9th tier club confirm future is in doubt with petition launched to help save them

9th tier club Blackfield & Langley FC confirm that their future is in doubt with a petition launched this week to help save them.

A Facebook page, named ‘Save our club Blackfield & Langley FC’ has been launched in a bid to prevent the side from folding, with a statement issued on Friday.

They currently sit 14th in the Wessex League Premier Division, with 25 points from 25 games played.

Blackfield & Langley have a reserves side, along with a number of squads at grassroots level (U18’s, U15’s and U8’s according to their website) giving them a great pathway to potentially making the first team.

It read: “Why have we started this page.

“In 2019, I took over as Chairman of this fantastic football club with great history. To keep the club sustained we requested full use of the bar facilities to fund the football club.

“Along with our very generous sponsors this is the only income we have apart from matchdays where we get turnstile takings and T-Hut takings.

“Fawley Parish Council served us notice to terminate our licence of use in the bar area trying to push us to sign an absolute nonsense licence.

 

“They want to rent the room out between the hours of 0900 – 1500 this then prevents us from setting up, stocking up etc etc.

“We need to fight to keep our original licence or this great football club that has been around since 1935 will have to get dissolved.

“The council claim to be for the community however we are paying the council on a monthly basis to supply this facility to the community.

“The community that use this facility love the facility and I have had nothing but positive feedback on how friendly the place is.

“The council are using noise as a reason. People walking down the side path. The side path that is next to the 5 A-side courts, the same 5 a-side courts that make a lot more noise then what people walking into a community bar make.

“Please share this page far and wide and let’s get this great community behind us and let’s make the council listen to the local community.”

May be the wrong side of a few bodies of water to the West of here but no one wants to see any non league football team fold. The heartbeat of many local communities and all ages within it, whether young or old. Hope the council come to their senses and see opposition! https://t.co/2brAo08goc

— Total Hoofball (@THoofball) February 17, 2023

The change.org page read: “The Local Fawley Parish Council is trying to close down our Local Football Club. This is a professionally run Football Club.

“The club has seven teams, a first team, a reserve team, an under 18s team, an under 15s team an under 8s team. We are looking at expanding next year with a ladies team, a girls team, and Pan disabled teams.

“The local Parish Council are trying to change our Licence/Contract by changing the hours of our bar, which is in the Council owned sports centre, we rely on the income from the bar to pay the local council for the use of the pitch and to rent a room, which we converted to a bar. We also need this revenue to support our football teams, we do have some sponsors. The Licence/Contract is so one side it is unbelievable. We are in the Wessex Premier League and very well established, we are Blackfield and Langley FC.

“If we do not manage to persuade the local Council we will have to close the bar, we cannot sustain running the club so therefore, good by Blackfield and Langley FC, no more football for the local community, the youngsters will be devastated as will everyone else. We are all volunteers.

“We need to act now we have until 22 February 2023.”

You can sign the petition by clicking HERE.

This is what fans had to say as the 9th tier club confirm their future is in doubt with a petition launched to help save them…

@TerraceTrav: Great club down at @bandlfc! Being treated unfairly by the council.

Niall Gibb: Terrible, yet they bent over backwards for the rugby club when I was there! Poor show

Zak Dawson: Typical money grabbing council. Care about nothing but money. As for noise it’s not like there’s anything close to the facilities

Mandy McCourt: Horrified to hear this … I will be making my thoughts known to the Parish Council 😡

Braishfield Bees Youth Football Club: Come on… get a grip Council??

Derek Biddlecombe: I always thought that sport, and its supporters were to be encouraged, not be swept away by a few self opinionated local politicians who want to show how powerful they are. Shame on the council!

Les Headley: Typical council now you are doing something for the club they want to intervene, stand your ground

Terry Oliver: What these people on the council must understand, that they should work for us not against us. If we don’t elect them who employs them. Problem is most are not fit for purpose. As at the moment is the problem in all government organisations.

Colin Chamberlain: Selfish Local councillors don’t know the problems they are causing and the difficulties there are to run a local football club, for local people. Good luck to Blackfield & Langley FC, when I have been to your club, I have always felt welcome and enjoyed the experience.

Phil Sutton: On the couple of occasions I refereed at B&L, the friendliness & hospitality were at least as good as any club at that level, and a lot better than some. I hope the council come to their senses and let B&L carry on under the current license.

Helen Chamberlain: When my grandsons played for BL we were always welcome and everyone was so friendly, never any issues, I really hope the council come to their senses, why is it that clubs try their hardest to make money to keep these clubs going and people make it hard for them,good luck BL.