City Fan Supports Club With E-Petition
City fan Rich Lane has been going to Ashton Gate for 43 years. He's lived on Durnford Avenue and Exeter Road, which lie either side of North Street in Bedminster, and, he says, has "banked at the Ashton branch of Nat West [on North Street] for 33 years and carried out a lot of my business there. I also have family in the area so think I know it quite well".
Rich is just like many locally based City fans, except for one thing. When he saw some local activists starting to lobby against the club's proposed retail development at Ashton Gate, he decided to do something about it by organising an e-petition on Bristol City Council's website and encouraging fellow fans to sign up to let local councillors know the strength of support for the club's plans amongst City supporters.
The Supporters Trust caught up with Rich to ask him what had inspired him to take the matter into his own hands.
Q. As a normal City fan with no particular axe to grind, what inspired you to set up the e-petition on the council's website?
A. I have been unable to work for a period of time and was following the debate about the proposed new and existing stadium plans.
So much rubbish was being written in the local letters pages, different groups were forming and the opposition was growing. I set up the e-petition to hopefully redress the balance and give people a chance to show their support for the scheme.
Q. What do you hope the e-petition will achieve?
A. I want the e-petition to show our local authority that there are people who are positive about these plans. South Bristol has long been overlooked when it comes to investment in the community and its infrastructure with the investment emphasis strongly biased towards the central and northern areas of Bristol, it's about time we had some in the south.
Q. Why are you personally in favour of the proposed retail development at Ashton Gate?
A. It would provide the platform for a massive investment for the region with extra facilities, consumer choice and improve the club's ability to compete with percieved bigger clubs. whilst promoting my city onto a bigger stage.
Q. Some people are clearly strongly opposed to the plans, what would you say to them?
A. I do understand peoples fears whenever new plans emerge. As I see it the major concern is for North St and its shops. I wonder if any of the objectors have cast their thoughts back to the dark days when attendances were low and the fans weren't flocking to and spending their money in those shops and other outlets.
A successful football club will have many spin-offs for the local area. I still think that this thriving shopping area will continue to prosper along with the club, with a new retail outlet bringing more people to the area. Members of the opposition are saying that the area has supported the club for over 100 years and the club should leave a better legacy, I would suggest that the club are giving the area a better legacy - that being a new stadium and its facilities for hopefully another 100years.
Q. Some City fans may think that the new stadium proposals will all go through easily without them having to do anything, what message do you have for them?
A. Many supporters have expressed their thoughts that the planning permission is in the bag, from past experience this is anything but the case. Local councilors' views can be influenced by vocal lobbyists and if the voices of opponents of this scheme is all they hear, then fear of losing their seat will make councilors vote against it. It would be unforgiveable for city fans to allow this to happen.
Q. Finally, what form of physical reminder of Ashton Gate's past as a football gound would you like to see incorporated into the new development?
A. As a lasting reminder of Ashton gate I would like to see a large circular plate in the floor where the centre spot is, a time capsule underneath with an an inscription. A structural reminder needs to be maintained and is easily removed.
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Our thanks to Rich for sparing the time to answer our questions.
Any fans wishing to add their name to Rich's e-petition can do so on the City Council website here: Bristol City Council e-petitions
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