http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristo...head-despite/story-22818740-detail/story.html Doesnt look too good does it! lets see how watertight this contract really is.
I think it might be time to forgot all about the UWE its dead in the water maybe we should just redevelop The Mem like we intended a few years back
Confirming what we've all had concerns about for months, but were told "Everything is fine" Alistair Durden: According to Bristol Rovers' High Court claim, Sainsbury's solicitors confirmed their intention to pull out of Memorial Stadium deal in Feb.
If we build a stadium at UWE I shall eat my large and varied collection of hats. The club have issued a writ against Sainsbury's to retrieve some of the money expended on this dodo of a scheme. Sainsbury's clearly do not want to proceed with a supermarket on the site and I'm quite sure that their high-powered lawyers will find them a way out of it. The attempt by Sainsbury's to impose 24/7 lorry deliveries, which they know the council will not permit, is simply a tactic employed to extricate themselves from the contract as cheaply as possible. Higgs has known since before we were relegated that the UWE Stadium is dead in the water - Sainsbury's confirmed this in April. He continues to string everyone along about this and indeed everything else. We've gone from gaining planning permission, beating TRASH and others in protracted legal battles and being positive that the scheme would go ahead, to knowing that we are back to square one and plying our trade in the Conference. It's incredible the continued poor luck, bad judgement, appalling mismanagement and lies that us Gasheads have to suffer. Is there another club (beyond those in administration, which may yet become our fate) that has had such **** thrown at it over the past 5 years? I don't know where we go from here and anything Higgs and the Board say will just be more lies. It seems we are stuck at the Mem, which let's face it is perfectly adequate for the Conference and League 2, for the foreseeable future. We are also stuck with Higgs and his merry band of incompetent fools as they can't now sell the club with a shiny new stadium, as that stadium won't happen. The only asset Higgs has is the Mem and that's now got a history of two failed developments. He could sell it for housing which will not generate enough cash to buy an alternative site and construct a stadium. He could sell the Mem to an 'investor' who would then develop it and leave us homeless. Or we will continue to bumble along with him at the helm. Whatever happens, this time we're in at the moment has to be the darkest days this football club has ever seen. Sure, it was bad after we were made homeless, but Denis Dunford rode to our rescue and we had some of our most successful times at Bath. There doesn't appear to be any knights in shining armour riding to help us this time. That's why I'm amazed at the loyalty and resilience of Gasheads. Despite our anger and disappointment and the appalling way we've been treated by those that run the club, we continue to get behind the men in those blue and white quarters - turning out in the numbers that only Luton ever exceeded at this level. We continue to give our vocal and financial support to the players, at non-league grounds, on soaking windswept terraces and at home in the Mem. It's extraordinary, really. Regardless of what happens I'll continue to support my club, despite the fact that I despise those running it. UTG!
Now it becomes clear why he considered going and would like someone to do his job, could be the reason he's looking for people to invest so he can get shot of his share and move on. However don't forget Higgs and the other directors own the memorial stadium so looks like we will be tenants unless a deal can be struck if he does go.
What kind of financial support do we get from the FA? Maybe we could work on the tend side to build a 5,000 seated area or something similar?
"Black Sea Gas, you have to be the biggest cynic on Not 606." Was the comment from one of our members last week. Well call me cynical but what did we really expect ? As always promises promises. Bloody hell Rovers and in particular our esteemed Chairman must love wasting money on Legal Appeals after the horse has bolted. Is it not better, especially with our Chairmans background to ensure that all is cast in tablets of stone and is water tight. Now the bugger cant comment because of possible legal actions. Typical, no wonder we are where we are, pi$$ up and brewery spring to mind. Fingers out of a$$ time Board and get on with sorting the Mem, that would really give the locals what they deserve after all their moaning. Oh and try and bring it to be before The Teds play their first home game at The New Trashton.
The trouble with developing the Mem is that the board and the club simply don't have the money to do it. They need another 'enabling' development like the flats that went tits up 6 years ago. Does anyone really trust Higgs to deliver another pie-in-the-sky project?
Be honest, would you (if your house backed onto it) want a Supermarket to be built with Logistics allowed between 5am and Midnight? I wouldn't really want one in the first place, but this aspect would have definitely made me tick the "No" box. It was almost madness to have a contract drawn up with that stipulated. Excellent strategy from Sainsburys though - If planning (as is likely) is rejected = Perfect back out plan if the economic circumstances change, i.e: In this case Aldi, Lidl seriously damaging the market place with growth of 18% compared to Tesco profits dropping 17% or if the economics do say yes, well just build it with the more compact delivery times - Win/Win Scenario. If we knew this was a Contractual Obligation to the deal how many of us would have celebrated the UWE News 2 years ago, i certainly wouldn't. There was a fly in the ointment we never knew about and i for one am extremely disappointed.
Sainsburys Weston super Mare (Worle) wanted an extention to the existing store and revised delivery hours. Whilst the local residents didn't object to extention they were pee'd off at delivery times (between midnight and 5 a.m aka Mem development). Town planners refused application from Shaftburys who appealed and were then passed subject to sound barrier fencing installed to allow the sleeping beauties of North Worle to get their kip ! As Shaftbury's are not interested in appeal its a simple question of economics, they dont see under current market conditions the return on spend via profits the share holders would expect hence opting out. If NH and the Legal Team that they engaged to cement the deal left such a soft opt out potential clause in situ they are all a bunch of incompetents and frankly it beggars belief. Should they actually have left this opt out and now invoke legal action to chase Shaftsburys to complete the deal the no wonder we aint got penny's for a decent and proven striker. Seems Rovers are mad keen to waste money away from on the field activities. I just cant see any positive news from this one, same old same old. Excuses and waffle from our leader how long will Rovers Fans endure this ongoing saga ? Its beyond a bloody joke !
Higgs would probably bag the money provided by the FA and go to the gogo outdoors sells event and buy another tent!
Yes you're bloody well right there, cheeky bugger (NH) is to mean to buy his own card and asked to borrow Boycee's, he'd said he'd have loaned it to him except it was out of date. Now we know why Rovers can only attract has been and never gonna be players at the moment ! Tell you what I'll treat the club to 11 new players (Subbuteo) when the Toyrs r Us sale is on, might just prove a good investment.
So I guess by the recent run of 3 games undefeated then all is well at Rovers (as always), that is why we are where we are because we allow things to slip under the radar. I for one am totally at odds with the way the Chairman runs this Club and how soft the fans are in allowing him to spin his constant yarns. Even when (if ?) we return to a proper League under his stewardship we will be worse off than when he arrived. Lie on the Stadium and I remember a meeting 3 Seasons back at The Windsor Castle in Weston super Mare when a certain unamed Club big wig stated that Rovers will never go out of the League. He'd have been on the money if he stated and Rovers will never have their new Stadium.
We're all angry and upset with the lies and constant knock backs but what can we really do as fans with no money to have an input that will make a difference?. Let's just hope someone will come in with some investment and lead us into the right direction.
With you on this....some think that a few wins and all is well. Our club is poorly run (to put it mildly), and I'm still not convinced by Clarke. We have become what we are, if that makes sense! We've got Conference players playing Conference football managed by a Conference manager.
