REDOXO Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 The way I see it is. The Memorial Stadium is just that! Thus the application to English Heritage has merit! I would also suggest that EH will agree and even if they don't I suspect they will have an appeals process which could be followed by other appeals up to the Secretary of State. Watch this space Mr Higgs! 1914 - 18 IN PROUD AND GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE SERVICES RENDERED TO THEIR COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR BY RUGBY FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF BRISTOL THIS GROUND WAS ESTABLISHED......1921...... 1939-45 AND IN THE WORLD WAR OF 1939 - 45 THE RUGBY FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THIS CITY GAVE THEIR SERVICES AND THEIR LIVES TO THEM ALSO THIS GROUND IS A MEMORIAL. Regardless of the gates, or the houses that have been built - the ground, as in the area where you can watch and play sport, still exists at this moment in time as a memorial. All this talk of creating a memorial garden next to Sainsburys is baloney as it will no longer be a ground! Forget the gas accidentally losing any covenant for the ground, the writing on that pillar IS the contract, and every Bristolian knows that. I've always been pretty non-plussed by NLBR's attempts to build their bowl but actually reading what is on the gates has filled me with rage. Rage that they continuously spout the line that "only the gates are the memorial" Rage that they want to do this in the year of the 100th anniversary of start of the Great War. Rage that they propogate the lie that this is somehow for the benefit of the people of Bristol. The people of Bristol have made their sacrifice for the country and you are destroying their memory. It's somehow apt that this short-sighted charlatan of a football club are doing this to move to a soulless bowl... As only a club without soul would do this. End game is that the memorial is respected. That it can only be used for sport. Its as much the combinations as it was Bristols Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeh Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Yep, and I'm sure EH did in 2010 but they chose not to list the ground - what's changed? SoS will never list the ground given the governments current "get things built" policy. And can you imagine how much Sainsburys would sue EH for? Sorry mate but not happening IMO. They were redeveloping the men in 2010 not demolishing it weren't they Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redcityman Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 I've always been pretty non-plussed by NLBR's attempts to build their bowl but actually reading what is on the gates has filled me with rage. Rage that they continuously spout the line that "only the gates are the memorial" Rage that they want to do this in the year of the 100th anniversary of start of the Great War. Rage that they propogate the lie that this is somehow for the benefit of the people of Bristol. The people of Bristol have made their sacrifice for the country and you are destroying their memory. It's somehow apt that this short-sighted charlatan of a football club are doing this to move to a soulless bowl... As only a club without soul would do this. This is exactly has I see it. That the ground would be left as a sporting venue to celebrate the lives of those brave souls that gave theirs in WWI, so people of every denomination or race could express themselves in a manner befitting of those that stood up for our freedom in mans hour of need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrs Court Red Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Its all a plot by Bristol Uni to stop UWE becoming the top uni in the area. Apparently. I do wonder if NLBR fans wear tin foil hats, as they do love a conspiracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeh Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Yea the timing is suspect but having read the plaque he does have a valid point Bristol rovers the club that keeps on giving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philly The Kid Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 It's absolutely right that the mem is made into a full blown heritage site with a poignant dignified memorial to....... League football :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashton1 Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Football aside, I think it would be extremely bad taste if the people behind this are Gloucester road traders in disguise using the war dead/memorial as an excuse! And that now seems to be the case! Put the football rivalry aside for one minute, it just stinks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 here he is http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Man-latest-bid-derail-Bristol-Rovers-stadium-plan/story-21098299-detail/story.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonR Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Oh dear i just accidentally signed that Petition, my fingers slipped honest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aizoon Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Anybody who signs this should be aware that it could come back to bite us. The people hate and despise football and football fans. We could be their next target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeh Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Anybody who signs this should be aware that it could come back to bite us. The people hate and despise football and football fans. We could be their next target. Ours has already started and past all the deadlines But I agree we should raise above the gypsies tactics they **** it up enough without our help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aizoon Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Ours has already started and past all the deadlines But I agree we should raise above the gypsies tactics they **** it up enough without our help These people don't give up. What happens the next time when we want permission for anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glynriley Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 So Rovers are now pissing on the memories of war dead. A new low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pride of the west Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Everything that guy says is true and he comes across well. This is the first time a debate of this nature has come out in the media and it's their fault for trying to sweep it under the carpet from the beginning. to me, I've been expecting this since day one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoonerNC Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 The 'gas-holes' are keeping me very entertained this off season..!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityloyal473 Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 If this is the case, how were the Rugby club in a position to sale half of it to Roverzz.?? Because it stayed as a Ground/Memorial? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glynriley Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Because it stayed as a Ground/Memorial? So if the people of Bristol 'paid for an asset for the use of the community' how did one club get to be the owners,and in a position to sell half of it to the gAss? Not having paid much attention to all this in the past, I genuinely don't know the history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTone Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 It should be preserved as a national treasure in memory of Bristol Rovers FC who lost their battle for eternal life at this venue.Rather amusingly it was a team who borrowed the Rovers away kit that finally killed them off and sent them into the fires of hell.It's the end of their dream, Goodnight Irene.Dover Sole for dinner tonight me thinks !