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[Margate Football Club]

The Club can confirm that its Directors, together with officers of the Official Supporters Association met with Members and Officers of Thanet District Council at 4pm today.

 

The purpose of this meeting was for the Club to make one last attempt to satisfy the Council that the Club were deserving of the right to maintain its league status and therefore a full lease to its new stadium, which is a statutory requirement of the Conference League and the Football Association.

 

The Club can report a very positive meeting took place, the outcome of which will be confirmed in writing to the Club on Monday.

 

Further to this the Council have since made the following statement:

 

CLUB BACK ON THE ROAD

 

Margate Football Club can begin the road back to Hartsdown Park – that’s the message from Thanet Council, who say nothing should now be standing in the way of the stadium development.

It had earlier been claimed by the Club that a lease offer was required from the Council, so that they can meet Football Conference conditions. An offer of a ten-year lease was made at a meeting between representatives of the Club, Independent Supporters Association, Councillors and Council officers this afternoon (Friday 15 October). The Football Conference has confirmed that this offer would be acceptable.

Leader of Thanet Council, Cllr. Sandy Ezekiel, said: “The Council sees no reason why the Club can not go ahead and start work immediately on their new stadium at Hartsdown Park. Our position has always been clear. We want to see Margate Football Club playing in their home town again and we have worked closely with them to achieve this. We have negotiated the hurdles and believe that the solution will see the Club playing at Hartsdown Park by the end of the season. Now it is up to Margate Football Club to come up with a planning application for the commercial development at the site, a business plan and a project plan.”

 

He added: “There has been a lot of discussion over the Council’s stance that the stadium would be owned by the Council and rented by the Club. Let me make this clear. The Council has put a lot of public money into this project. We have offered a lease of 125 years for commercial development at the site and we have offered a rent free period of five years. This, along with all the officer time invested in this scheme, amounts to hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money. We are accountable to the public and we need to ensure that they benefit from the amenities on the site and that the land remains in public ownership. We look forward to seeing Margate Football Club work with the community to develop football and we are actively encouraging them to do just that.”

 

15 Oct 2004 by Media

[MargateFan]

My best wishes and total support go to Margate Football Club.

To say well done for all your efforts seems totally inadequate but will have to do.

You have been and are working indefatigably towards saving the club that we love so much.

I thank you.

[Guest]

They should rename Hartsdown Park, Piper Park <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

Big cigar for KP tonight, me thinks.

[Guest]

Great news well done to all at Margate FC for working so hard to achieve a new stadium for the club.

lets all follow the PIPER back to hartsdown park!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/yay.gif" alt="" />

[ooh!!bodyform]

am running out of sighs of relief

 

well done mfc

 

lets just hope that that is the last glitch

[Guest]

Thank you MFC for the constant updates & info on what has been a horrible day.And thanks for the good news at the end of it.Thanks also I suppose to Thanet District Council.I take back what I said earlier and even apologise for certain remarks(though they have put us through a lot)I'm just pleased MFC is still around.You know it makes sense.Now for the next stage of this rollercoaster ride.Onwards and Upwards! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

[michael]

Great so far.

 

Just think that fullest attention needs to be given to SE statement where he points out that they still await a business plan, planning application etc.

 

Once received they then need to be approved, so a long long way to go; and effectively we appear to be today where we were 2 years ago.

 

My biggest fear is not TDC but the developers-that they stick by it, have patience, and do not get an easier/more profitable development opportunity than this one to take to fruition.

 

Huge sigh of relief for now, but long long way to go imo.

 

Thanks KP for all efforts so far.

 

What a way to prepare for a vital game.

 

If only we could get a magic cup run going and get a glamour tie along the way

[ooh!!bodyform]

wouldn't that be great

 

i have been sat at work today (and still am) going thru this with u all

 

lets hope again that great things will come!! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/applaus.gif" alt="" />

[Edinburgh Exile]

Great news, I can't remember a day like this since when the Conference eventually agreed our promotion from the DML.

 

I have to share michaelmichael's caution however. In particular I am concerned about whether the building of the stadium will be financially viable if only a 10 year lease is on offer. And hoping it is still viable, what guarantees will there be that in 10 years time TDC won't be trying to kick us out of HDP again. I am sure that KP will be pushing for a longer lease in the short-term of course.

 

For now, thanks to everybody at the club for getting us this far on what I feared would be a heartbreaking day.

