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When we looked at this a couple of years ago the only stumbling point was that the FA at the time wouldn't allow us to play in the FA cup with a 3G pitch. Even with that in the way I felt that the pluses far outnumbered the negatives in terms of what the club could not only do to generate extra income streams but as a net benefit for us.

Scott

How about a 3g main pitch, the income that creates would be huge.

The club would have football, rugby and almost any other type of ball sports on it. I won't go on about the club I am on committee with in Scotland, but we looked at Stenhousemuir. Same attendances and not far population in Falkirk compared to Basinstoke.

Their pitch is hired out almost all the time, people love playing in the stadium atmosphere. After our game up there, the pitch was divided into three and three different five aside games were played at the same time. Also other games going on behind one of the goals.

It does not stop there, tea bar, bar takings also have improved. Would that not create more money to compete? The pitch only needs replacing once every ten years. But at about 10th of the orginal outlay, but as the Stoke have 40 years left, this could be a money spinner. The ground sponsorship has grown hugely.

I am awaiting the grass purists response, but it has been become a community club. That would alao maybe attract a few extra spectators to the Camrose. Also Stenny have lost 4 games in 4 years, 2 being this season because of heavy snow, despite being in Scotland.

All the local cup finals you could hold, womens football, all the Youth teams, playing at the same place.

I don't see how anyone could be offended by Peter's posts.  What he has said is factual and sheer common sence. 

The Camrose really is not suitable in its present format for higher level leagues.  I personally like the main stand and think it is one of the best I have seen in this league, but the rest of the ground is poorly designed.  Most of the problems come from the past attempt to have a dog track around the pitch, resulting in the covered terraces on the sides being too far from the pitch and too low, giving very poor visibility of the game.  This gives the ground a hotch potch appearance with a lot of wasted space. Then other points that are poor are the inadequate and delapidated toilets, the tannoy system, even the floodlighting is questionable, and of course the car parking needs major attention.  I would also imagine that the changing rooms will probably be showing their age by now and the lack of proper office space must present many problems.

I am not too convinced that it would not be possible to upgrade the Camrose (if the funds were available).  A lease for 40 years is quite a long one, and bear in mind when the club got the ground for the original peppercorn rent, I doubt it was for 100 years initially.  There have I feel sure, been several times when the lease has been extended, but that is just my opinion, so I stand to be corrected on that.  No doubt its current value as a development site would be an obstacle.

is this the start of an 50 and over team ? 

I'll find out the details and see if we can attend both......

Hi Scott

Don't think theres much chance of this happening as i think all of the players are going to the Woking match on this saturday.But if any of them wants to play instead i'll willingly forego the Woking game and run a team for this.

Will need to know by Saturday 13th at the latest if any of the players are up for this.

Cheers

Shay

The Supporters' team and the Supporters' Club are two different entities. Shay is manager of the team and has indicated that he would like for us to continue with our end of season tradition of playing an invitational game.

Scott

Could someone from the Supporters Club Committee let us know please what is planned for the two days of matches for Jason's Testimonial?
Is there just the Chelsea v Reading match on the 25th July and the fun day still on the 2nd May? There should be a supporters team game at the end of the season, but it would be good to know what is actually planned already.

I don't think there's any need for anyone to take personal offence at what Peter Sugden has said.

A number of people work very hard to make the most of the current site at The Camrose and it's to their credit that the stadium looks in better shape now than it has in years: well painted in close season, more advertising hoardings than I've ever seen there, all well put together.

But there's a limit to what can be done with an aging stadium, The Camrose just doesn't cut it as a 21st century leisure facility and the Club simply cannot grow unless it moves to a new modern stadium or the present one is flattened and a new one built where it stands (not viable as the Club doesn't own the land and the lease has less than 40 years to run).

Yes, success might one day mean segregation and an end to some of the things many hold dear, but those things simply cannot be afforded in perpetuity in the long run.

The Club has to grow and change in order to survive.

I think Pete Sugden is simply telling it how it is.

It'll be good for the town if it happens.

Right now, I'm unclear whether it will.

1. How close is the Club to breaking even as it stands without further funding from its current owner?

2. Will the Council find a new site for the Club to move to before the lease (30-odd years left on it) expires?

3. If it does, where will the funding come from to build a modern new stadium on that site?

4. And will there be further funding to market the Club in its own home and provide a player budget so the Manager can assemble a competitive squad that encourages repeat visitors with entertaining, and above all, consistently winning home football?

I doubt precise answers to any of those four questions will be publicly available in the near future.

In the meantime, BTFC are based at The Camrose, currently midtable in the Conference South, the home form is frankly dire - and gates (hence revenue) are/is clearly suffering as a result - but, off the pitch, I'm seeing some good initiatives aimed at making the most of the current site at The Camrose and developing BTFC as a community club.