Who wasn't welcome at Ridgeway High School meeting?

A quick re-cap for anyone who needs a reminder:

Wirral Council's proposals would see one mixed-sex academy and one boys' academy created to serve pupils currently at Park High, Rock Ferry High and Ridgeway High schools, in Birkenhead.

In July it was announced that the single-sex boys' academy will have sports entrepreneur David Hughes, founder of the Allsports chain, as its sponsor along with Liverpool University, Birkenhead sixth form college and Wirral Council as supporters.

The mixed-academy's lead sponsor was named as Chester University with Wirral Metropolitan College and the council as supporters.

The meeting was supposed to start at 7pm but it was delayed by around 15 minutes because it clashed with a parents' evening at one of Ridgeway's feeder primary schools - I was told this was because the meeting had to be called at such short notice.

A relaxed-looking council leader Steve Foulkes was later joined by cabinet colleague Cllr George Davies and Birkenhead MP Frank Field on the front row.

A few seats along was Conservative leader Jeff Green - who couldn't resist a small smile when one parent, in a nod to the furore over library closures, commented "this council doesn't have a good record of listening to its voters".

But perhaps most interesting was who WASN'T welcome at the meeting.

Here's what Ridgeway High School headteacher Pauline Roberts told parents at the start before handing over to the governors:

"David Hughes had contacted me earlier today and offered to come along and talk to you but this is a preliminary consultation meeting - this isn't the formal consultation meeting the local authority will manage on behalf of the sponsors.

"On this occasion I declined the offer of David's presence tonight but I wanted to make it clear that he was very keen to come along and meet you."