A quote from the latest post on then FCHT forum:

"A deal done under the table by the present bunch will be reported to West Yorkshire Police. The Economic Crime Unit is responsible for combating serious and complex money laundering cases, fraud and corruption within the public and private sectors"

What planet are these guys on?

The Anti Fax Forum is a joke and you cant take these clowns seriously. On one hand they saying to the Council dont sell The Shay and writing to Councillors etc. Then they are publically abusing the Council and Councillors like Tim Swift and co. The way they berated the Council following the state of the pitch earlier this year and always bashing the Council about The Shay and how its run. Why should The Council help them? And they have received way too much help over the years from the Council. Remember when the Council was running the club on the rates? Rememeber it well but for those not read about it here
[urlhttp://books.google.de/books?id=bSseAgPPPoYC&pg=PA261&lpg=PA261&dq=calderdale+council+buy+football+club&source=bl&ots=e2FC5-q4Eq&sig=w4mxFVSNzuw-u1RbHD27TqDtyFI&hl=de&sa=X&ei=AvRCUpLCNI6Shge62IH4CA&ved=0CDUQ6AEwATge#v=onepage&q=calderdale%20council%20buy%20football%20club&f=false[/url

The Council is in debt in a big way and needs to cut costs. Sadly The Shay is a massive burden and the Council really needs to properly look at things. The Shay should be sold if it cant afford to look after it. Why should Schools and Museums close, Playing fields and Librarys sold off and a massive Money drain like The Shay, be allowed to stay under the control of the Council, despite it sadly being used by less than 5% of the people of Calderdale? The Shay will one day be sold as the Council cant afford to run it as they do. The way the Football lot are acting towards the Council and The Shay is a disgrace. The Council has to make any decision based on what is good for the whole electorate and not just a handful of people who follow either club. Calderdale has a population of over 200,000 and yet less than 5000 regularly attend The Shay. Should the Council also waste hundreds of thousands of pounds each year on The Shay where few people attend? For me no it shouldnt. IF it is felt that The Shay should be sold then the Coiuncil I hope puts in details that would see both clubs never being allowed not to play at The Shay. How that can be achieved I dont know

Just a thought but one thing which I haven't heard suggested yet is that TA leases the Shay from the council but that they retain ownership in the same way that Bradford council own Odsal Stadium but the RFL own the lease.

I'd suggest that the 2 clubs lease it between them but I know that TA wants to develop and run the stadium as a business and FCHT can't even get it together to sort out their new offices and shop.

Taken from the examiner today... bit.ly/18ZN51I

Taken from the examiner today... bit.ly/18ZN51I

Pretty much agree with everything in that article.

Don't agree on the Trust part, would have to say Why?
To recover the full costs is unrealistic, as much money as they can get and no more public money spent on it sounds fair enough to me. Angle it on public savings and money in the bank and i'm sure depending on who you talk to a picture can be painted different people will appreciate.
The rest of it seems common sense.

If it is a trust, where does the money come from?

Did the Council ever recover the full costs for running Halifax Town a few years ago when they ran the club? Did they not sell the club for 1 Pound? Why should The Shay be any different?

I gather the trust would consist of representatives
From both clubs, the council and probably a couple co opted in(maybe TA).

Money would come from the clubs rent, five a side pitch and car park(that brings in 80k a year). Allowing tony Abbott to lease the annexe will bring in income. And now that the east stand is complete a major money sponsorship and renaming of the stadium is probably a lot more achievable.

The old sst never made a loss, it just never made enough money to raise the £5 million to finish the east stand. We have the east stand now. We just need some expertise in selling the corporate/offices side of the stadium.

A few years ago... You mean a few decades ago.

The car park brings in 80k a year?
From whom, never seen a car park attendant there when it is full every day!

Think what you are saying that things will go on as the same, but with Mr Abbott leasing the annex, and been co opted on to the board.
Perhaps Mr Abbott has the "expertise" in selling the corporate/offices side of the stadium.



You seem to suggest that Mr Abbott should be the driving force of the "New Shay"

The topic of The Shay was mentioned at a Council Meeting this week and it looks like the Anti Fax Brigade are not happy. One of the tools who went mentioned the following was discussed-

No mention of the six member cabinet but a vague mention of full council approval reviewing the bid for the first question. For the second question we were told £5.8m had been invested on the Shay, and £3.5 of that money was raised by "prudential borrowing," of which a lot is still to be paid after the council paying it back in installments from 2009/10 and onwards. So what I gather is that if the Shay were sold for £1.9m, then the council would still be in the red for a number of years...But towards the end of the hour a councillor stood up and went through a long monologue that was forced to be cut short by 7pm on the dot. He told the room that he wasn't sure where the "18 months ago" came from with regards to Abbott's bid. Apparently the council had an letter containing the bid hand-delivered on 2nd August 2013 which was opened three days later, representing Abbott's "final bid," which was taken to David Bosomworth soon later. But the councillor alleged that Abbott was there for talks 18 months ago, however these talks were on the subject of moving his offices to the Shay, creating 300/400 jobs there, then later talk from Abbott about doing up and running the south corner of the East Stand. Plans were brewing for him including a children's nursery in there(!), and at the same time Abbott endeavoured to sponsor any of our stands/the Shay itself, which as we can see now didn't come through. The councillor also noted however, that all Abbott's drawn out propositions managed to stretch across three paragraphs on one A4 paper....A councillor from the back then added a bit of background to Tony Abbott before the whole meeting went off on one about this year's Yorkshire in Bloom contests. He mentioned that Abbott married a northern woman and they started going to Siddal, where his son developed an interest in rugby and then got a season ticket at Town, mentioning Abbott's Tottenham relationship. He then of course moved into HRLFC.

