Some of you may be aware of the bizarre and ghastly circumstances in which Salisbury City FC finally folded last summer as a result of disastrous financial mis-management followed by the somewhat surreal and fatal interference of a cretinous Walter Mitty character who really ought to be in an institution (name of A. S. Otail M. Touzar, whose CV says that he once nearly bought Crystal Palace. He didn't even hand over the pound for which he "bought" Salisbury City; all he did was break into the clubhouse and remove a safe containing over £3000 of supporters' money deposited for season tickets).
A consortium of local businessmen (there are many similarities to Palace's recent history) has established a phoenix club, Salisbury FC, with the aim of rejoining the non-league pyramid next season. But just as everything was beginning to take shape a potentially fatal blow has been dealt by the trustees who represent the family of the late Raymond McEnhill, former club chairman who built the RayMac Stadium in 1997, and which has been leased to SCFC since then.
With the original tenants now gone, the trustees have said that they will act in the "best interests" of the family concerning the future of the land on which the stadium stands. These "best interests" may or may not be influenced by the fact that the ground is surrounded by new housing developments (more of which are needed, apparently) or the fact that Sainsbury and other supermarket giants are sniffing around Salisbury to build a "superstore".My understanding is that the family themselves have no influence on the outcome, but the trustees have reneged on an earlier promise to allow a new Salisbury football club to play there, brushing aside the consortium saying that there is no point in talking.
I've supported Palace since the early 70s but having lived in Salisbury for 8 years have enjoyed watching local non-league football with my daughter. The current hiatus has meant we have seen more of Palace, home and away, this season, but when we hear the fans singing the "You are my sunshine" song we exchange knowing glances at the line "you'll never know just how much I love you until they take my Palace away". Palace have been close to this more than once, and I can tell you, you really do not know what it is like until you see the team you follow dismantled bit by bit and then kicked at every attempt at recovery. A petition has been raised to urge Wiltshire Council to do what it can to preserve the RayMac stadium for football, and to urge the Trustees to think again. Without a ground of its own the new club will have little chance of playing again. If you love football, please help by signing the petition below.
Thank you.
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A consortium of local businessmen (there are many similarities to Palace's recent history) has established a phoenix club, Salisbury FC, with the aim of rejoining the non-league pyramid next season. But just as everything was beginning to take shape a potentially fatal blow has been dealt by the trustees who represent the family of the late Raymond McEnhill, former club chairman who built the RayMac Stadium in 1997, and which has been leased to SCFC since then.
With the original tenants now gone, the trustees have said that they will act in the "best interests" of the family concerning the future of the land on which the stadium stands. These "best interests" may or may not be influenced by the fact that the ground is surrounded by new housing developments (more of which are needed, apparently) or the fact that Sainsbury and other supermarket giants are sniffing around Salisbury to build a "superstore".My understanding is that the family themselves have no influence on the outcome, but the trustees have reneged on an earlier promise to allow a new Salisbury football club to play there, brushing aside the consortium saying that there is no point in talking.
I've supported Palace since the early 70s but having lived in Salisbury for 8 years have enjoyed watching local non-league football with my daughter. The current hiatus has meant we have seen more of Palace, home and away, this season, but when we hear the fans singing the "You are my sunshine" song we exchange knowing glances at the line "you'll never know just how much I love you until they take my Palace away". Palace have been close to this more than once, and I can tell you, you really do not know what it is like until you see the team you follow dismantled bit by bit and then kicked at every attempt at recovery. A petition has been raised to urge Wiltshire Council to do what it can to preserve the RayMac stadium for football, and to urge the Trustees to think again. Without a ground of its own the new club will have little chance of playing again. If you love football, please help by signing the petition below.
Thank you.
To view the link you have to Register or Login
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