Lewes FC - A disaster waiting to happen

[Lord Bracknell]

Have you see the designs for the Harvey's site? I ain't no planner or architect but they look completely inappropriately big for that site if you ask me.

Agreed.

 

[sully]

Have you see the designs for the Harvey's site? I ain't no planner or architect but they look completely inappropriately big for that site if you ask me.

That'll be tactics to get something bigger than the planners would have originally been happy with.

A bit like the theory I used to have with my parents when told to turn my music down. Turn it up first, then back to where it was. "That's better", they would say....

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Does Elliott have some kind of mandate for his Active Lewes scheme? Seems a bit at odds with the demographics of an ageing population. Besides, there's absolutely no reason why these seperate sporting entities can't all continue to develop as completely seperate entities, each at their own pace, accordingf to their own needs. Does Lewes really need a Sports Tzar? Especially one who is a property developer?

Final set of questions that might help throw some light? What is the name of this legendary Football Trust? Presumably it keeps minutes, and is registered somewhere? Who are the trustees? What are their names and professions? How come Elliott's is apparently able to cut them out of the equation and negotiate with LDC for control of the club grounds? Why are the trustees strangely silent?

Post any and all background info here. Cheers

When the Active Lewes plans first came out, they were backed by Lewes Football Club, Lewes Bridgeview Football Club, Lewes Athletics Club, Lewes Rugby Club, the Southdown Club, Lewes Priory Cricket Club, Lewes St Michael's Cricket Club, Lewes Bowls Club, Priory School and the Sussex Downs College.

Active Lewes has subsequently been established as a company to take the development forward - two of the directors of the company are Martin Elliott and Kevin Powell (who are also directors of Lewes FC).

Lewes District Council are the sole trustees of the land, called the Mountfield Pleasure Ground Trust. The Mountfield Pleasure Ground Trust is a registered charity. The object of the charity is "the provision and maintenance of land at Mountfield, Dripping Pan and Convent Field, for the benefit of the public generally and especially the inhabitants of the District of Lewes in the County of East Sussex".

The Annual Report of the Mountfield Pleasure Ground Trust, for 2006/07, is available on the interwebby thingy at:-

http://www.lewes.gov.uk/CMISWebPublic/Binary.ashx?Document=662

The land was independently valued at £576,250 at 1 April 2004.

Lewes District Council are also the sole trustees of the Stanley Turner Trust, which holds the land that is adjacent to the Mountfield Pleasure Ground Trust land, and is used by Lewes Rugby Club and Lewes Priory Cricket Club.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

When the Active Lewes plans first came out, they were backed by Lewes Football Club, Lewes Bridgeview Football Club, Lewes Athletics Club, Lewes Rugby Club, the Southdown Club, Lewes Priory Cricket Club, Lewes St Michael's Cricket Club, Lewes Bowls Club, Priory School and the Sussex Downs College.

Active Lewes has subsequently been established as a company to take the development forward - two of the directors of the company are Martin Elliott and Kevin Powell (who are also directors of Lewes FC).

Lewes District Council are the sole trustees of the land, called the Mountfield Pleasure Ground Trust. The Mountfield Pleasure Ground Trust is a registered charity. The object of the charity is "the provision and maintenance of land at Mountfield, Dripping Pan and Convent Field, for the benefit of the public generally and especially the inhabitants of the District of Lewes in the County of East Sussex".

The Annual Report of the Mountfield Pleasure Ground Trust, for 2006/07, is available on the interwebby thingy at:-

http://www.lewes.gov.uk/CMISWebPublic/Binary.ashx?Document=662

The land was independently valued at £576,250 at 1 April 2004.

Lewes District Council are also the sole trustees of the Stanley Turner Trust, which holds the land that is adjacent to the Mountfield Pleasure Ground Trust land, and is used by Lewes Rugby Club and Lewes Priory Cricket Club.

Thank you very much for that m'lud

Plenty of fuel for the Search Engine in that little lot methinks...

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Lewes District Council are the sole trustees of the land, called the Mountfield Pleasure Ground Trust. The Mountfield Pleasure Ground Trust is a registered charity. The object of the charity is "the provision and maintenance of land at Mountfield, Dripping Pan and Convent Field, for the benefit of the public generally and especially the inhabitants of the District of Lewes in the County of East Sussex".

So presumably there's a mechanism in place (an individual registering a complaint with the Charity Commission for example?) that could stop LDC just handing over the town's birthright to a property developer?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

So presumably there's a mechanism in place (an individual registering a complaint with the Charity Commission for example?) that could stop LDC just handing over the town's birthright to a property developer?

I'm sure there is.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

What bollocks!!! Having worked for Stevenage Boro until the end of last season I can personally tell you that the highest earning player [actually 2 of them] were on a salary of £44,000.00 per year. The average first team squad income averaged £32,000.00. Where you grap these figures from I have no idea!

The Conference structure ensures no club can pay more [well not supposed to!] then a set % of gross income. The secret of surviving & paying your way in this league is to maximise other income streams. In the case of Stevenage this is mainly achieved with their superb conference/catering facilities [cheaper than local hotels/conference centres] & all weather sport/training, practise ground.
Of course Setanta money helped a few clubs this year, but they pay only £6000 for a home game & that can, and possibly was, offset by lowered gates due to last minute fixture changes.

Please before you make wild accusations like this, do a little research!

Blimey, we are a bit sensitive today.

There are players in the Conference earning considerably more than some in the Football League, FACT. Various League Two managers have gone on record as stating they can't attract certain BSP players to sign for them because their non-league wages are higher than they can offer.

Perhaps not SBFC then, as you seem to be something of an expert (though appearance money/win bonuses etc would add considerably to the players' income), but I remain convinced that the top level of non-league pays out some serious cash, hence Lewes are going to get HAMMERED next season.

 

[Boroseagull]

Blimey, we are a bit sensitive today.

There are players in the Conference earning considerably more than some in the Football League, FACT. Various League Two managers have gone on record as stating they can't attract certain BSP players to sign for them because their non-league wages are higher than they can offer.

Perhaps not SBFC then, as you seem to be something of an expert (though appearance money/win bonuses etc would add considerably to the players' income), but I remain convinced that the top level of non-league pays out some serious cash, hence Lewes are going to get HAMMERED next season.

No not that sensitive - just setting the record straight. As I wrote the addresses on the P60 forms for posting to all persons employed by SBFC I know the total incomes from top players to the lowest steward! There are no win bonus/appearance money clauses, or if there are, are included in the income. Every thing at SBFC goes through the 'book', and is therefore legitimate.

As for league 2 clubs not completeting for signatures with BSP it's not totally true. We lost George Boyd to The Posh last half way through 2006/7 season purely [via his agent] because of a 3 fold increase of his income. Work that one out! Nice thing is we have a 40% sell on clause & they have [reportedly] turned down a 2.5 million offer for him. But having said that to show the SBFC wage structure 5 of our better players followed our [ex] manager to gillingscum, most to sit on the bench but for at least twice the salary!

Maybe salarys at relegated league clubs are higher, they do have the parachute money to enable them - but very, very few come straight back up, contrary to their supporters beliefs!

 

[BensGrandad]

Steve Evans said on SCR that when he arrived at Crawley some of the players were on £1650 a week (85800 per year) and I was told by Clive Walker that he was paid more at Woking than he ever was at BHA.