Berkhamsted Raiders

[Rhodes]

On ‎19‎/‎04‎/‎2020 at 13:19, Rhodes said:

I see that all of the groundshare agreements that are currently in place for SSML Club's expire shortly, I wonder how many of those will or can be extended including that of Berkhamsted Raiders with Kings Langley at the Orbital Fasteners Stadium which, I would have thought, was highly unlikely and the Club will have to find a new home for the 2020/21 campaign:

Berkhamsted Raiders at Kings Langley expires 31 May 2020 

The clock is ticking isn't it and there are just 28 days to go before Berkhamsted Raiders groundshare agreement with Kings Langley, at their Orbital Fasteners Stadium, ends. Do we know as yet whether the Club will, as seems likely, have to find a new home in time for the 2020/21 campaign, whenever that will start, if that is indeed the case then at least some consolation will be far less salubrious surroundings will be accepted by the SSML for yet another term in Division Two and then somehow attempt to negotiate a Step 6 groundshare for 2021/22, albeit and unexpectedly a year late, if a top five place can be achieved, unlike it would have been this season.

[Winslow Boy]

Phew, I was worried this thread was dead. 

[Big J R]

2 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

Phew, I was worried this thread was dead. 

Nothing is dead until the Grim Reaper appears.  (Or is that 'When The Fat Lady Sings') ??

[Savagebee]

21 minutes ago, Big J R said:

Nothing is dead until the Grim Reaper appears.  (Or is that 'When The Fat Lady Sings') ??

The Grim Reaper has appeared well in Florida anyway ?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/coronavirus-florida-grim-reaper-beach-lockdown-a9495516.html

[Rhodes]

On ‎19‎/‎04‎/‎2020 at 13:19, Rhodes said:

Baldock Town at Arlesey Town expires 31 May 2020

Brimsdown at Ware expires 31 July 2020

Broadfields United at Harefield United expires 31 May 2020

Enfield Borough at Wingate & Finchley expires 31 May 2020  

Berkhamsted Raiders at Kings Langley expires 31 May 2020

New Salamis at Enfield Town expires 31 May 2020

St Panteleimon at North Greenford United expires 31 May 2020 

London Tigers at Amersham Town expires 31 May 2020 

Wembley with Cricklewood Wanderers expires 31 May 2020

Crawley Green at 'The Brache', Luton expires 31 May 2020 

Has there been any news as yet on the various groundshare arrangements for the 2020/21 campaign, it will be interesting to see for example whether Crawley Green are still able to use The Brache as I gather Luton Town would much prefer sole use of their training facility. I see from the August Management Board minutes, at the start of this season, that it was noted most, if not all, the groundshare agreements were due to expire at the end of the 2019/20 season and Club's were very much encouraged to renew these well in advance or, presumably, find alternative venues to play at for 2020/21 as will be the case I believe with Berkhamsted Raiders:

GROUND SHARE AGREEMENTS - In accordance with Standardised Rule 2.3.2 the following Ground Share Agreements were formerly approved for Season 2019/2020. It was noted that the vast majority of these Agreements expired at the end of the current season and clubs should be aware of the need to renew well in advance of any expiry date. 

Edited May 16, 2020 by Rhodes

[Savagebee]

On 19/04/2020 at 12:19, Rhodes said:

I see that all of the groundshare agreements that are currently in place for SSML Club's expire shortly, I wonder how many of those will or can be extended including that of Berkhamsted Raiders with Kings Langley at the Orbital Fasteners Stadium which, I would have thought, was highly unlikely and the Club will have to find a new home for the 2020/21 campaign:

Wembley with Cricklewood Wanderers expires 31 May 2020

Cricklewood Wanderers FC ground share at Wembley FCs ground and I'm told that they pay big bucks for the pleasure of playing on Ian BASHER Bates carpet of a pitch.

Cricklewood Wanderers FC are a average Step 7 team and I wonder how they can afford it and the funny thing is that they were having there best season in years last season which didn't count or mean anything in the end.

