The K's In Point
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New ground vision
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Saw this on the BBC today. Shows the finances we are going to need. Also shows that we have to provide for the community and grassroots, especially if we are to get grants from any associations.
Our board can’t even get the first hurdle and locate a site.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-68132863
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Re: New ground vision
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I'm obliged to Damo for providing the link to the development story in Derby. This clearly shows the kind of costs involved for such a 'community' development. Costs that we have no hope of meeting to build from 'sctatch' within the borough of Kingston.
We must accept, there is no parcel of spare land near Kingston centre or, possibly even in the borough to build a community development for football or anything else. I've lived in Kingston my whole life and every former commercial and industrial site has been turned over for housing. Its hard to argue against this strategy. The club has had two former homes in the borough and lost them both. Not of òur doing. RBK is not receptive and not supportive of building another football ground in the borough, even if we had the funds to do so.
I hope the board are actively pursuing the following, bearing in mind they have never named these venues.
1. Partnering Kingston University and 'bolting on' some steel and concrete to their existing sporting facilities at Tolworth to create a small football stadium for community use.
2. Persuading Corinthian Casuals to enter into a permanent partnership/groundshare and develop KGF with our funds that remain.
3.Apply to take over the sporting facilities at Kingston YMCA's Hawker centre in Lower Ham rd, Kingston and develop a small ground on the site. (Unlikely).
4. With the eventual demise of Met Police competing at a senior
level, apply to at least groundshare at Imber court immediately for next season and consider permanent residency at Imber Court by way of negotiating a long lease and/or purchasing a ready made football ground, community facility.
Not my initial preference as outside the borough, but has much more appeal now given our club's financial position.
Better than Tooting, Leatherhead, Cobham and even Casuals or Hampton. IMO.
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Re: New ground vision
Views: 1383
Corinithian-casuals will not entertain even the idea of ground sharing with Kingstonian again; Hampton cannot groundshare as a result of restrictions on their new 3G pitch.
I think Kingston University is the most likely outcome. We know from what the board said that they are pursuing the possibility of building a ground on someone else’s land - ie; we are no longer looking to buy a site ourselves.
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Re: New ground vision
Views: 1323
Not discounting the athletics track either.
I don't know if the current leisure company that run the site
are happy to engage with the club? I'm happy to stand corrected.
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Re: New ground vision
Views: 1372
The Council is the freeholder of the track and its up to them more than Places Leisure, who simply manage it for them. But it looks from this document as if Places' contract only runs until April 2026 and the Council is about to re-tender. So now would be the perfect time to make Ks part of those conversations.
In respect of the other options the ship has sailed with Casuals (as Count says); and while Imber Court would be a good groundshare it will never be remotely within our price range as a permanent ground.
It's also a big understatement to call something like the Hawker Centre unlikely - there is no chance of building a ground somewhere like that. As well as being a residential area and MOL it's in a riverside conservation area. We would never get planning permission for even a small ground, with noise, floodlights, traffic, etc. Apparently a few years ago we wanted to train there and weren't even allowed to have temporary floodlights up. This sort of idea is just another Lovelace and hopefully the board have learned their lesson there.
Which again only leaves the track and the uni.
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Re: New ground vision
Views: 1439
Points taken regards Casuals and the Hawker centre.
'Unlikely' may have been an understatement, but its a perfect size for a small enclosed footballing facility. I can dream.
I would have completely disregarded Imber Court a little while back, but there is some uncertainty over the ownership/Freehold of the entire site. Speaking to a few former and retired Met officers, they say the land was bequeathed to the Met by the owner years ago for the sole use and benefit of serving and retired officers and for the mounted branch that used to be there. A leisure company runs the site, so I'm assuming the Met are the freeholders. I wasn't thinking of purchasing the 'ready made' footballing facility/ground there, merely ground sharing initially and then perhaps securing a lengthy lease to stay there. It depends who holds the Freehold.
With less than £750,000 reported as left, it would be a no brainer not to try it. No building from scratch, no building costs.
