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GHA EFM

By GHA EFM
in St. Albans City Forum

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mdetaylor Newbie

mdetaylor

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There seemed to be a lot of people who thought that they should have more of a say in how the club was run and when Mr Harding tried to go about running the club differently some people got annoyed. People who had somehow got themselves positions at the club without any kind of expertise. When their jobs went or they did not feel so important they started the bad mouthing and back stabbing.

 

I don't think many people knew what was going on but they still offered their views on where Harding was lying, cheating etc with no proof. Those same people seem have now come back sucking up to Mr Gibson (who by all accounts was and may still be quite friendly with Mr Harding).

 

Oh well, I'm sure we will get some more vitriol now.

 

Just a thought - move ground, development work (possibly fairly major if housing/leisure included), we couldn't have a better connected or better positioned Chairman to oversee it if it has to happen. You can be sure that it would be professional.

 

 

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mdetaylor Newbie

mdetaylor

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I can see the arguments for lack of parking especially when hockey/cricket are playing. Transport links in general are poor unless you are coming by train as St Albans has a traffic problem and getting to a City centre ground is not easy.

 

Facilities are poor in the ground through no fault of the club or those who run them. The bar is a design nightmare with the bar where it is and toilets, food etc would all be much better in a purpose built ground. There is no room for expansion on two sides (railway and York Rd (residents would stop it) and it would be unlikely that they would get persmission to build into the Park). I agree that the only way to do anything would be to pull down the stand and start again.

 

However I have concerns that moving the ground that far out would cause the death of the club. Unless City were in the conference you would not get crowds even close to what they are now. You would get no one walking in off the street, very few last minute decisions to go and certainly very few kids. A ryman club with an out of town ground and what lets face it is a limited support would not be viable. 1000+ gates in the conference would be.

 

Chicken and egg - do you get to the conference and then build the ground or do you build and try and get to the conference. At the moment I cannot see that it is needed but I can see why plans should be put in place.

 

If the contacts that the Chairman has are good enough (which I suspect they are) the development could cost the club very little, especially if housing is envolved

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GHA EFM Newbie

GHA EFM

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Reproduced without kind permission...

 

Saints ground bid

CHANCE of a promotion to the Nationwide Football Conference has prompted SACFC to step up its bid to find a new ground. Councillors were due to consider a number of sites last night (Wednesday) that could be included in the new district plan. The club would have to join ranks with a housing developer to pay the estimated £4 million bill. Page 3

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GHA EFM Newbie

GHA EFM

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Saints seek new stadium

 

AMBITIOUS SACFC is seeking a new ground in its bid for promotion to the Nationwide Football Conference and even Football League status.

Sites around the district, including Bricket Wood’s Golden Triangle and 75 acres of land in Park Street, have been pinpointed as possible places.

The football club, based in the heart of the city at Clarence Park since 1908, is currently near the top of the Ryman League Premier Division but it is keen to get promotion.

Its council-owned ground is considered unsuitable if the club goes up due to its location in a conservation area and a public car park, lack of off-street parking and the closeness to neighbouring houses.

To progress into the Nationwide Conference, a club must have a stadium for 4,000 spectators and the potential for 6,000. This size must increase to 10,000 to meet the Football League’s minimum requirements.

More than 15 acres of land will be needed for a new football stadium, floodlit training ground and car and coach parking. The development is likely to cost more than £4million.

Just last week club chairman John Gibson revealed the club was losing £1,500 a week because of low attendances. And since it has no surplus funds, the club cannot pay for the stadium.

One option is having two hotels with conference facilities and housing alongside the new stadium, with developers paying for the new ground.

Mr Gibson said the club’s present grounds were due to be examined by Nationwide Conference inspectors yesterday (Wednesday). He said the club was determined to go up in the next couple of years and a new stadium would be essential.

He added they had talked to companies including housing developers.

St Albans district councillors were due to be given a detailed appraisal of alternative sites at a meeting of the council’s district plan review group last night (Wednesday). The appraisal has been carried out by Rialto Homes.

These include a former sewage works in Park Street, a Napsbury Lane site, The King Harry Lane playing fields and the Golden Triangle in Bricket Wood – land bounded by the A405, M1 and M25.

An officers’ report deemed some unsuitable because of the impact they would have on the Green Belt, poor road and railway connections and closeness to houses.

The Napsbury Lane site is said to be suitable, having only a limited Green Belt and countryside impact. The main drawback of the site is the closeness to neighbouring houses.

The preferred plot is to the west of Park Street. Because the site is big, the stadium can be well away from houses.

Bounded to the east by Watling Street, the site is in easy reach from the A405 and the A5183 and lies close to Park Street Railway Station and bus services.

Portfolio holder for planning and conservation Councillor Christopher Whiteside said before the meeting: “I would think that a number of councillors would like to see the football club go far and would consider building a new ground in the Green Belt.

“However, there will be an equal number of councillors against any development in the Green Belt. They could also question whether schemes to build two hotels, a football stadium and a park and ride scheme will fit on the Park Street site.”

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GHA EFM Newbie

GHA EFM

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I wasn't a volunteer.

 

A few questions, mainly addressed to Mr. Gibson.

 

 

How come the fans weren't told about any proposals first?

 

How come the St. Albans Observer has the article, whereas more people in St. Albans read the Herts. Ad, and they have nothing on the story?

 

How did the inspection go?

 

How come the fans haven't been asked for their opinions on the matter, a matter concerning their club?

 

What's wrong with the King Harry Lane playing fields site?

 

What's wrong with the current ground?

 

Surely money would be better spent dealing with any debts we have, sorting out the playing squad, or getting the ground up to Conference standard?

 

It's this all a little sudden, and a little premature?

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