Gloucester City facing eviction from Whaddon Road

[RalphC]

Gloucester City will be evicted from the Abbey Business Stadium with immediate effect if they fail to settle debts of nearly GBP20,000 with landlords Cheltenham Town by the end of this month. Cheltenham have not received any cash from their hard-up tenants since the turn of the year.

 

The Tigers will face relegation from Blue Square Bet North if they cannot pay money owed in rent and loan wages for winger Bagasan Graham as well as other sums for match day hospitality. Robins chairman Paul Baker said he had every sympathy for Gloucester's plight, but the arrangement will not be allowed to continue unless they can stump up the cash.

 

"Gloucester have fallen into arrears with their payments and unless all debts are paid by the end of March they will not be able to use our stadium to stage their home matches," said Baker. "Before now they have been the perfect tenants and we have had no other issues with them, but we cannot allow this to continue unless we are paid in full and we can't afford to let it build up any further. We are not a charity and Gloucester have entered into the terms of a contract and enough is enough. I think their chairman (Nigel Hughes) has done a fantastic job and I have huge sympathy for their situation, but we have a business to run and they fully accept that. We have been very fair with them and I have spoken to Nigel and I know they are going to do all they can to generate the revenue, but it is going to be difficult for them."

 

Baker said an arrangement for next season's ground-share had been agreed but that is now in jeopardy and Gloucester must have it confirmed and signed by the end of March to comply with Blue Square Bet North rules. "In an ideal world we would carry on helping Gloucester, but we are running a business and we need the money too," Baker said. "I don't want to be in any way responsible for them being relegated or worse. I am not sure of the exact implications if they don't have a ground that meets the League's requirements, but I think survival for them is the most important thing at the moment. We can't subsidise them and they don't expect us to, so in my view this needs to be cleared by the end of March and they must be confident they can make further payments."

 

Gloucester have been playing at Whaddon Road for the past three seasons having previously shared with Forest Green and Cirencester Town. They have been without a ground of their own since the floods of 2007 destroyed Meadow Park. It was last week announced that plans for the redevelopment of Meadow Park and the construction of a GBP5 million community stadium were "on the brink of collapse."

 

 

From The Gloucestershire Echo

[The Mayor Of Simpleton]

Just when you thought it couldn't get much worse for us!

 

Hopefully the debt will be paid off soon. The trust will put money in as well.

[The Mayor Of Simpleton]

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Gloucester-City-FC-Tigers-face-drop-cash-crisis/story-18298871-detail/story.html#axzz2MV5wTLxk

 

Very worrying, but hopefully money will be found to plug the gaps. I'll be putting a sum forward, as I do not want Gloucester City to be in trouble.

 

A drop down the leagues has been on the cards, since the council said no to development of Sudmeadow, and news tonight is that we could drop to the Western Premier and ground-share with Slimbridge next season. The Hellenic Premier has 22 teams whilst the Western Premier only has 20, so therefore we'd have more chance of being accepted into the Western if it all goes nipples up.

 

Our near neighbours FGR are also in some trouble, and I've been told to expect a major development there this week.... interesting to say the least!

[missunderstood]

http://www.thisisglo...l#axzz2MV5wTLxk

 

Very worrying, but hopefully money will be found to plug the gaps. I'll be putting a sum forward, as I do not want Gloucester City to be in trouble.

 

A drop down the leagues has been on the cards, since the council said no to development of Sudmeadow, and news tonight is that we could drop to the Western Premier and ground-share with Slimbridge next season. The Hellenic Premier has 22 teams whilst the Western Premier only has 20, so therefore we'd have more chance of being accepted into the Western if it all goes nipples up.

 

Our near neighbours FGR are also in some trouble, and I've been told to expect a major development there this week.... interesting to say the least!

 

No offence meant, but I find it refreshing that Cheltenham are bringing a sense of financial responsibility back into non league football that sends out a message that making commitments that are unsustainable are no longer acceptable. It also sounds rather odd that Gloucester are talking about a new five million pound stadium at the same time that they are unable to pay their rent.

[The Mayor Of Simpleton]

Indeed Alan.

 

Last week, I was told by an ex councilor at The Fountain Inn that there are two sides to this story and a lot is going to come out over the next few weeks.

 

The trust has raised £500,000 towards the new stadium (I donated a three figure amount) plus we received a lot of money for the Leyton Orient cup game and Chester FC home games where Chester brought over 500 fans to Whaddon Road. That is easily £5,000 for just those two games.

 

So money has gone in, but it has also gone out - evidently. Something does NOT add up, and the trust were sworn to secrecy about the debts before the meeting last week about the stadium plans going nipples up.

