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Future of club left in doubt

1:18am Friday 16th May 2008

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One of Bradford's leading amateur football clubs faces an uncertain future after local residents opposed development plans.

Eccleshill United, which has 100 young footballers among its 300 members, wants to sell a training pitch and demolish a clubhouse to create space for 70 homes.

Revenue from the sale would generate enough money to build a new clubhouse on the site in Kingsway, Wrose, but residents expressed concerns at a meeting to discuss the plans.

People living near the ground raised concerns about increased traffic accessing the new ground from Kingsway, and a proposed new stand overlooking their homes.

Questions were also raised about whether the area should be sold off for housing instead of being used for sports and recreation.

Councillor John Watmough said: "There was a lot of discussion and a lot of comments about the proposals and I would encourage people to write in with their comments or objections."

An application for outline planning permission has been submitted but no final plans have been submitted to the Shipley Area Planning Panel.

Club secretary Paul Jarvis said falling membership had left the club in need of the boost from selling the training pitch while keeping the main playing area.

He said: "Bills and rates are going up and membership is dropping, so this was something that we took on as a committee when most of us became involved about three or four years ago.

"We have been looking to see if selling the land would be feasible.

"There is a very real danger that, as a worst case scenario, the club would have to look to sell the whole of the site and we have got the local community involved for them to give us some idea about the best way we could use it."

He said any new clubhouse could be used as a community building, following the closure of Wrose Community Centre in December.

Mr Jarvis said: "The architect was at the meeting and was writing everything down. He said that people had some really good ideas, such as attracting new groups to use the building."

Parents of children who use the club supported the application.

The plans for outline permission will be discussed at a meeting in July before more detailed proposals are drawn up. Residents will be consulted again at that stage.

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Your Say YourBradford Telegraph and Argus

Gentleman Jim, Yooohooo over here says...
4:55pm Fri 16 May 08

Try being more amenable to visiting palyers, supporters and the general public and your membership may not have dropped. EUFC have acted in an aloof manner for a fair few years now and have no real reason for this haughty stance. Maybe it is just chickens coming home to roost, or maybe they just want to sell the land and have the cash regardless of developing youth and sport in general. I'll wait for the torrent of answers telling me that 'some' of the proposed sale money will be going towards youth development. But I won't hold my breath to see the outcome.

Report this post »

Gentleman Jim, Yooohooo over here says...
4:55pm Fri 16 May 08

Try being more amenable to visiting palyers, supporters and the general public and your membership may not have dropped. EUFC have acted in an aloof manner for a fair few years now and have no real reason for this haughty stance. Maybe it is just chickens coming home to roost, or maybe they just want to sell the land and have the cash regardless of developing youth and sport in general. I'll wait for the torrent of answers telling me that 'some' of the proposed sale money will be going towards youth development. But I won't hold my breath to see the outcome.

Report this post »

Gentleman Jim, Yooohooo over here says...
4:55pm Fri 16 May 08

Try being more amenable to visiting palyers, supporters and the general public and your membership may not have dropped. EUFC have acted in an aloof manner for a fair few years now and have no real reason for this haughty stance. Maybe it is just chickens coming home to roost, or maybe they just want to sell the land and have the cash regardless of developing youth and sport in general. I'll wait for the torrent of answers telling me that 'some' of the proposed sale money will be going towards youth development. But I won't hold my breath to see the outcome.

Report this post »

john bolton, ravenscliffe says...
6:34pm Fri 16 May 08

I would like to suggest that rather that developing on a training pitch to raise revenue for the club has the club considered hiring some of its facilitys to other community clubs in the region as in the comment made by the club about delivering football to 300 young people in the area it should be noted that other smaller club have the same objectives. Speaking on behalf of my own club Ravenscliffe fc we have over 80 members and do stuggle in finding facilitys to deliver football to the wider community. I know for fact that there are many clubs that would benefit from shared facilitys. It should be noted that Bradford councils strategy is all about partnerships and shared futures. It would seem that the club have not considered the benefits both financial and ethical that sharing the resourses would bring to the whole community

Report this post »

john bolton, ravenscliffe says...
6:34pm Fri 16 May 08

I would like to suggest that rather that developing on a training pitch to raise revenue for the club has the club considered hiring some of its facilitys to other community clubs in the region as in the comment made by the club about delivering football to 300 young people in the area it should be noted that other smaller club have the same objectives. Speaking on behalf of my own club Ravenscliffe fc we have over 80 members and do stuggle in finding facilitys to deliver football to the wider community. I know for fact that there are many clubs that would benefit from shared facilitys. It should be noted that Bradford councils strategy is all about partnerships and shared futures. It would seem that the club have not considered the benefits both financial and ethical that sharing the resourses would bring to the whole community

