Moving to Hereford !?

Various reports on the internet/twitter etc that our proposed move to Edgar Street has been refused by the FA. Never mind FA - WTF is going on ?!

I saw this today and was puzzled by it.. I'm not sure if anyone else knew about it but I certainly didn't! Seems a strange idea to relocate to somewhere over an hour and a half away!

No-one can be that surprised that Mr Swan will continue to look at all options...the position of the council is clear and very frustrating...specially when you see lower teams in smaller towns with 100 times better facilities that RUFC.

Would the Reds move to Hereford? - No
Would you blame him for giving up on Redditch Council - No
Would Mr Swan move to Hereford - Possible
Could Mr Swan use a possible move to Hereford in his discussions with the Council - Possible
Are the Reds in a much better place than 4 years ago - Absolutely

Lots of 'what if's'...but nothing would surprise me as the facts remain the same....RUFC need to generate more income and as crowds are not there, it has to come from the facilities..that are from the 1970's.

Hope he has a change of mind if he is looking elsewhere and the timing isn't great...but that's life.

Sneaky and despicable

I really don't think we can expect Mr Swan to put into the public domain everything he is doing....having said that, walking around HUFC with the ex-owner (who is a wanted man), would always attract attention and easy gossip for social media.

Where's Mrs Moor?

.....we need some pearls of wisdom during this desperate time...

Well Mr Swann certainly kept this under raps,and it is true he doesn't have to put into the public domain everything he is doing,but if it concerns Redditch United then that is our business. I wouldn't blame him for giving up on the council,i give up on them along time ago,they don't care if we moved to Hereford as long as they get the valley for housing and the club out of their hair. In my opinion Mr Swann wants out and Hereford would be a great place to go,and he must make a statement as to his plans it is our club we were nearly sold down the river to Bromsgrove so anything is possible. So a simple question what the hell is going on? From my time i have seen so many chairman come and go and at times have kept us in the dark don't do it again Mr Swann the fans deserve better,if you want to go then thankyou for everything but leave Redditch United in Redditch.

This is just my opinion,when Mr. Swann came to Redditch i believe he thought he could take us to a much higher level but after 4 years i think he has come to the conclusion he can't. What he didn't realise is that we have a council who are a waste of space and have no interest in backing our club. If he goes to Hereford he has a good base to build on a solid fan base and a council who seem to want to back there club. If this does happen what does the future hold? Come on the board of Redditch United tell us what is happening? That is our right to know and stop all the guess work and speculation.

“I will let you know more over the next few months, but if it going to happen, we will know by the end of March 2015, with a view to implementation for the 2016/2017 season”

This is a quote from Chris Swan on the clubs official website, regarding a 3G pitch being installed . As March is quickly approaching, it appears as though things are not going well. As we've not been told anything, I can only guess as to what is going on behind the scenes. Yes, we are not entitled to know everything that is going on behind closed doors, but when it comes to relocating the club, a “no comment” stance is simply not good enough!!!!

The FA made a huge mistake in allowing Wimbledon to relocate to Milton Keynes. I'm certain that this mistake is now recognised as such by those in power and will never ever be allowed to happen ever again. Moving Redditch United FC to Hereford is never going to be allowed. Whether it was a genuine attempt at football franchising or an idle threat towards the council, who knows? The Southern League, the FA and RBC all know that such a move will never be sanctioned. Whatever his motives, our chairman should be embarrassed by this.

I don't believe the council are against us. When Chris Swan first took over the club, the lease on the ground was extended and I believe the rent is minimal? If they wanted the ground for housing, they could have taken it a long time ago.

I can't think of a good reason why the council would prevent us from laying a 3g pitch at The Valley. The only possible sticking point I can think of is who pays for it? Funding appeared to be the major problem with the Washford stadium plan, so I'm guessing this maybe the same?

In my opinion, the council should not have to pay a penny in supporting the Reds. It's not the job of the local council to support what is a private business. We already have a long lease on public land at minimal cost. That is enough support for me.

My guess, is that Chris Swan wants better facilities for the club, but wants somebody else to pay for it. Whoever that somebody is, it shouldn't be the council. I maybe completely wrong, but when the silence is this deafening, this is the only conclusion I reach.