Well done Mr Abbott for calling one of them a "Cock" on twitter after one of the Anti Fax Brigade was winding him up on twitter. The Anti Fax Brigade seem happy to go to any lengths to ruin peoples reputations and Bubba seems quite happy to allow such things to be discussed.

The Council never ran either club so there's no money to recoup. But don't let simple well known facts stop you from being an idiot

Be nice to discuss without resorting to unpleasentnes

Clearly you know nothing about your football club as Calderdale Council did actually run the club for 4 years between 1987 and 1991. The taking over of the club was agreed and was passed by just a majority of one vote. It was the idea of Councillor David Helliwell. Mr Helliwell came out with such things as "We seek not to make a loss, but if we do, then its underwritten like any other council service which makes a loss" For more info click here
[urlhttp://books.google.de/books?id=bSseAgPPPoYC&pg=PA264&lpg=PA264&dq=calderdale+council++runs+football+club&source=bl&ots=e2FC7-h0In&sig=XfyUcSJN88PpQ9XSUpjhy-TdgKY&hl=de&sa=X&ei=sNxFUtfxMcSgtAask4CQBw&ved=0CFMQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=calderdale%20council%20%20runs%20football%20club&f=false[/url

I look forward to your apology

Thank you for pointing out my unpleasantness but I was responding to a lie which surely is more unpleasant?Therefore, I respectably ask you to quote the post I was replying to and ask them not to resort to unpleasantness.

But that's not going to happen because the post I responded to was anti-football and neither side (football or rugby) want the truth getting in the way of them being complete and utter idiots trying to out point score each other.

I'm not attempting to gain any moral high ground, I just despair at the attitudes of both set of fans. Both need each other to make The Shay viable but are unwilling to accept that so we go no further forward.

Please show me where it was a lie what I put. I have shown you my evidence to show that Calderdale Council did run the football club and it cost the Tax payers money. Whether my post was anti football or not its still the truth. I have no time for football in general as for me its overhyped and boring. I have even less time for Halifax Town and especially the fans and the way Mr Abbott and the club in general is treated by such people is shocking. If you dont like what I put thats your problem.

1. Have you googled the definition of recently? Because 22-26 years is not included in any definition.

2, That was Halifax Town FC who no longer exist. If you knew anything about football you would know that FC Halifax Town came into existence in 2008 and have never been owned by the council

I look forward to your apology

I also appreciate the fact you have managed to harbour a grudge that goes back further than "where did the Thrum Hall/Jim Brown money go?" that is normally spouted

Lol. If I had that history I'd deny it too.

Looks like Mr Butler junior is taking us back in time and he may have just scuppered any deal for the Shay altogether and as a result investment in improving the Shay probably for many years to come if ever now. Thing is whilst it would be great for a Stadium Trust to run the stadium it won't work with the current set up as the income from the car parking, 5 a side pitch, East Stand and the clubs rent won't be enough to invest in the extra facilities needed to create more income. Gavin you are living in cloud cuckoo land as a Trust won't have the money they will just tick over and you will have lost us an opportunity to get further improvements to the Shay imo.
But don't let that stop you.

The last time Bubba came up with a plan B it was soundly rejected by his own fans and The Town Board have had nothing to do with him since , he isn`t "living in cloud cuckoo land " as he was pushed out of the nest some time back. The very idea that anyone would want to revert back to the SST arrangement is laughable to be honest ,the idea was good but didn`t work and would certainly need a good man with vision at the helm .

Why would anyone oppose the sale of The Shay?

Anyone with knowledge of former Bradford City Chairman Gordon Gibb's pension fund.

Anyone with knowledge about The Goldstone Ground, Brighton,
Nene Park, Rushden,
Feethams,Darlington
Plough Lane, Wimbledon
And numerous other sports grounds, not just football stadia.

Anyone with knowledge of The Thrum Hall ground fiasco.

Anyone with knowledge of previous Halifax Town Chairmen.

Anyone with knowledge of the ‘Save our Shay’ campaign by both sets of supporters a few years back.

Apart from the meccano set in the corner The ground is looking its best in nearly 100 years.
Anyone who does not fall for the Labour B.S. about how much it costs to run The Shay. They have had long enough to utilise the office space and leisure facilities.

If you have no knowledge of the above it is no wonder you want The Shay sold. If you have no knowledge of the above you should really keep quiet and try thinking a little.

So what your really saying is unless we support your view we should keep quiet? Jog on Richard.

So have you a counter-argument regarding the sale?

You are not going to be quiet so let us hear it.

I have already said my views on here and on other websites. I'm happy enough to now sit and await the outcome