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by Andrew6726/2/2014 10:25Wed Feb 26 10:25:34 2014
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Saturday
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I'll be there for the home game against Westfield. Can anyone at there club see a reason why this fixture will be attractive to residents in the borough will be excited and be causing queues at the turnstiles to come and see the match. From Drax's time at the club lots of goals isn't an answer on its own. At least then we were scoring the goals not shipping them.
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Re: Saturday
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Residents in the borough will be excited and cues at the turnstiles????
Don’t understand your post Arthur can you explain further?
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Re: Saturday
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Wakes, it is my attempt past irony. We were promised the works ........ a successful football team playing at higher levels (I believe that there is a big regret about league status). The on field success would lead to a self sustaining team with income matching, or exceeding expenditure. They inhabitants of the borough would want to come, A minimum of 1% of the borough's population (circa 100,000 ) would be regularly attending. Our record this season is a cup defeat to a lower tier team, two 5-0 defeats, a 4-1 defeat and a 3-2 defeat. This will really attract townsfolk to want to come???? The Drax reference is because he had one of the most entertaining side to watch at Wheatsheaf Park, with attendances around 250. He came from Maidenhead ...... arguably rivals. They invested in their team and moved upwards to ( now) National League status with average gates of just under a thousand. We have dis-invested and dropped a couple of levels. Our facilities are those of an Isthmian League premier or National South side. This even though the roof is leaking (lack of investment in ground upkeep). However the lack of investment in the side, is as I have previously said, we are really entered into a division 2 levels above our playing potential. My thread, written after a 4-1 defeat at Binfield, attempted (and clearly failed) to signify the irony of this. Will I be queueing with a thousand others on Saturday, or will I be phoned to ask what time I can make it to pay to watch? Will I see a competitive game, or a game with a fair few goals shipped by the Swans. The thread was an attempt to get someone in the club to say that investment is needed now. We will see goals on Saturday ..... arguably at least four, and none from a player in a yellow shirt.
I apologise for this. It is like trying to explain a joke ....... I used to have OCD but now I have also developed OBCD.
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Re: Saturday
Views: 898
I see where you’re coming from now Arthur, I too find it an incredible come down from a club once pushing for promotion to the National league and dumping 2 Football league clubs out of the FA cup in 4 amazing cup runs. How the hell has that been allowed to happen?
Your answer lies with the Thames Club all day long.
The current owner have totally pissed on STFC ever since Alan Boon sadly left us. That was when the corruption began. Alarm bells should have been ringing when the function hall was turned into a dance studio literately robbing the club of holding any events, then the kitchen was closed and the bar made smaller, bit by bit they took more and more and nothing was ever done to challenge it. Total corruption, they never gave a flying fuck about STFC, all they did was take and never gave.
Initially I don’t blame Joe for trying to stand up to them but ultimately it was the wrong thing to do as you can’t win against big money and we were made to suffer for it even worse. This led to the board room being turned into a pole dancing studio and the bar being completely closed down on match days. The Thames club have quite literally murderd STFC and left them to rot because all they care about is making money, they quite literally have been the landlords from hell
We will be playing combined counties football next season, period. I suggest we all get used to this fact and just come along to games to meet up with friends and to escape the misses for a couple of hours cos that’s what it now is. If a new backer cannot be found to rebuild the club then I would suggest a merger of some kind. Ashford Town and Spelthorne Sports are now the senior clubs in this borough and I would suggest an approach of some kind to be made, however with nothing to offer I can see this idea falling flat on its face. I think we will hold our own in Combined counties premier with our superior history and stadium facilities setting us apart from other clubs at this level.
We will be the biggest club the combined counties has seen since AFC Wimbledon, get used to it cos it’s happening barring a miracle…
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Re: Saturday
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Wakes how can you blame The Thames Club. They are the land owner and they run a busines in whatever way they decide to.
