What the Parliamentary Candidates have to say about OAFC and the Planned Stadium

[Macca]

I thought that I'd find out what the candidates in my constituency thought about Oldham Athletic and the planned stadium move, here's what they had to say. Some parts have been removed as they weren't relevant to Oldham Athletic and the new stadium.

 

Phil Woolas (Labour)

 

I was a big supporter of Sports Park 2000 which had planning permission approved by the then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott who described it as “a superb location for a stadium”. It would have been built for OAFC and Oldham Rugby League FC in a similar arrangement as Huddersfield and Wigan at the time and more recently Hull.

 

Clayton Playing Fields would have been replaced on the present Latics car park and the Boundary Park pitch would have remained with some low terracing ie the paddocks.

 

The costs at the time were about £16m for 16,000 seater stadium. The Council had approx £11 in the bank from the B&Q site sale the difference would have been made up from sponsorship {ie naming the stadium – there had been discussions with Toyota] and a commercial loan.

 

When the Liberal/Democrats took control they cancelled the stadium plans.

 

Winding forward to 2010 I believe only Clubs who modernise will survive as professional clubs. I support in principle the new stadium at Failsworth, it has good transport links including Metrolink. It will generate off the field income such as a conference venue, restaurant for families and corporate events and has the potential of other sports events in the stadium and also on site, and will create and sustain new jobs. Whilst the site is a few miles from Boundary Park it has easy access, moving the stadia a few miles in other towns such as Bolton and Stoke was opposed at the time but has proved to be a success.

 

Elwyn Watkins (Liberal Democrats)

 

I’m afraid that I am more of a rugby man than football, but I do agree about your comments about how Oldham Council over the last couple of decades has let down its professional sporting clubs. I am well aware of how important professional sport is – not just to the fans, but also to the young people. I would much prefer a group of lads been given some pride in their local club, rather them going to United or City. In that regard I would support them having a new ground. I think that it is clear to everyone that unless they are able to obtain this then they will never be able to regain what you describe as the glory days. We should be proud of our clubs and support them. Whether or not this will be Failsworth seems to depend upon the ruling of the Charity Commision, but you have my word that if elected I will do whatever I can to support the club.

 

Kashif Ali (Conservatives)

 

If I'm honest I've not looked into the proposals in too much detail. When I did learn about them my instant reaction was this: first, I was not persuaded why the Boundary park site could not be re-developed (indeed that made much more sense to me), and secondly I wondered how much section 106 planning money was being given to the Lib Dem Council by the private housing company which is likely to build homes to sell at the Boundary Park site. I suppose being an Oldhamer, notwithstanding that I'm not a big football fan, I feel nostalgic about these things. I would have liked to support OAFC at Boundary Park, and this is what I wanted from the Council.

[laticsmad]

I thought that I'd find out what the candidates in my constituency thought about Oldham Athletic and the planned stadium move, here's what they had to say. Some parts have been removed as they weren't relevant to Oldham Athletic and the new stadium.

 

Phil Woolas (Labour)

 

I was a big supporter of Sports Park 2000 which had planning permission approved by the then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott who described it as “a superb location for a stadium”. It would have been built for OAFC and Oldham Rugby League FC in a similar arrangement as Huddersfield and Wigan at the time and more recently Hull.

 

Clayton Playing Fields would have been replaced on the present Latics car park and the Boundary Park pitch would have remained with some low terracing ie the paddocks.

 

The costs at the time were about £16m for 16,000 seater stadium. The Council had approx £11 in the bank from the B&Q site sale the difference would have been made up from sponsorship {ie naming the stadium – there had been discussions with Toyota] and a commercial loan.

 

When the Liberal/Democrats took control they cancelled the stadium plans.

 

Winding forward to 2010 I believe only Clubs who modernise will survive as professional clubs. I support in principle the new stadium at Failsworth, it has good transport links including Metrolink. It will generate off the field income such as a conference venue, restaurant for families and corporate events and has the potential of other sports events in the stadium and also on site, and will create and sustain new jobs. Whilst the site is a few miles from Boundary Park it has easy access, moving the stadia a few miles in other towns such as Bolton and Stoke was opposed at the time but has proved to be a success.

 

Elwyn Watkins (Liberal Democrats)

 

I’m afraid that I am more of a rugby man than football, but I do agree about your comments about how Oldham Council over the last couple of decades has let down its professional sporting clubs. I am well aware of how important professional sport is – not just to the fans, but also to the young people. I would much prefer a group of lads been given some pride in their local club, rather them going to United or City. In that regard I would support them having a new ground. I think that it is clear to everyone that unless they are able to obtain this then they will never be able to regain what you describe as the glory days. We should be proud of our clubs and support them. Whether or not this will be Failsworth seems to depend upon the ruling of the Charity Commision, but you have my word that if elected I will do whatever I can to support the club.

