FC United | Moston Community Stadium | 5,000 Capacity | App

[TheGrand]

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereven...ed-stadium-bid

Offside!: Moston residents in bid to block FC United stadium bid



Hundreds of people have launched a campaign to block a bid to use playing fields for a new stadium for rebel football club FC United of Manchester.

The club – formed in protest at the Glazer family’s ownership of Manchester United – want to build a 5,000 capacity stadium on the council-owned Ronald Johnson playing fields, close to St Mary’s Road and Lightbowne Road in New Moston.

But people living close to the site – currently home to a junior football team – have vowed to fight the plans. Nearly 1,000 have signed a petition against the proposals, which they are to take to the town hall.

FC United, who have played at Bury's Gigg Lane ground since being formed in 2005, want to move to Manchester. Joanne Hilton, who lives on St Mary’s Road, said: "The community does not want this. It’s our local field and it has always been for us.

"There isn’t much greenery in Moston and we don’t want a stadium here.

"It has nothing to do with football. This field was gifted to the public and nothing was ever meant to be built here. There will be crowds, cars and there will be alcohol and the problems that causes."

The plans are expected to go before the council for approval in July.Moston Juniors currently hold a lease at the site until 2032 and pay £1,000 rent a year.

A spokesman for Moston Juniors said they had held positive meetings with FC United and the council.

Andy Walsh, general manager of FC United, who play in English football's seventh tier, said: "Football matches would be played there 25 to 30 days a year.

"We have always dealt with things in an open and honest way.

"The people of Moston Juniors and Moston are the very people whose views we have to take into account. This is not just about football, it's about creating a community facility and that is all part of the consultation over the coming weeks."

Moston councillor Paul Murphy said that the plans were far from a done deal.

He said: "There is a covenant on the land and the Charity Commission need to be satisfied this can happen. And if Moston Juniors are not happy with the plans, this is not a goer."

Eamonn O'Rourke, from the council, said: "We asked FC United to carry out a full public consultation and this is now under way. All representations will be taken into consideration before any final decision is made."

[TheGrand]

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereven...t-in-community

Gift kicked off 101 years of sport in community
Mike Keegan



The Ronald Johnson playing fields were donated to the people of Moston in 1910 by the family who owned the nearby wire works.

Apart from a spell during and after World War Two when they were used to host prefabricated homes for those whose houses had been bombed, they have been used for football and cricket ever since.

The proposed stadium on the site replaces FC United's original plans to build a stadium at Ten Acres Lane in Newton Heath which collapsed when the council withdrew £600,000 funding.

Town hall bosses blamed that withdrawal on government cuts.

However, a draft proposal for the new site shows that the council will spend £750,000 if the plans get the go-ahead - money which was earmarked for improvements to the Moston site in 2009. It includes £200,000 to be spent on feasibility plans and business studies.

That disclosure will no doubt add fuel to claims - denied by the council - that it pulled the plug on Ten Acres Lane to avoid upsetting Manchester City, who are set to pump millions into the area as part of a huge regeneration scheme.

FC United, which is run by fans, has always wanted to build a new home in Manchester and looked set for Ten Acres – symbolically close to where Manchester United were born.

It is understood that plans for Moston will be similar to those that were drawn up for Newton Heath – a stadium with a capacity of 5,000 with around 500-600 seats.

The plans would include an astro-turf pitch and a club house but there would be no sports centre.

[andysimo123]

Originally Posted by TheGrand

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereven...ed-stadium-bid

Surprise surprise it's a story by Mike Keegan. I wonder who got the locals wound up? hey?

[Isaac Newell]

This was always going to happen, it's an open space about to become private space. Opinion can be turned around though and the club needs to make as much of the site available to the community as possible and convince it that they will be an asset to the area.

[TheGrand]

An interesting riposte from FC Fanzine A Fine Lung

http://www.afinelung.com/?p=2689

Beware the hypocrites in the hills

Today’s Oldham-based misnomer, the Manchester Evening News, carries an article from the point of view of residents opposed to FC United and Manchester City Council’s plans for a community football stadium in Moston.

Written by the same Oldham supporting, blue sympathising, little Ingerland, fake tan purveyer who disgraced himself with his anti-United tweets while spending the day with Bredbury city fans on Saturday, it puts the perspective across of residents from the area who feel aggrieved that their currently fenced off playing fields will be used for community benefit.