Edited May 16, 2020 by Savagebee

[Rhodes]

What I have noticed about Berkhamsted Raiders is that they never fail to miss an opportunity and the Club are always, for example, represented at Berkhamsted Town Council, Dacorum Borough Council, Nettleden with Potten End Parish Council and Wigginton Parish Council meetings and, going by the Minutes, right in the Committee's faces. They nearly always get their way and what they want, probably because the respective Councils are so fed up to the back teeth with the Club pestering them, about this, that and the other and trying to ride roughshod, as they did with Berkhamsted FC, that they just want to get rid of them and will agree to anything. Only on 16 April the Club attended a Nettleden with Potten End Parish Council meeting by so called Webinar and got their way again by gaining formal agreement with the Cricket Club for use of the sports ground, I wouldn't mind betting that Potten End Cricket Club, who have been in existence since around 1894 when the Parish of Potten End was formed, know nothing whatsoever about that and once formal agreement is put in place Berkhamsted Raiders will then rule the roost as was their intention at Broadwater:

https://nettledenpottenendpc.org.uk/pottenwp/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CM-200416-Minutes-draft-v0.2.pdf

Minutes of Nettleden with Potten End Parish Council Meeting Held at 7.30pm on Thursday, 16th April 2020 

20/032 - Report and Update from the Open Spaces and Leisure Working Party  

a. Proposal for a new youth football team to use the sports ground 

Resolved:  

i. To ask Berkhamsted Raiders, Potten End Senior Team and Potten End Youth Team to submit proposals regarding the use of the football pitch in 2020/21.  

ii. To form a working party comprising Cllrs Grimsdale, Nelson and Brennan to consider the proposals and to recommend a course of action to the May council meeting. 

Agreed unanimously.

Noted: that there didn’t appear to be any formal agreement with the Cricket Club for the use of the sports ground and agreed that this should be formalised.  

[Rhodes]

Here is another prime example of Berkhamsted Raiders persistence and going to the Council at every opportunity, either on bended knee asking for a ruling or assistance or cap in hand for money, the Club know that it has each Council twisted around its little finger and dancing to its tune. In this case the Club Chairman has sent a groveling e-mail to Nettleden with Potten End Parish Council asking to use the Potten Recreation Ground with little or no regard for the Club who are already playing there, although, to be fair they offer to provide funding for use of the pitch and any additional maintenance that may be required, that is however just an incentive to get their foot firmly in the door and then will no doubt expect to rule the roost and call the tune as is very much the Club's way. I am sure that Berkhamsted Raiders heart is ultimately in the right place particularly where local youngsters are concerned, the numerous gongs the Club have won prove that, such as the UEFA European Grassroots Club of the Year Silver Award in 2016, however it is the way they tend to go about things that upset the likes of Berkhamsted FC who, for example, were not even consulted when, in June 2018, Dacorum Borough Council were shown a report and proposed plans for a scheme to redevelop Broadwater:

Nettleden with Potten End Parish Council Meeting Thursday, 19th September 2017

07/09/09 b. Berkhamsted Raiders

Email from Keith Pollard, Club Chairman, Berkhamsted Raiders 

 

I’m facing a major problem related to youth football for next season, and I’m looking for your Parish Council’s help.

Next season, Berkhamsted Raiders CFC will be running 93 youth teams.

           

• We will have over 1,200 playing members from U7 to U18.          

• Around 900 of these live or are at school in the HP4 postcode.           

• 93% live within a Dacorum postcode.           

• 20% are female.  

