Brockhall STC - planning permission application ?

[RevidgeBlue]

45 minutes ago, Ewould Spark said:

‘Mushy’ has been a Rovers fan for donkeys years. I first spoke to him when we played for the supporters team out in Salzburg before the UEFA Cup tie over there.

Thought it was the same person that I knew from the Forum.

[Mattyblue]

Langho is full of Rovers fans and is part of the Blackburn post town…

oh and it contains a fully functional top class training and Category A academy in a beautiful part of the county… so it needs flogging off and something inferior built in an area covered by BwD, because? 

 

 

[Ewould Spark]

4 minutes ago, JHRover said:

In what possible way would a training ground a few miles up the road but in BWD boundaries benefit the town and community?

I believe that the training facilities are there for the benefit of the Club, Not the town or community many of whom do not even support Rovers.

We have world class facilities in a world class environment. I'm struggling to understand any need to give that up to train on an industrial estate or playing fields in Blackburn.

I keep coming back to it - why did Jack Walker build it in the Ribble Valley if it made more sense to build it in Blackburn?

It probably didn’t make sense to build it in Blackburn in the early 90’s. A lot has changed since then, not least the building of the M65 which now opens up plenty of green field sites close to town. Any development can be a catalyst for further development (hotels etc). I can certainly see why BWD council might welcome the idea with open arms.

[Ewould Spark]

8 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Hi Neil?

Hope you're well.

It's not the Club's job to rejuvenate the town and community by needlessly moving what are essentially private facilities to an inferior location just to suit some in the town hall

"Bring it back home?" It's only about 2-3 miles outside the boundary of BWD. You make it sound like it's in Manchester or something.

What an insult to Jack Walker.

Hi Simon … long time no see! The fact remains that the current set up, spread out over two sites is not ideal. If it could be consolidated on to one site, with all the obvious benefits that brings, why not?

[only2garners]

The last couple of pages of this thread have been an object lesson in how some random speculation can run away with itself on the internet.

I didn't know Mushy personally before he joined the Forum last October along with two others but I was aware of his name. As ES says he has been a Rovers supporter for a long time. His appointment, like every one that has been made whilst I have been Secretary, had nothing to do with the club.

He has contributed a number of times to discussions since joining and made his comment about considering a move into Blackburn with Darwen should the training ground move I think at the March meeting and re-iterated it in May. One of the reasons for his suggestion was that a training centre within Blackburn would be much better for community use than Brockhall.

For what its worth I would be in favour of such a move if it made financial sense and if a suitable site could be found. Right now I can't see how either of those conditions will be met.

[Ewould Spark]

14 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

I bet. 🙄

Certainly a well timed re-emergence to a board (and certainly this particular thread) you vowed never to return to. 

 

Bloody Hell … reading some of the stuff on here is worse than stumbling into a QAnon forum. If you must know … the ‘new revamped’ site was mentioned in a Facebook post I read. I am currently a passenger in a car travelling up the M5/M6 and took the opportunity to look in on the ‘new revamped’ offering. I clicked on this thread because it is a subject frequently on the FF agenda. Then I saw the crack-pot theories relating to Mushy and I thought I can’t let this stuff go unchallenged.

[Mattyblue]

So… ten years on, remembering that you ridiculed those with grave concerns about the direction of the club.

 Opinion on the state of Blackburn Rovers, ES?

Edited August 1, 2021 by Mattyblue

[Ewould Spark]

2 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

So… ten years on. Opinion on the state of the club, ES?

I suspect it’s in a far better place than if some fans had had there way and chased the bill payers out of town! 
 

ps Pass my best wishes on to your dad … hope he is enjoying retirement.

[RevidgeBlue]

15 minutes ago, only2garners said:

The last couple of pages of this thread have been an object lesson in how some random speculation can run away with itself on the internet.

I didn't know Mushy personally before he joined the Forum last October along with two others but I was aware of his name. As ES says he has been a Rovers supporter for a long time. His appointment, like every one that has been made whilst I have been Secretary, had nothing to do with the club.

He has contributed a number of times to discussions since joining and made his comment about considering a move into Blackburn with Darwen should the training ground move I think at the March meeting and re-iterated it in May. One of the reasons for his suggestion was that a training centre within Blackburn would be much better for community use than Brockhall.

