An open letter from Ehab...

Its doesn't really matter now what went on with the meeting with Terry ****witt because the opportunity has gone.
Do you hire your crystal ball out at all ?

 

Develop the whole area into what ??

 

Bloody hell you're easily groomed aren't you

 

I know your taking the piss but, from memory, there was to be a shopping complex, offices to rent, leisure stuff, probably apartments, swimming pool etc etc. All the usual stuff. None of which was properly researched I would imagine, why would Hull want more shops ? But it was a plan of sorts to develop the area and bring in some more income streams for the club, not to mention the council in rates and jobs etc.
Remembering Adam Pearson has similar plans but on a smaller scale for an hotel and casino, none of which saw the light of day.
I've heard from good sources at HCC that Walton Street car park is not for sale despite a plan for a new school/hotel being drawn up for it a few years back and featured on the front page of the HDM, nothing has happened and probably never will. HCC apparently have no plans of their own for this area except preserving the Fair Ground.
My point is the club will never grow whilst we are hampered by not owning any bricks and mortar. The KC has served us, fc and the city well since it was built, that is without doubt, from all of the council projects funded by the KC telephone windfall the stadium must be one of the better one's. More was wasted on new roofs, central heating and double glazing for council houses which were bulldozed months later then the stadium cost to build.
But is that it ? Is nothing else going to be built around there, is the stadium to stay forever a 25,000 capacity ?
The second expansion was mentioned for the KC on the back of our promotion to the Premier League Councillor ****witt jumped up and said City haven't had a crowd over 30,000 since the 70's. Which was correct but the reason why was never explained, we couldn't get 30,000 in the old ground anymore because of restrictions on the capacity. No-one questioned or pulled him up over it.
When the Allam's do eventually sell up are we going to get the same straight bat refusal to cooperate from the council over ownership of the stadium and developing the area when the new owners ask the same questions ? Because if so I can see why no-one is busting a gut to buy us, what are they buying besides a load of players contracts and a bit of land down Millhouse Wood Lane ?
The rot set in when AA met Geraghty, a huge opportunity was lost for both club and city. I just wish it could have been different.

 

I don't think a shopping complex would be a hit looking at the state of the High Street !
A swimming pool run by who ??
There also seems to be a fair bit of office space already available .
I personally think that if the car park is ever going to be developed it needs to be social housing !

 

It's perhaps a small point, but it's worth reiterating: the council built us a stadium fit for the Premier League while we were in the bottom division and had spent the previous decade looking like a basket-case of a club. Both teams get to play there for a peppercorn rent. When I spoke to Paul Duffen he said he couldn't believe his luck that this was what he was inheriting. I struggle to see them as the bad guys here.

I also find it somewhat bemusing that there are still City fans who seem to take the Allams on their word. Or seem to believe their side of events when there is an element of doubt. They have done nothing over the past few years - absolutely nothing - to warrant any benefit of any doubt.

I get that the area hasn't developed in the way we'd hoped. Though many of the things the Allams proposed were asking for trouble. There's a reason, for example, why leisure centres are almost always council-owned: they lose money. And yes, it would be nice if we could extend the stadium, though there is less need for this now than there was before the Allams had alienated all and sundry. It should also be mentioned that teams are managing to thrive in the Premier League with smaller/poorer stadia than ours. If the council won't deal with the Allams, I don't necessarily blame them. First, councils should - and invariably do - deal with each person they come across on their own individual merits (the council wouldn't deal with Hinchliffe/Buchanan, for example, but would with Pearson). Second, councils come and go. Geraghty is now gone. New people will come in with new ideas/priorities/beliefs. The situation now won't be forever. But the Allams have alienated so many people that you can't help but think that it will take their departure for anything to move on.

 

Somebodies not gonna like this post !
Billy Big Bollocks ?

 

Good points Richard.
The stadium was built not only for both clubs using it, but with the intention of kick starting the regeneration of HU3.
It was a wonderful idea and as I posted one of the better ones if not the best to come from the telephone windfall cash.
I also think it will take the Allams to depart before anything will move on. I just hope HCC can work with any new owners in more progressive way then they have with the current ones.

 

A 40,000 seat stadium is not a good idea

 

Remember this as the time when AA was spouting the watching football should be free as air, so if that was the case then 40,000 would have been possible. We knew then as we know now it was a total load of bollocks, like most things that have come out of their mouths.

 

Why ?
Because we will never fill it ?
We will never know will we ?

 

Tin hat back on, that quote, like Robinson saying he wanted Hull City to be the first team to play on the moon..., was said when it was suggested buying/stealing ( which ever way you want to see it) the stadium and increasing the capacity. That never happened, they spit their dummies out and...…..

 

When the stadium was built there was a lot of praise for getting the capacity about correct !
I don't ever see the need to increase it unless there is a massive population boom !

 

I think you are living in cloud cuckoo land and you are in a permanent state of defense !
You take offense to any slight comments about the Club / Owners as a personal insult ..
It will take a massive sea change in owners and people's attitudes towards City for us to get back to 20,000

 

I did say the opportunity has now gone, we had the chance, a golden one at that, and we fluffed it up.
Gates of 8 to 9,000 are looked upon as the golden era at Fer Ark, by some, not me. So we've gone full circle eh ?

 

I'm sure we didn't get a grant from somewhere because we wanted a stadium bigger than 20,000
something to do with Trevor Brooking If I remember correctly

 

You take offence at any slight comments in defence of the club/owners as a personal insult.
If I'm in a state of 'permanent defence' you are in a state of permanent opposition.
I support the club, do you ?

 

Success on the park is the only catalyst for maximizing attendances. A few critical factors are required to trigger such a catalyst.
We all know what they are.