​Newport County owner Huw Jenkins is ready to step away and let a new investor take full control of the club if a complete takeover is on the table. He says he remains open to his future at County as he seeks fresh funding to help the club avoid another challenging season in League Two. The former Swansea City chairman confirmed he has spoken with Welsh businessman Nicholas Beddis, founder of AGS Capital, but dismissed suggestions that he is on the verge of selling his 52% stake. While he is receptive to offers, Jenkins stressed that no potential buyer has yet demonstrated that they meet the conditions set by both the EFL and the new Independent Football Regulator.
“I don’t like wasting time or talking without purpose. Anyone who wants to get involved with the club must pass the relevant tests, rather than me or the supporters’ trust judging people,” Jenkins said. “But nobody has come forward with approval from the EFL and the IFR. Whether it’s Nick Beddis or anyone else, it’s important they keep things confidential and do their work behind the scenes if they want to be involved with our club.”
The Big Interview – Huw Jenkins on Christian Fuchs’ exit Newpor Count to host Roma in pre-season. Jenkins completed his takeover of the club—previously owned by the supporters’ trust—in February 2024. He had previously told a fans’ forum that he would have invested £3m of his own money by the end of the last campaign. Yet in his two years in charge, County have finished 20th and 22nd in League Two, narrowly avoiding relegation on the final day last season, and the club is already looking for a fourth manager after Christian Fuchs’s resignation last month.
Jenkins said Fuchs had told him he had nothing left to give after the stress of last season’s battle to stay in the Football League, and fresh investment would clearly boost County’s chances of avoiding another survival struggle. However, the 63-year-old notes that his own future as owner and chairman depends on the preferences of any new investors. “I’m lucky, I’m open-minded either way,” he said when asked whether he would prefer to sell up and walk away or remain part of a new ownership model. “If it’s right for the club and somebody wants a full takeover and the Trust and I feel that’s right, come and do it. If people want to become involved with the club, they want me to stay there and they think I can do a reasonable job by helping them, I’d stay. So we’ll see where it takes us, and we’ll probably know more over the next few months.”
Jenkins added that Newport County could be seen as a more affordable option for potential investors because they do not own their own ground or training venue. The club trains at the University of South Wales and pays about £1m a year—out of a turnover of £4.5m—to the Dragons, who own Rodney Parade. He suggested that any deal would be cheaper for investors due to this arrangement.