Town and the QE Stadium

[Duke of York]

It looks like ETFC may upset a few organisations if the QE Stadium is developed predominantly for use by the football club:

 

Football Club plan puts stadium in limbo

[The Invisible Man]

Good Lord, Jose O'Ware sticking her opinionated and ill-informed oar in again? Fancy that, who'd have thought it......

[Steph]

An email I sent to the Gazette

 

Unfortunately the article to which it refers was printed in the independent.

 

Hi

 

I have restrained from comment on the QE2 debate as it is surely a matter for the residents of Enfield itself rather than an Enfieldian who has relocated. I have felt it necessary to write to you following the article, "Football club scheme puts stadium in limbo" as I feel that there is a large degree of misinformation in that article.

 

1) It is not the football club scheme that put the stadium in limbo but the current holders of the stadium who have allowed it to fall into neglect as demonstrated by the inset photograph of vandalism to the signboard . This demonstrates a clear lack of pride in the site.

 

2) Ray Gibbins of Enfield and Haringey Athletics Club states, "This is the only track available within 180 square miles". This is clearly a nonsense as New River Sports Stadium is only around 8 miles away on the borders of Enfield and Haringey itself. This has an athletics track and I would have thought that it could be made available. In actual fact there are 15 athletic clubs affiliated to Middlesex County Athletics Club. He states that the athletic track was booked out every day to local schools in the summer term in the light of his other comments this must be taken with a pinch of salt.

 

3) Ms O' Ware, when she is not singing Rule Britannia, states that other clubs will be pushed aside whiich seems to demonstrate that she has not read or taken note of the presentation made by Enfield Town where there is a clear commitment to embrace community activities. She states that "Its a joy to hear children having their sports days at the stadium". I have followed football for many years and have heard the delight of many players. Does she consider that because football will be played there will no longer be sound emanating from the new facilities. It is clear that if the fooball club's proposals are adopted she will have that joy of people participating in sport for more than the "summer term".

 

4) I understand that Ignations only use the facillites as changing rooms and this can clearly be accommodated if the football club proposals are adopted. Indeed it may make for even closer links between two field sports which are often seen as antagonistic towards each other.

 

It is my view that the development of the site for Enfield Town Football Club will go some way to right the wrong that was down when the Stadium at Southbury Road was demolished. It will assist in the cultivation of community spirit amongst young and old and develop a sense of pride in being an Enfieldian once more.

 

[lovely stuff]

O'Ware continues with her seemingly single handed mission to eliminate and eradicate all trace of top grade football for the people of Enfield (forever).It's been that way for many decades. She must be so proud of herself.She must sleep so well at night.Along with Lazarou and the council,she played a big part in killing off Enfield Football club.Her actions now are going a long way to nullifying Enfield Town Fc.She is ill informed,and self serving.Enfield football club put Enfield on the map and proudly represented and brought honour to the borough for over 100 years.ETFC want to carry on that tradition.O"Ware is a constant and present danger to footballing and sporting progress in the borough.I said many months ago,that we had to nullify and counteract the poison pen of Jose.Judging from her ill informed and ignorant comments so far.I think the likes of Steph and other fans need to write directly to her and put her straight.Maybe our board should write to her outlining the FACTS and politely ask her,for once in her life, to refrain from screwing over football fans in Enfield.

 

 

Ps..Another sensible step would be to see if there is any link between her and any of the other parties vying for the site.Its time to get tough with this old biddy.The whole future progress of our club could depend on it.

 

[townerboy]

the last thing we want is a stadium with a running track round it...

 

 

[Duke of York]

Originally Posted By: enfield_paul

the last thing we want is a stadium with a running track round it...

I agree. I hope the QE Stadium does become Town

[Sponsor of Beer]

Isn't it the case that the runing track is beyond it's useful life, a factor which contributed to the construction of the centre of excellence at Pickett's Lock? The Council said as much at the presentation event, when it mentioned:

 

i) that it 'may' fail to get it's annual safety certificate renewed in the coming months, and

 

ii) the site has not been put forward as an Olympic training site

 

There seemed to be some conflicting commentary about the track, most of which centred upon a perceived lack of access to Pickett's Lock and a reference to a cancelled school sports day. That seemed to then become the 'in use every day' statement that has emerged. And Steph is correct, the New River Stadium was strangely overlooked in the athletics presentation. There seemed to be little or no real thought about the future of the Stadium in the proposal- a theme consistent with the 1893 and Ignatians presentations.

 

The Friends of the King George V Playing Fields (or whetever they are called) made a clear statement that they will only support a proposition that includes retention of the athletics track. That seems to me to be quite dangerous and may well lead to Messrs Fairview winning the day, as all of the other propositions don't stack up. I also wondered whether the QE Stadium is part of the playing fields and whether the Friends have any locus in the consultation, over and above being individual local residents. The Council referred to the GROUP as a stakeholder, but didn't explain to the rest of the sudience what the significance of that might be.

