On the Left Wing
KIT NAPIER
Fans will go extra furlong to save ground
By Ashling O'Connor
WELSH FOOTBALL’S problems do not stop at losing the national coach during a World Cup qualification campaign or Sir Alex Ferguson’s reluctance to release one of their star players until the eleventh hour before a fixture with England. At club level, a band of supporters are fighting a more fundamental battle. It is a campaign that has been embarked upon by many fans’ groups as they seek to protect economically shaky stadiums from property speculators.
In Brighton, they lost. In 1997, Brighton & Hove Albion’s ground of 97 years was sold for £7.4 million by Bill Archer, the former chairman, who had paid just £56.25 for his shareholding. The club are still homeless.
In Wrexham, they hope not to suffer a similar fate at the hands of Alex Hamilton, a former solicitor turned property developer and the club’s chairman and majority shareholder. Last week, the issue was supposed to have come to a head with Hamilton sacking three fellow directors — John Reames, his managing director, Dave Bennett and David Griffiths.
About 40 minority shareholders representing 22 per cent of the club’s equity had turned up at an EGM to protest, but Hamilton cancelled the meeting with half an hour’s notice, citing “postal irregularities”. This followed Reames’s televised accusation against Hamilton of asset-stripping. Fans fear that the chairman wants to sell the ground after the Coca-Cola League One club were given notice to quit their home of 130 years. Wrexham’s Racecourse ground, bought from a brewery for £300,000 two years ago and transferred to one of Hamilton’s private companies for nothing, is thought to be worth £10 million with planning permission for development.
Hamilton has denied his actions are illegal, saying the sale of the Racecourse is necessary to clear Wrexham’s debts, which he puts at £5 million, but which Wrexham Supporters’ Trust (WST) says are closer to £2 million. WST has submitted plans for redevelopment of surrounding land with cash to spare for an all-seat arena but have had no joy with the chairman. “Hamilton is on plan D and we believe he’s working on plan E and F,”
Rob Griffiths, the WST vice-chairman, said. “Basically, he has no idea what he’s thinking.” The trust hopes for an ultimate victory that would be a boost for the concept of community ownership. Defeat would be a setback for the game.
like to write to him/her?
ashling.oconnor@thetimes.co.uk
By Ashling O'Connor
WELSH FOOTBALL’S problems do not stop at losing the national coach during a World Cup qualification campaign or Sir Alex Ferguson’s reluctance to release one of their star players until the eleventh hour before a fixture with England. At club level, a band of supporters are fighting a more fundamental battle. It is a campaign that has been embarked upon by many fans’ groups as they seek to protect economically shaky stadiums from property speculators.
In Brighton, they lost. In 1997, Brighton & Hove Albion’s ground of 97 years was sold for £7.4 million by Bill Archer, the former chairman, who had paid just £56.25 for his shareholding. The club are still homeless.
In Wrexham, they hope not to suffer a similar fate at the hands of Alex Hamilton, a former solicitor turned property developer and the club’s chairman and majority shareholder. Last week, the issue was supposed to have come to a head with Hamilton sacking three fellow directors — John Reames, his managing director, Dave Bennett and David Griffiths.
About 40 minority shareholders representing 22 per cent of the club’s equity had turned up at an EGM to protest, but Hamilton cancelled the meeting with half an hour’s notice, citing “postal irregularities”. This followed Reames’s televised accusation against Hamilton of asset-stripping. Fans fear that the chairman wants to sell the ground after the Coca-Cola League One club were given notice to quit their home of 130 years. Wrexham’s Racecourse ground, bought from a brewery for £300,000 two years ago and transferred to one of Hamilton’s private companies for nothing, is thought to be worth £10 million with planning permission for development.
Hamilton has denied his actions are illegal, saying the sale of the Racecourse is necessary to clear Wrexham’s debts, which he puts at £5 million, but which Wrexham Supporters’ Trust (WST) says are closer to £2 million. WST has submitted plans for redevelopment of surrounding land with cash to spare for an all-seat arena but have had no joy with the chairman. “Hamilton is on plan D and we believe he’s working on plan E and F,”
Rob Griffiths, the WST vice-chairman, said. “Basically, he has no idea what he’s thinking.” The trust hopes for an ultimate victory that would be a boost for the concept of community ownership. Defeat would be a setback for the game.
like to write to him/her?
ashling.oconnor@thetimes.co.uk
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