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Latics home in on World Cup bid
Reporter: MATTHEW CHAMBERS
Date online: 17/02/2010
OLDHAM Athletic’s controversial new stadium plan has been given a welcome boost — from England’s 2018 World Cup bid.
The proposed stadium at the bottom of Broadway in Failsworth looks set to bolster Manchester’s host city bid.
The 2018 bid team believes including Athletic’s proposed new ground as a specific training site could strengthen Manchester’s case and the overall England bid.
Old Trafford and The City of Manchester Stadium are the two grounds earmarked to stage games if the England bid is successful, but teams will require training sites in the area and that is why the new Latics stadium could play a major role in helping England secure FIFA’s nomination.
Latics chief executive Alan Hardy said: “We have been invited to a meeting with Sir Howard Bernstein, the chief executive of Manchester City Council, who is leading the bid team, to discuss the feasibility of the new stadium being included in the England 2018 Bid Book. We are absolutely delighted.
“We will hopefully have the proposed new stadium on stream by then and it is thought that our inclusion would help to enhance the England 2018 bid. It would certainly be a major boost for the club and the whole Oldham borough to be involved in the world’s biggest sporting event.”
If England win the bid it could mean world stars from the likes of Brazil, Italy, Argentina and a host of other countries would use Latics’ facilities and bring massive media exposure and prestige to the borough.
Added Mr Hardy: “With games taking place at the two stadiums in Manchester, at least four centres will be needed for training purposes and we could host one of those.
“Teams then tend to host open training sessions, meaning that people who can’t necessarily go to watch the matches can at least see some of the superstars of world football in action.
“If by being involved we can enhance the prestige and reputation of the borough and create some excitement for people, then it is a great development for the whole borough.”
FIFA decide in December which country will win the honour of hosting the 2018 tournament.
For the region this would mean a festival of football, fans and friendship as well as a significant boost to the economy.
Comments
Agreed Spike - aim high and go for it! Now let les miserables speak unto us
Here's ome Spike, this is nothing more than desperation to try and whip up some positive PR after the plans being pretty much killed off.
Why is it desperation? They were invited by the Manchester bid, OAFC didn't approach them.
Question - Why would Latics bid to host the training for the world cup make any difference to a restrictive covenant in the title deeds to the land that Latics want?
"we will hopefully have the new stadium on stream by then". You need the land first Mr Hardy. You don't own it, it will need a High Court case, and then you have to try and defeat the restrictive covenants.
Call me negative if you like but I'd rather be realistic than have my head in the clouds and come to Earth with a bang.
Wrong ProDriver!
"The 2018 bid team believes including Athletic’s proposed new ground as a specific training site could strengthen Manchester’s case and the overall England bid."
I don't smell any desperation on the part of Latics, there.
Why don't you go and spread your doom and gloom somewhere else...
Fantastic! Visiting teams will also need a hotel to stay.... O, that sounds like the plans they had for Boundery Park....
I see Latics have stooped to a new low regarding the new stadium bid, they are now trying to use the plans as part of getting the world cup in England in 2018, Latics ground would be used as a training camp for other teams. I am a Latics fan and would love a new stadium but not in Failsworth Manchester, i would much prefer the new stadium built next door to our dilapidated ground then BP demolished, surely there would still be enough land for some homes to cover costs.
World Cup? This week has been a fulcrum for negativity concerning Oldham Athletic. Initially, the 'Failsworth Freedom Fighters Against Sport' announced that they together with ace investigator, Warren Bates had won the battle for stadium plans in scenic Lower Faisworth. No announcement from the club regarding these utterances only concerned supporters filling your columns with their respective views. 2018 can wait awhile, victory for the club and its supporters is more important !!!!!!
This newspaper becomes a fiction publication everyday. 1200 jobs coming to Shaw, Latics and world cup bid, council doing a great job, racial integration in the town, new stadium for roughyeds (Bears) etc, etc etc as the king of Siam said. Wake up Oldham and smell the coffee nothing will ever change.
how desperate are they! the stadium would not provide a suitable capaity for any matches so they're wasting their time with this one.
just drop boundry park and build a new one on the same site! i think everyone will agree to that!
honestly you lot make oldham sound like baghdad at times - ive never heard so much negativity in my life. council/latics/rugby/town centre all rubbish blah blah blah. cheer up once in a while u mite like it. it saddens me because my home town is full of miserbable people, and it spreads. it puts me off goin BP, going shopping, doing anything in this town. get behind the club and the town as a whole because u never know whats round the corner.All the best latics.
"just drop boundry park and build a new one on the same site! i think everyone will agree to that!"
One small flaw in that plan, where do they play in the meantime?
I think it is good news for Latics. as for a High court judgment on the new site it is up to the anties to bring this to the high court and fund it, The commissioners have said it cant be proved either way so they cant prevent any thing.
