Dick Knight stadium tribute

[Arthur]

MOds - I would delete this thread quickly if I were you. Arthur's post implying that everyone on B&H and Lewes councils is corruptible could be construed as a defamatory statement. I wouldn't take the chance.

I said everyone has their price. So Mods please remove this thread in case anyone in the world sees it.

I doubt that's true. I always imagined that "legal bribes" certainly do occur, along the lines of "we'll pay to have this piece of public infrastructure redeveloped if you let us build the stadium", which will more than offset the objections of the Maude and Mable types you refer to; but nevertheless there are still still strict procedures and processes that must be adhered to.

I wasn't for a second suggesting their wasn't. We just seemed to bend over and take it in the arse everytime someone drove past the site who once went to the Goldstone and sneezed.

This, I do agree with.

In all honesty, I just feel that Knight was a good man who started out with honourable intentions and he did his best to carry them out for the good of the club. However, he was in charge for far too long (given the lack of progress in that time) - probably encouraged by vast swathes of our support who treated him as some sort of demi-god in that time.

Spot on.

Throughout the whole saga, he kept faith with the Bloom family. When the planning process was finally settled, this paid off. The club got the stadium and the Blooms got control of the club back in the family's hands.

man alive!

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

All of the other Albion names mentioned - Bloom, Bamber, Ward, Webb etc. all are or were very important people in the club's history and they should certainly be remembered in some way.

But none of them were or are as important as Dick Knight. The club would have survived if none of them had come along.

If Dick Knight had not come along the club would almost certainly not exist now - and certainly not in it's current situation.

It therefore seems a total no-brainer to me that if we are going to name a stand after anyone then it MUST be Dick Knight.

And I don't think we should name stands lightly. I would definitely name one after him but why do we need to name the others? It may be that we can sell stand naming rights to sponsors although I would think that unlikely at the moment. But in a few years time if things go really well for us?

And if we name all four stands what happens if someone else really important to the club comes along? Say Poyet gets us to the Premiership and into Europe and becomes our equivalent of Fergie? Are we going to say to Mike Bamber's family sorry but we're going to drop his name and rename his stand?

If we are going to name a stand then in my opinion that name should stay forever. In a hundred years time people can sit in the Dick Knight stand and there will be a link to the man without whom we wouldn't even be having this discussion!

If we do want to name the other stands then I would go along with the Goldstone Stand, or the Seagulls Stand, or the North Stand or whatever.

And I don't agree with a statue, partly because I agree with the comments about it being inappropriate for someone living and partly because it is an unnecessary expense - naming a stand costs nothing.

So, for me, the Dick Knight stand and no other named stand. But I do agree with a Robert Eaton Memorial something or other. We should be very proud of how the fans reacted to his death and this would reflect how we are more than just another football club, deep down below the moaning there is genuine heart in this club.

And it would also commemorate all those fans who unfortunately didn't live to see the first game at Falmer. And that could include some people who have contributed to this thread - even me or you!

Just my opinion, like.

 

[Simster]

Do you know that he did nothing to attract investment?

I don't know, of course - it's all conjecture. But what I do know is that taking the best part of a decade to get anywhere near planning permission for Falmer was not going to attract investment - and the way Steve Foster's consortium were dismissed out of hand because of this "no single owner" thing spoke volumes too. Especially as Bloom now (understandably) has a controlling interest in the club.

 

[BensGrandad]

The classic example of legal bribery is the manner in which Tesco apply for a store and offer something as compensation ie Guildford and in return they built The Spectrum Broadbridge Heath and the Sports Centre Dorchester and the football ground. My major argument is that had we gone into partnership with Tesco who havent got a superstore in Brighton they would probably have contributed a lot towards it if not the vast majority and would have obtained permission a lot quicker. However, thanks to Tony Bloom that was necessary and we shall have a new stadium in just over a years time.

Off the top of my head I do not know of anywhere that Tesco have applied for and not built a store even if they have had to battle for it.

 

[Simster]

Off the top of my head I do not know of anywhere that Tesco have applied for and not built a store even if they have had to battle for it.

Funnily enough, Plough Lane in Wimbledon.

 

[ROSM]

I don't know,and the way Steve Foster's consortium were dismissed out of hand because of this "no single owner" thing spoke volumes too. Especially as Bloom now (understandably) has a controlling interest in the club.

I think there are many things on this thread that I agree or disagree with but the only point that I have felt the need to question is this one.

The Purdew/Foster discussions had been ongoing for a while before it went to the press. All through the discussions there had been a request to state how much the new investors would bring and the answer ket comeing back as 'millions'. At that stage the directors had invested GBP4.5m between them and so as the new investors wanted total ownership they would have needed 4.5m just to get to the position the club were already in.

When the discussions were close to breaking down as the club had said no further talks would happen without knowing the range of investment being proposed, that was when Foster went to Millard and Naylor. This was all in the 3 months leading up to the referendum and the Purdew group had stated publicly they didn't feel that Falmer site was right as it had no scope for additional leisure development. They favoured waterhall and so potentially were undermining the referendum that actually proved so key in finally getting a new stadium. The council also reaffirmed that waterhall was a non starter so potentially one of the clubs allies (the local council) were also getting unhappy with the new group.

