13 replies · 581 views
Once you've all stopped laughing, that is... ;)
Seriously though, the Club are in the process of a planning application for a new stadium, and it's gone to a public enquiry with none other than John Prescott having the final say.
Could I please ask all the NOOL football fans to put their usual loyalties aside for a moment and sign the petition below supporting that application.
http://www.petitiononline.com/Falmer/petition-sign.html
Many thanks.
I'm in the process of putting together a consortium to buy an EPL side, all donations gratefully accepted (i need about £100m and currently have 2 n 6 )
Oh, signed & sealed Clive
Blimey, it's going up rapidly (I'm 2462). Hope this is more successful than the New Order Peel Session 98 petition (whatever happened to that eh?).
Perhaps now I have put aside my loyalties you could all sign a petition to get Forest a decent striker. Paul Hart has just left the building, so he won't be doing it.
Originally posted by Al Jarvis You up here Tuesday, O.B.?!
No, doing the early shift in Oxford at the moment which means a 4:30am start every day. Eeek.
Not sure what to expect, we beat Plymouth one game, and then struggle against Wycombe the next. I'll say a draw and be happy if it happens.
btw, thanks everyone who signed. It may not seem like a grand gesture, but it all helps and it is greatly appreciated. If the club don't get a permanent home soon, then they won't survive, end of. Falmer really is the only viable site.
Originally posted by Old Blue > Originally posted by Al Jarvis You up here Tuesday, O.B.?!
No, doing the early shift in Oxford at the moment which means a 4:30am start every day. Eeek.
Not sure what to expect, we beat Plymouth one game, and then struggle against Wycombe the next. I'll say a draw and be happy if it happens.
That's a shame, I never make midweek games as a rule cos of the hours I work but am gonna try and struggle there on crutches, first time I'll have made it out on me own in two weeks!
Read you've sold 1500 tickets already?
I'd go for a stalemate too. Our defence ain't likely to give much away, but our strikers ain't likely to do much at the other end of the pitch!!
Well done, Cuz (knew I could rely on you!).
For those of you still in the dark about what's going on here's some teatime reading...
THE PLIGHT OF BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION FOOTBALL CLUB
Ever since the sale of Brighton's Goldstone Ground in 1997 by unscrupulous businessmen, out to make a huge profit on the sale of the site to retail outlets (it now houses branches of Comet, Toys R Us, DFS, JJB Sports and a Burger King Drive Thru!), the club and it's fans have been battling a constant struggle for survival. The Albion somehow managed to retain it's League status by the skin of it's teeth (goal difference on the last day of the 96/97 season!), but two miserable years followed playing in exile at Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium (a 150 mile round trip for 'home' games!), while new chairman Dick Knight fought to get the club back to Brighton.
After extensive negotiations, and under numerous stringent conditions, in August 1999 the Albion were eventually allowed to return to Brighton by renting Withdean Stadium - an athletics track! This was under the provision that it would be a temporary arrangement as the facilities at Withdean, although upgraded by the Albion, were totally inadequate to sustain a Football League club in the long term. Withdean now has a capacity of 7,000 and is made up of temporary open stands on the south side and east end of the ground and a small roofed stand along the north side. It is tightly hemmed in by a nature reserve and residential housing. Upon moving to Withdean, Dick Knight and Chief Executive Martin Perry, initiatated a comprehensive planning application for a new state-of-the-art 22,500 all seater purpose-built community stadium, to be constructed in between the Brighton and Sussex Universities, on a disused field immediately next to the A27 at Falmer - on the outskirts of the city.
Despite the careful design of the stadium to blend in with the environment, and innovative plans to allow use of the stadium with the minimum of disruption, the residents of the nearby Falmer village (which is already bisected by the four-lane A27!), along with Lewes District Council, objected to the plans.
In 2001, the project was called in for a full Public Enquiry. The enquiry eventually commenced in February 2003, where both sides presented their arguments for and against the clubs plans. Detailed studies of all aspects of the plan were presented and backed up with evidence by various experts - from transport, lighting, impact on wildlife, parking, etc. The enquiry was finally concluded in October 2003, and the Government Inspector went away to compile his report and recommendatons for John Prescott to make a decision on whether or not to give the go-ahead to the stadium.
On the eve of the decision on the stadium plans, and to our horror, the Local Planning Inspector at the enquiry, Charles Hoile, released a report saying he feels that the Falmer site is unsuitable for the stadium. Ignoring the extensive and exhaustive professional evidence to the contrary presented at the enquiry, Mr Hoile suggests that the club instead explore the possibilities of several other sites (one including Withdean) which were already thoroughly investigated and rejected as totally unworkable during the planning stage. Mr Hoile goes on to cast doubt as to the real need for a purpose-built stadium for what he dismissively refers to as a "provincial city's professional football club". In doing so, Mr Hoile is discarding the wishes of over 60,000 people who voted "yes" to the stadium plans in a referendum (a two-thirds majority!), and is flying in the face of an 11-1 majority vote in favour of the plans by a democratically elected council.
If Mr Prescott goes along with Mr Hoile's observations, then the consequences for Brighton & Hove Albion will be utterly dire. This will undoubtedly mean that Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club will cease to exist in the very near future. The limitations at Withdean are well documented, and the financial and logistical restrictions placed on the Albion at this temporary home mean that the club would simply not be able to sustain itself. After 103 years, professional football in Sussex would be lost forever. It is absolutely crucial that, unlike Mr Hoile, Mr Prescott take into account the facts that have been presented at the Public Enquiry, before arriving at his decision.
The fate of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club is now in John Prescott's hands. Make no mistake, we will live or die by the decision he arrives at in the near future over the granting of the Community Stadium. Right now, hundreds and hundreds of Albion fans are busy writing and emailing letters to John Prescott, imploring him to give the plans the go-ahead, and not to merely base his decision on Mr Hoiles questionable findings. I am writing to you to further raise the profile of our plight, increase peoples awareness of what this is all about, and to ask for your support in whatever ways you can offer.
If you can find the time, please, please write to Mr Prescott in support of the plans for the Community Stadium at Falmer, post messages on your clubs messageboards and make the fans of your club aware of our situation as this could happen to any club, anywhere.
The address is: Mr John Prescott 26 Whitehall London SW1A 2WH
or email: planning.general@odpm.gsi.gov.uk
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Any message to Mr Prescott, no matter how brief, could help our cause SO MUCH.
The above has been edited from a post by David Rider www.northstandchat.com
Cheers
Chris :(
