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Good-bye Clarence Park [No.1].

AFF

By AFF
in St. Albans City Forum

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AFF Newbie

AFF

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It has amazed me that of the myriad of topics that are discussed on here, nobody seems able to comment upon the principle of a relocation from Clarence Park. When the subject is raised in passing, it's almost as though it's a family gathering at Christmas and we just don't talk about the subject of an absent black sheep, or some other scandal. One can almost hear that sound of the shuffling of bottoms on seats and the need to change the subject.

 

Everyone will have their own reasons for silence, and that's up to them. Perhaps I'm reading it wrongly, in any event. I have my own views which I will make another time.

 

For now, Gibbo is quoted in the opening lines of the lead article on the back page of the St Albans Observer, as follows:

 

Gibson is desperate to move the Saints away from Clarence Park and has called on the Council to join forces with the club and help the team continue their climb up the football ladder by building a new stadium.

"It is absolutely brilliant to achieve what we have", said a euphoric Gibson this week.

"But the major issue now is where we go from here. If we don't get the support of the council for a new ground then we can't achieve anything else. We are very limited at the minute.

"We have been talking to the council about three or four possible sites and we have some cross-party support but what we need to do is formulate a working party and get things moving. We have to achieve it [it's not clear here from the article whether he means the start or finish of construction of a new stadium] within three years and we really need planning permission in the next 12 months".

 

 

Gibbo doesn't need any advice from me, but I will make two comments:

 

1. If a working party is formed with the District Council, I suggest that those Bozos who put forward the plans for an eight storey block of flats in Bricket Road with a cinema at ground floor level above four floors of underground parking should not be part of it.

 

2. It may be that plans are much further advanced than the article suggests, but if not, I urge that some consideration is given to what appear to be essential items of maintainance at Clarence Park before the place finally crumbles to rack and ruin, in the interim.

 

 

[Listen for the sounds of bottoms shuffling.]

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Laz Newbie

Laz

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I have already suggested to the supporters club that it should take responsibility for managing any necessary maintainence work this Summer.

 

No one else is going to do it so it's down to the fans!

 

Looking around the place, the guttering on the main stand is full of grass and moss. (Or it was last time I looked.)

 

I suspect though that the ground's dilapidation is one of the reasons for having a new ground! Along with the lack of car parking. (Checkout the large carpark at the station!)

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eartheart Newbie

eartheart

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While Gibbo may be desperate to get away from Clarence Park it will take at least 2 years and probably much longer to realise that, by which time we might be back in the Conference South.

 

It seems to me that the focus between now and August must be pretty much totally on doing the best that can be done for the next few years and possibly much longer at Clarence Park. A seperate group can be set up to further other plans.

 

Indeed there is a lot to be said for Clarence Park that shouldn't be forgotten or overlooked. Primarily it is a site owned by the people and city of St.Albans it is the right and natural for a team calling itself St Albans City to play there. Better than be the Emirates or TNS or some fly by night name and company. I do actually support my town not some wealthy bloke or organisation.

 

Second, it is cheap. A guy on the website from Oxford United was saying it costs them £400,000 per year to lease their new ground. We pay a pepercorn rent. Be under new illusions about the financial stresses a new ground would put on a small club like St Albans and the assorted conflicting interests that would arise. I oppose anything that would see increased environmental costs as part of the deal.

 

Thirdly, it is a great location at present near the centre of the town and near the station. This will be increasingly important as the price of fuel goes off the radar scale in the coming years and for people like myself without cars and who come by train the present venue makes it much more accessible.

 

Fourth, the park is a beautiful setting . Clearly the ground facilties are not good enough but a lot more could be done. In future, if the new ground does happen the Park could be used as a training ground and community outreach venue. So any money spent now will not need to be wasted but seen as an investment for the whole City. Maybe improvements could be sold to the council on this basis.

 

 

Finally, it is unreasonable to expect supporters to voluntarily do all the work that needs doing over the next few months. The changing rooms toilets, catering outlets could be done pretty quickly by a building contractor and maybe as a sort of in lieu sponsorship. Free advertising hordings, programme advertsing etc. Attendences and income next will be much greater, average of 1,500 or more. Income will be considerably greater and so we can speculate a little. Having the council own the ground gives us lots more dosh than we might otherwise have despite the shortcomings.

 

Hope these thoughts can be carried forwards to the AGM and board. Unfortunately I cannot attend.

 

Regards

 

Eartheart

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stan johnson Newbie

stan johnson

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Whatever happens, I hope they do not go the way Darlington F.C.Have gone....They leave a stadium capable of taking 10/12 thousand and paying a rent of just over £10,000 a year. to a state of the arc stadium, capable of holding 25,000 bodies...Average attendence?????just about 4,500!!

Now they are worried about how they are going to pay for it!!!!!!!!!

In my wildest dreams. I cannot see them ever reaching the Premier League.. Even then I would doubt them always filling it.

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  • 2 weeks later...
AFF Newbie

AFF

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NEWS!!

 

While queuing at the newsagents this morning for my copy of 'Building Construction Gazette', my eye was attracted to the back page of the St Albans Observer, and the headline "City Grounded?".

 

'John Gibson remains "optimistic" that St Albans City's new ground will be ready in two years.

 

'The Chairman is in ongoing discussions with the clouncil over finding the Saints a new home and the two parties have earmarked a site at the bottom of the M10 [i wouldn't have thought that the roundabout there is big enough, but what do I know about anything?]

 

"I'd like to construct a plan pretty quickly and the get that approved within 12 months. It then takes a year, year and a half [you know what builders are like, Gibbo] for the development to be erected. That might be a bit optimistic but you've got to be

 

'He added "The plan will include an element of social and private housing and the sale of those houses would finance the construction of a football ground.

"The idea is to build a stadium around community facilities, including a car park and park and ride facility.

"If we have a new stadium then we'll get more crowds through the gate, we'll get more sponsorship and then be able to get a bigger squad."

 

Phew!

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AFF Newbie

AFF

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On it, GHA.

 

[Have you still got that photograph, GHA? I appreciate that the surronuding area has changed, but it would help to have the artist's impression available on here. Go on. It will only take a tick.]

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