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 PRESS RELEASE

DATE: 31 AUGUST 2012                                                         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Golden Future for Sport in Knutsford

Knutsford Sports Club is ushering in an exciting new phase of diversity and development. Planning consent has been granted for the new Archery Range, while Knutsford Rugby Club will become a full member, with senior rugby played nearby in order to protect the existing facilities.

Knutsford Sports Club offers facilities and events for an amazing variety of disciplines, including cricket, tennis, squash, hockey, rugby and most recently archery and karate. This rich diversity of activities creates a vibrant platform both now and as it develops for both children and adults. The club was delighted to be granted planning consent in March this year for a 30 x 10 metre indoor archery range, on which construction is due to start in September 2012. This will permit year-round activity at the Sports Club.

In the coming weeks at the London Paralympics Games, the archery section of the Sports Club will be following John Stubbs MBE as a strong medal hope in the Men's Individual Compound (Open) competition. John was a gold medallist at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, where he also shot a Paralympic Games record for 12 arrows, scoring 117 out of a possible 120 during his round of 16 matches against America's Eric Bennett.

Jacob Taylor, Chairman of Cheshire Bowmen shared his exciting vision of the coming weeks, "John's hopes for a medal at the Paralympic games take place as the first steps are taken to build a new indoor archery range at the Sports Club. It could not be a more exciting time for archery at Knutsford."

At the AGM in March 2012, members raised a motion inviting Knutsford Rubgy Club to become a full member of the Sports Club. This would provide an instant injection of 200 members, increasing revenue and utilising services and facilities, as well as opening up funding opportunities and cross-membership benefits. This proposal assumed however that cricket and senior rugby would have to adapt to cohabiting on the ground.

Following significant consultation, we are pleased to announce Knutsford Rugby Club is to become a full member of the Club, with mini-rugby continuing on the cricket outfield as per last season whilst senior rugby members play at Knutsford Academy providing a substantial boost to both clubs. The Club is working to try to source one or more dedicated pitches including in making submissions in the Knutsford Town Strategy consultation that is currently underway.

Steve Mockett, Chairman of Knutsford Club said: "The Sports Club is a great place to enjoy sport at any age and any ability. For our part, we are also hoping to inspire a generation to engage in tennis, squash, junior rugby, archery, cricket and karate. We're pleased to have been able to engage with our neighbours and local community, and thank our landlord Mr Randle Brooks and Tatton Estate for their proactive assistace in our continued efforts to maximise the Clubs' and Knutsford's sporting potential."

ENDS

About Knutsford Sports Club

Knutsford Sports Club was founded in 1984 and is an excellent local example of a community-based volunteer organisation continually seeking to develop the local sporting environment. It is committed to providing excellent facilities for multiple sports and events in a safe and friendly environment www.knutsfordsportsclub.org.uk

To find out more about the archery section visit the website www.northcheshirebowmen.co.uk

KNUTSFORD SPORTS CLUB COMMUNICATION

FROM: Knutsford Sports Club Committee

SUBJECT: Incorporation of Rugbyas a section of KSC

At the main AGM in March this year, members raised their concern about the poor overall and financial contribution that the cricket section had over previous years made to the main club and proposed to invite Knutsford Rugby Club to become full members.  This would enable a better and more rewarding use of club facilities and resources. The immediete benefits would include an increased membership and therefore increased income derived from subscriptions, open up various funding opportunities and allow cross-membership thereby boosting the individual sections.

Following a period of extensive positive consultation with all relevant parties including in particular the Tatton Estate our landlord, we are delighted to announce that Knutsford Rugby Club has accepted our invitation to become a full member of the club. Mini-rugby will continue to be played on the cricket outfield, as last season.  Unfortunately the two clubs have concluded that there is not currently an appropriate site for senior rugby members to accommodate a pitch in immediate proximity to the Sports Club at the current time and they will instead play at Knutsford Acadamy as an interim solution, whilst returning to the club after matches.  In the meantime we are working jointly to try to source improved and long-term accomodation with the assistance of Henry Brooks of Tatton Estate.Management.

The Rugby Club's membership will provide a substantial boost to the club as a whole, which we are confident will not be to the perceived detriment of the cricket club and gives them the opportunity to resurge.

The main committee fully appreciates that the proposal at the AGM was for senior rugby to be played on the cricket outfield, therefore using what was viewed as less viable and proportionaly under-utilised area of the ground. Whilst both cricket and rugby were parepared to agree a compromise and ground share at the club, the committee has decided that at this time such a compromise arrangement is not in the long term interest of the club and its members.

Some members may have read in the press or heard certain third party comments that were misguided and misinformed with regards to our internal discussions on this matter. We have been very careful to ensure that our consultation was carried out correctly, professionaly and under the authority given to the committee by its members, ensuring that the outcome was in the best interests for all sections of the Sports Club and communicated accordingly to its members. Discussions were held with the heads of the cricket and rugby sections, the Rugby Football Union, Meller Braggins Cricket League and Mr. R. Brooks who was uncomfortable about the proposal of a ground share. We placed much weight on the Mr. Brooks's opinion when arriving at our decision given the club would not exist without his ongoing generosity. Mr. Brooks has recently purchased a tractor-mower for the club to use, and his/the Tatton Estate's support of the club and and involvement in trying to find the best long term solution for all the sports in the club makes this relationship all the more important.

To help the cricket section flourish as a member of the Sports Club, numerous measures have been put in place to help increase its membership base and overall contribution to the main club including financially. These measures will be monitored and reviewed accordingly as will those concerning the rugby club joining.

I hope that you are all as delighted as I am that a conclusion has been reached and that Knutsford Rugby Club is joining us. We wish them every success as members of Knutsford Sports Club.

On the basis that we do not believe this announcement required an EGM, I have attached a copy of the press statement which is to be issued within the next 48 hours which will simultaneously be posted on the Sports Club's website.

Steve Mockett

Chairman, Knutsford Sports Club

The Minutes of the Sports Club AGM have been posted on the website.  All members should take note!!!  To see the minutes click here  or go to the Sports Club web page  Members  Members information.

It is with great pleasure that today I can announce that Knutsford Sports Club has secured a new 40 year lease on the grounds with our landlord Randle Brooks. The new lease, which runs until 2051, has been signed by all parties and is now registered with the Land Registry.

This lease is a significant milestone for the club as it allows us to plan for the future and opens up many opportunities to obtain the necessary funding for the development of every sections facilities. Equally as important is that it secures the club as a centre for sport in Knutsford for many years to come.

The committee would like to thank Mr Brooks for granting us this new lease, the terms of which are very favourable to a club such as ours. I personally would like to thank all of the members of the committee for their efforts over the past few months and a particular thanks goes to squash member Tony Hindley who has been heavily involved in negotiating the lease and Elisabeth Bellamy a solicitor who has given her services free of charge to the club in sorting out all of the legal aspects.

As I have said this is a great opportunity for the club to plan ahead and it is now up to the committee and all of the membership to ensure that Knutsford Sports Club continues to thrive and grow over the coming years.

Regards

Steve Mockett
Chairman Knutsford Sports Club    

Discussions have started with the landlord to extend the lease at the club beyond 2019.  Successful negotiations are a pre requisite to enable the Tennis club to apply for lottery funding and implement their development plans which include two further all weather tennis courts.

For further information contact Steve Mockett.