A sad, and sadly all-too-true, article from today’s Telegraph.
Brighton have spent £5 million they don’t have preparing the Falmer project, paying solicitors at the protracted public inquiry and bringing Withdean up to Football League standards. It costs £40,000 a match to rent and steward the athletics track as well as provide a park and ride scheme and yet it only holds 7,000 people.
The club are losing money as each day goes by. If directors stopped writing cheques, no one would get paid. Obviously it cannot go on.
If you care about football, even as little as I do, you should be worried by this. This has serious consequences for League football in the UK. If Brighton fail to get a new stadium, it will undoubtedly lead to the club’s closure, miracles notwithstanding. Next it could be your local club. The Gillinghams, Bournemouths, Port Vales and Exeters of this world are all in the same boat. It’s about more than just a football ground. It has social consequences that are all too often overlooked – a local football team is part of the community.
Dark days.
Your kidding right?
Knocking a big bag of leather wind around for 90 mins is worthwhile? – nope. never gonna like footy, can’t make me so please. dont try. 🙂
I hear ya but i’m afraid i’m looking the other way like the majority of brits. Communitys? – what communitys. Must be nice where you live.
Cheers,
Phil.
At least it keeps all the thugs off of the streets for two hours per week. Gives the rest of us some peace and quiet to do our Saturday afternoon shopping.
It’s a similar story in Scotland at the moment, three clubs currently in administration and several hovering just above the mark.
Hard to be sympathetic though when they offer players such ridiculuous wages, and yes even at the lower levels a lot of clubs are over paying.
And I have to agree that the community aspect isn’t really a factor. Most smaller venues cost too much to hire and don’t get used too often… and aside from offering a hall and the occasional signed shirt or football what else do these clubs offer?
In the case of the proposed ground at Brighton, there will be extensive community facilities, including halls, meeting rooms, sports facilities and teaching space for the nearby Brighton and Sussex Universities.