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Reporter: RICHARD HOOTON
Date online: 01 December 2009
Latics struggle for stadium support
RESIDENTS remain vehemently opposed to Latics’ £20 million stadium plans after telling club bosses to leave Failsworth alone.
But Oldham Council and Boundary Park chiefs braved the lions’ den to insist their proposals will benefit locals by bringing investment, community facilities and jobs.
Failsworth Residents Action Group (FRAG) organised last night’s heated meeting at Failsworth School, attended by around 100 residents, to give locals the chance to question club bosses over proposals for the 12,000 seater stadium off Broadway.
FRAG leader Peter Batty accused the League One outfit of arrogance and a lack of respect for residents.
Locals were incensed that they had been ignored and that the council had backed plans without consulting them.
The impact from traffic, litter and noise would be horrendous on an already congested area, he said. And most of Failsworth don’t consider themselves part of Oldham and support the Manchester clubs.
To applause, one resident said: “Leave Failsworth alone.
“We don’t want you and don’t need you. We are happy as we are.”
There was anger that the Moston Brook Project to create a country park on part of the site would be ruined, though both the council and Latics said they would accommodate it.
One resident said people had chosen to live near Boundary Park but the new stadium was a spectre hanging over Failsworth residents who had spent 25 years paying for and looking after houses.
Another said houses near the new stadium would be devalued by 30 per cent, wiping £2 million off the value of properties on Park Avenue and Broadway, adding: “Is it not immoral and a major injustice to allow this to happen? Would you accept that if you lived there?”
Latics director and estate agent Ian Hill said this was untrue scaremongering. He added that property prices wouldn’t be affected. Mr Batty pointed out he got the figure from Mr Hill’s Ryder & Dutton firm.
Councillor Mohib Uddin insisted Failsworth Lower Memorial Park could be used as it was bought by the council and the Failsworth War Memorial Committee only paid the legal costs. But resident Warren Bates insisted the council was the custodian of the land for residents, not the owner.
He said: “The council does not have the right to dispose of sacrosanct public land in memory of lads and lasses who died in World War One. We, the residents of Failsworth, won’t let them down.”
Mr Batty added: “It’s our land not yours.
“We will fight you through the courts if necessary.”
But in an emotive plea, Latics managing director Simon Corney admitted mistakes had been made and the plans would not be problem-free — but asked to be given a chance, saying the stadium would not be the monstrosity residents feared and would bring benefits.
He conceded that no-one had the right to impose what they want on people living near the stadium and said residents should have the final say. But without change the club will fold.
He insisted the community pitches have to be commercial to be cost effective but the club does a lot of community work, schools could use them for free and he wants local clubs to utilise them.
He said: “We are genuinely trying to do the right thing for the town.
“We are putting our life savings into this and will make it work.”
Latics chief executive Alan Hardy said: “People complain there is no investment in Failsworth. Here’s an opportunity, grasp it with both hands.”
Councillor Uddin said issues of tackling litter and policing could be easily addressed.
One Latics fan and Failsworth resident did back the plans and asked if the stadium could be extended if Latics make it to the Premier League — but was told that would be difficult.
In a presentation, Latics said Boundary Park had passed its sell-by-date, not sustainable or viable to redevelopment and a new ground would benefit the club, supporters and the community by creating jobs for local people and providing better facilities and investment.
They stressed there is no masterplan yet but pledged to hold three public consultation sessions, including an exhibition, and would take on board concerns before a planning application is drawn up in several months’ time.
FRAG will now conduct more research and meet with residents to discuss what was said.
Comments
I think it's best if Simon Corney sells up the club. Some of the fans don't want to leave the real home of oldham. No wonder fans don't turn up for home matches.
Oldham are out of order harassing council and the people for that land. It's time to shut up oldham. I've had it with all this now. It's simply a joke. It will never happen and rightly so.
LOL, only 100 residents of failsworth turned up, and looking at the picture in this article biggest part of them will be pushing up daisy's before it gets built in 2 years time,
Three points stand out. One - the arrogance of OMBC regareding memorial land. Two - no premier football, implying no ambition. Three - BP is dated but the site is good. The argument that a new site and new stadium is cheaper than a new stadium alone does not hold water. I smell something unpleasant with the inclusion of the memorial ground
How can FRAG moan about it when no one has seen any actual plans of the stadium and surrounding area (pitches,etc)?
Also i believe the "Leader" of FRAG doesn't actually live in the area around the proposed site so how is it going to affect him?
The main reason why traffic is bad at the bottom of Broadway is the two pathetically useless bus lanes running up and down Oldham Road.
