I just can't understand how residents feel they can control in this way, and the councillors seem frightened of losing their places on the council. In a position like this should it not go to The Secretary of State, he has the power to overrule.

KR and Cas have a slight funding problem but not financial problems in the same way as other clubs.

Cas also bring through a lot more juniors than most clubs, have reasonable sponsors and a really good coach.

They're not a big club but they are run quite well imo.

Yes but we don't have the time nor the RFL or the other clubs the patience.

They have Funding problems at Castleford! but do quite well on a tight budget, I don't think many clubs do as well as we have this last few seasons with juniors. It was good to read Michael Channing today in a Castleford paper praising the youth set up we have had, he also said without a London Super League Club, he would have been still in Union!

Barnet should have built what they had planning permission for and not applied retrospectively for amendments. The new Tory controlled council are not going to be seen to be doing a 'working class' sport any favours. They pushed Legacy after the Olympics but only want votes. Feel sorry for Barnet continually hammered by right wing local authorities.

I read it was a Labour Harrow Councillor making all the noise! But Barnet seem to being in the wrong with planning permission, but when you look at the size of the stand and floodlights the council and residents are a little OTT. A little like the residents around The Stoop when they objected when we first used lights!

correct.
[urlhttp://www.harrowobserver.co.uk/west-london-news/2013/09/30/demolish-unauthorised-stand-and-floodlights-council-tells-barnet-fc-116451-33902342/[/url

Actually, as much as I would love everything to go the clubs way, if I owned a house backing onto the land, that subsequently became a sports stadium, I'd be pushing for the letter of the law to be obeyed. The political affiliation of the local council has little bearing on what is right or wrong here.....they should have stuck to the plans and now this is going to cost them money. I suspect if they carry out the demolition with out appealing and then re-apply they will stand a much better chance of getting it through than if they fight the council.

The Hive is not just a stadium....it is a sports centre that covers 44 acres of land and benefits the entire community.....Barnet council wouldn't dare run the risk of ing off the owner, who essentially gives them a world class facility to boast about ..
[urlhttp://www.harrow.gov.uk/info/200087/sport_and_fitness/145/sports_club_the_hive[/url
...perfect opportunity for DH to get involved in the re-built stand and a proper ground partnership????????

Barnet should have built what they had consent for but the new tory controlled local authority are trying to make mileage out of them f@@kin up. I can't believe how stupid the football club have been, they have dropped a right Gus.

The whole lot is just a shambles how gus is still in a job is beyond me.

No residents to worry about at New River and 40 odd acres. DH should build there. Get the Selco stand up next to the store. And a Labour controlled deprived borough who would welcome investment.

A couple of points:



That's not strictly true. They had permission to build more than they did. For example they had permission to build far taller, brighter floodlights. They opted for shorter more appropriate floodlights and technically they didn't have permission for these. Common sense would dictate this shouldn't be a problem, but there's council elections around the corner and the club, once again, find themselves being used as a political football. Once the election is out of the way I imagine the floodlights and stand will cease to be such a problem and a compromise will be found.




For the last frigging time, it's not Barnet!!!!! You honestly think Barnet council would give Barnet FC permission to build on single a square millimetre of land you obviously haven't been following the sorry plight of the club for the last 15 years. Roll on next years council elections in any case. That's where I take my revenge.

I think you're right that it's bugger all to do with political ideology, it's purely about being seen to be backing residents. However, planning enforcement notices are not intended to be punitive measures, so by being heavy handed and demanding a demolition the council is probably setting itself up to lose the appeal (and their planning officers will have told them that beause it's the officers who will actually have to defend it to an inspector, and if those same officers themselves did accept the amendments but were vetoed by councillors for poltical reasons then the appeal should be very one sided). If Barnet FC have a half decent solictor behind them I think they won't be too concerned about the demolition order, and they can string this out for several years by playing their cards at the right time.

So it's not the end of the issue, but it could make it more difficult for any deal to be done for the Broncos, because if it ends up with some sort of deal between Barnet FC and the council over usage of the facilities or the floodlights it could leave the ground dead in the water as an interim SL ground (working on the asumption we see out the final year of our license before being relegated/folding at the end of next season).

As I posted on the VT, there's a statement on Barnet FC's website, they sound far from concerned. Nothing to see here (hopefully)

The provisional deal has basically collapsed. If we don't find an increased source of internal funding I don't see us starting next season.

...you've heard this from whom?

Gus told him two weeks ago

The same person who told me two weeks ago it was in real danger of collapse.

I have never named them publicly and won't now.Sorry but their condition for talking to me on this subject is I don't name them and I won't breach that promise.

Those on this board who know me will know the source is usually accurate. I certainly wouldn't have posted it without good reason to believe it.

I am happy to confirm it isn't Gus

Oh dear then......it looks like it is the end of the road which is a real shame. David Hughes said he would fund the club for this licence period and that licence was granted for us to be at the stoop.......something somewhere has gone very wrong within the club and the RFL for it to have been allowed to get to this sorry state of affairs.

It is still possible to sort it with goodwill at both ends. At the moment though both sides are holding firm and goodwill seems to be vanishing.

Hmmm...just heard from another source that "both parties are at the table and involved in positive discussion".

Guess we'll find out when we're meant to.....until then...let the conspiracy theories continue

Good to hear. I am comfortable my info is accurate as of late Friday. The two sides were certainly still talking, see my comment that this is not over and it just needs a bit of good will on both sides. Hopefully that good will has emerged in the past 4 days.There's a poker game going on here. If neither side blink we die, if the London funders and / or the RLF and other Superleague clubs blink we live.

The difference in info may have nothing to do with conspiracy theories, this is a fluid and fast moving situation. The RFL want it sorted quickly. Others however are happy for it to move slower. At the moment the slow movers seem to be winning.

So we can expect a decision say, in a couple of weeks?.......just guessing.

Well the RFL Policy Review EGM is next week:
[urlhttp://www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/28930/rl-council-egm-on-policy[/url

So we might know if the policy includes a London team next week (or maybe a fortnight later

)

Two weeks to wait thats not long then