Your/Our Future Mr Chairman

[Guest]

Two stories keep coming up.

Over the past six weeks four people (none of which are involved at Clarence Park or even regular watchers of the Saints but are generally accurate with their news) have said that the chairman wants out.

One of the previously mentioned four and three others have said that the club is in talks for a new ground, two have spoken about a site at Park Street.

The first point ties in with the current, apparent, lack of ambition.

The second ties in with the chairmans business.

Which, if any of course, is true?

[Laz]

The new ground issue keeps popping up.

Can anyone tell my why we need a new ground?

 

I noticed there was a spate of "in conversation with" interviews where it said "we need a new ground", but with no justification for it.

 

All we need is a new main stand.

 

I'm not sure what the club would gain by moving to one of the surrounding villages. We are currently located within reasonable walking distance for the entire City. There is ample parking in the local streets for those unable to walk; we have railway and bus stations just a few hundred yards away; and a large car park which is unused at match times just a short distance away.

 

The argument that we need better facilities is nonsense. Replace the stand and a larger bar could be built. I'm sure the dozen or so people that use it would appreciate that.

 

The last time this subject was mooted, it got a lively response in the local press. I wonder what will happen this time.

[YB941 5thD EFM ~soul~]

If the club moves out of the centre of St Albans to a surrounding village 2/3 miles away, you can take another 100 off the gate.

 

Won't leave many, will it?

 

 

[Laz]

I'd say 200 off. You'd be left with me, Tavs and the freeloaders.

[mdetaylor]

There was no real interest in a new ground apart from when the tree/conference problem existed. When the tree suddenly got ill, the problems went away.

 

A new ground would have to be part of a development with, for example, a supermarket or some other retail outlets. It would seem unlikely that the club could afford to finance a new ground without such a scheme.

 

In addition the pressure for development space in St Albans would be a problem. The priority (pressure) of local development plans (such as they exist until the reform of the planning system) is to meet government housing targets (I believe one of the local rags said that St Albans could not come close and if it did the local services and transport infrastructure would collapse, but there is still the pressure).

 

Suitable brown field sites are difficult to come by apart from in places no one wants to build and any green field development would probably be resedential (and subject to planning appeal after planning appeal as people try to prevent the loss of the countryside and the increasing spread of St Albans and its development into a dorm town).

 

Anyway, I know nothing about this and I am sure that AFF will be able to supply estimates of the cost of development land, development and the chances of securing planning permission.