United Club Kept Waiting on Relocation Plan
HUGH SULLIVAN
On 15 December a full meeting of Hastings Borough Council approved a motion – without any debate and on a vote of 29 councillors to one – to instruct its managing director to prepare a report on the future of Hastings United Football Club. The issue to be reported on was whether the proposed relocation of the club’s ground from Pilot Field to Tilekiln, involving a scheme to build 86 dwellings on Pilot Field while in turn developing a new stadium and sports facilities on Tilekiln Playing Fields, “is viable to recommend to Council”. The report was also to set out “what alternative provision is available to allow Hastings United to remain in Hastings”.
The report document was to be prepared and presented to Cabinet “in the spirit of openness and transparency and at the earliest opportunity”.
Two weeks ago, on 24 February, Hastings United CEO Billy Wood issued a statement expressing disappointment that “no communication or meaningful dialogue” had hitherto been conducted with the club in relation to this report. However he also stated that the club has been told it would be contacted “to go through the report prior to it being issued to the Full Council in April”. It seems therefore that a draft document is being prepared at present without the club’s input.
The next Full Council meeting is scheduled for 26 April, and a council spokesperson confirmed last week that “the report is scheduled on the council’s forward plan for Cabinet on Monday 3 April, subject to sign off”.
On this assurance Mr Wood indicated that, for at least the 2023/24 season, the club will not act on previous threats to relocate to Eastbourne, acknowledging that the preference of supporters was “to stay at the Pilot Field until the new stadium relocation”. This commitment to remain would, however, “require significant expenditure and maintenance upkeep, and the likelihood is that this will have a significant impact on the operations within the club”.
In a further dig at the council’s attitude to sports provision, he said that the club will also be looking for additional facilities for its other teams, including boys’ and girls’ academies, youth and disability to play next season “bearing in mind the current lack of pitches within the borough”.
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