GUT FEELING SIMON STODDART’S

GLOBAL 'WARMING'

Er, yea ok. Having two games fall victim to sub zero warming effects, what a pleasure to get United back out there Tuesday night at Hartsdown Park with a 2-1 win over Margate. My ground hopping colleague, Luke Harris, who featured in a recent GF, was at the game and kept me up to date - night shift interfered - and told me the U's were good value for their win. And he got me a programme.

Tilekiln

I recall in my fanzine producing days 25 years ago the subject arising of a new ground at Tilekiln. This is by no means a recent topic of discussion. Dave Nessling took the time one afternoon all those years ago to show me the detailed plans that had been drawn up. The main issue then was as now - the main stand which has deteriorated further.

My preference has always been to remain at the Pilot Field. The place is massive and there's so much potential here. But of course - it's pointless talking about what could be done here or at Tilekiln if there isn't a way to finance it all.

I always thought the boat was missed when St Leonards vacated Fort Fun next door in 2003. That land could've been sold for redevelopment and proceeds used to finance an upgrade to The Pilot Field.

Hastings Borough Council has changed course on Tilekiln as we all know. The vacuous statement about finding external funding for a new stadium is just that - vacuous. It's hot air. And things right now are dodgy anyway with the economy on it's knees. Having said that, is selling off the old St Leonards ground still an option? Could that generate money to upgrade the Pilot Field?

Three points on Tuesday keep United interested in the play offs. I'm certainly up for today's game against our Sussex rivals - being my first live football since October the 29th when Burgess Hill were here for an FA Trophy tie. It was around 35 degrees warmer in the Philippines and getting back to sub zero UK was a shock.

I followed the Canvey game on line and it certainly sounded another one of those games with no reward for a good performance till Finn levelled in the 92nd minute. Pretty popular scorer, Finn. Well done and the U's didn't finish empty handed.

I couldn't be at the Fan's Forum recently. I listened to it on Chris Laverick's podcast (No 85) and it sounded a, er, very lively evening with Tilekiln and everything and everybody associated. Talk of a groundshare with Eastbourne Borough fills me with dread.

Check out Cray Wanderers and what they've been through since 1999. To retain Kent League status they had to leave their ground (no floodlights) and went to Hayes Lane to share with Bromley. The real fun started when they actively started looking to build a new stadium. Council hassle, even the Mayor of London, police - planning permission ping pong - absolute nightmare. Only now - this year - have Cray really got things going with a new stadium having made their intentions known in this respect back in 2008. 14 years.

Social media is doing it's bit to spread the word re Tilekiln and a petition with over 2,000 signatures is out there. The excellent @fan_banter Twitter site has publicised United's plight and I saw a local BBC journalist latching onto it recently.

To Pay Or Not To Pay

Twitter threw up the interesting subject recently of semi pro clubs - on the odd occasion - admitting spectators free of charge to games. I ended up having quite an acrimonious exchange of views with the owner of one of our old Southern League opponents from 20 years ago. His motivation - an honourable one - was to give hard pressed locals a free afternoon at football.

The freebie football afternoon has been around for a few seasons now - I couldn't make the game in question but I think Ramsgate last season let people in for nothing when the U's called in. I suspect the motivation then - times not what they are today - was not quite the same.

Clubs do occasionally try the free football idea. Presumably it's on the premise that the extra spectators will hopefully like what they see, will spend money in the ground and come back as supporters of their local club. Big difference between spectators and supporters.

I put something up on this topic on Facebook. Just wanted to get an idea of what people thought about it. In for nothing or as it's often promoted 'Football for a fiver'? To pay or not to pay Hmm!

Hastings BC go on about green spaces. A football pitch is a pretty big green space eh? And a football club that offers what United offer to local kids for starters - are Hastings Borough Council really ok with it all falling apart?

Anyway, there are efforts being made to get HBC on side and recent developments hopefully give grounds for optimism.

My preference is - if the club is going to do an occasional promotion of local football - is to offer admission at a healthy discount - football for a fiver for me every time. Semi pro football is a fragile thing - a season never goes by without a club or two in trouble and sometimes folding altogether. It's a business and a reasonable compromise is surely your locals making a reduced but valuable contribution at the turnstile and those newbies attending a reduced rate game will, as mooted in paragraph 3, like what they see and return as supporters. What is wrong with getting in the habit of contributing towards the cost of running your local club? It's all part of being a supporter.

Be interesting to know what season ticket holders, who've paid up front, think of these promotions. The Facebook post on this topic seemed to generate a response overall in favour of the 'Football for a fiver' idea. Having said that, I've chatted with mates at games and there is also support out there for the free admission idea. It'll run and run, this one.