Relocation

[Guest]

Openly discussed in todays prog. Any views?

[Cookie]

My view is that we have struggled and fought to get back home at Hartsdown and thats where we belong. No-where else. No re-location unless its a last resort.

[Gate4TehWin]

As long as its margate i couldnt give a flying F***

am just pissed off with traveling around are fair & green county like a bunch of nomads.

[Guest]

If its Richbourgh we could call ourselfs the MONKS

[margate saint]

If its the only way that we can get a ground suitable enough to progress then I think we should .

[seasidesteve]

we should have done it 3 years ago

[Guest]

What the hierarchy of the club should not have done three years ago is demolish the HP.If a new stadium is not in Margate then IMO it will not be Margate!!!!! Also the traffic around Westwood now is an absolute nightmare,when the new Westwood Cross opens it will get worse!!.Just imagine getting to a new stadium at Richboro or in that area ,especialy on Sat luchtimes.Also just think of all the long drawn out planning procedure to go through again.No I am sorry to say if we cannot move back to HP then that really is the end of MARGATE FC and then lets here people say KP is the saviour!!! B*****KS!!!

[Cookie]

Hear Hear. Would be like Ashford fans having to travel out of town to watch their team, and we all know full well what a crackpot idea that was to relocate out there in the wilderness. Well out of the way for fans to get to. Loss of fans etc. Although the distance from town won't be as bad as at Ashford it will still be a pain getting there. As you say a team in Margate and nowt else for me. We have pushed hard for a return to the town,not for a relocation outside the town. This is a historic club at historic Hartsdown and the name of Margate f.c. is historic. We dont want to lose those things and become Richborough f.c. or Margate f.c in another part of Thanet. Relocation in the town is not a problem but firstly a return to Hartsdown is and must continue to be our aim.

[P.W.]

[color:"blue"]I have to disagree with you there Cookie, getting to Richborough will be just as difficult or even more difficult than Homelands is for Ashford fans. < you're being too optimistic >

 

I can't see the club laying on a shuttle bus service, and as a consequence would see attendances dwindle towards the level of Hayes and Redbridge - which for a permanent home ground would be a disaster.

 

A move some six or seven miles outside Thanet would destroy our fanbase as the many fans without transport (the kids and the older fans who can't afford to run a car) would see a move there as a confirmation that the club didn't want their support, which would leave us with the 250 or so hardcore supporters we have now - midweek attendances would suffer as they do now and the Club would financially throttle itself, leaving the dreams of a return to the Conference an impossible task.

[Guest]

I suggest you guys tell SE and try to convince him that the commercial side of the plan is viable if you feel that moving is not an option.

All the time SE has a say in it face it, HP will never be a conference ground again!

[Guest]

Have to disagree with you Peter. Ashford's old ground used to be in the centre of town (Essella Park). When they moved to Homelands which, as we know, is in the middle of nowhere, their crowds improved and have, generally, remained better than they were at their old place. Many clubs have moved from town centre sites to out-of-town developments and, in most cases, crowds have improved.

The vast majority of households have a car. There are very few people who cannot afford to run a car. Of course there is nothing to stop the Supporters Association running buses as they do now for those few who do find it a problem.

Having said all that Richborough should be seen as a last resort!

[Cookie]

Think you misunderstood me Peter. You have just agreed with my opinion of relocating. Where is the disagreement bit. Think what you said is similar to my comments.

As for the above post about attendances.Well playing away from the town itself cant possibly lure MORE crowds.

[Guest]

In answer to the above, no. But if we had better facilities that WOULD attract people. If the only way to get those facilities is to leave Hartsdown for good, then it is a decision the club may have to take.

[Cookie]

I'm not being awkward for the sake of it but even then I dont see a rise in attendances. Difference of opinions. Its not,imo, the quality of the ground that will attract but the locality of the ground.

[Guest]

I disagree. Maybe that was true 30 or 40 years ago, but today there are plenty of people in Thanet who travel to London to watch Premiership football or go to Priestfield. These are the kind of people we have to appeal to if we want our support to grow.

We now have a mobile population prepared to travel around for the best 'product'. A successful side in a new stadium at Richborough would attract good crowds. But let's hope we can get the new ground at Hartsdown.

[Guest]

Seeing as how IMO KP started all this Richboro talk,I think there ought to be some sort of statement by the club.As the saying goes. No smoke without fire!!!!!!! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

[P.W.]

[color:"blue"]Sorry Tony, just being pedantic - you said that "Although the distance from town won't be as bad as at Ashford it will still be a pain getting there." That's where we disagree, I'd say that (from Margate) Richborough (if the proposed stadia is near Power Station / Pfizer sports) is at least twice the distance from Ashford Town Centre.

[Cookie]

Peter. I was trying to say that the distance from Margate to Richborough wont be as bad as the distance from Margate to Ashford. Obvious, I know, but that was my drift. Perhaps I worded my post incorrectly, therefore apologies if that was the case.

[Cookie]

KP never mentioned Richborough as far as I can remember. That came from a fan on here.

[Guest]

Quote:

cookie said:
KP never mentioned Richborough as far as I can remember. That came from a fan on here.

Hope your right Richborough would be a disaster if the club went there i hope fans would start up a club playing in Margate.
I wouldnt trust piper or parmenter as far as i could throw them.