FC United - Oral Hearing - judge rejects appeal (p 82)

[AndyFcum]

Re: Council 'Bail Out' FC United - today's paper (see page 6)

From Today's North East Manchester Advertiser.......

FC United planned to have generated £1.6m through a community share scheme towards the cost. But so far only £1.4m has been pledged by fans.

Now the council has stepped in with a promise to bridge the funding gap if the extra money is not raised.

The town hall will also cover any overspend, up to a limit of £500,000 – provided the club comes up with a ‘robust’ plan to pay the money back, with interest.

The promise comes on top of a £750,000 grant the council is already making towards the stadium. Council bosses stressed the money would be a loan, to be repaid in full, that would guarantee an ‘important’ development could go ahead.

Pledged?? I wonder how much money will actually be collected.

Am I correct in saying the council have promised to bridge the gap up to £500,000 max plus £750,000 towards the stadium?

"Pledged" is incorrect. £1.4 million has been received from supporters by cheque, by our soilicitors. You wont believe me, so check our website. FCUM will not hopefully need all of the commercial loan, but part of the "gap" was created when the Council moved us from our Newton Heath site, costing FCUM more than £200,000 in planning fees, raised by supporters.

 

[AndyFcum]

Re: Council 'Bail Out' FC United - today's paper (see page 6)

Today's North East Manchester Advertiser.
<a class="postlink" href="http://menmedia.co.uk/northeastmanchesteradvertiser/news/s/1471322_manchester-councils-500000-bail-out-for-fc-uniteds-new-stadium-in-moston" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://menmedia.co.uk/northeastmanchest ... -in-moston</a>

Cash-strapped Manchester council has agreed to lend FC United up to £500,000 to build their controversial new ground.

Town hall chiefs stepped in after it emerged the club had failed to raise enough money to pay for the £4.5m stadium in Moston.

FC United planned to have generated £1.6m through a community share scheme towards the cost. But so far only £1.4m has been pledged by fans.

Now the council has stepped in with a promise to bridge the funding gap if the extra money is not raised.

The town hall will also cover any overspend, up to a limit of £500,000 – provided the club comes up with a ‘robust’ plan to pay the money back, with interest.

The promise comes on top of a £750,000 grant the council is already making towards the stadium. Council bosses stressed the money would be a loan, to be repaid in full, that would guarantee an ‘important’ development could go ahead.

Mike Patillo, who campaigned against the stadium, said: "I think it’s amazing that they can find half a million pounds when they’ve cut Sure Start budgets and they are closing down libraries."

The loan was agreed at a meeting of the town hall’s exectuve committee this week. Councillors also agreed to lease the club the land, on Ronald Johnson Playing Fields, for rent of £1 per year. FC United have made it clear they still want to raise the extra £200,000 themselves.

They have relaunched the community share scheme, which gives local people the chance to invest in the club. The stadium, which has proved highly divisive, was granted planning permission in October.

Mike Amesbury, the council’s executive member for culture and leisure, said: "Any loan to FC United would be at commercial rates, with interest, and not cost the council or council taxpayers a penny.

"What it would do is enable this important development to go ahead. The partnership between FC United and Moston Juniors, one of the largest junior football clubs in Manchester will create the basis for an excellent sporting hub in North Manchester. "

Andy Walsh, general manager of FC United, said: "The club welcomes the decision of the executive committee. There is still an outstanding grant from the Football Foundation to be processed.

"There is still a way to go but we are confident that we can raise the money needed to provide much-needed investment in Moston."

IF YOU ARE APPALLED BY THIS DECISION, PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE ARTICLE (SEE ABOVE LINK)

Richard Leese, manchester City supporter and Leader of Manchester Council Council, this week described our proposal publicly as “One of the best football-based, community sport projects in the country,” in his personal blog
Mike Amesbury, quoted above, the council’s executive member for culture and leisure is also a Manchester City supporter. MOTWYW.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Re: Council 'Bail Out' FC United - Friday's MEN (see page 7)

http://www.redcafe.net/f32/ground-latest-334901/#post11077801

If any local residents have any genuine questions to raise on here with the FC United fans then let me have them and I will put them up in this thread to see if we get any clear answers.
I am not for any inflamatory stuff and negative stuff because we support City but rather genuine concerns.

Some great points you make there, fighting the corner on your own!

