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The first time I recalled any serious discussions brought about by the manager, around the lack of permanent club owned training facilities. 25 years on and the subject is still talked about and lots of hard work has allegedly been put in to locate such a venue. Are the club any nearer finding somewhere than they were 25 years ago? How much is it costing the club to use outside facilities? Why are playing fields seemingly unused and within a quarter of a mile of the club not being suggested, when upgrading can benefit not only the club, but the whole community.
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From memory 25th anniversary on 07:56 - Dec 1 with 3088 views
I believe Platt field cost £18,000 to rent, read it somewhere not sure if that’s week, month ect, even so if it’s that is this not cheap when you consider running cost security maintainance of our own place, true is not in Rochdale which goes against the Ogden’s plan
[Post edited 1 Dec 7:58]
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From memory 25th anniversary on 10:57 - Dec 1 with 2927 views
Did n't the Club put a lot of effort and prep into buying ground at Bowlee some years ago but despite prolonged negotiations with local authority the plan hit the rocks?
Is this still dead in the water. It is a nice flat area (former RAF base?) with great transport links.
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From memory 25th anniversary on 16:23 - Dec 1 with 2715 views
From memory 25th anniversary on 10:57 - Dec 1 by Yorkshire_Dale
Did n't the Club put a lot of effort and prep into buying ground at Bowlee some years ago but despite prolonged negotiations with local authority the plan hit the rocks?
Is this still dead in the water. It is a nice flat area (former RAF base?) with great transport links.
“Bowlee would not meet the standards that they required”
"The school isnt on the same site".. yes it is, there was once even a plan for the new Academy School to share the pitches with RAFC.. That was because the school build was deemed to be the better solution for the land at Bowlee, some councillors ( you can guess who), were pissed off at the football club anyway because they once gave them a pitch to train on at Bowlee which was totally unsuitable and looked like what it was...a mown field and very wet.. a similar standard to the other pitches that were once there, and was hardly used, I don't think Dale ever trained on it....a complete white elephant. The rest of the Bowlee site down to the gym complex has been handed over to a car boot site and some sort of community garden... Given the obdurate attitude of RMBC to sport and leisure generally in the town, I have grave doubts that an RAFC training complex will ever be built on RMBC property, certainly nothing to equal or better Platt Lane. In 2007, RMBC has washed its hands of sport and leisure and handed the problem to Link 4 Life, now an independent Trust( Rochdale Boroughwide Community Trust), after the 10 year deal with RMBC funding it to the tune of £15m a year expired a number of years ago.. 2018 I think.
I also predict that the plan to extend the main stand will run into problems because of the reduced parking spaces it might cause and the pressure that will be put on local streets... I sincerely hope I am wrong, but I have seen how elements of this Council operate at close quarters and its not a pretty sight. Ask the folks at Hopwood Hall ( the real Hall, not the College) what they think of RMBC and its attitude to supporting community projects.... (they held a public meeting last week which is on Youtube), the anger is palpable.
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(No subject) (n/t) on 20:13 - Dec 1 with 2435 views
From memory 25th anniversary on 19:40 - Dec 1 by 49thseason
"The school isnt on the same site".. yes it is, there was once even a plan for the new Academy School to share the pitches with RAFC.. That was because the school build was deemed to be the better solution for the land at Bowlee, some councillors ( you can guess who), were pissed off at the football club anyway because they once gave them a pitch to train on at Bowlee which was totally unsuitable and looked like what it was...a mown field and very wet.. a similar standard to the other pitches that were once there, and was hardly used, I don't think Dale ever trained on it....a complete white elephant. The rest of the Bowlee site down to the gym complex has been handed over to a car boot site and some sort of community garden... Given the obdurate attitude of RMBC to sport and leisure generally in the town, I have grave doubts that an RAFC training complex will ever be built on RMBC property, certainly nothing to equal or better Platt Lane. In 2007, RMBC has washed its hands of sport and leisure and handed the problem to Link 4 Life, now an independent Trust( Rochdale Boroughwide Community Trust), after the 10 year deal with RMBC funding it to the tune of £15m a year expired a number of years ago.. 2018 I think.
I also predict that the plan to extend the main stand will run into problems because of the reduced parking spaces it might cause and the pressure that will be put on local streets... I sincerely hope I am wrong, but I have seen how elements of this Council operate at close quarters and its not a pretty sight. Ask the folks at Hopwood Hall ( the real Hall, not the College) what they think of RMBC and its attitude to supporting community projects.... (they held a public meeting last week which is on Youtube), the anger is palpable.
No, it isn’t.
The Trust were looking to support the club to improve the pitches and facilities around the building which presumably housed changing rooms. Where the pitches were is still there. The school was built on an area next to it
From a story on this site dated April 2009: “ Rochdale Supporters Trust is hoping to kick start Rochdale Football Club’s dream of owning its own training ground.
The Trust has been approached by the club’s board of directors in the hope of raising funds for pitch improvements at Bowlee; with the long term aim of improving the facility so that the club can train there full time.
Initially the Trust is hoping to give £2000 to the club to spend on pitch improvements at Bowlee, with a further £2000 to come in the summer.
Before the Trust can release the funds we need the support of our members so we have called an EGM to take place immediately after the Darlington game in the hope that you will give the project the green light.
The initial pitch improvements are the start of a long term project in which the club, with the support of the Trust, hopes to bring the Bowlee facility up to standard, with the pitches and changing rooms owned solely by the football club.
The estimated cost of the whole project is in the region of £30,000 and the club hopes to raise the money and become owners of the Bowlee facility within the next year.
