4 replies to this topic

[Barnie]

Listening to GMR at lunch today and Ian Stewart was taking questions from the public. Someone called Rob (please forgive me if i got this name wrong) asked a question about the building of a ground for Swinton.

As part of the answer Ian Stewart made a comment about not knowing why the first bid for the ground had failed, and he would be asking questions as to why this happened. I was under the impression that Agecroft was ongoing. Seems like things may have stalled.

[PaulT]

Unless he was talking about the original plan when the prison was built. I don't remember too much but wasn't that part of the plan back then to have a stadium?

Edited by PaulT, 03 August 2012 - 02:06 PM.

[Barnie]

I dont think so as he mentioned that these plans were recent ones, whilst he was chairman on the M27 project.

[PhillH]

Ian Stewart was clearly referencing the M27 Sports and Community Project. He was never Chairman of the project (there was no such position), but he was Honorary President - an arrangement that replicated the position Andy Burnham held for the building of LSV in line with advice from Trevor Barton.

Fundamentally the project failed due to lack of proactive backing from Salford City Council, whom failed to grasp what was needed to deliver in the way Wigan Borough Council had done in Leigh.

That plus the key player from the then Worsley College (who had in principle agreed that it would put the redundant Wardley Campus up for development) was deterred by the apparent negative attitude of the Council senior personnel to the question of development on green belt land. Something that is now a lot easier to do following changes to the law!

[PhillH]

Unless he was talking about the original plan when the prison was built. I don't remember too much but wasn't that part of the plan back then to have a stadium?

Malcolm White claimed it was, but in truth no such plan ever existed. He was too busy selling his shares and attracting investment from Hugh Eaves whose interest in returning the club to M27 was precisely zero.This falsehood aggravated many important people at Salford City Council no end.