Concern over public use of Cherries’ training facility

1:00pm Friday 4th January 2013 in News By Melanie Vass

Harry Redknapp takes a shot at goal when opening AFC Bournemouth’s new training ground by the club’s stadium last August Harry Redknapp takes a shot at goal when opening AFC Bournemouth’s new training ground by the club’s stadium last August

COMMUNITY football clubs are being denied access to AFC Bournemouth’s new training pitches, despite repeated promises they would be open to the public.

The League One club was granted planning permission for a state of the art new training facility behind the Goldsands Stadium at Kings Park a year ago, providing it agreed to let Bournemouth Premier League sides use one of the pitches at weekends.

Former Cherries manager Harry Redknapp led the celebrations as the facility was officially opened last August but the club insists the pitches are still not ready to be opened to the community, sparking concerns among both Bournemouth Football Association and Bournemouth Borough Council.

Daren Hills, secretary and commercial manager at the Bournemouth FA, said: “We are doing our best to leave it with the council and they are doing what they can to get it right. They are hopeful we will be playing on it in the next couple of weeks.

“I think Bournemouth are enjoying having it on their own and I can understand why they don’t want the public on there but unfortunately it’s public ground and it’s a condition of the pitches being built in the first place,” he said.

“We’ve got teams that are itching to play on it,” he added.

Cherries chairman Eddie Mitchell told the Echo local football teams would have to wait until the start of the season to try out the new facilities.

He said: “We’ve been advised by people that the pitches will take at least until then to settle down.

“We’re only allowing our boys to do minimal training on it until it settles down.

“We’ve every intention of meeting our obligations but it would be a bit foolish to use it when it’s not ready and risk ruining it.

“We’ve spent a lot of money doing the work, it would be silly to go against the advice of people who did it and use it too intensively. “There’s got to be a certain amount of common sense here and I’m sure the council and BFA will see that,” Mr Mitchell added.

Comments(21)

pete woodley says...
1:12pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Many could see this problem coming but a lot more would not listen.

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Lord Spring says...
1:20pm Fri 4 Jan 13

I am suprised it is in use already the grass roots need to get established,

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JohnnySkull says...
1:23pm Fri 4 Jan 13

These people at this club care nothing about local people so no surprise

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SOCCERMUM says...
1:31pm Fri 4 Jan 13

As usual AFCB telling porkies, I have watched numerous training sessions and reserve matches being played on these pitches. Only this wednesday there were extensive training and sprint sessions taking place.
It would appear that Mr Mitchell is implying they paid for these facilities, when I understand that this was a joint venture between the FA, Bmth Council etc. Planning permission was only granted on the understanding that this was to be used by the community as per the meetings that took place at kings Park athletic stadium.
One has to ask why all the details were not sorted before a part of the park was developed?
And could someone please explain how long it takes grass to take root on a specially prepared surface?

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mark.s says...
2:57pm Fri 4 Jan 13

I'm actually suprised usage was started so soon after the grass was put down, it takes months for pitches to take properly, until they can handle the full wear and tear of matches.

The advice from the grass layers is correct and if anything I'd be concerned that the pitches are used to their current extent, let alone any more.

AFCB split training between the training pitches and the Dean Court pitch.

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Ferndown Steve says...
3:10pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Surely these Bournemouth Premier League teams must be playing on existing pitches somewhere, already - Why not wait until the new pitches settle down - No hurry, as far as I can see !

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pete woodley says...
3:14pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Dont6 blame the club,blame the council.

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Redgolfer says...
4:21pm Fri 4 Jan 13

IF NOT adhering to RULES laid down, then take BACK as in BREACH of CONTRACT and Mr. Mitchell did not all the money GO into your COMPANY.

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SOCCERMUM says...
4:54pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Yes the Bmth Prem teams currently play on the pitches in front of the cafe in Kings park. Obviously dodging the dog poo and rubbish etc. They were assured that they would be allowed access by the end of Oct. Now into the new year and no further forward I just dont understand why all agreements were not settled before they even started to develop this site. As a daily user of Kings Park I can confirm that there seems to be some sort of activity on there every day. And for the record the Prem teams would be paying an enhanced fee over the normal council fees to play on superior better maintained pitches.

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SOCCERMUM says...
4:55pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Yes the Bmth Prem teams currently play on the pitches in front of the cafe in Kings park. Obviously dodging the dog poo and rubbish etc. They were assured that they would be allowed access by the end of Oct. Now into the new year and no further forward I just dont understand why all agreements were not settled before they even started to develop this site. As a daily user of Kings Park I can confirm that there seems to be some sort of activity on there every day. And for the record the Prem teams would be paying an enhanced fee over the normal council fees to play on superior better maintained pitches.

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Roband65 says...
6:48pm Fri 4 Jan 13

The motto is never trust any company involving a mitchell do people never learn !

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Bob49 says...
6:48pm Fri 4 Jan 13

A piece of public land handed over to a private concern - with the agreements then ignored ....... well well, there's a surprise

However we must all be grateful that there are no proposals to do likewise elsewhere in Kings Park

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pete woodley says...
7:06pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Fingers crossed Bob.

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John T says...
7:18pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Lines crossed,pete.

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lionheart says...
8:21pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Surely the lack of a changing pavilion is the main reason. I recall seeing planning permission has now been granted for such a facility.

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pete woodley says...
8:41pm Fri 4 Jan 13

John T wrote:
Lines crossed,pete.
???????

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ragj195 says...
10:11pm Fri 4 Jan 13

SOCCERMUM wrote:
Yes the Bmth Prem teams currently play on the pitches in front of the cafe in Kings park. Obviously dodging the dog poo and rubbish etc. They were assured that they would be allowed access by the end of Oct. Now into the new year and no further forward I just dont understand why all agreements were not settled before they even started to develop this site. As a daily user of Kings Park I can confirm that there seems to be some sort of activity on there every day. And for the record the Prem teams would be paying an enhanced fee over the normal council fees to play on superior better maintained pitches.
I walk past it every day and have never seen them do anything more than training on no more than half of one of the two pitches. I've never seen either pitch being used for an 11 a-side game. Why would they prevent it being used at the weekend? What would they gain? It's not just the grass that needs time to root. It's the 12 inches of sand and topsoil that was laid down only recently. Play on it too early and the whole thing will be a mess.

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Azphreal says...
8:35am Sat 5 Jan 13

They started digging it up before they were allowed too and now this,just doing whatever they want. How do we know that the same type of attitude will not be taken by a company if one is ever found to build the icerink?

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pete woodley says...
9:53am Sat 5 Jan 13

Mitchell can do exactly what he wants.

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Bob49 says...
12:37pm Sat 5 Jan 13

Azphreal wrote:
They started digging it up before they were allowed too and now this,just doing whatever they want. How do we know that the same type of attitude will not be taken by a company if one is ever found to build the icerink?
I think that is the intent. Remember Boscombe seafront and all the plans outlined - that never happened once the go ahead for building the flats was given.

A cursory look at the original plans put forward by the council for the proposed ice rink would see that they were a cheap joke. Nothing more than a means to get the 'change of use' put through.

No explanation has ever been given (or anyone held to account) for the failure to deliver what was agreed for Boscombe seafront.

Public owned land is being systematically handed over to private concerns. For the benefit of who ? Local residents ?

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pete woodley says...
11:55am Sun 6 Jan 13

Kings park would make a nice trading estate ?.

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