Dick Knight - My Two Penneth...

[BensGrandad]

Point no 3 is correct yes he did bring us back to Brighton but that doesnt tell the full story. It was done because we had no choice it was that or nothing as Gillingham had refused to extend our stay as we didnt have the money to pay for it and all other clubs approached refused to ground share for that and various other reasons. The FL then made it clear we would be thrown out if we didnt get it sorted out that is when Brighton & Hove Council stepped in with the offer of Withdean.

Having said that he has made as best purse he could out of a sows ear, so full marks to him.

 

[The Grockle]

1. Saved a club that was destined for the Blue Square South.

2. Campaigned for months to get us planning permission for Withdean.

3. Brought us back to Sussex.

4. Converted a run down athletics track into a Championship standard league ground.

5. Delivered 2 consecutive League Titles. Something I believe only one club has EVER done before.

6. Delivered 3 seasons in the Championship - a league way beyond our means.

7. Worked for SEVEN years to get planning permission for Falmer - our very own beautiful, state of the art football ground now under construction.

8. All this while running a club free from debt - and all in ten years.

OK there may have been mistakes. Bringing Adams back possibly, not insisting Gullys girls are at least eighteen maybe, but for those on his back for not bringing in a couple of new players one week into the transfer window...

F**K OFF!!!!

I agree with you completely apart form the bit about the Championship standard league ground!
Although it was the actions of many that saved this club Dick deserves alot of recognition for what he has done.
I remember when we lost the Goldstone, people I knew who were not Brighton fans started talking about Brighton in the past tense saying that they could never recover from being homeless and skint, I almost started accepting it myself! The last 11 years without a home has been terrible but we have still achieved 2nd tier football for periods and there are glimpses of that light at the end of the tunnel...falmer.

 

[BensGrandad]

Let's turn this question around. If there hadn't been Dick Knight, what do you think you would be doing tomorrow, or next Saturday?

That is highly contentious and could lead to answers like playing in The Championship in a brand new stadium at another location like Beeding!!!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Point no 3 is correct yes he did bring us back to Brighton but that doesnt tell the full story. It was done because we had no choice it was that or nothing as Gillingham had refused to extend our stay as we didnt have the money to pay for it and all other clubs approached refused to ground share for that and various other reasons. The FL then made it clear we would be thrown out if we didnt get it sorted out that is when Brighton & Hove Council stepped in with the offer of Withdean.

Having said that he has made as best purse he could out of a sows ear, so full marks to him.

I thought we had already paid for a THIRD season at Gillingham?

That is highly contentious and could lead to answers like playing in The Championship in a brand new stadium at another location like Beeding!!!

No one has even entertained the idea of redeveloping Beeding Cement Works despite having a sustained and prolonged period of growth. Why is that?

 

[BensGrandad]

Beeding was the logical and obvious economical answer for a new ground and was going to be the site for every other possible consortium other than DK but that is all now water under the bridge except for being a possible answer when asked about where we could have been now rather than the general idea that we would have vanished out of existence. It is a question to which there is no definitive answer only various peoples individual ideas.

As to having paid the 3rd year at Gillingham I was, when, with others, fighting for the club told by Paul Scally to stick with BA as DK had no money and that was why we had to return to Brighton whether you believe it or not and whether it was true is now totally immaterial as we have moved on.

I do however get a bit tired of hearing how DK brought us back to Brighton as if it was a triumphant march down London Road.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Beeding Cement Works is in Adur District is it not? Plus it is swimming with Asbestos. It is simply no viable for development unless the developer is willing to spend millions upon millions upon millions, just to get the site clear and fit for development. Not forgetting that access would be a massive problem.

It is also in an AONB, so would not be a walk in the park to secure planning permission as some people seem to suggest.

 

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

what have the romans ever done for us?

aquaducts?

 

[BensGrandad]

10 or 12 years ago when Barry Lloyd fell out with BA and GS over not signing the agreement, planning was a lot easier but as I have said that is all now finished and should not be dwelt upon further.

 

[Nemesis]

No one has even entertained the idea of redeveloping Beeding Cement Works despite having a sustained and prolonged period of growth. Why is that?

Isn't there also a league ruling about where BHAFC can play? Within the city of B&H and no more than 7 miles from the Pavilion were, I believe, amongst their conditions for our continued membership of the FL.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Beeding Cement Works is in Adur District is it not? Plus it is swimming with Asbestos. It is simply no viable for development unless the developer is willing to spend millions upon millions upon millions, just to get the site clear and fit for development. Not forgetting that access would be a massive problem.

Didn't the inspector at the second inquiry kick Beeding Cement Works into touch because of poor accessibility and inadequate transport links (eg no train service, virtually no other public transport, poor road access)?

The relevant sections from the Secretary of State's letter granting approval for Falmer read as follows:

"47. The second Inspector found that this site (Beeding Cement Works) does not perform well in terms of accessibility and that the realistic prospect of achieving a high degree of accessibility by sustainable means of transport are slim (IRb10.141 - 10.145 and IRb10.164). The Secretary of State is satisfied that nothing has subsequently changed to affect this conclusion.

49. The Secretary of State agrees with the Inspector’s conclusion in IRb10.148 - 10.151 that there is nothing that demonstrates that any other site submitted would be appropriate for a community stadium."

 

[BensGrandad]

All these objections like FL and Inquiry Inspector have come about during the last 8 or 9 years when Bil Archer first suggested none of those rules etc were in place.

The consortium that I was involved with had delved into it very deeply and there would have been no problems THEN in gaining planning permission in fact their idea was to build our new ground at Beeding, buy Southwick FC, who were in financial trouble under another company name, let Southwick share with BHA and sell off their ground for housing and Southwick continue playing at Beeding in the County League and use them as a type of feeder for BHA.

As I have said that is now water under the bridge and best left to RIP.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

You've also noted that you were in a rival consortium (which you haven't tried to hide) which would make your point of view somewhat partial.

 

[junior]

Binfest.

 

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

what have the romans ever done for us?

law and order?

 

[WATFORD zero]

That is highly contentious and could lead to answers like playing in The Championship in a brand new stadium at another location like Beeding!!!

To be fair, BG, I think it is more likely that you, me and Ernest would be spending this Saturday on your private island in the bahamas, surrounded by naked young girls whilst indulging in top quality booze and class As

 

[dougdeep]

A stadium at Beeding would never have worked.

 

[algie]

law and order?

Christianity? Hadrian's wall to keep those thieving Jocks at bay.

 

[colinpants]

8. we trade at a loss every season

 

[BensGrandad]

A stadium at Beeding would never have worked.

That is not what some of the people who were going to pay for it with cash as opposed to grants etc thought. But who cares we have now got or at leaast are going to get Falmer.

 

[durrington gull]

1. Saved a club that was destined for the Blue Square South.

2. Campaigned for months to get us planning permission for Withdean.

3. Brought us back to Sussex.

4. Converted a run down athletics track into a Championship standard league ground.

5. Delivered 2 consecutive League Titles. Something I believe only one club has EVER done before.

6. Delivered 3 seasons in the Championship - a league way beyond our means.

7. Worked for SEVEN years to get planning permission for Falmer - our very own beautiful, state of the art football ground now under construction.

8. All this while running a club free from debt - and all in ten years.

OK there may have been mistakes. Bringing Adams back possibly, not insisting Gullys girls are at least eighteen maybe, but for those on his back for not bringing in a couple of new players one week into the transfer window...

F**K OFF!!!!

Sentiment is fair enough