Wexham Park

[Iron Webbo]

Last time I saw Slough play was at your Wexham Park ground. Given that you're now ground sharing with Windsor, whatever happened to your old ground?

 

From memory, it had quiet a good stand, with a decent view and covering on two sides.

 

Hope you don't mind me asking - looking forward to welcoming you all to Braintree next season.

[BFR]

I'm looking forward to that welcome.

 

Wexham Park is a pretty state of affairs. A perfectly good stadium in Slough, suitable for the level of football we're playing and with coverinf behind both goals and most importantly it is in Slough. And yet we can't get our hands on it or play there

 

To my knowledge it isn't being used for any football purposes.

[GarySTFC]

Still being maintained and looks nice, but not being used.

[Burnham Lad]

Yeah, and I don't understand how £250,000 can be found for a feasibility study as to whether a new ground is a starter or not, plus £25.000 a year for three years for a ground share, but not the money to pay the rent on the old ground which would be much less than this.

 

Are we missing something?

[Martin]

And when you do come to see us, ignore the signs on the A4 that direct you to Slough Town FC because if you follow them you will end up at Wexham Park and unless you want to hit a few balls on the adjoining driving range there will be bugger all else to do there.

 

Anyway looking forward to our visit to your gaff (although hopefully not on a Tuesday night) and hope to see a few of your boys at the Meadow.

 

[Andrew]

It would be good if we returned to Wexham Park, didn't Martyn Deaner say in the Slough Observer last Year, that if we wanted to return to Wexham Park he would see what if he could do about it.

 

 

[Iron Webbo]

Thanks for the update. If I honest, I'm still a bit confused. Is Graham Roberts mate Mr Deaner in there somewhere? And those chaps that used to be involved with Millwall? A Conference graded stadium, in the town centre with you guys watching your football in Windsor - doesn't make sense!

 

I hope it sorts itself out and that the club can return to Wexham Park or at least get back to Slough.

 

Over the 90 minutes we're all fiercely competitive, but without opponents, there is no game! Good luck one & all.

[BFR]

The Thornes (old Millwall) own the lease for the stadium, Deaner is Chairman of Slough Town and didn't pay the Thorne's for renting the stadium for five years, Thornes understandably annoyed, 5 year deal ends, Slough are turfed out and end up sharing Windsor's ground.

 

Great isn't it!

[Iron Webbo]

Weren't the Thornes involved with the Club in the past?

 

Doesn't sound particulaly benevolent on their part!

 

Can't the club buy the lease to Wexham Park from the Thornes? It's got to be better than sharing at Stag Meadow. (no disrespect intended to our friends at W&EFC)

[BFR]

Yes, The Thornes were previously at the helm of the club, but that ended in the summer of 98.

 

Unfortunately it isn't as straightforward as buying back the lease on the ground. The Thornes have the leasehold secured for something like another 90 years and have been trying to acquire the freehold so that they can develop what is prime land. To get back the leasehold would cost something in the region of seven figures and as you might imagine, prices out that option.

 

 

[Woody SUFC]

It's a shame as i'm doing a ref course in the hall up there and the area is undoubtedly a very good one for a football club Slough's size. Very good car park and the ground (from what i remember) isn't bad. The pitch itself from what i saw isn't in a bad state and with a bit of lvoe and care could be used now. Would you be paying rent higher than £25k a year if you went back to it? Or will the Thornes not deal with your chairman?

[GarySTFC]

Well, teh alleged £70k over five years worked out to be £14k per season, some £11 a year cheaper than what we are paying at Windsor, but being as though Mr Deaner seemingly didn't pay them any of it, I can't see why the Thornes would be willing to deal with him again.

[Woody SUFC]

right then why is he ready to pay us and not you 'home' ground!? Crazy!

[GarySTFC]

Who knows? Enter the world of Martyn Deaner....

[St Leonard]

Change the Record.......

[PJ-STFC]

Come off it, Norbert.

The situation about the possible use of Wexham Park is completely unfathomable to us mere supporters.

Gary may have a 'bit of a thing' about Martyn Deaner, and may mention his concerns occasionally - but I am sure he is not the only one of us thinking that way.

 

On one level it would seem that 'all' that was needed would be for Mr Deaner to settle-up with the Thorne's (assuming Mr D/STFC owes them money) and all would be well...

On the above figures, it would seem reasonable for a rent of £25k to be agreed for a period of six years - as this would pay the (estimated) £14k ground rent per season, with the remainder going to pay off the outstanding debts from previous years...

(Simplistic, yes; optimistic, yes; possible, yes - where there's a will, and all that. £25k chosen to match the current W&E rental cost)

 

Unfortunately I suspect there are other issues that are preventing an agreement. These may be as simple as a personal dislike between M.D. and the Thornes (in either or both directions!) - which might prevent successful negotiation from ever occurring - or else there could be an 'ulterior motive' on the part of one or other parties: negotiating a return of STFC to Wexham Park might make some other business opportunity impossible.

 

Obviously this is all speculation on my part.

I, like most other Rebels fans, would love to know:

(a) the real reason we cannot play at Wexham Park, and

( what it would take (financially or otherwise) for us to return there

 

PJ <img src="/images/graemlins/chat.gif" alt="" />

[PJ-STFC]

Another couple of questions...

 

(1) If Mr Deaner has agreed a three-year deal on our ground-share at Windsor, surely there would be other financial implications if STFC moved back to Wexham Park before the 3 years had elapsed?

 

(2) Is it not a league requirement that the 'home ground' is specified some months before the start of a season, and that penalties would be applied if the home ground were changed at a later date during (or before?) the season?

 

(You see, it's not as simple as 'just moving back to WP'...)

 

PJ <img src="/images/graemlins/chat.gif" alt="" />

[GarySTFC]

I didn't think we officially moved into Stag Meadow until August for the start of the 03/04 season though??

 

Could be wrong...

[Paul Stephens]

My understanding is that the dispute had little to do with the rent and more to do with Slough paying for all the costs associated with the Boot sale.

Did the Thornes not have a deadline to exercise an option ? if so what for and when.

 

The difference between the cost of the feasibility study and paying rent is that should the new ground go ahead the costs associated can be written off against income. Similarly finacial backing can be gained to purchase and develop the propery against the security of the land itself.

[Woody SUFC]

The owner of the ground isn't by any chance Irish is he?