Tony Johnson Tells H & W Radio Building On Football Ground

[chrisbull]

Tony Johnson was asked today on radio what was going to happen to Hereford United in the future and he said he did not care who owned the leases and that the barrister at mondays court hearing in London had tried to get the club closed down and when questioned on development at the ground he made it clear both ends will be developed hence no future for Hereford United remember me over 18 months ago making a statement the council want to move the ground well i was right the council has wanted to develop that area for over 20 years remember the chairman Peter Hill he tried hard when he sold the leases to developers now you will soon see some big back handers going on do not kid yourself Hereford council has been doing it for years people like Tony johnson make me sick they spin one story telling you they support the club and then turn things around when it suits them this is now the end of football at edgar street when on December 1st the next appearance at the high court will seal the fate of a football club that has put Hereford on the map and the council could not give a damn private companies are running this county not people for the county i suggest we all vote UKIP at least we will get a response to the pertinent questions regarding expenses and private company costs acting for the council.

[Chris Chappell]

Let's get something straight. There has never been any desire to build on the Edgar Street ground. It would not be possible without spending £Ks to break the covenant Miss Chave put on it. The external Auditors would not allow it, let alone the Trustees of Miss Chaves Will. I too would fight this to the death. Several years ago when the Directors wanted to buy the ground from the City Council, we refused them. 'Mr Hereford' even wanted us to sell the ground!! We made it clear to him we would not sell. In hind siight, that may have been the best decision we ever made!

 

I do not know of any Herefordshire Councillor who has suggested we should try to build on the ground or sell and build another ground elsewhere. The original plans for the relief road included moving the ground a few degrees in order to build housing to support the club.

 

What is in doubt is who is running the club now. Herefordshire Council owns many buildings in which there are privately owned businesses, just like Hereford United. Rotherwas! But the Council has no control over the business, only over what happens to the building/property it owns. It is content to get its rent on behalf of the rate payers who are the owners of these buildings. We have no control over the business? (The owner of my house, my landlord, has no say over who I invite round or what I plant in the garden)

 

After the election next May, things will be different, I hope!. We will certainly have a more 'Open' Council, although we will still need to observe the usual confidential clauses that govern all private business/landlord/tenant agreements.

As a devout Newcastle United supporter, I want Hereford United to regain its former Glory!

 

Perhaps we should ask Newcastle United to support our campaign to keep Hereford United for the people!

[Denise Lloyd]

I am not a football person but am deeply fed up by what is going on with HUFC.  The amount of emails flying around about leases and HT is full of it week after week.  Can nobody with any authority see that this is bringing Hereford even further down does nobody care?  Jess dabbled and has now gone quiet.  HC issue statements that are not worth the time they take to send out.  This is a really bad message going out to the residents of Herefordshire.  Surely somebody somewhere can stand up and sort this unholy mess out once and for all.

 

Bad press about the hospital/racecourse sat doing nothing/threat of the demolition of a beautiful Victorian building to be replaced by some tin shack and much more.  HC should be absolutely ashamed of themselves in their lack of leadership and direction.  

 

Flicking through the HT Hereford is beginning to hit an all time low.

[chrisbull]

As Chris Chappell knows full well it was proposed the football club move to the racecourse and the tories opposed it and that was when i first made my statement regarding the football club on this site when the club folds and it will at the next high court hearing it then opens the door for the developers to converge and that is what will happen and it will be the developers who will pay for the covenant because of the financial dire straights the council is in at present it will have no choice but to bow down to development pressure .

[Denise Lloyd]

Yes and as I keep on saying HC really want to cover a lot of Herefordshire with houses because they think that will dig them out of the financial pit they have dug out for us.  Whether these houses are really really needed is very questionable.  It's high time some Councillors saw the light and start to represent their electorate. 

