Is this the final goodbye for the S4C?

[Town Fan]

The latest BBC article is here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/61981660  and says the consortium will be looking for private funding going forward.  This would be a smaller scheme as explained here:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/59064939  which would as far as I can tell, prevent the Cornish Pirates from joining rugby's top flight.  The story continues......

[Easterfield]

3 hours ago, Way Of The Park said:

All speculation Easterfield, but very interesting reading. As we've no chance of hearing anything from Truro or the Pirates, that is all we have. Given though the retention and recruitment on both the managerial and playing side at Truro this summer, I would guess there are developments in the offing. For a start, I couldn't see Paul Wotton sticking around for another season of games at a near empty Bolitho if he wasn't assured of future plans.

It reminds me a little of Torquay United when, after the relatively new owner abandoned his stadium plans (never very far advanced and of dubious necessity), he appeared to "protect his investment" by spending money on the team (although he may now be at the crossroads on that one).

I guess it's wise for Truro's current owners to bet against relegation in this way. Looks to be an interesting season shaping up with Parkway, Tiverton and Truro alone never mind the other nineteen clubs, several of whom are sure to have big plans themselves.   

i wouldn't expect Truro or the Pirates to be too up front on ownership matters although it's noticeable how there's an absnce of rumour. Maybe that's good old-fashioned keeping it quiet; perhaps the perspective owners are from afar and rather an unknown quantity. Ah, speculation!  

If there was any chance of the Pirates and City being sold together  that would be pretty serious business to me. Might be a figment of my imagination of course!

[Dave Deacon]

Keep the faith 

[rocky170267]

1 hour ago, Dave Deacon said:

Keep the faith 

Really…. How…. In 10 months the club will have gone

all that history goes with it, what a shambles

[Craze]

14 hours ago, Dave Deacon said:

Keep the faith 

 

You're either on a wind up or know something...

[Dave Deacon]

13 hours ago, rocky170267 said:

Really…. How…. In 10 months the club will have gone

all that history goes with it, what a shambles

Anyway, how will the "club go" when its got a ground at Tregye?

[100%cornish]

Must be a ground in Cornwall that they could share there ground with someone like Bodmin or Newquay or even Wadebridge be good crowds there then 

[Ian Pethick]

41 minutes ago, 100%cornish said:

Must be a ground in Cornwall that they could share there ground with someone like Bodmin or Newquay or even Wadebridge be good crowds there then 

Wadebridge is a really nice ground (can't offer an opinion on Mount Wise, many years since I've been there) but it's nothing like step 3 compliant.  Improvements/upgrades would be needed that could run into several hundreds of thousands of pounds to improve ground, facilities and pitch, not to mention the drawings, plans and local authority permissions needed. Parkway had all this in place for Bolitho already, just brought it forward a few years. Explains how they could get it all done in 6 months or so.

Pretty sure that Priory Park was mentioned as a possible ground sharing option a few seasons ago, but it was abandoned when the cost and scale of work became apparent.

[Devils@Dusk]

19 hours ago, rocky170267 said:

Really…. How…. In 10 months the club will have gone

all that history goes with it, what a shambles

Ooh... Have you got any proof about that? Or are you just excitedly clutching at straws? 

[Easterfield]

17 hours ago, Way Of The Park said:

Wadebridge is a really nice ground (can't offer an opinion on Mount Wise, many years since I've been there) but it's nothing like step 3 compliant.  Improvements/upgrades would be needed that could run into several hundreds of thousands of pounds to improve ground, facilities and pitch, not to mention the drawings, plans and local authority permissions needed. Parkway had all this in place for Bolitho already, just brought it forward a few years. Explains how they could get it all done in 6 months or so.

Pretty sure that Priory Park was mentioned as a possible ground sharing option a few seasons ago, but it was abandoned when the cost and scale of work became apparent.

When Truro played at Torquay, I remember it being said that surely Torquay's ground wasn't much better than, for example, Bickland Park.  It is, and by a long way. It didn't have to be that good for National League (South) but it still had to be pretty good.

The reality is that it shouldn't be a surprise that, where little football has been played above step 6, most grounds aren't capable of hosting much above step 6. Some, of course, may be step 5 compliant already. Nor might it take much for others to reach that. For the already-better grounds, Step 4 may be reachable (but it's all relative and always costly). 

The grounds are a pyramid like the leagues. Step 6 grounds are not a rarity because there's more than 300 clubs playing at that level at any one time (and others below may be qualified too). Go through step 5 , then step 4,  before step 3 becomes quite another matter. Just 88 step 3 clubs at any one time and, although again there'd be lower clubs with the necessary grading, it's a far more rarefied existence. 

In Devon, for example, we know Plymouth Parkway and Tiverton Town are at that level; probably Bideford too because they've been there recently.  Barnstaple? Wouldn't know; may need more than it looks to the visitor. Buckland? Lovely ground, probably built with scope to do the necessary for step 4 (worse grounds at step 4 certainly) although - from a non-expert point of view - I'd imagine step 3 would need work on another scale. Exmouth may have needed improvements for step 4.     

None of this is just what the spectator sees.  The grading requirements cover everything - medical room, number of showers, toilets, dressing rooms, facilities for visiting officials, the lot.  I'd not have a clue just walking through the gate, 

 

[Dave Deacon]

12 hours ago, Easterfield said:

When Truro played at Torquay, I remember it being said that surely Torquay's ground wasn't much better than, for example, Bickland Park. 

I can’t remember that!

