Meridian Falmer Story

[On the Left Wing]

Reply

Just received this back from Meridian

Thank you for your feedback form, it has been fowarded to our webmaster for his attention.

Your comments regarding the report about the Brighton stadium have been passed to the Regional Editor and our sports reporter for their attention and logged for our complaints procedure.

Kind regards

Duty Office
Meridian Broadcasting

PS Tory was my euphemism for Belotti - anyone right of Denis Skinner is a Tory by my reckoning! (sorry about the political rant)

 

[Icy Gull]

I watched Meridian's early evening news last night for the first time in ages as I normally watch BBC south. The whole programme is shockingly amateur and is not in the same league as it's BBC equivalent. I wouldn't hold my breath for an apology for their lack of research, the whole programme is too micky mouse to expect professional reporting.

 

[On the Left Wing]

Meridian

I agree Icey ... as with most ITV franchises they are piss poor ... but they have an audience of a few million (?) and are answerable to the ITC code of conduct.
What we don't need now is some TV news prog passing that stuff off as fact and balance.

 

[chips and gravy]

I have only one thing to say about the quality of Meridian Tonight - Fred Dineage. Why on earth do they employ this prat?

 

[On the Left Wing]

Could dine out on him

maybe that's why ...

blitz em all!

 

[Turkey]

Technically the club did sell the ground with no where to go. Of course that completly disregards how that came about.

 

[CHAPPERS]

I don't apologise for my language.

What a bunch of absolute ****s

 

[Marc]

MAJOR REPLY: see if you agree:

=-=-=-=-=-=Thank you very much for your email.

The story we ran on Falmer in the 3pm bulletin couldn't have been more balanced
if we had tried. We ran two reports - back to back - one FOR Falmer and the
other AGAINST Falmer. I have included the link and commentaries for both
reports. Our reporting has been fair and balanced throughout.

As for line about the Goldstone Ground, here are the exact words:

"But look beyond the hype, say opponents, and there's one indisputable fact.
The football club made itself homeless by selling the Goldstone ground to
developers. And the people of Falmer are not prepared to pay the price for that
decision."

Both sides - not just one side - should be allowed to make their comments.
Opponents to Falmer have been allowed to make their feelings known just as much
as fans in favour of the move.

The opponents claim is true. Brighton and Hove Albion did sell the Goldstone
Ground just as Southampton football club - not Rupert Lowe - sold The Dell and
Hampshire cricket club - not their chairman - sold their ground.
I am sorry if you disagree, but as I have already said, we couldn't have tried
harder to be fair to both sides.


Guy Phillips
Regional Editor
Meridian Tonight


FALMER YES

A last minute campaign has been launched to try to save Brighton and Hove
Albion's bid for a new football stadium at the Sussex village of Falmer.
The controversial scheme ran into trouble when a Government planning inspector
said the site wasn't big enough. Now the club is fighting for its life.

At the Brighton & Hove Albion shop this afternoon the seagulls in the window
looked a little deflated - a reflection perhaps of the mood of the club's fans
after a Government planning inspector said that Falmer wasn't the right place
for their new community football stadium.
Many supporters believe it could spell the end for the Albion.

"I think the club could disappear off the map completely. It's unthinkable.
I've supported the Albion for nearly 50 years and I just cannot imagine there
not being a local team.
It's just not on."

"We've been allowed to go this far and spend all this money. I just believe that
it is the only place.
They've looked at everywhere else."

"If John Prescott's listening I'm hoping he's going to say 'yes' to the stadium
at Falmer."

Playing at their temporary home at Withdean restricts crowds to less than 7,000
- that cuts income and without money they can't compete with their rivals - let
alone football's elite teams.
Brighton & Hove Albion have the backing of local MPs and celebrities like Des
Lynham and DJ Fatboy Slim.
They believe the new stadium at Falmer will save the club, and bring a huge
boost to the city.
Peter Robinson in Brighton for Meridian News.

FALMER NO

Well, there are two sides to every story. And plenty of people who argue that
Falmer is the last place to build a massive football stadium. Villagers say the
development would blight the South Downs and destroy their way of life.

Falmer is a picture postcard village, nestling at the foot of the South Downs.
The people who live here cherish its charm. People like Peter Lenihan. He
farms the very field where the club wants to build its stadium.

"It's a conglomeration, it's everything. Traffic congestion, noise pollution,
the fact that in amongst the bottom end of the Downs here we will have a very,
very large structure which just will not belong. It's just the wrong place."

