2:51pm Tuesday 31st January 2006
May I take this opportunity, through your columns, to advise Hendon MP Andrew Dismore and the newly formed Montrose Park Residents' Association that Barnet FC were genuinely surprised to read in last week's story by Lawrence Marzouk (Stadium battle MP rallies residents to halt proposed Barnet FC move') that there were proposals' to move the football club to a park in Burnt Oak.
Three hundred people, it seems, have signed a petition objecting to the plan'. What plan? The leader of Barnet Council, Councillor Brian Salinger, announced his plan/proposal for Barnet FC to investigate moving to Montrose Park via a front-page photo opportunity story with no prior discussion with the club.
I can assure both Mr Dismore and the Montrose Park Residents' Association (and Lawrence Marzouk come to that) that Montrose Park was not mentioned on the agenda of the club's board meeting last week.
The only stadium battle' at present involves Barnet FC wanting to do safety work at the south end of Underhill and Mr Salinger and his cronies going for a Friday night injunction in the High Court to prevent the work starting in January until procedures' are followed.
Perhaps if they had shown more attention to the safety and well-being of the users of the Underhill stadium, it would not have come to this.
Mr Salinger says in Lawrence Marzouk's story: "We will, with the football club, go together and talk to people about what the options are and what the problems are ..."
I am afraid, Mr Salinger, in football parlance, you are walking alone. We think we know the problem you and your colleagues.
Dennis Signy
PR consultant to the Barnet FC board
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