Just thought I'd pipe up and chuck in a few straighteners. I'm a local resident, a hamlet fan and a member of both Friends of Greendale and Friends of DKHwood. I'm amazed by your slow realisation of the shit that's coming on and sorry to hear you all turning on your neighbours who don't agree with you.
First, both friends groups have always been very clear they support the Hamlet and value it. This is a genuine support for a neighbour and because many of the members are Hamlet fans. They are however wildlife groups that were set up to support the open green spaces and so, naturally they object to a development plan that builds on Metropolitan Open Land and sticks a massive housing development next door, particularly when it's the same block of MOL that they both sit within. It's clearly something to do with them. It is true, they are not thinking Hamlet first though.
Second, neither group have been "spreading misinformation". In fact, if these groups had not found the latest planning application and told everyone about it, none of you would have known about the latest application to remove the covenants and it would have gone through without comment. I bet those of you who've been keeping up with all the developments probably actually use the FODKHW website, as it has a fantastic and easy to navigate collection of documents and links pertaining to the case. Take a look if you haven't. Do you not put a bit of spin on things yourselves? The Greendale is clearly well loved locally but you all keep slagging it as a dog shit scrap of derelict land.
So where are we now as fans? The MOU, which incidentally has virtually no legal merit, is signed by a made up wing of Hadley who have since handed over the whole project to a more aggressive and I'm assuming ironically named 'Meadows' development, who's first job was to sneak a planning application in making it possible to build on the pitch without blinking an eye. These people are property developers. They are interested in profit, not green spaces, not community and not the Hamlet. Yes, they bailed us out when we needed them but football clubs at our level do tend to run on empty most of the time as I see it, and just maybe they had ulterior motives?
I notice Mishi, you haven't written in supporting the latest application. They are all objections so far, even the DHST one. ..."100% behind it. I've supported this club man and boy, forty years of my life and I'm willing to risk the lot on some developer promises, 'cause they said we could have a new stadium." Well, as I see it, you're risking the whole bloody club for a new but smaller stadium with tiny terraces and no room behind the goals. Yes, we want fan ownership, but I think this can be achieved through a proper conversation with the council that explores the options rather than getting in bed with the devil. Who's the rimmer now?