For what its worth I would be in favour of such a move if it made financial sense and if a suitable site could be found. Right now I can't see how either of those conditions will be met.

I'm absolutely appalled by the comments of yourself and Neil John, but not surprised given your ambivalence when the previous scheme (scam) was being put forward.

I can't believe you're still receptive to any replacement of Brockhall after Cheston (according to the minutes) had the nerve to sit in front of you and claim a new training centre could be financed when apparently we can't even afford to finance a new pitch!

Have to say as well that as you and Neil and Mushy are in favour of moving the facilities as well as  goodness knows who else on there, that is a very disproportionate and unrepresentative range of opinion for such a small group. It should be made plain to the Club that whilst those are your personal views they are not necessarilyrepresentative of those of the fanbase as a whole.

[Mattyblue]

9 minutes ago, Ewould Spark said:

I suspect it’s in a far better place than if some fans had had there way and chased the bill payers out of town! 
 

ps Pass my best wishes on to your dad … hope he is enjoying retirement.

I’m asking about the state of the club now, not some hypotheticals.

[Ewould Spark]

6 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

I'm absolutely appalled by the comments of yourself and Neil John, but not surprised given your ambivalence when the previous scheme (scam) was being put forward.

I can't believe you're still receptive to any replacement of Brockhall after Cheston (according to the minutes) had the nerve to sit in front of you and claim a new training centre could be financed when apparently we can't even afford to finance a new pitch!

Have to say as well that as you and Neil and Mushy are in favour of moving the facilities as well as  goodness knows who else on there, that is a very disproportionate and unrepresentative range of opinion for such a small group. It should be made plain to the Club that whilst those are your personal views they are not necessarilyrepresentative of those of the fanbase as a whole.

Just now, Mattyblue said:

I’m asking about the state of the club now, not some hypotheticals.

The club is in a far better place than when I started following them … when paying the milkman was famously a problem. I think we are probably slightly over performing for a club of our resources … but  as always, they continue to bring joy and frustration into my life in equal measures … and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

[Ewould Spark]

6 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

I’m asking about the state of the club now, not some hypotheticals.

The club is in a far better place than when I started following them … when paying the milkman was famously a problem. I think we are probably slightly over performing for a club of our resources … but  as always, they continue to bring joy and frustration into my life in equal measures … and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

[Mattyblue]

So you are relived we can still pay the leccy bill.
 

Fair enough, not sure that was the barometer of success you outlined for this regime in 2011 when you were taking the piss out of those with grave concerns, but hey ho.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Mattyblue

[den]

38 minutes ago, only2garners said:

 

For what its worth I would be in favour of such a move if it made financial sense and if a suitable site could be found. Right now I can't see how either of those conditions will be met.

I’m surprised by that as well as Revidge John.

Financial sense to who?

Suitable site to who?

I assume you mean to yourself? Rovers moving away from Brockhall won’t match what they currently have, will it?

Wouldnt it be more sensible to have a default position of opposing any move from what is a fantastic facility until you know what the alternative proposal is?

[Ewould Spark]

1 minute ago, Ewould Spark said:

 

Sorry Simon I mixed up my replies. 
 

First thing I would say is that I didn’t say I was in favour of a move …. but I was “warming” to the idea. 
The club cannot afford to stand still. Once upon a time we had training facilities second to none … and then the big boys built their own. There is no getting away from the fact that a split site is not ideal. They have obviously looked into consolidating on to one site at the present location (igniting this thread!) … but that has proven unworkable. Eventually something will have to be done or we will fall further behind.

[Ewould Spark]

6 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

So you are relived we can still pay the leccy bill.
 

Fair enough, not sure that was the barometer of success you outlined for this regime in 2011 when you were taking the piss out of those with grave concerns, but hey ho.

And if you had got your way (chasing out the bill payers without a plan ‘B’) … where exactly do you think the club would be now Matty? 

[Mattyblue]

Wasn’t aware that driving them out of town with pitchforks was ever ‘my way’? Just a normally run football club was all I’ve ever wanted, I’d have been delighted for these owners to provide it, I’ve always held out hope they would eventually come to their senses.

But good to see you’ve realised you had your pants pulled down like the rest of us… just took you a fair bit longer.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Mattyblue

[RevidgeBlue]

3 minutes ago, Ewould Spark said:

 I think we are probably slightly over performing for a club of our resources … 

Think you're fishing a bit there Neil.

