Town to sell Bickland Park (From Falmouth Packet)

Town to sell Bickland Park

11:00am Wednesday 30th January 2008

• Print
• Email
• Share

FALMOUTH Town Football Club has confirmed that they are in early talks concerning the possible relocation of the club from Bickland Park.

Chairman Graham Medlin said the club has discussed the matter at executive committee level and talks with a prospective purchaser are in the early stages.

Mr Medlin also confirmed that should the club win the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League this season they would not seek promotion to the Toolstation Western League for the following season.

"We have been talking for some time that we need to take the club forward," said Mr Medlin, "but it needs to be right financially both on and off the pitch.

"We are in early talks about a possible relocation from Bickland Park, but that's as far as it has gone at present."

Mr Medlin added that there were many factors that prompted the decision to try and relocate.

"I don't think Bickland Park has had any major refurbishment since the club moved there 50 years ago."

In its hey-day Bickland Park was well known as the Wembley of the West, but as far as Mr Medlin is concerned that is far from the case now.

"If you look at it now it looks old, outdated and tired, but in order to revamp it we would have to spend something in the region of a £100,000, so why throw good money after bad when that could be put to better use."

If the club did move it plans to involve the whole community, not just the football club.

"If we move it has to be the right place for us," continued Mr Medlin. "We only have one ground and as a club are unable to accommodate all the teams who play for us, so we need a pitch for the first team, pitches for the other teams within the club, and a training pitch.

"We would also be keen to provide an all-weather surface so that all clubs - and from whatever sport - would be able to make use of it. It will be part of and open to the community.

"On top of that we would also intend including a small indoor facility incorporating a gymnasium, but that is what we generally envisage as being the sort of package we require."

The club has been looking at potential sites, but one already ruled out is the one preferred by Falmouth RFC - Menehay Farm - because, Mr Medlin says, has too many restrictions on it.

Although neither confirmed nor denied, another possible site is the Falmouth Community School's Channel Four ground.

As regards Town deciding against promotion should the club win the league, Mr Medlin was adamant that the future of the club would not be risked in the short term.

"Gaining promotion is going to increase the overall operating costs and we need to be sure that we can afford it financially.

"It has to be right on and off the pitch and it is a big step to take. You don't want to be in the league for a season and then find you can't afford to finance it and have to pull out.

"We have to be sensible about it and that is a decision that manager Steve Massey is fully behind. He doesn't want us to take that step if we are unable to guarantee we have the resources to meet it.

"We are also mindful that the Carlsberg Peninsula League could really take off and become a top competition in the South West.

"There is already talk that Barnstaple Town are finding it too expensive to play in the Western League and are considering joining. There are also several other clubs who are expressing a real interest, so it could be that this would be a much better league for us to be in.

"There could be exciting times ahead for Falmouth Town, but whatever decisions are made will only be taken with the future security of the club the most important consideration.

• Print
• Email
• Share