 Knighton was quoted as saying "If this person is a genuine billionaire, or even if he’s just extremely wealthy, and if he’s legitimately interested, then this has now been going on too long.He needs to be transparent, to say that this is who I am and this is where the club will be at the end of my ownership.At the end of the day, the club is a community asset, and any owner should respect that"

Since leaving Carlisle United in 2002, Knighton has not returned to the city.