For our 93 teams, we have access to 27 pitches. That’s a major problem for us next season. It has not been helped by a two year delay in the development of new pitches at Durrants Lane in Berkhamsted where the Council has failed to ensure that a s106 agreement is enforced in a timely manner.
The shortage is particularly acute in our need for bigger pitches for U15-U18 on Sunday mornings. We face a scenario for next season where we have 14 teams in these age groups and only four pitches to accommodate them
We don’t want to close down some teams and deny those youngsters the opportunity to play football. However, unless we find some additional pitches, that is what we are faced with.
So, I’m asking whether we might be permitted to make use of the pitch at Potten End Recreation Ground. I believe that it is currently used by one adult team. This means that on average it will be used once every two weeks. By comparison, we are faced with the issue of having to play two or three matches on some pitches every weekend.
Just one game every other weekend would help to relieve our problem until we can get additional pitches into use. We would be happy to liaise with the existing adult team to coordinate use. We would also be very happy to provide funding for use of the pitch and any additional maintenance that might be required.
I hope you will be able to accommodate this request and enable local children to continue to play football.

https://nettledenpottenendpc.org.uk/pottenwp/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/CM-190919-supporting-document.pdf

Edited May 18, 2020 by Rhodes

[tringarmy]

Rhodes, that will be for one of their youth teams. Potten End is nowhere close to Step 7 standard (or certainly wasn’t last time I was there) 

[Rhodes]

12 hours ago, tringarmy said:

that will be for one of their youth teams

Thanks, yes, I gathered that but the First team are still going to have to find a new home for the new campaign aren't they, whenever that will start. Also, the Club still had seven home fixtures left to play when the curtain came crashing down and I am sure paid for the entire 2019/20 season up front at Kings Langley, rather than in dribs and drabs on a game by game basis, I wonder whether they have been refunded some money. 

[Rhodes]

Not Berkhamsted Raiders however shock news that Berkhamsted FC joint Managers Steve Bateman and Lee Bircham have sadly left Broadwater:

https://www.mynewsmag.co.uk/managerial-exit-berkhamsted-fc-joint-managers-leave-club-with-immediate-effect/

Manager Steve Bateman and his assistant Lee Bircham have decided to leave Southern League Division One Central club Berkhamsted with immediate effect.

Bateman was appointed as the Comrades manager in January 2017.

The club, formed only in 2009, won promotion from the Spartan South Midlands League Division Two in its first season and then from Division One the following campaign.

Berkhamsted then spent seven seasons in the SSML Premier Division before appointing Berko born Bateman in the hope he would take them to the next level.

Bateman had a distinguished playing career that started at Everton before playing high-level non-League football with Harrow Borough, Chesham United, Slough Town and Hemel Hempstead Town.

He went on to manage three of his former clubs, getting Hemel promoted and took Chesham, Slough and Aylesbury United to a number of play-offs, not forgetting taking Berkhamsted Town to the FA Vase Final in 2001.

He led the team to eighth in his first five months in charge and then won promotion to the Southern League in 2017/18 after finishing runners-up in the Spartan South Midlands League.

Berko`s first season in the league saw them finish a very creditable sixth and they were a point clear of Halesowen Town this term before lockdown.

Edited May 22, 2020 by Rhodes

[Winslow Boy]

How long before they are announced at Hemel?

pretty sure it was the semi final of the vase in 2001 though.  
 

just looked and it was the final. 

Edited May 22, 2020 by Winslow Boy

[Rhodes]

Winslow Boy - Yes, I also saw Sammy Moore had been relieved of his duties at Vauxhall Road by Chairman David Boggins after only a year in charge and he understandably feels disappointed and bitter about it, Hemel Hempstead Town were only six points off the play off places in the National League South with a game in hand and in two County Cup Finals:

https://nonleaguedaily.com/hemel-hempstead-town-boss-moore-to-depart/?

Edited May 22, 2020 by Rhodes

[Savagebee]

1 hour ago, Rhodes said:

Winslow Boy - Yes, I also saw Sammy Moore had been relieved of his duties at Vauxhall Road by Chairman David Boggins after only a year in charge and he understandably feels disappointed and bitter about it, Hemel Hempstead Town were only six points off the play off places in the National League South with a game in hand and in two County Cup Finals:

https://nonleaguedaily.com/hemel-hempstead-town-boss-moore-to-depart/?

Was on loan to Brentford FC in the 2007/08 season.