At the public inquiry, villagers were backed by conservation groups. They
argued the club was trying to bulldoze through a scheme which flies in the face
of national policies to protect the countryside. And they accused Albion and
the City Council of down-playing other possible locations for the stadium. The
land at Falmer is a greenfield site, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,
bordering the proposed South Downs National Park.

"I very much hope for the sake of the fans and the club that a Plan B exists to
go somewhere else if Falmer turns out to be rejected by the inspector. But if
the club has put all its eggs in one basket, then it's only got itself to blame
for the position it finds itself in."

Enlisting the help of celebrities like Des Lynam, the club has run a concerted
PR campaign. But look beyond the hype, say opponents, and there's one
indisputable fact. The football club made itself homeless by selling the
Goldstone ground to developers. And the people of Falmer are not prepared to
pay the price for that decision.
Malcolm Shaw, for Meridian Tonight.
Duty Office
Meridian Broadcasting

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 

[watsongooal]

Reply From Meridian

Thank you very much for your email.

The story we ran on Falmer in the 3pm bulletin couldn't have been more balanced if we had tried. We ran two reports - back to back - one FOR Falmer and the other AGAINST Falmer. I have included the link and commentaries for both reports. Our reporting has been fair and balanced throughout.

As for line about the Goldstone Ground, here are the exact words:

"But look beyond the hype, say opponents, and there's one indisputable fact. The football club made itself homeless by selling the Goldstone ground to developers. And the people of Falmer are not prepared to pay the price for that decision."

Both sides - not just one side - should be allowed to make their comments. Opponents to Falmer have been allowed to make their feelings known just as much as fans in favour of the move.

The opponents claim is true. Brighton and Hove Albion did sell the Goldstone Ground just as Southampton football club - not Rupert Lowe - sold The Dell and Hampshire cricket club - not their chairman - sold their ground.
I am sorry if you disagree, but as I have already said, we couldn't have tried harder to be fair to both sides.


Guy Phillips
Regional Editor
Meridian Tonight


FALMER YES

A last minute campaign has been launched to try to save Brighton and Hove Albion's bid for a new football stadium at the Sussex village of Falmer.
The controversial scheme ran into trouble when a Government planning inspector said the site wasn't big enough. Now the club is fighting for its life.

At the Brighton & Hove Albion shop this afternoon the seagulls in the window looked a little deflated - a reflection perhaps of the mood of the club's fans after a Government planning inspector said that Falmer wasn't the right place for their new community football stadium.
Many supporters believe it could spell the end for the Albion.

"I think the club could disappear off the map completely. It's unthinkable.
I've supported the Albion for nearly 50 years and I just cannot imagine there not being a local team.
It's just not on."

"We've been allowed to go this far and spend all this money. I just believe that it is the only place.
They've looked at everywhere else."

"If John Prescott's listening I'm hoping he's going to say 'yes' to the stadium at Falmer."

Playing at their temporary home at Withdean restricts crowds to less than 7,000 - that cuts income and without money they can't compete with their rivals - let alone football's elite teams.
Brighton & Hove Albion have the backing of local MPs and celebrities like Des Lynham and DJ Fatboy Slim.
They believe the new stadium at Falmer will save the club, and bring a huge boost to the city.
Peter Robinson in Brighton for Meridian News.

FALMER NO

Well, there are two sides to every story. And plenty of people who argue that Falmer is the last place to build a massive football stadium. Villagers say the development would blight the South Downs and destroy their way of life.

Falmer is a picture postcard village, nestling at the foot of the South Downs. The people who live here cherish its charm. People like Peter Lenihan. He farms the very field where the club wants to build its stadium.

"It's a conglomeration, it's everything. Traffic congestion, noise pollution, the fact that in amongst the bottom end of the Downs here we will have a very, very large structure which just will not belong. It's just the wrong place."

At the public inquiry, villagers were backed by conservation groups. They argued the club was trying to bulldoze through a scheme which flies in the face of national policies to protect the countryside. And they accused Albion and the City Council of down-playing other possible locations for the stadium. The land at Falmer is a greenfield site, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, bordering the proposed South Downs National Park.

"I very much hope for the sake of the fans and the club that a Plan B exists to go somewhere else if Falmer turns out to be rejected by the inspector. But if the club has put all its eggs in one basket, then it's only got itself to blame for the position it finds itself in."

Enlisting the help of celebrities like Des Lynam, the club has run a concerted PR campaign. But look beyond the hype, say opponents, and there's one indisputable fact. The football club made itself homeless by selling the Goldstone ground to developers. And the people of Falmer are not prepared to pay the price for that decision.
Malcolm Shaw, for Meridian Tonight.