[Easterfield]

1 hour ago, Dave Deacon said:

I can’t remember that!

it was a random reference on here, Dave. A minority verdict of course but it made me smile that anyone should have thought that.

There are a lot of cracking grounds in Cornwall and they are perfectly fit for their current purpose. But there is a big difference with respect to what's been happening at step 3 and 4 throughout the system.  I suspect, that, as more Cornish teams climb the system, we'll see a lot of changes.

Maybe not in time for Truro City. It's ironic. In a way Truro needed a less-developed ground to share to put up those temporary stands as a move towards meeting the required standards. Anywhere that had too much exisiting "football furniture" would have been problematic and costly.     

[sportsman10]

Is the rumour Truro have approached Falmouth with regards to ground sharing next season true ?  
This is the last season at parkway

Would imagine the  finance  for work needed to to upgrade Falmouth ground would be very welcome.  
would be some effort on pre season to get it ready 

and if it is agreed you have to wonder why Truro wasted last  few years helping upgrade  parkways 

[Ian Pethick]

12 hours ago, sportsman10 said:

Is the rumour Truro have approached Falmouth with regards to ground sharing next season true ?  
This is the last season at parkway

Would imagine the  finance  for work needed to to upgrade Falmouth ground would be very welcome.  
would be some effort on pre season to get it ready 

and if it is agreed you have to wonder why Truro wasted last  few years helping upgrade  parkways 

Can't see any substance in this to be honest, but stranger things have happened with Truro City

If it is true, then I guess the planning work would have to start very soon to be ready for July/August 2023.

[sportsman10]

43 minutes ago, Way Of The Park said:

Can't see any substance in this to be honest, but stranger things have happened with Truro City

If it is true, then I guess the planning work would have to start very soon to be ready for July/August 2023.

Only what I was told up at the ground. Would imagine it makes sense for both clubs. 

[Ian Pethick]

2 minutes ago, sportsman10 said:

Only what I was told up at the ground. Would imagine it makes sense for both clubs. 

Logically, yes. But emotionally, no. Would imagine that Falmouth Town fans would have plenty to say on the subject, lot of water under this particular bridge.

Was the rumour about Helston being approached for a potential ground share substantiated?

[sportsman10]

27 minutes ago, Way Of The Park said:

Logically, yes. But emotionally, no. Would imagine that Falmouth Town fans would have plenty to say on the subject, lot of water under this particular bridge.

Was the rumour about Helston being approached for a potential ground share substantiated?

I think helston was harder to upgrade not sure. Would imagine Truro need something in place asap 

[Devils@Dusk]

20 hours ago, sportsman10 said:

Is the rumour Truro have approached Falmouth with regards to ground sharing next season true ?  
This is the last season at parkway

Would imagine the  finance  for work needed to to upgrade Falmouth ground would be very welcome.  
would be some effort on pre season to get it ready 

and if it is agreed you have to wonder why Truro wasted last  few years helping upgrade  parkways 

And the moral of this story... Never let a rugby man/club buy/own a football club (if this rumour is true). I'd rather see us play down Malpas (or possibly wound up).

😵 I can't deal with this level of stupidity (the rumour, not you sportsman10), I get enough of that in real life.

 

[The Town Man]

3 hours ago, Devils@Dusk said:

And the moral of this story... Never let a rugby man/club buy/own a football club (if this rumour is true). I'd rather see us play down Malpas (or possibly wound up).

😵 I can't deal with this level of stupidity (the rumour, not you sportsman10), I get enough of that in real life.

 

Stupidity might be letting the club fold, rather than buy themselves some time whilst finding/developing a new pitch by ground-sharing 10 miles from home.

Stupidity equally might be Falmouth Town walking away from a cut-price or free ground upgrade to Southern League level, just because they would have to ground-share with their old rivals. 

[Easterfield]

On 07/07/2022 at 22:06, The Town Man said:

Stupidity might be letting the club fold, rather than buy themselves some time whilst finding/developing a new pitch by ground-sharing 10 miles from home.

Stupidity equally might be Falmouth Town walking away from a cut-price or free ground upgrade to Southern League level, just because they would have to ground-share with their old rivals. 

Given that Falmouth are now step 5 it would make sense for them to be considering what would be needed for step 4. Same goes for the other Cornish Western League clubs depending on ambition and circumstances. 

Without an insider/expert view these things are hard to judge. Logic, which may be fallible, suggests a step 4 upgrade at Falmouth might be within reach. Step 3 would be far more challenging - what is the availablity of space for anyrhing major?

Truro City look to be planning for a decent season on the pitch at step 3. Had this not been the case, the sceptic may have concluded that relegation to step 4 would make ground arrangements easier at the end of the Plymouth Parkway deal. That, to be finicky, could include a voluntary relegation. 

If Truro remain - as hoped - at step 3, how might the FA react to them starting 23/24 at a ground - any ground - that has been upgraded to step 4 but not step 3? A one year dispensation or no leeway given they're an existing member as opposed to freshly-promoted?       

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[sportsman10]

any Falmouth supporter or local residents of Falmouth should take a proper look at bolitho park ,parkways ground and see what Truro finance helps achieve .

the facilities there now are some of the best in non league. Parkway always had the ambition to do it but Truro help probably bring it forward by about 10 years. 
surly if Falmouth have been approached it’s a no brainer. It could leave Falmouth with one of the best grounds in Cornwall , a full bar every Saturday and encourage more people in. 
Truro  won’t be there for ever. 
the only draw back is the playing surface with games on it every week. 

[Devils@Dusk]

1 hour ago, sportsman10 said:

Truro  won’t be there for ever. 

You hope 😒