A few points to ask are:
What guarantees are there that the loan can be repaid? FCUM have no assets - do they think (forgetting FCUM for the moment) that it is acceptable for an organisation to be loaned 500K with no guarantor or assets? If FCUM default (or go bust) the council get to own the stadium - what would become of an empty stadium that is of no use to anyone. Non league football clubs do not make a profit! What is the difference between FCUM and, say, Northwich Victoria?

Someone mentions that 2 out of the 3 Moston councillors voted for the scheme - yes and both have vested interests.
Cllr Rita Tavenor - her husband is the Principle of Manchester College. Manchester College employs the manager of FCUM as Head of Coaching. FCUM have project links with Manchester College. Cllr Tavenor did not declare this conflict of interest until mentioning it at the planning meeting - and only because she was emailed a few days before asking if the above links were correct (she didn't reply either!)

Cllr Paul Murphy is good buddies with one of the Moston Juniors FC board who is very pro this development. Colin McLaren is the secretary - he is now a councillor in Chadderton but used to be a councillor in Moston alongside Cllr Murphy.
Cllr Murphy campaigned last year to stop the electricty board building a sub station on Carrol's Field in Moston last year, saying Moston has very few green areas and they need protecting. Carrol's Field is very near to his house! He was also in the local paper the other week praising the work of the Medlock Valley wardens and their work at Moston Brook, again being a green champion. Yet he favours ripping up one of the few green spaces in the area.

Tavenor & Murphy have let local residents down. They should have been campaigning for brownfield sites to be given in the area for the stadium, not green sites.

 

[AndyFcum]

Re: Manchester City Council Loan FC United £550K and.....

Let me get this right, FCUM will pay £1 rent even though a kids team is currently being charged £1000 rent?

because FCUM staff will now take over the maintenance/running of the site from the Council. The £1 will be just a nominal figure.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Re: Council 'Bail Out' FC United - Friday's MEN (see page 7)

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12940540/fc-united-loan

Someone with way too much time on their hands has produced this ''pro loan'' video!
Pathetically funny.

Unsurprisingly, the woman isn't able to ask ''what happens if FCUM cannot repay the loan? Who picks up the tab if they default? Who is the guarantor?''

What a joke!

Remember this Phil? Shame you and your mate couldnt quite cut it?
<a class="postlink" href="http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/football/manchester_city/s/167/167365_blues_fans_plan_breakaway_club.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... _club.html</a>

Nice one AndyFCUM!!!!! Wondered when you'd join in!
Yes I do remember that. I was interviewed by the MEN as I was secretary of the supporters club. That's about all they got right. They asked me what my views were on City fans breakaway and gave them, said i could understand why they felt like that and spoke of my own dissatisfaction at City when Shinawatra took over. But I was never involved in any breakaway movement, that was just my opinion and then because i said I could understand why and thought it would happen i was down as an organiser! Instead i just stopped going when Shinawatra took over.
I was asked to attend a meeting (with a few others) with the chairman of Maine Road FC as they felt supporting an existing team (set up by City supporters) would be better than re-inventing the wheel and expecting the council to find some land on the cheap etc etc. I know a few Blues did then go and watch Maine Road FC, but it wasn't for me, so I never got involved at all in any way.

-- Mon Jan 23, 2012 3:49 pm --

Today's North East Manchester Advertiser.
<a class="postlink" href="http://menmedia.co.uk/northeastmanchesteradvertiser/news/s/1471322_manchester-councils-500000-bail-out-for-fc-uniteds-new-stadium-in-moston" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://menmedia.co.uk/northeastmanchest ... -in-moston</a>

Cash-strapped Manchester council has agreed to lend FC United up to £500,000 to build their controversial new ground.

Town hall chiefs stepped in after it emerged the club had failed to raise enough money to pay for the £4.5m stadium in Moston.

FC United planned to have generated £1.6m through a community share scheme towards the cost. But so far only £1.4m has been pledged by fans.

Now the council has stepped in with a promise to bridge the funding gap if the extra money is not raised.

The town hall will also cover any overspend, up to a limit of £500,000 – provided the club comes up with a ‘robust’ plan to pay the money back, with interest.

The promise comes on top of a £750,000 grant the council is already making towards the stadium. Council bosses stressed the money would be a loan, to be repaid in full, that would guarantee an ‘important’ development could go ahead.

Mike Patillo, who campaigned against the stadium, said: "I think it’s amazing that they can find half a million pounds when they’ve cut Sure Start budgets and they are closing down libraries."