 

Kashif Ali (Conservatives)

 

If I'm honest I've not looked into the proposals in too much detail. When I did learn about them my instant reaction was this: first, I was not persuaded why the Boundary park site could not be re-developed (indeed that made much more sense to me), and secondly I wondered how much section 106 planning money was being given to the Lib Dem Council by the private housing company which is likely to build homes to sell at the Boundary Park site. I suppose being an Oldhamer, notwithstanding that I'm not a big football fan, I feel nostalgic about these things. I would have liked to support OAFC at Boundary Park, and this is what I wanted from the Council.

 

Personally I hope the Failsworth move is rejected and with either TTA, or new owners, we redevelop boundary park.

[opinions4u]

Don't ya just hate politicians.

 

Labour: Bull:censored:ter

Lib Dem: Meaningless rent-a-quote

Tory: Not got a clue (but could potentially capture the hearts and minds ...)

Edited March 23, 2010 by opinions4u

[Snookmeister]

God bless the Tories.......

[Lookers_Carl]

I thought it was Michael Meacher (Oldham West and Royton) who would have the key say?

[singe]

I thought it was Michael Meacher (Oldham West and Royton) who would have the key say?

Who?!

 

He is in no-mans land.

[garcon]

At least Woolas is consistent(ly wrong).

[edhunteruk]

I thought that I'd find out what the candidates in my constituency thought about Oldham Athletic and the planned stadium move, here's what they had to say. Some parts have been removed as they weren't relevant to Oldham Athletic and the new stadium.

 

Phil Woolas (Labour)

 

I was a big supporter of Sports Park 2000 which had planning permission approved by the then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott who described it as “a superb location for a stadium”. It would have been built for OAFC and Oldham Rugby League FC in a similar arrangement as Huddersfield and Wigan at the time and more recently Hull.

 

Clayton Playing Fields would have been replaced on the present Latics car park and the Boundary Park pitch would have remained with some low terracing ie the paddocks.

 

The costs at the time were about £16m for 16,000 seater stadium. The Council had approx £11 in the bank from the B&Q site sale the difference would have been made up from sponsorship {ie naming the stadium – there had been discussions with Toyota] and a commercial loan.

 

When the Liberal/Democrats took control they cancelled the stadium plans.

 

Winding forward to 2010 I believe only Clubs who modernise will survive as professional clubs. I support in principle the new stadium at Failsworth, it has good transport links including Metrolink. It will generate off the field income such as a conference venue, restaurant for families and corporate events and has the potential of other sports events in the stadium and also on site, and will create and sustain new jobs. Whilst the site is a few miles from Boundary Park it has easy access, moving the stadia a few miles in other towns such as Bolton and Stoke was opposed at the time but has proved to be a success.

 

Elwyn Watkins (Liberal Democrats)

 

I’m afraid that I am more of a rugby man than football, but I do agree about your comments about how Oldham Council over the last couple of decades has let down its professional sporting clubs. I am well aware of how important professional sport is – not just to the fans, but also to the young people. I would much prefer a group of lads been given some pride in their local club, rather them going to United or City. In that regard I would support them having a new ground. I think that it is clear to everyone that unless they are able to obtain this then they will never be able to regain what you describe as the glory days. We should be proud of our clubs and support them. Whether or not this will be Failsworth seems to depend upon the ruling of the Charity Commision, but you have my word that if elected I will do whatever I can to support the club.

 

Kashif Ali (Conservatives)

 

If I'm honest I've not looked into the proposals in too much detail. When I did learn about them my instant reaction was this: first, I was not persuaded why the Boundary park site could not be re-developed (indeed that made much more sense to me), and secondly I wondered how much section 106 planning money was being given to the Lib Dem Council by the private housing company which is likely to build homes to sell at the Boundary Park site. I suppose being an Oldhamer, notwithstanding that I'm not a big football fan, I feel nostalgic about these things. I would have liked to support OAFC at Boundary Park, and this is what I wanted from the Council.

 

mr woolas doesnt know much really does he,bless him.

 

resteraunt for families...unless you live in that neck of the woods you wont go..unless its matchday and your a fan,not when you have the facilities of manchester a little further down the road...

 

if the stadium was built say at ferney fields,you are more likely to see familys from the local area and oldham attending throughout the week and not just on matchdays..

 

the council are claiming its regenerating 2 areas...when in reallity it isnt...bp will be developed for housing....it will only create jobs whilst building is in progress...

 

now this land is debatable i can see it grinding to a halt....or taking at least another 2 years before we break ground,in which case bp will be very crumbly n old by then.

[rudemedic]

mr woolas doesnt know much really does he,bless him.