Duty Office
Meridian Broadcasting

 

[Marc]

I just got the EXACT same e-mail (in the other Meridian thread)

 

[Superphil]

me too


Thank you very much for your email.

The story we ran on Falmer in the 3pm bulletin couldn't have been more balanced if we had tried. We ran two reports - back to back - one FOR Falmer and the other AGAINST Falmer. I have included the link and commentaries for both reports. Our reporting has been fair and balanced throughout.

As for line about the Goldstone Ground, here are the exact words:

"But look beyond the hype, say opponents, and there's one indisputable fact. The football club made itself homeless by selling the Goldstone ground to developers. And the people of Falmer are not prepared to pay the price for that decision."

Both sides - not just one side - should be allowed to make their comments. Opponents to Falmer have been allowed to make their feelings known just as much as fans in favour of the move.

The opponents claim is true. Brighton and Hove Albion did sell the Goldstone Ground just as Southampton football club - not Rupert Lowe - sold The Dell and Hampshire cricket club - not their chairman - sold their ground.
I am sorry if you disagree, but as I have already said, we couldn't have tried harder to be fair to both sides.


Guy Phillips
Regional Editor
Meridian Tonight


It still annoys me that they beleive that the CLUB sold the ground, not the property developer called Bill Archer.

 

[Yorkie]

Falmer is a picture postcard village, nestling at the foot of the South Downs. The people who live here cherish its charm. People like Peter Lenihan. He farms the very field where the club wants to build its stadium.


What a load of baloney that is!!

 

[On the Left Wing]

And the same

Yep I just got exactly the same reply as well ... stock answer

 

[Marc]

mass reply from us then! I'll do mine tomorrow though, have an evening to word it correctly then argue their comments to the ground, especially this one:

"The opponents claim is true. Brighton and Hove Albion did sell the Goldstone Ground just as Southampton football club - not Rupert Lowe - sold The Dell and Hampshire cricket club - not their chairman - sold their ground."

Bollocks, it was Archers main aim to sell it and get money for himself with no intention of finding a new home.

 

[desprateseagull]

the falmer pub - will he ban footty fans?

and turn all that business away...? somehow i think not...

 

[Safeway]

Re: Reply From Meridian

"The opponents claim is true. Brighton and Hove Albion did sell the Goldstone Ground just as Southampton football club - not Rupert Lowe - sold The Dell and Hampshire cricket club - not their chairman - sold their ground."

Why is it they are at pains to stress that The Dell and Hampshire Cricket Club's grounds were sold by previous owners, yet accredit the sale of The Goldstone to simply Brighton & Hove Albion FC?

 

[Yorkie]

I have replied to that email
________________________________

I quote part of your message

Falmer is a picture postcard village, nestling at the foot of the South
Downs. The people who live here cherish its charm. People like Peter
Lenihan. He farms the very field where the club wants to build its stadium.


This 'picture postcard village' has the main A27 dual carriageway running
straight through the middle of it, a railway line and station called Falmer
station (vital for travel links for the stadium)
The field in question is not farmed but is full of litter and is not too
small because the inspector did not take into account the University
buildings that are on the edge (grey concrete buildings adding to the
picture postcard image??) which have permission to be demolished by the
University and built elswhere on the campus

I still reiterate that you have only broadcast half truths and not the full facts

 

[Yorkie]

Mods can we merge these threads?

 

[balloonboy]

If I understand the Falmer residents' logic, basically it means that whatever decisions have been made in the past must be lived with, no matter how they came about. Interesting!

 

[Superphil]

my reply

Thanks for your reply and I generally believe you have been balanced, but your last comment is interesting;

"The opponents claim is true. Brighton and Hove Albion did sell the Goldstone Ground just as Southampton football club - not Rupert Lowe - sold The Dell and Hampshire cricket club - not their chairman - sold their ground."

A man called Bill Archer and his cohort, Greg Stanley set up a holding company and made promises to the club that they would secure its future, thus enabling them to take control of the club for the sum of around £57.00. They then sold the ground with no plans for a new development. The club had a constitution stating that the ground could not be sold to benefit such an organisation, which Archer and Stanley changed for their own benefit.

I really think that in this instance the Club did not sell the Goldstone, it was sold by a businessman going about his business of making money. It certainly is not in dispute that Archer and Stanley made money out of the deal and Brighton & Hove Albion football club ended up homeless.