LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR HIGHFIELD PARK

Listed below are a very small selection of the many Letters and Emails the club has received in support of the football pitches at Highfield Park.

If you would like to support the project please Email us now

E-mail City Youth your support.

To read the original Herts Ad letter and the City Youth Statement of the facts concerning the project please click here

 

What a great place to encourage the St Albans kids in football, with at the same time developing the local residents play area facilities!

Name and address supplied

 

Sir/Madam
I did read the article in the Herts Ad at the time and have just been browsing the City youth website I was reminded of the article.
So where do I sit on this one?
Well, my son plays for the under 9 B team and my whole family often use Highfield Park for walks especially now we have a dog. So I guess my loyalties should be divided as to whether the park should be used for football or for the enjoyment of others.
So this is where the article originally printed in the Herts Ad falls down in which i shall make just a few brief points.
1.
"Use of floodlit and non floodlit pitches for up to 12 hours a day, 7 days a week".
What a load of scaremongering this statement is, I do not know any sports field facility that is utilised to this extent and that includes the private sector where utilisation is of the utmost importance.
2.
"at the expense of those of us who currently enjoy the use of the park".
Yes, I am one of those people who currently enjoys the park. At my expense? I think not, how this writer expects that all enjoyment will be lost by those who currently use the park is quite staggering. The Highfield Park is a very large area and should one not wish to hear those who are having fun play football then I suggest they walk to a different part of the park. They could however stay and watch a game, don't worry you will not be forced to stay there for the other 11 hours and 59 minutes that day and made to come back for the other 6 days that week.
3.
Now this is where I get a bit personal. I notice the writer of the article lives down Edison Close, this close is on the former site of Hill End Hospital and is a new development. Now we all have fears with things that are new as I did when these new developments were announced of building hundreds if not thousands of homes on the former Hospital site but this writer has to realise that where you build new homes then you also have to cater for leisure and sports activities for the young and old for the whole community.
I rest my case.
Richard Clifford
 

To whom it may concern,

My family and I fully support the use of Highfield Park for our children of St Albans. To have a lovely venue for the girls and boys that play football is a step in the right direction for people in St Albans. It gives entertainment for the parents, uncles, etc and provides healthy activity for the children. I could write a long essay on all the advantages but I don't think I need to because it really goes without saying.

The entertainment and location of the activities on Highfield Park will far outweigh any finicky complaints from the odd moaner.

Here's to SACFC and Highfield Park.

Louise Lamonaca

Hi,

I can not believe that there is opposition to local land being used for the local community. Given the popularity of youth football (both girls and boys), St.Albans City, should have their own pitches and facilities. I understand that the formation of the pitches will not involve degrading the local scenery and will in effect open up this part of St.Albans to a greater number of St.Albans residents. The local community will directly benefit from this project as it will provide local youngsters the opportunity to be part of something special that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Behind the scenes at St.Albans City Youth there are many volunteers that give up their time with the sole purpose of putting something back into the community.

Would the resident who complained rather have youngsters who are bored resorting to hanging around street corners or youngsters focusing on developing themselves as footballers and people?

Name and Address supplied

I wholeheartedly support the St Albans City Youth/Highfield Trust project.
 
I cannot believe that there is any criticism of such a laudable project for the community.
 
The presentation of all the facts has been so widely publicised over the last five years that it makes one wonder as to the rationale behind such belated criticism.
 
 J.B.GIBSON
Dear Councillor,
 
We fully support the development of the proposed site at Highfield Park as a base for St Albans City Youth Football Club under the terms agreed with Highfield Park Trust and outlined in the statement issued by the Club on 26 February 2004.
 
We believe the terms of usage agreed safeguard the Highfield Playing Fields against over usage and so address the interests of both future youth football players and those people who wish to use the area's other facilities, both now and in the future.
 
We currently have three sons playing for the Club, benefiting from the training and matches organised by the Club's huge team of volunteer coaches and officials. In our experience the club has always acted in an exemplary manner towards it's players and their parents and also respected the wishes of the owners of the schools and public parks where teams currently train and play games. I see no reason why this should not continue at Highfield Park.
 
The Club offers much in the way of fun, fitness, team sports and discipline to a large number of boys and girls from the local area. In addition, there is an active social side for the whole family, recently directed at raising funds for the development of Highfield Park.
 
Please support this very worthy development to give the St Albans City Youth Football Club a dedicated base in the city.
 
Glen and Ruth Attewell  
 

We support this development because any development of sport gives great benefit to the community. The development of the High Field playing grounds will be a real local asset.

Mr and Mrs J Ward

St Albans City Youth are a fine organisation who help to develop the skills of our children and to involve them in healthy activity. They are to be encouraged in their endeavours and Highfield will provide for the first time a much needed base for their activities. The facilities will enable the club to develop further the excellent work that they already undertake and they should be given all the support possible.
Keep up the good work !

Richard Belt

Dear Sir /Madam
 
I fully support the proposed facilities at Highfield Park and the partnership between Highfield Park Trust and St Albans City Youth FC.
 
SACYFC is one of the largest football clubs in Hertfordshire providing footballing opportunities for a large number of young people to an excellent standard. Sadly it has always lacked a base from which to conduct it affairs.
 
The members and players of the club come from all walks within the local community and through such clubs community ties are strengthened. Having been associated with the club, with my own sons for a number of years, I have made many friends of all ages whom I otherwise would not probably have met. 
 
