FROM THE EVENING ECHO

[GazzaBTFC]

Billericay: Stadium is vital for club's future:

 

Billericay Town Football Club will struggle to survive without moving into a new 4,000-seater stadium, a public inquiry heard.

 

Club chairman Rod Moore told the second day of the inquiry yesterday the club will take a massive step backwards if it cannot move into a proposed stadium in Gloucester Park.

 

Rod Moore said the club, which was founded in 1880, was currently losing £50,000 a year and would have to be relegated by club officials themselves to stop losing so much cash.

 

He said: "The past 30 years has seen Billericay Town FC rise through the ranks of non-league football.

 

"Our next objective in order to progress the club is to win promotion to the Football Conference.

 

"If the club is unable to secure additional income, we see no option but to relegate the status of the club back to the level of the Essex Senior League putting the club back 30-plus years."

 

Mr Moore made it clear that development at the current New Lodge stadium, in Blunts Wall Road, Billericay, was not possible as the site was in the green belt and the access is inadequate.

 

 

Published Thursday October 2, 2003

 

Brought to you by the Evening Echo

 

 

 

 

[paulc27]

but we r not in any financial trouble though?!! is 50k a year a lot for a non league club to be loosing?

[GazzaBTFC]

Errrr, well I was confused by that actually. Someone somewhere not tell us something here?

[&yB]

I could be wrong by I guess this means that, in common with many other clubs of our size and status, we’re currently unable to meet our running costs through turnstile revenues, bars receipts etc alone, so need additional external funding to the tune of say £50k per year. This is probably made up at the moment from sponsorships, donations / loans etc… oh and of course transfer income. You’ll recall last season some transfers took place because they made good business, despite the impact they had on the squad. So No we’re not in financial trouble, but want the club to be self financing rather than relying on individuals generosity. That’s where the New Stadium and ancillary development at New Lodge comes in. Yes it will cost to build, but it will generate income for the club away from 3pm every other Saturday.

[GazzaBTFC]

Ahhhhhhhh.....I understand.

[Bluefivers]

&yB's comments make no sense to me. Does he really believe there is some individual stumping up £50K? No, BTFC is slipping further and further into the red.

I recall reading lots of comments on this site last year about the fact that BTFC is skint, or worse. The money raised from the share flotation is surely gone and the only hope for salvation is Stadia Management and a move to Basildon.

It seems that what we were told then has now been shown to be absolutely true and accurate, despite all the denials at the time. What a shambles !!

I also recall reading that, even if permission is granted for the Gloucester Park move, that development will also end in tears...."what private company will, on an ongoing basis pay the admin costs of a 4000 person stadium?". Particularly after the have got what they want from the Club ie a way in to develop a profit making leisure centre.

It remains to be seen if this second prediction will prove as accurate as the first one about the state of BTFC's finances. If it is, the club and its loyal supporters are in deep do do. Hobsons choice?...it's not as good as that.

[jl]

as there always has been, there are at least two very different sets of opinion on the whole gloucester park issue. why don't we wait until the outcome of the enquiry and then we should have a much better idea of where we all stand.