[MargateFan]

Let's hope that in 10 years time the TDC will not resemble in any way shape or form the one in charge today.

Perhaps at election time Thanet residents would put and X in the box against people who wish to make Thanet a better place for all the normal, ordinary people who live there. And then perhaps we could truly believe that the Council have the best interests of football in Thanet at heart.

It tskes a huge suspension of belief let alone reality to think that that is what this bunch have.

[Guest]

AS a margate fan i think this is the news we have been waiting 4 so lets get going and lets get home to where we belong HARTSDOWN PARK

[Guest]

I'd love to believe it's great news etc. But Piper and his mate parmenter have not proven to be either especially competent or trustworthy.

Margate FC should belong to and be supported by the people of Thanet.

Does anyone believe thats possible with people like that in charge????

The club has turned it's back on the people of Thanet. No local players in the first team, no reserve team, no youth teams.

Playing in Ashford, after knocking down the ground without having any sensible plans to rebuild it.

Thanet is a big area full of football fans if they see any sign of real success they will support the club.

But they also need to have faith in those running the club. And well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cookie]

YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVENT! GO BACK TO THE THANET UNITED DAYS YOUNG MAN. THINK ABOUT IT THEN MAYBE YOU WILL RE-ACESS YOUR STATEMENT. AS FAR AS THE DIRECTORS GO WE HAVENT A CHOICE AND BESIDES THEY HAVE DONE WELL SO FAR HAVEN'T THEY? SO YOU ARE PROBABLY ON YOUR OWN HERE WITH THIS ONE.

[Guest]

you tell him Cookie <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/bounce.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

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

 

Well i'm getting De Ja Vue again, again, again...

 

I'm always on the other side of the planet when something good happens ain't I.

 

I'm praying i'm not going to see another back-track post next time I look, been there & did that.

 

Hartsdown Park, The Home of the BlueBoys!!!

 

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/boxing.gif" alt="" /> MARGATE TILL THE END <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/boxing.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

Quote:

YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVENT! GO BACK TO THE THANET UNITED DAYS YOUNG MAN. THINK ABOUT IT THEN MAYBE YOU WILL RE-ACESS YOUR STATEMENT. AS FAR AS THE DIRECTORS GO WE HAVENT A CHOICE AND BESIDES THEY HAVE DONE WELL SO FAR HAVEN'T THEY? SO YOU ARE PROBABLY ON YOUR OWN HERE WITH THIS ONE.

Playing in front of 200 people just outside a village called kingsnorth, just outside ashford.
Doing well? is your full name space cookies??
Thanet has as many people as Blackburn or Ipswich.
MFC was badly run before the present bunch. But does that mean we should forgive them all their mistakes?? I don't think so. And looking at the attendance figures clearly i'm not alone. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/stupid.gif" alt="" />

[Cookie]

You obviously mis-read my post.I was talking about the idea YOU made about lack of local players Re:Thanet united. No-where did I mention how well we are doing or how bad. My comments were in reply to the post you put out about the lack of local players. In the main they, unfortunately dont work and in the main dont materialise. Occasionally they do but not in the main.

Again, as for the present and previous board it must be said that they did and are doing a fine job with all their lack of finances and also bearing in mind the councils strategies.They give us a club to follow and that is no mean feat.

We all know that getting back to hartsdown will bring out those supporters that have been unable, for various reasons, to attend matches. They are still there and just because we are where we are dosent mean that the clubs board have cocked things up. To the contrary they are looking for advancement and again that is a good thing.If you are not happy dont come along and dont slag of people that have kept us going and will continue to do so.The club havent been correct 100% but they are still there fighting our corner.

[MargateFan]

Well said, Cookie!

[Guest]

Ipswich population the size of Thanet have managed to bring loads of local players through from Richard Wright to Keiron Dyer even poor old Jason Dozzell.

The reason they can bring players through of that standard and you think Margate and Thanet can't produce even conference south standard players, might just have something to do with lack of investment in Thanet's youth football.

The infrastructure of MFC is a castle built on sand that's why the club has been such a mess.

 

You think the club are doing a fine job with it's lack of finances. But the lack of finance is nobody's fault if not the boards.

 

It's been Parmenter and Pipers strategy to blame the council all along, but they were not the ones to knock the ground down.

 

Playing at Dover was bad enough but Ashford???

Lord Kitchener would have loved you.