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Don't let my club die

Non League
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The team I've supported for 31 years – Scarborough Football Club - is in severe danger of folding and I'm wondering if people can help with the survival bid?

Boro will be extinct very soon unless the club sells its McCain Stadium ground for housing and builds a new ground on the outskirts of the town.

The plan is to sell the old stadium for about £4m and with the proceeds build a new one for £2m and use the remaining £2m to pay off all the debts and pay the bills.

The problem is that unless Scarborough Borough Council agrees to the proposal - and transfers the covenant that decrees the McCain Stadium site must be used for sporting purposes to the new stadium – the club will be liquidated.

Boro, who were relegated from the Football League in 1999, were chucked out of the Conference last season because of their financial problems and made to play in Conference North this season.

The Conference then added on a 10-point penalty and surprise, surprise, Boro find themselves bottom of that division and facing a drop into the UniBond Premier League next season.

That is if they survive that long.

Scarborough’s hardcore fans have responded to this crisis by using the internet to get support from around the nation.

If football is about community and the social benefits a club can bring to a town then hopefully the council will back the club and allow the ground move to take place.

The club’s fans have set-up an online petition to urge the council to support the ground move and and they’ve also formed a Trust with a view to taking over and running the club in the future.

A couple of mentions on national TV last week brought a rapid increase in the number of people signing the petition, many of them with no links whatsoever to Scarborough.

There were some great emotive postings on the Surfing Seadogs messageboard, such as this from a fan who watched Boro’s 2-1 win at Burscough in the FA Trophy on Saturday:

"Going to Burscough today was odd because we had no idea whether it would be our last game ever or just a continuation of our long and proud history. Towards the end I was torn between wanting the game to end, so we’d win, and not wanting it to end ever! We can only hope and pray that things go right for us."

I certainly hope things do go okay and the creditors who are circling around the club give the council the time it needs to make the right decision for the town of Scarborough.

In the meantime, I’d be grateful if fans out there from all clubs would consider signing the on-line petition.

Latest 10 comments

Read members' comments or add your own

posted Dec 2, 2006

Thought I would sign up. Do any of you hard core fans remember Graham Potter...he played in the early 70's.
Well as his son he often speaks highly of Scarborough, I have enjoyed games there in the past and would like to see future games.

All football fans get behind the cause....

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posted Dec 2, 2006

Scarborough FC will live on the council better make sure of it. A town without a football team is about as good as a chocolate tea pot!!!

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comment by mdevil3 (U6731168)

posted Dec 3, 2006

well, as i said before, i was gonna be down the mccain stadium come saturday and i was. what can i say but WOW. im not gonna get carried away but they won, 3 nil, had a goal disallowed and looked excellent. all this against a hinckley side who started the day joint top of the league. as far as i can see this whole situation has brought everyone together. great game and great atmosphere. loved the 'are you watching scarborough council' chant too.

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comment by WSS (U3732087)

posted Dec 5, 2006

I would like to wish all Scarborough fans the best of luck.Im a Maidstone United supporter so i know what its like to be on the brink of folding and going out of business.I hope you have better luck than we did in 1992smiley

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posted Dec 5, 2006

I have recently written to Scarborough Borough Council regarding the situation with the ground/club etc..
I have been assured that everything will be done in the club's 'best interests'. Is that the same as a manager getting full backing from the chairman?!
As I understand it, the council are stalling due to the uncertainty of the size of the club's debt. I suppose this is reasonable in a way. If the club sell the ground for £4m and then declare debts of £4m, we're finished anyway. The club (chairman/executive) need to be honest (for once) as to what the real state of the finances are. So far they have cost us our Conference status and 10 points this season. Also, what did happen to the half a million from the Chelsea game? At the time, the money was said to have secured the club's future for years to come.

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posted Dec 24, 2006

I am a great supporter of the sea dogs and i think it will be sad indeed if the football went under i think the club should sell the staduim to the council and buy a new staduim.

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posted Dec 26, 2006

I agree with what you say, where has all the money gone, also the £50,000 which Chelsea were reported to have given to Boro, the running of the club is a shambles and the admission prices unrealistic for the so called football which is turned out.I have followed the team since the late 60's and have never known such a poor quality side as we now have,we have always been envied by everyone else in non league circles, but not any more.
I feel the club is on the brink of folding.

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posted Dec 28, 2006

Barnet were once in a worse situation than us yet they rose again to return to the football league. What happened to us? We'll be passing Whitby Town in the opposite direction at this rate - and playing Pickering Town in local derbies. What has happened to all the money?

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posted Dec 29, 2006

What Graham Westley did to your club was nothing short of a disgrace and I was glaod to see him get the boot at Stevenage. Hope both our Boro's get better.

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comment by U5317176

posted Apr 30, 2007

As a Barnsley fan my best wishes are with you. I have signed your petition and hope that those who hold your future in their hands do the right thing.
Good luck Seadogs, I hope that things get better for you soon.

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