Furthermore, the Chadderton paper then sticks its oar in courtesy of its laughable editor’s comment page, where it calls into question FC United’s claims to be a community club.

The residents have every right to be worried and most of us would react the same way if there were plans to build a stadium near our own houses. They have every right to state their opinion and it will be them who shape the project equally as much as Moston Juniors and FC United. We must engage them and allay their fears if this project is to go ahead. They don’t deserve some of the criticism aimed their way from our less enlightened supporters, but they need to be won over.

It’s understandable that the newspaper would carry a story of a petition from residents opposed to a plan of this nature, but the prevalence given to it lacks perspective and the decision to add in a comment has to lead us to wonder what the paper’s agenda really is. Especially when they recently engineered it for the aforementioned anti-United yonner to become the main reporter on our quest for a ground.

Let’s not also forget that it was the Evening News, against the wishes of FC United, who broke the story when no one from the club was able to comment about Moston being the preferred location for a ground and that is one of the reasons the residents are understandably outraged.

It is also unbelievably hypocritical for a newspaper that abandoned the city of its roots to move out to the sticks against the wishes of its employees and readers (except the Oldham yonner responsible for the FC knocking story) to discuss the word ‘community’ at all.

The vast majority of those running the shambles that is Liverpool-based Trinity Mirror’s MEN Media know absolutely nothing about Manchester or its people. That’s why the paper, despite having some wonderfully dedicated journalists fighting to ply their trade against the backdrop of anti-union bullying and incompetent, talentless, sycophantic management staff, is a laughing stock in the city of its birth.

Pitching itself at commuters from the mill towns that surround Manchester, the Evening News long left its so-called community behind. The hard-working and talented staff on the ground do their best with poor resources, bullying, constant threats of redundancies and an employment policy that puts Oxbridge graduates far ahead of mancunians in the bloated journalist job queues.

FC United’s ‘community’ credentials are undoubted and anyone who saw Robin Pye’s presentation at the general meeting recently was left in awe at just how much good the club does throughout deprived areas of Greater Manchester. The same areas and the same work that MEN Media does not report on. The same areas that MEN Media no longer delivers its weekly papers to. The same areas that MEN Media decided didn’t deserve free weekly, local newspapers because those deprived areas didn’t bring any money into their business.

The comment is a blatant attempt to try and show the paper’s connection to the people of Moston, by backing a campaign that will ultimately hurt the local community if it is successful in blocking the project.

The editor is the person who oversaw the abandonment of Manchester by the paper that bears the city’s name. No amount of pandering to protest groups in order to appear ‘representative’, while knocking a club that is genuinely trying to make a positive difference to the city, will change that fact.

The MEN should be shouting with pride about the work an organisation like FC United carries out in Manchester. But instead it chooses to ignore it and now calls in to question its very being.

Get off your high horse Evening News and gallop back to the hills. To misquote a constantly mentioned ‘Diary’ celebrity favourite: ‘You say nothing to us about our lives.’

Stories here:

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereven...ed-stadium-bid

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereven...cipled-result-

[andysimo123]

Originally Posted by Isaac Newell

This was always going to happen, it's an open space about to become private space. Opinion can be turned around though and the club needs to make as much of the site available to the community as possible and convince it that they will be an asset to the area.

I can bet now first if this wasn't FC, this story wouldn't have popped up. Secondly there are two others stories on the Evening News website where no authors are mentioned. It basically says because this small group of people have an issue, FC on principle shouldn't build it because its a peoples club but hold on, now this group of people have been wound up by some local City fans and the local media, FC on principle can't build their ground anywhere. If a local complains, those two awful stories say they shouldn't build a stadium. Well if they go along with that, it will never get built. There will always be someone with an issue with it. FC have to say no, its going to be built, deal with it because where else are they going to build their stadium? City had them fucked them off from down the road and now others are messing in their affairs. It's pretty sick, to read a story like on the Evening news website. Targeting a non-league club which has been fighting for six or seven years to get its own home. They have dropped very very low in the last few weeks. FC have even asked the locals to come and meet with them to discuss the plans? Why don't those 1,000 people go and talk to the club, rather than being wound up by Keegan and his City mates?

[TheGrand]

And now for some "Comment"

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereven...cipled-result-

Comment: Goal should be a principled result

That this football minnow should now be on the receiving end of protest over the location of its first stadium bears a certain irony.