The fact is The Thames Club wouldn't be there if the land werent sold. Who sold the land ? The land was sold when it was the trustees who run the club. who were the trustees?. As far as I know Alan and Matt were trustees before it was turned to a limited company. Where did all the money for the land go? who got the money ? was it used to improve the club ? we are talking millions.
The land was sold for cash which no one knows whereit went and all we got is the lease and a landlord.. who's fault is that? certainly aint the Thames Club. And the current owner obv don't care no more .. we know he has the money but he aint gonna spend it.
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Re: Saturday
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Valid points but despite selling the land and becoming tenants, the club became hugely successful. The corruption only began after Sheffield United sold the Thames club to Downing LLP. That has proved to be disastrous and has cost the club dear. The questions you have to ask are why didn’t STFC challenge the corruption whilst it was still successful??? The seeds were sown for our downfall a long time before Joe took over and it is was ultimately a combination of factors that has led to the club’s demise, with the Thames club denying us of the kind of funding that nearly all other clubs enjoy. No prospective investor will want to fund STFC all the while we are burdened by the Thames club….
Edited by Wakes at 23:05:11 on 15th September 2021
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Re: Saturday
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Agree with a lot of what you say Wakes. But the fact is when the club was a trust the trustees had a duty to us the fans and the community who were the beneficiaries of the trust to explain why the land was sold for the lease and where the money went from the sale of the land. as well as explainin to us how the lease would protect the club from landlords from hell. We had a bit of superficial success but in the long term was it worth it when you look at us now on the verge.
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Re: Saturday
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The Thames Club are not the problem. They own the land it is true. However they have never had a profitable year and had to undergo a significant refinancing five or six years ago. It is the business that controls the Thames Club that is the problem. They have a lot of money ....... However I do believe Joe when he says he has made a very fair bid to buy back the freehold for the land under existing use (football ground and gym). I think the owners see the land as a prime development site. There is no arguing that this would have been true in the middle of th e last decade. Today we can see the increasing effects of global warming. The ground is in an area very susceptible to flooding with increasing regularity . The council have had to place very strict criteria on any proposed developments in the flood plain. I am not sure that residential development on the land is permissible, which means the land will have to be sold, if it is sold, for existing use. It is now a game of poker between Joe and the Thames Club backers which will determine the ultimate destiny of the football club. I believe that if the team is successful on the pitch and bringing in crowds of support reflecting that success then joe's hand in the poker game would be very much strengthened. If it is a team just above park level football followed by a handful of loyal supporters always reflecting on the good old days, there is a strong possibility we may be reflecting in our armchairs or in the Wheatsheaf and Pidegeon.
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Re: Saturday
Views: 780
Arthur, you talk as if Joe is still involved and interested in the club? That ship has sailed, he didn’t get the Thames club because he could not afford to and has no backers in place same as with the failed Levski Sofia bid. He stood down as chairman and as far as I’m aware he now actually lives in the States and is not putting a single penny into the club. I think we can probably forget all about him unless a genuine backer actually comes into the club and that will probably be a failed bid as Joe would not want to let go of the ownership. #screwed.com…..
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Re: Saturday
Views: 735
Again everybody fails to see the problem has nothing to do with difficult landlords and current owners who dont care. Arthur it aint the fault of the Thames Club owners that they were sold the land.If theywerent sold the land in thefirst place how could they be in there???
The real problem ..........we have to .say it very quietly so we dont upset anyone.........may be the guy sipping on sangria somewhere in southern Spain allegedly enjoying the fruits of the sale of the clubs..the trustees the.. local communitie land all those years ago. The club owned the land. Now they dont. The club is fucked. ASK the quwsrions who's fault is it???
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Re: Saturday
Views: 705
Firstly, in defence of Joe, whilst he may spend a lot of time in the USA, for both personal and business reasons, he has never been one to shirk a fight. His league footballing pedigree would have had that instilled into him. He has sunk a lot of money into this club (personally I would say not enough on the pitch) but he has bought out those who originally invested with him. If he has given up on the club he would have given the shares he owns to the supporters club and walked away. I believe he still hasn't given up on the club and is continuing the non-footballing fight. I am still involved in that fight and will be upping the anti in the next fee days.