If the Trust can get the backing of its members for this project, we will gear a number of our events over the coming months towards raising money so that one day in the near future Rochdale Football Club will finally own its own training facility.
The EGM for members will take place immediately after the Darlington home game on Saturday 18 April in the Dale Bar. All members should bring their membership cards for voting purposes.”
The Trust were looking to support the club to improve the pitches and facilities around the building which presumably housed changing rooms. Where the pitches were is still there. The school was built on an area next to it
From a story on this site dated April 2009: “ Rochdale Supporters Trust is hoping to kick start Rochdale Football Club’s dream of owning its own training ground.
The Trust has been approached by the club’s board of directors in the hope of raising funds for pitch improvements at Bowlee; with the long term aim of improving the facility so that the club can train there full time.
Initially the Trust is hoping to give £2000 to the club to spend on pitch improvements at Bowlee, with a further £2000 to come in the summer.
Before the Trust can release the funds we need the support of our members so we have called an EGM to take place immediately after the Darlington game in the hope that you will give the project the green light.
The initial pitch improvements are the start of a long term project in which the club, with the support of the Trust, hopes to bring the Bowlee facility up to standard, with the pitches and changing rooms owned solely by the football club.
The estimated cost of the whole project is in the region of £30,000 and the club hopes to raise the money and become owners of the Bowlee facility within the next year.
If the Trust can get the backing of its members for this project, we will gear a number of our events over the coming months towards raising money so that one day in the near future Rochdale Football Club will finally own its own training facility.
The EGM for members will take place immediately after the Darlington home game on Saturday 18 April in the Dale Bar. All members should bring their membership cards for voting purposes.”
Edit: story didn’t copy!
[Post edited 1 Dec 20:22]
Aye and we all walked to Accrington to raise the money. It lashed it down.
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From memory 25th anniversary on 23:41 - Dec 1 with 2225 views
From memory 25th anniversary on 23:41 - Dec 1 by Yorkshire_Dale
Is that loot still ring fenced by the Trust for development of Club training facilities?
I did n't do the Walk to Accy in the deluge, but I sponsored a couple of friends who did. Heroes indeed.
The money raised from the fundraising efforts was eventually donated to the club (in return for shares) following a Trust members vote several years after it became clear that Bowlee wasn't going to happen. The money was used to upgrade the floodlights and from memory, about 400 Trust members voted in favour of the money going to this cause with only 4 members voting against.
It was Keith Hill who vetoed the Bowlee plan, after several site visits when he was very much in favour of it going ahead. The Council spent a huge sum of money upgrading the chosen pitches and installing a high secure fence around the area, only for Hill to change his mind about the project.
One the walk itself ; it had been fine weather for at least a couple of weeks leading up to the day, only for it to rain nonstop on the actual day of the walk. Over 100 walkers took part in what was probably the biggest ever single fundraising event in the clubs history. When we arrived at the ground, there was a real possibility that the game might be off due to the rain, but fortunately it went ahead.
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From memory 25th anniversary on 11:34 - Dec 2 with 1944 views
From memory 25th anniversary on 10:31 - Dec 2 by dawlishdale
The money raised from the fundraising efforts was eventually donated to the club (in return for shares) following a Trust members vote several years after it became clear that Bowlee wasn't going to happen. The money was used to upgrade the floodlights and from memory, about 400 Trust members voted in favour of the money going to this cause with only 4 members voting against.
It was Keith Hill who vetoed the Bowlee plan, after several site visits when he was very much in favour of it going ahead. The Council spent a huge sum of money upgrading the chosen pitches and installing a high secure fence around the area, only for Hill to change his mind about the project.
One the walk itself ; it had been fine weather for at least a couple of weeks leading up to the day, only for it to rain nonstop on the actual day of the walk. Over 100 walkers took part in what was probably the biggest ever single fundraising event in the clubs history. When we arrived at the ground, there was a real possibility that the game might be off due to the rain, but fortunately it went ahead.
Thank you, good update.
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From memory 25th anniversary on 13:01 - Dec 2 with 1808 views
From memory 25th anniversary on 10:31 - Dec 2 by dawlishdale
The money raised from the fundraising efforts was eventually donated to the club (in return for shares) following a Trust members vote several years after it became clear that Bowlee wasn't going to happen. The money was used to upgrade the floodlights and from memory, about 400 Trust members voted in favour of the money going to this cause with only 4 members voting against.
It was Keith Hill who vetoed the Bowlee plan, after several site visits when he was very much in favour of it going ahead. The Council spent a huge sum of money upgrading the chosen pitches and installing a high secure fence around the area, only for Hill to change his mind about the project.
One the walk itself ; it had been fine weather for at least a couple of weeks leading up to the day, only for it to rain nonstop on the actual day of the walk. Over 100 walkers took part in what was probably the biggest ever single fundraising event in the clubs history. When we arrived at the ground, there was a real possibility that the game might be off due to the rain, but fortunately it went ahead.
But we were rewarded with a come back win with Callum Hiiginbothams impersonation of David Beckham if I have the right game in my head.
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From memory 25th anniversary on 13:29 - Dec 2 with 1744 views
From memory 25th anniversary on 13:01 - Dec 2 by Dalenet
But we were rewarded with a come back win with Callum Hiiginbothams impersonation of David Beckham if I have the right game in my head.
The game was going Accy's way until Jonah was brought on from the bench (i think he'd had an injury layoff). He scored and the game turned around before Higgy's coup de grace
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