Dartford FC

[Pagey]

Interesting article in private eye. in a nutshell

 

Darford Council paid millions for the stadium and rent it to the club for

[The Great Eckscape]

Now that's what I call a council!

[Wellsie]

But spinning it the other way, it's difficult to see what Dartford Council Tax payers get from the deal

[Pagey]

very true Wellsie, the article does go into that

[Coffin Ender]

Leader of Dartford Council is also on the Darts' board. Lucky old Dartford, though not entirely sure it's OK for a local authority to bankroll a private business.

[AncientBlue]

When we played them up there, we were talking to some supporters in the bar, saying what a nice set-up it was. The only problem was they said that the profits from the bar and food outlets etc went to the Council, not the football club. Of course things may have changed since then.

[michael]

Originally Posted By: Coffin Ender

Leader of Dartford Council is also on the Darts' board. Lucky old Dartford, though not entirely sure it's OK for a local authority to bankroll a private business.

Down here in Glawstershire,Cheltenham Town Coucil offered Cheltenham football club a

[acdc]

Spinning it another way,what do Thanets taxpayers get from an art gallery,Has anyone asked them if they want it.If it was put to a vote I bet more people would vote to support the local football clubs.They could have done this and still had an art gallery (just a bit smaller to reflect the number of people who will use it).

[The Great Eckscape]

A football club has the potential to be the centre of a community, fair play to Dartford Council for providing a facility that thousands of it's residents can regularly use and enjoy I say...

[The Gaffer from the Rock]

Princes park is an art gallery, what with those wooden supporters!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Great ground though, would love our council to have the same kind of input over here!

[Coffin Ender]

"A football club has the potential to be the centre of a community."

 

Not really, most people don't like football and only a tiny, tiny minority of people are interested in watching lower league football.

For example, population of Dartford is 86,000, Darts' average crowd last season was about 1,100.

That's not to knock the Darts - the same would be true of any lower league team. And, of course, this argument also applies to 'the arts'!

[The Great Eckscape]

I disagree completely. Look at Burnley the other week, a town with the population of 70,000 took over 35,000 to Wembley. Okay this was a unique occasion, but that whole day can only have united the community in ways that other ventures could only dream.

 

Lower league football will always play second fiddle to the big clubs, but that's no reason not to aspire for bigger and better things. From the Council's point of view, a successful football team will undoubtedly bring money into the area.

 

Also, you have to consider all the other things that Princes Park offers the people of Dartford - exceptional astro turf facilities, great conference/function halls etc. You don't even have to be a Darts fan to be able to take advantage of the great setup they have.

[Eastside Urchin]

i can see what great escape is saying but teams like burnley have been around for 120 years or so and the fact the town of burnley can have such support is down to the fact that kids have passed down their heritage for the clarets from generation to generation.

The same cannot be said for clubs of lesser size,even including teams in the championship,i think teams like burnley and blackburn are exceptions to the rule.

Look at southend,population way over that of burnleys,you would hardly say southend united fc is the centre of the community

[The Great Eckscape]

The phrase that I originally wrote was that "A football club has the potential to be the centre of a community." The potential is always there I believe, he who dares Rodney...

[Eastside Urchin]

shut it you little plonker

[Pagey]

although Great Eckscape support a team who directors have no morals I have to agree with him

 

If you can make the club a centre point for the community then you are onto a winner

[The Great Eckscape]

Originally Posted By: Pagey

although Great Eckscape support a team who directors have no morals I have to agree with him

They only say good things about you Pagey

[Pagey]

they may well say one thing, but change their minds a little later

[AncientBlue]

Originally Posted By: The Gaffer from the Rock

Princes park is an art gallery, what with those wooden supporters!!!!!!!



Great ground though, would love our council to have the same kind of input over here!

By that token, I suggest that Ramsgate's ground could be considered a work of art: It's even more unkempt that Tracey Emmin's bed after all.

[Andy .]

This whole thread should be sent to Thanet council to show them how to run a set up worthy of its community . Without football in a town 50% of its life would be gone and as Margate has already lost most of its life , love and memories without the club there will be nothing left at all . We may only get 8-9000 coming to HDP over the season but thats 8-9000 less coming into Thanet if we were not around . If we stay around and the council helped us then that could become 10-12000 then 15000 and so on over the course of the seasons . Its easy and as Pagey has showed us Dartford have got eveything that most teams want . We go up the leagues the club name goes further afield , people will come and visit , simple .

Up the Gate .