FC United had aspired to create its first home at Ten Acre Lane in Newton Heath. This was a site of enormous historical significance, since Manchester United evolved from a railway works team founded in Newton Heath in 1878.

The cuts made necessary by the savagely-reduced government grant settlement to Manchester city council meant the withdrawal of the council’s £600,000 funding for FC United’s stadium plan and a search for a new site.

The Ronald Johnson playing fields in Moston were the next choice for FC’s 5,000-capacity stadium. But this has not gone down well with local residents. Almost a thousand have signed a petition in opposition, with only a handful of locals expressing support for the proposal, say campaigners.

Offside!: Moston residents in bid to block FC United stadium bid

These residents do not just complain about crowds, cars, and the possible drunken rowdyism associated with football. They also have a principled objection, that this land was gifted to the public, and that nothing was supposed to be built here.

Local councillor Paul Murphy confirms that there is a covenant on the land, and this is a matter which will involve the Charity Commission.

There is another vital stakeholder in all this. Moston Juniors have a lease on this site until 2032, running 20 teams, from under-sixes to an adult first team. Whatever happens with FC United’s aspirations must not interfere with all these other teams from lower down football’s food chain.

So far FC United talk a good game. Football would only be played here 25 to 30 days a year, says Andy Walsh, general manager of the team. The new stadium would be even more accessible to the community than at present. Moston Juniors would be helped, not hindered.

This will be, one suspects, a long and tight match which may run into extra time. But it is absolutely vital that FC United and the city council find the reassurances necessary to make this happen with residents’ approval, not in the teeth of their opposition.

If FC United stands for anything, it stands for the idea of a football club for the people, not the vested interests. To build FC United’s first home in the midst of people who don’t want it would be a contradiction of its own founding principles.

[jrb]

According to someone on here it's City's fault.

Clown.

[heatonparkincakes]

Another MCC botch up.

As a one time LG suit, I can see the logic of MCC uniting monies for Broadhurst Park with the FCUM project. But in typical MCC fashion, the logic doesn't bare up with the facts of the ground. Erm literally in this case.

The Newton Heath site had greater economically, communitarian and public transport benefits and a lesser environment impact. Plus it was welcomed by the locals and has long term prospect and growth potential.

Developing the rundown site in Moston is beneficial. But only because Moston itself is a kip. Sorry to offend, but it is. It is limited in its growth potential. Of the six possible sites I could imagine that a sports complex could be built on in north and central Manchester, this is probably not the one I would have chose had I been at MCC.

But poor old FC. A honest and soundly driven sports club that wishes to be community orientated. Now faced with a mix bag of concerned locals not wishing their evenings to be floodlight to death, the usual NIMBYS, wannabe politicos and various mischief making football supporters from other clubs, who perhaps need to grow up if they are involved at all. And seemingly the usual misplaced cynicism of a falling local rag.

Well I can see alot of unnecessary bollix coming.

[heatonparkincakes]

By the way that fanzine description of a certain perm a tan journo makes me howl. A man certain in his destiny to present on a minor sports channel I always thought?

Its an illumination show sometimes in yer Press Club!

Sadly I cringed reading the rest. Sounds just like those numpties who go on about Stretford being a foreign land!!


Yeah lots of unnecessary bollix for the sake of building a community sports project in various kips in the city centre.

Good grief! All it needs now is a monorail!

[flange]

Revealed: FC United’s plans for new stadium in Moston

Exclusive by Mike Keegan

June 08, 2011



Home fixture: An artist’s impression of the proposed ground in Moston.

This is how the new home for FC United will look – if the club’s plans get the green light.

The exclusive first look at the artist’s impression reveals the breakaway outfit’s proposals for a 5,000-capacity home on Moston’s Ronald Johnson playing fields .

FC bosses believe the designs illustrate the ‘minimal impact’ the planned move will have on residents.

They say stands at the compact stadium will be no higher than a large semi-detached house and point to a host of community facilities included in the project which they believe will open what is currently a fenced-off area to those who live nearby.

The £3.5m plans include two youth pitches for Moston Juniors, who currently lease the playing fields from Manchester council, with the opportunity to play major matches in the stadium.

There will also be a full-sized artificial pitch, an open-to-the public medical room managed by club physios and balconies where parents can watch their kids play.

As part of their bid to create an environmentally-friendly distinctive facility, railway sleepers will be used on the exterior of the stadium. An IT learning room is also planned and the club’s car park may be opened to nearby St Mary’s Primary to alleviate school-run issues.