Could still apply for grants etc. If the Met wraps up its senior footballing set up, other clubs will be queing to grab the facilities. The board should act now.
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Re: New ground vision
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Don't think there is any land mate that's the problem
I cannot think of anywhere in the borough
But must be somewhere
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Re: New ground vision
Views: 1417
Don't think athletics track will work
Reason being holds big comps there and I do believe it is a david weir academy .
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Re: New ground vision
Views: 1317
No bigger than (for example) Chelmsford, which hosts National Athletics League and county championships, the same as KM. And a lot smaller than Gateshead, a literal international track.
The club and schools athletics season is from May to July. It's a non issue.
Perhaps the board and their supporters can post their own ideas to be critiqued? Last time they eventually did, KBH and others told them straight away they had no chance of building a ground on a horse field in a residential area.
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Re: New ground vision
Views: 1384
I cannot think of anywhere in the borough
The only two realistic options are the same two they've been for years: the athletics track or (if they want us) the university sports ground.
Everything else is either unaffordable, wouldn't get planning permission, or both. The longer the board go on wasting time on unrealistic pipe dreams that will never happen, the more the AFC money gets whittled down and even they become out of reach.
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Re: New ground vision
Views: 1145
And the reality is, if I put aside my status as a Kingstonian fan and consider myself as a mere RBK resident...there's absolutely no justification for giving land to Kingstonian to build a ground.
We will be an eighth-tier club who play, on average, one game a fortnight in front of about 150-200 fans. We don't have a womens side. Do we have a youth team? I'm still confused by the status there. We are not fan-owned. We don't, anecdotally, seem to have a particularly large following within the borough - of our regular attendees, I would guess under 50% live there.
The borough actually has a decent number of sports facilities in various states. Kingsmeadow, KGF, Goals, Kingsmeadow Athletics track, uni sports ground, Chalky Lane. It's inconceivable we will build a new ground from scratch, our only option is to put down roots at one of these places, albeit some are much more likely than others.
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Re: New ground vision
Views: 1206
The easiest site to try and work with would be the university, as a bare minimum you would be able to develop a ground like CB Hounslow. Temporary seating, basic perimeter fencing, temporary external fencing and sharing of an existing clubhouse (if they already have one). Eversley and California is even more basic. Funding for a 3g pitch and floodlights would be a possibility.
This would still max us out financially, but is the only way I could see it practically working.
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Re: New ground vision
Views: 1175
all of the above… plus we voluntarily left Kingston. And said it was in our best interests to do so
I’ve been in those council rooms. No-one really cares for Kingstonian,… that’s the reality
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Re: New ground vision
Views: 1122
Agreed
Why should councillors care when few others do. It’s not a vote winner - and probably a vote loser
A multi-sports community hub on the other hand ….
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Neither witty or imaginative to have one
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Re: New ground vision
Views: 1284
The University Sports Ground idea is the best in my opinion (which counts for absolutely nothing). The partnership with the university would at least get some students to come along. The great work Banquet Records did with the students for a £1 on some games (that did happen or am I making i making it up?) as well as the advertising and encouragement to visit us was incredible. We know Jon is the main reason for this and will always be in my mind one of our best active supports and someone who really loves his community.
I don’t talk to many of you at games as I love my own company and I’m quite boring really, but I love this club. I can’t get to many “home” games any more but I attend away ones more regularly like the Whitehawk away game last Tuesday, in which the minibuses keep driving up and down their embankment was the most exciting thing. I can’t fathom why, after 7 years, we’re still having this conversation, but love is blind and all I want is to see us in your borough again (I moved out so I can’t claim it mine anymore) and just getting back to the team I love unconditionally, in a town I love, with a bunch of fans I admire and love.
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Re: New ground vision
Views: 1393
Was up in the Midlands,went to see Droitwich Spa,a county level side who have returned to Droitwich after a few seasons ground sharing away from their town.
Their ground revamp was on a modest scale but with the possibility to grow. They now run 23 teams and seem to be thriving It on site that includes other sports facilities and a leisure centre.
Ksuals
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