The K's In Point
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Another new chapter
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So as I set off this eve to yet another chapter in the Ks journey , I was thinking I have seen Ks play at Home:
Richmond Rd RIP
Hampton
Carshalton for 1 or 2 games
Kingsmeadow
Leatherhead
KGF
Now Imp Fields
See you there
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1 person
Re: Another new chapter
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Snap!. From Richmond rd 1967, to Imperial fields 2022, its been eventful, thats for sure!
Well done to you coming up from Sussex, I believe? and others
from farther afield possibly?
Its this kind of solid support we'll need until we get to somewhere we can call 'home'.
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Re: Another new chapter
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Where we play home games is least material to those who travel the furthest. What is slowly killing us is being outside of Kingston town; we're not attracting new fans, we're losing the more local fans. This is a failure of both our ground and marketing strategies.
Kingston is our biggest asset. There are two grounds in Kingston. There are many more within a reasonable commute of the town that could work as a temporary solution.
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Re: Another new chapter
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Kingston isn’t really our biggest asset if there is nowhere feasible to develop a ground in or around the Kingston area. The only potential venue that has been mentioned as far as i can recall is the athletics stadium of which it is debatable as to whether this is a realistic option or not. Aside from this it seems unlikely that a hitherto unforeseen plot of land in or near Kingston will arise that could potentially be used to develop a new stadium within the club’s existing budget.
Kingstonian's biggest asset would be anywhere in the borough where it would be possible to attain enough land to develop a stadium within the club’s financial resources be that in Kingston or elsewhere in the borough.
The potential to attract new fans is not something unique to having a ground in the Kingston area.
Edited by Nick Garland at 18:28:09 on 17th August 2022
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Re: Another new chapter
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Kingstonian's biggest asset would be anywhere in the borough where it would be possible to attain enough land to develop a stadium within the club’s financial resources be that in Kingston or elsewhere in the borough.
The potential to attract new fans is not something unique to having a ground in the Kingston area.
Here’s where that falls down. using a conditional. you can’t argue that our biggest asset would be something, when there’s (as it stands) zero prospect of that happening. Until that time, being Kingston’s football club remains Kingstonian FC’s biggest asset, IMO
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Re: Another new chapter
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But in terms of securing a permanent home, being ‘Kingston’s historic club’ has little relevance, particularly if there’s nowhere that could sustain a football club in the immediate area. I also wonder whether too much attachment to Kingston may at some point may lead to a situation where the perfect (we must be in Kingston) becomes the enemy of the good (there’s a feasible site in the borough to develop a stadium and continued existence of the club but it’s not in Kingston).
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Re: Another new chapter
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A huge asset is our history. Kit. Hard-core Fans. Reputation to develop youth.
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Re: Another new chapter
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I agree with this. When I lived in Devon 200 miles was 200 miles. Away game, home game, one magical night in Woking, it was all mostly the same to me... A30 to A303 to M3 & then usually onto M25 from there. It wasn't relevant if it was Kingsmeadow or Imperial Fields or 70% of other grounds in the league at the time.
I now live 5 minutes from Kingsmeadow & have other time/resource consuming aspects to my life like a job, a wife & kids. I think I went to Fetcham Grove about 3 times the season we were there & also the filth away since Imber Court was closer to Kingston than a home game was.
KGF was about a half hour walk which was lovely in the good weather (up until reaching the A3 where it was a windswept sun trap)... Savage in the winter but still close enough that I'd take a beating from the elements to be there.
This season I can imagine racking up a pretty similar number to the Fetcham Grove season. If we played in Kingston then I'd have the time & resource to go to many more games while I'd also be much more inclined to bring my kids which is something I'm categorically not going to do while we are in Tooting because the journey will kill off their interest (& by proxy also mine) before it has even started.
That's just my situation as one (plus potentially two halves) Kingstonian fan though, so I guess it doesn't mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things.
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No text
Edited by Iang at 13:12:33 on 17th August 2022
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I absolutely agree you Iang. I'm an exile in Thatcham, Berkshire and can't get to games due to travel issues.
Keith.
Why worry, be happy.
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Re: Another new chapter
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I deleted my original thought . Can't be bothered . My burner phone will be out again.
CRUD opening comment by a normally excellent poster
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Re: Another new chapter
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Ah Ian will the fact that your post chimes with other exiles mean 'burner phone ' forgos - it's all bout you tosh?
Ksuals
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Re: Another new chapter
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I don't think it is 'least material' for those actually travelling those kind of distances, but totally agree with everything else you say. We just need as many as we can get to come to Imperial fields.
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Re: Another new chapter
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Indeed, we've always known we have a small but loyal core of fans, some of whom now don't live locally but still follow Ks. The problem is we aren't growing the club with new fans.
Being in Kingston wouldn't be an automatic solution to that as it would still need the right marketing etc - our crowds flatlined at KM for a long time - but it would certainly get rid of the biggest barrier. Look at some of the crowds this week in our league and Conference South, non-league is booming at the moment but we're missing out on that.
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Re: Another new chapter
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Rex is on his way from Cardiff I believe! As does Mr Carlin from South Wales.
Mr Crawt regularly comes from Spain, Wealdstone or North Yorkshire.
And quite a few others.
I do get some strange looks at Brighton Station it could be my scarf or my appearance in general but worth it.
Sussex ks
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Re: Another new chapter
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Cardiff to Tooting via Margate!!
Ollie's right that, when you live some distance away, the actual location doesn't really matter too much. He's also right that our goal should be to find a new home as close to Kingston as possible.
Apparently, there's a number of locations being considered. I wonder if Kingsmeadow Football Stadium is among them? Have we spoken to Chelsea about a ground-share? Okay, so the stadium is bigger than we need (and painted blue!) but ground-sharing with a team who play their regular home games on a Sunday would make so much sense.
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Re: Another new chapter
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Rumour has it that Chelsea are looking for another stadium for their ladies team. Cannot get planning permission to make KM larger so looking elsewhere.
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Re: Another new chapter
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KINGSMEADOW may well become available as CHELSEA ladies
will be playing a few matches at Stamford Bridge and if attendances
are good may make it permanent, have been told they have sold in
excess of 20,000 tickets.
The under18's will play at COBHAM.
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Re: Another new chapter
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Sadly KM football ground is not going to become available for us. Given the boom in women's football they may well move their women's team to Stamford Bridge, or at least somewhere bigger like Fulham/Brentford/AFC. But they still have their men's U23s there and if the senior women move out they might move other age group teams in instead.
They're not just going to write off an £8m purchase, or sell it to a club without even a tenth of that.
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Re: Another new chapter
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Ks future is very uncertain,aside from Kingsmeadow Athletics Stadium is there any other remotely realistic alternative as near to Kingston town?
Alas is that maybe a KFC survival is off little concern to enough people in the borough, or even important given the opportunity to play or support other clubs within the borough?
Ksuals
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Re: Another new chapter
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Alas is that maybe a KFC survival is off little concern to enough people in the borough, or even important given the opportunity to play or support other clubs within the borough?
A fair question. When I emailed local councillors in support of Lovelace/Ks I (two months later) got a response saying how great Chelsea Women is.
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