[chrisbull]

Mr Chappell when you replied to my posting you said lets get something straight yes you are right. why Did Tony Johnson lie about the meeting he had to discuss the development and leases with 2 known crooks the former chairman of Swindon Town who has since been convicted and Tommy Agomber who we all know has failed the F.A fit and proper owners test Tony Johnson should resign if not made to resign so do not insult me and true Hereford people by making lame duck excuses the days are gone when you and the rest of the council think of the public as ignorant cattle quite a lot of us have banded together to dig up all the corrupt business that has gone on and continues some backsides will be tweaking soon and that is a promise because the people of Hereford have been pushed to far remember there is only so much we can take is the council sitting comfortably ??????? watch this space.

[Denise Lloyd]

Chris Bull - good looking forward to a front row seat!!

[flamboyant]

Chris Bull, make sure you keep us informed, I am sure it will be very interesting, if current form is anything to go by!

[chrisbull]

I promise you i will when December the 1st is up i will add some very interesting information i am deliberately keeping it under wraps as Mr Chappell has a close friend who i will not name but i will after the date of the next high court hearing and it will be interesting to see his response.

[dippyhippy]

My goodness me, Chris Bull!

 

I am intrigued! I cannot wait to hear the December 1st update!

 

I know absolutely nothing about football, and do not pretend to understand the complexities of all that has occurred. But I DO recognise when facts are being skewed. I take my hat off to you for trying to get to the bottom of this.

 

Surely it should not be beyond the wit of the council to issue a straightforward statement which clearly states what they know, when they knew it, and what future proposals are up for discussion.

 

Have they not realised that shrouding everything in secrecy only makes everyone more suspicious of their motives??

[Cambo]

The house of cards will fall but will it be the day after dec 1 with chrisbull's revelation or after the May elections?… only time will tell?!…but it can't come soon enough for me the day we get rid of this corrupt cabal who have self interest & greed @ the heart of all they do!!!

[hillbilly]

Latest on HUFC:

23 October 2014

 

Herefordshire Council today (Thursday 23 October) attempted to take possession of the Edgar Street ground and related land from Hereford United Football Club (1939) Limited through peaceful re-entry for breach of three leases due to non-payment of rent.

 

Council officers were unable to peacefully enter the premises as they were occupied by a club representative, so we are now taking legal action to gain possession.

 

We had previously not pursued this course of action, as when we joined the winding up petition on 15 September, our insolvency advisors suggested that it was highly likely the club would be wound up on 20 October. However, in light of the further six week adjournment, we have decided to use other legal actions available to us as landlord.

[dippyhippy]

Thanks for posting that update Hillbilly, much appreciated.

[hillbilly]

No problem. It's just been posted in the HC twitter feed

[chrisbull]

The action by the council should have been taken months ago broken promises by the owners of the club day after day local people not being paid p45s not issued to former employees local business not being paid for some reason the council delayed taking any action might be a connection with the meeting Tony Johnson denied took place ??? we could have had a club attended by over 1200 fans had the council stepped in when the club was demoted which is what should have happened the H.U.S.C.T. would have been running the club the way it should be run just calculate how much this farce has cost this city in terms of money every home game brings in large amounts of money for business in the city car parking fees for the council the council getting the rent for the ground £1000s of pounds lost all because of corrupt deals being done behind closed doors that they will not admit to.

[Biomech]

Let's get something straight. There has never been any desire to build on the Edgar Street ground.

 

 

Utter bullshit. So now that you've forced repossession and taken control of the grounds - what are you intentions?

 

You ******* councillors couldn't tell the truth if your ******* lives depending on it.

[Aylestone Voice]

If the Council do repossess the ground and HUFC go out of business then presumably those fans keen enough can set up their new club.

Could a new club in a league somewhere about West Midlands Alliance justify a tenancy of Edgar Street?

Should not council tax payers want the Council to get the best financial return on their property? If so would not the best value come from the redevelopment of the whole site for housing? The new club could play somewhere else - perhaps ground share with Westfields?

The Council could use the money generated to benefit the whole community not just the relative few who still follow the club

[Biomech]

Let's be realistic, taking control of the grounds (chains are apparently on the gate now) was the councils goal (no pun intended) the whole time. 

That carpark and stadium is an old blight right bang in the middle of their OLM and Urban Village projects. 