Generally, the facilities in St Albans for young people are poor. A properly structured and managed football club with training and matches not only provides such facilities and interest but additionally offers distraction for  some who might otherwise embark on less social activities through nothing more than boredom. It is not just about football it is about education. Many of the personal skills taught in coaching, e.g. attitude and responsibility are transferable skills which youngsters can take with them into their social and later work environs. Likewise playing football (or any sport) in younger years is likely to encourage good lifestyle habits which will stay with that person for life reducing NHS demands in later years. The more sporting facilities available the better in the long term.
 
Social inclusion not exclusion through such facilities will contribute to enhancing community interaction and further the benefits of life within St Albans City.
 
Yours sincerly
 
 
Peter King

Sirs,
You have the support of our family for the uses detailed in your statement.
It is a known fact that organised sports allow young people to use excess energy in a constructive manner, thereby reducing vandalism and rowdy behaviour. St. Albans City Youth are a positive benefit to the entire community of St. Albans. Boys and girls alike take part in properly organised football games, learning in the process sportsmanship, fair play and teamwork which benefits the whole community
This scheme will not only benefit the Highfield Park residents, improving the area for EVERYONE'S benefit but will play a major part in the upbringing of the next generations of St Albans residents.
Perhaps this person who objects to the use of the park for football would like to tell us where else children from 7 to 18 would learn the same kind of citizenship lessons that the players at St. Albans City Youth have instilled in them from the start of their time at the club

Yours Sincerely     John Fortune

E-mail City Youth your support.

 

To read the Herts Ad letter first click here >>>

 

CITY YOUTH STATEMENT

HIGHFIELD PARK & CITY YOUTH

 

THE FACTS

 

 

Sir, Reply to letter titled “Takeover bid” by a Resident of Highfield Park, published in the Herts Advertiser on 19th February 2004.

 

Having read the letter from the resident, regarding the Highfield Park Playing Fields and St Albans City Youth FC, in last weeks Advertiser we are writing to clarify the position due to the inaccurate comments made by this resident of Highfield Park in the published letter..

 

The resident listed a number of points, which we shall answer in turn.

 

1. Install floodlights on the site

 

St Albans City Youth FC and Highfield Park do not intend installing floodlights on the Playing Fields – the club will merely be using the floodlit Multi-Use Games Areas that is already planned as part of the enhanced "Community Facilities"

 

2. Use floodlit and non-floodlit pitches for up to 12 hours a day, 7 days per week.

 

St Albans City Youth FC are one of only two FA Charter Standard Community Club in Hertfordshire and as such one of their key remits is to work with the local community to encourage the development and growth of football in the local community.

 

The agreement between HPT and SACYFC limits the use by the Club of the Highfield Park Playing Fields for formal organised 7-a-side or 11-a-side football matches to Saturdays 10.00 - 13.00 and Sundays 10.00 - 16.00.  a total of  9  hours per week. This is hardly a massive over-use and leaves ample time for current users of the Park to enjoy its undoubted benefits.

 

The purpose of the joint Football Foundation bid by HPT and SACYFC was to restore the condition of both the existing football pitches and the entire HPT Playing Fields, with a view to re-awaken and widen community use of the playing fields for football and other sports.

 

One of the critical success factors in gaining support from the Football Foundation was for St Albans City Youth FC to produce a detailed Business Plan and Pitch Utilisation Plan for the re-development of the Playing Fields. The purpose of the Pitch Utilisation Plan was to create a quantifiable and demonstrable basis on which both the HPT and the Club can ensure that the re-development of the Playing Fields was sustainable into the long-term (25 years) and that the pitches were NOT over-used by formal organised football  - by SACYFC or any other football Club using these facilities.

 

The use of the nomenclature PTS (Pitch Time Slot) was used by the Club to prove and demonstrate to the Football Foundation the intentions of both the HPT and SACYFC that the facilities of the Playing Fields were to be allocated in a fair and equitable way. Fair and equitable to both the Club and the other users of the Park ensuring the continued conservation of the quality of the playing fields.

 

3. How HPT and SADC can grant SACYFC preferential treatment at the expense of those who currently enjoy the use of the Park.

 

St Albans City Youth FC have been granted Preferential rates of hire for the football pitches as a result of the club investing in the region of £60000 into the Playing Field restoration project, Additionally, the Club, in working with HPT,  have provided in excess of  £250,000 of funding from direct investment, mentioned above, and the successful joint application to the football foundation for the re-development of the football pitches for the benefit of both the Club and the wider community.

 

 

Finally we must point out that over the past two to three years the project has enjoyed wide coverage in the local press, in addition Highfield Park Trust and St Albans City Youth FC held a joint open day on the playing fields in October 2002 which was attended by several hundred local residents.

 

I hope this helps to clarify the true position regarding the partnership between Highfield Park and St Albans City Youth Football Club.

 

Mervyn Morgan

St Albans City Youth FC

64 The Crescent

Bricket Wood

St Albans

AL2 3NF

Tel 01923 676824

Once you have read the statement St Albans City Youth FC ask that you e-mail us to voice your support for the project. We will then forward to the relevant Parish and District Councillors. Please remember this project has been nearly five years in the making and is due to open in September 2004.

E-mail City Youth your support.