Fisher encouraged by positive response over community hub plans

Thursday 10th February 2011

FISHER officials met with the senior representatives from Southwark Council and British Land Canada Quays Limited (BLCQL) on Tuesday to discuss the club’s ambition to return to the Rotherhithe and Bermondsey area, writes Stephen McCartney.

The chairman of BLCQL, David Taylor, has a double interest in these proposals. BLCQL have developed strong community links over the last few years as a consequence of taking forward their major residential development at Canada Water.

In addition, Mr Taylor is a director of Preston North End Football Club and has been heavily involved in developing their new stadium with a major focus on benefits for the local community.

Mr Taylor has agreed to help Fisher with advice and guidance as the Kent League club develops its business plan for a sustainable, community focused facility located back in the north of the borough.

Club spokesman Mr Jude Bliss said: “We are still a long way from realising Fisher fans’ dream of a return home to north Southwark and there is a lot of hard work ahead of us.

“But we have been heartened and encouraged by the positive response we have received from Southwark Council, BLCQL and Supporters Direct.

“Everyone we have spoken to believes that we can successfully develop a community sports hub in north Southwark, a facility that will benefit the wider community as well as provide a permanent home for Fisher.”

The Fisher board continue to focus a number of sites in the Rotherhithe and Bermondsey areas and will now undertake further work to narrow these options down and work up a business case for the development.

The club groundshare with Ryman League Division One South outfit Dulwich Hamlet’s Champion Hill Stadium at £300 per game.

Despite the side’s position in the bottom three of the Kent League, Fisher are the fourth best supported club in the division, behind Hythe Town, Herne Bay and Tunbridge Wells, with average gates of 100.

Fisher rose from the ashes that was Fisher Athletic following a meeting on the evening of 28 May 2009, a supporters trust that was formed to take control of all forthcoming club matters, with 42 founding members.

Fisher Athletic was wound up at The High Court on 13 May 2009, due to unpaid income tax and didn’t pay their players from November 2008 until the end of that season, finishing at the foot of the Blue Square Bet South table, before starting again the following season, in the Kent League, where manager Gary Lisney had to start from scratch and The Fish finished their campaign in the bottom four.

Club secretary, Dan York, who has taken over the role from Joe Aris, who can no longer devote enough time to the club due to family matters, says the club has come a long way in a very short space of time.

“One point that I think is important is that our status as a supporter-owned, not-for-profit organisation has meant that people are more willing to deal with us and help us,” said Mr York.

“They know that we are not in it for the land, or the money, but because we want to see a successful community football team and our written, legally-binding constitution prevents anyone from asset-stripping us in the future.

“It is also important to note how far we have come in just over 18 months - when we started we had literally nothing except a cupboard full of old kit, some footballs - and of course our fans.

“We have kept the football team going, maintained a decent fan base, despite groundsharing, developed links with local community groups and we now have a realistic chance of returning senior football to north Southwark.”

On the pitch, The Fish have only Holmesdale and Sporting Bengal presently below them in the Kent League table, having picked up five wins and two draws from 18 games.

Lisney takes his side to Park View Road to play an Erith & Belvedere side that are in eleventh place in the table with a mirror record, albeit having played five games less.

“I’m actually looking forward to the next few games,” said Lisney.

“We didn’t have a good performance against Greenwich, although we had a decent start to the game, very poor performance down at Tunbridge Wells (losing 7-1) but since then the players have been magnificent. If they apply themselves for the rest of the season, like they have done, then we’ll be alright.”

When asked about his targets for the last remaining 12 league games, Lisney said: “Let’s not kid ourselves. We’re under no illusions. We’re not going to be pushing for honours. Our aim at the start of the season was to improve on last year. Now, you could argue whether we finish below than we did last year or above, is that progress?

“Progress for me is about the squad and the facilities we can get, how we can encourage good players to come to the club without a budget.

“Progress can be measured in many ways and we’ll take stock at the end of the season to see if we’ve made any progress in terms of the squad and everything else off the pitch.

Meanwhile, due to a floodlight failure that forced an 87th minute abandonment with Welling United leading Bromley 2-1 on Tuesday night, Saturday’s game will now kick-off at 2:30pm.

The floodlights at Park View Road were only installed in 2007, but Erith & Belvedere hope that the lights will be working in time for Tunbridge Wells’ visit to the ground next Tuesday.

Visit Fisher’s website: www.fisherfc.co.uk

Erith & Belvedere v Fisher

Safety Net Associates Kent League

Saturday 12th February 2011

Kick Off 2:30pm

At Park View Road, Welling, Kent DA16 1SY