New Ground

[PhilGull]

In three years apparently!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37032121

"When we get to that stage we'll become a self-sustaining club. It's just in the meantime we need financing." - Fair enough.
"Phillips says a developer would build the ground and give it to the Gulls, but benefit from developing other businesses on land adjacent to the new stadium." - So how does that work?

How can it improve our sustainability and make money for a developer? Someone is not going to be making as much money as they could...

[Colorado Gull]

"I know the council are very keen on this happening, so that's the future." Well yes. They've been wanting Plainmoor's land to build on for years!

"We just have to survive for the next few years." That's encouraging.

[Gullscorer]

I presume they'll be selling pies in the sky at the new ground..

[Glostergull]

nah its cookoos for the clocks in cloud land

[DJ Gull]

Yawn

[Plainmoor78]

This sounds similar to the announcement of a new stadium at a business breakfast meeting at Plainmoor in February attended by the mayor and Pete Masters. Then it was supposed to be an American developer company involved. Shortly afterwards GI came onto the scene. On the 19th july, just before the GI deal fell through Dave Philips had this say about a post GI future "You never know there may be some sort of consortium involving GI, you never know". In August Clark Osbourne, reflecting on the collapse of the deal in The Swindon Advertiser had this to say " Unfortunately we are not able to progress any further at this moment in time, though we will continue to work closely with the club and try to get into a position where we have sufficient levels of confidence. We may still have a future with them".
I do not think we have heard the last of GI. Just when you thought it was safe.....

[tomogull]

I understand David Phillips arguments in favour of a new ground at a more convenient site which could become a community amenity similar to how Soton Gull has explained what is happening in Eastleigh, but not the way Gaming International wanted to do it - i.e. buy the freehold of Plainmoor, develop the ground and then (maybe) build a new stadium with the proceeds. It was never explained where Torquay Utd AFC would play their matches in the meantime. A much better model is what happened at Barnet. They moved straight from their old ground at Underhill to a new multi-purpose stadium. I don't know how they did it but it might pay our Board members to contact Barnet for ideas. I wouldn't mind betting that Clarke Osbourne/Gaming International/Riviera Stadia had absolutely nothing to do with the Barnet development .......

[Gulliball]

We shouldn't be considering any ground move until new owners are in place.
We shouldn't be considering any 'bedfellows' who want to own the ground before taking ownership.

With these two principles in place, I don't see how we can suggest timeframes and suchlike about a new ground. Perhaps there will be a new owner or fan involvement that don't want to go down this route? We are a club up for sale after all.

[MellowYellow]

I understand David Phillips arguments in favour of a new ground at a more convenient site which could become a community amenity similar to how Soton Gull has explained what is happening in Eastleigh, but not the way Gaming International wanted to do it - i.e. buy the freehold of Plainmoor, develop the ground and then (maybe) build a new stadium with the proceeds. It was never explained where Torquay Utd AFC would play their matches in the meantime. A much better model is what happened at Barnet. They moved straight from their old ground at Underhill to a new multi-purpose stadium. I don't know how they did it but it might pay our Board members to contact Barnet for ideas. I wouldn't mind betting that Clarke Osbourne/Gaming International/Riviera Stadia had absolutely nothing to do with the Barnet development .......

Tomogull, Construction of Hive stadium, began in 2003 as a new home for Wealdstone F.C (not Barnet). In 2004, Wealdstone's investment partners in the project went into liquidation, bringing construction work at the site to a halt. Harrow London Borough Council put the site up for tender in 2006, and Barnet F.C. won the right to occupy the site as a result of this. Hence the reason they moved into a new stadium straight from their old ground.

[lucy6lucy]

Why is the obsession with a plastic pitch the answer to generating more money. Yes, it can. But if the aim short/long term objective is for the club to return to the football league, then we can't have a plastic pitch.

[Gullscorer]

I hope I'm wrong, but I get the impression that the current board, while we must be grateful to them for keeping the club alive, don't always think things through fully enough. For all their good intentions, they appear to be increasingly desperate in their search to find solutions to take the club forward into a sustainable future, perhaps resulting in a hasty preference towards a few less wise options.

[Plainmoor78]

I'm afraid your not wrong. Whilst the club desperately needs to find new revenue sources I think the current board lack the know how of how to do this. The GI scenario being an example, yes a new ground might help, but GI weren't the type of people to bring it about and the board should have cottoned on to this. Other attempts to raise funds such as the yellowfest debacle are laughable. In fact the board instead of being able to finance the club properly, which is their responsibility, instead rely on the generosity of the supporters via the player fund. In fact this club is run like a bloody charity.

[gullpower]

I'm afraid your not wrong. Whilst the club desperately needs to find new revenue sources I think the current board lack the know how of how to do this. The GI scenario being an example, yes a new ground might help, but GI weren't the type of people to bring it about and the board should have cottoned on to this. Other attempts to raise funds such as the yellowfest debacle are laughable. In fact the board instead of being able to finance the club properly, which is their responsibility, instead rely on the generosity of the supporters via the player fund. In fact this club is run like a bloody charity.

You're right about the club being run as a charity. But the players fund demonstrates how deep Gulls fans are prepared to put their hands in their pockets for the club yet receive nothing in return. How much then would fans invest in the club if it gave them a share in the club and a say in its running?

The folly of the present board is that while they are looking for sources of new investment they can't see that there is one right under their noses.

Join TUST. Dream in yellow.

[PhilGull]

You're right about the club being run as a charity. But the players fund demonstrates how deep Gulls fans are prepared to put their hands in their pockets for the club yet receive nothing in return. How much then would fans invest in the club if it gave them a share in the club and a say in its running?

The folly of the present board is that while they are looking for sources of new investment they can't see that there is one right under their noses.

Join TUST. Dream in yellow.

[Gullscorer]

Given that the club is generally non-profitmaking, then yes, it could well be regarded as a charity seeking donations. Perhaps it should apply for charitable status..