If, and that's a big 'if', the new stadium is built, the metrolink will be complete. Hopefully a park and ride scheme can be introduced to prevent the number of people travelling to the ground on matchdays.
Hopefully detailed plans will be available soon so everyone can make a judgment then.
these people annoy me - were they as negative when tesco built a massive store in failsworth not so long ago which is of similar size to the stadium? no,because it provides a service for the local community & the benfits of this were immediate after it was built-just as the new stadium will.I dont mean to sound disrespectful but the majority of people there last night were 50+,meaning theyre only thinking short term.this stadium will provide jobs and facilities long after they are gone.
and i cant believe they had the cheek to complain about the possibility of rubbish and noise - have they been on failsworth pole on a night out? or in failsworth centre? this isnt alderley edge were the stadium is being built - this is failsworth. a hot bed for crime already - they should be thankful for extra policing and cctv. id rather have a stadium being built were i live than another block of apartments or a supermarket.
Headline should have been...
'Narrow-minded Nimbys Sign the Death Warrant of Sport in the Town'
Yet another NIMBY luddite organisation, like the Clayton Green action group before them they are blinekered in their outlook because of the opposition to change.
If FRAG are honest like their main opposition to the new stadium, is the loss of space where the can take their walk their dogs and FAIL to clean up the mess they leave (AKA Clayton Green Action Group)
any real latics supporters should be against it as ombc have let them and oldham rugby down for years.
all they're interested in is land grabbing and money making. just look at their recent actions let alone their previous history of years gone by.
get a proper team together and start moving up the leagues first before plundering the club into more problems!
name teams that have had new grounds that have boosted the team back up the leagues!
"Latics director and estate agent Ian Hill said this was untrue scaremongering. He added that property prices wouldn’t be affected. Mr Batty pointed out he got the figure from Mr Hill’s Ryder & Dutton firm."
Brilliant!
Where do you get your info from mad4it? The opposition to Clayton was about Latics trying to steal land that did not belong to either them or the council. Obviously you think theft is OK, if it's for Latics. So you're happy with the war memorial land being pinched are you? Can I steal and sell your house so I can buy a new car.
If you just redevelop BP, as originally planned, everybody will be for it.
"One Latics fan and Failsworth resident did back the plans and asked if the stadium could be extended if Latics make it to the Premier League — but was told that would be difficult."
Given how they play I would say it is almost impossible.
Once again as a lifelong resident of Failsworth and lifelong latics fan,i find myself apologising for all the NIMBYs in the area,ifeel that the new stadium could be a catalyst for attracting new businesses to the area, and maybe the boarded up pubs along Oldham road will re-open.
I feel the latics contingent especially Simon Corney were excellent last night under extreme pressure
One answer that Simon Corney gave last night to a latics fan confused me, he said that it would be impossible to extend the stadium should the latics taste success in the future and that there was little prospect and that there was little chance of them getting back to the premiership during anyones lifetime not an answer i would have expected from a joint owner surely that is the dream behind the new stadium
ammypam - If you just redevelop BP, as originally planned, everybody will be for it.
Last time I checked the latics owners had hard time getting planning permission as the NIMBYs local to BP were against it. Where is this familiar again?
Face it, everyone wants Oldham to have a new stadium as long as it isn't in their own part of the town.
"name teams that have had new grounds that have boosted the team back up the leagues!"
Reading. Wigan. Sunderland. Middlesborough. Doncaster Rovers. Manchester City!
Hope that answers your question.
The one thing I did notice was the absence of our Labour Councillors at the meeting. They are good at rabble rousing but bail out at the crunch (no doubt they had to wash their hair) to me it looks like they are all in favour of this or they would have been leading the charge, so come clean Councillors tell us where you stand. get of the fence
fedupoldhamer - whilst there are examples of teams who have moved within the last 10 years and are not much better off with their league position, such as darlington or coventry, the likes of hull, wigan, doncaster, milton keynes dons, swansea to name a few have all established themselves at least one division higher since moving to a new stadium
I think it is also worth noting that at the last forum it was stated that BAE had been in negotiations with other organisations regarding the land at the Lancaster club, and that these organisations wanted to purchase the land and build industrial units on there (the part where the football pitches currently are), and if their not careful I would bet good money that this will happen.
failsworthian if thats what corney said then i really do think latics should stop now before more money is wasted on this.
if he has no hope on the horizon then all this stadium will bring is more and more debt and the end of latics altogther!
Why don't we sell the car park at Boundary Park and use that money to build a massive and modern 1000 lot coach and car park with good access to Broadway underneath the BP pitch and then build two new modest stands to replace the Main Stand and the void that was the Broadway Stand? Have I been living in Germany too long? Something like that is what they would do here!
