John Gurney

John Gurney is a British businessman and former football club chairman. He came to national attention for his eventful 55-day spell as chairman of Luton Town in the summer of 2003, during which time he sacked a manager via post and organised a "Manager Idol" phone-in to find a new one, whilst announcing plans for a massive new stadium on stilts, a change of club name, and a potential relocation. He had previously owned non-league clubs Farnborough Town, Southall and Ashford United, and rugby club Bedford. He was arrested and charged with conspiring to import cocaine in February 1999, but acquitted after a trial. 1999 arrest and early sporting ventures Gurney was one of ten people charged with conspiring to import cocaine in February 1999 following a police raid that uncovered 472 kg of the drug (valued at £100 million) in a lock-up garage in Leigh. The subsequent investigation saw him named as a "financial associate" of Brian Brendan Wright, who was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment in April 2007 after running an international cocaine smuggling empire. Gurney was acquitted following a trial in which the prosecution declined to provide any evidence. However Gurney's arrest put a stop to his consortium which was attempting to buy Conference club Farnborough Town. He went on to become involved in Southall, who were suspended from the Isthmian League due to a dispute over the club's ownership structure. He was also reported to have been "run out of town at Bedford Rugby Club". He had acquired the Bedford club for £1 from boxing promoter Frank Warren in 1999 and promptly sacked head coach Rudolf Straeuli and cut salaries; he attempted to merge the club with Coventry and move the club to Ashford. Gurney claimed that a man called Doug Braddock had taken control of the company that owned the club, Jefferson Lloyd International, without his knowledge and that it was Braddock who had sacked Straeuli. Gurney attempted to sell the rugby club to Coventry City Football Club, a move which was blocked by the Rugby Football Union, before Bedford residents managed to purchase the club for £750,000.