Berkhamsted Comrades

[Rhodes]

16 hours ago, Arsenal fan said:

Interesting.....very interesting as Barry Davies used to say of a good F.Lee goal!

Arsenal Fan - You've stolen my favourite line, I still remember the game like it was yesterday, at Maine Road on 28 December 1974. Strangely you could have added the bit where Barry Davies says 'look at his face, just look at his face' because BerkoRaiders must be a worried man with, as you say, local Politicians listening to residents for a change and a 3,700 name petition containing a lot of electors for a small town.

[Rhodes]

'What a picture, what a photograph' as Tommy Steele sang, an aerial view of Broadwater from 1966, I wonder what the 'independent' Chair of the Berkhamsted Sports Ground Charitable Association Limited (BSGCA), Paul Forster, thinks about it:

Historic Broadwater – A Flashback To 1966 (pitchero.com)

[Rhodes]

On 12/03/2021 at 21:27, Rhodes said:

the position of manager of Berkhamsted Comrades FC will be the subject of a future announcement.

A new Manager of Berkhamsted Comrades, Paul Toms, has been appointed, just over a month since Steven Hutchins and Kevin Godbold resigned:

New Appointment At Broadwater (pitchero.com)

[Rhodes]

An interesting update from Broadwater, on the field of play this time rather than off it:

BERKHAMSTED FC WEEKLY NEWS ROUND UP (pitchero.com)

There is still a chance that our Spartan South Midlands division 2 side could move up a division to step 6 as part of this summer’s re-organisation. However, there are only 30 spaces going in the whole country and there have been many more applicants than that.

[Rhodes]

A recent and interesting update on the Broadwater situation, the plot seems to be thickening and the pendulum starting to swing the way of Berkhamsted FC by the looks of things:

SAVE BROADWATER - UPDATE TO 29 APRIL 2021 (pitchero.com)

The board of Berkhamsted FC would like to keep the 3,700 people who signed our petition, and other supporters in the town, informed of developments.

[Rhodes]

I see that at a Berkhamsted Town Council meeting yesterday evening (4 May) there was an item on the Agenda for the Town Council to consider and support an application to register Broadwater as an Asset of Community Value (ACV). It was unanimously nodded through which very much strengthens Berkhasmsted FC's case to remain at their spiritual home:

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/berkhamstedfootballclub/news/berkhamsted-town-council-confirm-support-for-broadwater-acv-2614297.html?fbclid=IwAR2maAu_97Fxz-9qScBQ2Ya5_FNpqIl0eSxK680bHQBbxch5pWqPDGIAq1Y

[Arsenal fan]

On 05/05/2021 at 15:27, Rhodes said:

I see that at a Berkhamsted Town Council meeting yesterday evening (4 May) there was an item on the Agenda for the Town Council to consider and support an application to register Broadwater as an Asset of Community Value (ACV). It was unanimously nodded through which very much strengthens Berkhasmsted FC's case to remain at their spiritual home:

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/berkhamstedfootballclub/news/berkhamsted-town-council-confirm-support-for-broadwater-acv-2614297.html?fbclid=IwAR2maAu_97Fxz-9qScBQ2Ya5_FNpqIl0eSxK680bHQBbxch5pWqPDGIAq1Y

Says something about the people that own the Broadwater ground that they cannot see the obvious. They are meant to be appointed as trustees to keep it for sport permanently, as is obvious from the 1920's public appeal that funded buying it. The 3,700 petitioners and elected council all know it, as do the present residents of the town. Sounds like the Raiders chairman Keith (Pollard) is manipulating the self elected old boys on the landlords' board (Orville on another thread).

[Rhodes]

On 05/05/2021 at 16:27, Rhodes said:

I see that at a Berkhamsted Town Council meeting yesterday evening (4 May) there was an item on the Agenda for the Town Council to consider and support an application to register Broadwater as an Asset of Community Value (ACV). It was unanimously nodded through which very much strengthens Berkhasmsted FC's case to remain at their spiritual home

Arsenal Fan - Yes, indeed, here is an extract from the Minutes of that Berkhamsted Town Council meeting on Tuesday 4 May:

FC 68/21 Broadwater Football Ground: Asset of community value nomination Standing Orders were suspended to enable members of the public to speak. A resident representing the Broadwater Football Ground spoke to the Town Council about its intended application to Dacorum Borough Council to register the Ground as an Asset of Community Value and to request the Town Council’s support. A member of the Berkhamsted Citizens Association also spoke to support the application Standing Orders were reinstated. The Town Council agreed to support the application and requested the final version be considered at a future meeting of Full Council.