 

There are a few people I distrust at the club - I will not say who or whom, but these people have been quick to take money and yet give short shrift to fans who dare oppose their plans. The chickens are coming home to roost - if Nigel Hughes thinks that somebody is going to part with £40k and not even get a place on the Gloucester City board (which is basically him, Eamonn McGurk and Colin Peake, with Matt Phillips as a non-Exec) then we may as well plan for the Western and get the Slimbridge ground-share in place.

 

Disappointing, but this was always on the cards after the council refused planning permission. At first,I thought the council were being their typical a-hole selves... now I'm seeing it very differently......

[missunderstood]

Indeed Alan.

 

Last week, I was told by an ex councilor at The Fountain Inn that there are two sides to this story and a lot is going to come out over the next few weeks.

 

The trust has raised £500,000 towards the new stadium (I donated a three figure amount) plus we received a lot of money for the Leyton Orient cup game and Chester FC home games where Chester brought over 500 fans to Whaddon Road. That is easily £5,000 for just those two games.

 

So money has gone in, but it has also gone out - evidently. Something does NOT add up, and the trust were sworn to secrecy about the debts before the meeting last week about the stadium plans going nipples up.

 

There are a few people I distrust at the club - I will not say who or whom, but these people have been quick to take money and yet give short shrift to fans who dare oppose their plans. The chickens are coming home to roost - if Nigel Hughes thinks that somebody is going to part with £40k and not even get a place on the Gloucester City board (which is basically him, Eamonn McGurk and Colin Peake, with Matt Phillips as a non-Exec) then we may as well plan for the Western and get the Slimbridge ground-share in place.

 

Disappointing, but this was always on the cards after the council refused planning permission. At first,I thought the council were being their typical a-hole selves... now I'm seeing it very differently......

 

Not paying players obviously threatens a clubs competitiveness, but not paying your landlord threatens the existence of the club. Is this a case of Gloucester City getting their priorities wrong?

[The Mayor Of Simpleton]

Not paying players obviously threatens a clubs competitiveness, but not paying your landlord threatens the existence of the club. Is this a case of Gloucester City getting their priorities wrong?

 

Very much so, Alan.

 

We've not paid for hospitality boxes, or the loan fees for Danny Andrew and Baghassan Graham, and yet the Trust money should have been able to pay for these.

 

We've put all our money into the stadium, and not left anything aside for emergencies.

 

An interesting point came up today - insurance. The land at Sudmeadow cannot be insured against flooding, so what the hell is its use to us? With more flooding likely over the next 5-10 years due to climate change, there is simply no point in building a new stadium which will be under water.

 

The Trust are doing bucket collections, and have been allowed to take collections at the Gloucester RFC v London Welsh RFC game on March 23rd. Hopefully we can save our skins, but questions do need answering....

[Eastside Urchin]

Good luck with a bucket collection at a rugby match,it is my xperience that rugby fans don't particularly care for football and their fans.Maybe its different down your neck of the woods

[The Mayor Of Simpleton]

Most Gloucester RFC fans are sympathetic towards Gloucester City, and a few of their fans come along to City games when Gloucester RFC are away.

 

They even admit that had Kingsholm flooded, Gloucester City & Councils would have bent over backwards to help them out.

 

However, most of them (65%) have said no to us moving in to Kingsholm. They want it kept for rugby and rugby only.

[missunderstood]

Most Gloucester RFC fans are sympathetic towards Gloucester City, and a few of their fans come along to City games when Gloucester RFC are away.

 

They even admit that had Kingsholm flooded, Gloucester City & Councils would have bent over backwards to help them out.

 

However, most of them (65%) have said no to us moving in to Kingsholm. They want it kept for rugby and rugby only.

 

My club has been playing outside our borough for four years now and I know how difficult it is .All things being equal I'm a great fan of ground share arrangements but in fairness to GRFC the money you can afford to pay would hardly be worth the effort.

 

Do you think you will ever return to your home city and if so how do you think the project will be financed?

[Eastside Urchin]

I am in favour of groundshares as long as thy are feasible.

A groundshare between a premier rugby club and a lower league football club is viable and feasible.

Yes the money would be an issue but if the football club could move back to their city,in a decent ground and attract large gates,which they obviously can,then the rent side of things may not be much of an issue.

[The Mayor Of Simpleton]

If we can get an investor in by December 2013, and if we can get permission to build a new stadium at one of the following locations:

 

Railway Triangle

Naas Lane

Javelin Park (south of Junction 12 of the M5)

The A38/B4008 interchange (north of Junction 12 of the M5)

Gloucester Athletics Club (keeping the running track in place)

Barnwood (land behind the Premier Inn, adjacent to the A417 and Gloucester-Cheltenham Railway Line)

 

Then perhaps we have a long term future at Step 2 and above.