Teams that moved up the league: the most obvious one of all: Hull City. Remember playing them in a cup tie at Boothferry Park in 2001 was it. Then the council backed a super new stadium for them and Hull FC(RL).Where now? Say no more. But one thing desperately disappoints me. The implied lack of long term ambition to regain (not attain notice - REgain) a Premier League spot.
'The Latics have a even bigger problem and thats staying in League One this season?!'
'Oldham Oldham give us a goal' tick-tock, tick-tock...
I'll believe a new stadium for Latics when I see a spade go in the ground.
If the then Latics board had played ball with the scheme for a stadium for Latics and the Rugby put together by the Council for the Westwood site (near B&Q) 1995 it would have been playing in a new stadium for over ten years.
But square the circle for me. If the residential scheme round Boundary Park is a non starter, how come selling off the BP site will generate enough cash for the current scheme?
Well there you have it from the horses mouth, Mr Corney stating as i have said all along no investment in the club. and that proves me right on another subject its always been about the land. And superlatics revise your history all clubs you mentioned had heavy investment into their teams before they moved grounds, these money grabbers are in real terms investing nothing into the club.
How can you say the money is not there, when they stated when they took over money for players, money for a new stadium and championship football within 2yrs, and this before the credit crunch. And as for the idiot who said it was the fault of the nimbies in chadderton, get your facts right they did not object to a new stadium they objected to 750 new flats and houses and the extra traffic it would produce.
anyone who uses broadway will tell you of the normal traffic chaos as rush hour times. And the bit about Mr Corney putting his life savings into the club, I nearly choked on my coffee, I don't presume he will be putting the profits of the land and houses back into the club?, Corney, Hill......Do the club a favour and GOOOOOOO I am sure there are people out there that would buy Oldham Athletic, and do a much better job.
The only way forward for this club is for the 3 Scrooges to sell to ex City chairman Wardle, maybe he'd pump the money into the club that is so badly needed rather than counting profits on numerous house sales at boundary park THE REAL HOME OF OLDHAM ATHLETIC
Old_Mancunian I take it that you are one of the people who walk their dogs and fail to clean up the mess.
The latics wanted to use Clayton playing fields, they offered to replace the delapadated facilities with better positioned, up to date amenities - changing rooms, hot showers etc. and increase the number of pitches by 50%.
So yes if you want to steal my house (within the term of the Clayton scheme) them you're quite welcome - as long as you replace it with a 4 bedroomed apartment in Saddleworth !!!!
"Do the club a favour and GOOOOOOO I am sure there are people out there that would buy Oldham Athletic, and do a much better job"
OLDHAM SCOTLAND who exactly do you think is going to invest money in Oldham Athletic ? Newcastle with all their history and massive fan base couldn't attract a buyer, so unless you've got the odd £30 million to spare hush your mouth.
NB In case you're taxing your tiny brain £30 million includes the cost of a new stadium.
Nice try Mad4it, but wrong. Latics needed Clayton to build stores. The replacement fields were, I agree, bigger, but the trust assets were reduced from £20m to £8m. That was the key. Latics taking the assets. By the same logic I could have your house and give you a four bed mansion in Lower Broughton, Salford, and still make a tidy profit.
spot on mad4it, all these clowns that want the board to sell up and go. who do they think is gonna come in and save us like they did 6yrs ago.
money coming in doesnt cover the money going out FACT, and it is the facilities that put people off as well as bad performances.
Population of Oldham borough over 200,000. Population of Failsworth around 20,000. Attendance at meeting 100. The luddites and nimbys may be vociferous, but they are in a minority. Unless this new stadium is built Oldham Athletic will almost certainly go out of business. Hopefully, common sense from the council's planning committee will prevail and Latics will be playing in Failsworth in a couple of years time.
Population of Oldham borough over 200,000. Population of Failsworth around 20,000. Attendance at meeting 100. The luddites and nimbys may be vociferous, but they are in a minority. Unless this new stadium is built Oldham Athletic will almost certainly go out of business
Mmm... Sounds good to me.
Verrry Interesting. Keep it up all you nimby bashers. Bet you don't live next to a stadium, or want in fact. When Simon Corney was asked by my wife in conversation after the event, in all honesty, would you like to live next to stadium? his answer after being pressed , I"I don't suppose I would, I'd have to think about it.
fragal 3/12/09 AKA Pete Batty
Have Your Say
It sounds like another fine mess and non starter. OAFC should not be playing in failsworth. Most supporters come from Royton, Shaw, saddleworth, chadderton. There must be a way of redeveloping BP as this move which is to close to Man City will be a disaster for OAFC in my view.
By Max Damage @ 01/12/2009 13:37:29