Like you I was never in favour of and still am not in favour of chasing billionaire owners out of the Club.

You can't deny though that when they took over we were a reasonably established Premiership side and after a decade of mismanagement we are now in a desperate state.

Any comparison to the good old days is of course completely moot as well. Then we were completely skint, now said  owners pump in £20 m p.a. to cover any losses and compensate for various cock ups.

[only2garners]

4 minutes ago, den said:

I’m surprised by that as well as Revidge John.

Financial sense to who?

Suitable site to who?

I assume you mean to yourself? Rovers moving away from Brockhall won’t match what they currently have, will it?

Wouldnt it be more sensible to have a default position of opposing any move from what is a fantastic facility until you know what the alternative proposal is?

What I mean, and perhaps I didn't express it clearly enough, is that if the club could build an at least equivalent facility closer to Ewood Park and make some money, then I would be in favour. But, as I said, I can't see how this could be done.

[Crimpshrine]

3 minutes ago, Ewould Spark said:

And if you had got your way (chasing out the bill payers without a plan ‘B’) … where exactly do you think the club would be now Matty? 

We would have hope, pride and dignity rather than being the playthings of uninterested billionairs thousands of miles away.

[Ewould Spark]

12 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

So you are relived we can still pay the leccy bill.
 

Fair enough, not sure that was the barometer of success you outlined for this regime in 2011 when you were taking the piss out of those with grave concerns, but hey ho.

…. Also where you one of the ones who condemned me for my assertion that the owners were in it for the long haul? I remember taking loads of flak for not agreeing with the then popular narrative that they were only here to ‘rape and pillage’ the club. Turns out I was spot on … but won’t be expecting apologies.

[Ewould Spark]

11 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

But good to see you’ve realised you had your pants pulled down like the rest of us… just took you a fair bit longer.

If you really think that then “you’re living with the fairies” as my old gran used to say.

[RevidgeBlue]

5 minutes ago, Ewould Spark said:

Sorry Simon I mixed up my replies. 
 

First thing I would say is that I didn’t say I was in favour of a move …. but I was “warming” to the idea. 
The club cannot afford to stand still. Once upon a time we had training facilities second to none … and then the big boys built their own. There is no getting away from the fact that a split site is not ideal. They have obviously looked into consolidating on to one site at the present location (igniting this thread!) … but that has proven unworkable. Eventually something will have to be done or we will fall further behind.

All this stuff about a split site is rubbish Neil

 

8 minutes ago, Ewould Spark said:

Sorry Simon I mixed up my replies. 
 

First thing I would say is that I didn’t say I was in favour of a move …. but I was “warming” to the idea. 
The club cannot afford to stand still. Once upon a time we had training facilities second to none … and then the big boys built their own. There is no getting away from the fact that a split site is not ideal. They have obviously looked into consolidating on to one site at the present location (igniting this thread!) … but that has proven unworkable. Eventually something will have to be done or we will fall further behind.

I've yet to hear one legitimate example of how our facilities lag behind what is now considered to be state of the art.

And please don't give me "all under one roof". That's rubbish unless the primary motivation is saving on running costs.

[JHRover]

Community use? Since when was the purpose of our training ground to provide a facility for the community to use?

With the demands of a professional football club, academy, full time staff, rehab there simply isn't the space or time for locals to use the facilities

Nor do we want them there.

BwD has perfectly adequate sports facilities as it is. If the community want more they can pester the council for it.

Not Rovers job to provide facilities for people in Blackburn to use.

I'm from Hyndburn. Would I be able to use these facilities? Accy Stanley have recently erected steel fencing to prevent locals using their training pitch so why would we be any different?

Why should Joe Bloggs who supports United and does nothing for Rovers but lives in BWD get any benefit from our facilities?

Do folk from Salford get to go and use Carrington for a kick about?

 

 

[tomphil]

So if there is truth to the rumours of flogging an entire site and condensing into another to purely cut costs and rake in cash. Then Waggot and Cheston sat there telling bare faced lies dressing it up as some sort of badly needed self financing upgrade.  One that the owners who are now slashing costs would infact have to make up the shortfall.

Yet still the alarm bells don't ring with those who chose to be deaf.