just want to help do that. It’s not about any of us as individuals.”

A summary of the proposal, seen by The Cumberland News , says financial commitment has already been secured from a “significant” number of local businesses.

The overall plan is for the business community to raise £1.5 million and CUOSC a further £500,000.

The £2m total is regarded as “the amount to be a catalyst for further investment and change” whilst ensuring financial stability, protecting the “asset” of Brunton Park and funding improvements to facilities and the team.

It is also designed to ease Carlisle’s reliance on Andrew Jenkins, with debts to the chairman and his firm Pioneer having risen to nearly £1.8 million in the club’s latest accounts.

The new initiative would see 75 per cent of United’s shareholding held by the business community and 25 per cent by CUOSC.

If the supporters’ club were unable to raise £500,000, their stake would be reduced but would not fall lower than 10 per cent.

“[The approach] will share the financial responsibility and draw on new and wider expertise from a larger group of local people,” the plan states.

“We have secured commitment from a significant number of local businesses and would welcome other interested businesses to step forward if this is something they would like to be involved in.

“The supporters’ club are launching their own fundraising initiatives and would welcome input from fans who wish to be involved.”

While there are similarities with the investment bid led by Andrew Lapping, which was rejected by the club last summer, he is said not to be involved in this approach.

Both Brown and JJ Electrical managing director Mossop - a former United player - had been among those supporting the Lapping plan, but drew up the new plan alongside CUOSC following an agreement, in meetings with the club last year, that the supporters’ group could seek new investment opportunities for the club to consider.

That came after United’s owners had tabled their own, separate, six-figure investment proposals, which are understood to have been rejected by CUOSC.

CUOSC chairman Norman Steel, who sits on United’s operational board, said of the new bid: “This is a catalyst for change, success and ambition.

“We will always support any initiative that sees the community at its heart, and the football club at the heart of its community.”

The plan says United’s main shareholders - Jenkins, John Nixon and Steven Pattison - discussed the proposal with Steel on January 15. “Norman fed back that the other shareholders are currently happy to retain control and therefore our offer of investment at this point is not something they would wish to pursue,” it states.

“We understand and respect that decision in the current circumstances but we intend to stay in place so we can respond when the time is right to bring the club into community ownership.

“We are convinced our investment will be needed at some point in the future for progression and the long-term sustainability of the football club.”

Mossop was on United’s books in the early 1980s - signing on the same day as Peter Beardsley - having earlier been an apprentice at Liverpool under Bill Shankly.

He said: “In the end, all we want to do is help. We are supportive of the club and we think Keith Curle is doing an excellent job.”

United did not comment on the detail of the bid but a Blues spokesman said: “We have had meetings with CUOSC and we have told them we would like them to work with us when it comes to raising investment opportunities for the club.”

It has now been 269 days, meanwhile, since United announced an approach from an overseas “billionaire”, whose identity remains secret and talks having seemingly made little progress.

Of CUFC Holdings, which owns a controlling 94 per cent of Carlisle United AFC (1921) Ltd, Jenkins owns 37.32 per cent, CUOSC 25.37 per cent, and Nixon and Pattison 18.66 per cent each.