I am assuming the veiled reference to those sipping sangria in Southern Spain refers to the sale of football club property to third parties. As far as I am concerned Alan is not here to answer and I am still convinced that he had the best interests of the club at heart. I will never speak ill of the dead. However, his son does have questions to answer should he ever deign too appear at th club again. To try and unpick what was done is futile. However, I am much more concerned about those who sup spritzers in the shadow of St Pauls. If, as I truly believe, the council have correctly closed the door on any use for the land than existing use, accounting rules will be putting a great deal of pressure on the Thames Club, its directors and backers.
However, my wish is to be watching competitive football at Wheatsheaf Park, in the Dixon Stadium, for a long time - hopefully starting on Saturday. COYS
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Re: Saturday
Views: 712
Is there something going on that the rest of us don’t know about Arthur? Did I just read correctly that you are personally involved in Joe Dixon’s fight? The whole situation just gets more and more confusing by the day and a few more gems are coming out of the woodwork in every new post. Everyone else is guessing what’s going on behind the scenes whilst you appear to already know???
What I find the most confusing and quite frankly disappointing is the sheer lack of communication from the club that the loyal and long suffering supporters of Staines Town football club deserve to hear. I mean fuck me, no wonder we are all so pissed off with the situation when all we can do is guess. The message we are getting is that the battle with the Thames club is lost and Joe has buggered off to America and never coming back leaving the club to die. I will say it again, where is the bloody communication???
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Re: Saturday
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I have and will do whatever work I can so that I can watch competitive football at Wheatsheaf Park. I listened to Joe's videos back in the day. There were things mentioned that I felt were not quite right with my own accountancy background. I have been following these things through. In this work I have also checked with the Council about planning permissions in the area. I have found out about average water consumptions. I am aware when the Staines Upon Thames drainage system was built ........... This work is not for Joe, it is for me so that I can watch football. I know from you Joe is in America!!! We should all be using our talents, free of charge, to keep watching competitive football at Wheatsheaf Park. Banging on here and shouting woe is me achieves nothing. We should be working together for the club to make it more attractive. The supporters club organise teams to get the ground ready for football, Gooner John does a lot of cleaning for the club, we have Christine in the shop, girls in the cafe, stewards etc all doing what they can, for free. I have some physical disabilities, but my mind is still not in dementialand. I can still use my accountancy knowledge if it helps the club. I really want my grandchildren's children to be coming here in the future so I will do whatever I can.
The doctor has recently told me I am colourblind. It came right out of the orange
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Re: Saturday
Views: 680
Those of us who are left and are actively keeping the club afloat I cannot praise highly enough, all are doing a magnificent job under very difficult circumstances. I wish I had more time on my hands to help them further, I am currently off work having put a Stanley blade through my hand hence all my posting on this forum.
I know for a fact I have ruffled a few feathers with what I’ve been saying but somebody has to say them. We have far too many sheep following the club frightened to say anything in fear of upsetting people hence me saying what everyone else is thinking.
My thoughts on the situation are only a reflection of what the club have given off, if there is no communication and a lot of secrecy going on then people will make their own judgements, Joe only has himself to blame on that matter and those are the signals he has given, we can only put 2 and 2 together and that is what we are left with. If Joe can keep us informed and reassure us that he is still involved and fighting for the club then I will eat a big slice of humble pie and apologise to him, he has yet to do that so I will just have to continue seeing it as it is coming across and at the moment it’s a real shit show. If anyone at the club can elaborate further then I’m sure every supporter is willing to listen and maybe start to no understand what is really going on behind the scenes….
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Re: Saturday
Views: 698
The sooner everyone realises Joe Dixon doesn't care about the FOOTBALL then you'll understand the crux of the problem. No matter how hard club volunteers work it will never be enough when there is no playing budget at all.
