Will Whitehawk end up at Withdean?

[Scotty Mac]

Surely this is just a ridiculous rich guys play thing. Whitehawk as a non-league club any higher than Ryman South is completely unsustainable. Lewes and Eastbourne have over reached themselves in recent years and they are proper towns in their own right. Whitehawk is just an estate in part of Brighton. Once the money men leave they will be back where they started in the Sussex League where they belong.

the money men can chuck all the cash they want at that club, but it will never draw in crowds and will always operate at a loss. eventually, they will realise that, more than likely pull out and leave the club with a huge wage bill they cant afford to pay and financially crippled

you just have to look at lewes to see what happens when a team spends money they cant make back

 

[Pantani]

the money men can chuck all the cash they want at that club, but it will never draw in crowds and will always operate at a loss. eventually, they will realise that, more than likely pull out and leave the club with a huge wage bill they cant afford to pay and financially crippled

you just have to look at lewes to see what happens when a team spends money they cant make back

Isn't that what I said?

So agreed.

 

[Vatican Citys No.2 Keeper]

Isn't that what I said?

So agreed.

Same here!

 

[disgruntled h blocker]

That rules out the Olympic Stadium in Berlin too then...

That's in Germany isn't it?

 

[andywhing4england]

Apparently Withdean Youth (Under 7-Under18) have linked up with Whitehawk FC to create 'a super club'.

I can confirm this will be done at the end of this season. Going to be interesting i must say...

 

[The Wookiee]

Surely Alan Pook will resurrect Withdean fc as soon as we move out wont he?

what happened to Withdean FC ?

If I remember they were pissing the leagues they were in, then disapeared

 

[The Wookiee]

My understanding is that to qualify for entry to the Conference, the pitch is not allowed to have a running track around it, so Withdean is a non-starter for football at that level.

Gateshead

 

[andywhing4england]

what happened to Withdean FC ?

If I remember they were pissing the leagues they were in, then disapeared

The adult team was abolished. Now, it just runs from under 7s or so to u16 with withdean and whitehawk merging at the end of the season to make an under 18 team i believe

 

[Gully]

Surely this is just a ridiculous rich guys play thing. Whitehawk as a non-league club any higher than Ryman South is completely unsustainable. Lewes and Eastbourne have over reached themselves in recent years and they are proper towns in their own right. Whitehawk is just an estate in part of Brighton.

Why so?

Forest Green is an estate in the village of Nailsworth, which has a population of around 6k (roughly the same size as Storrington, where I grew up). Rovers are approaching the end of their twelfth season in the Conference, no mean achievement, this season home gates have averaged just over 1000. The club are experiencing financial difficulties, like many at their level, but they have several income streams other than football which go some way towards balancing the books.

Who is to say that Whitehawk, who are based in a city, can't climb the leagues. If the club is well managed and doesn't overstretch itself they must have a reasonable level of potential.

 

[Jackthelad]

No one would go. I think a lot of Hawk fans are Brighton fans they just go see Whitehawk because they live there. Its quite an intimidating place to go for an away fan is Whitehawk. There is a youtube video with about 5 of their fans in stone island looking pwoper naughty.

Good luck to them.

 

[Nottseagull]

Gateshead

Haha! Anyone else about to add to Sully's humiliation?

 

[Pantani]

Why so?

Forest Green is an estate in the village of Nailsworth, which has a population of around 6k (roughly the same size as Storrington, where I grew up). Rovers are approaching the end of their twelfth season in the Conference, no mean achievement, this season home gates have averaged just over 1000. The club are experiencing financial difficulties, like many at their level, but they have several income streams other than football which go some way towards balancing the books.

Who is to say that Whitehawk, who are based in a city, can't climb the leagues. If the club is well managed and doesn't overstretch itself they must have a reasonable level of potential.

Forest Green is also thirty miles from the nearest league club. Not in the same city (town really). Whitehawk get what 100 at a home county league match? They have no hope especially with the Albion moving to Falmer, who is going to want to go to Withdean on alternate Saturdays? Especially after we have waited more than a decade to get out of that shithole.

 

[Scotty Mac]

Forest Green is also thirty miles from the nearest league club. Not in the same city (town really). Whitehawk get what 100 at a home county league match? They have no hope especially with the Albion moving to Falmer, who is going to want to go to Withdean on alternate Saturdays? Especially after we have waited more than a decade to get out of that shithole.

their last four home league games have attracted crowds of 38, 40, 48 and 45. the fact is that no matter how much money the owners throw at it, they are not going to attract people to attend matches. if the owners are happy to take a massive loss on what they are putting in, then excellent, as they arent going to make anything back through gate receipts. if their reasons for investing are just that they want to build a football club and get it up through the pyramid, then it begs the question why whitehawk? there are far better placed teams to make the step in the county league who have the fanbase and facilities to make the step into the ryman league such as three bridges and arundel

 

[Gully]

Forest Green is also thirty miles from the nearest league club. Not in the same city (town really). Whitehawk get what 100 at a home county league match? They have no hope especially with the Albion moving to Falmer, who is going to want to go to Withdean on alternate Saturdays? Especially after we have waited more than a decade to get out of that shithole.

Not quite so, it is about 15 miles to Cheltenham, not much further to Swindon and the Bristols. The main competition to footy around here is from rugby, you get strange looks in Gloucester if you say that you are more into the the game played with round balls than egg-shaped ones!

 

[Pantani]

Not quite so, it is about 15 miles to Cheltenham, not much further to Swindon and the Bristols. The main competition to footy around here is from rugby, you get strange looks in Gloucester if you say that you are more into the the game played with round balls than egg-shaped ones!

D'oh forgot about Cheltenham. Still it is 30 to Bristol and a bit more to Swindon. Either way it is not quite the same situation as Whitehawk.

Their attendances are less than 50! The money men need their heads read, I can think of at least twenty clubs in Sussex that would be a better investment. Well at least slightly more sustainable.

 

[Scampi]

There's no reason why Brighton and Hove couldn't sustain a more succesful second team, but Whitehawk isn't the name I'd attach to any club i was trying to build in the city.
If you're looking to invest in a sussex club i'd have thought that Crawley, Eastbourne and Worthing were the places you'd look to.

 

[dougdeep]

No, no they won't.

 

[patcham seagulls]

From what i'm told, the guy's currently funding whitehawk have massive financial plans for a leisure/fitness centre and an indoor 3g all weather pitch to develop future players.

What i can't understand however is, why the link with withdean?

i understand in terms of junior football Withdean have several successful teams across many age groups, but financially/socially/geographically the two areas couldn't be further apart.

if the guy's throwing cash at the club, are doing so due to long standing emotional ties to the area. And a sense of community paying something back to their original stomping ground - great!.

But why not use existing whitehawk junior teams/clubs?. The crew club which currently educate/actively involve hundreds of locals is under threat due to uncertain future funding.

why not involve many of these locals and support the whole of the area, rather than overlook them and attract outsiders who have no real affinity to the area and who are cynically milking it for all their worth!.

all in all, a very strange situation

 

[Nottseagull]

there are far better placed teams to make the step in the county league who have the fanbase and facilities to make the step into the ryman league such as three bridges and arundel

Surely Three Bridges are in Crawley's shadow, and lovely as Arundel FC's
setting is, I would be surprised if the town(?) could attract outsiders in the numbers it would need.