Report this post »

john bolton, ravenscliffe says...
6:34pm Fri 16 May 08

I would like to suggest that rather that developing on a training pitch to raise revenue for the club has the club considered hiring some of its facilitys to other community clubs in the region as in the comment made by the club about delivering football to 300 young people in the area it should be noted that other smaller club have the same objectives. Speaking on behalf of my own club Ravenscliffe fc we have over 80 members and do stuggle in finding facilitys to deliver football to the wider community. I know for fact that there are many clubs that would benefit from shared facilitys. It should be noted that Bradford councils strategy is all about partnerships and shared futures. It would seem that the club have not considered the benefits both financial and ethical that sharing the resourses would bring to the whole community

Report this post »

Gentleman Jim, Yooohooo over here says...
7:00pm Fri 16 May 08

Spoilt kids don't share John. Your idea is very good in principle but won't ever be put into practice by this club. They struggle to give support to their junior teams, never mind those of an outside club.

Report this post »

Gentleman Jim, Yooohooo over here says...
7:00pm Fri 16 May 08

Spoilt kids don't share John. Your idea is very good in principle but won't ever be put into practice by this club. They struggle to give support to their junior teams, never mind those of an outside club.

Report this post »

Gentleman Jim, Yooohooo over here says...
7:00pm Fri 16 May 08

Spoilt kids don't share John. Your idea is very good in principle but won't ever be put into practice by this club. They struggle to give support to their junior teams, never mind those of an outside club.

Report this post »

Wrose Bantam, Top of Carr Lane says...
7:14pm Fri 16 May 08

Gentleman Jim wrote:
Spoilt kids don't share John. Your idea is very good in principle but won't ever be put into practice by this club. They struggle to give support to their junior teams, never mind those of an outside club.
Instead of making veiled comments about a club who are trying to move forward. Please enlighten us as to what you mean???

The club have made provisions with shipley council to help develop Wrose Rec for its junior section to play all there games on and would spend a lot of money doing this.

Living in the past Jim you can read that most of the committee, as stated by Jarvo, got involved around 3-4 years ago. There only trying to make sure the club stays alive for the whole of the Wrose community.

John's points are valid though and maybe the club could look at these.

Report this post »

Wrose Bantam, Top of Carr Lane says...
7:14pm Fri 16 May 08

Gentleman Jim wrote:
Spoilt kids don't share John. Your idea is very good in principle but won't ever be put into practice by this club. They struggle to give support to their junior teams, never mind those of an outside club.
Instead of making veiled comments about a club who are trying to move forward. Please enlighten us as to what you mean???

The club have made provisions with shipley council to help develop Wrose Rec for its junior section to play all there games on and would spend a lot of money doing this.

Living in the past Jim you can read that most of the committee, as stated by Jarvo, got involved around 3-4 years ago. There only trying to make sure the club stays alive for the whole of the Wrose community.

John's points are valid though and maybe the club could look at these.

Report this post »

Wrose Bantam, Top of Carr Lane says...
7:14pm Fri 16 May 08

Gentleman Jim wrote:
Spoilt kids don't share John. Your idea is very good in principle but won't ever be put into practice by this club. They struggle to give support to their junior teams, never mind those of an outside club.
Instead of making veiled comments about a club who are trying to move forward. Please enlighten us as to what you mean???

The club have made provisions with shipley council to help develop Wrose Rec for its junior section to play all there games on and would spend a lot of money doing this.

Living in the past Jim you can read that most of the committee, as stated by Jarvo, got involved around 3-4 years ago. There only trying to make sure the club stays alive for the whole of the Wrose community.

John's points are valid though and maybe the club could look at these.

Report this post »

john bolton, ravenscliffe says...
8:32pm Fri 16 May 08

I am very encouraged by the positive comments made and would welcome any proposed partnership work with club. In my own experience and 5 years working on grassroots football with young people in Ravenscliffe, Fagley, greengates and thorpe edge i have often felt that i have been working in isolation. Everybody at ravenscliffe have worked so hard in improving and sharing our facilitys with the wider community. The hard work that has been achieved has been done by local residents who the club paid for their coaching qualifications. I think it fair to say and eccleshill have begun work on this, that by getting the whole community on side only then do i think real progress will be made in ensuring the survival of the club. I hope that the problem can be resolved and that the wider community benefit from any funding and resourses that eccleshill may recieve.