Based on the start to this season, the club would be better off consolidating and preparing a team for next year in the combined counties, Where by the way the crowds are 40 people. There is no point being a laughing stock and everyone is actually trying their hardest.
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Re: Saturday
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Combined Counties football at Wheatsheaf Park is far better than no football. The love the true fans of this club have shown for exceeds the detritus you are spouting. If you think Joe is so bad, put your money where your mouth is and buy him out
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Re: Saturday
Views: 657
Buy him out ? The club is worth absolutely nothing, not a penny ! Just the £1 Joe paid.
I'm failing to see what investment has ever been made in the football club by current ownership. A playing budget is an overhead and something every club should have whether it's high or low in comparison. Based on other comments here it seems common knowledge we don't have a playing budget full stop. Does that not send alarm bells ?
What infrastructure or improvement has ever happened under the current ownership ? Genuinely I task anyone here to come up with anything this owner has improved.
Like you say , combined counties is better than no football but it also brings even less income.
It goes hand in hand, lower league = less fans = less gate money = no football club
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Re: Saturday
Views: 653
If what you say is true, but him out for £1.50. However, I am assured from the initial meeting a proper due diligence was followed. I understand that Che, when he was playing for us was paid out of joe's pocket. There is also a boost the budget scheme, insinuating the there is a budget. Infrastructure and improvements ..... Who stopped the bar and tried to close down the shop .... We are now functioning again.
In order to progress we will achieve nothing by denigrating individuals. However, by working together (see earlier posts in this. thread) and silencing the larger corporations who have zero interest in the football, the club could well move back into a happier place..
What do you call a judge with no thumbs ..... Justice fingers
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Re: Saturday
Views: 663
I like the positivity Arthur, I want the club to play at the highest level possible.
I agree working together solves a lot, what will Joe be doing ? Not a lot by the sounds of the statement regarding him stepping down...
"Outgoing Chairman Joe Dixon stated ‘ I feel that now is the right moment to step aside from my role as Chairman of STFC. I want to thank all of the fans, volunteers and staff who have supported us and I wish Kevin the very best in his new position at the club, I am sure that he will do a great job in leading the club going forward"
But again, there is nothing visible in the stadium that has been improved since he took over ? All repairs and painting has been done by the supporters club. Levski Sofia was promised a 200 million dollar stadium...
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Re: Saturday
Views: 648
I'm not sure what slagging off Joe achieves. Perhaps you want him to increase his offer for the freehold, existing use, to implausible levels. It is your responsibility to report back to those investors you have misled
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Re: Saturday
Views: 739
Thank you for all you do. I know Ben is proud of you and his daughter, down in Bournemouth, carries her supporters club membership card in her card holder every day. In winter her beanie hats are either a Staines Town FC hat or a beanie with the white ribbons. Joe, according to you, is away in America. He is the club's major shareholder. I still believe he has the best interests of the club at heart. With his West Ham background it is in his genetic make up to recognise fans loyalty. I also really appreciate everything that is done for me by the numerous club volunteers. Communication with supporters should come from either the supporters club, if they have anything to divulge, or from the chairman and the board. I n the meantime we should all be doing all we can for the club in whichever way we feel most able ....... boost the budget, admin, cleaning, getting councillors, MP or other local dignitaries involved; and not belittle each others efforts. Wakes, I am sorry for your injury - I will tell Ben (for those of you who don't know, I don't ever recall meeting Wakes, but he was at school with my son Ben)). Take care and see you Saturday
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Re: Saturday
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Some kind words there, thank you Arthur hope Ben is doing ok haven’t seen him since the class of 92!
I’m sure we will meet face to face at some point. You are far too nice on this forum, but we shouldn’t be praising failure as nothing will ever be improved upon.
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Re: Saturday
Views: 664
Wakes, I was going to avoid any more replies to this thread, but Ben just called. I really can't be that nice because hen I told him you had put a stanley knife blade through your hand his first comment was: What did he do that for?" It's either the way I brought him up or the fact he spends his days in a PRU!!! He then did say he was sorry for you etc
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