I am not sure of exactly how many youth players are registered with the club (30 teams at 15 players?)....I think the council do have a responsibility to help this kind of organization.
Most of the parents from these kids are Redditch council tax payers....and their kids are running round on pitches that haven't changed in 30 years?

How can a town the size of Redditch not offer a public all-weather facility for any purpose?

Having attended 4 council meetings with the Plan B team, I didn't realize the following:

1. RUFC and the history of not paying rent and rates, is an ongoing political pawn
2. Even when RUFC owed more than 30k in rates, most other business's in the borough owed much more !!
3. The council offer of a 'pepper-corn' rent is 100% political (look how we support the local football community...blah blah blah)
4. The Washford project was self funding..sell the Valley for building and pay for the new facility. Many local councilors wish that RUFC would go away, so they can sell the land to balance the negative budget they are over-seeing. If RUFC finished tomorrow...what would happen to the land?
5. Local councilors are only interested in their own agenda...I was the most disappointed person on the planet after my 1st involvement with a meeting.

I think Mr swan is realizing that the council are all talk and no action....I still remember the 'hill' at the Abbey Stadium that was going to be a ski slope....

Far be it for me to defend Redditch Borough Council (Goodness knows I had enough run-ins with them when I was their tenant!) but we have to see this in the over all situation. At a time when all local authorities are suffering from cut backs in the Local Support Grant from the current CENTRAL government and therefore having to priotitise their spending is it any wonder that they find it difficult to underwrite what is after all a private enterprise. Times are hard with street lighting turned off, care services for the elderly curtailed, maintenance budgets slashed, youth centres and libraries under threat. It's not surprising that RUFC is low on the list of priorities. I think you'll find that the vast majority of voters agree that money could be better spent than supporting a minority interest in the town. Much as I love RUFC I must say that I'd prefer my tax money spent on the things that really matter!

I 100% agree Mike...the Council have more pressing issues to deal with than all things RUFC.

However...with the new ground project being self funding, there is no financial risk if funds generated by the sale of the Valley are used for the build out of Washford site?

I see this happening here all the time....schools and colleges sell land to private developers who in turn build brand new facilities.....hence why the sporting opportunities here are the best in the world.

I went to see the new Hampton University football field last year.....it is on par with the MK Dons new stadium....all built in exchange for land that is now private condos. The build cost to the school was zero!

It just needs RBC to back the project and get it done.

Surely the problem is though, Steve, that RUFC don't own the land (unlike presumably the schools and colleges you mention) and that any revenue generated through any sale would be at RBC's beck and call.

I realise that the new development would
a) enhance the Borough and
b) RBC would be in exactly in the same position re rent etc from RUFC so would not lose out

But I'm not sure RBC would see that way!

The council have no reason not to follow this model..I remind you, the drawings (drafted by the council) are more than 10 years old now and Mr Swan has re-energised this project over recent times... with no obvious reaction from our elected members.

I believe their concern is if the Reds disappear, they will be left with a stadium and no tenants....which I find strange, as there are never enough pitches in the Borough, so renting pitches would be easy.

I don't understand and never will.

Some excellent points put across by Michael and Steve. I know for a fact how much i would want to see invested in the care of the diabled at the moment it is diabolical disgrace so i would vote for investment in that rather than any football club. I want to know when so much money is been invested in top flight football it never seems to come down to grass roots clubs like us and Hereford etc. One months wages for Rooney for example would do miracles for us and would of saved Hereford so unfair,Could we not get a grant from the lottery or football trust for the 3g pitch at least? However it is great to see a good debate going on between us with no one slaging each other off, just want to hear from our board now,GOOD LUCK TO THE NEW HEREFORD FC.

I know we are seeing the council as the enemy here, but I don't see what they get out of the deal. We want them to sell The Valley, and give Mr Swan the money to build a new ground out of the town center. Surely, they will then be losing an asset (the ground is obviously worth some money) and getting nothing in return.