Trees will be planted around the project and the positioning of a car park means the ground itself will be at least 50 metres away from nearby houses.

The Rebels, formed as a co-operative in protest at the Glazer family’s ownership of Manchester United, will make a planning application in the next two months.

Club officials will also contact the Charity Commission in a bid to satisfy a covenant on part of the land in between St Mary’s Road and Lightbowne Road.

General manager Andy Walsh said: "This development isn’t just about football, it’s about creating a community facility with open access to the people of Moston and north Manchester. It’s about proposals that create the opportunity to enhance the existing provision in the local area.

"We are working in partnership with Moston Juniors and Manchester council and we’ve been in discussions with them for around 10-12 weeks.

"FC United are trying to minimise the impact on the local area and we want to reassure residents that their concerns will be listened to."

The club, who play in the seventh tier of English football, are currently voluntarily speaking to residents, some of whom have objected to their plans. Once the application goes in a period of formal consultation will take place before a verdict is reached.

The drawings are consultation drafts and may be amended before that application is made.

But Joanne Hilton, who lives on St Mary’s Road and has led protests against the scheme, remains unmoved.

She said: "They have spent a lot of time and money on the drawings and the plans would be great – for a brownfield site.

"But this is green land and we don’t want it. We surveyed people at one of the drop-ins and out of 221 people asked 170 were against it. This is not about football, it is about keeping that field for the people of Moston."

If the development goes ahead, FC United, who currently play at Bury’s Gigg Lane ground and attract average gates of around 2,000, will kick off at their new home in time for the 2012-2013 season.

Planning permission will be sought for all stands to be under cover but two may remain roofless if plans go over budget.

The site was identified as an alternative to Ten Acres Lane, Newton Heath, after Manchester council reallocated funding.

FC United are also looking to bring in additional funding to improve the pitches on nearby Broadhurst fields.

Chances to have your say ...

FC UNITED bosses are holding four drop-in sessions to get feedback from local people who will be affected by the plans.

Residents have launched a major attack on the proposals – claiming the stadium will bring anti-social behaviour and parking problems to their neighbourhood.

But general manager Andy Walsh said: "We recognise that the residents are anxious about the disruption that the proposals might bring. We want to reassure people that this is a small football ground with a maximum capacity of 5,000.

"In five years at Gigg Lane, we have only had a handful of incidents of anti-social behaviour. We recognise parking is an issue but we are working with residents to address that."

The drop-in sessions will be at Moston Methodist Church on June 21, 6pm-8pm; Moston Labour Club on June 22, 6-8pm; North City Library on June 29 from 6pm-8pm and at the Miners Community Centre on June 30 from 6pm-8pm.

Mr Walsh said: "This is not a done deal so we want to hear any concerns so we can take these into consideration as we develop our proposals."

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereven...dium-in-moston

[heatonparkincakes]

The FC mega eggcup rumbles on. Any further renderings grand? Especially inside the citadel of co-operative football?

Having read the local rags and the Facebook page, I doubt that anything will satisfy those locals who already are opposed to it. Having been involved in campaigning, I am astonished by the manner how those opposed to the proposal have acted.

As much as i can sympathise with those mostonians who may not wish to hear the sloop John b echoing in their front rooms whilst police action camera is on the box. I do not think they going to achieve their aims by concentrating on imagined failings of football supporters, depicting them as far rightists and pretending this scrub land is still public access. And they will soon realise that any campaign needs to be flexible to achieve concessions, or else they might find that someone like Tesco ends up there instead.

Still think there are better places to build this, but if that happens it won't be because of the locals.

[TheGrand]

Enjoy

http://www.fc-utd.co.uk/mcsf/FCUnite....FINAL_LOW.pdf

[Isaac Newell]

I like it, a football ground surrounded by houses is very retro and very English.

It will probably increase the value of property in the area.

[heatonparkincakes]

A very professional imaging there. "more than a football ground." What a tag line..... And re branding a park fenced to prevent intrusion from joy riders and people in caravans as the moston community stadium facility. M C F S.

Oh course you do realize grand that by restricting access to lightbowne road.
A. That is a road without a bus route.
B. Is an extra km to walk to the nearest tram and train
C. So will encourage even more car usage.

Despite that and the 1.5 metre feminine ball of joy describing it as a new school a like, it sounds a grand idea.

