Are we resigned

[Deportivo Seagull]

Lets clear this once and for all.

I am not prepared to give the names of the people who I have quoted as it wouldn't be fair to them and would achieve nothing for us.

We attended a breakfast meeting at The Savoy Hotel London there was a very well known boxing promotor present who told us he had tried to buy the club and had offered £6m total to include debts etc and Archer had told him the club was not for sale. Another chap was there who was Chairman of a club in Essex, his son was chairman of another club in Essex their plan was to build on the two clubs land and buy BHA with the proceeds,this was also vetoed They were prepared to just take over the debts.

The men I was talking to wanted to buy BHA and a local amateur club with its own ground, sell the local ground and let them ground share The Goldstone until a ground for BHA was built at Beeding. Both clubs would have then used Beeding and the sale of the small ground would have helped finance the building of Beeding. I would have become very rich for brokering the deal.

When it became apparent that DK was going to buy the club these same people investigated his finances and told me that he was unable to finance a club the size of BHA, a decent amateur club yes but not a league club.


I hope that this will finally explain my position and allow us all to move on and discuss the postive things about this great club.

Interesting, and at least you are honest about becoming rich. However boxing promoters are the sporting equivilent of used car salesman ....

As for building in Beeding ... you can't get planning permision for a shed in Beeding so a footy ground was pie in the sky, which is about the best summary for this.

As for the comments about 'can't afford to get promoted', what's so strange about that, most clubs in this division can't afford to get promoted ... non story.

Up until this post I actually thought you might know you're stuff, now I pretty sure that you don't. Neither proposal strike me as good business !

Northstander ... you should apoligise for your comments, it's not big, clever and makes you look very stupid ... which I'm sure you're not.

 

[itszamora]

been a fan since 1945?pity you survived the blitz.damn fritz shot up portland road junior school but the hun missed you!!!!!



no justice in this world

My god you're pathetic. Regardless of your views on Ben's Grandad's postings, writing shite like this just makes you look like a very sad little boy who needs to grow up.

 

[BensGrandad]

As for building in Beeding ... you can't get planning permision for a shed in Beeding so a footy ground was pie in the sky, which is about the best summary for this.

.

That was virtually done and dealt. Even the dreaded 3 had earmarked it and IF, a little word with a big meaning, B Archer had signed the paper we would have been playing there now, that is fact not pie in the sky.

As far as I am concerned that is all now 'water under the bridge' we must all move on and help make this club even better than it is now.

Lets get Falmer up and running and see where that takes us.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

That was virtually done and dealt. Even the dreaded 3 had earmarked it and IF, a little word with a big meaning, B Archer had signed the paper we would have been playing there now, that is fact not pie in the sky.

As far as I am concerned that is all now 'water under the bridge' we must all move on and help make this club even better than it is now.

Lets get Falmer up and running and see where that takes us.

So let me get this straight, your consortium had planning permission to build a stadium in Beeding, no if, no but's. All done a dusted. Sorry but that doesn't ring true.

 

[BensGrandad]

They and indeed so had Archer & Co had been given an assurance from the council that it would be approved. We may have had the local residents ,all 10 houses, object but as it had been an industrial site their objections wouldnt have carried much weight nothing like the NIMBYs of Falmer have.

As I have said, however, that is all now past and should be left to die.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

They and indeed so had Archer & Co had been given an assurance from the council that it would be approved. We may have had the local residents ,all 10 houses, object but as it had been an industrial site their objections wouldnt have carried much weight nothing like the NIMBYs of Falmer have.

As I have said, however, that is all now past and should be left to die.

See this is where I get confused, I know a couple of bods who deal with planning applications (also delt with policy) that would have covered beeding, they would have given me the nod if this was the case. Also archer always put waterhall as the site for the new ground. I think you were being led up the path, but as you say it's all in the past.

 

[BensGrandad]

I may be wrong but I am fairly certain that it was once mentioned on SCR that Horsham Council were prepared to invest £40m in the project to make it a community stadium similar to Brighton Council and Falmer.

 

[northstandnorth]

god!!!!!its the bloody cement works again!!!!!

every time this site comes up it falls flat on its arse because of the lack of a railway line,
a station ,
roads capable of carrying trafic,
the air port(planes landing at night/floodlights),
size of car park needed due to it being to far from anywhere to either walk or cycle,
flooding,
cost of securing the cliffs from landfall(imagine the work done at asda marina.now MAGNIFY BY AT LEAST 80 TIMES THE CLIFF FACE.
urgent need for a large downs area surrounding the pit to be fenced off so people dont fall/drive over the edge either because they are unable or unwilling to get tickets

and many more minor problems.

why does he think this prime site has been vacant so long?


even the inspectors have failed to see the viability of this site because to pay for the above the commercial development would be horrendous

i can see it now bluewater and hove albion because to make this site pay churchill square and holmbush would have to die.