 

Finally the issue of access is a key issue to the Friends, who I think sense some opportunity to achieve some wider (personal?)benefit out of the debate about the stadium's future.

[lovely stuff]

Its got stitch-up written all over it.O'ware and her cronies will not rest unless the QE stadium continues as a derelict minor sporting venue Or is sold to big business.

 

Putting in proposals that included other parties was not mentioned in the criteria the coucnil laid out.None of the other parties had previously wanted to speak or engage with ETFC in the past.So why the fained shock when we didn't include them in our proposals? No surprise that the dramatic and misleading headline came from The Independent.My sources tell me that at least one of the rival bidders has the 'ear' of someone connected to that paper.

 

ETFC's proposal is the only option put forward so far that will transform the site into a modern sporting facility.The other proposals all include various different rival organisation sharing the already crumbling infrastructure.Not exactly long term regeneration is it?

 

O'Ware will say nothing if big business take over the site.Did she say anything when fairview bulldozed the lovely cry of sporting voices at Southbury road? Did she say anything about Tesco's and others clogging up the road near her shop with extra traffic lights and side roads.Did she say anything about Lloyds building a massive complex behind her shop.But any chance of a local football club trying to progress anywhere near her,and you can guarantee that her poison pen will be mobilised.

[townerboy]

Its got stitch-up written all over it.O'ware and her cronies will not rest unless the QE stadium continues as derelict minor sporting venue Or is sold to big business.

 

i'm concerned about this as well. when is the result due?

[Steph]

I am in the process of trying to join the "Friends of King George V Playing Field" At present after a google search all I could find was a group in Hull.

 

Has it a closed list? How does one join it? We all should seek to join as I am sure that many of us have played football or trained over there in the past.

[lovely stuff]

Try googleing 'Friends of Jose O'Ware'.I've a feeling its one and the same thing.

[Duke of York]

Originally Posted By: Steph

I am in the process of trying to join the "Friends of King George V Playing Field" At present after a google search all I could find was a group in Hull.

Has it a closed list? How does one join it? We all should seek to join as I am sure that many of us have played football or trained over there in the past.

FRIENDS OF ENFIELD PLAYING FIELDS
A meeting was held on 30th July at the Enfield Ignatians RFC Building with the aim of setting up a new group called Friends of Enfield Playing Fields. The meeting was chaired by Alan Mitsellas, Parks Dept Outreach Team. He outlined the purpose of the group which, in essence, is to improve the appearance, facilities, conservation value and safety of the playing fields. He asked for volunteers to form a committee and a Chairman and other members were appointed to run the committee.

The above article was taken from www.threeroadsinenfield.org

[lovely stuff]

Is it ethical and proper practice to hold every meeting concerning the future of the QE stadium,at the clubhouse of one of the parties hoping to secure the site?

[Steph]

DOY

 

You forgot this bit.

 

Anyone requiring further information about the new group should contact - Alan Mitellas, Parks Outreach Group, Tel 020 8441 827

 

I shall give him a ring tomorrow

[lovely stuff]

Good on you Steph.

[Sponsor of Beer]

On the face of it, it's hard to see why the group seems to have been a special stakeholder status by the Council in relation to the QE stadium. Access to and from the playing fields might, at a push, be within the Group's purpose; but it seems tenuous, at best.

[lovely stuff]

A bit suspicious that the council decide to set up a secretive unelected group to oversea goings-on at the Playing fields,just a few months before asking for proposals for the stadium site.

 

Who is on this 'Friends' committee? How did they come to be invited to the meeting in July?And what connections do they have with either the council or interested parties for the stadium?

 

 

[Gazza]

.....She said: "It's absolutely unacceptable for one club to take over the entire site when others will be pushed aside."

 

So on that theory she wants all parties sharing the stadium then, which is totally impossible, even if two parties shared the others, in her words, will therefore be pushed aside.

 

"It's a joy to hear children having their sports days at the stadium."

 

Then undoubtedly she will enjoy hearing the sound of happy "Jets" cheering their team on at least 21 times a year rather than the odd 5 days in the summer.

 

 

What a load of bull, talk about grasping at straws, is she a closet Barnet fan?

 

[Father Jack]

Originally Posted By: Steph

DOY

You forgot this bit.

Anyone requiring further information about the new group should contact - Alan Mitellas, Parks Outreach Group, Tel 020 8441 827

I shall give him a ring tomorrow

Steph, I think you've left a digit off the phone number. You might want to supply the full number for anyone else who might want to get in touch.

[Sponsor of Beer]

Mrs O'Ware and the Chairman of this rather shady group didn't get stuck into either Town's or 1893's proposals as much as I thought they would. The 1893 plan for a new bar didn't attract much excitement at all, nor did Town's stadium intention.

 

I suspect they have kept a lot of powder dry.