[heatonparkincakes]

Just asked the above question to one of my neighbors who is involved with development fund. He answered "park and ride at newton Heath heaton."

If I could work out how to copy and paste a men link, then I would but apparently swinton rugby are also developing their ground stadium in age croft.

[jrb]

Spit.

PNW.

FC United consults over Moston stadium
13 Jun 2011, 10:51


FC United of Manchester is to hold consultation sessions later in June presenting its plans to develop a community facility and sports stadium in Moston.

The sessions have been organised by FC United and club representatives will be there, together with Moston Juniors Football Club, to explain the plans and answer questions. Representatives from Manchester City Council will also be there to answer questions and explain the council's processes.

FC United general manager Andy Walsh said: "These sessions are part of our ongoing consultation with the Moston community about our plans, aimed at giving as many people as possible the opportunity to put their views directly to us and Moston Juniors Football Club.

"We want as many people as possible to come along and tell us what they would like included in our plans for what would be a community facility. Equally this is not a done deal so we want to hear any concerns so we can take these into consideration as we develop our proposals.

"We will be working closely with the council to keep the community informed as our consultation progresses."

FC United's proposals for the development include a 5,000 capacity stadium, community changing facilities and classroom, a function space open for public bookings, two additional community pitches and landscaped public areas. The development represents around £3.5m of investment in Moston.

Earlier plans for a new stadium in Ten Acres Lane in Newton Heath, owned by Manchester City Council, were abandoned when the council withdrew funding.

The Moston sessions will be held as follows:

Moston Methodist Church, Moston Lane, Tuesday 21 June, 6pm - 8pm

Moston Labour Club, Moston Lane, Wednesday 22 June, 6pm - 8pm

North City Library, Rochdale Road, Wednesday 29 June, 6pm - 8pm

Miners Community & Arts Centre, Teddington Road, Thursday 30 June, 6pm - 8pm

[heatonparkincakes]

Ha ha jack root beer given you are a local, have you been consulted yet?

Almost impressed with their plans, especially the thoughtful ideas such as a local generator. It is curious and unique to witness these two mancunian sports clubs being local dynamos for re generation.

FC in a small organic communitarian way and MCFC acting as the significant catalyst for adug's master plan (well let's hope so) for east Manchester both provide alternative but strangely matching models of how sports club should act in the future.

Oh course it could all go wrong. The arabocrats gets shunted out after a revolution and leave miles platting it's own grief amongst the rubble and of course FCs plans might either get rejected by the charity commission. Any suggestions either way what happens next then?

[CHG]

I recently moved to the New Moston area from Cheetham Hill. I live about a 5 minute drive from the proposed site and I still can't make my mind up.

I'm looking forward to the idea of a proper community sports centre which we will be able to access plus I'm sure that the club moving to the site would bring money and some form of regeneration to the area.

I live in a very nice "bought" area but it is slap bang next to a council estate. I purchased my current house after moving from one of the worst council estates in the country (Waterloo, C/Hill) so I'm not being snobby when I say this - I say this through experience and being "real."

The council estate is pretty run down and the area surrounding the proposed site suffers from locals who live on this estate. They congregate on the streets drinking wife beater (cheap Cider), smoking weed, vandalising street lights, phone boxes and bus stops, they cause a general nuisance trying to act like "thugs" despite being plastic nobodies (trust me, the life I've had I know fake nobodies when I see them).

Hopefully the football ground will bring an increase of CCTV, a bit more of a street presence and maybe somewhere for the local muppets to go and burn off some energy, in turn bringing down the anti social behaviour.

There are many downsides to the move though which are causing my concern. First off will be the increase of traffic. I don't care what the club and council claim; there WILL be a big impact to local traffic, especially during match days. The majority of people are going to come by car which brings the problems Ordsall suffers during United home games. Youths and local wannabe's waving cars onto residential streets and charging money to "watch" their cars. The people who park here and don't pay will no doubt have their windows put in or cars scratched up. Again - this is common practice around the Ordsall estate (MUFC) and Bradford / Miles Platting estates (MCFC) which the council don't seem to acknowledge.

We will also see more problems at the local pubs which will swell with fans before and after games no doubt leading to an increase of incidents.