 

[Spiros]

The other 'minor' problem with the cement works site is the amount of contamination which would have to be dealt with. Together with all of the other reasons listed this is, always was and always will be a total no-go of a site.

Build an indoor ski-slope there, I say

 

[Yorkie]

I don't think the division will have the slightest affect on attendances, the only thing that matters is where we are in that divison. Fans like to see a winning team, and even though the names aren't so glamorous in the lower two tiers people would still rather see us beating the likes of Colchester and Bury as opposed to losing to the likes of Leeds and Wolves. (Especially as nowadays all clubs like Leeds and Wolves have is their names, if they had any players worth watching they wouldn't be in the same divison as us). The championship game against Chesterfield was a case in point. Perrenial, lower league dross Chesterfield! And yet tickets were like goldust.

I love your 'blind optimism' quote, my feelings exactly, and whilst I accept that relegation out of the second tier is much harder to achieve than promotion into it, it won't be The End Of Civilisation As We Know It. Just means another (potential) promotion season to look forward to!

I have said the same thing.
We would probably sell out near the top of League 1 whereas people won't watch a losing team.
Yes, we would lose some tv revenue but it wouldn't be the end of the world.

Having said all that I still want us to stay up.

 

[TSB]

BG-you are exactly the kind of "supporter" that we could do without.....voicing your opinion!

We need die-hard fans,60 years is a bloomin long time and i salute you for that but christ's sake man,please try and be a BIT more positive!

If you've been watching us all those years, is this season really that depressing? i've been watching since i was 7 (only 13 years ago) and i've seen way more depressing times!

The simple fact is that we shouldn't be in this league,same as crewe,but that's what makes football beautiful! Forest down in League 1,wrexham down in league 2 and wigan and bolton where they are in the premiership!!!

Coppell took us down (obviously would have kept us up if he were there all season) and then put in the foundations to take us back up again but MCGHEE it was who actually took us up. Do you remember that day? That feeling? How we all sung Mark Mcghee's name?

Do you also remember Ipswich last season? The intense relief and amazing feeling that Gillingham had spent a lot (of our ) money on their ground and team and that we had defied the odds and stayed up...along with crewe!

That was also Mark Mcghee.

Now we are one point from safety and my maths tells me that if we get 2 points more than sheff wed,crewe and milwall for the rest of the season we will stay up. We were a long way bottom this time in 1997 and we did stay up so come on be positive.

Mcghee's made mistakes,sure,but he's the man that took us up and kept us up and if he keeps us up again it is another result against all odds!!!

One goalscorer and a left back will keep us up IMHO and we still have 22 days to get them

Keep the Faith!!!!

Ps doesn't excuse northstandnorth's comments! BG is not archer,stanley or belotti so why would you wish death on him? you really really should apologise!

 

[hans kraay fan club]

BG-you are exactly the kind of "supporter" that we could do without.....voicing your opinion!

We need die-hard fans,60 years is a bloomin long time and i salute you for that but christ's sake man,please try and be a BIT more positive!

If you've been watching us all those years, is this season really that depressing? i've been watching since i was 7 (only 13 years ago) and i've seen way more depressing times!

The simple fact is that we shouldn't be in this league,same as crewe,but that's what makes football beautiful! Forest down in League 1,wrexham down in league 2 and wigan and bolton where they are in the premiership!!!

Coppell took us down (obviously would have kept us up if he were there all season) and then put in the foundations to take us back up again but MCGHEE it was who actually took us up. Do you remember that day? That feeling? How we all sung Mark Mcghee's name?

Do you also remember Ipswich last season? The intense relief and amazing feeling that Gillingham had spent a lot (of our ) money on their ground and team and that we had defied the odds and stayed up...along with crewe!

That was also Mark Mcghee.

Now we are one point from safety and my maths tells me that if we get 2 points more than sheff wed,crewe and milwall for the rest of the season we will stay up. We were along way bottom this time in 1997 and we did up so come on be positive.

Mcghee's made mistakes,sure,but he's the man that took us up and kept us up and if he keeps us up again it is another result against all odds!!!

One goalscorer and a left back will keep us up IMHO and we still have 22 days to get them

Keep the Faith!!!!

Ps doesn't excuse northstandnorth's comments! the bloke is not archer,stanley or belotti so why would you wish death on him? you really really should apologise!

20 years old. Wise head.

 

[TSB]

ta HKFC

 

[ROSM]

well BG, In my opinion you have been taken in by some of the spin placed on the beeding factor from some with selectable memories. Although you are right that at one time it was more possible than it is now - I still have doubts if it would have been passed.

But in the interim, planning rules have changed. Now any new development can only have 1 new parking space for every 15 visitors and that in itself rules out a totally car driven solution. That takes a rsky solution into the realms of impossibility.

