The love you gave me Nothing else can save me SOS
Perhaps not ABBA’s finest hour and certainly not a TLF favourite but in times of distress the classic ‘Knowing me knowing you’ doesn’t quite cut it.
I know that we generally tend to avoid too much distress at Lost Fox Towers. We do not campaign, canvas or soapbox. Instead we ramble and provide a small online ounce (other units of measurement are available) of nonsense and shenanigans with the odd bit of gallivanting thrown in for good measure. But just this once; indulge me. See that picture of Clarence Park, home of the mighty Saints? I am talking metaphorically here, don’t be wasting my time and yours searching for a non existence photo in this week’s missive. Well there is a fat, dirty grey cloud loitering ominously in the corner and the Save our Saints campaign is the unfurling umbrella that we hope will protect us. (Hey don’t cringe, every blog needs the occasional tortuous metaphor).
You see football clubs don’t survive financially on match day income alone. They need to generate revenue the rest of the week/month/year. Which is why they have nice, glossy facilities that people will want to hire out for meetings, prawn sandwich eating, conferences, wedding receptions, kids parties and wotnot. Trouble is that isn’t an option at Clarence Park. We have character and a loveable slightly tatty round the edges feel but a LSTRTEF doesn’t help keep a club in the black. What that means is that our co-owners, who rescued the club in 2011 have spent quite a few quid (450k of quids to be precise) keeping the club going. And they have said, quite rightly, that’s not a situation that can go on forever. Which potentially puts the very existence of the club at risk.
We all know what needs to change. Move or improve (I quite like that). And it’s not for lack of trying. Trouble is there is some complicated restrictive covenant malarkey that limits how the current ground can be used commercially and then two attempts to move somewhere else where some new spangly ground could be used in that way have been scuppered. What would really help is a bit of backup/steer/support/woteva from our local Council to make, as we say in the Void, summat happen. And WHY is that worth campaigning and fussing over?
- So that we can save a club that is in the hearts of many, especially those who have being going to Clarence park for fifty or sixty years; watched as kids, then bought their kids and then their kids’ kids (more commonly known as grandchildren I believe).
- So that TLFs are kept out of mischief.
- But most importantly because a local football club can engage and knit together a community. The club already does plenty with local schools but just think what could be contributed locally if a new ground could not just pull in the cash but also balance that with low cost facilities for all sorts of community groups to use.
Here endeth the lesson. If you could find your way to signing this petition that would be lovely. And I promise it will be rambling nonsense all the way next week.
https://www.change.org/p/st-albans-city-council-to-address-the-pressing-issues-at-st-albans-city-fc
When you’re gone
How can I even try to go on?
When you’re gone
Though I try
How can I carry on?
Soapbox Fox