Dulwich Hamlet

[Bluerevolution]

postponed-waterlogged pitch

[Guest]

Got leaflet through door saying that they are proposing to build new stadium on the current astroturf. So where are the astros going to go?

[Bluerevolution]

More info here Fafanoo http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/dulwichhamlet/news/next-stage-of-public-consultation-announced-1331593.html

[Bluerevolution]

Game on tonight at Champion Hill

[AGW3]

Half Season Ticket Launched

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/dulwichhamlet/news/half-season-ticket-launched-1334073.html

[mako]

does anyone know if the arsenal baggies game will be shown before todays match in the clubhouse? thanks

[Jah Lush]

Yes. I would have thought so.

[Wottajoke]

Is Dulwich hamlet going to be doing another of its pay what you can days between now and Christmas does anyone know?

[Bluerevolution]

Simple answer is no, there are 2 home games between now and Christmas, next Tuesday (9th) and then Saturday 20th

[alice]

you know the bloke thats with him?

steveo Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> No doubt about it

>

> http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac166/Steve_Ove

> rbury/1010128_10153358037581111_840619416457337118

> 8_n_zps410fbf10.jpg

[Bluerevolution]

That's Matt, the license holder

[mikeb]

Did anyone go to the second public display by Hadley Group of its latest plans at the end of November?

[dollywitch]

Did not go but this seems to be them:

http://www.championhillstadium.org.uk/content/our-proposals

[Alan Medic]

Maybe this has been answered already, but if the club is operating at a loss how is a new stadium going to change that?

[James Barber]

The Hadley Group suggest that a new ground of astroturf would mean they could rent it out 50-60 hours per week rather than current 5-6 hours. That they'd include two Multi Use Games Areas which could also be rented out. That these together would enable a better income stream.

The flip side is they'll have built 200+ homes to recoup the ?6M they've spent so far on buying the grounds and club.

Their plan depends on building on open land the current football grounds. But they have employed Bellenden serious PR people to try and make it happen.

[Alan Medic]

Years ago (so I may be out of the loop) the current astroturf area used to be used every day/night of the week for kids and adult football matches/training. It could also be used as a full length pitch if required,if I remember correctly. I presume that's still the case. So they would get rid of an existing astroturf area and replace it with another one and this will increase income. How? Do they know there is going to be additional demand for it?

What's to stop them turning the current pitch of the football club into an astroturf one? Is it the building of houses they are more interested in? If so, once that's finished and they have made their money, why would they care about the football club?

[milk76]

The current Hamlet pitch could of course be turned into 4g astroturf and the site could turn a modest profit. I suspect this is not the ?100 million payday that Hadley have in mind though.

I hope the Council stand strong, execute their plan to improve the astroturf pitches, and increase not decrease the available community sports facilities.

[AGW3]

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/dulwichhamlet/news/stadium-development-exhibition-slides-1341403.html

[lpool]

I like this quote from Bellenden on their website:

"We are acutely aware of the strict regulations around consultation from the Planning Inspectorate and have a successful track record of exceeding these requirements when submissions are made."

As James says, they are a serious PR group.

[Gary P]

Alan Medic Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Years ago (so I may be out of the loop) the

> current astroturf area used to be used every

> day/night of the week for kids and adult football

> matches/training. It could also be used as a full

> length pitch if required,if I remember correctly.

> I presume that's still the case. So they would get

> rid of an existing astroturf area and replace it

> with another one and this will increase income.

> How? Do they know there is going to be additional

> demand for it?

>

> What's to stop them turning the current pitch of

> the football club into an astroturf one? Is it the

> building of houses they are more interested in? If

> so, once that's finished and they have made their

> money, why would they care about the football

> club?

Having a new stadium with community facilities has been a source of much-needed increased revenue for many football clubs. The current astroturf is outdated and in bad condition. By getting rid of it and creating a new playing surface it'll create a more desirable sports facility for local people, clubs, schools etc.

They can't simply put the new astroturf pitch in the existing stadium, as Hadley wish to use that land for building homes. Naturally, Hadley didn't get into this to be charitable, and haven't said they wish to run the club forever. Hadley's solution does seem to benefit everyone, however. They're a property developer so it is the building of houses that they're interested in. Once that's done and the football club has a new home, I believe the hope would be for the football club to adopt a fan ownership model.

[milk76]

But Gary, Southwark Council have already allocated the money and are going to upgrade the current astroturf pitch since it's current lease holders have allowed it to fall into disrepair.

Hadley is not offering to add a facility it is trying to garner public support to remove one.

