Groundshare

[quote=“Dave Dutch Holland” post=55680]I’m very pleased to see that this subject matter has kicked off into sensible debate (Unlike the 2012 message ‘bored’) with the majority of Witton fans in favour of Vics returning to Northwich and taking over Wincham Park as our new home.

Don’t think so some how.

Fingers crossed that you don’t get relegated at the end of the season because I’m led to believe that if Vics win promotion we’d take priority over home games as the senior club in town and that would be a little embarrassing in our first season and would breach what I think will be a very good relationship.[/quote]

Really? I can’t see you getting promoted this season anyway.

So the deal has been done has it Stevie? First I’ve heard.

[quote=“Paul S” post=55687][quote=“Dave Dutch Holland” post=55680]I’m very pleased to see that this subject matter has kicked off into sensible debate (Unlike the 2012 message ‘bored’) with the majority of Witton fans in favour of Vics returning to Northwich and taking over Wincham Park as our new home.

Don’t think so some how.
Fingers crossed that you don’t get relegated at the end of the season because I’m led to believe that if Vics win promotion we’d take priority over home games as the senior club in town and that would be a little embarrassing in our first season and would breach what I think will be a very good relationship.[/quote]
Really? I can’t see you getting promoted this season anyway.[/quote]

I think you’ve misread my comment.
Didn’t mean take over Wincham Park literally, I meant taking over as our new home.

Also just confirmed with a mate and he thinks that the landlord always takes priority for home matches but I’m sure I read something a while ago that stated the senior club has priority, senior as in league position, although if Vics did get promoted we’d be senior in all cases.

Sorry to disappoint you Dutch, we are the senior team in town. We have our own ground get bigger crowds than you do and also play in a higher division… :whistle:

Not a disappointment mate, just pointing out the ifs, maybes. when and buts.

Either way I’m sure Vic’s will be sympathetic to Witton’s needs, which is more than you’ll get from disgruntled 2012 Northwich FC fans.

Utter madness a terrible business decision for Witton, money in the short term shouldn’t take precendence over the long term future of our club. An earlier comment that kids today aren’t terribly interested in local football is correct, that’s why Witton should do everything it can to be the only option in town. As for Mr Holland, his remarks are a reminder of why I absolutely hate everything about the green shit. I hate to think what my dear old Gran and Auntie Queenie are thinking about all of this…

Disgruntled? I don’t think so. I am happy for Witton and would rather be in out shoes than JRFC. Our ship is steady, yours has leaks and is heading for the rocks.

What on earth have I said to deserve a response like this? Lets not get off on the wrong foot before we’ve stepped through the door because I’m actually full of respect and admiration for Witton and their fans, I always have been.

I come from a split family my mums side were all v**s fans but my Dads were all Wittoners and thankfully my Dad didn’t give me any choice, to me this shows that in such a small town( in football terms)
Its not big time enough to support three teams especially with the proximity of such large Premier league clubs.
I know for a fact if anything god forbid happened to Witton there’s no way in a million years I would follow any of the other two teams and I’m pretty sure I speak for not only the majority of Wittoners but also fans of the other two clubs.
Its what you’ve been brought up with and there’s no way I’d promote to any of my future relatives or friends to support the others and I would fully expect there supproters to act the same. Plain or simple if you live or have grown up in Northwich you’re either red or green not both.

I’m sure there are relatives of ours who having sadly passed away wouldn’t be happy but its a totally different world we live in now, remember its only just over twenty years ago the town supported two conference clubs, look what that did, I’m pretty sure that will never happen again.

We need to live for the future and as we stand we need to grab every opportunity with both hands, if it means more money, a bigger budget and a much longer and brighter future for our club then I’m all for it.

What this topic does prove is that the town in which we live will never have a top non league side again, The bigotry that still exists puts off most ‘new’ fans and holds back all clubs involved. When I was growing up I was taken to watch whichever team was playing at home on that particular Saturday and my father took pleasure in both teams success, I personally decided to make Witton my ‘first’ team. What a shame grown men can’t be as unprejudiced as my Dad was and encourage youngsters to watch any ‘home’ team just to get them out from their bedrooms and to a live sports event. Take my word for it with peoples attitude that still do watch local teams none of them have a long term future.

