Gills in Northfleet saga

[Unrecognized Genius]

According to the Reporter, in a bizarre article, complete with photo of Las Vegas, it looks like Gravesham Council really are up Scally's bottom. They are adamant he will be coming to Gravesham & it will be at Ebbsfleet.

 

The good news: Mr Aitken (previously suspected by me of being up Mr S's back passage too) says any notion of our sharing with them is a complete non starter because of the proposed size of their stadium.

 

Main worry: whilst they won't take any of our current support away, they are clearly looking to cash in on the new support offered by people coming into the area because of the Thames Gateway development, meaning there will be less chance of our doing that.

 

... Until Scally's grand plans go belly up, Gills go broke & people find they have a newly promoted league team on their doorstep.

 

EC

[Blinkjim]

It seems the concil is dead set that the Gills are going to play their footy in Gravesend. Did any notice the token article "Die hard fans will never desert the Fleet" whilst i agree with this, it the future of the club that will be affected, if someone was given the choice of small club battling in the confrence to that of one playing the likes of leeds and west ham week in week out, we will lose every time.

 

It seems the council is after prestige and glory (bit contridictry that considerering its gillingham) rather than devoloping the exsisting clubs, something needs to be done!

[David Holden]

On the other hand remember that you read it in the Distorter which does seem dead set on moving Gillingham in.

[David Holden]

This is interesting as well

[Blinkjim]

yeah i have to agree, the head line says it all "beam us up scally", actually inviting him to be here, should read more like "bog off scally"

[FleetFanatic]

Picture this:

 

Scally has already decided that 'once Gillingham have moved' he will step down from the club. That commitment was reaffirmed at their recent AGM.

 

Imagine that Scally moves Gillingham out 'temporarily' to groundshare, whilst a new ground is being built.....

 

.....and pockets the cash & does the off!

 

Vivid imagination?

[Stu M]

Fingers crossed for a terrible season for the Gills, relegation to League One and a downward spiral that doesn't stop there, then...

[Stu M]

Quote:

Did any notice the token article "Die hard fans will never desert the Fleet"

Token being the operative word. Apostrophes where there shouldn't be any, poor grammar, a barely cohesive thread running through it... maybe I expect too much from my newspapers these days.

As for the first page - a massive picture of Las Vegas with a caption about the new football club maybe looking like an American casino. For f---'s sake! How desperate were they to fill the page? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" />

[Robbo]

I think the whole 'plan' that Scally has of building homes, a hospital, a casino and a primary school all seems a little far fetched to me. Has anyone ever heard of a football chairman or businessman that actually cares about all these things? If the stadium did get built, the first thing that would happen is they'd announce that they're unfortunately no longer able to build all these nice things for the council! Oh dear! Isn't that a shame for our pathetic excuse for borough councillors!

 

Scally is playing you! Wake up!

[David Holden]

Sadly that's probably not the case, it's the sale of the houses that will fund the project.

[meldrew]

Recent reports on local primary schools state that with the lower intake of pupils,some of our existing schools are under threat of closure already.This "pie in the sky " plan of Scally`s is a load of old pony!Darenth hospital would be the logical site for any expansion of further hospital facilities needed in the area once the satellite hospital is finished in Bath St.As for a casino,is there really a need for it in this area,so close to London? Fleet should be lobbying the council and local business to invest in a more modest ground to be used exclusively for the Fleet and perhaps local sports clubs.I for one would not go to watch the Gills if they played in my back yard!

[Jessica]

Where did the reporter get the number of fans attending at less than 1000, He should perhaps check his facts with the Club who I am sure would be delighted to tell him that average gates have risen well above that every week. Perhaps if he is reporting on local football he should actually get down and speak to the people concerned. On whose behalf was he quoting about the fans??.

 

I am aware that the club has replied to the paper regarding in-accurate facts.

 

Lets hope this reporter goes and reports on Gillingham in future., because with his ability to make up the facts he may make them sound interesting.

 

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/icon_band222.gif" alt="" />

[David Holden]

This may not make next week's Distorter:

 

Gravesend & Northfleet chief executive Glenn Aitken is at pains to point out that average gates this season have already grown from 1235 last year to 1455 so far this, almost an 18% increase, despite an inaccurate quote published in this week's Gravesend Reporter.

"It must be a slow news week for some. I was approached about Gillingham possibly re-locating to Gravesham and was only able to say that we had nothing to add to our chairman's statement of several weeks ago. Then a quote appears where I am apparently saying our gates are less than 1000. It's nonsense."

 

Fleet's great start to the season, currently 4th in the table, has led to renewed local interest and the fans are coming back week after week.

 

"We put a generous season-ticket scheme in place this year and sales are up 80%. We have also been reviewing our marketing in this area and are working on several initiatives" said Aitken.

 

The Club's ambition to switch to a full-time operation could be considered a strong possibility if gates were to go up to a regular 2500.

[JimGNFC]

Hypothetically speaking . . . assuming the Fleet are promoted to the Football League within the next couple of seasons . . .

 

How would the FA view Gillingham plans to relocate to an area where there is already an existing Football League Club i.e. G&N? Does anyone know what the FA's Policy would be in this instance?

 

Wimbledon moving to Milton Keynes and rebranding themselves as MK Dons is the closest example I can think of but even this was different as they weren't encroaching on an existing Football League teams territory.

 

Would the Fleet getting promoted to the Football League scupper Scally's plan's as presumably he would need to seek approval from the FA - who would reject such a proposal if the Fleet were a League Team?

 

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[Blinkjim]

Dont think the FA have rules relating to relocation of a club. They may frown upon it if its a massive move, like the wimbledon one, but i cant see the FA moving in to stop this move no matter what league we were in.

 

I think if we were a football league club though Scally wouldnt be thinking about moving this direction. It is only cos we are a relativly small part-time club that he thinks he can musscle in on are fan base.

[Robbo]

I'm sure that the FA wouldn't be supportive of their proposed move at all, but whether they'd actually do anything to step in and block it is another matter of course. I hope the FA are informed about this whole situation and are monitoring it closely, if they're not, maybe the club or the trust could make them aware of what Gillingam are planning?

[FleetFanatic]

When the football league initially declined Wimbledon's attempts to relocate, the following reasoning was given;

 

"League rules clearly state that, clubs should play in the conurbation from which they derive their name or are traditionally associated unless given the approval to do otherwise by the board."

 

"To allow this move would have created a precedent at odds with the heritage of football in this country."

 

"Our football clubs are the heart and soul of their local communities and that is something that cannot be transferred from place to place."

 

Gillingham's situation is not as serious as the situation Wimbledon found themselves in, so I cannot see where any justification could be made?

[Robbo]

Exactly. I understand they need a new ground, but why a bigger one when they can't fill their current one? And why in Gravesend, right next to the area earmarked for a large population increase over the next 20 years or so.

 

Commercial interests make up about 80% of this move.

[FleetFanatic]

Could you explain to me why they need a new ground? I'm a bit naive about it all. I don't understand why they need a new ground - as you said, they can't fill the one that they have.

 

Millions were spent on their existing ground, I believe.

[Blinkjim]

i read the other day that it was vote the worst ground in the country by the observer i think, which suggests a new ground may be wise, but why gravesend is the question!!??