Change your tune chaddyender...as I said before, you can't build a new stadium next to the current one, then demolish BP...health and safety...we would have to play our games elsewhere and seeing as how people keep moaning about playing in "Manchester", I can't see that option going down well if we have to share with Rochdale or Bury.
Geddit?
Barros, The Latics and/or OMBC have to take the case to court as they are the ones seeking to change the conditions of the land. They would also have to go to high court to try and break the covenants. My view is that they have no chance now that it has been revealed that there are restrictive covenants on the land. We need to ask why the council and OMBC pursued this course when they must have known about them.
fedupoldhamer...read the article...they are proposing using it as a training ground, not for the actual World Cup matches.
Should have gone to Specsavers mate.
My advice to Sir Howard (already passed on ) is not to put anything in writing about latics new home until he knows where it will be. As CEO M/C he should be aware of the conflict of interest re the Moston Brook regeneration project which Oldham & M/c councillors are committed to.I feel he will be accused of colluding in raising the hopes of the already frustrated fans, only to have them dashed once again due to enthusiasm overtaking rationalle
Pete
Spike you really are STUPID, where does health and safety come into building a new ground whilst playing from the old ground, there is plenty enough space towards the top of sheepfoot lane which Latics own to build the new ground.
GEDDIT????? FOOL
chaddyender...check the satellite pics on Google, there is not enough room to build a new stadium anywhere around BP AND protect the safety of visitors to the existing stadium.
In fact, there isn't enough room to build without knocking down BP first.
And I'll ask you not to call me a "fool" or "stupid".
Spike why don't you put a sock in it, we constantly have to hear your drivel, let other have their say. All said and done they should have done their homework before jumping in the deep end, giving the supporters the all wind routine, in which these directors have done since they took over all mouth and very little action of any kind......OHH i know they saved the club, as you would say give it a rest its getting old!.
Chaddyender is right. They could build a new stand on the missing fourth side, then replace the other three, one at a time. What is the problem. The housing market is picking up so there is now a revenue stream to fund it.
Didn't Huddersfield build their stadium a side at a time?
Old Manc, Huddersfield built their new stadium on a different site, although it took them a while to complete the 4th stand. Chaddeyender is suggesting that we build the new ground virtually next door to Boundary Park.
Regarding this, I agree with Spike. The impracticalities would make this extremely difficult, especially as you'd have to close Sheepfoot Lane while the stand on that side was being built.
And as for fedup oldhamer, it really would help if you read the article.
SO WILL THE MANCHESTER BID FILL OUR CORNERS IN!!!!!
Old mancunion
It has not been revealed that there are covenants in place. The charity commission has said they are unable to make up their mind regarding the status of the land.
Nothing has been established.
This will never come to pass if Oldham council have their finger in the pie.. Look at the fiasco with the rugby team. Promises to find them a new home and they finish up on a dilapidated minor soccer ground with no proper amenities. If Latics are'nt careful that is where they will finish up as well waiting for a new stadium that will never be built.Might as well start now with the redevelopment of BP.
chadyender: Even if health and safety regulations wouldn't stop Latics building next door to BP, the lack of money would! Furthermore, Failsworth has not been part of Manchester since 1894! As for the Huddersfield comparison, did you know that Kirklees Council own 40% of the stadium. Can you imagine the comments if OMBC agreed to fund £8m of the Failsworth development! Old_mancunian: If OMBC rule they can lease the land then FRAG would have to fund any court action against the council. KTF.
Spike and others backing this folly. It's no more than the club trying to put pressure on with a look what we MIGHT get IF we get permission to build.
Surely a brand new stand to replace the Ford Stand would make Latics just as attractive a proposition for the 2018 bid?
What is stopping the club from building a new main stand then replacing the others as they go? Both ends are OK for some time, just replace the current main stand after the new main stand is done.
***** Why don't you just all go and play golf ******
OLDHAM SCOTLAND - "...we constantly have to hear your drivel..." That's rich, coming from you and your constant negative drivel! So, why don't you "give it a rest"?
I have nothing against chaddyender, but what he is suggesting is not possible from a safety standpoint and from a financial standpoint. It's o.k. to come up with these suggestions, but think sensibly about them first.
I am not against a BP redevelopment, but we all know that it isn't going to happen in the current conditions.
Spike it's funny how Latics found 3 million pounds to buy the Lancaster Club but can't find any money to put into BP or even money to put into the team we have. Now think about that one.
Superlatic. The covenants have nothing to do with the Charity Commission. They are in the title deeds. The Commission are looking at other documents which may or may not establish whether the land is charitable, based upon how it was transferred to the Council.
Build it in Failsworth and it might as well become the training pitch of Man City.
Those who say a stadium cannot be built at BP and the team play there at the same time seem to have forgotten the previous plans for the redevelopment of BP, which you enthusiastically supported, which planned to do just that.
Have Your Say
Good luck Latics...I now await the stream of negativity that usually occurs in these comments.
By spike @ 17/02/2010 12:42:41
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