The biggest concern I have is that the council and the club are basing their arguments on the current club position. FC United are in a unique position having a large amount of funds and a large following that will only grow with more United fans and locals. It's a certainty that the club will rise through the leagues and I have no doubt that within the next 20 years they will at least be a 1st/2nd division club. There is no way that the ground will stay at the proposed capacity if this is the case and fans will probably at least triple. I wonder if the current proposed site would be considered adequate if there were 25-30,000 fans attending. THAT is definitely a possibility in the close future and one which is giving me cause for concern.

Originally Posted by heatonparkincakes

...you are a local, have you been consulted yet?

As a local, the only consultation I have had is in the form of a 6 page booklet and a letter telling me when and where they are going to hold consultation events. That only arrived last week and this idea has been in the works for how long now? NOT good enough.
I would at least have expected some form of postal vote/questionnaire. Maybe club reps knocking at local houses to gather information on what people think.
While they ARE holding 4 consultation events where this might take place, the times are difficult for most people to attend. 18:00 start time? Really? The majority of people who finish work around 17:30 won't even get home until way after 18:00 due to rush hour. How much information would we have missed by the time we get to arrive at these consultations?

It seems to me that local residents are an afterthought and nothing will stop this from happening. They are giving the least amount of information and making it as hard as possible for people to have a say on the matter.

While some people make a joke of it:

Originally Posted by heatonparkincakes

...I can sympathise with those mostonians who may not wish to hear the sloop John b echoing in their front rooms whilst police action camera is on the box...

Originally Posted by heatonparkincakes

...Moston itself is a kip. Sorry to offend, but it is...

I'm sure others can understand some locals concern when people like myself have spent OVER £200k moving to the area! It's not ALL Council estates and single mums you know. There is a HUGE difference between Moston and NEW Moston (which are two totaly different area's). If this was taking place in an area with a more fashionable name such as Alkrington, Didsbury, Woodhouses or Simister there would be more sympathy.

Sorry for the rant peeps... this is the first chance I've had to really talk about my feelings on the idea. If anyone is interested in seeing it, I can scan and upload the booklet and letter...?

[redrog]

Interesting perspective CHG. For what it's worth, I believe the club are genuine in their desire to be of benefit to the locality. The community work they have done thus far with no facilities and very few staff bodes well for the area and for football. Indeed, they have been doing this sort of stuff from the outset, well before Moston or indeed Ten Acres Lane was even mentioned, so it's being done for the right reasons. It's also worth noting that the club are legally obliged to be of community benefit due to the way it is structured.

All that said, I think the residents have some genuine concerns which need to be discussed and addressed.

The one of traffic is going to be a problem, no doubt, but it's how big, that is the question. All I can offer on this is that I live within a 2min walk of Altrincham's ground which is of similar size and to be honest the disruption is minimal. Sure, it's a bit annoying to come home and find it a bit harder to park, but when you look at it, it's only 25 days a year for 3 hrs or so. In actual fact, the night games don't even bother me as I'm usually home well before the traffic builds. As part of the planning submission, there will be a traffic management plan which will detail how they will mitigate the issue as far as possible. When it comes out, I'd encourage you to read it.

I hope the petty crime isn't an issue and hopefully the potential perpetrators will be inside the ground rather than outside it.

In terms of the ground needing to be bigger in time, there is that possibility, but the current crowds are about 2000 so it shouldn't be in the immediate future, not that we could afford it anyway. A 25000 stadium isn't going to be needed anytime soon. Any expansion would again have to go through planning so the arguments could be addressed at the time, but I understand the concern that it is a foot in the door so to speak.

I'm sorry to hear you think the consultation could be better. All that has been done thus far is entirely voluntary. The real statutory consultation only really starts when planning goes in. I think I'm right in saying that there have already been 2 sessions at a weekend and 3 more are planned in the evenings. It can't suit everyone, but the opportunity is there. I believe these are in the form of a drop in, so I'm sure if you turn up late, you'll still be able to have your say. Please go, the guys running it are genuine and willing to listen. Additionally there is an email address to ask questions or submit ideas for those that can't make it.

FC didn't choose Moston, and sometimes I think there is a slight condescending tone to some of the stating of the benefits case, but at the end of the day, I think it is a force for good and far from the nuisance that some people perceive.

In my opinion, there are far worse things that could be built on that land. There is of course an argument that nothing should be built there, but with the march of time, something inevitably will be built. Investments like this don't come around very often, especially in the current economic climate, and the status quo of a fenced off grass area isn't the best use of it in my opinion.

But hey, I don't live there.