The Large One
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Baker Meets With Albion Bosses
Lewes MP Norman Baker was at Withdean Stadium last week to meet Albion chairman Dick Knight and chief executive Martin Perry. Baker saw first hand the work the club does in its wider community role, observing a coaching session and being given a tour of one of the club's study support centres. Both Baker and the club found the meeting "constructive and helpful".
Norman Baker said, "I welcome this meeting. Of course the club and myself have taken different sides on the issue of the proposed stadium at Falmer, but I think it is important that that disagreement does not prevent sensible discussions on this and indeed other matters. I was, for example, pleased to be able to see first hand the good work the club has been doing to create really worthwhile educational opportunities for local people, and to get across to kids in a structured and effective way important messages about road safety or fire safety. All this clearly provides a community benefit and I congratulate the club on what it is doing in this regard. On the Falmer stadium issue, I think it helps if I am quite clear as to why the club has reached the position it has, and equally, if the club understands why many of us in Lewes, while wanting to be supportive to the club, have felt that we cannot support this particular proposal.
"In any case, it looks as if we may, thankfully, at last be entering the final straight. Given that, I strongly believe that the responsible course for those on both sides of the argument is now to start working together to prepare for the aftermath of either a yes or a no from Ruth Kelly, and I have indicated to the club that I am ready to do so."
Dick Knight said, " Our meeting with Norman Baker was constructive and long overdue. He was able to see the Albion's role in the community in a broader perspective and there was an open exchange of views on the Falmer Stadium issue. Mr Baker agreed that with Ruth Kelly's decision process back on track, the Falmer issue must now be finally resolved and that all parties should be working to achieve this. I am pleased that Mr Baker takes that view and in the interests of a better understanding on both sides, I am happy to expand further on the Club's stadium thinking with him, and Martin and I will doing so in the near future."
Didn't he make that promise before?
Lewes MP Norman Baker was at Withdean Stadium last week to meet Albion chairman Dick Knight and chief executive Martin Perry. Baker saw first hand the work the club does in its wider community role, observing a coaching session and being given a tour of one of the club's study support centres. Both Baker and the club found the meeting "constructive and helpful".
Norman Baker said, "I welcome this meeting. Of course the club and myself have taken different sides on the issue of the proposed stadium at Falmer, but I think it is important that that disagreement does not prevent sensible discussions on this and indeed other matters. I was, for example, pleased to be able to see first hand the good work the club has been doing to create really worthwhile educational opportunities for local people, and to get across to kids in a structured and effective way important messages about road safety or fire safety. All this clearly provides a community benefit and I congratulate the club on what it is doing in this regard. On the Falmer stadium issue, I think it helps if I am quite clear as to why the club has reached the position it has, and equally, if the club understands why many of us in Lewes, while wanting to be supportive to the club, have felt that we cannot support this particular proposal.
"In any case, it looks as if we may, thankfully, at last be entering the final straight. Given that, I strongly believe that the responsible course for those on both sides of the argument is now to start working together to prepare for the aftermath of either a yes or a no from Ruth Kelly, and I have indicated to the club that I am ready to do so."
Dick Knight said, " Our meeting with Norman Baker was constructive and long overdue. He was able to see the Albion's role in the community in a broader perspective and there was an open exchange of views on the Falmer Stadium issue. Mr Baker agreed that with Ruth Kelly's decision process back on track, the Falmer issue must now be finally resolved and that all parties should be working to achieve this. I am pleased that Mr Baker takes that view and in the interests of a better understanding on both sides, I am happy to expand further on the Club's stadium thinking with him, and Martin and I will doing so in the near future."
Didn't he make that promise before?
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