I received the following email in my inbox which I have reproduced verbatim.
[i]“Hi Bruno
Subject: Welling United Floodlight Appeal
Please do not ignore, just 2 minutes of your time and please forward to all in your in-box who may be interested.It is greatly appreciated.
Park View Road, home to Bexley Boroughs largest football club, suffered in the recent storms resulting in the loss of a floodlight and the remaining floodlights being condemned.Replacement costs are estimated at £60,000.Until we can raise funds, Welling United can no longer play mid week games or kick off at 3pm on Saturdays. Competing in the Conference South League, Welling are currently pushing for promotion.
We have initiatives in place to appeal for help as follows:
The Welling Wall is a page on www.wellingunited.com, where the public/local businesses can pledge £10.00 for a brick in our wall.Please do visit the website and have your name for all to see and be on-line for 1 year.
A Charity Auction will take place on 23rd March. Tickets are on sale for £10.00 to include a buffet.Local business have donated items for the auction and all pledges will be publicised and appear in the Match Day Programme.Can you pledge a donation or join us on the night? Phone bids are very welcome. Popular comedian Mike Pugh will be our host.
A selection of pledges to date:
George Best signed shirt donated by The Bed Post
Youth Team Football Kit donated by Sports Scene, Welling
10,000 mile service donated by Premier Auto Centre
£100.00 holiday voucher donated by Oakhurst Travel, Blackfen
Assistant Manager for the day donated by Welling United
Scanner, donated by PC UK, Welling
Charlton Signed Shirt donated by Charlton Athletic
Our Youth Section, consisting of 250+ local youngsters promoting sport in the local community, are organising a car sticker to be sold for £2.00.These will be available from the club shop and stalls in Bexleyheath Town Centre. Can your business promote these car stickers on our behalf?
All assistance and donations are very welcome. Please do your best.Any queries, please call Barry Wallis, Commercial Manager on 0780 335 5990.
Yours in sport,
Welling United FC
Wings Supporters United
Welling United Youth”
Is this what Mark X was referring when he said on 18 January
“All in hand
No probs
Everything will be fine
No need to speculate”?
Whilst I applaud the Club who have finally, 2 months after the event, as JgFc would put it ‘got their arse into gear’ I do have a few immediate comments on the content of the email.
The true situation is not that the remaining floodlights were condemned but a structural engineer visited PVR and it was determined for safety reasons that all the floodlight pylons on the Welling side would have to be removed and NOT “the remaining floodlights being condemned”. (source Official site 8 Dec 2006)
Is the target £60,000, the total estimated cost of replacement – there must surely be insurance (at least in respect of the pylon which came down), grants, a contribution from E&B, and as Ade has pointed out in an interview gate receipts from the Trophy (source www.kentishfootball.co.uk).
How does the picture painted sit with the statement in the Matchday programme on 20th January which said that the floodlights should be up and ready in 6-8 weeks? The impression given is that until the money is raised the work cannot start and the charity auction is not until that 8 weeks is up.The 1 April was only 10 weeks away from the date the statement was made – now 8 and a half weeks away.
The email has started circulating so the link MUST take recipients to the appropriate page on the website which it does not and this needs to be done PDQ.
It's really encouraging to see the use of email to spread the word which will see it hitting far more people in a far shorter space than mentions in the programme and the press and the traditional fliers which presumably will also be used.
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
This whole Floodlight business is turning into a disgrace and reflects very badly on the Club. What has happened to our application to the Football Trust which was hoped to produce £25,000 (i.e. half of the cost of the Floodlights)? Furthermore, the cost seems to have increased from £50,000 to £60,000. Were the Floodlights insured and, if so, surely the Insurance Company must pay an amount, however small, in respect of the Insurance?
Surely the timescale would now preclude Welling from promotion to the conference despite the teams excellent form purely because the ground would not be up to standard by the time they are inspected for the next season. I may be a little cynical but this may suit the owners who have not exactly pushed the boat out to the excellent Aidy Pennock to support the push for promotion. I fear that no lights may result in the loss of Wellings biggest asset with Aidy looking for a club which match his ambition and ability and I fear that at the moment that is not Welling United!
2 months to sort the auction and we offer signed shirts?? I could have spent a day and begged for decent prizes like a holiday, a years car lease, a season ticket, a days pampering at a health spa, A new PC System, Shopping vouchers, etc etc
All i can say is if the Hobbins screw this then we must organise demonstrations and organise a supporters trust to raise the cash to take over....
IF they sort then fine but this cannot help team morale at all.
Still chuckling at MarkX's "its all in hand!!"
PS have heard that John Moules is on our side trying to get us an extention to the deadline BUT nothings sorted or guaranteed.
In short, to the hobbins, this just smacks of welling off the pitch as i have long said...
Poor Administration, No Ideas, Cutting Corners and too damn little too late all the time.
