Stadium news
Last updated : 20 November 2007 By Dave Moore
Ian Hill has added his observations to the recent Council refusal of permission for stadium development at Boundary Park. In an official statement Mr. Hill said:
It's not normally my style to be the spokesperson for the Club. I usually leave that to Simon and Alan and I'm the quiet one working in the background. Four years ago, despite many trials and tribulations, I was able to negotiate the buyback of the Club and surrounding land for our new owners. As a Board we've shared a vision, not just for our club but for the town as well.
For the last four years, Simon and I have attended literally hundreds of meetings and expended hundreds of thousands of pounds of their money, and despite many knockbacks along the way we've picked ourselves up, each time, to take us within touching distance of the dream.
To say that the decision made this week was shocking is an understatement and I'm sure you can all fully appreciate how incredibly disillusioned Simon, Simon and Danny are. Frankly, who can blame them. The importance of the planning application cannot be overestimated. Without its approval the club will stagger on, as it is, in a decaying stadium and there is no future in that. The additional facilities, that everyone agrees are desperately needed, simply can't be built. What a message that sounds out to the rest of the country.
With it's approval we can look forward to a facility fit for the Championship and, as the current custodians of the club, we can leave a sustainable legacy for future generations. It is on public record of how badly we feel let down by certain individuals. What isn't on record is the incredible support we've received over the last couple of days and offers of help. Also the incredible support we've had from the Council's Regeneration Department who've been behind us all the way, from the Planning Department who recognised what we were trying to achieve and recommended the application for approval, and not least from many other senior Council officials and elected members who want to do the right thing for this town.
Please continue to show us your support. Write to or email your Councillors, the Councillors who sat on the Planning Committee and MP's. Copy in Alan, at the club, the Leader of the Council and the Chief Exec. and make sure they're in no doubt what you think. The decision made, this week, was not right. I do believe that the people running this town should be and are brave enough to admit that the decision to refuse the application was a mistake.
I promise that I and the rest of the Board will do and continue to do everything possible to get us back on track and provide us with something that we, our children and our children's children deserve.
Thank you.