[chrisbull]

You are quite right Biomech the council has been planning the movement from edgar street for some years and how to get around it has been the problem they faced with the debt that the council has at present it has the opportunity to push there plan through now cast your mind back when the leases on the racecourse were not renewed and the company that had the leases were prepared to make a large investment on the racecourse bring it up date before that it was proposed to move the football ground to the racecourse the stumbling block being the tories now ask yourself one simple question who gains and who loses and why.

[Denise Lloyd]

CB Please spell this out to me and anybody else for that matter who can't keep up with this unfolding saga.  Are you saying Edgar Street is earmarked for development? or possibly a new site for the Fire Station/Police HQ/Ambulance.  Basically tell all if following recent developments you are now able to or do we still have to wait until after 1st December?

[hillbilly]

There's an item on this on Midlands Today now

[chrisbull]

The site has been earmarked for development for a number of years the former chairman of Hereford United Peter Hill had worked on a deal with developers the Richardsons if you don't know developed one of the largest shopping centers in the country to serve the Black country called Merry Hill Peter Hill owned land or still does at Bullinghope and that is where he wanted to re-locate the football club with the movement of the cattle market it was looking a very interesting development Hence why Peter Hill sold the leases which as we all know he had no right to do so did the council know about it yes they did so now we have to ask some pertinent questions all in all it goes back many years please do not think that i am an old winger about the council i am not all i want is transparent proceedings in matters which mean a lot to the people of this city not gun ho tactics like it or lump it which is all that has happened for so many years as a long suffering Hereford United supporter i want what is best for the club it might be ideal to move from Edgar Street but i do not want underhanded deals done that do not benefit the club or people of this city today the council have taken the ground back but the owners have paid what they owe as i said before the council is 3 months to late this now moves the goalposts yet again no pun intended it is a farce and the council take a lot of the blame here they have never listened to the supporters trust who would do a first class job they also have some good businessman and advisors from other trusts just waiting in the wings for the opportunity to turn the club around plus over a 1000 supporters waiting to walk through the gates myself included does 2 plus 2 equal 4 ask Tony Johnson.

[Biomech]

Are you saying Edgar Street is earmarked for development?

 

 

 

It's a cratered, out of date, derelict eye sore slap bang in the middle of their OLM and Urban Village - you decide ;)

[twowheelsgood]

The site has been earmarked for development for a number of years the former chairman of Hereford United Peter Hill had worked on a deal with developers the Richardsons  ... (edit) ... 2 plus 2 equal 4 ask Tony Johnson.

 

Some basic punctuation, PLEASE!

[Jim Kenyon]

Guys I've been pretty quite on Hereford voice of recent as I have been up to my eyeballs I have to choose my words carefully about this tread but I will say I asked for this to be scrutinised right at the beginning it was refused by cllr Bowen I have been accused of bullying council staff over the leases by a council officer "utter rubbish" I asked to see them,Tiny Johnson has shouted and been abusive towards me twice regarding this matter over the phone all very strange action when a councillor asks a question. I will be calling for a full internal investigation into the way the council has handled the whole matter no if no buts once we know the outcome of the next court case on dec 1st rest assured not all councillors are shrinking violets and some really do have "some balls" let's see who else supports me with the investigation, why not ask a few!!!

[chrisbull]

Good luck Jim we know we can trust you, and from your point of standing a very difficult position. we know that Tony Johnson is an arrogant self opinionated ######## All the best Jim.

[dippyhippy]

Good idea Jim.

 

Folks....email your councillor and ask the question! Replies can be posted on this thread for all to see.

[flamboyant]

Councillors Chris Chappell & Glenda Vaughan-Powell both read the threads it would be interesting to hear if they will support Cllr Kenyon?

[flamboyant]

Oh and why am I not suprised Cllr Bowens name cropped up in Cllr Kenyons post? On another note has anyone seen the new offices at the Shire Hall they are stunning no expense spared there! Tell me Cllr Morgan do you like your new carpet?

[Denise Lloyd]

Judging by the HT Jim Knipe is also working away on this