No offence to Barry Wallis but get your finger out and sort some DECENT jaw dropping prizes. Yellow Pages, Google and shanksies pony for a couple of days should pay dividends.....
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Alexander O'Neal 1987 "I'm fed up cos all you wanna do is criticize "
josh wrote:Surely the timescale would now preclude Welling from promotion to the conference despite the teams excellent form purely because the ground would not be up to standard by the time they are inspected for the next season. I may be a little cynical but this may suit the owners who have not exactly pushed the boat out to the excellent Aidy Pennock to support the push for promotion. I fear that no lights may result in the loss of Wellings biggest asset with Aidy looking for a club which match his ambition and ability and I fear that at the moment that is not Welling United!
Lets not let this affect the players. Let them do the business then address the off field stuff. I agree that it may suit the owners but... everyone will be aware of that so lets all concentrate on winning the league.To the players, keep it going lads as im sure all will be ok IN THE END
Its still in the hands of the players and it would be gutting to let this affect them and then the lights go in in time!
-- Edited by JgFc at 01:45, 2007-01-31
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Alexander O'Neal 1987 "I'm fed up cos all you wanna do is criticize "
I am pleased to see the endeavour the club is putting in to the extra funding needed for the floodlights. Maybe a little information provided to myself and the other BexhillWings by Barrie Hobbins on saturday may help clear up a few points. The club has got at least one quote (its seeking 3) for the lights which is around £50,000 and is applying for half of this funding from the football foundation, approximately £25,000. The club cannot proceed without the consent of the football foundation and that is the sticking point. It will be approaching Erith for a contribution, and will seek to raise the rest of the funds in another way. It looks like the wall and draw are two of those. The possibility of a West Ham game was mentioned by Mr Hobbins as another potential moneyspinner. I think the £60000 figure here is an encouragement to us all to dig a little deeper than usual, to make sure we raise enough money and maybe have a bit more left over. I should add that this information was volunteered by Mr Hobbins, who also revealed Keds' agent is trying all manner of tactics to get him to go to Grays for £15,000. Mr Hobbins called the agent a parasite and refused the deal. I strongly feel that the best interests of the club are being sought and I, nor the rest of the Bexhillwings have any reason to doubt that.
Its a great time to be a wing, lets keep flying with the lads!!!!!!!
'Why don't you find out the real anwser when you go to the games'
Two observations on this comment.
1) I assume the relevant news to which you are referring would be found in the home match programme and not by word of mouth. This leaves out those who either don't want/can't afford to buy a programme and those of us who see Park View Road a lot less frequently than they see the team (possibly only me on the latter).
2) What is the point in paying to have an official website hosted if the 'real answer' to one of the more pressing issues is not available on that (as is inferred by the above). It is updated pretty frequently and thus time lag surely cannot be the reason. There are after all a few supporters dotted around the country\globe after all.
IT IS going to cost around £50,000 for Welling United to rebuild their floodlights after last year's storm battered Park View Road.
The gale-force winds in November brought down the pylon in the south west corner of the ground.
In the aftermath a structural engineer recommended the other pylons, erected in the 1960s, should also be replaced.
The lack of floodlights has forced home matches to kick-off early and the FA Trophy replay against Tamworth this week had to be played at Gravesend & Northfleet.
However, while it may appear little rebuilding work has been done at Park View Road, Welling's backroom staff are having to play the waiting game.
Club secretary Barry Hobbins said: "We have collected three quotes from contractors and sent them to the Football Foundation.
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"They decide which one to go for and then will give us a grant towards the cost which will probably be around 50 per cent.
"Only when we get their response can we tell the contractors to go ahead and order the lights."
He added: "I don't think the work on the ground is too lengthy as the basic equipment is still there in terms of the wiring, it just about re-righting the towers.
"But it is the ordering and waiting for delivery which takes the time. "We're in mid-stream where people think we're doing nothing whereas we're sitting diddling our thumbs having to wait."
Team manager Adrian Pennock is desperate to get back home as his team, currently top of the Nationwide Conference South table, enter a critical phase in their push for promotion.
He said: "We need to get our floodlights sorted out but I fully appreciate the problems the club is facing.
"We want to play at Park View Road because it is a bit of a fortress. We've had 18 games at home and won 12 of them."
Hobbins added: "In the long term, the storm was probably a blessing in disguise in as much as sooner or later we've had to face this situation.
"Fortunately it happened when no one was in the ground and there were no problems apart from tearing some of the turf up, otherwise it could have had serious repercussions."
10:39am today
I've no doubt certain people will knock it,But it's an official statement in print. Can't ask for much more than that as far as I'm concerned. But then, I just go along and cheer them on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
'You know as well as I do that these things take time'
Indeed. Never alleged they didn't
Grants have to be applied for
True. On record the day after saying we should.