Investing in a 4g pitch for the Champion Hill Stadium would increase conservatively eightfold the time the pitch could be used each week. Thus bringing in new, significant, year round revenue streams to the stadium. It would also greatly reduce upkeep costs and reduce the losses from wet weather cancellations. Sure it is not the profit they can make bulldozing it and then selling 200 new homes, but I fail to see how it is in the public interest to change planning policy to help them make a pile of cash.

[mikeb]

Not just changing the planning policies but also overturning a covenant / planning agreement regarding the DHFC site that requires it to be used for recreational, leisure or educational purposes.

[Bluerevolution]

From January this year and why 3g/4g is a no goer at present

"It?s tight at the top of the Ryman League Premier Division. With a little less than half of the season left to play, just seven points seperate the top six clubs in the table and it remains, for now at least, anybody?s guess who from Kingstonian, Maidstone United, Wealdstone, Dulwich Hamlet, Bognor Regis Town or AFC Hornchurch will be taking a place in the Conference South. Indeed, one of these clubs will not even make the division?s play-offs come the end of the season. Out of that six, though, there is one club that will be furrowing the brows of people at the Football Association and the Football Conference more than their competitors at the moment, because at the moment one of those clubs could yet earn promotion on the pitch, only to be subsequently denied it at a committee meeting.

The club at risk of missing out is Maidstone United, and the reason for it is the 3G artificial pitch that the club has fitted at The Gallagher Stadium, the new ground into which it moved in the summer of 2012. The game?s authorities, however, have not yet granted permission for 3G pitches to be used above Level Six ? the level at which Maidstone United currently play ? of the English National League System. As the rules stand today, the club would be refused promotion should it win the Ryman League title or the play-offs at the end of this season. Football Association rules preclude the use of artificial pitches in competitions featuring Premier League, Football League or Conference clubs and beyond the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, although they are permitted below this level and in the FA Trophy and FA Vase, and it is this fudge of an arrangement that threatens to cause issues for Maidstone United at the end of this season."

Source: http://twohundredpercent.net/?p=25260

[Gary P]

Bluerevolution Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> From January this year and why 3g/4g is a no goer

> at present

>

> "It?s tight at the top of the Ryman League Premier

> Division. With a little less than half of the

> season left to play, just seven points seperate

> the top six clubs in the table and it remains, for

> now at least, anybody?s guess who from

> Kingstonian, Maidstone United, Wealdstone, Dulwich

> Hamlet, Bognor Regis Town or AFC Hornchurch will

> be taking a place in the Conference South. Indeed,

> one of these clubs will not even make the

> division?s play-offs come the end of the season.

> Out of that six, though, there is one club that

> will be furrowing the brows of people at the

> Football Association and the Football Conference

> more than their competitors at the moment, because

> at the moment one of those clubs could yet earn

> promotion on the pitch, only to be subsequently

> denied it at a committee meeting.

>

> The club at risk of missing out is Maidstone

> United, and the reason for it is the 3G artificial

> pitch that the club has fitted at The Gallagher

> Stadium, the new ground into which it moved in the

> summer of 2012. The game?s authorities, however,

> have not yet granted permission for 3G pitches to

> be used above Level Six ? the level at which

> Maidstone United currently play ? of the English

> National League System. As the rules stand today,

> the club would be refused promotion should it win

> the Ryman League title or the play-offs at the end

> of this season. Football Association rules

> preclude the use of artificial pitches in

> competitions featuring Premier League, Football

> League or Conference clubs and beyond the Fourth

> Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, although they are

> permitted below this level and in the FA Trophy

> and FA Vase, and it is this fudge of an

> arrangement that threatens to cause issues for

> Maidstone United at the end of this season."

>

> Source: http://twohundredpercent.net/?p=25260

This ruling has since been changed, and Maidstone will go up if they win promotion this season.

[Gary P]

milk76 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> But Gary, Southwark Council have already allocated

> the money and are going to upgrade the current

> astroturf pitch since it's current lease holders

> have allowed it to fall into disrepair.

>

> Hadley is not offering to add a facility it is

> trying to garner public support to remove one.

>

> Investing in a 4g pitch for the Champion Hill

> Stadium would increase conservatively eightfold

> the time the pitch could be used each week. Thus

> bringing in new, significant, year round revenue

> streams to the stadium. It would also greatly

> reduce upkeep costs and reduce the losses from wet

> weather cancellations. Sure it is not the profit

> they can make bulldozing it and then selling 200

> new homes, but I fail to see how it is in the

> public interest to change planning policy to help

> them make a pile of cash.

If the Council insists on simply upgrading the astroturf pitch, without allowing that pitch to be part of a new stadium, it could result in the death of the football club.

Yes, Hadley want public support for their plan to build on the current site of the stadium, but as part of their plan to do that they are also attempting to make provision for the football club. Putting the 4G pitch inside the current stadium is not an option, as Hadley want that land for their own uses.