 

If not, the dreaded 'retrench' word will come to the fore and we will have to go backwards.

 

The only other alternative, if FGR get into trouble, is to move in at The New Lawn Stadium in Nailsworth (near Stroud) for a predetermined period.

 

I am hopeful, however, that within three to five years we will be back in Gloucester.

[The Mayor Of Simpleton]

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Gloucester-City-Benefactor-pays-Cheltenham-Town/story-18323250-detail/story.html#axzz2MV5wTLxk

 

GREAT NEWS!

[missunderstood]

http://www.thisisglo...l#axzz2MV5wTLxk

 

GREAT NEWS!

 

Lucky Gloucester, you couldnt point your benefactor in Romfords direction could you Adam

[The Mayor Of Simpleton]

Alan, I will promise to do my best to find Romford a benefactor or two.

[Eastside Urchin]

Don't do it Adam

[The Mayor Of Simpleton]

I'll send a few to AFC Hornchurch as well, Eastside

 

I attended a steering committee meeting tonight, consisting of fellow fans worried about recent events.

 

We warmly welcome the benefactor's investment, whomever he or she is, but we are all still worried by the fact that:

 

* Club Owner Eamonn McGurk wants out and will not invest in GCFC any more

 

* Money raised by The Trust is not being spent in areas where it is absolutely essential that it is

 

* The plans for our new stadium still focus on Sudmeadow/old Meadow Park site and no Plan B/C/D is being considered despite the fact that other sites highlighted would offer a far better solution.

 

* The support for GCFC is dwindling in Gloucester, especially with the younger generations (5-16 year olds), despite GCFC 'In The Communities' events including open days at Gloucester Docks and Gloucester City Centre. The absence of the club from the City is now being to take its toil, with GCFC home fans out-numbered by travelling supporters from Chester FC, FC Halifax Town and Stalybridge Celtic at recent home games against these teams.

 

All agreed that investment and a new stadium are of paramount importance in the short-mid term.

 

It looks as if we will be at Whaddon Road for next season, but GCFC needs to plan now for its future after that. Going back to The New Lawn has been considered, as that is the only other option for a ground at BSN level. Cirencester's ground would take too long to get it up to BSN standard, and Kingsholm would almost certainly be out of the question.

 

Without private investment, we are facing uncertain times. FGR are facing problems too, with Dale Vince possibly quitting and taking back his initial £750,000 'gift' to the club, and their former owner Trevor Horsley has already said he won't step in if FGR go boobs up again.

 

To ad lib the song - this is the time for action.

[missunderstood]

I'll send a few to AFC Hornchurch as well, Eastside

 

I attended a steering committee meeting tonight, consisting of fellow fans worried about recent events.

 

We warmly welcome the benefactor's investment, whomever he or she is, but we are all still worried by the fact that:

 

* Club Owner Eamonn McGurk wants out and will not invest in GCFC any more

 

* Money raised by The Trust is not being spent in areas where it is absolutely essential that it is

 

* The plans for our new stadium still focus on Sudmeadow/old Meadow Park site and no Plan B/C/D is being considered despite the fact that other sites highlighted would offer a far better solution.

 

* The support for GCFC is dwindling in Gloucester, especially with the younger generations (5-16 year olds), despite GCFC 'In The Communities' events including open days at Gloucester Docks and Gloucester City Centre. The absence of the club from the City is now being to take its toil, with GCFC home fans out-numbered by travelling supporters from Chester FC, FC Halifax Town and Stalybridge Celtic at recent home games against these teams.

 

All agreed that investment and a new stadium are of paramount importance in the short-mid term.

 

It looks as if we will be at Whaddon Road for next season, but GCFC needs to plan now for its future after that. Going back to The New Lawn has been considered, as that is the only other option for a ground at BSN level. Cirencester's ground would take too long to get it up to BSN standard, and Kingsholm would almost certainly be out of the question.

 

Without private investment, we are facing uncertain times. FGR are facing problems too, with Dale Vince possibly quitting and taking back his initial £750,000 'gift' to the club, and their former owner Trevor Horsley has already said he won't step in if FGR go boobs up again.

 

To ad lib the song - this is the time for action.

 

How far is Gloucester from FGRs stadium Adam, and do you think it would be acceptable/beneficial to both sets of supporters if the two clubs merged

[Eastside Urchin]

Alan,would you really like to see Hornchurch and Romford merge?

[missunderstood]

Alan,would you really like to see Hornchurch and Romford merge?

 

The pragmatist in me says yes, and if there was a way to find goodwill on both sides I believe it could work, and be a legacy for the next generation of supporters who possibly would not have a club to support in Havering if attendances continues to fall and both clubs fail. Unfortunately pragmatism and common sense is about as rare as hens teeth in Havering so I doubt it will ever happen.