[Winslow Boy]

6 minutes ago, Savagebee said:

Was on loan to Brentford FC in the 2007/08 season.

Only 32!! Why on Earth isn’t he still playing? Very young to be managing at that level but seems he had done well. 

[Savagebee]

6 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Only 32!! Why on Earth isn’t he still playing? Very young to be managing at that level but seems he had done well. 

Yep still a youngster.

Played 20 games for Brentford FC.

Ex Chelsea FC Youth.

He has managed a different club each season for the last three seasons ?

 

[Rhodes]

On ‎16‎/‎05‎/‎2020 at 10:09, Rhodes said:

Has there been any news as yet on the various groundshare arrangements for the 2020/21 campaign, it will be interesting to see for example whether Crawley Green are still able to use The Brache as I gather Luton Town would much prefer sole use of their training facility. I see from the August Management Board minutes, at the start of this season, that it was noted most, if not all, the groundshare agreements were due to expire at the end of the 2019/20 season and Club's were very much encouraged to renew these well in advance or, presumably, find alternative venues to play at for 2020/21 as will be the case I believe with Berkhamsted Raiders:

GROUND SHARE AGREEMENTS - In accordance with Standardised Rule 2.3.2 the following Ground Share Agreements were formerly approved for Season 2019/2020. It was noted that the vast majority of these Agreements expired at the end of the current season and clubs should be aware of the need to renew well in advance of any expiry date. 

Is there any news as yet on where Berkhamsted Raiders will be playing next season and whether the Club will, as seems likely, have to find a new home for the 2020/21 campaign, whenever that will start:

Baldock Town at Arlesey Town expires 31 May 2020

Brimsdown at Ware expires 31 July 2020

Broadfields United at Harefield United expires 31 May 2020

Enfield Borough at Wingate & Finchley expires 31 May 2020  

Berkhamsted Raiders at Kings Langley expires 31 May 2020

New Salamis at Enfield Town expires 31 May 2020

St Panteleimon at North Greenford United expires 31 May 2020 

London Tigers at Amersham Town expires 31 May 2020 

Wembley with Cricklewood Wanderers expires 31 May 2020

Crawley Green at 'The Brache', Luton expires 31 May 2020 

[Savagebee]

Not Raiders newes but still Berko newes ?

The Berkhamsted FC joint-management team of Steve Bateman and Lee Bircham have left the club.

“It’s a shame that we have to announce that Steve Bateman and Lee Bircham have left the club with immediate effect. It comes after a season that was cut short by the virus with Berkhamsted sitting top of the BetVictor Southern League Central Division 1 when the league was declared null and void. It’s possible that this was a major factor in creating this situation. We wish them both all the best moving forward and would like to thank them for their hard work while representing our club. We part on good terms and they will be welcome whenever they visit Broadwater in the future.

Steve Bateman re-joined us in January 2017 after previously taking the Berkhamsted Town club to the FA Vase final in 2001. This time, he gained promotion for us from the Spartan South Midlands League in April 2018. Lee Bircham joined us from Bovingdon FC in June 2018 and, with Steve, helped the team to a 6th place finish in his first season before ending last season in top place prior to the null and void decision. Both enjoyed good relationships with the supporters and will be missed at Broadwater.

The hunt for a new management team starts now with plenty of interest already shown. CV’s can be sent to Chairman Steve Davis at stevenpdavis60@btinternet.com.”

[Winslow Boy]

On a £900 a week budget too, very impressive when you consider what some of the other teams were spending that division. 
 

got to be off to Hemel. Mark Eaton in to Berko is my guess. 

Edited June 6, 2020 by Winslow Boy

[Savagebee]

5 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

On a £900 a week budget too, very impressive when you consider what some of the other teams were spending that division. 
 

got to be off to Hemel. Mark Eaton in to Berko is my guess. 

Don't blame em it's a great set up at Hemel Hempstead Town FC ⬇️

https://www.hemelfc.com/amp/ground-improvements-update?__twitter_impression=true