Pleased Dean is involved with the new consortium. He is Hastings through and through, is a big part of our academy and committed to the developement of our young players. Also I think he has a realistic view on the future of the Pilot Field and how that future is linked to our youth football pathway. Not sure yet how having so many London based squad players benefits us long term.
The issue with the ground is clearly hanging over everyone at the club at the moment and I guess we have to be extremely grateful that a consortium of true Hastings people have taken over. Clearly they do not want to see the club collapse.
That said we are in rather desperate times.
Clearly the council have no intention of even beginning to offer us a solution at the moment, and I sort of understand that. They are virtually bankrupt and any move to show support for a new stadium, however cost neutral it appears, would not be supported by the majority of Hastings people.
The main stand, I am told, is very likely to be condemned as unsafe within 18 months unless large sums are spent on it. It’s safe demolition won’t be cheap either. There is, I guess, the opportunity for temporary changing rooms and a relatively small covered seating area in front of the main stand but this could only work in the short term.
The one option I want to rule out is playing football outside the town. I don’t believe the club could survive if this happens and if it did survive it would be at a much reduced status.
A satisfactory long term solution is something I can’t envisage at the moment. Best of luck to Dean and the consortium is all I can say.
My Thoughts
A new era begins! 😁 Heres hoping we can push on together
Whatever peoples opinions about the previous owners i think we can all agree that communication wasnt good and had broken down and for some, they will be missed and others not.
Theres no doubt the club and its fanbase on the pitch and in the stands is bigger than when they first took over and on the pitch we've been blessed...its been good years
This is a great club with a superb fanbase, we remain as a collective a place with still more potential for fantastic growth
Now is a time as fans to help our club, get our thinking boots on!! Ground costs dont just pay for themselves. Get out amongst our town and spread the gospel that is HUFC...come on that atmosphere at dulwich is just one example👌
It cannot just be on the owners, hopefully with better dialogue with our local council we can gain access to funding that can support the continuation of our main stand but if there is a shortfall that efforts can be made to make it up that involves us fans and with this new ownership i certainly think that is a greater possibility
I for one as a lone supporter or as a group look forward to honest and forward thinking dialogue with them...and a few 🍻 as well😁
UP THE U'S
Mick, your comments about the reality of the ground challenge and cost will not be well received by the group of supporters who said this was scaremongering and a conspiracy created by the previous owners in order to have their wicked ways
conspiracy and scaremongering ...youve been in front of a keyboard to long havent you roger, id try and get out more mate
Did you read what i wrote roger? Everyone is aware of the ground maintainance issues and the previous ownership wasnt forced out they lost interest because they couldnt get there build ...and its on them why it didnt happen.
now with the new ownership working with our council and not in an antagonisitc relationship we can explore funding options to work on the pilot field site. wherever that may lead us with the main stand.
Futures brighter than you think Roger if we work together
Thanks. Simply stating that some Facebook posts continue to challenge the validity of the claims around maintenance costs and that they were overstated to support a move.
Roger,
Yes, I take your point that certain supporters felt there was scaremongering regarding the ground, in particular the safety of the main stand. I too had had the same thoughts……were the club just trying to force the issue here with these concerns ?
All I can say is that these worries were shared with me by one the of the club’s most senior officials who I trust implicitly to ‘tell me how it is’.