As Charliebel mentions, I was brought up to hate Vics as that’s what my grandad told me to do, I never really understood it as by the time I was old enough to appreciate football, Witton and Vics were miles apart, so for me Vics coming back I am not happy but don’t really feel anything, but as for 2012 1874 I genuinely have my own reasons for hating them, so for me Vics if we have to, 2012 1874 and I am out!

Heart felt comment and one that I agree with however most kids teams are chosen for them at birth and the local rivalry inherited. This is the case from the top leagues to the very bottom.

At primary school we got free tickets to watch Vics so my first local game was at the Drill Field.

Later we went to the first game at Wincham Park and from then on it was Witton only, but it’d be nice to renew a rivalry, providing wer come out on top each time.

Why I hate Vics. They laughed at us and called our ground a swamp whilst using other people’s money that they never paid back to finance the great success they had on the field, success that should have belonged to other more honest clubs, ours included. Now they can only come back to town if we let them, are we mad? Let them stew, in the long term, and by that I mean in just a few seasons Northwich Victoria will be no more if we leave them at Flixton and as for the 1874 lot, when a few get bored and result start going wrong I believe they will disappear too. Meanwhile we will muddle honestly along and eventually reap the rewards of being the ONLY senior team in Mid Cheshire. But as I have said, just my opinion.
WHS.

Is it possible we are missing something here? No announcements have been made and no confirmation that it is the green shit who want to share the ground but the plural has been used. Which other team could it be?

I don’t like Vics but i wouldnt want them to dissappear, the main point being made is the fierce rivalry between Witton and Vics and i want this rivalry to continue for many more years to come.
Like squabbling siblings its only when one leaves home that the other realises they actually miss having someone to row with!
I miss having them in town, i miss the rivalry and god i honestly thought i would never see another Northwich derby in my lifetime!
Let them become our tenants, we wont really know there here anyway, the seats will still be red and unless you wander down on a Vics game you wont catch a glimpse of Jim Rushe lording it in the directors box, we get more cash which enables Witton to have a brighter future.

If you have friends who have stuck with Rushe then I understand where you are coming from, but I feel the other way round. 1874 are run by some of Vics fans on a sustainable basis whereas Rushe’s Vics are terminally in debt AGAIN and are a dead team walking, some (a much smaller number) of Vics fans have stayed loyal to that. If we invite the toxic bankrupt Flixton brand in I would seriously consider my support but 1874 I would have no problem with, funny old game!

I just can’t come to terms with accepting “cash” from Rushe though, anyone but not that so and so!

I think it is inevitable that when Vics funding dries up it will die, 2012 may return to the town in some guise say “2016 northwich Victoria” if Vics die ! they are good at inventing names they will then be our long term rivals imo, I can see the view that we should not help them return to the town , if they don’t share our ground I can see it being hard to return, and to any reasonable ground being 7-10 years away.
One aspects that the die hards who do not want any groundshare do want to consider is how hard our directors work to keep the club going and despite looking for a new chairman and new directors in recent times we have not found any significant help - So they have to consider how to stop any decline into trouble (we are not in any real trouble IMO ) but the board are close to it and sense a need, if individuals are not prepared to put time and or money in the club the very least they should do is support the current board not be keyboard warriors and threaten to walk away, as Matt says if you just watch the Albion you will not even come across Vics or Rushe but you will see the benefit to our club in reduced debt and probably an improved team and it will certainly help keep us as the senior team for some time to come.

Tongue of fury you may be right with your comment but unfortunately its a fact of life. Its not just this level of football where it happens its across all leagues,all levels and in all sports. People just feel passionate about the team they support.

My Dad wouldn’t even set foot on Drill field and did very reluctantly when I played in a number of cup finals over the years. He told me my mums uncle would go spare when he put a Witton shirt on me. That’s just the way it is, I’m not saying its right but it certainly adds to the excitement.

I agree that having two teams back in the town would help everyone but if we can make money and have more success than the others then I can’t see what the problem is.