Burgess Hill need your help

[Alan Gilliver]

Time for another campaign? These people are as bad as Lewes DC

Argus report


The future of Burgess Hill Football Club has been plunged into serious doubt after they were given six months' notice to leave their home.

The 125-year-old Ryman League club has been ordered out of Leylands Park by Mid Sussex District Council for breaching the lease on the ground.

The Hillians could now be forced to fold as they cannot give assurances to the football authorities that they can complete next season.


Club chief executive Gary Croydon said: "The whole club is in a state of shock and confusion. It beggars belief.

"We should be trying working with the council not against them because surely we have some value to the local community.

"If we can't use Leylands Park next season, we would have to have a groundshare in place by May 31 and that would be very difficult to sort out in time."

Burgess Hill have been accused of failing to pay rent and not making repairs on the ground.

The only way they can save themselves from eviction would be to challenge the notice and take the council to the High Court.

 

[Tooting Gull]

Sounds a bit trumped-up to me. Council really trying to flog the land to a housing developer and raise some cash?

 

[Alan Gilliver]

They've been looking for an excuse to build on that land for years

 

[Vatican Citys No.2 Keeper]

They've been looking for an excuse to build on that land for years

No suprise that a greedy council looking for money goes straight for a non-league football club.

While Horsham are now officialy groundsharing with Worthing next season, i hope
Burgess Hill find somewhere, as games against them this season have been good, and Leylands aint a bad ground.

 

[Marshy]

you could fit hundreds of houses on that land....

 

[Scotty Mac]

you could fit hundreds of houses on that land....

depends if they are evicting southdown or not - if they are then that is even more appalling

 

[Marshy]

depends if they are evicting southdown or not - if they are then that is even more appalling

If Burgess Hill go then so will Southdown.
So you would have the ground the pitches next door and all the car parks that run further up, a massive plot of land.

 

[JJ McClure]

Fuckers. I over look the playing fields where southdown currently play. Seems like the council just want to build as many houses as possible and the first place they look is sports fields (such as sydney west). I'll certainly be voicing my objections to the council.

 

[Wilka]

The council have always been hassle for Burgess Hill. They fine them if games go into extra time for leaving the flood lights on too late.

As other people here have said it looks like they are after the ground for more homes. Would be very sad if they had to fold or drop down the leagues and share at a smaller ground like Hassocks.

 

[Since1982]

I emailed my local district councillor to ask what was going on and received this les than optimistic reply:

I attach the wording of a Press Release which was circulated to Councillors yesterday.

"Legal proceedings have been started to forfeit the leases of the ground and pavilion currently held by Burgess Hill Town Football Club.

Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) has reluctantly taken this action following several years of negotiations with the Club concerning a number of outstanding issues. The Club is once again in arrears with the payment of rent, and there has been no resolution to the planning issues arising from the use of floodlights at the ground.

MSDC regrets that such action has proved necessary. The decision to undertake legal proceedings has been taken in the light of continuing intransigence on the part of the Club and the level of complaints from local residents concerning the running of the Club."

I was aware that the relations between the Club, the Council and the neighbours have been going from bad to worse in recent years, following several years of improvement. However, the current board seem unwilling to discuss the issues with the Council or neighbours and things have now come to this sorry state. They have reached crises like this in the past which have eventually been resolved, but the board must take some positive action for this to happen.


Sounds like the Council are laying the blame fairly and squarely at the door of the club. Would be a disaster if the club were to fold or lose their senior status and staggering that a council could stand by and watch this happen.

 

[bright1064]

I emailed my local district councillor to ask what was going on and received this les than optimistic reply:

I attach the wording of a Press Release which was circulated to Councillors yesterday.

"Legal proceedings have been started to forfeit the leases of the ground and pavilion currently held by Burgess Hill Town Football Club.

Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) has reluctantly taken this action following several years of negotiations with the Club concerning a number of outstanding issues. The Club is once again in arrears with the payment of rent, and there has been no resolution to the planning issues arising from the use of floodlights at the ground.

MSDC regrets that such action has proved necessary. The decision to undertake legal proceedings has been taken in the light of continuing intransigence on the part of the Club and the level of complaints from local residents concerning the running of the Club."

I was aware that the relations between the Club, the Council and the neighbours have been going from bad to worse in recent years, following several years of improvement. However, the current board seem unwilling to discuss the issues with the Council or neighbours and things have now come to this sorry state. They have reached crises like this in the past which have eventually been resolved, but the board must take some positive action for this to happen.


Sounds like the Council are laying the blame fairly and squarely at the door of the club. Would be a disaster if the club were to fold or lose their senior status and staggering that a council could stand by and watch this happen.

By the way mate most of that message you were sent is part of the councils press release script. We recieved it at Bright yesterday.

I for one, am not happy about this situation, why weren't the club given more notice? It is going to be virtually impossible for the club to find a ground in time for next season. The council shouldn't be allowed to get away with it!

 

[bhaexpress]

My brother lives not far from there. His kids both played for their junoir team, Southdown Rovers. according to him, what has happened is the small fact that they, Burgess Hill FC, have regularly had their floodlights on after their lease allowed them too (much to the annoynace of the residents who were there first) and this has been happening for some years. there are other irregularities too so for once the Council is not the bad guy.

 

[Blackadder]

By the way mate most of that message you were sent is part of the councils press release script. We recieved it at Bright yesterday.

I for one, am not happy about this situation, why weren't the club given more notice? It is going to be virtually impossible for the club to find a ground in time for next season. The council shouldn't be allowed to get away with it!

You have the voice Bright1064. Can you start a campaign on your radio station?

 

[Wilka]

Are you sure the houses were there before the club? I was sure it was the other way around.

 

[Scarface]

Bloody MSDC! Only 6 weeks to go!

 

[Wilka]

Sort them out Kanu!

 

[bright1064]

You have the voice Bright1064. Can you start a campaign on your radio station?

I'm not sure to be honest. I feel strongly enough about it to give it a mention. As for starting a campaign about it, I don't know if that's a great idea tbh.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

I emailed my local district councillor to ask what was going on and received this les than optimistic reply:

..................................I was aware that the relations between the Club, the Council and the neighbours have been going from bad to worse in recent years, following several years of improvement. However, the current board seem unwilling to discuss the issues with the Council or neighbours and things have now come to this sorry state. They have reached crises like this in the past which have eventually been resolved, but the board must take some positive action for this to happen.

Sounds like the Council are laying the blame fairly and squarely at the door of the club. Would be a disaster if the club were to fold or lose their senior status and staggering that a council could stand by and watch this happen.

It seems to me that the district councillor is indicating there may be a way out here but it's down to the football club to take the initiative.

 

[FalmerforAll!**]

Just ridiculous this whole affair.

Still, at least we'll be able to house some more foreigners

 

[Since1982]

Are you sure the houses were there before the club? I was sure it was the other way around.

The club was there before the houses I'm certain. You would think that before buying a house in the vicinity of a football club you might have cause to think about the possible disruption before you handed over your money.

I have heard about the floodlight issue before. What has happened is as BHTFC have reached a higher level of football the teams want to warm down after a game and, midweek, this means the lights stay on later than the lease allowed. The club already kicks off evening games earlier than the rest of the league I think to get around this.