So yes the group was dismissed but to say it was out of hand is way off the mark.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

People are making out that this 'legal bribery' is an easy ticket to getting planning permision.

All developments, whether large or small are expected to make contributions. It can all be found in the local plan and develoment frameworks. Whether it be a sum of money, calculated by the local council or a direct payment or provision of something along the lines of public art or money towards librairies and so on.

 

[BensGrandad]

Funnily enough, Plough Lane in Wimbledon.

Possibly but I didnt know or realize that they had applied for a store there. I can not see why a council would turn them down as that area is or was when I ever passed it all industrial units leading up to the stadium.

 

[Tooting Gull]

I would have thought it was pretty obvious that - procedures and processes notwithstanding - who you know, what you know and how much money you've got are going to help with planning applications. Any other view is naive.

It doesn't have to be as obvious as a clear bribe. Someone like Tesco's just know what buttons to push. It's about knowing what the council need but can't afford, and then including that in the initial proposal. Then they know the council will have their heads turned a bit. Money/contacts/intelligence, call it what you like, it helps.

 

[minnieme]

Name a burger stand after him or something for bringing us back to Brighton.

No more than that though.

After all it was him holding us back for the last 5 years of his reign. And he continued to employ Martin Perry throughout who once again showed his true colours after his departure turning on him like the turncoat he is.

What a prick you are, no Dick Knight no BHA. You wouldn't even have a team to support if it was not for this man

 

[BensGrandad]

What a prick you are, no Dick Knight no BHA. You wouldn't even have a team to support if it was not for this man

That is not true there is nothing and has been nothing to suggest that had DKs consortium, not just DK, not bought the club it would have folded. As has been said many times a number of people were interested but not prepared to meet the conditions that Archer was imposing. This does not take away from what he and his team have achieved but to say No DK no BHA to support is not true.

 

[NS Herald]

Don't know if it's already been suggested in the previous million and one posts - how about naming the Supporter's Club Bar after him......... something hip like ..........DICK'S !!

Alternatively a stand and another must has to be something in tribute to RE and the other fans who have not survived to see the stadium come to fruition

 

[Rusthall Seagull]

How very bláse, BG.
With the club having finished 91st in the league, having just been made homeless with no assets, without a pot to piss in, and requiring major investment just to secure a pitch to play on somewhere, and having to lodge a £500k bond with the Football League to eventually (somehow) return the club to Brighton, I really don't think there was a queue of suitors snaking up Queens Road to buy this club back then.

I think we can say with confidence that if DK hadn't stepped in, we were pretty much f***ed. I cannot believe how churlish some folk can be over the role DK played in saving this club.

Adn without him and MP spearheading Falmer, theres NO WAY we'd be seeing sweeping white arches swinging around in the sky this week. Yes in the end it needed Blooms cash to be fully realisd, but all the cash in the world is no use unless you've put together a viable planning application and achieved consent, which given the opposition, was a miracle in itself.

I'd name the whole damn stadium after him.

absolutely

 

[SeeGoals]

Maybe we can do what Preston North End have done and have the faces of our chosen heroes as collages (is that the right word?)!

Or maybe have a Brighton Legends Stand, naming each row after a player. i.e. Row Z - Zamora, Row W - Ward and so on?

 

[ROSM]

That is not true there is nothing and has been nothing to suggest that had DKs consortium, not just DK, not bought the club it would have folded. As has been said many times a number of people were interested but not prepared to meet the conditions that Archer was imposing. This does not take away from what he and his team have achieved but to say No DK no BHA to support is not true.

Not just willing to meet Archer's conditions but also not willing to meet with the local authority who were trying to retain the Goldstone as well until a new stadium was built. Only two consortia accepted the public offer to meet them and one was the Mcalpines backed one and the other was the Brady/Knight one. In the words of the Spice Girls 2 became 1. If there were others out there then they kept a low/non existant profile with those who were also willing to help

 

[BensGrandad]

I think that the big stumbling block was Archer and his conditions unless that could be overcome there was no point in anybody agreeing to meet the council. I am sure that the situation regarding The Goldstone, which was one of the problems was beyond the point of changing.

 

[ROSM]

I think that the big stumbling block was Archer and his conditions unless that could be overcome there was no point in anybody agreeing to meet the council. I am sure that the situation regarding The Goldstone, which was one of the problems was beyond the point of changing.

Well on the basis that it has been said a few times on this thread that getting the council 'onside' is a good way of achieving things then why wouldn't a potential purchaser of a football club that is about to be homeless, wish to meet with the local planning authority?

 

[BensGrandad]

As I said I would think that unless agreement was made with Archer it would be pointless.

 

[Taybha]

Maybe we can do what Preston North End have done and have the faces of our chosen heroes as collages (is that the right word?)!

http://www.footballgroundguide.com/preston_north_end/preston41.jpg[/IMG[/QUOTE]

Bloody good idea but i dont think theres enough room to have all the village people.

 

[ROSM]

As I said I would think that unless agreement was made with Archer it would be pointless.

But these things aren't linear - you need a number of streams working along at the same time. You don't say let's see archer for 9 months then once he's sorted start talking to the council for a further 6. You do these things alongside each other.