Minutes, Annual Meeting of the Council 04 05 2021 

Edited May 14, 2021 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

Roll on Ollie Bayliss's BBC Three Counties Radio Non League Show tomorrow afternoon as it will feature Steve Davis talking about all things Berkhamsted FC including the proposed move away from Broadwater, I wonder whether the likes of 'independent' Chair of the Berkhamsted Sports Ground Charitable Association Limited (BSGCA), Paul Forster, Chairman of the Dacorum Sports Network, Howard Wells, and Berkhamsted Raiders Chairman Keith Pollard will be listening:

Berko FC chairman, Steve Davis, To Do Radio Interview On Sunday (pitchero.com)

[Rhodes]

So who heard Berkhamsted FC Chairman Steve Davis on Ollie Bayliss's BBC Three Counties Radio Non League Show on Sunday afternoon, Mr Davis comes across as the salt of the earth doesn't he and that's what's so 'criminal' in the dispicable way the Berkhamsted Sports Ground Charitable Association Limited (BSGCA) are trying to pull the rug from under his beloved Club for their own 'ill-gotten gains' and not for the benefit of Berkhamsted as they claim. It was a little disappointing that Ollie said from the outset that he didn't want to delve too deeply into the Broadwater situation but we know he doesn't like to court controversy and he will never be a Jeremy Paxman or Piers Morgan in his approach or a Robbie Savage or Chris Sutton for that matter, and thank God for that. It appears that little or nothing is going to happen until October time when Dacorum Borough Council will publish their new Local Plan which will set out potential planning sites for the decade ahead, hopefully not including Broadwater.

[Rhodes]

Berkhamsted FC Director Benny Mitchell and Club member Steve Delderfield have been out in Berkhamsted town centre reliably informing the general public about what is going on behind their backs in the very town where they live, many were visibly shocked and well over 500 signatures were gathered against a move from Broadwater: 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

This is what the Berkhamsted Sports Ground Charitable Association Limited (BSGCA) want to turn into yuppie flats, it's totally unacceptable isn't it. Following an in-house pre-season friendly fixture at Broadwater the Clubhouse is totally sold out tomorrow for the two Euro 2020 Quarter Final ties at 6.00pm and 8.00pm bringing much needed bar revenue to the Club which I gather they would not see a penny piece of if they were forced to move to Bourne End:

Edited July 2, 2021 by Rhodes

[Arsenal fan]

Latest news on the save Broadwater battle.

 

Update – the latest in Berkhamsted FC’s fight to ... (propertyinvestortoday.co.uk)

 

 

[Rhodes]

Berkhamsted FC Chairman Steve Davis has disclosed a letter, sent to the Berkhamsted Sports Ground Charitable Association Limited (BSGCA) on behalf of the Club, to the people of Berkhamsted explaining why Broadwater should be saved from the devious clutches of Paul Forster, Howard Wells, Keith Pollard and unscrupulous Sussex based developers Thakeham. The letter says it all doesn't it:

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/berkhamstedfootballclub/news/berko-fc-chairman-issues-open-letter-to-bsgca-2628234.html

In respect of the ongoing resistance to the sale of Broadwater, Berko FC chairman Steve Davis has issued the following open letter to the BSGCA

“The BSGCA, through its chairman, and with the rest of the sports clubs in the BSGCA seemingly falling into line, continue to make the case that Berkhamsted FC should agree to a relocation to Bourne End. This group of people have never given us any indication of how the football club would be better off as a result of such a move.

They seem to think having a brand new stadium is all it takes for a football club to succeed. They talk of a ‘sports hub’ that will be run by ‘a charitable trust’- but let me tell you running a non league football club is unique: it’s not just about participation and numbers, it’s about being part of the local community, belonging to the public, and keeping the club running both for future generations to come and for those who’ve given their lives before us.

My aim when I became chairman of the club was to connect with the people of Berkhamsted, as I have with other things I have done, and to run the football club facilities for the people of our town, carrying on the good work of the people who came before me. I have been involved with families coming into our town, celebrating christenings through watching their kids growing up, to teenage discos, to weddings, and 60th, 70th and 80th birthday celebrations and finally seeing friends pass away and holding their wakes because they’d asked for that to happen at the club – these are pretty special memories, believe me.

The number of footballers that come through our club and the families and spectators that come with them runs into hundreds of thousands and we’re still improving as a club. Everything is run entirely by volunteers. For the volunteers that have put so much free time in, for the players right from U14 all the way to the first team, and to the fans and those hundreds of local residents who’ve signed our petitions because they like having the club in the middle of our town, we owe it to you to say the BSGCA, this body that is trying to move us out of Berkhamsted, please think again – we will do everything in our power to stay at Broadwater”.