Report this post »

john bolton, ravenscliffe says...
8:32pm Fri 16 May 08

I am very encouraged by the positive comments made and would welcome any proposed partnership work with club. In my own experience and 5 years working on grassroots football with young people in Ravenscliffe, Fagley, greengates and thorpe edge i have often felt that i have been working in isolation. Everybody at ravenscliffe have worked so hard in improving and sharing our facilitys with the wider community. The hard work that has been achieved has been done by local residents who the club paid for their coaching qualifications. I think it fair to say and eccleshill have begun work on this, that by getting the whole community on side only then do i think real progress will be made in ensuring the survival of the club. I hope that the problem can be resolved and that the wider community benefit from any funding and resourses that eccleshill may recieve.

Report this post »

john bolton, ravenscliffe says...
8:32pm Fri 16 May 08

I am very encouraged by the positive comments made and would welcome any proposed partnership work with club. In my own experience and 5 years working on grassroots football with young people in Ravenscliffe, Fagley, greengates and thorpe edge i have often felt that i have been working in isolation. Everybody at ravenscliffe have worked so hard in improving and sharing our facilitys with the wider community. The hard work that has been achieved has been done by local residents who the club paid for their coaching qualifications. I think it fair to say and eccleshill have begun work on this, that by getting the whole community on side only then do i think real progress will be made in ensuring the survival of the club. I hope that the problem can be resolved and that the wider community benefit from any funding and resourses that eccleshill may recieve.

Report this post »

Gentleman Jim, Yooohooo over here says...
12:54pm Sat 17 May 08

The comment says it all, it isn't veiled. But if what you say is true then hopefully I can be proved wrong and their will be hope for some of this centuries youngsters in and around the local area. By developing, I take it you do mean developing Wrose Rec, would this then become an area for all or a new section for EUFC Juniors? By the way I have played for, had lads play for and also had lads treated in a despicable manner by EUFC on more than one occasion. I sincerely hope the new regime is far better equipped to deal with juniors than the old one. And the club and clubhouse are far more welcoming places to visit as an opponent and as a supporter of opponents.

Report this post »

Gentleman Jim, Yooohooo over here says...
12:54pm Sat 17 May 08

The comment says it all, it isn't veiled. But if what you say is true then hopefully I can be proved wrong and their will be hope for some of this centuries youngsters in and around the local area. By developing, I take it you do mean developing Wrose Rec, would this then become an area for all or a new section for EUFC Juniors? By the way I have played for, had lads play for and also had lads treated in a despicable manner by EUFC on more than one occasion. I sincerely hope the new regime is far better equipped to deal with juniors than the old one. And the club and clubhouse are far more welcoming places to visit as an opponent and as a supporter of opponents.

Report this post »

Gentleman Jim, Yooohooo over here says...
12:54pm Sat 17 May 08

The comment says it all, it isn't veiled. But if what you say is true then hopefully I can be proved wrong and their will be hope for some of this centuries youngsters in and around the local area. By developing, I take it you do mean developing Wrose Rec, would this then become an area for all or a new section for EUFC Juniors? By the way I have played for, had lads play for and also had lads treated in a despicable manner by EUFC on more than one occasion. I sincerely hope the new regime is far better equipped to deal with juniors than the old one. And the club and clubhouse are far more welcoming places to visit as an opponent and as a supporter of opponents.

Report this post »

Gentleman Jim, Yooohooo over here says...
4:03pm Sat 17 May 08

By the way Jarv, is that a body double in the pic. Or have the 5 a day kicked in? ;D

Report this post »

Gentleman Jim, Yooohooo over here says...
4:03pm Sat 17 May 08

By the way Jarv, is that a body double in the pic. Or have the 5 a day kicked in? ;D

Report this post »

Gentleman Jim, Yooohooo over here says...
4:03pm Sat 17 May 08

By the way Jarv, is that a body double in the pic. Or have the 5 a day kicked in? ;D

Report this post »

Comments are closed on this article.

Club secretary Paul Jarvis on the pitch that the club is hoping to sell

Club secretary Paul Jarvis on the pitch that the club is hoping to sell



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