 

resteraunt for families...unless you live in that neck of the woods you wont go..unless its matchday and your a fan,not when you have the facilities of manchester a little further down the road...

 

if the stadium was built say at ferney fields,you are more likely to see familys from the local area and oldham attending throughout the week and not just on matchdays..

 

the council are claiming its regenerating 2 areas...when in reallity it isnt...bp will be developed for housing....it will only create jobs whilst building is in progress...

 

now this land is debatable i can see it grinding to a halt....or taking at least another 2 years before we break ground,in which case bp will be very crumbly n old by then.

 

Er, as far as I can tell, two of the main ways to make money as a restaurant. Produce cheap to make, easy to prepare stuff that most teenagers who haven't cooked before can warm-up, or, be good. I know people who have travelled across Manchester (from the North to the south) to go to a restaurant in Alty. Why- because it had Michelin stars. Considering it was the only restaurant in the whole of the North West with them people used to come from far and wide to go to a restaurant in Alty.

 

However, considering this restaurant is/was going to be on a development with a football club I think the odds are that it will be some sort of chain type thing that means that yes you are right it will only be a restaurant for those living nearby. Yet considering this is going to be very close to a motorway junction, have metrolink access (or it would if the metro got its act together) those living close by won't necessarily be from round the corner- provided there isn't a restaurant from the same chain round the corner.

 

Oh wait I forgot this is on the Oldham message board where droves of people won't follow something with more brand loyalty than a restaurant just because they've moved 5 mins down the round.

[fanakapan]

I thought that I'd find out what the candidates in my constituency thought about Oldham Athletic and the planned stadium move, here's what they had to say. Some parts have been removed as they weren't relevant to Oldham Athletic and the new stadium.

 

Phil Woolas (Labour)

 

I was a big supporter of Sports Park 2000 which had planning permission approved by the then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott who described it as “a superb location for a stadium”. It would have been built for OAFC and Oldham Rugby League FC in a similar arrangement as Huddersfield and Wigan at the time and more recently Hull.

 

Clayton Playing Fields would have been replaced on the present Latics car park and the Boundary Park pitch would have remained with some low terracing ie the paddocks.

 

The costs at the time were about £16m for 16,000 seater stadium. The Council had approx £11 in the bank from the B&Q site sale the difference would have been made up from sponsorship {ie naming the stadium – there had been discussions with Toyota] and a commercial loan.

 

When the Liberal/Democrats took control they cancelled the stadium plans.

 

Winding forward to 2010 I believe only Clubs who modernise will survive as professional clubs. I support in principle the new stadium at Failsworth, it has good transport links including Metrolink. It will generate off the field income such as a conference venue, restaurant for families and corporate events and has the potential of other sports events in the stadium and also on site, and will create and sustain new jobs. Whilst the site is a few miles from Boundary Park it has easy access, moving the stadia a few miles in other towns such as Bolton and Stoke was opposed at the time but has proved to be a success.

 

Elwyn Watkins (Liberal Democrats)

 

I’m afraid that I am more of a rugby man than football, but I do agree about your comments about how Oldham Council over the last couple of decades has let down its professional sporting clubs. I am well aware of how important professional sport is – not just to the fans, but also to the young people. I would much prefer a group of lads been given some pride in their local club, rather them going to United or City. In that regard I would support them having a new ground. I think that it is clear to everyone that unless they are able to obtain this then they will never be able to regain what you describe as the glory days. We should be proud of our clubs and support them. Whether or not this will be Failsworth seems to depend upon the ruling of the Charity Commision, but you have my word that if elected I will do whatever I can to support the club.

 

Kashif Ali (Conservatives)

 

If I'm honest I've not looked into the proposals in too much detail. When I did learn about them my instant reaction was this: first, I was not persuaded why the Boundary park site could not be re-developed (indeed that made much more sense to me), and secondly I wondered how much section 106 planning money was being given to the Lib Dem Council by the private housing company which is likely to build homes to sell at the Boundary Park site. I suppose being an Oldhamer, notwithstanding that I'm not a big football fan, I feel nostalgic about these things. I would have liked to support OAFC at Boundary Park, and this is what I wanted from the Council.

 

 

 

 

Oldham council ove rthe years have let down more than the two clubs. They have let down the entire populace with th exception of the ethnic minorities who get what they want no questions asked.

[singe]

Oldham council ove rthe years have let down more than the two clubs. They have let down the entire populace with th exception of the ethnic minorities who get what they want no questions asked.

Now I don't want this to move into a race post, but I'd go as far as saying considering the unemployment and squalor in some parts, I think thy have let the ethnic minorities down too, wouldn;t you?