The loan was agreed at a meeting of the town hall’s exectuve committee this week. Councillors also agreed to lease the club the land, on Ronald Johnson Playing Fields, for rent of £1 per year. FC United have made it clear they still want to raise the extra £200,000 themselves.

They have relaunched the community share scheme, which gives local people the chance to invest in the club. The stadium, which has proved highly divisive, was granted planning permission in October.

Mike Amesbury, the council’s executive member for culture and leisure, said: "Any loan to FC United would be at commercial rates, with interest, and not cost the council or council taxpayers a penny.

"What it would do is enable this important development to go ahead. The partnership between FC United and Moston Juniors, one of the largest junior football clubs in Manchester will create the basis for an excellent sporting hub in North Manchester. "

Andy Walsh, general manager of FC United, said: "The club welcomes the decision of the executive committee. There is still an outstanding grant from the Football Foundation to be processed.

"There is still a way to go but we are confident that we can raise the money needed to provide much-needed investment in Moston."

IF YOU ARE APPALLED BY THIS DECISION, PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE ARTICLE (SEE ABOVE LINK)

Richard Leese, manchester City supporter and Leader of Manchester Council Council, this week described our proposal publicly as “One of the best football-based, community sport projects in the country,” in his personal blog
Mike Amesbury, quoted above, the council’s executive member for culture and leisure is also a Manchester City supporter. MOTWYW.

and????????

 

[Ardwick AFC]

Re: Council 'Bail Out' FC United - Friday's MEN (see page 7)

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12940540/fc-united-loan

Someone with way too much time on their hands has produced this ''pro loan'' video!
Pathetically funny.

Unsurprisingly, the woman isn't able to ask ''what happens if FCUM cannot repay the loan? Who picks up the tab if they default? Who is the guarantor?''

What a joke!

Remember this Phil? Shame you and your mate couldnt quite cut it?
<a class="postlink" href="http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/football/manchester_city/s/167/167365_blues_fans_plan_breakaway_club.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... _club.html</a>

Holy shit!

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Re: Council 'Bail Out' FC United - Friday's MEN (see page 7)

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12940540/fc-united-loan

Someone with way too much time on their hands has produced this ''pro loan'' video!
Pathetically funny.

Unsurprisingly, the woman isn't able to ask ''what happens if FCUM cannot repay the loan? Who picks up the tab if they default? Who is the guarantor?''

What a joke!

Remember this Phil? Shame you and your mate couldnt quite cut it?
<a class="postlink" href="http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/football/manchester_city/s/167/167365_blues_fans_plan_breakaway_club.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... _club.html</a>

Holy shit!

Not really, I explained a bit further up about that. The MEN described me as one of the organisers, but I had nowt to do with it. just gave them my opinion that i could see it happening and the next thing I read is I'm involved!

My beef is not with FCUM - it's with the council. Lived in Moston for 19 years until September. The place needs investment and development - but not on that green field.
A lot of friends I know in the area have genuine concerns about the effect this will have on their quality of life. It's not just a football stadium playing 20 games a year, but an artificial pitch open 6 days / nights a week and a club house open how many nights a week until what hour??
How the council can approve this in a residential area is beyond me.
That is what I am objecting too, not FCUM being in Moston. just on that spot.

 

[Dr Mick]

Re: Council 'Bail Out' FC United - AndyFCUM replies (see page 7)

Where do you live Andy? Is it Moston? If not why not build the stadium in your back yard?

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Re: Council 'Bail Out' FC United - AndyFCUM replies (see page 7)

Where do you live Andy? Is it Moston? If not why not build the stadium in your back yard?

Last time i checked his facebook status (a year or so ago) it was Burnley way!

 

[Dr Mick]

Re: Council 'Bail Out' FC United - AndyFCUM replies (see page 7)

Where do you live Andy? Is it Moston? If not why not build the stadium in your back yard?

Last time i checked his facebook status (a year or so ago) it was Burnley way!

Wouldn't it be easier if this poor man's Ron Atkinson wannabe just bought himself a sheepskin coat and a copy of Football Manager on Xbox? He probably practices team talks and post match interviews in front of the bathroom mirror in his ManU pyjamas.

Am I right in assuming that this AndyFcum chappie is the same bloke as Andy 'Angelos' Walsh? What have you got in your bag today Andy? Have you worked out the difference between pledged and raised yet mate?

From Burnley you say. Doesn't suprise me one little bit.