Constructors have to be identified and timescales worked out
Indeed. Are there likely to be two prices. One for doing it when the constructors are free and if that is after the grading deadline a higher one for forcing it to the top of their list? And is this allowed for by the authority making the grant?
Does ANYONE really think that Graham and Barrie are just letting NOTHING happen
Well I can think of two people but for the rest - no
I wouldn't have thought so. But you concede it is a possibility by asking the question
There is no point putting stuff on the website or the programme that is not concrete news
Totally agree. My attitude to the entire internet on record over a number of years. Why allude to there being other news available at the ground if it indeed merely speculation then.
Why we have to put up with constant anti Welling jibes from our own so called supporters (2) I really don't know
Because, for the time being, we still live in a free country with supposed freedom of speech. History will doubtless judge who had the fine suit and who was showing their nads to the world
I will be overjoyed if indeed we do 'have nothing to worry about' and if we can earn a few more quid on Saturday and bring our side forward, so much the better.
I am 100% behind Adie and the players and everyone apart from 3 people will know that
I hold the feeling that the owners havent got the ability or desire to take the club forward and they have no wish to invest in the club anymore so close to retirement
I also believe we have a few fans that would go to the opening of a fridge or an envelope and believe they are well informed.
Both the club and the WSU are poor at raising funds and the commercial side of things.
My thoughts but these are known by most, Just MarkX felt the need to swing his handbag again, i wish he would leave off the big red nose and comedy trousers.
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Alexander O'Neal 1987 "I'm fed up cos all you wanna do is criticize "
Clear and concise statement from JgFc. You have made your position very clear but then anyone who actually read and thought about your posts, particularly this season, would know that anyway.
It doesn't accord with the initial anonymous accusations made by Mark or his subsequent comments which lead one to believe there are 2 people that his comments apply to. Could it be that you are not his target or has he got it all wrong?
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
Mark I still waiting for you name names to enable me to see if my personal speculation as to who you believe are '2 bad apples in the barrel' is correct.
Would it help if I were to say that I believe their identities are JgFc and bruno - pure speculation of course!!!
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
everytime an idea is made we seem to pick holes and slag off. what ever it is get behind it its our club support it even if there are flaws or you dont agree
As a bog standard fan it depresses me that we can't all get behind the Club and it's efforts at riasing money for the floodlights. Whatever you may think of the Hobbins' the floodlights will (hopefully) be there a long time after they have gone and if people really want to support the long term future of Welling then we should support the fundriasing efforts. If we don't get promoted because our ground isn't up to scratch then all those who could have helped out but didn't should take a long hard look at themselves and work out whether they genuinely are supporting Welling United.
I certainly have and seen the bricks in the wall so far Stafford.
Right leaving Mark who has seen all the posts and obviously has no intention of making other than accusations against unnamed individuals, lets get back to the thread and my promised comment.
I bumped into Barrie on Wednesday and we had a chat about several issues, including the floodlight situation. We had what I considered to be a frank discussion about the areas I raised at the start of the thread which covered the extent of the damage, the £60,000 estimated cost and any impact the delay might have in terms of 1 April, and my view that the Club needs to be more proactive which in turn would negate much of the speculation which periodically appears on this and other forums.
The situation regarding the current position on the floodlights was pretty much that posted by Southcoaster, hence I felt no need to post further. The 3 points not included were that
He didn’t know where the £60.000 quoted in the email came from but I would hazard a guess that it was picked up from the original item on the site posted before any estimates were received.
He also said that the Conference were aware of our plight and that the 1st of April was not expected to be an issue but that this was not an excuse to do nothing and that we needed to get the work done asap.
He would be getting something in the press but deadlines meant that this would be next week.
As all who have read this thread know an article which clarifies the current position regarding the floodlights (and in doing so addresses my first 2 comments on the email’s content) appeared on the News Shopper website yesterday and will I believe will appear in next week’s issue. I happened to have to go to PVR on another matter this lunchtime and again saw Barrie and I said well done on getting out the information which makes fans and News Shopper readers (who include businesses who could, having read the article, buy bricks) fully aware of the Club’s position.
Outside of this thread but also pertinent to my discussion with Barrie on Wednesday is that we also discussed the Welling United v Worcester City drama and this was the source of the substance of the posting I made in that thread on Wednesday night.
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
Clearly a lot of debate on this one. Some intelligent and informed; some just seems to be an excuse for the usual round of arguing.
I certainly do not think that Barrie and Graham would do nothing and we must realise that cash for new floodlights is not easily available to a club like Welling. I'm glad that the WSU are putting a lot of effort into attempting to raise this money and I hope that there is some transparency in the amount of money collected for those who contribute, either via 'sponsor a goal' or one of the other schemes.
However, I do not think that not contributing directly to the WSU is a reason to tell someone that their opinion is not valid, or that they cannot be supporting the club if they do not support the WSU. Remember that we've all contributed to the club over many years of buying annual season tickets, 10-year season tickets and other merchandise. null