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

I have just received the home and away player shirts for Dixon (we sponsored him). No sign of the signed team photo; perhaps they are to be sent separately. Just a covering note in the packaging saying thanks for the sponsorship and that everyone is working hard to secure the long term future of the club and that it was challenging but they hoped to have some news soon.

The BBC report that "Barnet are to appeal against an enforcement notice from Harrow Borough Council over the height of the West Stand and floodlights at The Hive.

"Should the appeal go against The Hive there are simple remedies in terms of restructuring the stand and the floodlights," a club statement said.

Barnet say they would be able to lower the height of both, but insist the council was aware the height of the West Stand had been increased and that the floodlights had been made taller to reduce light pollution to surrounding properties.

"The council were aware of this change [in the West Stand height and officers supported this minor amendment at a recent planning meeting," the club said.

"Once The Hive realised floodlights may cause an issue for those close to the site, a remedy was sought.

"Acting as a good neighbour and in order to lessen this problem, they decided to spend an extra £30,000 and increase the height of the floodlight masts by 10 metres so that they can be aimed down by an angle greater [and cause less light spillage to adjoining properties.

"At every stage of the building process the council have been kept aware of progress and the feedback received was that there were no significant areas of concern."

The club moved to The Hive this summer after leaving Underhill, their home since 1907, because of lease issues with Barnet Council.

And they believe the latest problem has been caused, in part, by "political instability" within Harrow council, which led to the planning permission process becoming "painfully slow".

The club statement added: "The appeal will be heard by an independent inspector who will evaluate the application by The Hive and make a judgement as to whether the club has acted in a fair and reasonable manner, or not.

"We are confident that the behaviour and intentions throughout were exemplary.

"Should the judgement go against The Hive with regard to the height of the stand it is a relatively straight-forward operation to alter its dimensions, as is the lowering of the floodlights."

pah I got poo pood when I said nothing would happen until the RFL meeting on the 9th

I got a similar reaction back in 2002 when I told the club they needed to market themselves properly!!!!!

Marketing is completely irrelevant when your dishing up complete ****e on the pitch. Get over it.

You can spend all the money on the planet, but if the product is not right, it will make no difference, that's about the first thing you learn in marketing.

Strangely, you two seem to think that I wasn't aware that the product helps when marketing/selling. Not sure where you got that impression, but I am sure you will continue to say it, even though there are actually plenty of examples of successful turd polishing I can point to.

Nobody has ever said a winning team wouldn't help, but that spectacularly misses the point of my post...




We haven't been since 2002......but you two, RL fans version of the old codgers in the muppets, like to sit there and throw out comments from your lofty heights anyway.