Pitch rotation......

[Reg Smeeton]

Reading Martin's statement that, is all you need to do to know this will never happen.

  We also know that the Board have stated, in effect, the club in its present form will cease to be if that is the case.

  I would like to see the Trust try and enter into some kind of talks with the Board, if they haven't already done so, on what may happen, when the Councillors like Martin fire this into touch.

We are Reg. And we're also doing a lot of "background" work in terms of talking to councillors (of all parties) and other interested groups to try and establish where the contentious areas are, and what can be done to overcome them (if anything) so that hopefully we can act as a bridge between all relevant parties to modify the proposals so they are acceptable to all. Of course, we're not miracle workers - all we can do is try and find reasonable compromises - if either side won't budge or the proposals just don't stack up, then we can't magic a solution, but we're doing our best to avoid the "illogical meeting the immovable" situation we had over Shaw.

  Can you ever see this getting to the planning stage, because I can't, therefore I think its imperative, that questions about the short term viability of the club  up to CVA day 2007 need to be thought through.

 If as stated the CVA will only be met if a development plan is happening, then International Rescue needs to be called.......does the Trust have a contingency plan?

[Asher]

I guarantee he will not answer that directly reg

[pauld]

I guarantee he will not answer that directly reg

Yep, you're right. In the very nature of the context, clearly I can't, as if we did have such a plan (and I'm not saying we do) it would have to be confidential.

But contigency plans are for disaster recovery. Let's not get too doom-laden at this stage of the game - at the moment the focus is very much on doing whatever we can to make the proposal for redeveloping the County Ground work for fans, the club and the town.

[Asher]

You should become an MP pauld

[Reg Smeeton]

I guarantee he will not answer that directly reg

Yep, you're right. In the very nature of the context, clearly I can't, as if we did have such a plan (and I'm not saying we do) it would have to be confidential.

But contigency plans are for disaster recovery. Let's not get too doom-laden at this stage of the game - at the moment the focus is very much on doing whatever we can to make the proposal for redeveloping the County Ground work for fans, the club and the town.

  I'll take that as a no then.

[mexico red]

in all honesty are sbc genuinally interested in this? or is just vote winning appeasment? an honest answer would be most welcome

[pauld]

I guarantee he will not answer that directly reg

Yep, you're right. In the very nature of the context, clearly I can't, as if we did have such a plan (and I'm not saying we do) it would have to be confidential.

But contigency plans are for disaster recovery. Let's not get too doom-laden at this stage of the game - at the moment the focus is very much on doing whatever we can to make the proposal for redeveloping the County Ground work for fans, the club and the town.

  I'll take that as a no then.

Take it how you like! Like I say, let's focus on trying to get this plan right and get it through before we assume it will fail.

[pauld]

in all honesty are sbc genuinally interested in this? or is just vote winning appeasment? an honest answer would be most welcome

Bit of both. Some councillors are genuinely interested in the future of STFC and get the "big picture" of what a loss the club would be to the town if it goes tits-up or moves out of the borough; some couldn't give a monkeys one way or another but don't want the club as tenants any more because they've not had the best track record in paying their bills; and all of them will say whatever will get them good coverage in the Adver ;-)

[Nils]

At the end of the day we don't stand a fucking chance. Anything and everything we try to do gets quashed. We have been talking about stadium redevelopment or a new stadium for 20 years and I have given up on even getting slightly optomistic about anything that includes talk of the club actually getting something positive out of it. In recent memory we were going to build the new stadium near the M4, but they managed to find some special newts. At the end of the day who gives a fucking toss about newts. Then we have the Shaw Ridge idea, this got chucked out by the council almost immediately. This is a wonderful conservation sight apparently.

These plans will never go ahead because turning the pitch 90 degrees means the what now is the Stratton Bank stand will be a main stand and that will never happen because of those dicks who live behind it. That is that I am afraid.

On another note in this town there are to many NIMBY people. Why don't you just fuck off!

[Reg Smeeton]

At the end of the day we don't stand a fucking chance. Anything and everything we try to do gets quashed. We have been talking about stadium redevelopment or a new stadium for 20 years and I have given up on even getting slightly optomistic about anything that includes talk of the club actually getting something positive out of it. In recent memory we were going to build the new stadium near the M4, but they managed to find some special newts. At the end of the day who gives a fucking toss about newts. Then we have the Shaw Ridge idea, this got chucked out by the council almost immediately. This is a wonderful conservation sight apparently.

These plans will never go ahead because turning the pitch 90 degrees means the what now is the Stratton Bank stand will be a main stand and that will never happen because of those dicks who live behind it. That is that I am afraid.

On another note in this town there are to many NIMBY people. Why don't you just fuck off!

 In the interests of fair play, it should be pointed out that the Council gave Brady everything he asked for.....it was nothing to do with newts.....he wanted the land on the cheap the council can't do this....they were prepared to sell at the going rate....Brady cleared off when he couldn't cut the deal.....had he stuck around work could have started soon on his project.

[JTomlinson]

in all honesty are sbc genuinally interested in this? or is just vote winning appeasment? an honest answer would be most welcome

Bit of both. Some councillors are genuinely interested in the future of STFC and get the "big picture" of what a loss the club would be to the town if it goes tits-up or moves out of the borough; some couldn't give a monkeys one way or another but don't want the club as tenants any more because they've not had the best track record in paying their bills; and all of them will say whatever will get them good coverage in the Adver ;-)

Sounds about right.

To be fair, if the initial financial plans don't stack up, the club could potentially explore other ways to fund the scheme.  (Which is what Cllr Martin is referring to in the Advertiser today.)

Do I think it will happen - yes, because the scheme in the long run is a winner, (for the club, and commercially), it is just a question of how it is financed in the first place.

The more the club can pay themselves, the more of the cake they can keep.  It might be, they have to get other people on board.  (Which is what St. Modwen were doing).