Rocking the boat.....

[Burnham Lad]

Looking at all the debate going on about the Kennedy Park Dream, (KPD) is it all wishful thinking? There are so many things which don't add up or is there something else going on?

 

For example, how come we left Wexham Park because our Landlord, Mr Thorne said that there was £70K in unpaid rent, and Mr Thorne said he has not pushed for it as he did not want to damage the Club. However, Mr Deaner has been able to find £25K to pay Windsor and Eton, and now apparently can find £250K to fund a feasibility study into KPD - is Mr Thorne likely to be happy about that? What happens if he comes after his money?

 

How come Slough Borough Council are prepared to deal with Mr Deaner on this, when they must know that the last published accounts of FRUS Limited showed a very hefty deficit? Where do they think the money is coming from? If there are backers, who are they - sooner or later "Don't worry, the money will be there" message we got at the Fans meeting will have to be converted to fact?

 

Let's look at the Feasibility Study. Has anybody seen the terms of reference under which it is being conducted? Who is responsible to ensure it happens, Mr Deaner personally, or FRUS Limited, or some other body we have not heard of? When does it start and how will we know? Who is actually going to conduct it - a firm of consultants, and if so who? When is it due to end - 6 months has been bandied around, but is that contractual?

 

If it is Mr Deaner personally or some other body acting as, effectively, a developer, and not through the Club, what rights to anything does STFC have?

 

What happens when it is completed? Does it go as the basis of a pre planning consultation? What happens if the council are just using this as a teaser to raise interest in getting some inward investment. Apparently if they decide to go with somebody else, Mr Deaner gets his money back, but what about STFC then?

 

Loking at the timescales, has anybody seen a draft timetable as to how long all this is expected to take? On the average length of time it will take to get the procedures above completed and the planning done, the finances promised, the planning applications submitted, the consultation and objections process completed, time for any appeals, the drafting and granting of contracts, the timetabling of resources by the builders, we could be looking at quite a few years, i would estimate at least five. We only have three years groundshare agreed and only one actually paid for....

 

And in the meantime, we have a perfectly good stadium, which was our own, going to rack and ruin. Surely, there must be a way to get Mr Deaner and Mr Thorne talking to each other to resolve this? Can't the Supporters Trust help to get them together? Can't the Council help, the FA, The Ryman League? Looking at Chris Sliski's post elsewhere this may be an intractable problem, but surely worth a last try? And if the anonymous Post on Wexham Park Stadium being developed for the PWA is true, then there may be no time to lose!

 

I know that some people will see this as rocking the boat, but surely we have to deal in reality - we want a ground for STFC to play on, it is not the "Field of Dreams" in the movie! I don't think we have the time to hang about as if it goes pearshaped, we may have to move very fast.

[Roger Rebel]

Andrew do you have any more Ammunition for Janiks.

[Burnham Lad]

Roger,

 

I said this was rocking the boat - I feel like the lad in the Hans Christian Andersen tale pointing out that despite what everybody is saying, the Emperor isn't wearing any clothes!

 

These are far more serious issues than Mr Janik, and they won't go away. In any case, he is already well aware of the points I have made, if you have read any of his mails. I am more concerned that STFC gets free of the real millstone around our necks, and gets back established as a serious Conference Club. Sticking our heads in the sand and hoping all the nasties will go away won't make them.

 

I have spent quite a bit of time researching FRUS and its Directors on the Internet as anybody can - a lot of the results worry me. In addition we have a long history of the "concern" for STFC that the local politicians of all shades of allegiance have displayed.

 

The result of all this is that I think that it is quite possible that the hardworking well-intentioned people who have given a lot of their time and their own money to developing this Club over many years, Fans of all sorts, will end up the fall guys for those trying to turn the situation to either their political or financial advantage, whichever applies. At the present moment, the Club is just a pawn to these folks. I don't need to list them, we all know who they are!

 

My questions are serious and realistic - if there are no answers what does that tell you?

[GarySTFC]

Here here Andrew. Wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments. Would also like to include Deaners comments in the Observer this week about going back to WP. If he can arrange it now, why couldn't he have done it toward the back end of last season and kept us playing there? The man is a joke....

[Guest]

Keep at it Andrew - the truth will out, even if it takes time, sadly becoming more and more precious for STFC.

Evidence that the truth will out - Non League Paper page 4 - Graham Roberts uncovered at last.

[Roger Rebel]

Andrew my point was he does not need any help from us.Bossweb mentioned Belfast Rd as a new ground because it was near to him, now it's Janiks preferd option.