Staines Town

Discussion of all things related to the club and first team
Tony
Posts: 1304
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:57 pm

We would not be offering anyone a groundshare unless they paid for it and patently Staines have no money. Dixon owns and controls the club. Would anyone want him as a tenant?
Lord Elpus
Posts: 643
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 3:09 pm

Reading that statement I wouldn't want them anywhere near us. And given that their attendances have dwindled so much I wouldn't have thought there'd be much bar income anyway. However, it is a shame, and no-one wants to see a club in this position.
Shepperton Supporter
Posts: 1607
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 10:18 pm

Agree I would be very reluctant to give them a groundshare for the reasons already stated. With a 3g pitch we might be more open to extended use, but I would be very wary of them.
Jamie
Posts: 470
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 11:51 am

I'm disappointed by some of the previous comments.
Staines owner is over in the US. The Staines volunteers and supporters have been keeping the club going, fulfilling fixtures despite shocking results, no budget to even give players expenses.

It's not about helping their owner, it's about helping the volunteers and supporters fulfil the fixtures so the club doesn't get chucked out of the league, and will then ultimately fold and disappear forever.

Put yourself in those Staines volunteers shoes. If this ever happened to Hampton, wouldn't you want the football family to help?

It's not about getting rental money for a few games. Hampton aren't going for promotion, they aren't getting relegated, a few more games on the pitch won't cause major issue.
Staines won't get massive attendances, but if Hampton offered to help, and it was publicised, there would be some great PR, and who knows, the attendances may surprise you as people come out to try and save their club.

It's worth at least trying to help.

Otherwise, it's just ahhh screw them, not our problem.
and then we lose another historic rival forever.

Walton & Hersham fallen away. Kingstonian ruined by you know who, now Staines.

If you want the local league derby's to be 30 miles away, then that's what going to happen soon.
Tony
Posts: 1304
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:57 pm

I think this would be a decision for the club to make if approached to help. Have you asked the club about this? I think the wider point I and others are making is that we need to be careful about jumping into a situation which has been engineered by Dixon on what to me look like spurious grounds. There might be an argument to help the supporters if they have a viable plan to take control of the club on a long term basis but I suspect it is too early to know. Dixon still controls the club and I doubt he is going to let that go whilst his dispute continues.

It seems pretty clear that Dixon has thrown in a metaphorical hand grenade into his dispute with his landlord where he is quite prepared to see his club fail now rather than in a few weeks time which seems almost inevitable. Staines might limp to the end of the season but the writing is on the wall. Dixon appears also to have alienated most of the supporters, so what is likely to happen? Maybe the supporters start a phoenix club for next season and try and find a league and ground to play at. That is going to cost them so maybe persuade Dixon to sell them the club for nothing, write off his personal debt and hope to continue at Wheatsheaf Park under existing terms with their landlord. That might also be difficult as it seems Staines owe money to the landlord so that would need to be dealt with. The landlord might have better plans for the ground which do not involve a financially constrained non league club.
Lord Elpus
Posts: 643
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 3:09 pm

Jamie, my response was much more about not wanting our club associated or potentially linked with something so controversial. Plus we've had a groundshare before, Kingstonian, and that didn't work out too brilliantly, they chose to go to the Coopers all the time if I remember correctly for starters. I don't want Staines to die at all, but there are other ways to help.
Tony
Posts: 1304
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:57 pm

Staines may be going to Bedfont to play their home games. Whether they can afford to is another matter. Maybe supporters are funding it?
Jamie
Posts: 470
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 11:51 am

Well done to Bedfont for helping out.
Of course it will be supporters and volunteers making this happen.
Big Rich
Posts: 400
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2021 10:40 pm

Staines are now relegated, unless they get one of the possible Step 4 reprieves, but that seems unlikely as their points total is so low.
Tony
Posts: 1304
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:57 pm

Possibly their last ever game today being played at Wealdstone’s ground. Founded 1892 I believe.
Shepperton Supporter
Posts: 1607
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 10:18 pm

Lost 8-1 to finish with 14 points and a goal difference of -95.
If the end it is sad.
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