MORE than 900 people have signed a petition supporting the Gazette’s campaign to ensure Basingstoke doesn’t lose a sporting facility.

This newspaper launched the appeal last week as part of a bid to bring Basingstoke Town Football Club back to the heart of the community.

At a photocall last Saturday, dozens braved Storm Dennis to meet at the Camrose ground to show their support.

Life-long fan, Pete Ashcroft travelled all the way from Chicago to attend the public protest outside the Camrose ground. 

He said: “I was on a business trip over there but I knew that I had to come back for this, I’ve been coming to the club for 30 years, there’s a lot of cherished memories in this place.

“Although it’s not ideal to move to Winklebury the only solution that’s on the table, and it needs to stay in Basingstoke. It’s not Winchester Town it’s Basingstoke Town.”

Father-of-one and Chineham Tigers football coach, Richard Pilbeam was saddened by the demolition of the historic football ground after it had become a family tradition to watch the football each weekend. 

He said: “We’ve been coming to the club since he was about three or four and we come with my dad, my father in law and my son so it’s become a bit of a family outing. 

“I can’t stress enough how much we need to keep these community clubs especially if they keep building all these houses.

“We won’t stop supporting them, we go to Winchester most games now they’ve moved.It’s always going to be a part of our life wherever we are but let’s make sure that it’s somewhere that we’re all happy with.”

Former footballer, Steve Frangou told the Gazette how he previously campaigned for his London football club to be saved after their ground was bought by Renewal. 

He said: “Around 6 million fans objected to [the purchase] and fought for years to keep football stadium alive. The purchase was overturned purely and simply by fan power. 

“There is no reason why fans here could not get behind the Gazette’s scheme and overturn this movement again.”

When this proposal was put the Vice chairman, Kevin White he responded that the club are “laser focused on what’s best for the future of the club”. 

He added: “In an ideal world, this current campaign will find a way of saving the Camrose which has been our home of so many years and should have been so many more. 

“If and when we get into Winklebury, that doesn’t mean our fight stops; it just means we have a security of existence and gives a true foundation to build upon.”

To sign up to our petition you can visit http://chng.it/wBhK4xN7.