Personally, I like the location of the Valley. In the town center is a good place to be. We should make more of it. Not wishing to sound sexist, but there could be mileage in getting blokes to drop their wives off at the shops, then popping down to have a pint and watch some footie. I wonder if we could use those flashy new signs at the train station and on Church Green to advertise upcoming fixtures?

Bob Marley wrote:I am not sure of exactly how many youth players are registered with the club (30 teams at 15 players?)....I think the council do have a responsibility to help this kind of organization.
Most of the parents from these kids are Redditch council tax payers....and their kids are running round on pitches that haven't changed in 30 years?

Oh dear Bob that's just embarrassing it's the parents of these kids who support these teams I doubt the Ducks give them anything other than the name of the club. They do that in order to grant grab nothing more nothing less, it's seems to be a requirement now to have every kind of politically correct faction covered in order to qualify for anything.

From what I can see the Ducks do next to nothing, the ground is still awful and they don't give a monkeys. Let's be honest He's just a chancer who saw a development opportunity and a few million in his back pocket if he paid a relatively small debt and bided his time. Sadly for him his reputation goes before him and the council can see what you obviously can't and never will.

He's telling you how he loves the community and the club and at the same time he's weighing up a move to Hereford, now that is a development waiting to happen.

It's interesting that he blames the council and their £38.00 a week rent for his problems but the only problem he really has is honesty, Redditch are going for the play offs and starting to build support and have a great manager. So what does he do, unsettle everyone and everything for his own secret agenda. Of course now his plans have been scuppered and he's stuck with Redditch he will claim it was all a joke and it was never a serious option. SHAME ON HIM.

I wonder if the Mighty Duck will come on here and stand his corner before he sails the club down the SWANNY RIVER.

There you are MM...I was worried for about 2 seconds (OK, not really).

Why do you continue to think Mr Swan was/is after a development opportunity on land he does not own?

I still fail to understand your personal vendetta with Chris & Sallie...the club is 100% changed in the last 4 years....I don't think it has got worse on any front.?.?

DJ does a great job with the admin, Julian does a great job with the juniors/ladies, Kim does a great job in the canteen, Jim does a great job with the bar & functions, Liam does a great job with the 1st team....etc..etc..etc.

What's the problem?

http://www.harriers-online.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8906

Players not paid....playing budget too high.....no budget control...sack the board....

Yuuup, been there, done that...lost the T shirt

Bob Marley wrote:There you are MM...I was worried for about 2 seconds (OK, not really).

Why do you continue to think Mr Swan was/is after a development opportunity on land he does not own?

I still fail to understand your personal vendetta with Chris & Sallie...the club is 100% changed in the last 4 years....I don't think it has got worse on any front.?.?

DJ does a great job with the admin, Julian does a great job with the juniors/ladies, Kim does a great job in the canteen, Jim does a great job with the bar & functions, Liam does a great job with the 1st team....etc..etc..etc.

What's the problem?

I have been worrying about you Bob, can you get a direct flight to Hereford.

Come on Bob stop pretending you're stupid. He will make his money on the development and the end product not the sale of the land his whole business model has been the same for ever it's not hard to understand. Why do you think he wants to move you to Hereford and not ground share with a neighbour.

I don't have a vendetta I just know if it has teeth and a big fin it's a shark, I am sure all of the people you mention can continue to do a good job without the Duck Dynasty in charge. By the way talking of good people did he intend to move his 60 community sides to Hereford and pay DJ, Julian, Kim etc,s travel expenses or were they to be cast aside as collateral damage.

Come on Bob you're looking a bit of a silly billy supporting the Ducks don't you think. Let's be honest Sally can't even spell her name properly.

Hi MM.

I am not sure that supporting the Chairman is being a 'silly billy'.
I totally respect what Mr Swan has done for RUFC.

I did not agree with his idea of moving the team to Hereford....but I totally understand his frustration and eagerness to look at all opportunities.

The facts remain the same....4 years ago the club was dead, finished....we did not have the infrastructure to do what Leamington/Bromsgrove/Hereford are doing.
Now, we have a competitive team and no debt.

It's OK for me.

NB - My flight options remain the same for Redditch or Hereford....no direct flights!