Trust me, I have worked on developments all round the country (many in Milton Keynes) and I am convinced as was the final inspector, that although Falmer isn't perfect, it is the most suitable site available. And that, as you have said, is that.

But I would ask that you view things on real figures rather than hearsay from other clubs directors or ex managers. Knight may not (by Jack Walker standards) be a rich man, but he has invested a greater proportion of his own assets in this club than any other chairman in the top 3 divisions. he is a fan, has the club at heart and has delivered on every promise he has made since becoming chairman (albeit sometimes a bit later than planned).

and before someone comes in and tries to rehash the 2 million for team strengthening argument - that I'm afraid is a red herring. I have in front of me the exact words from that press conference when knight said '.......the new board will be investing 2million pounds, the primary use of which is for team strengthening.....'

Dont forget the new board still involved archer and I am told (by a CEDR employee) that Knight at that stage hadn't seen the club's accounts and that Archer had told him that we had no debts. After that, the club had to lodge a bond, the accounts showed more debts than had been admitted (inlcuding some hid in drawers at the new offices by Bellotti). Now, Knight could've walked away - if it was purely a business then I reckon he would have done. It wasn't a business, it was the club he was a fan of. So the 2 million was put into the club by the new board, much was swallowed by the football league bond (.5m), by outstanding debts and the need to come back to Brighton. Permanently wasn't possible immediately, so a temporary solution had to be found.

He stayed, made the most of the situation he found himself in and that is why we are still here today!

 

[BensGrandad]

I fully accept all that you have said ROSM but at the time Beeding was a viable propositon but as you say planning regs have changed so it no longer is.

I am like all supporters basically interested in seeing my team playing at the highest possible level and at the highest possible standard in that division. I have seen the club drop from the old 1st Division to 4th Division to virtually going out of the league and then claw their way back but the problems now are that probably we are expecting too much having seen us rise to the Championship and our standards have been set higher.

Hopefully once LDC have accepted defeat the club will be able to go forward and give DK the opportunity to make us a big club something he hasnt been anle to do due to our financial constraints. One thing that seems to be ignored by most on here with the names being banded about as transfer targets is that the amount we can pay in wages is capped by League regulations relating to out income.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I fully accept all that you have said ROSM but at the time Beeding was a viable propositon but as you say planning regs have changed so it no longer is.

I am like all supporters basically interested in seeing my team playing at the highest possible level and at the highest possible standard in that division. I have seen the club drop from the old 1st Division to 4th Division to virtually going out of the league and then claw their way back but the problems now are that probably we are expecting too much having seen us rise to the Championship and our standards have been set higher.

Hopefully once LDC have accepted defeat the club will be able to go forward and give DK the opportunity to make us a big club something he hasnt been anle to do due to our financial constraints. One thing that seems to be ignored by most on here with the names being banded about as transfer targets is that the amount we can pay in wages is capped by League regulations relating to out income.

So Neil Shipperly won't play for £100 a week then? Mercenary bastard.

 

[Simster]

well BG, In my opinion you have been taken in by some of the spin placed on the beeding factor from some with selectable memories. Although you are right that at one time it was more possible than it is now - I still have doubts if it would have been passed.

But in the interim, planning rules have changed. Now any new development can only have 1 new parking space for every 15 visitors and that in itself rules out a totally car driven solution. That takes a rsky solution into the realms of impossibility.

Trust me, I have worked on developments all round the country (many in Milton Keynes) and I am convinced as was the final inspector, that although Falmer isn't perfect, it is the most suitable site available. And that, as you have said, is that.

But I would ask that you view things on real figures rather than hearsay from other clubs directors or ex managers. Knight may not (by Jack Walker standards) be a rich man, but he has invested a greater proportion of his own assets in this club than any other chairman in the top 3 divisions. he is a fan, has the club at heart and has delivered on every promise he has made since becoming chairman (albeit sometimes a bit later than planned).

and before someone comes in and tries to rehash the 2 million for team strengthening argument - that I'm afraid is a red herring. I have in front of me the exact words from that press conference when knight said '.......the new board will be investing 2million pounds, the primary use of which is for team strengthening.....'

Dont forget the new board still involved archer and I am told (by a CEDR employee) that Knight at that stage hadn't seen the club's accounts and that Archer had told him that we had no debts. After that, the club had to lodge a bond, the accounts showed more debts than had been admitted (inlcuding some hid in drawers at the new offices by Bellotti). Now, Knight could've walked away - if it was purely a business then I reckon he would have done. It wasn't a business, it was the club he was a fan of. So the 2 million was put into the club by the new board, much was swallowed by the football league bond (.5m), by outstanding debts and the need to come back to Brighton. Permanently wasn't possible immediately, so a temporary solution had to be found.

He stayed, made the most of the situation he found himself in and that is why we are still here today!

Well said. Are you Smiley Miley?