Non-League Abingdon Town

[Marked Ox]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1404499194430251008

Sad news.

Ian Rush and the company he is involved with have a lot to answer for. Likewise Whyteleafe have done the same and withdrawn from the Isthmian Lg as well.

I hope the site becomes a drain on their resources and ends up costing them money as they can't develop it.

 

[Foley]

Very sad. I wonder if there will be a lot more of these?

 

[Marked Ox]

Very sad. I wonder if there will be a lot more of these?

I find it sad that an ex-player like Ian Rush has become a club killer of 2 established non-league clubs. Actually, I think it is 3 as they have done it earlier with another non-league club. And I can see this happening more with this company as a result.

I don't see what they think they are getting at Culham Road as they can't develop it, I just don't see the benefit as it is floodplain.

 

[holdsteady]

I know it floods but it’s a lovely non league ground, easy walk into Abingdon town centre after for a few beers as well. Be such a shame to see them go under.

 

[McVicar]

Very sad. Apparently they paid £300K for the ground, like you say you cannot build on it so I can't see what they are hoping to achieve here by making it virtually impossible for the club to carry on playing there. They've done exactly the same to Whyteleafe FC. I read somewhere they were wanting to charge the clubs £250 a game for the privilege of playing on the ground!! Can't believe they use the tag line "We love Grass Roots Sports".

iRama - The complete Sports Network

irama.world

 

[OX14]

Was there the other night as alot of youth teams are going to train/play on it apparently. Place is run down and it all seems a bit strange that a sports network paid £300k to buy it when the actual club who play on it have now folded. You might say it couldn't be built on as it's a flood plain but I wouldn't put it past them trying to build homes on stilts to overcome this.

 

[QR]

Was there the other night as alot of youth teams are going to train/play on it apparently. Place is run down and it all seems a bit strange that a sports network paid £300k to buy it when the actual club who play on it have now folded. You might say it couldn't be built on as it's a flood plain but I wouldn't put it past them trying to build homes on stilts to overcome this.

Or it's the site for our new ground?

@Scotchegg ?

 

[Marked Ox]

Was there the other night as alot of youth teams are going to train/play on it apparently. Place is run down and it all seems a bit strange that a sports network paid £300k to buy it when the actual club who play on it have now folded. You might say it couldn't be built on as it's a flood plain but I wouldn't put it past them trying to build homes on stilts to overcome this.

It has a covenant as well iirc which also protects the cricket ground as well. As past owners of Culham Road have talked about it in the past. I still hope their venture fails miserably.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

A new ground on stilts! Sounds brilliant. I can watch my car float away if the game is a bit dull

 

[OX14]

It has a covenant as well iirc which also protects the cricket ground as well. As past owners of Culham Road have talked about it in the past. I still hope their venture fails miserably.

The same covenant that is on the land next to Abingdon United Fc that is owned by Abingdon Vale cricket ground who are trying to build flats on it?

Cant see how this sports network are going to make any money off that site, Tilsley Park has far better facilities as does Radley college. Give it 6 months and it will be derelict is my guess.

 

[OX14]

A new ground on stilts! Sounds brilliant. I can watch my car float away if the game is a bit dull

Forget the canal boat to the game, I could swim to it from my house lol.

 

[Marked Ox]

Forget the canal boat to the game, I could swim to it from my house lol.

Easier to borrow a boat from the Abbey Sailing Club.

 

[OX14]

Easier to borrow a boat from the Abbey Sailing Club.

Salters steamers could expand and run a few more party boats from the head of the river to the ground. Get it built Erick

 

[Marked Ox]

Salters steamers could expand and run a few more party boats from the head of the river to the ground. Get it built Erick

Beats a railway station.

 

[MarkG]

What are these clubs selling the grounds for anyway if they don't expect to then have to sign a licence to rent it back?

BTW - guess who has a charge over Court Place Farm?

 

[Marked Ox]

What are these clubs selling the grounds for anyway if they don't expect to then have to sign a licence to rent it back?

BTW - guess who has a charge over Court Place Farm?

Abingdon Town didn't sell the ground to Irama/Ian Rush as they didn't own it.

 

[OX14]

Abingdon Town didn't sell the ground to Irama/Ian Rush as they didn't own it.

Was it vale cricket club that owned it?

 

[Marked Ox]

Was it vale cricket club that owned it?

No, it got sold when Town were in the Isthmian Lg to the people who ran the nightclub at Town back in the day iirc. Don't know who they sold it on to as it was a long time ago but I think they did sell it on.

Abingdon Vale do own their ground iirc.

 

[OX14]

No, it got sold when Town were in the Isthmian Lg to the people who ran the nightclub at Town back in the day iirc. Don't know who they sold it on to as it was a long time ago but I think they did sell it on.

Abingdon Vale do own their ground iirc.

Oh yeh I remember now, the owner was a night club owner including JT's cocktail bar in Oxford, he rented land at the back of the stadium for extra pitches only to use it as a scrap heap. Does this not prove though if someone is willing to spend £300k on a dump with no return in site that Erick might not be so daft to buy the kassam

 

[Oxt1]

Oh yeh I remember now, the owner was a night club owner including JT's cocktail bar in Oxford, he rented land at the back of the stadium for extra pitches only to use it as a scrap heap. Does this not prove though if someone is willing to spend £300k on a dump with no return in site that Erick might not be so daft to buy the kassam

Looks like it is a 4.5 acre (ish) site, developers can happily get 18 houses per acre so conservatively lets say 75 potentially on the site, so even if you equate only £50k profit per unit that is £3.75m. So people like this are speculating and only need the odd one of these sites to gain planning permission to give a handsome profit and cover the costs of any other land acquired, which can be sold at a loss if required. So no initial return but potentially very profitable returns!