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityloyal473 Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 So if the people of Bristol 'paid for an asset for the use of the community' how did one club get to be the owners,and in a position to sell half of it to the gAss? Not having paid much attention to all this in the past, I genuinely don't know the history. Fair question and one i don't have the answer too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pride of the west Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Why has it always been referred to as the memorial ground if only the gate was the memorial? If that was the case then surely the place would have been known as memorial gate would it not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiz Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Read the words on the gate its crystal clear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedM Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Why has it always been referred to as the memorial ground if only the gate was the memorial? If that was the case then surely the place would have been known as memorial gate would it not? I think this came up before, it seems only the gates were listed but the ground never was. I guess nobody thought that land left as a memorial to the rugby players who had died fighting in the war, and instructed to be left always as a recreational area, would ever be sold off and built on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cider-manc Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 So if the people of Bristol 'paid for an asset for the use of the community' how did one club get to be the owners,and in a position to sell half of it to the gAss? Not having paid much attention to all this in the past, I genuinely don't know the history. I may be wrong (so don't quote me on this) but I always thought it was as simple as it being given or "gifted" to the rugby club after world war one. Then after going into joint agreement with the gas the rugby club got relegated and were therefore unable to fulfil their part of the bargain and had to sell to them. I may, as I say, be completely and utterly wrong about this.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankie1 Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Gents, I am a gashead who would like to make some points on the whole war memorial issue. I am a Bristolian born and bred but left as a 17 year old in 1997 to join Bristol's local armoured regiment, The 2nd Royal Tank Regiment. Since then I have fought in many conflicts including Iraq and Afghanistan. I have seen young men die and had to deal with the consequences, picking up the pieces of a dead 18 year old plymouth fan the most recent. Everything I have done was as a proud englishman and Bristolian. Through my experiences I know the importance of war memorials, whilst in Iraq we came across an old British memorial from WW1 and set about cleaning it up. I have also been to France to apply oil to an old British mark one Tank, a job that has to be done religiously to stop it from crumbling. They mean a hell of a lot to me and i would go out of my way to help save one if I thought it was in danger. I know there are a lot of views on here about what the Memorial ground is. I have researched it myself as it wouldn't sit well with me if Sainsburys were to destroy it. Everything i read points to the fact that yes the ground was given as a memorial for the people of Bristol to use for sport. This is no longer the case and has not been since the rugby club started locking the gates to stop the public from using it. This happened long before most of us were alive and since then as you can see from the picture, it has been developed and changed massively since it was gifted. Originally the whole site was playing fields with money raised to build spectator areas and changing rooms. Any member of the public could use the grounds to play sport. As you can see, since the picture, the ground has been developed, the gates locked to stop members of the public using the sight for its intended purpose. The very sports pitches gifted were covered in concrete and turned into a huge car park, the pitch re-orientated and bigger stands/terracing built consuming more pitches, the last remaining pitches and some of the car park sold off for housing until we are left with the the memorial stadium we have today. All of this was done by the Bristol combination, rugby club and later Bristol rovers without any opposition and because of this I can not take seriously the claims that the actual ground is the memorial, not unless all the development is knocked down and all the sports pitches restored giving the public free access. What we currently have is an embarrassment to our war dead. The memorial gates aside, which Bristol Rovers applied for to be listed to protect them, the stadium is a dump and certainly not fit for purpose. A fitting tribute to Bristols war dead would be for the ground to act as an enabler so that Bristols sporting facilities can be improved and provide the legacy. War memorials can be moved, How about a pillar each being moved to UWE and Ashton Gate so sports fans can be reminded of the sacrifice and not Saturday shoppers. Rename UWE stadium as the UWE Memorial Stadium so that there is a clear link to the sacrifice of our servicemen. The only reason there is opposition now is because a supermarket is going in, something Carstairs, a trash supporter has been vehemently against. Even in his statement today about his EH application he states that the development would be bad for Glouster Road. How dare he. As a soldier his argument offends me more that the thought of the mem being developed. He doesnt give a rats arse about OUR war dead, OUR relatives, both red and blue. I know there is an intense rivalry between our two clubs but when you put the football aside we are all Bristolians who socialise and work together. Myself, I am the only gashead in my family being a withwood lad! But please dont let a Nimby use our war dead as an excuse to stop progress in our city. It infuriates me that he pretends that he is concerned when it is a known fact that Green party members and supporters wear white poppy's during November to support conscientious objectors, and not the servicemen that fought and died. If you personally believe that the ground is the memorial then fair enough, if not please do not sign Carstairs position just because you are City and they are Rovers. There is a bigger issue to this and I just hope that this bloke can not be allowed to win this case. Instead apply support to the gate pillars being moved in their entirety to the UWE or a pillar each to Ashton Gate and UWE so that sports fans can truly remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richwwtk Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeh Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richwwtk Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 But then he'd have to put up with running costs of two ground only used every two weeks that isn't cost effective But you have to admit it would be worth it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty Swallocks Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 But you have to admit it would be worth it..... What? Bailing out the sags? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richwwtk Posted May 15, 2014 Report Share Posted May 15, 2014 Having the gas forever in our debt, never letting them forget it, laughing even harder when they still fail completely to get the ground built even with the cash from the ground sale...........yes it would be worth it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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