Steve Davis – Chairman, Berkhamsted FC

Edited July 9, 2021 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

I see that there is going to be a public meeting, Chaired by Gagan Mohindra, MP for South West Hertfordshire, at Berkhamsted Town Hall on Thursday 19 August at 7.30pm in order to discuss the potential relocation of Berkhamsted FC. The Chairman and Directors of Berkhamsted FC will make their case against the forced move and the Berkhamsted Sports Ground Charitable Association Limited (BSGCA) have obviously been invited to attend, it will be interesting to see whether BSGCA 'independent' Chair Paul Forster and his cronies, including Chair of the Dacorum Sports Network Howard Wells and Berkhamsted Raiders Chairman Keith Pollard, will show up on the night, I'm not holding my breath:

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/berkhamstedfootballclub/news/comrades-confirm-mpchaired-public-meeting-to-save-broadwater-2632563.html?fbclid=IwAR2HC2MzhC-3iPxLqDiJQpAtf2YGrTKDEqSlHXQcogMuuB6nhabasibOo_g

BSGCA UPDATE (pitchero.com)

Edited July 23, 2021 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On 21/07/2021 at 10:32, Rhodes said:

I see that there is going to be a public meeting, Chaired by Gagan Mohindra, MP for South West Hertfordshire, at Berkhamsted Town Hall on Thursday 19 August at 7.30pm in order to discuss the potential relocation of Berkhamsted FC. The Chairman and Directors of Berkhamsted FC will make their case against the forced move and the Berkhamsted Sports Ground Charitable Association Limited (BSGCA) have obviously been invited to attend, it will be interesting to see whether BSGCA 'independent' Chair Paul Forster and his cronies, including Chair of the Dacorum Sports Network Howard Wells and Berkhamsted Raiders Chairman Keith Pollard, will show up on the night, I'm not holding my breath:

Roll on Thursday evening, who heard Berkhamsted FC Vice Chairman Ben Mitchell on Ollie Bayliss's BBC Three Counties Radio Non League Show on Sunday afternoon setting the scene and apparently, according to Mr Mitchell, the Berkhamsted Sports Ground Charitable Association Limited (BSGCA) will not be attending the meeting, not only that but their 'independent' Chair Paul Forster wrote to Gagan Mohindra MP asking for him not to attend, you couldn't make it up could you:

Town Hall Public Meeting To Be Videoed (pitchero.com)

Edited August 16, 2021 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

An interesting summary and local press coverage from the public meeting last Thursday evening, Chaired by Gagan Mohindra, MP for South West Hertfordshire, at Berkhamsted Town Hall in order to discuss the potential relocation of Berkhamsted FC. The likes of Paul Forster, 'independent' Chair of the Berkhamsted Sports Ground Charitable Association Limited (BSGCA), Howard Wells, Chair of the Dacorum Sports Network, Keith Pollard, Chairman of Berkhamsted Raiders and Sussex based developers Thakeham were nowhere to be seen indeed Paul Forster had written to Gagan Mohindra asking for him not to attend, what does that tell you:

SAVE BROADWATER PUBLIC MEETING (pitchero.com)

Berkhamsted Football Club owners say club might not 'survive' if forced out of ground for 1,000 homes | Hemel Today

[Rhodes]

Surprise surprise folks, Dacorum Borough Council have rejected the Broadwater 'Asset of Community Value' (ACV) application despite the unanimous support given from Berkhamsted Town Council and at the meeting on Thursday 19 August:

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/berkhamstedfootballclub/news/asset-of-community-value-acv-update-2652838.html?fbclid=IwAR3UIEaKlT3tMlDeuPJW_7z9AgHs6TfX4pQEND1G462RtyutEEu54zS58Ww

[Rhodes]

This very revealing article says everything about unscrupulous Sussex based developers Thakeham, South Cambridgeshire District Council Conservative Party have received £536,000 from them in 'donations' and the Council led Liberal Party far more by the sounds of it which they have failed to disclose. I wonder who's pocket that money has gone into, no doubt similar to Dacorum Borough Council as otherwise why on earth would they over turn their very own Town Council's unanimous decision to award Broadwater 'Asset of Community Value' (ACV): 

South Cambs Tories and Lib Dems clash over money received from developer - Cambridgeshire Live (cambridge-news.co.uk)

Edited October 9, 2021 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

A brief update from Berkhamsted FC Chairman Steve Davis, amongst other things, on the situation with Broadwater. Mr Davis states that 'discussion remains amicable' but how can it when the likes of Paul Forster, 'independent' Chair of the Berkhamsted Sports Ground Charitable Association Limited (BSGCA), Howard Wells, Chair of the Dacorum Sports Network and Keith Pollard, Chairman of Berkhamsted Raiders are just biding their time to pull the rug from under the Club and with unscrupulous Sussex based developers Thakeham waiting in the wings with their bulldozers at the ready:

We now have two members on the BSGCA with myself rejoining and Andrew Sparrow going on as company secretary. We continue to discuss a new lease for Broadwater going forward and discussion remains amicable.

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/berkhamstedfootballclub/news/chairmans-thoughts--november-2021-2664279.html?fbclid=IwAR3Nb-qwYp-AFhuOWuflGhYgnwvXoLSOL0TxFKED1v02kTIrQg_Vy0WIJ78