Ryde Saints Football Club have unexpectedly and dramatically terminated a ground-share agreement with Newport IW Football Club, but Newport are fighting back.
It’s not the Christmas present that the county town side would have liked to have received, but the termination has been brought about by the club’s failure to honour the contract and install new floodlighting.
It was agreed that floodlighting would be in place by May 2021, but in October – 5 months after the lights should have been up and running – Newport FC Chairman Tony Wake confirmed that the club was unable to honour its commitments in this respect.
Newport are currently unable to start their games at the usual time of 15:00 because of insufficient floodlighting, and the derby game against East Cowes Vics on 27th December has been switched to Beatrice Avenue for the same reason.
The full context has been laid out in a letter sent to all players, supporters and club members.
Newport now have just 30 days to pack up and leave the Smallbrook Stadium site, but they are left with nowhere to go. The club previously played at St George’s Park but the proposed redevelopment of the site left Newport without a permanent home ground some 2 years ago. There are plans to build a new stadium at Whippingham, but the first spade hasn’t even touched the ground as of 20th December.
Newport IW did, for a time, ground share with East Cowes Vics.
A spokesperson for Ryde Saints has said:
“While the Ryde Saints FC committee is disappointed that Newport FC have not met their contractual obligations, we still wish their players, supports and management the best of luck for the remainder of the season”.
A copy of the letter sent out to interested parties can be downloaded here.
Responding to the news, a statement has been issued by Newport IW FC.
After taking expert legal advice, Newport says the eviction notice is invalid and has called for fresh negotiations between the 2 clubs to reach a compromise. If that fails then they have said they would welcome the chance for mediation.
In their statement, the club says that the dispute has arisen because, as part of the original ground-share arrangement, Newport FC agreed to undertake a £4,700 upgrade of the floodlights at Smallbrook.
But the quote on which that agreement was struck has since been found to be flawed with the true cost closer to £40,000. While the cost is far higher than originally envisaged by all the parties, the problem is that the only way to supply Wessex League compliant lighting would require new stanchions at the arena which Island Speedway – the principal leaseholders at Smallbrook – will not allow for safety reasons.
Newport currently pays a match fee to both Ryde Saints and Island Speedway and has agreed to purchase the club a container for storage use. Newport has also offered a financial compensation package but this has been rejected by Ryde Saints who have issued Newport a notice to quit leaving them homeless and facing the prospect of having to fulfil remaining fixtures by travelling to the mainland as the ‘away’ team.
Pete Westhorpe, secretary of Newport (IW) FC Supporters Trust, has said he is shocked to read about the notice to quit on social media before receiving an official letter.
He said:
“I do not believe Ryde Saints have the right to do this. We are in this position because the plan to upgrade the floodlights to the required standard – which was agreed with Ryde Saints and Island Speedway – has sadly proven to have been flawed.
“This is not something we envisaged or intended as an outcome, and as we have told Ryde Saints and Island Speedway, we certainly would not have entered the groundshare agreement if this was known at that time.
“The simple fact is the original proposal is unworkable as it won’t meet Sydenhams Wessex League requirements and an alternative solution we have explored is not possible because Island Speedway would not allow it – quite rightly – on safety grounds as it would make the track dangerous for speedway.
“This leaves us in a situation where we are contractually obliged to do something that cannot be done.
“The best solution for all parties is to sit down and negotiate a new arrangement to the benefit of all using goodwill. Newport leaving Smallbrook will mean lost revenue for Ryde Saints and also Island Speedway. That’s not productive for anyone.”
Barry Bishop, Chairman of Island Speedway (IOW) Ltd, adds:
“I am upset to read that Ryde Saints CIC have decided to give Newport FC notice to leave our facility at Smallbrook.
“Island Speedway was today notified by Ryde Saints CIC that they had given Newport FC notice and it was the first that we knew of any such action. Newport have tried very hard to sort this matter but unfortunately there seems no way of achieving good lighting levels on the football pitch without harming Speedway operations for safety purposes, but also for our other users such as rallies, festivals and charitable events, and as landlord of the entire complex, we cannot allow additional stanchions to be erected.
“Since the start of this season, we have found Newport’s volunteers and spectators a pleasure to have around and the income from the groundshare is an extremely important injection into our finances, as I would imagine it is to Ryde Saints. Having two football clubs and Speedway at Smallbrook gives a real boost to the local community.
“I do hope this can be sorted in an friendly and sensible way as soon as possible because it seems to me that there will be no winners if it cannot be resolved.”
Why don’t they ground share with East Cowes Vics ?
They should never have sold there old ground, Church litten.
But they was greedy and only saw £ signs and the promise of a brand new stadium on the outskirts of Newport town centre.
To many money men, in football.
Keep football local.
Once you have left the community it is downhill all the way.
Ps. Up the Romans !
Why not go back to Newport’s old ground so the supporters can get to the ground easy ?why have more large shops ?..The end of Newport High Street !!!! V Ask the two hatted Chairman.
Just go back and groundshare with east cowes vics, both are wessex league clubs so makes complete sense.