[ritchie82]

Now I don't want this to move into a race post, but I'd go as far as saying considering the unemployment and squalor in some parts, I think thy have let the ethnic minorities down too, wouldn;t you?

 

If you come from some of the worse squalor in the world you'll settle for ours and its benefit system and not try to get out of it.

[slurms mckenzie]

Woolas is being optimistic ht, where the fook did the money for Sports Park 2000 go? As for the the tory and liberal blokes may as well as not have bothered with these quotes... Ironically, for Failsworth "lads", Citeh is their local club, not Oldham!

 

[jimsleftfoot]

Who?!

 

He is in no-mans land.

 

For the last 40 years.

[jimsleftfoot]

Woolas is being optimistic ht, where the fook did the money for Sports Park 2000 go? As for the the tory and liberal blokes may as well as not have bothered with these quotes... Ironically, for Failsworth "lads", Citeh is their local club, not Oldham!

 

I think the coucil was and probably is very much in debt and so it was probably spent on something else.

[oafc0000]

Oldham council ove rthe years have let down more than the two clubs. They have let down the entire populace with th exception of the ethnic minorities who get what they want no questions asked.

 

I often say the people of Oldham get the council they deserve. Comments like this strengthen that view point.

[oafc0000]

If you come from some of the worse squalor in the world you'll settle for ours and its benefit system and not try to get out of it.

 

Well it seems to be the case with massive amounts of people from this country so you are probably right.

[leeslover]

If you come from some of the worse squalor in the world you'll settle for ours and its benefit system and not try to get out of it.

What's Shaw got to do with it?

 

Anyway, MPs have nothing much to do with it beyond giving you the odd good or bad headline. Unless you believe in their Byers-like ability to lobby ministers to make water flow uphill and turn water into wine

[dish]

1. resteraunt for families...unless you live in that neck of the woods you wont go..unless its matchday and your a fan,not when you have the facilities of manchester a little further down the road...

2.the council are claiming its regenerating 2 areas...when in reallity it isnt...bp will be developed for housing....it will only create jobs whilst building is in progress...

 

1. Well I go to Ashton Moss to the food halls there....and thats further away than FW (I live in Royton)

2. BP being developed for housing and the Lancaster Club being redeveloped for a stadium and associated leisure facilites....hmm, two underutilised areas being developed and creating jobs?? that sounds like regeneration to me. You've also failed to recognise that the BP site would be developed in part for key-work homes which supports and ultimately helps safeguard jobs at the NHS (and police etc.). And what about the jobs at the FW site - the hotel, the leisure facilities, the food facilities, the cinema etc.

 

 

 

And, getting back to the point in question, whilst Woolas gets in his political dig over SP2000, I think the good thing is, that he doesn't say anything alarming about the FW site which, hopefully would mean that, if Labour are elected in May, hopefully the plans wouldn't get ripped up - which is what Lib Dems did over Clayton. All round, I think them responses should provide us with some comfort, even if Alwyn and Kashif didn't seem to know too much about what they actually wanted.

Edited March 26, 2010 by dish

[RichmondLatic]

1. Well I go to Ashton Moss to the food halls there....and thats further away than FW (I live in Royton)

2. BP being developed for housing and the Lancaster Club being redeveloped for a stadium and associated leisure facilites....hmm, two underutilised areas being developed and creating jobs?? that sounds like regeneration to me. You've also failed to recognise that the BP site would be developed in part for key-work homes which supports and ultimately helps safeguard jobs at the NHS (and police etc.). And what about the jobs at the FW site - the hotel, the leisure facilities, the food facilities, the cinema etc.

 

 

 

And, getting back to the point in question, whilst Woolas gets in his political dig over SP2000, I think the good thing is, that he doesn't say anything alarming about the FW site which, hopefully would mean that, if Labour are elected in May, hopefully the plans wouldn't get ripped up - which is what Lib Dems did over Clayton. All round, I think them responses should provide us with some comfort, even if Alwyn and Kashif didn't seem to know too much about what they actually wanted.

 

 

At least Woolas' reply shows he has some knowledge of what has gone on and that he puts some thought into his reply...as opposed to 'I can't be arsed to read the proposal' and "I'm an egg-chaser'. Jesus...

[OldhamSheridan]

Would any politician give a toss about this in an election? Let's face it, nigh on half the Oldham fans are against it so it isn't going to win much is it?

[dazlatic]

At least Woolas' reply shows he has some knowledge of what has gone on and that he puts some thought into his reply...as opposed to 'I can't be arsed to read the proposal' and "I'm an egg-chaser'. Jesus...

 

+1 Phil Woolas always seems like a genuine bloke with his feet on the ground to me.

[opinions4u]

+1 Phil Woolas always seems like a genuine bloke with his feet on the ground to me.

Glory hunting red, I thought.